Start 1861: I Just Inherited the Dutch Throne

In sharp contrast to Tolbeck's cabinet in the Kingdom of the Netherlands was Bismarck, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Prussia.

Even before sanctions were imposed on April 5, Prime Minister Bismarck had already launched shuttle diplomacy. He sent a special envoy to Paris to express that Prussia supported peace and did not want to see Europe's security and stability affected by the invasion of the French Empire.

When the International Court of Justice in The Hague, led by the Kingdom of the Netherlands, passed the sanctions verdict, Prime Minister Bismarck sent special envoys to various countries. Bismarck still did not give up diplomatic efforts, hoping to win over countries to ease relations and end disputes.

When the Netherlands, Denmark, and Sweden gathered together, the three countries directly declared that Napoleon III was a "butcher", and then the parliaments of the three countries passed sanctions bills. After the French Empire ignored it, the four countries even continued to fight on the border between the Netherlands and the French Empire. After the military exercise, the tension escalated, Prime Minister Bismarck immediately stood up to "cool down" the situation. He stated that Prussia did not want to see war between the two countries as Prussia's neighbors, and advised the four countries not to rashly escalate the situation.

Prussia thus appeared to have become a neutral mediator.

On April 14, 1867, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Sweden announced that they would form a joint fleet. In mid-May, they would conduct a naval exercise with the Kingdom of Siam in the Bay of Bangkok in the Far East, called "Bangkok Bay Storm."

This instantly brought the situation in the Far East to a higher level.

The French Empire invaded the Kingdom of Siam from the Far East, and you, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Switzerland, actually had to conduct naval exercises nearby. Is this really emboldening the Kingdom of Siam? Or threaten the French navy.

Therefore, Paris formally lodged a protest with the three countries and asked them to cancel the exercise. Otherwise, Paris would not guarantee retaliation.

But the three countries ignored it, just like the last time the three countries asked France to withdraw from the invasion of the Kingdom of Siam and France refused.

While everyone was speculating on France's revenge, the Olivier cabinet announced on April 16 that the three countries were prohibited from passing through the English Channel and approaching the side of the French Empire. If the ships of the three countries passed through, France would detain them.

This caused fierce reactions from the three Dutch countries. The three countries stated that the English Channel does not belong to France and there is no transit problem. Therefore, they do not agree with the status of the French Empire.

The International Court of Justice in The Hague followed the statements of the three countries and made a ruling that the English Channel belongs to all countries.

Even this time, even the pro-French Kingdom of Spain voted in favor of the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

You know, the English Channel is a frequent waterway, and commercial ships and military ships from southern and northern Europe have intensive exchanges. If France's self-delimitation of jurisdictions damages the navigation rights of various countries, will the UK do the same in the future? The English Channel will belong to your two families.

Are all countries going to be blocked?

As a result, all countries were dissatisfied with the statement of the Olivier cabinet government of the French Empire, and accused France one after another. They all expressed their disapproval of France's statement. In the end, even the British Creston government stood up and stated that the United Kingdom had no intention to block the English Channel and Disagree with the sovereignty of the French Empire.

Even the United Kingdom said so. After Paris aroused public outrage, the Olivier government had to beat itself up, saying that the statement was incomplete and did not mean to prohibit countries from passing it.

At this point, the French Empire discovered that it was deeply trapped in a diplomatic dilemma. On the contrary, the Netherlands actually received the support of more honest countries, which further confirmed the identity of Napoleon III as a diplomatic dwarf.

Perhaps seeing the weak retreat of the French Empire, on April 25, 1867, Argentine President Miter, Ecuadorian President Moreno, Venezuelan President Herrera, and Colombian President Mosquera jointly visited Amsterdam across the Atlantic to express their views on America. The concerns of small and medium-sized countries, they warned that the French Empire's actions in Paraguay confused them, may not stop at the Kingdom of Siam in the Far East, after all, the example of Mexico is there, and will also be staged in South America.

Countries around the world must do their best to help the Kingdom of Siam survive the crisis. Out of a sense of crisis, these four South American countries fiercely opposed the French Empire's invasion of the Kingdom of Siam. They called on the International Court of Justice in The Hague to increase sanctions against the French Empire and called on the international community to jointly stop it. The French Empire was full of "trouble-making" crimes.

The four countries' statements made the situation seem to be adding water to the boiling pot, making it even more exuberant.

While William IV was receiving them, King Christian IX of Denmark and King Carl XV of Sweden visited Amsterdam again less than ten days later.

This made the major powers such as Britain, Prussia, the Russian Empire, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire feel a little strange. However, the current target was the French Empire. They chose to sit back and watch, suppressing their strange thoughts.

France's Napoleon III and Prime Minister Olivier were both uneasy. It seemed that the situation was getting more and more beyond their control. Wasn't it an invasion of a small country in the Far East? How did it develop to the point where it seems like the French Empire has invaded countries all over the world and has become the target of criticism from various countries. You must know that the French Empire is one of the superpowers. This seems inconsistent with the treatment that the French Empire should have.

What on earth is the Netherlands going to do?

Forget about Denmark and Sweden before, now there is a joint visit of the four South American countries. The circle of Dutch allies is getting bigger and bigger. This is not only the idea of ​​the French Empire, but also the idea of ​​Britain, Prussia and other countries.

Unknowingly, the Netherlands has made the major powers fearful. Obviously, the Netherlands seems to have the strength to challenge them, although it is not obvious yet.

On April 26, 1867, seven countries including the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Argentina, Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador announced in Amsterdam that the seven countries would hold the Tour of Australia exercise in Australia. At the same time, the seven countries had the same position on the Kingdom of Siam and expressed their stance. A new security organization will be established, and the seven countries will be obliged to help member states when they face military invasion by other countries.

The seven countries also expressed their intention to establish a trade liberalization organization. The seven countries have reached a trade community called South American Trade Community, which can carry out free trade.

This is a market with a population gap of 30 million, and it has huge potential. Especially for developed countries like the Netherlands and Denmark, the lack of population, market and resources will be alleviated. For countries such as Argentina, Venezuela and Colombia, they will receive huge investments, progress in domestic industrial development, and increase the job market. Although it is inevitable that they will only export raw materials, especially Argentine grain, it is undeniable that this is A stable market is a huge benefit to all countries.

Therefore, they were all very satisfied with the establishment of this organization.

As for security, it goes without saying. In the final analysis, the Netherlands and Sweden are allies with Argentina, unlike France and the United Kingdom, which are just his protectors. Therefore, they are more willing to form an alliance with these three countries.

In addition to the above, the four South American countries naturally stated that they would join the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden in imposing sanctions on the French Empire. So after several people returned to their respective countries, due to their respective strengths, they quickly passed the parliamentary bill. These four countries will also Starting from May 1st, it will join the three countries in imposing sanctions on the French Empire.