Start 1861: I Just Inherited the Dutch Throne

As soon as Bismarck's content was published, it shocked the whole of Europe. It seemed that this very famous person in Europe had become the mainstream opinion of everyone. Of course, in it, Spain seemed to be a "harlequin", so the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs even summoned him for this. The Prussian ambassador to Spain expressed dissatisfaction.

The Netherlands even criticized Berlin's statement, and Hesbert von even stated that he would not comment on Bismarck's actions because he thought it was not worth mentioning.

Whether Huntington, Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, will visit Spain and declare support for Spain's "ambition" is not only closely watched by Britain, the Netherlands and Spain, but also Bismarck's speech in the House of Representatives of the Kingdom of Prussia shows that the world is also paying close attention to whether Huntington can make the trip.

People with a discerning eye can see that Bismarck seems to have the intention of belittling the Netherlands and Spain, but some people do not agree so. This person is the Prime Minister of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Archduke Rainer Ferdinand. He seems to be in the Austro-Hungarian Empire just like Bismarck. The Prime Minister delivered a speech at the Vienna Parliament, and his views seemed to be more biased towards the Netherlands.

"In response to Huntington's visit to Spain, London's opposition has gradually increased. After the "Spanish Herald" disclosed the matter on the 9th, the UK began to express its firm opposition to Huntington's actions that were detrimental to the British Empire during his visit to Spain. , emphasizing that if the Dutch government does not stop his actions, it will seriously damage the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the United Kingdom.

After Tolbeck, the Dutch Prime Minister, stated on February 11 that the military considered it inappropriate, the British official emphasized in a more stern tone that once Huntington visits Spain and expresses support for Spain's "claims," ​​the United Kingdom will take necessary actions. Fight back and walk the talk.

London privately went further and warned the Tolbeck government through multiple channels that Britain would not rule out using force if Huntington's visit to Spain and his claims were not restrained.

However, many people seem to have forgotten that the Netherlands, like the Commonwealth of America and the United Kingdom, is divided into three branches of power. The Prime Minister cannot control whether it is the Speaker of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, or the President of the Supreme Court.

Apparently the UK seems to have ignored this.

Under the Dutch system of separation of powers, the cabinet government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Dutch Parliament have equal status and are not subordinate to each other. This is why Tolbeck can only say that "the military thinks it is inappropriate", but cannot say that he opposes it. Because if Prime Minister Tolbeck interferes with Speaker Huntington’s visit, it would be a violation of the Dutch constitution.

Since the cabinet government and the Legislative Assembly have equal status, Tolbeck can only respect the decision of Speaker Huntington. If Speaker Huntington decides to visit Spain and announces the purpose of the visit, Tolbeck, as the prime minister of the cabinet, can only do his best. To cooperate, he even needs to dispatch warships to escort him. If he takes the land route, he needs to communicate with France. Of course, with the current tense relationship between the Netherlands and France, no one would think that he would pass through France. In any case, Tolbeck must cooperate with Huntington's visit. To do otherwise would be a dereliction of duty under the Constitution.

Secondly, Huntington has always been known for his firm stance against Britain and France in the Dutch Parliament. He even wanted to keep his position for this internal election in the Netherlands, so he naturally hoped to visit Spain when he was in power to absorb those who opposed him. The votes of Britain and France can also help him fulfill his wish of "glorious qualifications" for the position of speaker, which is human nature. From the perspective of his personality as a parliamentarian who has always been anti-British, French, and supportive of Spain and Northern Europe for more than 30 years, there should be no suspense that Speaker Huntington has a strong desire to visit Spain and support Spain’s position.

In fact, 30 years ago in 1844, when His Majesty William I abdicated the throne of the Netherlands to his son William II, Speaker Huntington, who was only a member of Parliament at the time, asked His Majesty William II, who had just inherited the throne of the Netherlands, to show his His father, His Majesty William I, had a different policy towards Britain, because at that time Britain had just sent warships to Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, and Rotterdam, the second largest city, to bombard the coastal waters.

Eventually, His Majesty William I was forced to agree to Belgium's independence as a kingdom in 1839. Beginning in 1839, Huntington formed an anti-British group in the Dutch Parliament as a member of Parliament and became the leader.

Now 30 years later, this anti-British group that was originally established has promoted Huntington to the position of speaker and also has huge influence in the Dutch House of Representatives.

Therefore, unfriendly bills have been passed from time to time in the Netherlands, and the reason can be found.

Now Huntington is no longer what he was 30 years ago, and the Netherlands’ national strength is even more so. If London thinks that Britain's national strength today is still as strong as it was in the past, it would overwhelm the Netherlands and force the Netherlands to suffer heavy losses, which will lead to unexpected risks.

Perhaps the Netherlands officially wanted to challenge this matter, and I am afraid they made the mistake of underestimating their opponents.

From the perspective of Amsterdam, the Dutch cabinet government weakly cooperated with the British this time and tried to find ways to organize Huntington's visit to Spain and restrict his political tendencies. Isn't it the Dutch self-admittance to bow to the British threat?

Finally, Speaker Huntington’s visit to Spain also reflects the differences in strategic thinking between the UK and the Netherlands. Amsterdam clearly believes that if the UK’s organization of Huntington’s visit to Spain is effective, it will not only represent the UK’s overpowering of the Dutch independence when challenging the UK in the Netherlands’ foreign relations, but also the Dutch independence. Demonstrates the UK's ability to oppose any future Dutch visits that the UK considers undesirable

If London successfully opposes Speaker Huntington's visit to Spain and the Netherlands retreats, it will show that 'the west wind prevails over the east wind'. From now on, the Netherlands will no longer have the capital to abuse the British Empire, and the Netherlands will no longer have the power to challenge the British status. , even the Dutch diplomacy was castrated for this.

Once Prime Minister Tol Baker agrees to the British request and dissuades Speaker Huntington from visiting the Spanish border of Gibraltar, the Dutch voice on issues in Spain will gradually be marginalized or weakened.

More importantly, once Prime Minister Tol Baker succumbs to British pressure over Huntington Speaker's visit to Spain, will the Netherlands' future allies in the world still be able to trust the Dutch government's commitment? The Tolbeck government has repeatedly shown affection for Spain, and has repeatedly maintained relations with Spain, triggering a huge positive response in Spain. Once the Netherlands compromises with the United Kingdom, it will express the support and confrontation of the Dutch government headed by Tolbeck towards Spain. The promises of Britain and France will be immediately broken, and no one in the world will believe the promises of the Netherlands anymore, and the Netherlands' global credibility will also be completely bankrupt.