I was a tycoon in World War I: Starting to save France - Chapter 620

Queen Wilhelmina meets the German Ambassador in the reception room.

The reception room is simple and slightly royal luxury. There are several European-style sofas and a coffee table in the middle. Small flags of the Netherlands and Germany were temporarily planted to express the friendship between the two countries. The room is filled with the fragrance of tulips, and there is a hint of the Queen’s French charm hidden in it. perfume.

What was different from usual was that the German Ambassador Stephen also brought the embassy attaché, Colonel Mark.

(Note: The embassy attaché is a relatively special diplomat, a diplomatic representative of the country’s armed forces, and also a military assistant to the ambassador)

The two strode to Queen Wilhelmina. After saluting and receiving permission, the ambassador sat opposite the queen, while the military attache stood beside the ambassador, standing with his head held high like a guard.

The Queen glanced at Colonel Mark. She knew what the Germans meant: If you can’t do it with literature, you can use force. This is a psychological hint and a deterrent.

The Queen remained calm and said with a smile: “Long time no see, Stephen. You came just in time. I was just about to talk to you about import issues. We are preparing to expand the import of oil and arms from the United States, and of course other supplies.” ”

The Netherlands is a neutral country and can import supplies from other countries without British restrictions, including oil and arms, which are also one of the main sources of German supplies.

The Queen was hinting to the German Ambassador that if the talks broke down, Germany’s benefits from the Netherlands would be gone, so don’t act rashly.

How could Stephen not understand the implication of the words.

If it was about other things, Stephen could not get this promise from the Queen, so he would not mention other things for the time being.

But now, more than 200,000 German troops are surrounded tightly and without delay. This cannot be suppressed by some supplies.

“Of course, Your Majesty.” Stephen showed some helplessness: “We are very grateful for your understanding and help to our country, but the war has burned to the Dutch border. We hope that your country can display its humanitarian spirit and open its borders to allow refugees to enter.”

“Refugee?” The queen looked at Stephen with a meaningful look.

“Yes.” Stephen leaned forward and added, “I guarantee they are not armed, not even military uniforms. They are refugees.”

The queen hesitated.

This is a step for the Netherlands to step down. As long as the Queen pretends not to know and nods in agreement, it will be fine. This excuse can also be used against Britain and France:

“We are innocent, we didn’t know, and we were also deceived!”

But the queen knew in her heart that Britain and France would not be so easily fooled.

The Queen gently picked up the coffee and took a sip, with helplessness in her voice: “I hope you can understand our situation, Stephen. We don’t want to be dragged into this war, any time.”

As a queen, she couldn’t say: “We have to consider what Britain and France think.”

This is humiliating the country, surrendering to foreign forces, and allowing other countries to interfere in internal affairs.

“I understand, Your Majesty.” Stephen replied: “But I think this is the only way for the Netherlands to remain neutral, what do you think?”

This is a warning to the Queen that if the Netherlands does not agree to this plan, Germany will have to take action.

Before the Queen could answer, Mark, who was standing next to Stephen, added in time: “Your Majesty, we all respect the neutral status of the Netherlands, and I believe the same is true for Britain and France.”

This is a reminder to the Queen that Britain and France will not take action easily because they are worried that the Netherlands will fall to Germany.

The queen smiled.

Not a word they said was related to war, but every word was full of gunpowder.

After weighing the two factors, if the Netherlands was sensible, it should accept “refugees” from Germany without hesitation.

After thinking about it, the queen sighed, she seemed to have no other choice.

As the saying goes, “a weak country has no diplomacy”, the Netherlands, which is surrounded by Germany on land, seems to have no choice but to take the risk of accepting German “refugees”.

As for Britain and France, we can only hope that they will not completely fall out with the Netherlands because of this matter.

Just when the queen was about to agree, the secretary came in and whispered a few words to the queen. After hearing this, the queen’s expression changed drastically, and then she stood up and said to the two of them: “I’m very sorry, I need to leave for a while, and I also need time to think about it. Wait a moment.” “

“Of course.” The two stood up and watched the queen leave.

Then Mark felt that something was wrong again. He frowned and said to Stephen: “Your Excellency Ambassador, the secretary came in and said something before the queen left. This means…”

Stephen nodded: “It means that she doesn’t need time to think, but wants to see someone, I guess it is the British or French ambassador.”

Mark suddenly realized: “They also guessed that we wanted to go through the Netherlands.”

“Of course.” Stephen replied: “Since Charles has made a siege plan to penetrate Hasselt, of course he will guess this.”

“But you…” Colonel Mark asked doubtfully, “Why didn’t you stop the Queen just now?”

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“We can’t stop it.” Stephen crossed his legs leisurely: “There is no need to stop it. In the end, the queen still has only this choice.”

Colonel Mark thought it was right. The threat from Germany was close at hand, but the threat from Britain and France was far away, and might not even exist.

From this perspective, the Netherlands can only solve its immediate worries and then consider its long-term concerns. At the worst, it can promise more supplies to the Allies to suppress the anger of Britain and France.

At this time, a signalman hurried in and reported to Stephen: “Your Excellency Ambassador, Charles’ First Armored Army crossed Hasselt and arrived at the Dutch border, and the British main fleet assembled in the North Sea.”

(Note: The North Sea is named by the Dutch, meaning “the sea in the north”, located in the northwest of the European continent, different from the “North Sea” in our country)

“What?” Stephen jumped up from the sofa in shock.

He understood that Charles not only thought about it, but also made full preparations for it.

Now for the Netherlands, once she agreed to Germany’s conditions, what she will face is not a distant threat, but a real, immediate, huge threat from both sea and land.

At sea, it is the world’s most powerful British Royal Navy.

On land, it is the First Armored Army commanded by Charles, which may only take a few days to reach the capital and a dozen days to penetrate the entire Netherlands.

(Note: The Netherlands is 300 kilometers long from north to south.)

In this case, can Germany’s threat still work?

Sure enough, when the Queen met with the French ambassador in another reception room, the French ambassador said to the Queen directly:

“Your Majesty, we respect the neutrality of the Netherlands, and we also hope that the Netherlands can continue to maintain its neutrality.”

“Since the Netherlands is neutral, we have reason to demand that Britain and France should enjoy the same power as the Netherlands gave to Germany.”

The Queen was stunned on the spot.

This means that if the Netherlands accepts German “refugees”, it must accept British and French “refugees”.

Is this still neutral?

Hasn’t the Netherlands become a battlefield? !