Chapter 15

On January 21, 1862, while many in Europe were watching how Belgium's biggest cross-border dispute of the year was progressing, Napoleon III, French Prime Minister Olivier personally came forward to address Leopold I and Belgian Prime Minister Austrian. In the end, the soldiers who crossed the border of the French Empire this time were released and returned to the original French local army station.

This made Europe stunned, and Belgium gave in like this? Many people have speculated that this is the relationship behind the promotion of the United Kingdom?

Many people sighed with regret for this, including Alexander II of Tsarist Russia, William I of Prussia and Prime Minister Bismarck.

But this does not include William IV of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and his ministers, because what he wants is this result, and he knows better that the good show will be staged next.

...

"We sincerely hope that Belgium will be peaceful and stable, but we prefer Belgium to develop fairly and justly into a country under the rule of law that Europeans believe in, so that people in the Dutch-speaking area can be safer. Therefore, we recommend Leopold I for this time. event, make a written explanation to the outside world, or the Netherlands will get justice for the people of the Dutch-speaking areas."

January 22, 1862.

Dutch Foreign Minister Hesbert Feng stood up, held a press conference, and said solemnly to the media of various countries: "I hope Belgium can solve this matter quickly, so as not to cause the anger of the Dutch-speaking people in its territory, and the consequences will be released. out of hand"

"Your Excellency Foreign Minister, I wonder what position the Netherlands will take on this matter? And how can you help them get justice?"

Heisbert Von said with some dissatisfaction: "Belgium has been ruled by the Netherlands for more than 32 years. In fact, we only admit that it started in 1839, so it is 23 years, a generation. We were originally helpless and blessed. I hope he can be better, but now I am really dissatisfied with the ethnic environment facing Belgium today!

How can such control measures enable our Dutch people to survive there in a safer way? The struggle between the two races will one day become a bigger disaster. Who will be responsible for this?

His Majesty Leopold I? Or is it pushed to the two groups themselves?

This is something worth thinking about. Therefore, I implore His Majesty Leopold I to quickly resolve this incident, which is the most direct and loyal warning from the Kingdom of the Netherlands on this matter."

"What if Belgium is laissez-faire or inefficient?"

Heisbert Von smiled and said, "If this is the case, we will implement punitive measures."

"What measures?"

Heisbet Feng took a meaningful look at the "European Times" reporter, and then said, "We will impose sanctions on Belgium. As for the sanctions, we can wait and see!"

The Netherlands wants to sanction Belgium!

The Netherlands wants to sanction Belgium directly because of the unfair situation of the Dutch in Belgium?

The threatening words of the Dutch foreign minister were directly expanded and printed by major newspapers on the same day, and the news was quickly sold in various countries.

For a time, everyone was shocked by his words, and they also realized that although the Netherlands was in decline, the financial empire and maritime hegemon who had made countless money by relying on tulips seemed to have regained their former glory for a short time.

But I just don't know how long it will last!

...

The remarks made by Dutch Foreign Minister Hesbet Von that "if the Belgian government cannot properly seek justice for the Dutch-speaking people, will impose sanctions on Belgium" aroused strong dissatisfaction in Brussels.

The Belgian Foreign Ministry urgently met with Dirk Clariant, the ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Belgium, and made solemn representations.

At the same time, the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the news in Belgium's French-language newspaper "Evening" and the Dutch-language newspaper "Standard", and announced that Belgian Prime Minister Valter Ferrer Orbon had sent the Dutch Prime Minister Tolbeck yesterday. Dissatisfied telegrams were sent.

Orbon criticized Hesbert Feng for his extreme and wrong remarks on domestic issues in Belgium. He was grossly interfering with Belgium's domestic sovereignty, creating difficulties for Belgium to govern differences in the country, and failing to help the parties to the dispute to resolve them. At the same time, it will touch the provocation of the outcome of the Vienna Peace Conference, and it is also a violation of the basic norms of relations between European countries and the mutual trust between Belgium and the Netherlands.

Orbon said that Belgium is firmly opposed to this and warned the Kingdom of the Netherlands not to undermine the unity of Belgium in any form, otherwise, the Netherlands will face consequences that are unacceptable to the Netherlands.

As soon as the consequences of Orban were mentioned, there was a lot of discussion. Many people speculated that the British Empire might test the pressure on the Netherlands for Belgium; some people believed that this might be just a bluff of Belgium, but it was actually a request for the Netherlands not to be wrong. The Dutch, the most populous in Belgium, offered help, allowing the Dutch in Belgium to calm their anger and accept the Belgian government's soothing moves.

