Start 1861: I Just Inherited the Dutch Throne

British Foreign Secretary Greville did not directly agree with King Louis I of Portugal's suggestion that Britain should support the return of Dutch-occupied northern Mozambique in Africa and then northern Angola to Portugal. He only expressed his belief that Portugal's demands were reasonable and worthy of discussion.

Obviously, the spokesman for the British Foreign Ministry was unwilling to meet the other party's requirements in one step, and was trying to wait for a price to make Portugal move closer to the British position.

At the same time, on June 4, 1881, British Prime Minister Gladstone was also reborn when he held talks with Prime Minister Bismarck of that country in the German Empire. There was no fundamental conflict of interest between Britain and Germany, but more complementary advantages. Britain He is willing to promote better development of British-German relations through pragmatic cooperation. "Our two countries have great potential for cooperation on the situation in Europe, and we both have a certain influence in the world."

Bismarck was much more low-key when he responded, "The German Empire has always safeguarded its own interests. We will not give up what we deserve. Yes, others cannot take away our things. Of course, we will not do it intentionally. Define by who is the enemy"

Obviously, the German Empire is also a gesture of waiting for a price. Whether it is the Netherlands or the United Kingdom, they are both diplomatic targets that the German Empire is fishing for.

Perhaps it was to supplement Bismarck's diplomacy and increase his own weight, or to show his dissatisfaction with the Netherlands for not inviting the German Empire to participate in the Balkan Peninsula Summit.

On June 6, 1881, the German royal family announced that William I had sent Crown Prince Frederick, who had just returned to the Berlin Palace from St. Petersburg, to visit the Second French Empire, the Third French Republic, the Kingdom of Spain and the Kingdom of Italy. This German During this trip to three countries and four places, the Crown Prince will demonstrate the international status of Germany, a new European power, and teach the Netherlands a lesson.

It seems that in order to cooperate with Britain's direct opposition to the Netherlands' anti-British foreign policy, German diplomacy with Bismarck as the arrow has named the Netherlands for the first time on various occasions. In their meetings with senior foreign officials and members of the royal family, they will call on the Netherlands to take responsible actions and oppose Using economic weapons to coerce other countries and allies to change the current balance of power, Crown Prince Frederick of Germany even directly expressed Germany's desire to be like Britain and France when he later met with Napoleon III, and was unwilling to see other countries attack Britain and France. Germany directly issued a provocation. He publicly stated that Germany is willing to convene a royal summit of Britain, France and Germany, and treat this summit as a separate issue on the Balkan Peninsula issue. The content involves the Netherlands, the host country of the current Balkan Peninsula issue summit.

Ryan, director of the Netherlands Institute at the Institute of International Studies at Humboldt University in Germany, pointed out that the Netherlands currently seems to have poor relations with Britain, France and Germany. Although the Netherlands has recently risen, if it is united in the face of such powerful countries as Britain, France and Germany, even the Netherlands , must also retreat, so he estimated that if Britain, France and Germany really formed an alliance, then it would be time for the Netherlands to make concessions.

At the very least, the Netherlands and one of the countries need to promote cooperation and resolve conflicts and differences.

He even pointed out that if the British, French and German royal families really hold a king-level summit, the Netherlands will especially need to pay attention to the surrounding situation, including paying attention to whether more countries will be attracted by the anti-Dutch practices of Britain, France and Germany. Become a rival of the Netherlands.

The summit on the Balkan Peninsula was about to be held. German Prime Minister Bismarck met with British Prime Minister Gladstone. After Gladstone left Berlin for Vienna, Bismarck emphasized in Berlin that the expansion of the Anglo-Dutch struggle would only bring greater disaster and called for Britain and the Netherlands should ease tensions, and the German Empire is willing to help the two countries and the two camps composed of their respective circles of allies coordinate and contribute to positive interactions.

Bismarck's policy of neutrality was also addressed to the Netherlands and Britain by Crown Prince Friedrich of Germany, who was visiting Paris. He emphasized in Paris that if the two camps of Britain and the Netherlands launched a large-scale economic and military war, it would be a tragedy for mankind. Large-scale A multinational war will only bring greater disasters, seriously damage the interests of the people of the UK and the Netherlands and the people of Europe and the world, and seriously impact the governance and order of Europe and the world.

"Berlin does not want to see the Napoleonic Wars repeated in Europe and the world"

He said that the German Empire is willing to work with Britain and the Netherlands to oppose the trend of war. The German Empire is also willing to take the lead in promoting coordination and positive interaction among major powers, and use its strength and resources to promote common development and prosperity.

Baloch, director of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, a think tank at The Hague University in the Netherlands, analyzed in an interview with the Australian Daily that the Netherlands may face the German Empire being wooed by the United Kingdom. Opposing the Netherlands is one of the Netherlands' current diplomatic priorities. It may be to win over this country. In the following period, relations with the German Empire will be eased to avoid new impacts on bilateral relations.

Germany and the Netherlands have long had undercurrents in their relationship due to the competition for the sphere of influence of the American Federation. For example, there is news that the German Empire may push Austria-Hungary and Italy to involve Germany in the Balkan Peninsula Summit. Germany is in South America with Brazil and Argentina. Carry out more cooperation and increase the number of German troops stationed in Uruguay from the current 1,000 to 5,000.

The coordinated actions of Britain and Germany against the Netherlands in South America seem to be accelerating, which is a threat to the Netherlands, a foreign power that dominates South America.

Therefore, whether it is from Europe or across South America, the Netherlands needs to ease its tense relationship with the German Empire and avoid confronting Germany and benefiting the British.

George, director of the Institute of International Affairs at the University of Oxford, a London think tank, told the Financial Times that the Dutch government may avoid an alliance between Britain, France and Germany against the Netherlands, making the Netherlands realize that it needs to seek to connect other countries throughout Europe and the Netherlands through major fulcrum countries. Relations in the Netherlands are back on track.

In Melbourne, sitting next to Prime Minister Linden were members of his cabinet, as well as the current interim head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nicolas Pearson (Pearson is currently the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, and Beit is hosting the Balkans in Tirana, Albania) Issue summit, so as the first deputy minister, he naturally presides over the work of the ministry. In addition to him, Minister of Industry Lanka is visiting the Kingdom of Siam, Qing Dynasty, and Koryo Kingdom, so he will attend the cabinet meeting in his place. (Samuel Horch, First Deputy Minister of Industry)

"The addition of the German Empire has put the Netherlands into a diplomatic dilemma. Your Excellency Prime Minister, we have expressed dissatisfaction to the Chinese Embassy in Melbourne and asked the German Ambassador to the Netherlands Smith to respond to Berlin. We in the Netherlands are not guarding against Berlin and hope that the German Empire Don’t do anything that hurts the feelings of the Dutch people,”

The person who said this was Home Office Secretary David Blank.

Lyndon looked at Nicholas Pearson, the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, and asked: "Nicholas, as the former Dutch ambassador to the Kingdom of Prussia from 1858 to 1866, you should know Bismarck and his government very well. , tell me what you think."

Nicholas Pearson was silent for a moment, and then said shockingly: "This time, the German Empire finally fell to the British."