Chapter 782

The war in South Africa started again, and the already tense international situation became more and more out of control. The critical moment of choosing a side had arrived, and there was no room for hesitation.

The smell of gunpowder filled the entire world. At this moment, Europe was sitting on a powder keg with a lit fuse, waiting for the final judgment of fate.

Amsterdam. Due to the tense international situation, this bustling international metropolis was no longer as lively as it used to be, even though it was still bustling with people and carriages.

With the tense situation, the capital market was the most sensitive. Before the Dutch government made a final decision, the stock market collapsed first.

Capitalists waved their banknotes to "buy, buy, buy." Whether it was quality or not, as long as it was an asset, someone would bid.

Daily necessities, in particular, were the most popular. Before ordinary people could react, the prices of these items had already skyrocketed. Most importantly, they were out of stock.

There was no other way. Once the two hegemons, Shinra and Britannia, went to war, the North Sea was bound to be blocked, and ocean trade would definitely not continue.

The domestically produced goods could not be exported, and the industrial raw materials from overseas could not be imported. The impact on the fragile Netherlands was too great.

Although there was still the European continent, as a large maritime trading country, the Netherlands' economy was mostly supported by ocean trade.

The maritime trade line was blocked, and the connection between the mainland and the colonies was broken. Without colonies to plunder, the Netherlands was not competitive in terms of manufacturing strength.

Aware of the crisis, the capitalists were using practical actions to recover their losses as much as possible.

The heavy traffic at this moment was actually the last madness before the storm. Goods that could be shipped for export must be sent out immediately, and the materials that needed to be imported also had to be rushed.

Affected by the depressing atmosphere, the pedestrians on the road "came in a hurry, and left in a hurry." Even the shops on both sides were quiet.

Especially the high-end luxury goods, there were even fewer people in front of them. On the contrary, the inconspicuous grocery store had a long line in front of the door.

The Dutch government was not unprepared. Since Franz set the precedent of the government interfering in the market, there had never been a lack of imitators. The only difference was the degree of interference.

Seeing the outbreak of panic buying, in order to stabilize the domestic situation, the Dutch government could only launch an emergency plan to "limit the purchase" of daily necessities.

However, this was not a problem for the smart Dutch people. At most, they would have to queue up a few more times. Even if the store had a record, there was more than one grocery store in Amsterdam.

In an era without the Internet, it was too difficult to truly achieve a purchase limit.

For the capitalists, as long as someone paid, it did not matter who they sold to.

Unless the government directly intervened and monopolized it, the effect of the "purchase restriction" was only to buy time for the mobilization of resources.

"Monopolization" was impossible. Unlike the later Europe where state-owned stores were everywhere, there were few European countries that directly owned companies.

Without a mature business model, it would be better to leave it to the bureaucrats and let the capitalists do whatever they want.

The government could lose less money and did not have to face the anger of the capitalists. for the capitalists.

The people could feel the tension in the situation. The upper echelons of the government, who controlled the country, faced even greater pressure.

Ever since the tsar's government decided to support Shinro, the Dutch government realized that the "neutral movement" was going to fail and began to look for a new solution.

Unfortunately, time waits for no man. Before the new plan could be worked out, the news of the Anglo-Austrian conflict in South Africa came one step ahead.

"Blessings never come in pairs, and misfortunes never come alone."

Without waiting for the Dutch government to respond, the news of Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, and other countries came.

As of today, the only European countries that had yet to express their stance were the Netherlands and the Nordic Federation.

Even Portugal, which was the furthest from Shinra, pledged its allegiance to the Government of Vienna this morning.

The real reason why the Kingdom of Portugal quickly made up its mind to betray its British ally and switch to the Shinra camp was not complicated. In one sentence, the Kingdom of Spain chose the Holy Roman Empire.

Anyone who knew a little about the grievances between Spain and Portugal knew that the two countries were once unified. The ideal territory of the emerging Spanish nationalism included Portugal.

In the context of the era of two opposing camps, if the Kingdom of Portugal continued to follow Britannia, it might be annexed by Spain.

However, the British army was limited. It was difficult to guard their own territory, and it was impossible to provide strong support to them.

In a one-on-one battle, Portugal was certainly no match for Spain, especially Spain, which was supported by Shinra.

Although in theory, Shinra must limit the growth of the strength of various countries due to the need to stabilize its hegemony, it was unlikely to support Spain's annexation of Portugal.

