Start 1861: I Just Inherited the Dutch Throne

Christmas Eve, also known as Christmas Eve, is Christmas Eve. On December 24th every year, it can only be part of the Christmas holiday in most Christian churches. Traditionally, many Christians will participate in midnight mass or gatherings on Christmas Eve. , usually held in the church, at the beginning of Christmas Day, some churches will hold candlelight services earlier in the evening. There is usually a Nativity play and a feast.

William IV is celebrating tonight's Mass in the West Church.

The entire West Church was extremely quiet, and everyone's eyes fell on William IV, because this was the third time that William IV entered the West Church to attend Christmas Eve Mass in the past ten years.

What they don't know is that in order to establish his status as king among Dutch religious believers, William IV has attended the annual Christmas Eve church mass for 12 consecutive years since crossing over in 1857.

The purpose is naturally to gain the loyalty of religious believers.

There are churches of various Christian denominations in the Netherlands, including the Catholic Church, the Old Church, the Protestant South Church, the North Church, the East Church and the West Church. Judaism also has its own synagogue. It can be said that the Netherlands is the most tolerant of faiths in Europe. s country. However, if you look at the four major Protestant churches, you will know that Protestantism is still the largest sect in the Netherlands.

The Westerkerk, with its 85-meter-high tower, is undoubtedly the most eye-catching building along the river in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

The famous architects of the 17th century worked together to create it. In Europe, after only a hundred years, almost half of the churches are facing the desolate moment when the sun sets in the west. Only the Western Church does not change its color and accepts people's attention with its original attitude of being proud of others. admire.

Almost every time a Dutch Protestant leader dies, he is buried in this church. Therefore, this has become the most worshiped place for Dutch Protestants.

This church has a simple decoration and a very narrow entrance. After entering the church, there is a nave with a similar shape of a double Greek cross. Its roof is entirely made of wooden arch structure. It is the largest Protestant church in the Netherlands. After the death of his great-grandfather William I, he was buried here with his grandfather William II. Therefore, William IV comes here every year and lives a loyal and filial life respecting his Protestant identity and gaining huge popularity among the Dutch. After all, 80% The Dutch believe in Protestant Christianity.

The bell tower of the West Church is the tallest spire in Amsterdam, with a height of 265 feet. There is a crown on the top of the spire, which is intended to commemorate the eighth emperor of the Austrian Empire Maxi in 1489. The construction of the West Church began in 1620. The organ in the church was made by the famous violin maker Duchotte in 1682 and painted by the mural master Lerris.

In addition, Rembrandt, the most famous painting master in Dutch history, and his young son are buried here, and their tombstones can be used to commemorate them. It can be said that this place has become a place where European painting fans want to check in.

In Europe, if you, as a monarch, do not have your own religion, then you will never be able to stay in this position for a month. No, it should be said that it is reduced by thirty times, which is one day. Even becoming a monarch is an incredible thing. . Christianity is the biggest common denominator in Europe.

You can be Orthodox, Catholic, or even Protestant, but after surpassing these three major sects, you will not be able to become a monarch in various European countries, or even a cabinet member of each country's government. In this era, the American Federation The National Congress will use these three major sects to restrict the doorsteps of the U.S. cabinet and government members.

Therefore, it is definitely not a coincidence that William IV came here tonight on Christmas Eve. Look at the scene of more than 300,000 people inside and outside the West Church surrounding the next Mass. You can think about it, there are so many Buddhist halls in later generations. Believers quietly listen to the bishop's explanation of the birth of Jesus, which is clearly transmitted to your ears. It is much more miraculous and terrifying.

European missionaries can be said to be the vanguard of the West's attack on the world. They can serve as intelligence agents lurking in the "indigenous" countries of the world to deliver intelligence to the locals and make their own contributions to future colonization. Take a look at the history of the 19th and 20th centuries. Before colonization, almost all missionaries were preaching. After getting familiar with the countries to be colonized, the colonial powers launched wars after measuring the gains and losses.

Of course there are good missionaries, but that is the future. At least after Marco Polo sent back his "intelligence" to the West, the West had the hottest colonial idea of ​​​​the East, in order to deprive the East of its wealth, right?

Therefore, you can be disdainful of missionaries in your heart, but you cannot suppress them in any way, because if you use them well, they can add points to your domestic rule, and they can also provide assistance for your external expansion. But if they are suppressed, you may soon become their target of betrayal. Look at the current diplomatic competition between Emmanuel II of the Kingdom of Italy and the Pope in Rome to fight for the city of Rome. You can imagine this. How ridiculous and admirable.

This is also the reason why in the future Prussia was actually promoted by the Pope after invading the French Empire and being crowned by the Pope in Paris to turn Prussia into the German Empire.

"Bismarck is currently increasing his lobbying against the Pope, and is helping the Pope suppress Emmanuel II to gain the Pope's support. Bismarck has a good idea."

William IV looked at the Bishop of the West Church praying solemnly above, and everyone in the church had a repentant look on his face. William IV naturally did the same, but he knew in his heart that everyone had different mentality and were all calculating. It’s just a superficial compromise with religion after gains and losses.

He is like this now, so are William I and Bismarck, and so is the Anglican Church where Queen Victoria was originally founded to serve the rule of the British king.

Therefore, in Europe, the politics of compromise will achieve the greatest gains. William IV's biggest work over the years has been to make a lot of compromises, but most of them were compromises made by other countries to him, rather than his Netherlands' compromises with others. But it has to be said that he made the most compromises with religion. Just like tonight he gave up on talking to his eldest son Albert about the new works of fairy tale master Andersen. He chose to come here for mass in the cold winter. It's a compromise.

The traveler also needs to adapt to the environment here. If he, an atheist in his previous life, chooses to resist the identity of a Protestant who does not abide by his position, it will be unimaginable for him to step down or become the king of the Netherlands.

Next, it may be time to reform religion to my advantage, but the action cannot be too big. Even if it is a big war, we can choose to start in the Far East instead of Europe.