Volume 2: Soaring! The Overlord of the Region Chapter 214: A single move affects the entire body
As the undisputed number one power in Europe at this time, Spain's every move has always attracted the attention of other European countries. Of course, the large-scale deployment of 100,000 army troops and two ocean fleets could not be hidden from anyone.
Therefore, starting from 1613, in addition to France, which was the target, some other related countries also began to respond.
As far as Europe at that time was concerned, the Holy Roman Empire in Central Europe was a loose sand, and Austria, which was at the core, was a relative of Spain. Therefore, although Central European countries paid attention to this, they were unable or unwilling to intervene.
Among the Nordic countries, Denmark, the former overlord, has been defeated many times by Sweden. It does not want to get involved in the affairs of the two giants, Spain and France, unless it is absolutely necessary.
Eastern European countries are too far away from the countries involved, and they also have to face the Ottoman army. Southern Europe, except for the Balkan Peninsula, is basically the territory of the Habsburgs. So there is nothing much to say.
Apart from France, the countries whose interests are truly involved and who have a strong desire to intervene are mainly the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
"Maurice, what do you think of the recent actions of the newly ascended Son of God in Spain?"
"John, what else can we do? Of course, we should wait for Spain and France to start fighting, and then we will stab Spain from the back!"
"You mean to say that the Twelve-Year Armistice can be torn up if necessary?"
"Of course! Isn't the purpose of a signed agreement to be torn up?"
In the early 17th century, this land was called the Netherlands, including today's Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, and was the territory of the Spanish branch of the Habsburg royal family.
For various reasons, the seven northern provinces of this land sought independence, and Spain had to suppress them. After decades of war, both sides were exhausted. They had no choice but to sign a twelve-year truce in 1609.
Therefore, the "United Provinces Republic" or the Netherlands at this time is just a self-proclaimed name by the locals. The European international community does not actually generally recognize the Netherlands as an independent country .
Of course, the geographical location of the Netherlands is so important, and Britain and France want to use this to make trouble for Spain. Therefore, in this so-called country, the proportion of local people in its military personnel is actually very low (the Netherlands is a country of merchants). The army is mainly composed of Germans, French, English and Scottish.
Although this army had mixed ethnic composition, thanks to a great military commander, this mercenary group had created miracles on the battlefield many times.
This commander was Maurice of Nassau, the ruler of the "United Republic of the Netherlands", which was later known as the "forefather of Europe's professional army".
The current Dutch political arena is basically that Johan van Oldenbarneveld is in charge of administration and diplomacy, while Maurice and his brother Frederick Henry are in charge of military affairs.
Although in the historical plane, with the decline of Spain, the Netherlands had internal strife after the external threat was reduced, and Maurice chopped off John's head (Maurice can be simply regarded as a hawk and John as a dove). But at least in the face of a powerful enemy, the "iron triangle" of the Netherlands is still united.
"Maurice, I don't mind tearing up the treaty. The true independence of the Netherlands does require continuing to fight with Spain. But what do you think of this future war?"
"It's simple. France will be defeated, but Spain will be greatly weakened. That will be a good opportunity for the Netherlands to become truly independent."
"So, now Henry IV has sent a letter requesting that if France and Spain go to war, our navy must also intervene. What do you mean?"
"No, no, no, dear John. The population of the United Provinces is too small, and the military expenses of mercenaries are too high. Every man and every ship we have is valuable. We cannot join the war until Spain is exhausted. As for the excuse, it's so simple. We have only implemented the Twelve-Year Armistice for three years."
"Okay, you have successfully convinced me. However, Maurice, our army must always remain on high alert. After all, the place where Spain is gathering its troops is the ten southern provinces of the Netherlands (Belgium)."
"Of course, my soldiers are either fighting or training. Other than that, there is no slacking off!"
The Netherlands has decided to adopt a policy of temporarily standing by and watching, while on the other side of the Channel is Britain.
At this time, Britain was in the late reign of James I, the first monarch of the Stuart dynasty.
In the second half of the 16th century, Elizabeth I, the last monarch of the Tudor dynasty, ruled England, Wales and Ireland for 45 years. The queen spent her entire life integrating a chaotic, poor and civil war-torn country and developing it rapidly.
In order to make Catholics and Protestants in the country live in harmony, the queen never married (whether she married a Protestant or a Catholic, it would cause division in the country). As a result, she had no heirs. So she had to designate her nephew as her successor.
When she died in 1603, she left her successor a first-class European power (the superpower was Spain) with a population of 9.3 million, a literature level that was unrivaled in Europe (Shakespeare), technology on the eve of an explosion, a navy that had the strength to fight Spain, the Church of England basically formed, and overall domestic stability.
As for his successor James I, his greatest achievement was the successful colonization of North America, establishing Britain's first colony in North America.
In addition, his main focus during his reign was on trying his best to stabilize the domestic situation and promote in-depth integration of the three major parts of the United Kingdom: England and Scotland disliked each other, the Irish were fanatically Catholic, and there were many sects within the Protestant Church in Britain... All these factors made James I not like war. In his view, it was suitable for Britain to develop quietly at this time, and the country's strength was not yet at the stage to compete for hegemony on the European continent.
However, the time has come to 1613, and the one who really controls Britain is no longer the old and sick James I. The ones who have the final say in Britain are the British Crown Prince Charles Stuart and George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham.
"George, what do you think of the King of France's letter for help?"
"Hahaha, oh my~ that powerful Henry is also going to ask for help everywhere. Hehehe, I really can't wait to see the terrified expression on that old man's face."
James I was a man who liked both men and women. The Duke of Buckingham was favored by James I in his early years because of his handsome appearance, his love for dressing up as a woman, and his natural talent for . He rose to a high position. But maybe it had become a habit after decades of pretending. So when facing the Crown Prince Charles, he still showed the demeanor of a gossipy woman.
Frowning slightly, Charlie said, "Don't talk about those useless things? Should we send troops?"
"Of course we have to send troops, my Lord. We have to take this opportunity to replace Spain and gain the sea power in the Atlantic Ocean. Spain buys silk, porcelain and tea from China and sells them to us at high prices. Even life-saving drugs like penicillin are sold at extremely high prices, causing our rich people to give away a large amount of gold coins. For this matter alone, we must fight. In the past, we were indeed a little short of challenging Spain alone, but now with the intervention of France and the Netherlands, the Spanish army will be tied down, and we only need to defeat their navy."
"Well, I do want to send troops. But where?"
"Isn't this easy? When the war between Spain and France breaks out, the Spanish army will be entangled by the French, and the navy will be entangled by the Dutch. We will send the navy and our army to land in Asturias, Spain! It is said that all the new products in Spain in recent years, such as glass, mirrors, and bone china, are produced there. The new flintlock rifles are also produced there. There are also a lot of iron ore and steel smelting equipment there. As long as we can plunder there, our national strength will definitely be greatly improved!"
