Spain planned to negotiate peace with the Netherlands, which was certainly not in the interest of the empire.
But given the general trend, the Dutch do not have much choice.
unless……
There is a reason why they have to do it.
In fact, the imperial mission's visit to Europe coincided with the end of the Thirty Years' War.
Since 1643, two years ago, the Holy Roman Empire camp has been in decline and can no longer sustain the war.
First, France's fourth Prince of Condé and Viscount Dourenne jointly defeated the main force of the Spanish Army in the Battle of Rocroix, and France thus replaced Spain as the number one army in Europe.
Last year, Denmark, which belonged to the Holy Roman camp, defeated the combined fleet of Sweden and the Netherlands.
In order to regain control of the Baltic Sea area, Sweden and the Netherlands need to plan a counterattack.
Therefore, the Netherlands needs to mobilize sufficient power and is very tempted to face Spain's compromise.
If there had been no imperial intervention, the combined Dutch and Swedish fleets would have made a comeback next year, defeated Denmark, and forced Denmark to call a truce and sue for peace.
Also next year, the Swedish army will defeat the Holy Roman Empire army in Bohemia.
The French army would defeat the Holy Roman Empire army at the Battle of Naringen and occupy most of the German territory.
In 1648, France and Sweden would achieve decisive victories in the Thirty Years' War at the battles of Smarshausen and Reims.
At this point, the Holy Roman Empire camp could no longer see any hope of victory and had to propose peace.
Subsequently, the two sides will sign the "Peace of Westphalia", which also represents the official end of the Thirty Years' War.
It would certainly not be in the interests of the Empire to return to a peaceful Europe.
The empire also needs the help of the Netherlands and Portugal to jointly deal with Spain.
Especially the layout in other parts of the world also requires the participation of the Netherlands and Portugal.
But faced with this sudden news, Liao Zhongjian did not rashly object.
It is basically impossible to reverse things that are in the national interest by oneself.
The empire's bargaining chip lies in whether it can come up with something that makes the Netherlands more excited than it currently can withstand the war.
"Now the division of power between your two countries in Southeast Asia has ended. Although everyone is satisfied and there are broad future prospects. But General, with all due respect, our cooperation is not enough in other places. Especially in the Americas,
There are still such huge Spanish colonies that have not yet been disposed of."
Marton Tropp slowly swayed his wine glass and listened patiently to Liao Zhongjian's opinions.
"Minister Liao, you know that the Netherlands is not a country with a large population and cannot occupy too much territory. Moreover, the war is about to end, and we will not get the support of our allies. If we continue to fight Spain, the losses will be difficult to
Accepted by capitalists."
The Netherlands is unlike any other country in the world.
Despite its small size, the Netherlands is a jointly run country.
In other words, the Netherlands is not so much a country as it is a chamber of commerce composed of many shareholders.
This is one of the reasons why business in the Netherlands is so popular.
Profit and loss are the only criteria by which the Dutch measure national events.
"General, please forgive my disrespect. Is there a more powerful and reliable ally in this world than the Empire?"
With just one sentence, Marton Tropp was stopped.
Liao Zhongjian took advantage of the victory and pursued the attack.
"Even from the perspective of ally DJ, once the Netherlands and Spain complete the peace negotiation and France loses its interest in supporting Catalonia, Spain will have no pressure at all. At that time, Catalonia will continue to
Falling under the cruel rule of Spain, even Portugal may not be able to survive alone. Portugal is an important ally of ours."
He looked around and deliberately lowered his voice.
"I believe the general has seen how powerful France is. The Netherlands borders France. We have an old saying in China, how can we allow others to sleep soundly on the side of the couch? Is it possible that the wealth brought by the Netherlands' booming trade can be compared to France?
Aren’t people jealous?”
Marton Tropp was silent, but his heart was filled with emotions.
Obviously Liao Zhongjian's words touched his heart.
After decades of war, as a soldier, he instinctively distrusted Spain.
Moreover, the opponent in the Battle of Downs, which made Marton Troup famous, was Spain.
It was that battle that allowed the Netherlands to reverse the situation and see the hope of getting rid of Spain.
Marton Tropp certainly wants more glory from Spain.
The treaty with Portugal was also a major restriction on the Netherlands.
Although it was common for Europeans to betray their trust, if there was no empire, selling Portugal would be a sell.
But at this time, the Netherlands had to think clearly, what would the empire think if it betrayed Portugal?
Once a rift occurs between the two countries, can the Netherlands hold on to its colonies in the Far East?
The Spice Islands have brought benefits to the Netherlands that cannot be ignored. If they are lost, the Netherlands' national power will inevitably decline rapidly.
By that time, the surrounding countries may not be merciful.
The France mentioned by Liao Zhongjian also made Marton Tropp very wary.
After all, France and the Netherlands are too close.
In the war that just passed, France's performance shocked Europe and determined the outcome in one fell swoop.
He could not but worry that if France like this used force against the Netherlands, would the Netherlands be able to stop it?
Obviously, the Netherlands, with its small and flat territory, is definitely no match for France.
Only by maintaining alliances with the empire and Portugal can we effectively deter France's covetousness.
"Your Highness, although the dawn of victory has emerged, the crisis in the Netherlands is still there. Minister Liao is right, we must deal with future crises."
Looking back, Marton Tropp became a staunch militant at the meeting.
Naturally, such a major matter as deciding a national strategy cannot be determined overnight. After understanding the attitude of the empire, the Netherlands closed the door and conducted emergency consultations.
"But France has made it clear that it will no longer support Catalonia. If it continues to be hostile to Spain, we will continue to fall into the flames of war."
A minister raised objections.
Marton Tropp has his own ideas.
"We need a clear attitude and support from China. Gentlemen, if China clearly gives support, how should we choose?"
For a time, all the people in power in the Netherlands fell silent.
At the same time, in another place, Liao Zhongjian and others were meeting with the directors of the East India Company.
Don't underestimate the East India Company. The energy of these people is enough to influence the national policy of the Netherlands.
The person who stood up was Xu Erjue.
He only did one thing.
A thing that is enough to bring about another storm in Europe.