Start 1861: I Just Inherited the Dutch Throne

Minister of Mines and Energy Hester detailed the annual production and storage rankings of the five major gold mines in mainland Australia, which surprised the Australian Archduke and Prince Albert, who was allowed to attend the Privy Council meeting for the first time by King William IV of the Netherlands.

Sixteen years have passed since Prince Albert was born, and his current performance has given hope to the Dutch. William IV, a wise king, can be considered a successor.

No matter how picky he is, facing him, who is studious and smart, it actually adds a lot of confidence in the next generation of Dutch royal family controllers in the future.

At the age of 16, he was already in the rebellious stage. Prince Albert then directly asked Prime Minister Lyndon: "Your Excellency Lyndon, recently in my daily life, I often hear about the residents of the Australian mainland who rely on their strength in the entire territory ruled by the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Arrogant? How is the development of the industrial economy? What are its shortcomings?"

Prince Albert's question immediately made all the members of the Privy Council look at each other.

William IV even laughed, but didn't say anything. His expression and laughter made the old and cunning people present here, and they had been around William IV for many years, all understand that this meant that this was a good question, showing that it was a good question. Appreciation.

Linden said: “Wherever in the world, when you mention developed countries, you will definitely think of advanced technology, developed industry and high-tech industries. These can be said to be the standard features of developed countries.

Now, the Kingdom of the Netherlands has surpassed the United Kingdom as the country with the highest per capita income in the world as early as 1871. In terms of pounds, the per capita income of the Netherlands has reached 120 pounds, with 45 million people, and the country has reached 5.4 billion pounds.

That year, the UK's total GDP was only 7 billion pounds, and the UK was still ranked as the world's strongest country in terms of economic strength.

That year, Germany had just been unified. With the participation of various countries, the per capita was 80 pounds, the population was 45 million, and the total GDP of the colonies reached 3.6 billion pounds.

That year, the French Empire had just been divided. The combined per capita GDP of the north and the south was 90 pounds, with a population of 36 million, and a total GDP of 32.4 pounds. However, since France has many more overseas colonies than the German Empire, the French Empire's total GDP still ranks third before the German Empire.

That year, the Confederate States of America were still separatists. The Southern Confederate States had a population of 11 million, with a per capita of 50 pounds, or 550 million pounds; the north had a population of 3,300, with a per capita of 70 pounds, or 2.31 billion pounds, with a population of 44 million. The total number of the north and the south was 2.86 billion pounds. , ranked fifth in the world”

Linden seemed to be like a reading machine invented by Edison in Sydney in 1866, telling the global economic rankings quickly and in great detail.

"Five years later, in 1876, our total population in the Netherlands exceeded 60 million, with per capita reaching 180 pounds. The national gross output value (GDP) was 10.8 billion pounds, surpassing the UK's 10.7 billion pounds. The Netherlands became the most powerful country in the world in one fell swoop. Ranking of countries with economic strength.”

Prince Albert asked: "Your Excellency, Prime Minister, I remember that in that year, the population of the British mainland was 35 million, and the population of the overseas territories exceeded 10 million. Does the population of India and other colonies count?"

William IV nodded, this question was quite correct and somewhat level.

William IV looked at Albert with a slightly soft look.

"According to the British rule, the per capita per capita of white people in the UK was actually the same as ours, reaching 200 pounds. This wave of 35 million native people totaled 7 billion pounds. There are about 10 million white people in overseas territories such as Canada and South Africa, and the per capita The income is about 150 pounds, 1.5 billion pounds; after that, according to No. 10 Downing Street, the indigenous people in various places are the third class, only one-twentieth of the first class, with a population of about 220 million, that is to say This group of people is about 2.2 billion pounds. The total UK GDP is about 10.7 billion pounds."

Lyndon said to Prince Albert: "Your Highness, in my statistics, the population of the colonies is included, including the 220 million people in the overseas colonies."

"220 million people only cost 2.2 billion pounds?" Prince Albert said in surprise: "I feel a bit shocked now, especially after comparing it with the previous British mainland population of 35 million."

Lyndon shrugged and said with helplessness and pride: "The Anglo-Saxons in Britain have always regarded other people as their opponents, even with disdain. The population of the colonies in London is like chickens, ducks, fish and geese, and they can be attacked at any time. There is no need for it, so even though Britain has been operating colonies around the world for many years, it is still stuck in the 100-year-old practice of mining mineral resources, forcibly opening markets, or forced labor.

In the Netherlands, it is just the opposite. All the colonies began to be localized after His Majesty took charge in 1862. There is no such thing as a colony, let alone an overseas autonomous territory. They are all territories directly under the Netherlands. "

Therefore, the treatment of the ruling population is naturally different. Look at our rule in Madagascar. At that time, several big families took turns to rule there, but since we took over there, we directly sent a set of provincial-level teams with all the necessary organs. In the past, the current province of Madagascar has become the most prosperous place in Africa. According to data, last year Madagascar became a distribution center and transshipment center for African industrial products. It has become a paradise for Africans. People from all over the country are migrating to Madagascar. Glory. Since Madagascar came under Dutch rule in September 1862 and became a new province of the Netherlands in 1863, its population has risen from 1.8 million at that time to 3.5 million after nearly two decades of development, almost doubling. Among them, the Netherlands The number of white people has reached 500,000, and there are nearly 300,000 other people from the African continent who have migrated. The rest are 100,000 indigenous people scattered in the Far East, and the remaining 800,000 people are the naturally growing population.

Madagascar has become a classic example of Dutch dominance in the world. All countries or regions that used to worry about Dutch rule now want to become part of the Netherlands. After all, look at South Africa, which is now under British rule. Back then, due to the convenience of the port, there were almost more jobs for dockworkers and the like. However, now we are watching the island of Madagascar in the northwest taking away the status of a trading port and taking away their jobs. It has also become the most prosperous place in Africa.

Not long ago, many British newspapers reported that more than 20,000 people from British South Africa and Portuguese Northern Mozambique had arrived in Madagascar illegally in the past decade or so. There are also many people who drifted down the sea from German Somalia in the north, or crossed the border with Dutch Kenya and Tanzania, and then arrived at Madagascar disguised as Dutch Africans."

Prince Albert is very familiar with Madagascar. In 1870, he and Princess Anna visited Madagascar with their mother, Queen Alexandra of the Netherlands. Their arrival triggered a stir among the people of Madagascar. My complete return to the Netherlands began to accelerate.