Start 1861: I Just Inherited the Dutch Throne

When Queen Victoria was concerned about the Netherlands' international status, other countries were actually beginning to make a fair assessment of the Netherlands' status.

Compared with the difficult situation in the UK, the situation in the Netherlands is the envy of all countries.

Why was the Netherlands able to navigate many wars with ease and control?

There are two main reasons. First, the Netherlands has just the right national strength.

Since 1857, the Netherlands has begun to carry out various reforms, transforming the Netherlands from the end of Spain, Sweden, Portugal, Denmark, and the United States to a country that seems to be more powerful than Spain now. Doubtful, at least that's what Queen Victoria thought.

The Netherlands has always been very confident in its own strength and development, but it also recognizes its own shortcomings. Sometimes it considers itself a middle-sized country, but sometimes it is regarded by the international community as one of the major powers, but it is not on par with the United Kingdom and France. , Prussia, the Russian Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire and other major powers that can be compared with each other.

The Netherlands' insufficient national comprehensive strength makes other countries less wary of it, but its not-weak national strength and huge development potential make other countries respect the Netherlands.

National wars involving major powers will gradually intensify the fairness of the major powers, and the mutual suspicion between the major powers makes everyone not believe that the other party's position as a mediator is just.

The Netherlands' good relations with all parties at the same time, as well as the suspicion and sensitivity of European and American countries, made it difficult for countries such as Britain and France to convince each other.

For example, in the Civil War between North and South America, even France could not convince the two parties, the Northern United States of America and the Confederate States of the South, because France was currently waging war in southern Mexico.

Although the Tsarist Empire did not participate in the war, Britain and the Tsarist Russian Empire were participating countries in the Balkan Peninsula. Neither the UK nor the Tsarist Russian Empire were suitable to serve as international mediators.

Prussia could have done it, and Bismarck's national diplomacy was also good. However, the Prussian-Danish War and the Prussian-Austrosian War launched by Bismarck, and even drove Austria out of the German Confederation and annexed the entire Germany, damaged the image of Prussia, which many people could see. It will be difficult for Berlin to eliminate this influence within at least five years.

However, Spain, Portugal and Italy are located on the southern edge of Europe and are not in the core of Europe, which is unconvincing.

Vienna in the Austro-Hungarian Empire could have been used, but Joseph I was conceited and did not want to cause trouble anymore. He chose to develop in a low-key manner so that he could show off his power in the future, which seemed inappropriate.

In the end, Queen Victoria discovered that the Netherlands, a country in the midst of four wars, was surrounded by the four great powers of England, France, and Puri. It also had good relations with the Russian Empire and used the Germanic Summit to improve its relations with the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Now it is even more so. Taking advantage of the quarrel between Britain and the Ottoman Empire, the Netherlands has taken a step closer to its relationship with the Ottoman Empire. All of these, the Netherlands has miraculously become almost on good terms with Europe.

It seems that there is only one Portugal?

Countries' preparedness against Britain now seems to have further intensified the pressure on Britain's economic growth with the accumulation of industrial products. The UK is at odds with the Commonwealth of America and is on good terms with the Confederacy. The sensitivities between the two parties have made the UK face a crisis. The claim of the Netherlands as a peacemaker put Britain in a dilemma.

If Britain explicitly gives up its support for the Confederacy, morally and legally, and even abandons its compatriots in southern England, it will not only be criticized by the Confederate States, but also condemned by public opinion in the UK. At the same time, the strategic coordination between Britain and the Confederate States will be damaged.

If it continues to support the Southern Confederacy against the Northern Confederacy, it will continue to be difficult for the UK to enter the market of the Northern Confederacy. At the same time, some of the UK's energy will continue to be drawn to North America and it will be difficult to take care of Europe and the Middle East.

Against the background of intensifying strategic competition between Britain, France, and the Tsarist Russian Empire, France continued to use the Balkans to drive a wedge between Britain and the Tsarist Russian Empire.

But at the same time, the Netherlands is also taking advantage of France's sensitivity in the Balkans and Americas to increase France's international moral pressure in order to benefit the Netherlands.

These are the status advantages of the Netherlands.

The second one is the national characteristics of the Netherlands that are easily accepted by countries around the world. Economically, the Netherlands has a relatively advanced level of technological development. Since the country is not very powerful, it has a natural affinity for other countries. After all, compared to the three major technological powers, the UK, France and Prussia, cooperation in the Netherlands is more equal and easier to negotiate.

Moreover, the Netherlands is less intimidating. The country of William IV of the Netherlands considers itself a medium-sized country, which makes other countries more approachable.

In terms of system, because together with the United Kingdom, the two countries were once ruled by one king, the United Kingdom is similar to the United Kingdom; the Netherlands was once invaded by Napoleon I, so many French systems were also applied in the Netherlands; Nassau was born after 1815 -Rule of the House of Orange, a member of the German Confederation.

The Netherlands combines the characteristics of the three countries of England, France, Prussia and Germany. Therefore, it is difficult for more than these three countries to deny the Dutch national governance policy. Even other countries also very much agree with the Netherlands' easy-to-use approach.

Therefore, it is understandable that the Dutch system is praised by other countries.

Culturally, the Dutch Protestantism is recognized by all countries, and there are more than 10% Catholics in the Netherlands, which is more tolerant than other Germanic countries.

Therefore, the Netherlands is also considered by southern European countries as a country that does not dislike them.

This is why when William IV proposed that William III succeed the King of Greece, the people of the Greeks, a country that believes in Orthodox Christianity, were not very opposed. After all, a tolerant Dutch royal family is better than the purely Catholic royal family of the Kingdom of Bavaria. It makes them agree more.

The relationship between the Netherlands and Tsarist Russia is friendly and stable. Since the 17th century, among the bilateral relations between the Netherlands and all major powers, the relationship between the Netherlands and Tsarist Russia has been the most stable, friendly and lasting.

The Tsarist Russian Empire was the largest arms sales market in the Netherlands, and it was the arms market that the Netherlands most relied on for its weapons. This allowed the Tsarist Russian Empire to gain access to the most advanced weapons technology in Western Europe, and the Netherlands' assistance was indispensable.

There is no geopolitical conflict between the Netherlands and the Russian Empire. The economic and trade relations between the two countries are also a great boost. Moreover, the two countries have close and in-depth cooperation in the European and international political and military fields.

In the latest Balkan Peninsula war this year, although the Netherlands did not participate in the war to help the Russian Empire, the Dutch arms factories increased their efforts to increase production progress and continuously provided high-quality weapons for the Russian Empire's war.

It can be said that without the weapons of the Netherlands, the Tsarist Empire would have never been able to withstand the joint actions of the British, Austrian Empire and the Ottoman Empire on the Balkan Peninsula. In the end, it survived the Austrian Empire and became the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and finally survived the British Empire. Retreating, Osman began to reluctantly agree that it was time to cease the war.

It can be said that the Netherlands is a paramilitary alliance of Tsarist Russia.