Start 1861: I Just Inherited the Dutch Throne

The three major arms companies in the Netherlands are subsidiaries of the three top conglomerates in the Netherlands, the East India Group (formerly the East India Company), the Far East Group and the United Dutch Group.

The three major consortiums and the forces behind each are a model of political-business collusion in the world.

Behind the East India Group was the Christian Party, the largest party in the Dutch ruling coalition.

Behind United Group is the Socialist Party, the second largest party in the ruling coalition.

Behind the Far East Group is the opposition Liberal Party.

Therefore, the forces behind this are complicated.

Even the Dutch Defense Minister Fox is from the Christian Party.

Therefore, Fox also has many concerns when facing the financial leader behind his own party.

However, William IV is still satisfied with the current arms purchase bidding of the Dutch Ministry of Defense.

The automatic rifles came from the Far East Group behind the Liberal Party, while the machine guns came from the East India Group.

As for the source of the largest supply of ammunition currently, it comes from chemical companies under the Dutch United Group.

Others can be regarded as fair competition, but there is no winner-take-all.

Only then did Fox say seriously: "Currently, the three major groups are staring at the war in Latin America. The Austro-Hungarian Empire will not fall easily, and Mexico, with the support of the Netherlands and the Thirteen-Nation Group, has the right time, place and people. Wait, Mexico will naturally not be defeated by tens of thousands of Austro-Hungarian troops.

Therefore, the heads of the three major groups are already inquiring about the Ministry of National Defense's support to Mexico. Obviously, they are all trying to get a share of the pie, as His Majesty said."

It’s okay if Fox is not serious. It can be said that the influence of the three major consortiums in the Netherlands is all-round. Although the Dutch Supreme Court has long had antitrust, that is, anti-monopoly law, to check and balance the three major consortiums and other consortiums. Monopoly over a single industry in the Netherlands.

However, the three major consortiums still gained huge advantages in their respective fields.

The East India Company was unique in the Netherlands in terms of surface steam ironclad battleships, making the Dutch surface ships almost competitive with the British, and even became the first choice for large-scale military purchases by the Dutch allies.

The Far East Group leads the world in submarines. Almost more than 60% of the world's submarines come from this company. Especially the second-generation submarines reached 80%. Of the remaining 20%, 8% came from the East India Company, 3% from the United Kingdom and 5% from Germany. , the United States and France together account for 4%.

It can be said. The Far East Group became the overlord of underwater submarines.

Because of this, the business of the Far East Group is not even worse than that of the East India Group. On the contrary, because of its almost monopoly, it made a lot of money.

Dutch United Group is a latecomer, founded in 1870 and headquartered in Melbourne.

In the past 11 years, the group has not only made rapid progress in civilian research and development, but has also been unwilling to lag behind its two companies in preparing military weapons.

The current airship project in the Netherlands is operated by the Dutch United Group. The Netherlands has more than 50 airships, all of which are manufactured by the group.

The Dutch Ministry of Defense purchased each airship for 5 million guilders (£200,000, 1 pound = 25 guilders). The order for 50 ships alone exceeded 250 million guilders (£10 million).

This is almost as much as the order price for 100 submarines or 50 steam battleships.

"The Far East Group has a stable supply of motorcycle corps, the East India Group supplies bicycle corps, and the Dutch United Group has begun to work hard on the research and development of automobile personnel carriers."

Fox said: "Currently, the three major groups are gearing up to try out the weapons they have developed in Latin America."

William IV looked at the Dutch Minister of Defense who was carefully waiting for his comments.

This person who is known as an iron-blooded devil to the outside world is just like this in front of him.

"Do you think the government should give them a chance?" William IV did not answer, but instead asked the question to the other party.

Fox has always been famous for being cold-blooded, even in Europe, he is famous.

He used to be a knife for the Netherlands to maintain internal governance. Now, of course, after being the Minister of Defense, he is a sword for external affairs. William IV will naturally not let it rust.

Fox naturally understands His Majesty's support.

So he said carefully: "I think His Majesty will agree to them."

William IV asked curiously: "Oh? Why are you so sure?"

Fox said with light in his eyes: "I remember His Majesty once told me that the Netherlands does not support useless people, and the Netherlands does not need useless people. The Netherlands hopes to take in all the talents from all over the world for its own use. Since the three major If the group can allow Your Majesty to indulge in their wild expansion over the years, then they will definitely be His Majesty's tools. Your Majesty has never openly or even really attacked them, so it is obvious that he can control them. In this case, the three Large groups have begun to expand their overseas influence. In fact, they are just helping His Majesty complete his mission."

A smile appeared on William IV's face, "You are very good. I have spent all these years training you in vain.

Yes, the three major financial groups are all under my control. The goals of the Dutch government are too obvious and it is easy to cause trouble.

There are some things that the Dutch government and even the intelligence agencies cannot do, but the three major consortiums can do it legitimately.

For example, the three major consortiums can directly contact members of parliament in various countries, do business with their financial backers, and then indirectly control these members who have the right to speak on domestic issues in various countries for their own use, and if necessary, do things that are detrimental to our Dutch opponents. .

Also, just like the last time Stephen Douglas tried to promote the anti-Dutch movement in the United States, in order to save their jobs, the workers of the Dutch consortium followed the Dutch consortium to oppose Stephen's anti-Dutch action, and finally nothing happened.

The Dutch people let the world see the power of the Li family.

Even the German Empire couldn't help but choose to cease operations. "

When Fox heard about William IV, he immediately understood.

Yes, the Netherlands is definitely the top in terms of consortium power in the world, but it is private. Now the three major consortiums have begun to take a step further in the arms business. With the superposition of private arms power, the three major consortiums can be said to be absolutely giant. No tyrants.

A powerful character that no country dares to touch easily. Thinking of Fox, he secretly doesn't want to offend these guys.

William IV naturally understood where Fox's fear came from.

He thought of the arms consortiums in the United States in his previous life, which were extremely arrogant in the world.

Almost all allies of the United States dare not touch the interests of these guys. Even after buying their aircraft and tanks, countries are even more afraid that the other side will cut off the supply of spare parts that day, so they need to act with dignity.

And these arms-army consortiums are promoting the development of wars around the world in order to make war profits, and small countries have become the targets of their play. World peace was messed up by them. William IV felt that the Netherlands still needed to learn from the previous generation of Milicia, at least in terms of arms dealers.