Start 1861: I just inherited the Dutch throne

Chapter 1067: The veil of hypocrisy of great powers

William IV was far away in Melbourne and unaware of everything that was going on in Europe, and he was now feeling a little fed up with the state of the world.

To be precise, I am tired of the world that is too stable.

Oscar II saw off the three of them, his heart in confusion, and his eyes fell on the silent Prime Minister Arvide Posey beside him.

"What do you think?"

Arvid Poser: "Everywhere in the world is dominated by profit. If it is in our interest to increase income, and our interests in the Netherlands will not reduce production, then we can give it a try."

“It’s too political a veil of hypocrisy, never believe them”

Oscar II: "This is the favorite saying of my grandfather, Karl XIV, after he came to Sweden from France as a marshal and ascended the throne. It is also the most pertinent admonishment for our royal family members when looking at the world."

Arvid Posey did not expect Oscar II to say this.I had to speak up.

“The situation in the Far East and America has become extremely strange because of the Netherlands’ determination to implement a policy of balancing Britain, and the probability of a misfire and cut-off has greatly increased.

Now, for the sake of their own national interests, European countries must be more vigilant to avoid making mistakes.

This is the first.

The second is that when big countries have geopolitical conflicts, small countries often have to pay a disproportionate price because they either become pawns or are caught in the middle and suffer the consequences.

Therefore, in our Swedish interest circle, it is actually in the interests of middle powers like Sweden and Denmark to establish a regional framework that promotes cooperation rather than confrontation. Therefore, we have always known about the Hague-International Court of Justice organization originally established by the Netherlands in The Hague. Uphold international ethics and laws.

Now, the situation in the Far East and America has become tense due to the differences in interests between the Netherlands, Britain, Germany and Austria.

Unfortunately, there are currently many inherent contradictions in both places that can be exploited, including the Austro-Mexican War, the feud between Argentina and the Netherlands, the American Civil War, the battle between the United States, Britain and Canada, the Dutch-British sovereignty dispute over the Malacca Strait, and Siam Next door to the Kingdom of Luo, Britain and France are approaching the threat of invasion step by step. Britain, Russia, Austria, Holland and other middle-level forces on the Balkan Peninsula are participating in the struggle. They are all like powder keg, catching fire at any moment.

The Meiji Emperor of Japan in the northern Far Northeast is not a good person either. It is said that he has recently been in contact with opponents of Goryeo, and seems to have overthrown the pro-Qing king there and introduced a pro-Japanese king.

Tsarist Russia and Britain are at war with each other again in Afghanistan. The two sides are almost going back and forth without stopping.

In addition, the Tsarist Empire increased its labor force and tried to complete the Siberian Railway 2 to 3 years ahead of schedule. It is obvious that its ambitions for the Far East have become old or even stronger.

But no matter what, it would be difficult for the Tsarist Empire to attack neighboring countries as freely as it did in Europe.

During the American War, Europe still seems to have not been Mexicanized.

This is a relatively pertinent view, which specifically lifts the veil of hypocrisy in the politics of major powers. "Arvid Pose paused, took a sip of tea, and then said:
“In the UK, there are actually many dissidents, but as soon as they speak, they are regarded as speaking on behalf of the Netherlands or other opponents.

In other countries, there are also voices opposing the Latin American bloc, but they are unable to form a force that can compete with Dutch newspapers.

We in Sweden need to watch with a cold eye. It is not difficult to see the mystery in this, but after all, a small country is outnumbered.Therefore, the most important thing is to learn lessons from the tragedy of the Mexican War. This is the most important and basic meaning of our existence in Sweden, rather than existing to form an alliance with the Netherlands."

Oscar II agrees with this.

"Sweden has taken a clear stance against Austria-Hungary's invasion of Mexico, which is morally and legally necessary. However, this principle-based stance has also caused dissatisfaction in many countries. For example, we started as an ally of the Netherlands. , on the contrary, it made Britain, Germany, and Austria-Hungary think that we had become the vanguard in supporting the Dutch position, and that we did not need to oppose Austria-Hungary.

In fact it is.We were not against the Austro-Hungarian Empire itself or against Britain, Germany and Austria, but against the Austro-Hungarian invasion of Melbourne.

In international relations, if international law and sovereignty issues are not adhered to, then the law of the jungle will be the law of the jungle.

It just so happens that our Tsarist Empire in eastern Sweden is the leader in the law of the jungle where the jungle prevails.

If we had no objection, then we might one day face an invasion war like the Russian Empire that annexed Finland for decades, and by then, we would be Mexico today, even worse than Mexico. After all, we did not oppose the Austro-Hungarian invasion of Mexico. . "

Oscar II sighed: “This is our position, and as you said, our media power cannot compete with the Netherlands, so we still need to use the Netherlands to speak for us in publicity.

Therefore, it is still very difficult to draw a clear line from the Dutch position. "

Alfred Posey raised his head and said, "What is your Majesty most worried about is the threat from the Russian Empire?"

"Isn't it?" Oscar II said solemnly: "Tsarist Russia has threatened us for 200 years, and the loss of Finland makes us scared. There are 800 million people in Tsarist Russia, and we are only [-] million. Such a disparity requires us to be constantly vigilant."

"So His Majesty saw that the Netherlands has a close relationship with Tsarist Russia and formed an alliance with the Netherlands. In fact, another function is to use the Netherlands to tighten the neck of Tsarist Russia and prevent them from attacking us. Or, in other words, to make Tsarist Russia embarrassed to attack any allies of the Netherlands?"

“Mutual utilization is the most basic principle of relations between countries, so Carl XV and I and William IV all knew it well, and Christian IX, as William IV’s father-in-law, also knew this.

Therefore, since our three countries established the alliance, in fact, we have never had the confidence to support each other in all aspects when it comes to cooperating in waging war. "

Oscar II said: "Don't talk about us. Do the three countries of Britain, Germany and Austria now trust each other? Looking at Austria-Hungary, which has been fighting for a year and a half, I think William I must have promised to support Austria-Hungary, but not yet. Dragging on, just a few months passed.

Even now there are many rumors that Bismarck, the German Prime Minister, is going to repeat his old tricks and let Mexico consume Austria-Hungary's power, just like when he coaxed Vienna to join Berlin in invading Schleswig and Denmark behind it. After finally consuming its mobile power, Austria-Hungary The empire was defeated by Prussia, and when it finally ceded territory for compensation, it was also kicked out of the German Confederation. In a few years, Prussia accomplished what the Austrian Empire could not accomplish under hundreds of leaders. "

"Therefore, the big countries are hypocritical. We need to evaluate our own strength and cooperate with them. Of course, hypocrisy and snakes still need to be dealt with, including the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Netherlands."

(End of this chapter)