Chapter 47

Palmerston's heart was racing at this moment.

In fact, before this trilateral agreement, the British Empire also began to lay out, but the speed is not as fast as these three parties.

In the past, in order to balance the European continent, the United Kingdom was generally either allied with France and Tsarist Russia to deal with the German Confederation including Austria.

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

If you keep your own participation, you can completely suppress the opponent. The victory balance is always in the hands of the British Empire. Whoever wins and who loses, they have the final say.

Recently, due to sudden changes, the situation on the European continent is very strange, so the British Empire began decades ago, and even deployed Belgium, Gibraltar and other islands in southern Spain in the Mediterranean Sea, etc. This is already the second layer of protective net, in order to build Best protection for the British Empire.

This is precisely why the British Empire knew the fragility of this alliance, and they gradually formed the island chain and satellite country strategy to deal with other countries' maritime strategy, mixed use of European countries to guard against each other, and the island chain used Beware of these continental infighting winners.

In this way, the British Empire can grasp the latest developments in the European continent as a whole, choose the most suitable time, and wait for the opportunity to carry out a fatal blow in the final period, so as to obtain the final fruit of victory, and so on. Under the promotion of the British Empire, it can continue to fight round after round, wasting troops and comprehensive national strength, while the British Empire is looking for resources all over the world to strengthen itself, shrinking and expanding, complementing each other.

It was only when they finally discovered that the strategic depth of the British Empire had already relied on the sea to traverse the major states, especially the resource-rich Indian subcontinent, and thus strengthened the gap with Europe in a three-dimensional manner.

But even so, with the establishment of the strategic alliance of the three countries, the British Empire seems to have discovered that these three countries are almost beside the British Empire, and the original defenses seem to be too far away at this moment, especially the Kingdom of Prussia, although the Atlantic Ocean There is no sea port, but their national strength is no less than that of Austria.

Due to the population, its economic strength surpasses that of Austria.

It is worth pointing out that although the Prussian navy in the Baltic Sea has not developed rapidly in recent years, it has also entered the ranks of the top ten. If these three countries are added together, they will form a tonnage of naval strength that suppresses the British Empire. 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 as the Far East, and they have their footprints all over the world.

If they have trained Prussia, then Prussia will become an ocean-going navy just around the corner.

By then, the sea will be crowded.

This is also the reason why the Viscount Palmerston and the Queen chose to visit the Netherlands. The Netherlands is small and geographically destined to not be able to become a hegemonic presence on the European continent, threatening the British Empire and having limited functions to check and balance countries.

However, it is worth pointing out that in recent years, the Netherlands has exerted greater influence and coercion on the routes of the Atlantic Ocean, and its shipbuilding strength cannot be underestimated. Auxiliary new strategic role.

To put it bluntly, Queen Victoria and Viscount Palmerston believed that the Netherlands was more willing to use than the territories captured by the British Empire itself compared to Gibraltar and Malta. So the two actual powers of the British Empire wanted to use the Netherlands again.

"Your Majesty, in fact, I think the Netherlands can take a step back when it comes to the Belgian issue," Palmerston said slowly after hesitating.

"But people's hearts can't be turned back. You know, the treatment of Dutch people in Belgium is very sad, and domestic sympathy is overflowing."

William IV said angrily.

"How can Holland be able to quell this anger?" The Viscount Palmerston looked at William IV and said, "I mean what price will Belgium pay?"

Haysbert Feng and Tolbett breathed hard, their hearts racing.

Did they hear it correctly, the Prime Minister of the British Empire actually backed down? Are you even willing to ask His Majesty to make conditions? This is so incredible.

William IV said calmly: "Belgium, I never thought of destroying this country, I just wanted to make them feel a little bit of pain."

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

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

"Impossible, Canada is an overseas colony that Her Majesty the Queen values ​​very much. Even when the United States revealed this idea a little bit, our Imperial Navy directly saw the fleet in New York Harbor, so that the United States will no longer have that kind of thinking."

Palmiston looked at William IV with dissatisfaction, "Does your Majesty think that the Netherlands is already very powerful? It is so powerful that it can be dwarfed by the Imperial Navy? To the extent that it can make the four British Empires retreat?"

"Naturally impossible, but well" William IV paused, and after attracting the attention of several others, he said: "Although the Netherlands was deprived of the status of 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 transaction center, we still highly advocate the spirit of the contract of transaction, therefore, I am going to make a territorial exchange transaction with the British Empire, I wonder if Viscount Palmerston is feasible?"

"Oh? Territorial exchange?" Palmerston was startled and calmed down.

