Start 1861: I Just Inherited the Dutch Throne

Britain and the Russian Empire held their second negotiation in the Kingdom of Belgium. Although both sides seemed to be very serious about the negotiation, they failed to reach an agreement in the end. As a result, the second armistice negotiation was aborted.

At the same time as the assassination, on the battlefield of the Balkan Peninsula, because Britain and Russia obviously did not want to continue the war, and the Ottoman Empire was afraid of rash action, but peace briefly appeared there, and people seemed to see the promise of peace. dawn.

But is that really the case?

William IV disagreed, because on his desk there was a list of weapons listed by the Tsarist Empire.

"If the Netherlands agrees to the request of the Russian Empire, what will the Russian Empire do?" After William IV took a sip of tea, he seemed to be wandering for a long time before staring at Prime Minister Tolbeck and asked.

Tolbeck said mysteriously: "If these 50,000 rifles join the Tsarist Russian Imperial Army, then the Balkan Peninsula will continue. Of course, Alexander II is wild and somewhat elusive. It is hard to say who he is. Maybe he has other plans."

William IV turned his eyes slightly and looked at the map of the Balkan Peninsula. He paused for a moment on the Kingdom of Greece, but it was not worry, but a little scruple. Then he moved to the Balkan Peninsula. Just as he was about to say something, suddenly, His eyes moved eastward and landed on a place.

There was interest on his face, as if he had realized something, and he said: "I really want to know what Alexander II wants to do?"

On September 25, 1866, the Netherlands announced with a high profile that it would provide 50,000 Mauser rifles to the Russian Empire. It immediately aroused a lot of doubts.

Why, because the peace talks between the United Kingdom and Tsarist Russia in Belgium failed, the Netherlands announced that it had negotiated the most powerful rifle business in Europe with the Tsarist Russian Empire. This was an invisible blow to those who originally had high expectations for Britain and Russia.

Because this means that the Tsarist Empire is replenishing its ammunition arsenal, and the increase in sharp weapons is obviously a coercion of Britain.

In the British Isles, many people speculated that this was a psychological war between Alexander II and Queen Victoria, indicating that if Britain no longer made concessions on the negotiating table, the Russian Empire could only continue.

However, some people believe that the Tsarist Empire did not intend to negotiate peace from the beginning, and that the current negotiations with the United Kingdom are just delaying time to digest the results of the Romanian war they just captured.

These two views gave rise to completely different positions in the British cabinet and even the House of Lords and the House of Commons. Some people advocated continuing negotiations with the Russian Empire in order to relieve the pressure caused by the war in the Balkan Peninsula.

Some people think that there is no need to continue talking, because the Russian Empire is only consuming Britain's prestige, which gives Britain's allies an unreliable halo when they look at Britain.

The sale of these 50,000 Mauser rifles by the Netherlands to the Russian Empire triggered a huge controversy in the UK, which was shocking.

As for the Milijian Commonwealth in North America, under the watchful eyes of William IV, they secretly added 50,000 troops to the northwest state of Washington without anyone noticing.

When I think about the already turbulent water in London, if external forces are added to stir it, what will be the effect at that time.

At the same time, the Dutch government began to increase the number of newspapers in various countries secretly controlled by the Netherlands to promote news friendly to the image of the Netherlands, and to guide the war between Britain and the Commonwealth of America in a direction beneficial to the Netherlands. Under the surface of the illusion of world stability, , already fueled by the Netherlands, the undercurrent is surging again, but as the promoter of the Netherlands, William IV is accelerating his own construction tide.

After four years of vigorous construction, Australia in the Far East of the Netherlands has ushered in the harvest season.

On September 25, 1866, part of the Coastal Railway along the southeastern coast of Australia was finally completed.

The link from Melbourne, the capital of William Province (ie Victoria State), to Sydney, the capital of New South Wales, was officially opened on this day.

This is Australia's most important economic artery, and its opening will promote further economic prosperity in the Australian continent.

On the same day, the railway from Melbourne to Adelaide, the capital of South Australia in the west, was also officially opened.

This line is the strategic resource transfer artery for the deployment of the Dutch military industry. Melbourne transports the eastern coast to Adelaide, and the weapons manufactured thereafter are continuously transported to the east and even East India.

In the western province of Western Australia, the railway from the capital Pas to Kalgoorlie, an important town in the central part of the province, has also been officially opened to traffic.

If this is opened, it will have a greater role in promoting the development of weapons in Adelaide, and minerals will be transported from the west to the east, and the industrial economies of Sydney and Melbourne will make a complete leap.

As long as the population keeps up, minerals, industrial products, and markets will remain on par with the Commonwealth of America. Even with the division of America, Australia's geographical location will become even more advantageous.

In the northern province of Northern Australia, a line is under construction connecting the capital Darwin on the Timor Sea to the city of Namboulwa next to the Gulf of Carpentaria.

It is expected to be officially opened in 1869. If this 6-year-old railway is opened, it will greatly promote the economic development of Northern Australia and in terms of safety, it will also be greatly promoted.

Because of this, the local government has done its best to introduce indigenous labor.

Like it, the eastern province of Queensland is experiencing a construction boom, perhaps even worse.

As a major grain-producing province in Australia, transportation is a problem. Therefore, with the approval of Tolbeck's cabinet, Queensland Province obtained the consent of Amsterdam and took the lead in the simultaneous construction of four railways in Australia.

East-west railways: Brucebane to Quilpie in the west, Rockhampton to Longreach in the west, Townsville to Dutchess in the west, Cairns to Normanton southeast of Carbondaria Bay in the west.

These four railways are still under construction and are expected to be completed around 1870.

The north-south Cairns-Townsville-Rockhampton-Brucebane line has been completed and opened to traffic.

Brosbane has even begun cooperating with the Province of New South Wales to plan the inter-provincial railway connection from Brosbane to Sydney.

In addition, the under-construction connection from Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, to the north to Alice Springs, a key town in the southern part of Northern Australia, and from Adelaide to the west to Kalgoorlie, a key town in the central part of Western Australia.

These two lines are the largest long-term plan of the Dutch government. Due to the long span and complex terrain, it is estimated that it will take about 1873 to be completed and opened to traffic.

Other branches were added slowly.