I'm the Dauphin in France

Chapter 836: The Netherlands Collapsed

Before the seventy or eighty people in the middle of the hall could react, Luke raised his hand and waved, and the soldiers immediately tied them up and took them away one by one.

Amid a cacophony of explanations and questioning, all the influential people in Middelburg were caught in one fell swoop.

Cook expertly assigned his staff to screen these people - something he had done many times recently in other cities.

Senior officials and "uncooperative" wealthy businessmen will be taken to a prison in Antwerp, the capital of the Flemish Republic.

Mid- and low-level officials who are considered "capable of cooperating with the government" will be retained and assigned new positions.

More cooperative businessmen and bankers will also be granted parole after paying "bail".

In a few days, officials appointed by the Flemish Parliament will take up their posts and take over the administration of Middelburg.

At that time, the entire city will undergo a comprehensive purge, and all those who are loyal to the Dutch government, whether they are commoners or nobles, will be sent to the western coast to work as rowing laborers.

With such a thorough cleansing, the Flemish Parliament will be able to control the three provinces in southern Netherlands as quickly as possible.

The next day at noon, Luca placed an account book in front of Sihaik and said proudly, "Uncle, a total of 62 Dutch guilders, and 15% of the shares of the two banks."

The latter flipped through it casually and nodded, "Let's divide it according to the old rules."

"Don't worry, it's all done."

The so-called "old rules" were that the money obtained from the Great Purge was divided into four parts, with the Flemish Parliament and the Flemish Army each taking one part, Schaak taking one part, and the remaining part being given to French advisers.

As for the bank shares, they will all be bought by an anonymous French bank. Of course, the price will be a big one.

The reason why Sihak worked so hard was because he knew very well that he was a waste with no brains and no ability. If he wanted to gain a foothold in the Flemish government, he had to cling to France.

The French intelligence agency has promised him to help him form a political party before the Flemish election.

After his nephew left, Sihak summoned his staff and ordered: "Let the soldiers rest in the city for two days. The day after tomorrow we will cross the Waal River and march towards Utrecht."

"Yes, General!"

……

Netherlands.

Amsterdam.

Campbellen and a group of senior government and military officials sat around a long table, each of them with a face so gloomy that water could drip out of it.

They were still immersed in the joy of signing an armistice agreement with France, but the news of Flemish sudden declaration of war knocked them out like a sledgehammer.

The Flemish were extremely fast. In just one week, they had swept through the three southern provinces of the Netherlands and were ready to launch an attack on Amsterdam at any time.

The most fatal thing was that the Dutch Parliament had no army that could resist them.

Dutch War Minister Bronckhorst was the first to break the silence: "The 3 newly recruited soldiers will be able to be deployed to the battlefield next week. Including the troops in Breda, we will have 6 troops to defend..."

The Dutch Parliament had the ability to immediately recruit tens of thousands of soldiers, and there were indeed many Dutch people willing to join the army to resist the invasion, but there were no instructors to train them.

Untrained soldiers going to the battlefield not only seek death, they also disrupt their own formation and take the veterans with them to death.

In recent years, the Netherlands first interfered in the Brabant Uprising, but its main force was wiped out by the Franco-Austrian coalition forces.

Then they threw all their newly formed troops into the anti-French alliance, but were defeated and captured by Joseph, and almost none of them returned.

Most of the remaining officers in the country were imprisoned or exiled for war crimes, and the Netherlands as a whole had almost no military capability left.

If there were not a few officers in the aristocratic group that had been squeezed out by the Patriot Party before, they would probably not be able to train even one new recruit now.

Campbellen frowned and looked at the Minister of War: "How confident are you that you can defend the Vaal River?" The latter just squeezed his cane tightly and said: "I will go to the Vaal River in person to command the defense."

"Please answer me directly. How sure are you?"

"..."

Bronckhorst could only remain silent.

Right now there are only a few middle-level officers in the entire Netherlands, and the troops below are all new recruits. Unless God appears, no one can win this war no matter who is in charge.

Dandels had served in the army before, so he quickly understood the key point and looked at Bronckhorst: "If we release those officers from prison, what do you think..."

Before he could finish, the others cut off the rest of his words with knife-like eyes.

Those in the prison were war criminals who the French had demanded be tried, and who were also the basis for the Franco-Dutch armistice agreement.

If you dare to let them go, the French will probably tear up the agreement immediately and capture Amsterdam before the Flemish.

Moreover, Campbellen and others also knew that these officers were thrown into prison by the Dutch Parliament. Even if they were released now, they might not fight for the Netherlands wholeheartedly.

Campbellen looked at the Foreign Minister next to him and asked, "Have Britain and Prussia responded?"

The latter lowered his head and whispered: "They refused to meet our envoy."

The Netherlands has just announced the abolition of the Anglo-Dutch Alliance. The British are giving you face by not coming to attack you. How could they send troops to help you fight?

What's more, even if the British wanted to do so, they have no troops to send.

A group of Dutch senior officials discussed the issue for a whole day but still could not come to a conclusion.

Bronckhorst stood up and bowed slightly to Campbellen: "Mr. Prime Minister, I have to rush to Zaltbommer overnight."

Zaltbommel is an important ferry city guarding the south bank of the Waal River.

"May God bless you."

"May God have mercy on the Netherlands."

However, God seemed to be displeased with neither Bronckhorst nor the Netherlands.

Four days later, Scherck ordered Lieutenant Colonel Vermeer to begin crossing the river, and the Dutch defenders fought back.

Although the combat effectiveness of the Flemish National Army was very average, they had at least 1 people, and their foundation was also the Austrian regular army.

The Dutch recruits, lacking officers, almost collapsed at the first blow. Vermeer led 3 vanguard troops and occupied Zaltbommer in less than half a day.

By the time Sihak's main force caught up, even the city of Tyr on the other side of the river was almost captured.

When the news of the defeat reached Amsterdam, the whole country of the Netherlands was shocked.

From Zaltbommel to Amsterdam, there is only one city, Utrecht, that can barely defend itself.

The Dutch Parliament had few troops available at this time.

To make matters worse, General Bronckhorst, the last Dutch general capable of commanding a corps, had been hit by shrapnel in the fighting a few days earlier and was now dying.

In the Parliament building in Amsterdam, a group of Dutch politicians were silent for 20 minutes. Finally, Campelen stood up and patted the Foreign Minister with a dark face: "Mr. Blanzen, go and negotiate with the Flemish people."

Less than three weeks after the armistice negotiations with France, the Dutch Parliament once again embarked on armistice negotiations.

(End of this chapter)