Start 1861: I just inherited the Dutch throne

Chapter 1126 France and Russia suddenly approached, and Germany and Austria panicked

As Hermann Van Peron announced on the Netherlands Radio half a month ago on June 1882, 6, although France was unwilling to ally with Italy, France suddenly invaded the Italian territories and colonies, and in 11 the Tsarist Empire did not hesitate to enter the Mediterranean. Building a country for Bulgaria makes the UK feel unsafe in the Suez Canal.

Coupled with the importance of India, it is already the most overseas colony of the British Empire. It is known as the brightest jewel in the Queen's crown. The most important waterway connecting the British mainland with India is the Suez Canal.

In 1875, Queen Victoria decisively adopted the advice of British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, who was elected Prime Minister for the second time, and used coercion and inducement to obtain 400% of the Suez Canal shares held by Ismail Paschat for 44 million pounds. .

At the beginning of this year in 1882, the new Prime Minister William Gladstone believed that the 44% of the shares he held at this time was completely unable to guarantee control of the Suez Canal. In order to ensure that the canal would not fall into the hands of France and Tsarist Russia, or perhaps In the hands of the Dutch, at 1882 o'clock on June 6, 11, the army of more than 7 people and the Mediterranean fleet and navy invaded Egypt. The army commander was Lieutenant General Garnet Walls, who was a classmate of the British Crown Prince Prince Edward. , the navy is Admiral Frederick Seymour, commander-in-chief of the Mediterranean Fleet.

The sudden attack of more than 40,000 army and Mediterranean navy on Egypt was shocking.

Because there began to be stationed there 2000 French army soldiers under the Napoleonic government and Egyptian local indigenous troops.

Although attacking Egypt in name, who doesn't know that Egypt is a government supported by the French. Attacking the Egyptian indigenous army at this time is not much different from attacking France.

It took more than half a month to spread to the Netherlands, but it spread to Europe earlier.

The Dutch were as surprised as the others, but the French were angry.

The 1808-year-old Napoleon III, who was born in 74, was even rumored to have fainted from anger.

Therefore, the person in charge of the overall situation in France is the 1826-year-old Queen Eugenie of the Second French Empire, who was born in 56 and has served as regent many times. Their 26-year-old eldest son, Crown Prince Napoleon Eugène Jr. (the future Napoleon IV), also participated for the first time. Observe the government.

On July 1882, 7, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs angrily summoned the British Embassy in Paris to stage a diplomatic protest.

"We have nothing to offend the British, because Queen Victoria and I are highly consistent in many aspects, so I have chosen to maintain cooperation with the British for many years, but now the British have told us a cruel fact, that is, France was willing to make peace with Britain on both sides of the English Channel, but Britain chose to abandon this tacit understanding.

This is something we cannot tolerate. For this reason, I announce that the French government in Paris led by us will require the British Ambassador to France to leave French territory within a week and maintain only minimum diplomatic relations. "

Queen Eugenie directly condemned the British behavior in Paris, and at the same time she did not forget to express her grievances to the French regime in Paris.

The queen, who served as regent for the first time after Napoleon III was kidnapped by the Prussian invasion in 1870, firmly criticized: "We do not have only Britain as a neighbor, nor do we only have Britain as a partner. Therefore, in the face of Britain's betrayal, France We will do something that everyone should understand, and I hope the UK will not regret it."

On July 1882, 7, before everyone could understand this threat, the British across the English Channel received a piece of news that shocked the British. The French regent Empress Eugenie actually publicly invited Mary of the Russian Empire. Empress A. Feodovna visits Paris.

France and the Russian Empire were separated by the German Empire in the north and the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the south.

In the Crimean War that year, France collaborated with Britain to fight Tsarist Russia many times, and was one of the backbone forces fighting France's attempt to enter the Mediterranean.

Therefore, the relationship between France and Russia is not much better than the relationship between Britain and Russia until now. But now the powerful Queen of France has actually sent an invitation to Queen Maria Feodovna, who is not a powerful member of the Russian Empire. Combined with the words she threatened Britain not to regret three days ago, it immediately makes people think. .

The British Foreign Office seemed to have expected the French government in Paris to have an attack from the beginning, but it did not expect it to be so violent and involve ties with Tsarist Russia.

Therefore, the United Kingdom seems to be preparing to ease relations, but the invasion of Egypt cannot be stopped. Therefore, although France has received a request for consultation from the British Foreign Office, France will naturally not respond to the British invasion of the Suez Canal on the eastern side of the Mediterranean. Accepted.

On August 1882, 8, the Tsarist Empire responded to this invitation. Queen Maria will arrive in Paris for a visit in the middle of this month, along with her and Alexander III's eldest son, Crown Prince Alessandro. 's visit.

At that time, the crown princes of the two countries will have a historic meeting.

This combination gives European countries different ideas.

Apart from Britain, the German Empire and the Holy Roman Empire were most uneasy.

I heard that Franz Joseph I held consecutive meetings in Vienna these days to arrange

Four years after Franz Joseph I came to the throne in 1848, Prime Minister Schwarzenberg died in 1852. Franz Joseph I stopped appointing prime ministers and took over the power himself. Although he was very diligent, he was not very intelligent. In complex international politics, we often take the wrong path.

The Austrian Empire's mistakes in the Crimean War were mainly caused by himself. He ignored his ally, the Russian Empire, and always supported him in the German Confederation. He suppressed the German Confederation and tried to challenge the rise of the Austrian Empire's elder brother. The powerful Kingdom of Prussia instead mobilized the Galician army to the Russian-Austrian border in order not to offend Britain and France, forcing Tsar Nicholas I to withdraw his troops from the Danube River to the Yalu River. This caused the permanent rupture of the friendship between the two countries for hundreds of years. Tsar Nicholas I He even lamented the failure of the war because he believed in the other party too much and caused his own country to suffer.

However, Britain, France and other countries regarded him as a treacherous figure who tried to get something for nothing because he did not participate in the war. In the end, both sides failed to please him.

Due to Austria's domestic financial problems, he began to reduce military spending in 859, but he fell into the trick of Italian Prime Minister Cavour, and couldn't help provoking and declared war on the Kingdom of Sardinia. Unexpectedly, catching the mouse led to the elephant, France Napoleon III changed his face as quickly as turning the page of a book. He suddenly drew his sword without warning to help the weak Kingdom of Sardinia, and directly transported 10 French troops to the Italian battlefield by railway. The expected punishment of the border guards turned into the main confrontation between the big powers.

His visit to the battlefield by Franz Joseph I had no effect at all. The command of the coalition forces seemed disorganized, and Austria was obviously even more chaotic. The failure of the Battle of Solferino seriously damaged Austria's military reputation.

In July, the "Free Town Contract" was hastily concluded and Lombard was ceded to the opponent to end the war.

The crisis atmosphere that emerged after the defeat prompted Franz Joseph I to begin to pay attention to constitutional issues. At the same time, the federal constitution and the central group constitution alternated between the experimental constitutional period until 1867.

In 1867 Count Friedrich was appointed Prime Minister.

In 1871, King Wilhelm I of the Kingdom of Prussia announced the establishment of the German Empire in Paris. Franz Joseph I was dissatisfied with the Austrian Empire's failure in domestic and foreign affairs, so he was angry and dismissed Count Friedrich as prime minister and appointed Andra. Earl Hope is the new Prime Minister.

It is said that Franz Joseph I had summoned Prime Minister Count Andrassy many times to discuss the sudden approach of France and Russia.

This Austrian Emperor was really panicked.

(End of this chapter)