Start 1861: I Just Inherited the Dutch Throne

While relations between Britain and France were on bad terms, the war between Britain and Burma never stopped.

The United Kingdom accuses France of using France's most advanced French Chassebou rifles in Burma to continue to kill British soldiers on the battlefield in Burma.

Queen Victoria even stood up and asked Napoleon III to apologize to the British dead soldiers. However, when Napoleon III refused, Queen Victoria Buckingham Palace announced that it would join the Netherlands-led sanctions against France and officially announced its application to become a member of the International Court of Justice in The Hague. If nothing else happens, If so, the semi-annual member states will apply for membership discussions in December this year. If the United Kingdom successfully joins the organization, the United Kingdom will impose sanctions on France in sync with the organization, and France's economy will be even more uncomfortable.

On July 2, 1869, British Foreign Secretary Russell officially visited the Netherlands. During his visit, in addition to paying a courtesy visit to William IV on behalf of Queen Victoria, he was also received by Tolbeck on behalf of Prime Minister Disraeli.

Eventually, he met with Dutch Foreign Minister Hesbert von.

In his meeting with Hesbert von, Russell expressed his hope that the Netherlands would play an active role in helping Britain join the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

Hesbert von: "The Netherlands attaches great importance to maintaining high-level exchanges between the Netherlands and the British Empire. Both William IV and Prime Minister Tolbeck are unswervingly committed to friendship with Britain and hope to promote the development of comprehensive military and political affairs in the Netherlands and Britain. Trilateral relations between the people have reached a new level. The Netherlands is willing to carry out comprehensive cooperation with the United Kingdom in all areas of affairs in the Far East, North America, South America, Europe and even Africa, and looks forward to the early conclusion of the joint efforts of Queen Victoria's visit to the Netherlands."

Russell met with Hesbert von on July 3, 1869. During the meeting, British Foreign Secretary Russell clarified Britain's position. He pointed out that "Queen Victoria and Prime Minister Disraeli expressed their concern for the French government." The United Kingdom hopes that the Netherlands will be a powerful but neutral country in the heart of Europe and recognized by the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom hopes that the Netherlands will work together to correct France's violations of the rules. It also hopes that the Netherlands can promote the United Kingdom to become a member of the International Court of Justice in The Hague. One member."

Hesbert von agrees with the British point of view. He also believes: "The British joining the organization will inject new impetus. The Netherlands is willing to work with the British to promote the Anglo-Dutch strategic partnership to achieve more dynamic development."

Foreign Secretary Russell said, "I hope that the Netherlands, as the founder of many international organizations and a core power of various organizations, can play an active role in the UK joining these powerful and influential organizations."

He also said, “From the very beginning, the United Kingdom has insisted on the right to negotiate with France and Siam. The United Kingdom will continue to make every effort not to stop the ceasefire between France and the Kingdom of Siam from playing a constructive role. The United Kingdom appreciates the Netherlands’ active mediation efforts, supports and I believe that the Netherlands will continue to play a unique and important role in the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Siam. The spillover of the war crisis in the Far East has caused a crisis of trust in European countries, created insecurity in the world's waterways, and brought challenges and risks to the peace and stability of European countries. .

The UK is willing to actively promote Anglo-Dutch cooperation based on the principle of reciprocity. He reiterated that the UK will not harm the Dutch interests in the Far East and Africa, and has no intention and will not expand to the Dutch East Indies and South Pacific Islands south of the Malay Peninsula. "

Dutch Foreign Minister Hesbert von described: "The UK and the Netherlands are two important stabilizing forces in the world, and the Netherlands will serve as an assistant to the UK's balancing tactics in Europe."

He said, “In the face of the chaotic situation in Europe and the United States, especially the current signs of crisis in the Far East and Southeast Asian peninsulas, the Netherlands, as a responsible country, is willing to promote more countries to enter an organized and rule-based international system and use The Hague to The international order based on international law, dominated by the International Court of Justice, serves as the purpose and principle of the Netherlands to promote world peace. I hope the UK can understand the Netherlands’ position.”

Hesbert von reiterated the Dutch position, "The Netherlands hopes that Britain can peacefully resolve the Indian issue in North America and Canada, rather than suppress it."

He said solemnly, "Because a single move can affect the whole body, and there are many Indians on the Dutch Alaska Peninsula. He hopes that the situation in the UK can be peaceful, so as to prevent the Alaska Peninsula from being affected as well."

He also said that the Netherlands also hoped that Myanmar and the United Kingdom could sit down and negotiate, but this proposal was rejected by Russell in person, saying only that the current British mood made it difficult to achieve this.

Russell said, "At present, the European continent has rekindled wars after decades of peace since the Congress of Vienna. The peaceful development of Europe has been severely impacted. Both the UK and the Netherlands are unwilling to have a war in Europe. The UK hopes that the Netherlands can understand the sentiments of the British people. Britain also hopes that the Netherlands can prevent France from participating in the Anglo-Burmese War."

The seemingly unorganized dialogue between Hesbert von and Russell allowed each other to know each other's position and bottom line, and to find common ground for the subsequent negotiations between the UK and the Netherlands in terms of an agreement or a joint communiqué.

