v2 Chapter 96: Dane Tang's Highlights

Since 1862, there have been violent incidents in Belgian provinces due to the continuous loss of people due to floods, causing hundreds of casualties among the people and the police. This is an unprecedented challenge in Belgium. Currently, the troops of the Netherlands and France are "entering the Qin". The entry to support the rebels caused panic in the Belgian government.

Belgium has a land area of ​​more than 3,000 square kilometers, of which only 40% remain.

The population is about 2.7 million, but as the five provinces are separated from Belgian management, the population loss has now reached 60%, leaving only 30%.

The area is also only about 40% left, especially when the three French-speaking provinces in the south are separated from Belgium, so only Liege is left, and because the eastern half of the province has been declared to be surrendered to Prussia, only half of the province is left in the end. .

There are two provinces in the North Dutch-speaking region, although the area is small, but the population accounts for 30% of Belgium. Nearly 900,000 people directly become the jurisdiction of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and the Netherlands has thus become a country with a population of 7 million.

Since he broke away from the Kingdom of the Netherlands and became an independent kingdom in 1830, Leopold I has been the king of Belgium for 32 years. Even if he recently planned to train his son, Crown Prince Leopold, and slowly delegated power to him, he still insisted. Military power and foreign affairs are in personal control.

However, as the floods aroused the anger of the people, he arrogantly ignored them, and even in order to restore peace, Leopold I claimed that these people were financed by external forces, and on the other hand even thought It is necessary to dissolve many local governments and manage the country in a direct mode.

Because most of the people's anger was directed at the prime minister of Alban in front of the stage, and even slowly turned to the Leopold family with inaction, so Leopold I was nervous, so he began to "show" at that time, Intended to restore public opinion, but it was too late.

In the end, he ended up being killed by the people.

After Leopold II ascended the throne, he had not yet started to sit on the hot ass. Now there is a sharp problem that the five provinces have almost separated from Belgium at the same time, and the three surrounding powers are the beneficiaries. Although the British Empire is in solidarity with Belgium, it is far away. Unable to save the near fire, Belgium finally compromised.

Especially since He Rui Dian and the Tsarist Russian Empire chose to support the Netherlands, he already knew that he was powerless.

On May 5, 1862, Leopold II began to send envoys to seek a compromise foreign policy with the three countries, expressing a conditional agreement to the eastern part of Liege Province, the five provinces, to withdraw from Belgium. .

Although the United Kingdom initially disagreed, but finally saw that the Belgian protagonists have all made concessions, the United Kingdom can only come because of this, so it can only promote the negotiation.

Finally, including the new King Leopold II of Belgium, the French Prime Minister Olivier, the Prussian Prime Minister Bismarck, the Dutch Prime Minister Tolbeck, the British Prime Minister Viscount Palmerston, the new Belgian King and Interim Prime Minister Leopold The five people of II, on May 10, 1862, officially announced that they had reached the "Paris Five Peace Treaty", which stipulated that Hainaut, Namur, and Luxembourg in the Kingdom of Belgium became French territory, and the eastern part of Liege was Prussian territory. The provinces of Antwerp and Limburg are Dutch territories.

Belgium now consists of West Flanders (Dutch), East Flanders (Dutch), Flanders Brabant (Dutch), Walloon Brabant (French), Western Liege (French) and Brussels-Capital Region (Dutch-French bilingual).

The population composition structure is that the French population was originally about 40%, and now only 25% is left. Dutch is a further 60%, and the rest are other languages ​​or bilingualism.

In order to stabilize the domestic situation, Leopold II said that the Belgian general election will continue, and directly stated that he will not interfere in their election activities. However, compared with the previous ones, Merant's advantage was that it instantly became a strange turn in the eyes of the people, and Joseph Beit was almost shrunk by a third, because Flanders Brabant was the only province that supported him. east of the province and west of the province of Liege.

Among the four provinces that Merante had been good for, Walonglabunte was the only province left.

As for Julne Danetang's original disadvantage, only West Flanders, East Flanders and Flanders Brabant compete with Joseph Beit half and half, Danetang only needs to maintain With the current fundamental support, he has already locked in the results of the general election on May 20 in advance, and winning the prime ministership is already in his pocket.

With the moment when the five countries signed the contract, no one would have thought of this scene, but now it feels weird. The winner, apart from the French Empire, the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Kingdom of Prussia, the biggest winner turned out to be Jules Dane Don?

In fact, when everyone was still wondering if Mellant, the second most popular candidate, had a chance to make a comeback, Danetang was still not satisfied. He even made the first move and contacted Joseph Bait's campaign team in private. On May 15, they jointly held a press conference to announce that Joseph Beit gave up running for this term as the Belgian Prime Minister. In order to unite the Belgian Liberal Party and prevent the Catholic Party's Mellant from taking advantage of the scattered votes, he would win the election. Taking the ruling position of the Liberal Party, he fully supported Jules Danetang's candidacy for Prime Minister.

Danetang, on the other hand, strongly supported Joseph Beit's candidacy for the Senate president held on August 1. The two said they would work closely to maintain the domestic stability of the Kingdom of Belgium and expressed their support for Leopold II's leadership. The king's position is stable.

Leopold II also expressed his gratitude and expressed his congratulations on the important national meeting that will be held after the results of the general election.

Anyone with a discerning eye can see that the royal family has already chosen a side. Giuldanetang's election is a certainty.

Merant was helpless.

......

"My son, it really is getting better and better"

In the Royal Palace of the Duke of Luxembourg, the former King of the Netherlands, the current Grand Duke William III of Luxembourg, looked to the west, where seemed to be Amsterdam, he seemed to see the office he once sat in, sitting on it. With his eldest son Hendrik, the current His Majesty William IV is discussing the future development of the Netherlands with many Dutch ministers, and at the same time celebrating the recent progress of the Netherlands, he has won many times.

But his joy was only momentary.

Although his son has only been in the throne for half a year, he is envious of his achievements, but this also reflects from the side that Hendrick is too prominent, and such consequences will be envied by others.

"However, if you are not envied, you are a mediocre person. You don't have to worry about it, but the British Empire suffered such a big loss this time. With my temperament towards Queen Victoria and those important ministers in London, I will definitely participate this time. There will be no good fruit to eat. After Hendrick can withstand the anger of the United Kingdom, he will be sure that the Netherlands and he are really forming a general trend. Otherwise, it will be in vain, but he actually chooses to form an alliance with Sweden. , is there any consideration?"

William III thought inexplicably, but he didn't quite understand it, and smiled bitterly: "I also heard that he is still pushing me to become the king of the Greek kingdom, this child, it seems that he can't see the old @zi I'm idle, what a shame. Unfilial little guy, but I like it"

(PS: The first volume of the Belgian situation is over, and the next chapter of the second volume begins)