But theory was only theory. In the past years, the Government of Vienna had done a lot of unreasonable things.

After the envoy in Lisbon broke the window paper, the Kingdom of Portugal quickly made the right choice.

In order to survive, they didn't care about offending the British. Anyway, there were so many countries that supported Shinra. Even if the British won the war, they couldn't settle the accounts.

The most serious consequence was the loss of overseas colonies. It was a long-term loss, and losing it would reduce the financial burden.

As for the damage of domestic interest groups, it was not the politicians' concern now. In the face of survival, everything had to give way.

With the rapid choice of the Portuguese government, the pressure on the Dutch government instantly increased. It was definitely not a good feeling to be targeted by two major countries at the same time.

…

Looking at the telegram in her hand, Queen Wilhelmina said with a trembling voice, "Suspend commercial trade. The Government of Vienna is issuing a final order!"

Perhaps influenced by Franz's butterfly effect, Queen Wilhelmina's participation in politics was far higher than in the same period in history.

Not only her, but almost all the monarchs in Europe were affected. With the strong rise of the Holy Roman Empire, Britannia's constitutional monarchy system was far less influential than in the original time and space.

Although other countries followed suit and established a constitutional monarchy, there was still a difference between "constitutionalism" and "constitutionalism".

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Prime Minister Christie replied.

"After the outbreak of the South African conflict, the war between the Holy Roman Empire and Britannia has entered the countdown. It is not surprising that the Government of Vienna chose to show its cards at this time.

The only difference is that the attitude of the Government of Vienna this time is much tougher than ever, leaving no room for negotiation.

Perhaps this is the ruler!

Not only us, but the Nordic Federation also received a final order. There is not much time left for us. We must make a choice before the war breaks out. "

It was obvious that Christie's heart was not calm. Obviously, the Government of Vienna changed its previous gentle image and suddenly showed a strong style, which touched his heart.

However, being touched was just being touched. At this point, it was already too late for him to realize this. Holy Empire's momentum was already set in stone. It wasn't something they could shake.

"Sigh!"

After letting out a sigh, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Anwen Henriques, lamented, "Choice, we have no choice at all!

Once the war for supremacy between Shinra and Britannia breaks out, no one in Europe can be immune.

The British allow us to be neutral, but no matter how powerful the Royal Navy is, its warships can't go ashore; and Shinra's army can kill their way to Amsterdam.

From the moment the Tsarist government made their choice, our plan has already failed. It was to be expected that the European countries would step down to pick a side.

The neutral movement we launched has already made the Government of Vienna unhappy. If we continue to stubbornly resist, they may use us to establish their dominance. "

It was not that Anwen Henriques was a coward, but the Netherlands really did not have the capital to stubbornly resist. If they were a little stronger, they would not be so blatantly threatened.

Just look at the Nordic Federation next door. Although they were also given a final order, the wording was much more polite, and there was even room for negotiation.

Of course, the Government of Vienna's ruthlessness now had something to do with the Dutch government's previous neutral movement.

In recent decades, the Netherlands and Vienna had been very close, and in international politics and diplomacy, the two countries often maintained the same position.

If it were not for the fact that the war involved too much and involved the core interests of each country, the two governments would not be in such a deadlock.

The Foreign Minister, Van Toff, waved his hand and said, "Anwen is right. The Government of Vienna's position is too strong, and we really have no choice.

Not only do we have to choose sides, but it is best to express our position before the Nordic Federation, otherwise there will be a lot of trouble in the future.

As for the British side, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will do its best to avoid as much as possible from becoming a battlefield.

But it may not be of much use, for if the English wish to land and fight, there are only three places to choose, and we happen to be one of them.

For the sake of national security, I suggest strengthening the defense of the coastal areas. For example: increase the number of shore cannons, or follow the example of the Holy Roman Empire in forming an air force coastal defense formation.

Then, let's gamble with France and Belgium! May God watch over the Netherlands! "

Politics had never been simple. Even choosing sides required time and effort. The treatment that the first to seek refuge with and the last to seek refuge with were often very different.

At this point, it was impossible to be the first to choose a side. The only thing the Dutch government could do now was not to be the last.

Obviously, the best time for political speculation had passed. Choosing a side now was at most a mouthful of soup, and it was unknown whether it could make up for the losses in the war.

The situation had developed to this point, even if there was no benefit, the Dutch government had to choose a side.