Start 1861: I Just Inherited the Dutch Throne

Seeing this, William IV returned to the topic just now, and said helplessly: "The Netherlands has reached a bottleneck in its development. As reported by many institutions in the international community, the Netherlands now has no economic or military power. The strength is developing rapidly, and the scale has reached a point where it is almost on par with the six major countries. In this case, if the Netherlands chooses to pretend to be a small and medium-sized country, I think it is not only the Dutch who will not agree, because This is just hiding honor. Even big countries will not let the Netherlands continue to make a fortune in silence. After all, this is a huge threat."

When King Karl XV and King Christian IX heard this, they agreed.

You know, in the past few years, the economic development of the Netherlands has attracted their attention. Major domestic capitals are urging the two governments to speed up learning from the Netherlands in order to keep up with the pace of the development of the Netherlands, especially Sweden. Since Oscar I, he has focused on the development of industry. From Karl XV, who inherited the kingdom in 1859, he began to move closer to the industrial and economic powers of Western Europe.

In fact, the reason why Carl XV led Sweden to form an alliance with William IV's Kingdom of the Netherlands was because William IV promised to help Sweden implement the long-cherished wish of promoting industrialization and helping two generations of kings. Therefore, Carl XV He joined the circle of Dutch allies immediately.

Later, Sweden received help from the Netherlands, and domestic industry entered the fast lane of development. This made Karl XV fall in love with William IV. If his only princess, Princess Louisa, was not too young, she was born in 1851 and would not be born until now. At the age of 16, William IV was still too immature when he married Alexandra, but he didn't mind the marriage between the two countries.

Thinking of this, he looked at Christian IX next to him and couldn't help but feel envious, sighing that the other person had many bloodlines.

Christian IX also agreed with what William IV said. When Prussia and Austria and the German Confederation invaded Schleswig and Holstein, Denmark encountered a dilemma, a helpless dilemma, and a sense of powerlessness. , this feeling makes Christian IX feel terrible just thinking about it.

Therefore, when William IV mentioned it, he felt the deepest.

So he couldn't help but said: "Yes, the Netherlands needs to plan more about this. Big countries also have their own national interests. Small and medium-sized countries like us are just a dish for others. You can eat it if you like it. If you don't like it, it's just for others." It's just a gift for others to taste. I hate this feeling. Therefore, William, what you did is right. We should indeed have a platform that belongs to us, so that the big countries will be afraid and dare not take action against us at will."

William IV could understand when he saw his father-in-law assisting God. In addition, the German Confederation captured the trauma of Schleswig and Holstein, which originally belonged to Denmark. Denmark needed a long time to recover from its injuries.

However, with the attitudes of Denmark and Sweden, it was obvious that both countries had new thoughts that they had not had before under the example of the Netherlands. William IV was moved in his mind. If they could make good use of the changes in their minds, the Netherlands could. To this end, plan for more benefits.

So, he said: "Your Majesty, I think it would be a sin to keep the pearl locked up in a treasure box at home forever, because this will not reflect its value."

When Christian IX and Karl XV heard this, they both looked at William IV and waited quietly. They are all kings in charge of a country, so they naturally understand that among them, William IV means something.

"Then let me put it bluntly. If the two countries always hide in Northern Europe, it will be difficult for the development of the two countries to get opportunities for rapid development. Look at the Netherlands, and then look at Portugal. I think both of them will see it. Here we are, a small country with few people, but good overseas colonies and economic development."

William IV looked at Christian IX: "Denmark's navy is among the top ten in the world. Even compared to Portugal and Italy, it is not much different. Having such a navy and raising them means protecting the country. In fact, We should do our best to seek more benefits for Denmark.”

He looked at Karl XV again and said: "The Swedish Army is the most famous iron army in Europe. Back then, under the leadership of His Majesty John Karl XIV, the other countries defeated the army of northern France ruled by Napoleon I. It was regarded as the best in the world. Shocked, I won’t say more, even the Tsarist Empire is wary of your country and dare not act rashly. Such a powerful army is almost at the level of a great power."

"Denmark and Sweden have each other's strengths and weaknesses, and they complement each other. If they can work together to plan something, wouldn't this be something that can change the European landscape?"

The two were tempted by what William IV said.

