Start 1861: I just inherited the Dutch throne

Chapter 46 Using Russia to Make Britain (please vote and collect)
Palmerston's mind was racing.

In fact, before this trilateral agreement, the British Empire also started to make arrangements, but the speed was not as fast as the three parties.

In the past, for the purpose of balancing the European continent, Britain usually either allied with France and Tsarist Russia to deal with the German Confederation including Austria.

Otherwise, it would be an alliance between the German Confederation and Tsarist Russia to deal with France and Spain.

As long as you join, you can completely suppress the opponent. The scale of victory is always controlled by the British Empire. They have the final say on who wins and who loses.

Due to recent sudden changes, the situation in Europe is strange. Therefore, starting decades ago, the British Empire even deployed Belgium, Gibraltar in southern Spain in the Mediterranean, and the Malta Islands. This is already a second layer of protective net, in order to build The best layer of protection for the British Empire.

This is exactly why the British Empire knew the fragility of this alliance. They later gradually formed an island chain and satellite country strategy to deal with other countries' maritime strategy. A mixed use of continental countries to guard against each other internally, and the island chain used Beware of these European victors of civil strife.

In this way, the British Empire can comprehensively grasp the latest developments in the European continent, choose the most suitable time, and wait for the opportunity to carry out a fatal blow in the final period, so as to seize the final fruits of victory, and by analogy, the European countries will They can continue to fight round after round under the promotion of the British Empire, wasting military force and comprehensive national power, while the British Empire is looking for resources all over the world to strengthen itself, shrinking and expanding, complementing each other.

When they finally discovered that the strategic depth of the British Empire had relied on the depth of the sea to traverse the major states, especially the resource-rich Indian subcontinent, and thereby three-dimensionally strengthened the gap with Europe.

But despite this, with the establishment of the strategic alliance between the three countries, the British Empire seems to have discovered that these three countries are almost beside the British Empire. The original defenses seem a bit too far away at this moment, especially the Kingdom of Prussia. Although on the Atlantic Ocean There is no outlet to the sea, but their national strength is no less than that of Austria.
The economic strength exceeds Austria due to population.

It is worth pointing out that although Prussia's navy in the Baltic Sea has not developed rapidly in recent years, it has also entered the top ten. If these three countries were added together, they would form a naval force that suppressed the British Empire. Especially the tonnage It is the Dutch Navy, a country with hundreds of years of experience in naval warfare.

Moreover, they have rich experience in sailing and are very familiar with routes as far away as the Far East. They have their footprints all over the world.

If they train Prussia, then Prussia will become an ocean-going naval force just around the corner.

By then, the sea will seem crowded.

This is also the reason why Viscount Palmerston and the Queen chose to visit the Netherlands. The Netherlands is small and geographically destined to be unable to become a European hegemon. It threatens the British Empire and has limited functions to check and balance other countries.

However, it is worth pointing out that in recent years, the Netherlands has begun to exert greater influence and coercion on the Atlantic routes, and its shipbuilding strength cannot be underestimated. It also means that it can help the British Empire play a role in the Atlantic and even global maritime era. A new strategic role for support.

To put it bluntly, Queen Victoria and Viscount Palmerston believe that the Netherlands is more willing to use the territory captured by the British Empire than Gibraltar and Malta, and they also think it is easier to use and more powerful than Belgium. So the two actual leaders of the British Empire wanted to use the Netherlands again.

"Your Majesty, actually I think the Netherlands can take a step back on the Belgian issue," Palmerston said slowly after hesitating.

"But the people cannot retreat. You know, the treatment of Dutch people in Belgium is very sad. There is an overflow of sympathy in the country."

William IV said angrily.

"How can the Netherlands calm down this anger?" Viscount Palmerston looked at William IV and said, "I mean, what price will Belgium pay?"

Haysbet Feng and Tolbert's breathing tightened and their hearts beat faster.

Did they hear it correctly? The Prime Minister of the British Empire actually gave in?Are you even willing to let His Majesty impose conditions?This feels incredible.

William IV said calmly: "Belgium, I have never thought about destroying this country, I just want to make them feel some pain."

"What is pain? How much is it?" Viscount Palmerston asked.

"Soon, the Prime Minister will know." William III suddenly changed his words and said mysteriously: "Your Excellency, Prime Minister, I have always been interested in Canada."

"It's impossible. Canada is an overseas colony that Her Majesty the Queen values ​​​​very much. Even when the United States slightly revealed this idea, our Imperial Navy directly sent the fleet to New York Harbor, so that the United States will no longer have such thoughts."

Palmiston looked at William IV with slight dissatisfaction, "Does Your Majesty think that the Netherlands is already very powerful? So powerful that it can even outstrip the Imperial Navy? To the extent that it can make the four British empires retreat?"

"Of course it's impossible, but..." William IV paused, and after attracting the attention of several other people, he said: "Although the Netherlands was deprived of its status as the best financial center in Europe by the British Empire, don't forget that we are still the world's best financial center. The third largest financial trading center, we still very much advocate the contractual spirit of transactions, so I am planning to conduct a territory exchange transaction with the British Empire. I wonder if Viscount Palmerston can do it?"

"Oh? Territory exchange?" Palmerston was frightened and tried to calm down.His expression calmed, his breathing suddenly calmed down, and he asked sharply: "How to trade? Where does Your Majesty like our British Empire in Canada?"