After Britain sent troops into Myanmar last month, the Netherlands, which has huge territory in the Far East and is close to it, has been worried about the spread of the war. During the meeting, Hesbert von emphasized that the crisis in Myanmar has shown a trend of becoming protracted and complicated. This is what the people in the Netherlands, including the British, do not want to see.

Russell neither denies nor endorses this.

Netherlands, inside the Royal Palace in Amsterdam.

"The meeting between the two seemed like British Foreign Secretary Russell came to organize the United Kingdom to join the International Court of Justice in The Hague. In fact, the United Kingdom was announcing to European countries that the United Kingdom would make a European-style "accusation" against France.

Obviously, the UK is suppressing and damaging France's international image. Originally, the British had lost their morality in the invasion of Burma, but now they have indeed dragged France in and become the scapegoat.

France seemed to have no power to fight back, which shows how poor the diplomacy of Napoleon III and the French government was. "

After listening to Hesbert von's detailed report of the meeting between the two, William IV mocked Tolbeck: "England is really slippery."

Tolbeck also marveled at Britain's generosity, saying: "The British government and Her Majesty Queen Victoria have to do this now, even in order to accuse France of being the main culprit of Britain's defeat in the war. It is not just Prime Minister Disraeli's internal propaganda. He also asked Russell, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, to make a big announcement. Queen Victoria's move was amazing. These two people from different parties were sent out together so that both parties had to deal with it, and he hid behind it. Will it have any effect in the end? They have all been secured, and it is clear that both Disraeli and Russell knew the Queen's thoughts."

William IV nodded and said: "But the two of you still have to obey, right?"

After nodding in agreement, Tolbeck turned to ask: "Everything is ready now, all we need is the east wind. Your Majesty, Prussia's ambitions are so great. Will it be too dangerous for the Netherlands if we help Prussia like this?"

Although everything was moving forward according to William IV's calculations, the more Tolbeck knew about Prussia's strength, the more wary and worried he became about Prussia.

It's only strange that Prussia has shown amazing combat power in the past few years.

"In the Seven-Week War of 1866 between Prussia and the Austrian Empire, the eldest brother of the German Confederation, Prussia's quick and shocking victory disturbed the balance of power throughout Europe, especially when it annexed other members of the German Confederation (Austria was kicked out (outside) makes it impossible to despise Prussia again.

In the early days, Napoleon III of the French Empire had the tendency to dominate the European continent: Although the Second French Empire was not internally consolidated at that time, it was calmed down by the French army's continuous military victories in the Crimean War and the Austrian Empire's wars with Italy and France. There were many internal conflicts, and Napoleon III also managed to win over a certain amount of popular support. "

William IV said: "Napoleon III tried his best to restore the European hegemony of the First French Empire. However, he did not think about it. The opponents France faced were no longer different. Countries are rising, not to mention the Netherlands, even if we are strong in the east. Prussia's neighbor, Prussia's Prime Minister Bismarck was planning at this time, and it had already played an important role in the German Confederation. Now Prussia is integrating with other countries day by day, and Napoleon III has been cut off at this time. The most important way to advance eastward is to achieve hegemony. Unless he can conquer Prussia, he will be locked in Western Europe."

He further pointed out, "The first few years after Prussia annexed other countries were not stable. At that time, Napoleon III had already faced his last chance, but he had too much vision and too little skill, and wasted such an opportunity and slipped away from his hands. To be precise, The victory in the Austro-Prussian War in 1866 confirmed Bismarck's leadership position in Prussia after the consent, and William I seemed to support him unmoved, which made Prussia seriously threaten French hegemony in Europe."

Foreign Minister Hesbert von also joined the conversation at this time and said: "In the past few years, the French authorities realized that the rise of Prussia posed a threat to their status, so many nationalist elements in the French Congress proposed some Active foreign policy, they even regard the policy as policy compensation for generous domestic concessions.

Even when Prussia proposed war against Austria to Napoleon III, Napoleon III asked Bismarck to agree to annex part of the territory of Bavaria and Black-Darmstadt on the west bank of the Rhine to France as France remained neutral in the Austro-Prussian War. Compensation, Bismarck is said to have agreed.”

Tolbeck: "Yes, two years have passed since the Austro-Prussian War, but the Kingdom of Prussia has not yet handed over France's original commitment. Now many people in France are ashamed of this and demand Punish Prussia and take these territories directly for yourself.

However, King William I of Prussia seemed not to be immune to such a thing. Last month he restored Napoleon III and said that Prussia and France should still hold a meeting to discuss the ownership of Alsace and other places. "

William IV sneered: "How did I hear that there were rumors that Bismarck was preparing to tamper with William I's king's palindrome and categorically refuse the meeting?"

Tolbeck and Hesbertvon looked at William IV in shock. They were stunned by the news.

Hesbert Feng couldn't help being surprised and asked again: "Isn't that true?"

If this is the case, then Napoleon III must be very angry and might even provoke the Franco-Prussian War because of it?

The two people immediately expected this, and suddenly, their eyes lit up, "Did Bismarck and William I do it on purpose? Prussia wants to find a reason for its action against France?"

William IV nodded and said: "Look, the show is on, this time it's a real sword and a real gun."