Indeed, the Swedish Army is very famous in Europe. Even Prussia would have to admire it if it were on the same scale, and the Tsarist Empire would not object.

Denmark's navy is also one of the strongest in the North Atlantic. If these two countries were one country, Britain and other major powers would have been worried.

This is something that everyone knows, but now that King William IV of the Netherlands said it, it made the two of them suddenly see the blue sky through the clouds. A sense of pride suddenly surged in, and the calculations in their hearts began to run rapidly.

William IV saw the two people's interest, so he said: "The Netherlands is willing to provide such a platform for Sweden and Denmark to show their strengths."

Karl XV's face was shocked, and he looked at William IV's face in disbelief.

Christian IX's eyes were also beating, and his ambition was fully displayed.

These two people usually seemed to have no intention of competing for European hegemony, but William IV never believed that these two people had no ambition at all and were just restricted by conditions.

The rise of the Netherlands gave the two of them a glimmer of hope, but William IV's current words opened the Pandora's box, allowing their ambitions to take root and grow.

Without even noticing, the two of them came up with a bold idea, that is, to follow Holland closely. Holland eats meat, so it would be good for them to drink soup too.

Of course, if faced with a war between great powers that is difficult to withstand, they will not withdraw and stand by while the Netherlands is unable to resist. Of course, it goes without saying that William IV also thought about it.

This is both an international reality and a norm for European countries.

When William IV saw the two men's appearance, he knew it was time.

So under the expectant gazes of the two, William IV said: "I am going to invite you two to become observer states of the Union of South America. When the time comes, you can further become a member state."

Karl XV and Christian IX were shocked again.

Karl XV asked with burning eyes: "Isn't this a little abrupt? After all, we are different from the Netherlands. We have no territory there."

Christian IX also nodded, with pity on his face.

William IV smiled mysteriously and said: "It doesn't happen now, but that doesn't mean it won't happen in the future."

So under the expectation of the two of them, William IV finally expressed his thoughts. After the two of them heard it, they were immediately convinced. In Europe, everything that relies on strength can bring benefits to me. I can take you as the leader for the time being. how.

After that, William IV began to ask the two countries to cooperate with the Dutch foreign policy, but the two readily agreed. There were gains and losses. This is political reality.

Driven by William IV, the young King of the Netherlands, the three countries secretly signed the Nordic Alliance. Redien and Denmark formally established the Nordic Core Alliance with the Netherlands. There are only three member states: the Netherlands, Sweden, and Denmark!

Even the Netherlands and Sweden each bought the east and west sides of the deserted ice island of Greenland, Denmark, for 500,000 pounds each, and truly became a veritable Nordic country divided in half vertically. The east part was captured first by Karl XV, and The west was given to the Netherlands. Obviously, Karl XV did not want to face the British in North America and Canada and the British mainland in the south, so he would rather take the colder east. However, this was exactly what William IV wanted.

Even in order to make up for Denmark's contribution, William IV expressed his willingness to give Denmark a small island in the Pacific to make up for the dissatisfaction of Denmark's domestic opponents.

This made Karl XV embarrassed, but Christian IX was moved.

As the surrounding countries of the French Empire provided weapons to the Kingdom of Siam, it was even reported that the Confederate States of Southern America and Chile, which were not members of the International Court of Justice in The Hague, saw the sanctions imposed by The Hague on France. President Davis stated that he was considering joining. To this end, the Confederate States of America even sent a special envoy to Washington, the capital of the Northern Confederate States of America, in an attempt to persuade the Lincoln government not to block their application to join.

For this reason, the North and the South took the opportunity to ease relations, and the peace process in North America took a big step forward.

Other countries such as Peru, Chile, and Bolivia even condemned and sanctioned the French Empire in various European countries. These countries began to choose to wait and see to avoid getting involved.

In the past, the Confederate States of America were afraid of the French Empire and did not dare to be tough on the French Empire when it launched a penetrating invasion of Mexico. In the past, because they were too hostile to the North and were in a wartime state, they chose the ostrich policy at that time to avoid public criticism. The French Empire even made overtures and tried to win over.

