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The first Raadpensionaris was inaugurated in Nieuwe Haag on the 1st of January 1892 it was the man by the name of Willem van Aertens, a direct descendant of Jacob van Aertens. He, like his NNL counterpart, would hold office 5 years before facing re-election. Van Aertens would set many precedents during his 15-year tenure over the nation. His tenure was filled with many challenges for the young nation ranging from domestic to foreign affairs and crises. These crises ranged from social unrest in the late 1890s, due to economic stagnation, increased smuggling and social dilemmas the young nation was threatened. While at the same time it was dealing with skirmishes over the Ryukyu islands that eventually escalated into a war between Tauland Japan.
During this cultural boom, which coincided with a rise in patriotism, Tauland began estelbishing foreign relations. These followed a traditional path of working via its old contacts from its dominion days. It was able to get several trade treaties signed with Britain for trade in China, respecting Tauland sovreignity and mutual respect in general. The challening issue was the land of the rising sun. Due to the Ryukyu islands having been taken by Tauland in the 1700s, it had always been a sore point. With Japan slowly moderning tho it began to voice its demands that it wanted those islands. With the rhetoric on both sides becoming more and more hostile, with Japan expanding her industrial capacity and creating a capable navy at a rapid pace. With this it became clear that the islands would in the future become a sore point.
Despite the crises both economic and social, the young Republic experienced a boom in culture in the form of music, art theatre architecture and cuisine. While Tauland had always had a strong sense of self, in the early years he was able to properly define what it meant to be a Taulander.
Throughout the 1890s both sides started to talk about the sovreignity of the islands. In the end tho both sides did not budge with Tauland, considering the islands theirs as it had spend countless man hours into developing those islands. While Japan demanded full sovereignity over the islands and while no outright declarations of war where made, both nations deployed their navies and tensions rose. As several times it occured that Tauland ships edged closer to Japanese waters and vice versa. All of this was closely followed by the Tauland press which created more anti Japanese sentiment. All of these factors, be it anti Japanese sentiment, legimate fears of looking weak and economic aspects such as fishing rights helped with creating the conditions for the Ryukyu stand off.
During this time Taulandt was establishing foreign relations with almost all nations, from its contacts in the Netherlands it was able to get several trade treaties with Britain signed for India, however, one of the most daring ploys employed at the time was Taulandt her relationship with Japan. Japan and Taulandt had always had a tense relationship ever since Taulandt's capture and subsequent integration of the Ryukyu islands in the late 1700s. Japan which had recently opened up and was slowly modernizing began to voice her thought that those islands still belonged to Japan. It became clear to both sides that war was inevitable as both sides started preparing for a conflict. In this Taulandt held the advantage in her industrial capacity and her well-established navy. Japan had expanded its navy rapidly but still lacked an industrial base but felt confident that it could overcome the Taulandt presence around the island.
During this cultural boom, which coincided with a rise in patriotism, Tauland began establishing foreign relations. These followed a traditional path of working via its old contacts from its dominion days. It was able to get several trade treaties signed with Britain for trade in China, respecting Tauland's sovereignty and mutual respect in general. The challenging issue was the land of the rising sun. Due to the Ryukyu islands having been taken by Tauland in the 1700s, it had always been a sore point. With Japan slowly modernizing tho it began to voice its demands that it wanted those islands. With the rhetoric on both sides becoming more and more hostile, Japan expanded its industrial capacity and created a capable navy at a rapid pace. With this, it became clear that the islands would in the future become a sore point.
Through the late 1890s, both sides did try to come to a compromise on the matter of the islands. Japan, however, demanded full sovereignty and while no outright declarations of war had come when in late 1899 the presence of Japanese warships sighted along the northernmost island became ever more frequent Taulandt decided to react. The island at that moment was swept with a sense of Anti-japanese sentiment, despite the government's attempts to limit it, people went on the streets demanding war and pro-Tauland sentiment was high. With this domestic support for action, Raadpensionaris van Aertens felt confident to order the Navy to reinforce the naval force already present near the islands. This focus on the navy on a policy level led to the rapid expansion of the navy and the navy, becoming the pride of the nation and a display of its might.
Throughout the 1890s both sides started to talk about the sovereignty of the islands. In the end tho both sides did not budge with Tauland, considering the islands theirs as it had spent countless man hours into developing those islands. While Japan demanded full sovereignty over the islands and while no outright declarations of war were made, both nations deployed their navies and tensions rose. As several times it occurred that Tauland ships edged closer to Japanese waters and vice versa. All of this was closely followed by the Tauland press which created more anti-Japanese sentiment. All of these factors, be it anti-Japanese sentiment, legitimate fears of looking weak and economic aspects such as fishing rights helped with creating the conditions for the Ryukyu standoff.