"Quebec or Ontario, or Newfoundland."

"Your Majesty has a big appetite. This is Canada's most fertile and important province. The Five Lakes region is Canada's breadbasket, and Newfoundland is an important port on the Atlantic Ocean. Just now, His Majesty said it was a fair deal. Now I’m curious about His Majesty’s so-called fair deal. I wonder if His Majesty, who is planning to take over these provinces, has the Netherlands prepared to pay what kind of price to show fairness?”

“If the British Empire agrees to divide these provinces to the Netherlands, the Netherlands is willing to pack all of Kalimantan into the British Empire except North Kalimantan and South Kalimantan, so that the British Empire can fully control Kalimantan. I don’t know, what does the Prime Minister think?”

Kalimantan?
Is the Netherlands finally willing to pay for its old capital?
But why?Will he leave North Kalimantan and South Kalimantan alone?

Viscount Palmerston's mind was running rapidly, calculating the gains and losses. He suddenly discovered that Canada had 80 people, of which 50 were indigenous, in exchange for the Dutch part of Kalimantan, West Kalimantan and South Central. The province of Kalimantan has a population of more than 300 million, which is a good business, especially since this is Kalimantan with a tropical climate, rather than being close to Canada, which is located in the frigid zone. The two are really not comparable.

However, seeing that William IV was so calm, I guess he had already calculated the gains and losses, and he would not refuse easily.

So he was about to make a rebuttal against his will, criticize the value of Kalimantan Island, and use this to seize the initiative.

William IV was the first to say: "The geographical location of Kalimantan is very critical. It guards the South China Sea and the Cawa Sea. The most important thing is that it guards the Strait of Malacca, which is very important to the British Empire." It's very important.

To be honest, Your Excellency, Viscount Palmerston, just now, before you, I have received a transaction invitation from the Russian Empire, which is to prepare all the Dutch territories on the island of Kalimantan, including the province of West Kalimantan. Trade invitation, but I’m still hesitating.”

"what?"

Viscount Palmerston stood up immediately.

Then he realized his gaffe and sat back awkwardly.

Throughout Europe, if France poses a certain threat to the British Empire, then the Russian Empire is like a polar bear, ready to strike a blow at any time.

The huge hinterland has created the idea that the British Empire can only see them from a distance but not up close. Especially the failure of Napoleon I was a lesson learned from the past. This is how he saw with his own eyes how Napoleon was defeated outside Moscow. He has only seen it so far. less than the past 50 years.

This is also the reason why the British Empire completely blocked the sea ports of the Tsarist Russian Empire to prevent this behemoth from encroaching on the major oceans.

The great Shang Dynasty and Japan in the Far East were tightly locked in Vladivostok, making it difficult for Tsarist Russia to develop in the Pacific.

The Ottoman Turks sealed off the Black Sea, and the Crimean War, fully supported by France and the British Empire, put the two countries at full conflict, making it difficult for the Russian Empire to go south to the Indian Ocean, compete with the British Empire for the fertile Indian subcontinent, the Suez Canal, and access to the Mediterranean Sea.

The Baltic Sea was heavily locked up by the British Empire. Sweden, a century-old enemy of the Russian Empire, kept an eye on the northern Norwegian Sea as if it were a thief. The Baltic Sea countries of Sweden, Prussia, and Denmark became obstacles for the Russian Empire to leave the Atlantic Ocean.

These are the many arrangements of the British Empire. To this day, except for land, the Russian Empire does not have any overseas colonies. This is the masterpiece of the British Empire.

The purpose was a comprehensive maritime blockade policy against Russia, but what did he hear just now? Tsarist Russia actually wanted to take over Kalimantan Island?

Tsarist Russia actually chose this method to avoid the British Empire's blockade policy?
Although the effect may not necessarily be successful, with Kalimantan's 78 square kilometers, more than two-thirds belong to the Netherlands. As William IV just said, Tsarist Russia wants to take over all of Kalimantan. In part, what the British Empire feared most was about to happen.

If the Tsarist Empire is allowed to gain a foothold here, it will threaten the security of many overseas colonies of the British Empire. Not to mention Malacca and Malaya, the current Indian subcontinent alone has not been completely captured by the British Empire. If the Tsarist Empire casually intervenes and creates various conflicts, the British Empire will be in a hurry, and will even face the possibility of being attacked by the Tsarist Russian Empire from both the north and the south. This must never happen.

You must stop it. Thinking of this, he raised his head and said seriously: "Okay, I admit that I was persuaded by His Majesty, but Canada is one of the earliest overseas colonies of the British Empire. It is impossible to trade all with the Netherlands. Well, Your Majesty, how about we each make a concession? The British Empire is willing to trade with the Netherlands in good faith."

What, it actually happened!

Dutch Foreign Minister Hesbert von and Prime Minister Tolbeck looked at each other, and they both saw the other's surprise and shock!

　Chapter 2 is presented. Guess, what is the purpose of the Dutch territory that wants to trade in Canada? Some people may ask, how can such a large territory be bought and sold? In fact, this is a common thing in Europe, so However, this transaction of William IV came with a purpose. To check and balance the great powers, the British Empire and the Russian Empire, and to develop its own strategic hinterland, this is the current purpose of the Netherlands.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)