German naval power changes the Dutch defence problem

Germany created a second security problem for the Netherlands. German complaints about its lack of a colonial 'place in the sun' extended to Dutch possessions, and the expanding German navy gave a nearby ally the means to become a maritime danger. Flooding Dutch territory could obstruct an army, but it offered less protection once an opponent could attack by sea. The proposed fleet would make conquest slow and costly enough for outside intervention to become possible. Dutch planners studied Germany's risk-fleet logic and Japan's defensive use of modern ships, while rejecting Spain's undersized España class as inadequate for their needs.