=== Ryukyu stand off === ▼''November 1899 - 3rd of January 1900'' ▼
▲=== Ryukyu stand offstandoff ===
By november of 1899 both Taulandt and Japan and their political leadership feared what was to happen. Japan knew that any protracted conflict could mean defeat and shame, while Taulandt knew that any protracted conflict with Japan would diminish her naval power and might endanger her southern sea interests, more importantly the Oostelijke Wadden (paracel islands). Thus while the public wanted a war the political establishment was hoping for at worst a series of naval skirmishes. Yet it still wanted to deter the Japanese and not look weak to european powers, Taulandt felt that should it fail in this that it would never be taken serious again and thus felt that it had to prove itself.
''3-month war''
▲''November 1899 - 3rd of JanuaryMarch 1900 ''
With this in mind the Raadpensionaris had ordered de Schout responsible for the defense of the realm to order the Admiralty to start enacting a plan that had long since been spoken of with hushed tones. To send one of Taulandt her battleships supported by its cruisers and light cruisers to the island near japan and defend the troops that would land and strengthen the defenses. Thus the admiralty which had long since feared and thus prepared for this send one Battleships, SVS Vliegend vuur escorted by 4 cruisers and 5 motor torpedo boats towards the island of Amami.
With the rise of anti-Japanese sentiment in Tauland due to the failed negotiations around the Ryukyu islands. Japan demanded full sovereignty over the island, despite at this point Tauland having had them settled and developed for the past 200 years. This eventually led to the rise of anti-Japanese sentiment within Tauland society, as they were seen as stealing the Taulanders rightful land. With people on the streets demanding that the government do something, Readpensionaris Van Aertens felt confident enough to take preemptive actions, to prevent further Japanese aggression.
The naval force arrived near Amami in early November of 1899 and began setting up a more active set of patrols. At the same time across the other islands especially, Okinawa troops landed to reinforce the local garrison in preparation of what could be Japanese invasion. The commander of this force was Vloot-hooft Schout-Bij Nacht Johan Fabricius, a man who had fought prior to the independence in naval actions in colonial wars. For the first 8 days nothing happened in fact a storm forced all ships to stay close to the islands, it was only on the 9th day that the first Japanese ships were sighted. Fabricius, wanting to get a good idea of what he was up against, ordered 2 Motor torpedo boats to get as close as possible. when they returned Fabricius knew that he had a challenge in front of him.
Ever since the start of the political dispute between Japan and Tauland, Tauland its admiralty had prepared multiple plans in case of a war. Thus when the Readpensionaris gave the order to prepare for a potential conflict, the admiralty was ready. It thus sends out it's Marines and squadrons to strengthen the islands and deter the Japanese. These reinforcements consisted of 3 heavy cruisers, 15 armoured cruisers and 27 torpedo boats towards the island of Amami.
The Japanese had sent 17 motor torpedo boats and 3 cruisers, while they did outnumber Fabricius his force, those motor torpedo boats could do little against the shore fortifications. He quickly ordered a cable to be sent to Taulandt for more ships that would be sent but would not arrive for two days.
The naval force arrived in early November 1899 around the island of Amami, it immediately began setting up forward defensive patrols. Similoltaniously army forces on the island of Okinawa began to reinforce the garrison, in preparation for what could be a Japanese invasion. For the first 2 weeks nothing happened in fact the Japanese did not send any forces, to counter the Taulanders. It was only after 16 days that the Japanese response became apparent in the form of 17 cruisers, 20 torpedo boats and 4 frigates. What followed was a tense staredown with the cannons pointed at them. This eventually on the 3rd day of the standdown led to ire being issued and what followed was a naval engagement.
Yet nothing happened the Japanese did not fire upon the Taulandt ships and neither did the Taulandt ship’s fire upon the Japanese. Thus a stand-off ensued where neither side was willing to back down and for nearly a month the cannons of the battleships were aimed at one another waiting for the first shell to hit. Neither side fired first however and the tense stand-off would continue all the way through November. It was at the end of November that the first moves were made as a Japanese freighters were boarded by Taulandt sailors after failing to comply, what followed was a tense situation that lengthened the standoff by another month before both forces were called back after cooler heads had prevailed. In the end, it was settled through quick negotiations and the assurance that Japanese fishing boats could fish near the Ryukyu islands but only in limited numbers.
With the area now at peace Taulandt continued its pace of gradual economic independence from China, something that had been an aim of the Taulandt government ever since the formation of the Dominion. To do this a period of Economic, Industrial, Educational and military reforms took place. During this time a new Taulandt was born, a new architectural style was born by mixing the old Hollandic neo-gothic designs with traditional Chinese architecture to create the so-called School van het Oosten. This style is identified by its use of red colors combined with Dutch house building but with Chinese style interiors.
During this time the culinary inventory of Taulandt also expanded, mixing classical Hollandic food, with Chinese and Japanese created a diet that had a large degree of nutrients, rice, fish, beef, potatoes, spices and coal as well as large quantities of Chicken. This would become a staple of the Taulandt diet combined with the large quantities of milk truly made it an odd nation in regards to its cuisine compared to other local cuisine.
A new era for Taulandt had started an era of independence and total self determination and a golden age for its cultural development in this new century.
== 20th century ==
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