Start 1861: I Just Inherited the Dutch Throne

The plan of Director General ElBaradei of the International Society of the Red Cross to visit Paris and Bangkok shocked Europe and even countries around the world. Paris arranged for Napoleon III to meet with him. It is obvious that the French Empire has acquiesced in the influence of the organization, which shocked countries around the world. We have to admit that this organization founded by the Netherlands has unknowingly affected the international situation.

However, just as they were calculating their own gains and losses due to this news.

Another piece of news is surprising.

According to Luxembourg's "European Times", Ross, the chief president of the International Court of Justice in The Hague (who is also the Minister of Justice of the Netherlands), hopes to use the organization's sanctions support to bridge the differences between European powers and the organization on the issue of sanctions against the French Empire.

Dean Ross will visit Prussia, the Russian Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, etc. from August 25 to early September. He will also visit the United Kingdom, which has already implemented sanctions, to coordinate actions on sanctions.

Dutch observers assessed that he would work hard to persuade these major powers to join forces to sanction the French Empire or at least distance themselves from the French Empire. However, observers from the locations of these major powers reported to "European Times" that it would be difficult for President Ross (also the Minister of Justice of the Netherlands) to reverse the situation. The stance and attitude of relevant countries towards the French Empire.

Based on media reports from various European countries, the Dutch Minister of Justice has fully launched the largest trip since the establishment of the organization. In addition to these major countries, he will also visit the member states of the International Hague Tribunal to discuss with each country how to respond. The war actions of the French Empire, and even strengthening cooperation with various countries on the intensifying dispute over Uruguay in South America, will be the main task of his trip.

The "European Times" report stated that Ross hopes to use the organization's vast network and membership-wide status to bridge the differences between major powers and the organization on the issue of sanctions against Paris. Ross has dialogues with kings and presidents of various countries to ease their security over Paris's feud. worries, and prompted these powers to become more united in response to Paris' aggression against the Kingdom of Siam. ,

He planned to discuss with these powers what specific economic and political concerns they had about being tough on the French Empire and to convey these concerns to the members of the International Court of Justice in The Hague and to the Netherlands.

He is also prepared to introduce the latest developments in the war situation in the Kingdom of Siam to urge these countries to join the ranks of sanctions.

However, Brown, chief researcher and director of European Studies at the Amsterdam Peace Institute, Europe's largest think tank, believes that it will be difficult for Ross to change the ideas and positions of these major powers.

In an interview with "European Times", Brown pointed out that some European powers attach great importance to their bilateral relations and military cooperation with the French Empire for many years.

He made statistics and found that so far, these major powers have only issued a few simple statements on the situation in the Kingdom of Siam, all of which named France. This has clearly shown that these major powers are not prepared to condemn the French Empire.

He said, "Despite the international pressure, including moral pressure from the United Kingdom and many small and medium-sized countries, the major powers, except the British Empire, and the four major European countries except France are unwilling to embark on the path of sanctioning the French Empire, so only Relying on British sanctions, it is impossible to successfully win the French Empire to compromise, so whether these Grand Dukes participate or not is very critical to the success of the sanctions."

In an interview, Krim, director and senior researcher of the Australia Institute, another senior think tank in the Netherlands, said that the International Court of Justice at The Hague is currently the most powerful and powerful international organization in Europe and the world, and it is also a force currently feared by major powers. Of course, , these member states are also important co-tenant partners and buffer countries of major countries.

"But now these member states are firmly standing on the side of fighting the French Empire and opposing the French state. This makes it very difficult for the major powers. For the sake of balance among the major European powers, it seems unlikely to join this ranks."

On August 25, 1867, in the statement issued after Dean Ross visited Berlin and met with William I, and in the joint statement issued by Ross when he met with Bismarck, Ross was able to persuade Prussia to join the sanctions, and Prussia did not even name him directly. Condemning the French Empire caused Ross to fail at the first leg of his trip.

Brown, director of the Amsterdam Peace Institute, believes that President Ross of the International Hague Tribunal may at most be able to persuade the major powers, the Russian Empire and the Ottoman Empire, not to conduct military transactions with the French Empire. Because both countries' military weapons came from Britain and the Netherlands, there was not much demand for the French Empire.

Ross hopes to use the huge influence of the members of the International Court of Justice to lobby some major powers. However, the major powers have bilateral relations with the French Empire of varying degrees of closeness. For example, the Austro-Hungarian Empire now faces the threat of Prussia, Spain has far-reaching relations with the French Empire, and Prussia Concerned about the reaction of the French Empire, the Tsarist Empire needs the threat of French Germanic unity, etc. The situation in Europe is complicated and cannot be replaced by the International Court of Justice in The Hague in a short time.

Brown said: "The primary consideration of some major powers is weapons and political relations. For example, Austria-Hungary is currently conducting arms transactions with France and is the second largest importer of arms to the French Empire, second only to Paraguay in South America. Spain is a member of the International Hague Tribunal. It is the third largest importing country”

It is difficult to break this dependence established over decades and hundreds of years. For these big countries, they may not be able to get political support from the Hague Tribunal of international law to make themselves recognized, but at least they will not happen because of the evil of the French Empire. fighting.

In other words, joining the sanctions may hurt France and trigger a war, but the retaliation for not joining will be very small.

Brown: "The cost is clear at a glance. The cost of offending the French Empire is too high."

However, Crim, director and senior fellow at the Australia Institute, foresees that French imperial industry will face sanctions from other countries, although other major powers will hesitate to allow the French empire breathing space.

But what the French Empire has to admit is that this has affected France's economic development. Many people even predict that the French Empire's economic development will stagnate this year and even trigger an economic recession.

Political foreign relations will also trigger an avalanche of collapse, because morality is destroyed, and the export of weapons is due to the French Empire's own demand for weapons in the Kingdom of Siam War, which will affect the French Empire's subsequent arms exports.

However, Krim pointed out that the weapons, guns and cannons purchased from France are all there, and it will take years or even decades to switch to weapons and equipment from other countries. Therefore, although some countries may reduce their dependence, this is A gradual process rather than a quick one.

It is precisely because of this that since this month, various countries have begun to realize that His Majesty has further weakened its reliance on the weapons of the French Empire. Starting in August, the Kingdom of Spain announced that it would abandon the purchase of a first-class sailing battleship from the French Empire and chose the Netherlands. Help them build a steam first-class battleship in Port Adelaide in the far east.

The reason was that it wanted the most advanced maritime equipment. By then everyone with a discerning eye would know that Spain was conducting a decoupling operation to distance itself from the French Empire in order to prevent it from being restricted by the French Empire.

Even the Austro-Hungarian Empire showed the same intention.

Therefore, many people are wondering about what Ross, the Dutch Minister of Justice and President of the International Tribunal in The Hague, will gain from the subsequent trip after the setback in Prussia.