Start 1861: I Just Inherited the Dutch Throne

Prime Minister Tolbeck also agreed at this time: "It is also beneficial for the Dutch army to switch to bicycles. Soldiers do not need to be trained to ride horses. Many people can ride bicycles when they join the army. And the biggest advantage is that 90% of the world's bicycles All production comes from the Dutch East India Company. We control the global bicycle trends. With this advantage, the Dutch army's bicycle motorization will also be the fastest in the world. Therefore, we are reusing our strengths to make it even better. Improve your own troop building."

"As mentioned just now, soldiers can ride before joining the army. The army does not need to prepare too much feed, veterinarians, etc., and the maintenance cost is low.

When it comes to fighting, there will be a fight very soon. These bicycle soldiers, like some other soldiers, put away their vehicles and then go into battle. They can fight as soon as they get off the car, which is convenient and simple."

William IV smiled and nodded. There are currently no airplanes in the world. If these people in front of them knew that bicycles could be used in infantry units and could also form an Air Force bicycle parachute company, they would definitely be scared to death.

"Your Majesty, I have a question"

Everyone fell silent. The person William IV asked the question was Education Minister Lud Bales.

He smiled and said, "Ask."

"I think the effect of our army's formation of bicycle troops should be different."

"How do you say this?" Army Secretary Petter de Jong asked urgently.

William IV and Tolbeck were stunned for a moment, then thoughtfully. The same goes for Mark Rudd, the chief of general staff next to him. The three of them looked at each other and nodded.

Lud Bales said: "I think this is mainly due to the battlefield."

William IV showed a serious expression.

Seeing this, Minister of Education Lud Bales understood that several people had understood his thoughts.

He said: "Some places in the Netherlands and Australia are okay because the road conditions in these places are relatively good. For the bicycle events currently being built in these places in the Netherlands, in order to save costs, capitalists choose those flat areas for repairs. Although it is called saving in a harsh way, in a nice way it is where they save money and make money is the secret of their investment.

But speaking from a perspective that is more in line with the topic just mentioned, their choice is not an issue that we need to consider when building a bicycle force.

In these places, the roads are well paved and the road network is relatively developed, so cycling is more effective."

But some places, such as the Alaska Peninsula and Greenland, are either always frozen or raining. In addition, the road conditions in these places will become muddy as the snow falls. At this time, the bicycle will slip or get stuck in the snow. In the middle, it became a burden, and now it was not as comfortable as the cavalry.

But despite this, the main reason for the establishment of the bicycle army is that we in the Netherlands are supplying horses and bicycles are our advantage. Therefore, I have no objection to the formation of a bicycle army. I just remind it that this is a problem.

"Papa pa pa"

William IV took the lead in applause and said: "This doubt is good. This kind of problem is crucial for us to improve our weaknesses. Therefore, in the future, the Far East will begin to put road construction on the agenda. As for the bicycle armies in places such as the Alaska Peninsula and Greenland, It’s hard to implement.”

As the bike unit conversation ended, so did the entire Army conversation.

At this time, William IV looked at Admiral of the Navy Jan Peter.

"Apart from those 10 steam battleships, where are our other treasures in the Netherlands?"

baby?

Jan Peter was stunned for a moment, and then he realized what His Majesty was talking about.

"At present, the Netherlands has built more than 30 submarines in the Far East. However, Your Majesty, there is currently a situation in the Netherlands where two heroes are competing for supremacy in submarines, which makes it very difficult for the military to handle."

William IV was very surprised. A story about two heroes in the Dutch submarine industry?

Jan Peter began to explain that in 1864, the 27-year-old Holland, a famous submarine expert from the Federal Republic of the United States, had just begun to receive funding from Irish Americans for his many submarine experiments in the United States. However, after each funding, he would be extremely picky about Holland, and even The submarine that laughed at Holland was just a waste in the sea, and finally starved Holland of food.

Holland was naturally unwilling to give up, so he looked for employers everywhere in the United States to invest in his submarine project, but no one was interested in his underwater project.

At this time, in early February in the spring of 1865, he heard the news that the Netherlands was actually recruiting talents for underwater projects in the Far East.

Moreover, the project also specifies that the purpose is to deal with the submarine project of the Dutch Wilhelm Group.

After the recruitment news reached the United States, he learned about it and learned that Gerrit de Vries, the famous submarine expert of the French Empire, had immigrated to the Netherlands as early as 1861 and became the head of the submarine project of the Dutch Wilhelm Group. And it has already achieved something.

The underwater project recruited this time is the submarine development experts of the Dutch Far East Arms Group (the second largest steel group and weapons company in the Netherlands), an old rival of the Dutch East India Company (William Group).

Holland encountered obstacles everywhere in the United States. Although Holland had gained a lot of fame for the submarine he had invented before, these achievements and reputation did not bring him any benefits. Due to the prejudice and pickiness of some officials in the U.S. Navy, Holland , who originally had a new submarine plan in his heart, not only was it not adopted by the US Navy, but the famous American submarine expert was viciously ridiculed. The ruthless blow made Holland, who was less than thirty years old, angrily resigned and chose to change jobs. Arriving in the Netherlands, we arrived at Port Adelaide, the largest naval industrial base on the Australian continent in the Far East.

Speaking of this, you have to say that one of the two major naval manufacturing contractors in the Netherlands is the Dutch East India Company (the predecessor of the Wilhelm Group), and the other is the Dutch Far East Arms Company, which has risen in the past decade.

The Dutch East India Company's base in the Far East was mainly built in Shrike Bay, the Paradise Peninsula on the island of New Guinea.

The main weapons manufacturing base of the Dutch Far East Arms Company is built in Adelaide, the capital of the South Australian province in the southern part of the Australian continent.

William IV of the Dutch East India Company (William Group) holds 50% of the shares, while the Dutch Far East Arms Company is a newly emerging upstart in the Dutch military industry chain, and William IV naturally also has a stake.

The company employs former employees of the Dutch cabinet. Unlike the Dutch East India Company, which has always supported liberals in Dutch politics, the Dutch Far East Arms Company has always had close ties with another conservative-Christian party in the Netherlands.

The Netherlands currently has different camps among its seven provincial senior officials in the Far East (all of whom are former Dutch prime ministers).

Former Prime Minister and senior official of Wilhelm Province (formerly Victoria), Flos Arran von Hall, belongs to the liberal faction and concurrently serves as deputy prime minister. He assists Prime Minister Tolbeck in managing the Far East and serves as a senior official of Tasmania Province. .