Start 1861: I Just Inherited the Dutch Throne

Bismarck looked at Weesemann, the Dutch ambassador to Prussia, and finally discovered that the ambassador looked directly at him without fear.

So brave!

Bismarck questioned: "If the Netherlands wants to gain Prussia's support, then I think you understand what Prussia will gain and lose."

"Naturally," Wezeman said, turning around.

"In this case, what price will the Netherlands pay?" Bismarck sneered: "We all hope to get something substantial, and we don't want to see nothing."

Wezeman was secretly wary. Previously, he had a very good understanding of the man in front of him who played a role in the rise of Prussia, but he only knew it based on the information. He had not yet made contact with him to cover everything.

Even so, he was still looking forward to his first meeting with Bismarck.

Pierson's success made him feel pressure and motivation. If he could complete the task given by Amsterdam, he would become famous in the Dutch diplomatic community. He even thought that Pierson had successfully won over Prussia to form the Dutch-French-Prussian Triple Alliance. The Netherlands took advantage of this opportunity to successfully complete a crucial change in the evolution of its power, and thus gained the attention of His Majesty William IV. Eventually he became a reserve talent for the Dutch Foreign Minister and even the Prime Minister.

Pearson's success made Wezeman see the light.

So when he came to Bismarck, although he pretended to be natural, in fact his nervousness could be seen from the clenching of his left hand. It was just that this left hand was placed somewhere where Bismarck could not see it, so it was not known to Bismarck. That's why he expressed his purpose of seeking to see Bismarck in a very impactful way as soon as they met.

Seeing Bismarck, who was always known for his calmness, eclipse him for the first time, his nervousness suddenly eased a lot. However, the cold sweat on the palms of his hands did not fade away under Bismarck's questioning gaze.

When Weesemann heard Bismarck's question, he pretended to be calm and said: "Our Majesty said that he wanted to see what kind of request Prime Minister Bismarck would make before he agreed to the Dutch request."

On the other hand, you actually asked me to make a request?

William IV actually participated?

Bismarck couldn't help but look at Wezeman.

If it was William IV, then Bismarck would have to be cautious.

The young king's past deeds made him dare not take it lightly.

Seeing this, and seeing the effect, Weeseman secretly thought that Pearson's "tip" was indeed effective, and His Majesty's prestige was indeed feared by the strongmen in the European political arena in front of him.

Bismarck paused and then said: "My request? In this case, my request on behalf of Prussia is that the Netherlands is willing to teach the technology of manufacturing steam battleships to Prussian craftsmen?"

Wezeman hesitated, and then said reluctantly: "If the Kingdom of Prussia is willing to fully support our plan, then our Majesty and the Prime Minister have said that it is not a pity to be willing to pay this price."

Bismarck's eyes suddenly widened.

Holland actually agreed, and judging from what he meant, Tolbeck also agreed.

The Netherlands was actually willing to pay such a high price in order to win over Prussia?

does it worth?

He looked at Wezeman again with scrutinizing eyes.

The Netherlands requested Prussia to support the Netherlands in becoming a so-called "global hub country." This new term made Bismarck very unfamiliar.

The global hub country, with Weeseman's explanation, finally revealed its face. To put it bluntly, the Netherlands wants to become a global financial, economic, political and diplomatic transportation hub.

It seems that William IV and Tolbeck hope that the Netherlands will become a global hub country. They have to admit that the countries currently closely related to the Netherlands are actually a disguised fact. Many countries have tacitly believed that the Netherlands is already a global hub country. , and even expect the Netherlands to actively carry out activities on the international stage.

This is one of the reasons why when the Netherlands is currently establishing more organizations internationally, countries are rushing to join.

"As countries attended the "Deep Blue Pacific Partnership +3 Summit" held in Amsterdam, the Netherlands some time ago, which is a large-scale international organization summit held many times in the Netherlands in recent years, countries including the Russian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire all agreed Recognizing the hub status of the Netherlands, they all believed that cooperation with the Netherlands was needed. In order to contain the threats from Britain, France, and Prussia, the Netherlands gained support from various countries. They all hoped to cooperate with the Netherlands to prevent the possible invasion and interests of the three countries. Damage, it is clear that the power of the Netherlands has been recognized by various countries. "

Wezeman slowly said: "The Netherlands respects the free development of all countries and uses powerful science and technology to help its allies develop their own economies. Prussia currently lacks naval strength and it is difficult to compete with the French Empire in the navy, even compared with Spain. Not to mention the British Empire.”

"What do you mean?" Bismarck asked, staring at Ambassador Wesemann.

Weeseman laughed, immediately dispelling the tension, regaining his composure, and said: "If Prussia is willing to side with the Netherlands in the next situation, then the Netherlands is willing to help Prussia create a country that is not weaker than France." The empire’s navy is even worse.”

Bismarck's heart suddenly started to rise, and he suppressed his restless heart. If Prussia could improve its navy's shortcomings, what would be the outcome of the action against France starting in the second half of this year? Just thinking about it made him very excited.

However, he was not an ordinary person, and he had to pay for what he received, so he stared at Wezemann again and said: "I don't think the Netherlands will be willing to help Prussia in building its navy if Prussia comes to stand closer to the Netherlands."

Talking to smart people saves effort. He nodded and made a serious request: "Of course, the Netherlands also hopes that Prussia can suspend the war against the French Empire for one year."

Bismarck's whole body was shocked and he looked at Wezemann in disbelief.

"How do you know?" He stared at Wezeman with a fierce look in his eyes. A bad answer would cost Wezeman's life. He was absolutely willing to disappear him from the world.

Weeseman seemed unaware of the approaching danger.

He stared at Bismarck again without fear and showed a faint smile: "The Netherlands naturally has a way to know every move of your country. Please rest assured, Prime Minister."

"rest assured"

He bitten these two words very hard. Obviously what he wanted to say was that every move of Prussia is under our eyes. If you do something unfavorable to me, the Netherlands will also know about it. As for the consequences, Bismarck does not think that the Netherlands He would give up the international reputation he had finally built up, and his diplomatic ambassador died in Prussia for no apparent reason. Bismarck even suspected that William IV and Tolbeck might use this to ease relations with the French Empire. , and then tell Paris everything about Prussia's plans.

Thinking of this, Bismarck looked very embarrassed. It was really uncomfortable to be threatened like this. Although it seemed gentle, a threat was a threat.

He couldn't help but look at Wezeman, who was very calm.

"What if I say that Prussia does not want to cooperate with the Netherlands?"

Wezeman shrugged, "Then the Netherlands has made all backup plans to deal with other situations."

Bismarck was stunned when he heard this, and then mocked himself: "It seems that cooperation is not a mistake, but I hope that next time Prussia will no longer be the threatened party."

Weeseman laughed: "The Netherlands has always been on the weaker side."

Bismarck: "But the momentum is sometimes greater than that of Prussia."

Wezeman could only remain silent.

On January 15, 1868, the Dutch ambassador secretly reached an agreement with Bismarck, and Prussia began to turn to the Dutch side, while Britain and France knew nothing about it.