Start 1861: I Just Inherited the Dutch Throne

King's Palace of Prussia.

William I has been very troubled recently. Ever since Prime Minister Bismarck proposed to him to suppress the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the west and received his agreement, he has been paying attention to Bismarck's actions.

However, everything that has happened recently in northern America has shaken his confidence in Bismarck.

However, due to everything in the past, he had no objection to Bismarck's desire to continue. However, now his son Crown Prince Frederick was attacking Bismarck's hostile policy towards the Netherlands, which gave him a very headache.

"Father, the Netherlands has always chosen a friendly policy towards the Kingdom of Prussia. In the past half century, the two countries have had no conflicts with each other. The capital support of the Netherlands is indispensable for the rise of Prussia. What happened between us and Denmark some time ago During the war, William IV, who had successfully married, did not even express his support for Denmark. This was obviously due to concerns about the friendship between the Netherlands and Prussia, and of course, the strategic position.

After the war between Prussia and the Austrian Empire, the Netherlands even secretly offered arms support to Prussia. Although we rejected it, the alliance between the two countries was still established.

If such a country of strategic importance to Prussia is pushed into a hostile position by us, it will be very dangerous and pity for us. Therefore, I oppose Prime Minister Bismarck's anti-Dutch policy. I think this The policy must stop."

This was not the first time that Crown Prince Frederick proposed to William I to suspend Prussia's policy of hostility to the Netherlands.

Crown Prince Frederick proposed to ease hostilities in the Americas with the Netherlands, ease the relationship between Germans and Dutch in the American Commonwealth, and make the two countries more coordinated in European diplomacy. He even proposed that the two countries should work together on Africa. Collaborative cooperation is the same as the current cooperation between General Somalia and Dutch Kenya in East Africa, General Cameroon and Dutch Congo in West Africa.

In short, Crown Prince Frederick proposed that the Netherlands is important to Prussia and must not give up on the other side. He even proposed that Prussia should support the other side more clearly on international issues and win the true friendship of the Netherlands, instead of now The anti-Dutch policy promoted by Prime Minister Bismarck.

One was his backbone partner who had been working with him for many years, and the other was his future son and heir. This gave William I a very headache. Although he did not approve of Bismarck's policies, the results achieved under Bismarck's promotion over the years made him William I was unwilling to veto Bismarck easily. This was a kind of trust, a trust between monarch and ministers. William I was unwilling to break this trust easily. He knew that if it was interrupted, it would be extremely difficult to restore it.

Just when he was about to directly reject Frederick as the crown prince, the guards informed Bismarck and his grandson William that they were already outside.

"Let them come in." William I breathed a sigh of relief, frowned and said to Crown Prince Frederick: "I don't want my Crown Prince and the Prime Minister to quarrel later. You know, I am very disgusted."

Crown Prince Frederick looked at William I, who was frowning, and moved his mouth, but in the end he did not dare to object.

However, the "surprise" soon came.

After the two came in, they saluted to them one after another.

"Grandpa, just now I raised the struggle between Prussia and the Netherlands to Prime Minister Bismarck, and I also raised the question of how dare the Netherlands go against Prussia. Guess what the Prime Minister answered me?"

Little William looked at the two of them proudly and asked show off.

When William I saw the undisguised joy on Frederick's face, he felt helpless.

At this moment, he saw Bismarck turning Frederick's gaze away, and his heart moved.

He sighed secretly: "Forget it, what is supposed to come will still come."

So he pretended to be curious and asked: "Oh? What did the Prime Minister answer?"

Little Prince William first made a mischievous expression to Bismarck, and then said: "The Prime Minister said that the reason why the Netherlands dares to fight Prussia is because Prussia is not strong enough. If we can be stronger, the Netherlands will not be like now. , dared to fight against Prussia in America, while also fighting against the French Empire's invasion of the Kingdom of Siam, and forming gangs to sanction the French Empire.

Grandfather, I think Prime Minister Bismarck is actually reminding me that if the Netherlands does not dare to resist our Prussia, Prussia must not only surpass the present in the future, but also be stronger than the current French Empire. Otherwise, the current French Empire will The Second Empire was still ignored by the Netherlands, and it would still happen to Prussia.

And I heard that the British Empire, the most powerful country in Africa, also encountered difficulties from the Netherlands, but the Netherlands could only do it secretly. Therefore, I think our Prussian goal should at least be achieved under the control of our grandmother Queen Victoria. Only the British Empire, grandfather, am I correct in my understanding? "

William I laughed and said: "That's right, but"

"But what?" Little William hurriedly stepped forward and took William I's hand, asking coquettishly.

Crown Prince Frederick frowned dissatisfied and scolded his son: "William, be careful if your mother sees you acting like an ungentleman and asks you to take British etiquette lessons from her."

William I glared at Crown Prince Frederick with dissatisfaction, and comforted his frightened grandson William.

"British etiquette classes are very good and easy to learn. Our Prussian etiquette classes are much better than theirs. Even if we really want to learn them, we should study them in Paris rather than London."

Crown Prince Frederick was stunned, but now that he knew that young William had been protected by William I, he no longer "embarrassed" him. Instead, he took the opportunity to say to Bismarck: "The answer the prime minister said to young William made me very touched. I’m interested, I don’t know, could you ask the Prime Minister to answer a few questions for me about the relationship between Prussia and the Netherlands?”

William I was angry at first, and then showed helplessness to Bismarck. Obviously, William I seemed to be saying that this guy was still as stubborn as ever.

Bismarck kept this in his eyes and asked calmly: "Crown Prince, just ask."

An said: "Father and son are always father and son, and the blood relationship is always closer than that of others."

Crown Prince Frederick smiled and said: "I don't understand why the Prime Minister is so hostile to the Netherlands. What is his purpose?"

Prime Minister Bismarck replied meaningfully: "At the beginning of all great foreign policies, many people do not understand the mystery. However, as the middle and final stages progress, everyone slowly enters it and looks for answers. What I want to say Yes, Prussia and the Netherlands must be at odds with each other in my current diplomatic strategy."

Frederick felt that it was very absurd and asked sarcastically: "According to what the chief said, do the two countries have to fight now?"

Bismarck replied calmly: "I think we really need to fight?"

The three of them were stunned, not expecting Bismarck to be so direct.