However, the Netherlands seems to be very tough, and Dutch Prime Minister Tolbeck made a public response to Alban's remarks today, January 22, 1862.

According to Europe's largest and most influential newspaper, Luxembourg-based "European Times", Tolbeck said at a regular press conference that the Netherlands did not agree with Belgium's handling, because the Dutch in Belgium are also Dutch. They are descended from the same race of Germanic Dutch as the Dutch in the Netherlands. We will defend the interests of our blood relatives to the death and pay any price for this.

A single blow caused a thousand zhang waves!

The Dutch are a very proud people, especially in the 16th century and the late 18th century. They have always been world-class maritime hegemons. In Europe, they are on a par with Spain. One is in the Atlantic Ocean and the other is in the Indian Ocean. It can be said that they have two strong positions. stable.

It was not until the end of the 18th century that it was exhausted by the four British wars, and because France cooperated with the British to attack the Netherlands on land, the Netherlands fell to the status of a second-rate power, but it did not mean that the Dutch accepted such a situation with peace of mind. fall.

Originally, it was forcibly assigned to Belgium in 1830, which made many people in Belgium and the Kingdom of the Netherlands dissatisfied. Now I see my compatriots being bullied like this after becoming foreigners, which is tolerable and unbearable!

So as the event fermented, the Dutch in the Netherlands and the Dutch in Belgium were already in the same hatred, which surprised many people, especially in the "Daily Telegraph", there are many celebrities on it every day Signed to express the willingness to support the compatriots to fight.

In Belgium, the support from the Netherlands is more suitable to arouse the pride and centripetal force of the Dutch in Belgium, although they saw in the Belgian "Standard" and "Evening News" that the king and the government faced the constant pressure of the French Empire. In desperation, he lowered his head.

But in the eyes of those of Dutch descent who have been aroused by the emotions of the Netherlands, they have become outright cowardly, surrendering without firing a shot, disregarding the national interests of the Dutch under their rule, and doing so is betraying the country Benefit.

So the northern part of Belgium expressed their protests, accusing the government and the king of being weak and incompetent. People of Dutch descent in the government were also the same enemies. There were voices of dissatisfaction with Prime Minister Orban and King Leopold I, and even those Dutch people in the Christian faction , at this time also had to stand up to express their objections.

It was at this time that Senator Joseph Beit of West Flanders stood up, announced that he would coexist with everyone in the Dutch-speaking area, spread public opinion, and condemned Prime Minister Orban as the consequence of his dictatorial actions. To change everything, the cowardly policy must be overturned, and a fairer government must be established, and he, who will run for the post of Prime Minister in three months' time, can provide everyone with a different and fairer choice.

Joseph Beit was born in a middle-class family in Zeeland, the Netherlands in 1825. When he was 4 years old, he moved with his family to West Flanders. In 1830, Belgium broke away from the Netherlands and became a kingdom. com His family also became Belgians.

In 1847, it became the most influential university in Belgium, and the Ghent University, founded by the former Dutch King William I in 1817, took graduates in history and political science, and chose to study at the law school that year, and took a Dutch Noble wife, had two sons.

In 1850, he was admitted to a bar association in Brussels. After entering the legal profession, he was soon elected to the Parliament of Brutus in West Flanders, where he worked in 1850 and 1851.

In 1852, Bait, as an immigrant and a registered non-party member, participated in the election for public office in the local government as a liberal, and was successfully elected. Since then, he has entered the political world. Two years later, in 1854, the 29-year-old Bait became In Brussels, the then-President of the House of Representatives, Syerman, became his secretary, and in 1856, he was elected as the senator of the Kingdom of Belgium in Brussels, becoming the youngest senator in Belgian history at the age of 31.

This record was not broken until five years later when Jules Danetang, a liberal from Limburg, was elected to the Senate at the age of 29.

He and Jules Danetang are both righteous and evil, but they feel a striking difference in heroism.

But Joseph Beit was upright and upright, and people couldn't help but believe him, thinking that what he said was the truth.

Therefore, Bait also received a lot of support in the Divine Party.

Many people have speculated that if he is elected, the two factions that were originally divided will become cloudy, and the result will be unpredictable.

And because Belgium was founded by Viscount Palmerston of the British Empire, the attitude of all British Empires is the focus of all countries.