Prince of Orange, William II, the consul of the Netherlands, stands atop the flagship of the Dutch fleet, the Prince, and looks through a telescope at the port of Lisbon in the distance. Pen? Interesting? Pavilion wWw. ｂiquge。 ｉｎfo

The Dutch and the British joined forces to blockade the Portuguese port of Lisbon.

The British, Dutch, and Portuguese had a long history of conflict: the Dutch drove the Portuguese out of Ambon in 1605, the Dutch out of Jakarta in 1619, and Malacca in 1641. In 1623 the Dutch began to attack Portugal in Brazil. The English seized Portuguese Hormuz in 1622, and in 1630 the English used force to force Portugal to stop competing at sea.

Of course, in Europe, which is under heavy artillery fire, none of this is a big war. These are not the reasons why Britain and the Netherlands have joined forces to attack Portugal proper, or even blockade Lisbon. The fundamental reason was that Britain and the Netherlands had acquired the most advanced technology in the Far East, possessing weapons that surpassed those of their European counterparts.

After acquiring the technology of the Formosa front-loading rifled gun from the far east, the Dutch began to produce this new weapon on a large scale, and in just a few years there were hundreds of thousands of them.

The Dutch are the well-deserved hegemons of this era. At this time, the world was in the Age of Discovery, and there were about 20,000 merchant ships in the world, of which 15,000 were Dutch. The Netherlands has a population of just over a million people, but there are hundreds of thousands of sailors.

And after the Dutch got a new rifle from the East, the armed forces of the Dutch became even stronger.

In Europe, no strong country will be silent, strong is a bargaining chip, it is capital, it is the strength to expand its territory. The Dutch consul, Wilhelm II, after creating one of the strongest armies in Europe with the Formosa rifle, was the first question on his mind as to where to use it.

Without a doubt, Portugal is the best object.

Portugal was too weak, too rich, and too close to Holland. This small state, which had expanded its territory around the world in the 16th century, controlled large colonies in the New World and Africa, from which it gained immense wealth. However, instead of using this wealth to strengthen the country, the Portuguese squandered it and used it to import luxury goods from all over the world.

Portugal had colonies all over the world, and Brazil was the most coveted by the Dutch.

William II and the British ruler Cromwell made an agreement: the Dutch and the British attacked Portugal together, besieged Lisbon, and forced the Portuguese to sign an alliance under the city. In the end, the Dutch wanted Brazil in the New World, and the British wanted Mozambique in Africa.

Wilhelm II was a hero. At his hands, the Netherlands signed the Peace of Münster with Spain, and the Eighty Years' War against the suzerainty of Spain officially ended, and the Netherlands gained independence. And in this war with the Portuguese, Wilhelm II had no doubt that he would win.

The Netherlands is already so strong that it is even more vigorous in the United Kingdom. And weakened Portugal had nothing, nothing but gold coins.

William II even personally boarded the battleship blockading the Portuguese capital of Lisbon to watch the war unquestioned.

This time, on the sea, the Netherlands dispatched thirty-one battleships to blockade Lisbon. The British also sent seventeen battleships, and now all the exit routes of Lisbon have been blocked. It only takes a month for the colonial empire of the Portuguese to collapse economically.

On land, Cromwell and William II sent 100,000 infantry to land in Portugal from Porto, ready to deal a fatal blow to the gloomy Portugal.

Dutch Admiral Narsinger said to William II: "Prince, our 70,000 soldiers, 30,000 of the British, have landed from Porto in northern Portugal. Our 70,000 soldiers, all armed with Formosa rifles, had already met the Portuguese legions in the north of Porto. ”

"There is no doubt that our new rifles will tear the Portuguese to shreds! This is a war without suspense. ”

Wilhelm II raised his chin arrogantly and said: "Good, good! ”

After a pause, Wilhelm II said: "After getting Brazil this time, I will go back to the parliament and ask those stupid parliamentarians, am I, Wilhelm II, qualified to be the king of the Netherlands?" If getting Brazil is not enough reason for my coronation, then what else is needed for the Dutch parliament? ”

Narsinger knelt down on one knee and said, "Your Royal Highness, in my heart, you are already the king of the Netherlands!" ”

Wilhelm II smiled lightly and said: "God bless you, Nersinger, you will always be an admiral of the Dutch Navy!" ”

Narsinger looked happy and said loudly: "Prince, let's bombard the countryside on the west bank of Lisbon with artillery." Let the weakened Portuguese see what absolute strength is! ”

Wilhelm II nodded and said, "Okay, Admiral, under your command, our fleet should indeed show its truth..."

However, before Wilhelm II could finish his sentence, he suddenly heard the lookout on the mast shouting: "The Portuguese fleet is out of port!" ”

Wilhelm II was stunned and said in surprise: "This is impossible! ”

Narsinger was even more wide-eyed, and said loudly: "Impossible, there are only seventeen warships in the port of Lisbon, and we have forty-eight warships, what can the Portuguese use against us?" ”

However, at the roar of Narsinger, the Portuguese warships had sailed out of the Bay of Lisbon, and the Portuguese sent out their whole army, and sent seventeen battleships out against the Anglo-Dutch army.

William II took a breath and said, "Do the Portuguese, who do not know whether they live or die, think that they can defend Brazil by their bravery?" ”

Narsinger shouted: "Prince, it's time for the Portuguese to understand the fighting power of our Netherlands. The prince gives the order to sink all the Portuguese warships! ”

While Narsinger was shouting, the Portuguese fleet gradually came to a halt two miles away. The three largest battleships turned their bows and aimed more than ninety sidechord guns at the combined fleet of the Dutch and British.

Wilhelm II was stunned for a long time before he said, "Are the Portuguese crazy?" At such a distance, no artillery could penetrate the hull of a battleship! ”

He paused and said, "Except for Li Zhi's rifled cannon." ”

Narsingh shouted: "Prince! The Portuguese must be completely insane! They..."

"Boom!"

"Boom, boom!"

"Boom!"

A continuous burst of shelling sounded over the sea outside the Bay of Lisbon, and more than ninety cone-shaped flowering shells swooped down on the Dutch fleet like a grim reaper. The sharp steel core burst through the armor of Dutch and British warships mercilessly.

Under the incredulous gaze of Wilhelm II, a huge explosion exploded inside the battleship of the Anglo-Dutch combined fleet. The battleship's belly seemed to bloom, and countless pieces of wood shot out above the sea.