Start 1861: I Just Inherited the Dutch Throne

Chapter 928: Wilhelm IV’s Diplomacy-Belittling Bismarck in the Academy?

On June 21, 1881, the Netherlands bartered 10 steam battleships to purchase the Kuwait area of ​​the Ottoman Empire, and it was successful.

The most important thing is that the Ottoman Empire has always been pro-British, but when Britain and the Netherlands were entangled in launching external attacks and political attacks on each other, the Ottoman Empire actually showed favor to the Netherlands at this time. This seems to mean that you can’t protect the past, right?

However, Constantinople’s later public statement was that the Ottoman Empire was a sovereign country, and all things would be based on national interests. Therefore, Constantinople would not compromise easily, but when it comes to national interests, we They will draw conclusions after careful analysis, and then implement the amount. Just like the transaction contract signed between the Ottomans and the Netherlands, the 10 most advanced surface steam battleships in the world will be used by the Ottoman Empire in the form of two ships per year starting next year. From 1882 to 1887, the United Kingdom, which had acquired it from scratch, was unwilling to sell us such a large number of such advanced warships, so faced with such a deal, I believe it would be difficult for any country to refuse.

The statement from the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs was quickly put on the high-level desks of various countries.

Many people were silent.

When it comes to interests, no country considers it a trivial matter.

Therefore, all countries actually believe that what the Ottoman Empire did is not unacceptable.

However, for the United Kingdom, this is actually more consistent with betrayal. However, the United Kingdom currently has too few allies, and the Ottoman Empire’s geographical location and military strength are not small. Therefore, in the end, the United Kingdom did not only ask the person in charge of the Ottoman Embassy in London to provide information about the two countries. In addition to showing the trading plan to Britain, it was also proposed that the Ottoman Empire should consider that Britain, the trading partner, would have priority in trading.

However, this request is said to have been quickly rejected by Constantinople, because independent diplomacy is very important to Constantinople, and the alliance with Britain is only a temporary measure. For decades or hundreds of years, Britain's advance on the northern shore of the Indian Ocean and the stability of its power in the eastern Mediterranean were only possible because of the support of the Ottoman Empire. If not, the supply of the Eastern Mediterranean would be a problem, not to mention the security of Egypt.

Therefore, the two countries actually each get what they need, rather than having a superior-inferior relationship.

However, Constantinople was still unwilling to offend Britain too much and tried to appease the other party.

On June 22, 1881, William IV of the Netherlands gave a public speech at the Foreign Affairs College in Melbourne. This was already the 20th anniversary since William IV came to power and gave a speech at the Foreign Affairs College every year. Therefore, it attracted the attention of many people at home and abroad. .

As soon as William IV took the stage, he looked at the densely packed teachers and students of the Diplomatic Academy and the participants from the government departments. He felt proud in his heart. This was one of his greatest achievements after traveling through this world. The Netherlands had gone from being defeated by the British in the 18th century. A transformation from a first-class country into a second-class terminal country.

The sigh in his heart only happened for a moment. He stood on the stage and gave a speech without a script. This was something he insisted on.

“With the rise of the Netherlands, in just over 20 years, the Netherlands has gone from being a second-rate, lower-middle-class country to a global country that can compete with the UK.

Whether economically or militarily, the Netherlands is comparable to the United Kingdom. Although the population of the Netherlands is only two-thirds that of the UK.

However, the Dutch economy is more developed than the UK, and the electrical industry technology leads the world.

Militarily, the Netherlands' submarine technology is more than a generation ahead of the world, maintaining the Netherlands' dominance in the underwater world. "

At this time, William IV paused and raised his head, and the entire venue of thousands of people burst into loud applause.

"Many people ask me, Your Majesty, what do you usually do in your daily work? Do you need to solve problems? No, let me make it clear to everyone. There is no real need for those in power to solve problems, because in terms of details, the people below can do it. Can"

William IV stared at the many youthful faces below and said: "People in our position often don't need to solve problems, we just need to point them out. Yes, we point out the problems, and others must solve them. , this is the best division of labor and cooperation when we solve problems. This is the case when producing farm products. When manufacturing industrial products, it is impossible to teach me that I, the cabinet member, must go to the site to solve pests or manufacture industrial products. It’s a difficult problem, then that’s something that the Ministry of Agriculture and the Royal Academy of Sciences should solve.”

The applause rang out again. William IV's words taught these students a lesson, that is, the superior does not need to understand everything at the right time, but only needs to grasp the general direction. The remaining details can be handled by subordinates. .

The applause lasted for a full two minutes before it stopped. William IV then followed up and said: "Back to the art of diplomacy, in my mind, it lies in the word change."

"The most fundamental quality and accomplishment that a good diplomat must understand is flexibility. Yes, flexibility, the ability to make temporary changes and the fundamental tasks assigned by the country. Any flexibility needs to keep the bottom line in order to complete the country's mission. Setting the direction is what makes a good diplomat.”

"To sum up, the diplomacy of this century (19th century) is an art of principles and adaptability. Regarding the intelligence of diplomats, many people have a misunderstanding that excellent diplomats must have strong foresight. Ability, such as five hundred years of knowledge, five hundred years of knowledge, the ability to plan and the ability to act accordingly.

In fact, when you carefully observe the biographies of diplomats from various countries in the past 80 years of this century, you will find that they may indeed have greater planning and practical capabilities than ordinary people, but there is no need to exaggerate their capabilities. Foresight is the so-called long-term strategic planning. "

The teachers and students present were immediately deeply attracted by William IV's words, while the Dutch diplomats present were silent. Students represent future expectations, while diplomats represent the present of the Netherlands' diplomatic power.

One is in expectation and the other is in practice. The experiences are naturally different.

When William IV faced the sound coming from the small loudspeaker, he could guess what everyone was thinking.

So he dropped a bombshell and said: "The German Empire is such a typical example. Yes, in my eyes, Bismarck is regarded by many as a European diplomat with excellent foresight ability. It seems that Bismarck has been pushed up. Only the late British Pa Viscount Merston can be compared to Metternich of the Austrian Empire."

When William IV mentioned Bismarck, everyone could tell that William IV didn't take it seriously. For some reason, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

After all, the German-Austrian Alliance seems to be at odds with the Netherlands in Latin America. If His Majesty shows unprecedented concern, everyone present will understand that His Majesty is not sure about dealing with the other party. On the contrary, looking at His Majesty's appearance now, he does not seem to be worried at all. This is quite reassuring.

Whether William IV knew this effect or not, I am afraid no one except himself knows.

"Bismarck is not that amazing. Maybe when you analyze his diplomatic achievements, you won't want to praise her foresight.

If you don’t believe it, take his favorite work, the Franco-Prussian War, as an example. He despised the sale in 1870 on the issue of "succession to the Spanish throne". He may have been encouraging the Hohenzollern royal family to inherit the Spanish throne and would not care about moving the French on the Rhine. The original meaning of regional concern was to pursue his approach of reconquering Southern Germany without a fight rather than taking the opportunity to provoke France. Therefore, Bismarck had long-term communications with the Tsarist Empire on the issue of peacefully reconquering Southern Germany, which resulted in a strong reaction from the French. , at least it was not in Bismarck's consideration at that time. Bismarck probably did not expect that the French would be so enthusiastic at the venue."