Now, with the easing of tensions between the North and the South, and with the implicit support of the Lincoln administration, the Davis administration has changed its policy towards France. Davis even openly criticized France for carrying out similar colonial policies towards Mexico. It was wrong, and the American League The country was so angry that he called on France to withdraw from North America and not even start a war to invade anywhere in the world. It also includes the Kingdom of Siam in the Far East, making the world more peaceful.

President Davis also reiterated his respect for the French Empire and Napoleon III.

Dias, a researcher at the International Department of the Amsterdam Institute, a private think tank in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, said that this is a major concern in the foreign policy of the two North American countries. The North and the South have obviously cooperated, which is a big problem for the Americas and even Europe. In important events, France unfortunately became the target of the experiment. Obviously, this was an "enemy" jointly established by both parties. Obviously, on the American issue, the French Empire and Napoleon III did not do a good job in North American diplomacy.

Dias said: "It is almost certain that the two countries will jointly face threats from Europe to North America and even South America after putting aside their differences."

The world's largest newspaper "European Times" interviewed Herman Van Rompuy, the dean of the Diplomatic School of Leiden University, the oldest university in the Netherlands since 1862, and a special commentator for Europe's most influential "European Times". In an interview with "European Times", Van Rompuy said that countries always consider their interests.

“Members of the International Court of Justice in The Hague expressed horror at France’s invasion of other countries, and many were even afraid of Napoleon I’s rule at the beginning of this century. Therefore, they have been wary of France for a long time. Napoleon III’s ambitions have not been exposed in the past. , so the countries haven't said anything yet, but now with the simultaneous operation of Mexico in North America, the Kingdom of Siam in the Far East, and Paraguay in South America, countries have begun to recall that lost memory instantly.

As a result, countries may feel that their stance is tougher. Although these countries do not want to offend the French Empire, under the promotion of other countries, they are afraid that if they do not join, then when they face the invasion of other major powers such as the French Empire in the future, these countries may be indifferent to their encounters, so , in this case, they chose to follow. After all, the law does not blame everyone. Although France is strong, it does not dare to say anything to them. But just like France's southern neighbor Spain, they will be more cautious and will not take any action such as military action against France. As far as I know, although Spain provides weapons to the Kingdom of Siam, it also provides weapons to France in the Philippines. South Vietnam has a lot of weapons, but both sides have made arms money. Speaking of which, they are not much less than the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. "

Therefore, Spain has always had a good relationship with France. It believes that it has an independent position and at the same time relies on France to deal with Britain's Spanish position on the Gibraltar issue, so its attitude is rather vague. "

Hugh Smith, president of the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, accepted the pro-Tory Times newspaper and said that the Netherlands’ stance on the Kingdom of Siam in the French Far East is eye-catching. The UK no longer wants to take a wait-and-see attitude as it did in the past. France's invasion obviously played a guiding role, which is very rare. Several polls in the Netherlands have shown that many people support sanctions against the French Empire. They are generally worried that the Netherlands will allow the French Empire to invade the Kingdom of Siam. , choosing to turn a blind eye may encourage France to implement the same policy in Europe in the future, and it is even more afraid that other countries will follow suit and do the same thing in Europe.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Professor Rowan Elson of the University of Oxford in the UK said that the International Court of Justice in The Hague passed a review and judgment that condemned France’s crimes of violating members of the organization and required the French army to withdraw immediately. However, this resolution The resolution is non-binding and implementation lies in the hands of each country. , many countries are expressing support for condemning and sanctioning the French Empire, which shows that many countries around the world are willing to express their stance. However, the problem is that the organization does not have a supervisory mechanism to deal with the issue of intrusion, and it is difficult to substantively deal with the French Empire collectively. Therefore, he is not optimistic about the sanctions effect of the organization, but he is concerned about the organization's influence. He believes that if more countries join the organization, its influence will be unprecedented. He even boldly imagined that if the United Kingdom When several big countries join in, what will happen? He imagined that it would be a feast party. Of course, at that time, a luxurious party with rules and regulations would be unquestionable.

As an ally of France, Paraguay called on all parties involved to exercise restraint, but Brazil beside them ridiculed Paraguay for trying to start a war in South America, but was too busy taking care of itself and caring about others. For this reason, Paraguay rebutted, and the war of words between the two countries escalated.

In short, the current situation of the French Empire is worrying, and William IV, as the initiator, is watching all this with excitement. He seems to be even more looking forward to what will happen next.