Territories As Tropical Toolset? A Historical Perspective on the Strategic Relevance of the Dutch Caribbean Islands

Abstract

The strategic relevance of the Caribbean continues to be a topic of interest in the Dutch-American relationship. During and after WWII, the Caribbean region grew in political and military importance. This thesis assesses the relevance of the Caribbean within the Dutch-American relationship in the period after WWII. This will be done along a research method developed by the Hague Centre for Strategic Studies. It takes two indicators, utility and compatibility, and assesses them in an international relationship. These indicators have shown that the Caribbean region show a relative decline in importance within the Dutch-American relationship.