Chapter 371 German Confederation Volunteer Army

Belgium, Brussels.

King Leopold I was a great ruler. After receiving the news that the German Confederation was going to help Luxembourg (liberate it), he did not go home for Christmas like the stupid ministers at home, and placed all his hopes on the British and French.

"Mr. Nodon, I'm so sorry that you have to come to discuss state affairs on Christmas Eve. But we can't put all our hopes on the British and French. If we Belgians want to stand tall among the nations of the world, we must rely on ourselves."

Jean-Baptiste Nodon was the Prime Minister of Belgium at that time. He was also a far-sighted politician. It was under his and King Leopold I's governance that Belgium became one of the most promising countries in Europe.

"Your Majesty, you are right. Zoran and others lack foresight. They think they can rest easy by relying on the British and French, and they are not even prepared to mobilize the whole people. I support you."

Leopold I nodded to express his gratitude.

"Mr. Nodon, please see that our Luxembourg Province is located in the Ardennes, with dense river networks, hills and forts. It is not easy for the armies of Austria, Prussia and the German Confederation to break through.

And they will not only take back western Luxembourg, the Netherlands is also their target. Maybe they are ready to fight the British and French, so we can't take it lightly."

After listening to the words of His Majesty the King, Jean-Baptiste Nodon couldn't help sweating. He didn't expect things to develop to this point. If this is true, it is simply a reappearance of the Napoleonic Wars. I really don't know how many people will die.

"You mean"

"You guessed right, the army of the German Confederation will most likely bypass the Ardennes and break through our defense line from the confluence of the Meuse River and the Ourthe River."

Leopold I is a versatile person. He not only knows how to govern the country and develop the economy, but also how to lead troops to fight. It's just that his abilities in the first two are too outstanding, so people always forget that this king is also a hero who can conquer the world immediately.

"Liege! That's right! This will be the battlefield for the decisive battle with the German Confederation."

Jean-Baptiste Nodon suddenly thought of the fact that Leopold I built a military camp in Liege the following year and stationed 2,000 troops there.

Of course, many people opposed it, but His Majesty the King overcame all objections. I didn't expect that His Majesty the King had already thought of this possibility in the future at that time.

"Your Majesty, you are really far-sighted!" Prime Minister Jean-Baptiste Nodon praised sincerely.

"We have 1,500 people in the Western Luxembourg area and 2,000 people in Liege. Now we will send the main force to Liege to strengthen local defense.

At the same time, recruit new soldiers from all over the country and send them to Western Luxembourg. We must make all preparations. As long as we can hold on for two or three months, they will have to give up.

Even without the help of Britain and France, we must defend our homes!"

"Your Majesty is wise." Jean-Baptiste Nodon said sincerely.

"How long will it take us to complete the deployment?"

"About a month, we still need to buy enough weapons, equipment, clothing and food." Jean-Baptiste Nodon was telling the truth. In fact, Belgium's independence was not based on force, but on the general trend, plus the unreliable opponent of the Netherlands.

"No! Too slow! These dispatches must be completed within a week, and we must complete the deployment before the German Confederation Army arrives."

According to Leopold I's estimate, it would take several months for big countries like Austria and Prussia to complete mobilization.

Even if the standing army is used, it is impossible to reach Luxembourg within a week. And the army composed of hundreds of militias in Luxembourg has no combat effectiveness at all.

Belgium and Luxembourg are also old rivals, and they know each other very well. However, the most casualties in the fierce battles between the two sides are civilians. As for the reason, it is very complicated. In short, it is the four words of national hatred and family hatred.

The Netherlands, Amsterdam Palace.

King William II of the Netherlands was as weak as his father. He was afraid that the German Confederation would attack the Netherlands, and he was even more afraid that the British would abandon him.

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

Although the British government repeatedly stated that it would protect the rights and interests of the Netherlands and asked it to hold on. But how could the Dutch, who had been sold out by the British more than once, believe this?

The envoy of King William II of the Netherlands had already gone to Vienna. With such a king, the Dutch ministers were naturally not prepared to fight to the death. They did not even recall the strongest troops of the Netherlands or mobilize them.

As the first capitalist country in the world, the people of the Netherlands have long been indifferent to politics. They care more about their wages and whether they have food to eat tomorrow.

As for the king, the country, and the government? What is that? Let them go to Asia to rob, and these people will go all out, because there is money to be made. But let them fight for other people's things? Even if the prince personally led the expedition, they would just shoot a few shots casually to go through the motions, just to be worthy of their wages.

(Historically, the Dutch Ten Days Invasion, in which a Dutch prince led his army to attack Belgium, claimed to have destroyed the Belgian army, but did not cause many casualties.)

As for the most powerful liberals and conservatives in the Netherlands, they don't want to fight either. On the contrary, they actually envy organizations like the German Customs Union and the German Confederation. After all, they can make money and have people provide protection, which can greatly improve their living standards.

(Liberals are mainly composed of businessmen, scholars in cities, senior civil servants, etc., while conservatives are churches and nobles.)

In particular, business groups have begun to transmit intelligence to the German Confederation. Some of them hope to obtain the franchise of the German Customs Union, while others simply want to keep their assets when the Netherlands is conquered.

These intelligence, from soldiers and money to defense maps, and even details such as the character of generals and how many people are in their families, are also clear.

As for the churches and nobles in Europe, they can always establish some relationships if they sort it out. Everyone is relatives and friends. What can't be discussed?

The war has not yet begun. From the king to the civilians, no one has the will to fight. Some are preparing for peace talks or preparing to defect.

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

After the two sides met, after only a brief conversation, the envoy of King William II of the Netherlands almost dropped his jaw.

He immediately decided to take the Austrian envoy to meet His Majesty the King in person, because the news was so shocking that he felt that His Majesty the King would not believe it if he told him so.

The Austrian envoy had also anticipated this situation early on, and they got on a carriage to Amsterdam together.

When passing through the center of Luxembourg, the Dutch envoy was shocked again and almost fell off the carriage. He saw a large number of fully armed soldiers, gathering here under the flags of their respective states.

The flag erected in the center of the square was the Austrian flag, but there was also a line of words on it.

"German Confederation Volunteer Army"