Start 1861: I Just Inherited the Dutch Throne

"European Times": Senior Dutch government officials engaged in intensive global diplomacy to "attack" the United Kingdom after the turmoil surrounding the succession of Tsarevich III of the Russian Empire. The Netherlands tried to take advantage of the "farce" of British Crown Prince Edward to seize the moral high ground and gain the maximum at the same time. Benefit!

The statement of "European Times" was immediately recognized by many people.

On May 25, 1881, when the Dutch Foreign Minister Beit held a joint press conference with the Danish Foreign Minister Andreas in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, he shouted to the entire Europe from a distance, saying that the Netherlands hoped that other European countries would support the Netherlands against the British. The reason for this move was due to the repeated injuries that the British had inflicted on the Netherlands.

After Alexander III ascended the throne, the Netherlands intensively sent high-level officials to visit various parts of the world, trying to borrow from the British Crown Prince Edward's "wrong move (molesting the Queen of the Netherlands, the director general of the International Women's Association) around the world, which offended women around the world. )" to give the Kingdom of the Netherlands points in the world and make the UK and women around the world lose points. The Netherlands even used this to ease the overall atmosphere of relations between some countries that are dissatisfied with the Netherlands.

On the same day, Baron Caslen, Speaker of the Privy Council of the Netherlands and Speaker of the House of Commons (i.e. Speaker of the House of Representatives) of the Netherlands, attended the celebration of the start of the second presidential term of Porfirio Díaz, the Netherlands’ main ally in Mexico, and held a speech there. Signed the sale of a battleship from the Netherlands to Mexico.

Afterwards, Baron Caslen will also visit the Four-Country Federation of Central America.

At the same time, Dutch Defense Minister Fox officially began his visit to South America. His first stop was Chile, where the Dutch military is stationed, and he reviewed the six-nation coalition troops stationed in the Chilean capital Santiago.

On May 28, 1881, the Dutch Foreign Minister Joseph Beit, who had just returned from St. Petersburg to attend the ceremony, visited Vienna in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He was first received by Joseph Franz I shaking hands, and then met with the Austrian Prime Minister Rainer Fehr in Vienna. The Archduke of Dinant held talks.

The Dutch Foreign Minister publicly stated after Vienna that although the relationship between the Netherlands and the Austro-Hungarian Empire is not very close and started late, they are pragmatic and respect the interests and demands of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Therefore, he said that the Kingdom of the Netherlands understands the interests of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the Balkans, and the Netherlands hopes to cooperate with the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the Balkans to ease tensions between everyone's interests there.

Beit said that in order to reduce tensions, the Netherlands will hold a summit of foreign ministers in Tirana, Albania.

Located on the west coast of the Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia and Montenegro to the north, North Macedonia to the east and north, Greece to the southeast, the Adriatic Sea and the Ionian Sea to the west, and faces the Kingdom of Italy across the Strait of Otranto. It covers an area of ​​​​28,748 square kilometers. As early as 10 years ago in 1871, the Netherlands supported Greece in gaining sovereignty from Turkey. According to a secret agreement, the Netherlands obtained the governance here. Therefore, the Netherlands stationed troops here and many immigrants Dutch nationals live here.

This foreign minister-level summit has been prepared for a long time. The three-day foreign ministers’ summit will be held in Tirana, Albania, on May 29. This is also the Netherlands’ first home diplomatic event on its territory this year. The Kingdom of the Netherlands has held physical high-level talks for the region for the first time on the Balkan Peninsula issue.

To this end, Brown, chief researcher and director of the Amsterdam Peace Research Institute in the Netherlands, pointed out that this summit "can represent a PK of two international solutions to the Balkan Peninsula issue to a certain extent." The Netherlands is currently consolidating economic and trade relations with various countries on the Balkan Peninsula. relations and security relations, and promote more open elements to develop the economic order. This is India's response to the British holding naval exercises here some time ago, and the participation of the Austria-Hungary Empire, the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Bulgaria. The Netherlands is dealing with the "high walls of small courtyards" built by the United Kingdom this time

Since the Netherlands and the Kingdom of Greece became the king of Greece because William III parachuted in from the retired king of the Netherlands, the relationship between father and son has existed, allowing the Netherlands and Greece to establish the strongest alliance, and developed a mechanism between allied governments, and take turns We have held exchange visits and meetings at the level of foreign ministers for more than ten years.

This meeting was at the same time that the Netherlands was returning to Greece. Joseph Beit had already sent an invitation to the Ottoman Empire, the Russian Empire, the Kingdom of Serbia, the Kingdom of Italy, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the divided French regimes in the north and south of France, Portugal and Spain. The invitation to participate in this summit received a positive response from almost all countries except the United Kingdom and the German Empire. This week's summit laid the groundwork.

Brown also pointed out that as the Netherlands increases its influence and Britain's influence in the region recedes, the Balkans are now beginning to closely follow the Netherlands and become interested in the Netherlands' cooperation ideas. This is also a change that will further change the previous rigid situation in the Balkans. , all countries want to elaborate on their views and national interests at this summit, and are trying to find where countries can gain benefits at this Tirana Summit in Albania.

Some small countries, such as Montenegro, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and other countries also participated in the meeting with the intention of further strengthening their strategic autonomy.

These countries are struggling to survive surrounded by the Kingdom of Italy, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Serbia, the Kingdom of Greece, and the Netherlands, allies of the Tsarist Empire. If they can benefit from the struggle between the big powers and increase their living space, then it will be the biggest gain.

Kerim, director and chief researcher of the Australia Institute, believes that the Ottoman Empire has strategically favored the Netherlands, and even compromised with Greece and the Netherlands on the issue of acquiring Albania. In the end, Albania fell into the hands of the Netherlands after a transfer. , became the place where the Dutch troops were stationed on the Balkan Peninsula, allowing the Netherlands to successfully enter its own wedge in Eastern Europe, and found a reason to officially intervene in the affairs of the Balkan Peninsula.

This signified that the Ottoman Empire had changed its strategy towards the Netherlands despite being an ally with Britain, but the relationship was no longer close. The Ottoman Empire did not have much opposition to the Netherlands on the Greek issue and the Balkan Peninsula issue.

On the other hand, neighboring powers such as Austria-Hungary and Italy were actually uneasy about the Netherlands' entry into the Balkans. However, the Netherlands' dominance in the Albanian region was very small, but it was crucial because it was the Strait of Otranto. The narrowest strait, facing Italy across the sea, is very uncomfortable for Italy, but it is even more uncomfortable for the Austro-Hungarian Empire, because this strait restricts the key point of the Austro-Hungarian Empire entering and exiting the Mediterranean, so Albania was taken , as long as the always powerful Dutch navy is deployed there, the Austro-Hungarian Empire's navy will be monitored, and the trouble will fall into the ears of the Netherlands.

Therefore, the Austro-Hungarian Empire had to participate.