With a straight expression, his breathing suddenly calmed down, and he asked sharply, "How to trade? Where does Your Majesty like our British Empire, Canada?"

"Quebec or Ontario, or Newfoundland."

"Your Majesty has a lot of appetite. This is the most fertile and important province in Canada. The Five Lakes region is Canada's granary, and Newfoundland is an important port on the Atlantic Ocean. Just now, His Majesty said a fair deal. Now I'm curious, His Majesty's so-called fair deal, I don't know what price the Netherlands is prepared to pay to show fairness, who is going to take these provinces?"

"If the British Empire agrees to divide these provinces into the Netherlands, the Netherlands is willing to pack up the entire British Empire of Kalimantan except for 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 it?

But why? Does he stay in North Kalimantan and South Kalimantan alone?

Viscount Palmerston's brain was running fast to calculate the gains and losses, and he suddenly discovered that in exchange for the 800,000 Canadians, including 500,000 indigenous people, they exchanged for the Dutch part of Kalimantan Island, West Kalimantan Province and South Central Kalimantan province has a population of more than 3 million, which is a good business, especially since this is Kalimantan with a tropical climate, and not close to Canada, which is around the frigid zone. The two are really not comparable.

But seeing William IV so calm, thinking that he has already calculated the gains and losses, he will not easily refuse.

So it's time to make a counter-argument against Kalimantan's value, in order to take the initiative.

William IV took the first step: "The geographical location of Kalimantan Island is very critical. He guards the Nanhai Sea and the Grawwa Sea, the main business empire, and most importantly, he guards the Strait of Malacca, which is very important to the British Empire. It's very important.

To be honest, His Excellency Viscount Palmerston, just now, before you, I have received an invitation to trade from the Tsarist Russia Empire, the object is to prepare for all the Dutch territories on Kalimantan Island including West Kalimantan Province. Trade invitation, but I'm still hesitating."

"what?"

Viscount Palmerston stood up immediately.

Immediately, he realized his gaffe, and sat back embarrassedly.

In the whole of Europe, if France is a certain threat to the British Empire, then the Tsarist Russia Empire is like a polar bear, and it will strike the British Empire at any time.

The huge hinterland has created the idea that the British Empire can only see them from a distance, not close-up, especially the failure of Napoleon I in the past is a lesson from the past, but he saw with his own eyes how Napoleon was defeated and outside Moscow, and it has only been until now. less than 50 years ago.

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

The Great Shang Dynasty and the Japanese Ben in the Far East are locked in Vladivostok, making it difficult for the Russian Pacific to develop.

The Ottoman Turkey completely closed the Black Sea, and the Crimean War, which was fully supported by France and the British Empire, made the two countries at war with each other, making it difficult for the Tsarist Russia to go south to the Indian Ocean, and compete with the British Empire for the fertile Indian subcontinent and the Suez Canal, and encroach on the Mediterranean.

The Baltic Sea has been heavily locked by the British Empire. Sweden, the 100-year old enemy of the Tsarist Russian Empire, has stared at the northern Norwegian Sea like a thief~www.mtlnovel.com~ The Baltic Sea, Sweden, Prussia and Denmark have become the Tsarist Russia Empire out of the Atlantic. obstacles.

This is the many arrangements of the British Empire. So far, the Tsarist Russian Empire has not had any colonies overseas except on land. It is a masterpiece of the British Empire.

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

Tsarist Russia actually chose this method to avoid the blockade policy of the British Empire?

Although the effect may not be successful, but with Kalimantan Island 780,000 square kilometers, more than two-thirds belong to the Netherlands, just as William IV said just now, Tsarist Russia wants to take all of Kalimantan Island in their hands In part, what the British Empire feared most was about to happen.

If the Russian Empire can gain a firm foothold here, it will threaten the security of many overseas colonies of the British Empire, not to mention Malaya in Malacca. The Indian subcontinent has not been completely captured by the British Empire. If the Tsarist Russian Empire casually joins and creates various conflicts, then the British Empire will be in a hurry, and will even face the possibility of being attacked by the Tsarist Russian Empire on both sides of the north and south. This must not happen.

Don't stop it. Thinking of this, he raised his head and said solemnly: "Okay, I admit that I was persuaded by Your Majesty, but Canada is one of the earliest overseas colonies of the British Empire, and it is impossible to trade all with the Netherlands. So, Your Majesty, how about we each make a concession? The British Empire is willing to deal with the Netherlands in good faith."

What, it turned out to be!

Dutch Foreign Minister Hesbert Feng and Prime Minister Thorbeck looked at each other, and both saw the surprise and shock of each other!