Brussels, Belgium.

King Leopold I, a great lord, did not go home for Christmas like the stupid ministers at home after receiving the news that the German Confederation was going to take the lead (liberation) of Luxembourg, and pinned all his hopes on the English and French.

"I'm really sorry, Mr. Nodon, that I want you to discuss state affairs on Christmas Eve. But we cannot put our hopes entirely in the British and the French, we Belgians must rely on ourselves if we are to stand among the nations of the world. ”

Jean-Baptiste Nodon was the Prime Minister of Belgium at this time, and he was also a far-sighted politician, and it was under him and King Leopold I that Belgium became one of the most promising countries in Europe.

"Your Majesty, you are right. They lacked foresight, thinking that they would be able to sit back and relax with the British and French, and that they were not even prepared for a national mobilization. I support you. ”

Leopold I nodded in gratitude.

"Monsieur Nodon, please see that our province of Luxembourg is located in the Ardennes, with a dense network of internal rivers, numerous hills and docks, and it is not easy for Austria and Prussia, as well as the armies of the German Confederation, to break through.

And they won't just retake West Luxembourg, the Netherlands is also their target. Maybe they're ready to fight the British and the French, and we can't take it lightly. ”

Listening to His Majesty's words, Jean-Baptiste Nordon could not help but break out in a cold sweat, he did not expect things to come to this point. If this is the case, it is simply a repetition of the Napoleonic Wars, and I really don't know how many people will have to die to be enough.

"You mean"

"You guessed it right, it is highly likely that the troops of the German Confederation will bypass the Ardennes and instead break through our defenses from the confluence of the Meuse and Ouert rivers."

Leopold I was an all-rounder, not only governing the country and developing the economy, but also leading troops to war. It's just that his skills in the first two items are too good, and people always forget that this king is also the hero who immediately fights the world.

"Liège! That's right! It would be the battleground for the decisive battle against the German Confederation. ”

Jean-Baptiste Nodon suddenly remembered that as soon as Leopold I came to the throne, he built a military camp in Liège the following year and garrisoned 2,000 troops there.

Of course, many people objected, but His Majesty the King was against it. I really didn't expect that at that time, His Majesty the King had already thought of this possibility in the future.

"Your Majesty, what a foresight!" Prime Minister Jean-Baptiste Nodon was heartily impressed.

"We have 1,500 men in the West Luxembourg region and 2,000 in Liège, and now send the main forces to Liège to strengthen the local defense.

At the same time, recruits were recruited everywhere and sent to West Luxembourg. We have to be ready for everything, and as long as we can hold it for two or three months, they will have to give up.

Even without the help of Britain and France, we must defend our homeland! ”

"Your Majesty is wise." Jean-Baptiste Nodon said from the bottom of his heart.

"How soon will it take us to complete the deployment."

"For about a month, we still need to buy enough weapons and equipment, clothing and food." Jean-Baptiste Nordon was telling the truth, in fact, Belgium's independence did not depend on force, but on the general trend, plus the Netherlands, an unreliable opponent.

"No! It's too slow! These arrangements must be completed within a week, and we must complete the deployment before the arrival of the German Confederate troops. ”

According to Leopold I's estimates, it would take several months for the great powers of Austria and Prussia to complete the mobilization.

Even with the use of a standing army, it is by no means possible to reach Luxembourg within a week. And the army of hundreds of militias in Luxembourg has no combat effectiveness at all.

Belgium and Luxembourg are also old rivals and know each other very well. However, the two sides fought fiercely, and it was civilians who suffered the most casualties at each time. As for the reason, it's very complicated, in short, it's the four words of national hatred and family hatred.

Royal Palace, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

King Wilhelm II of the Netherlands, like his father, was weak, fearing that the German Confederation would attack the Netherlands, and even more so that the English would abandon him.

Before the war began, the Dutch supreme head was ready to surrender.

Although the British government has repeatedly stated that it will protect the rights and interests of the Netherlands, and requires it to resist. But how could the Dutch, who had already been sold by the British more than once, believe this.

The envoy of King Wilhelm II of the Netherlands had already left for Vienna, and with such a king present, the Dutch ministers were naturally not prepared to fight to the death, and did not even recall the strongest Dutch troops and did not mobilize.

As the world's first capitalist country, the people of the Netherlands have long been indifferent to politics, and they are more concerned about their wages and whether they have food tomorrow.

As for the king, the state, the government? What is that? Let them go to Asia to rob, and this group of people will not hesitate to do so, because there is money to be made. But let them fight for someone else's stuff? Even if it is the prince's personal expedition, they just casually put two shots and go through the motions, as long as they are worthy of their wages.

(During the Ten-Day Invasion of the Netherlands, the Dutch prince led an army to attack Belgium, and although it was claimed to have destroyed the Belgian army, it did not cause many casualties.) ）

As for the most powerful liberals and conservatives in the Netherlands, they don't want to go to war either. On the contrary, they are very envious of organizations such as the German Customs Union and the German Confederation, after all, they have money to make and people to provide protection, which can greatly improve their standard of living.

(The liberals consisted mainly of businessmen and city scholars, high-ranking civil servants, etc., while the conservatives were the church and the aristocracy.) ）

In particular, merchant groups had begun to send information to the German Confederation, some hoping to obtain a concession from the German Customs Union, while others simply wanted to keep their assets in the event of the fall of the Netherlands.

This information, from the soldiers, horses, money and food, to the defense map, and even the character of the generals and the details of how many people in the family are also clear.

As for the church and the aristocracy in Europe, Li Yili can always climb some relationships, everyone is relatives and friends, what can't be discussed?

The war had not yet begun, and no one from the king to the common people had the will to fight, either ready for peace talks or ready to defect.

However, the situation soon took a turn for the worse, and the Dutch envoy had just arrived in Luxembourg, and the Austrian envoy was already waiting for him.

After the meeting, after a brief conversation, the emissary of King Wilhelm II of the Netherlands almost dropped his jaw.

He immediately decided to bring the Austrian envoy to His Majesty in person, for the news was so shocking that he felt that he would not be able to believe it if he had used it.

The Austrian envoys had anticipated this situation early in the morning, and they boarded the carriage together on the journey to Amsterdam.

Passing through the centre of Luxembourg, the Dutch envoy was again so startled that he almost fell off his carriage when he saw heavily armed soldiers assembled here under the banner of their respective states.

The flag erected in the center of the square is the flag of Austria, but there is still a line of words on it.

"Volunteer Army of the German Confederation"

(End of chapter)