It is not always appreciated that up to 1950 the Netherlands was the third largest colonial power in the world. Like the UK she was a maritime power and largely owed her position to this fact but, without the home productive capacity of the UK, the Netherlands did not benefit to the same extent during the period of economic growth accompanying and following the Industrial Revolution. Consequently, an empire founded on sea power only was slowly denuded of the very means of existence. The bulk of Dutch colonial possessions were in the East Indies, where the larger part of the Royal Netherlands Nvy was always stationed. As the Dutch strength retreated, another navy rapidly advanced - that of Imperial Japan...

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