"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"
Early in the morning on September 30th, the Dutch Pri Minister urgently knocked on the door of Queen Wilhelmina’s sleeping quarters and brought news that drastically changed the Queen’s complexion, "Batavia has been breached!"
"Damn it! How could Batavia be breached? What is Dirk doing?" Queen Wilhelmina asked in disbelief.
"Your Majesty, according to information from the Dutch East Indies side, Muhammad has betrayed us and launched a surprise attack on Batavia.
Our military was engaged on the front line fighting the indigenous people at the ti and had not reacted before Batavia was already under Muhammad’s control.
The current army is now surrounded by Muhammad and the indigenous forces; if not rescued in ti, it is very likely to be completely annihilated," the Dutch Pri Minister explained with a pale face.
The previous Dutch governnt had placed all its hopes on the victory against the indigenous forces. But with Batavia taken, what victory is there to speak of?
With firearms and machine guns, the defense becos very simple. Under Muhammad’s command, the indigenous just need to rely on machine guns and firearms to resist the Dutch army’s assaults.
What’s even more fatal is not just these aspects. The fall of Batavia is a heavy blow to the morale of the Dutch military, and the Netherlands can no longer ensure the logistics supply for these colonial troops.
For the indigenous army, including Muhammad, this is great news, also symbolizing that their rebellion against the Dutch governnt is about to succeed.
The morale of both sides is waning for the one and waxing for the other; for the Netherlands, which is fighting from a great distance, this is the worst news.
Even to put it bluntly, the Dutch army has no hope of retaking Batavia unless there is no support from any country’s forces behind the indigenous.
"Muhammad? That damned scoundrel!" Although the noble Queen Wilhelmina did not know who Muhammad was exactly, this did not prevent her from despising this person nad Muhammad at the mont.
"Where is Governor Dirk now? What is his location?" Queen Wilhelmina continued to inquire.
"According to ssages from the front line troops, Governor Dirk and the entire Colonial Governnt have been controlled by Muhammad, who has declared his intention to dissolve the Colonial Governnt and establish a large indigenous nation," the Pri Minister said with a bitter smile.
The current situation in the Dutch East Indies has beco a dead end. The Governor of the East Indies has been captured, and the army is surrounded, with almost no hope of resistance.
And Dutch reinforcents have only left the motherland a few days ago; at the earliest, it will take half a month to arrive, by which ti everything will be too late.
"Your Majesty, perhaps we need to make so sacrifices," the Pri Minister said, looking towards Queen Wilhelmina and finally speaking out.
"Alas, the governnt will handle this matter in full; I hope we can quickly calm the people’s emotions," Queen Wilhelmina sighed and said.
"Yes, Your Majesty," the Pri Minister nodded and responded with forced ease.
He was the one to fiercely resist at that ti, and now that hope has been shattered, naturally, he also has to bear the responsibility.
The loss of the Dutch East Indies for the Netherlands is like suffering a flesh wound; if things go as expected, the reputation of the current Dutch governnt, including the Pri Minister himself, will be ruined in the Netherlands.
The Dutch ambassador in Australasia, having received a telegram, urgently requested an audience with Arthur at noon, seeking Australasian support for the rebellion in the Dutch East Indies.
Arthur directed his gaze towards the Dutch ambassador, who held a very humble posture, and asked with a smile, "How many days are left until the one-month deadline? Isn’t your country going to try again?"
Hearing Arthur’s mockery, the Dutch ambassador dared not show any dissatisfaction and said very humbly and respectfully, "Your Majesty, the Netherlands can no longer control the situation in the Dutch East Indies; we request Australasia’s support and are willing to pay a price."
Hearing the Dutchman’s surrender, Arthur finally nodded with satisfaction and said to the Dutch ambassador, "I have also been following the situation in the Dutch East Indies, and I am quite surprised at how badly the situation has deteriorated."
"You know, the Australasian Army has the capacity to quell the situation in the Dutch East Indies, but casualties are inevitable.
Although I too wish to resu normalcy in the Dutch East Indies as soon as possible, it will take at least three months for the troops to deploy and calm the rebellion."
Hearing what Arthur said, the Dutch ambassador’s face changed over and over, but he still dared not protest.
Let alone three months, it was feared that in one month, the Dutch East Indies would no longer exist.
After the fall of Batavia, it is only a matter of ti before the other regions slip out of Dutch control.
By then, will Australasia be quelling a rebellion in the Dutch East Indies, or seizing a new indigenous nation?
"Your Majesty, the current situation in the Dutch East Indies is very urgent; we urgently request that Your Majesty organize the military. We are willing to fully cover the military expenses of your country and sign a friendly treaty with your country," said the Dutch ambassador, bowing low again and speaking respectfully.
"Mr. Ambassador, I’m afraid that is impossible. Instead of rushing to deploy troops to quell the rebellion, I suggest your country sell the Dutch East Indies to us," Arthur said with a smile:
"The current fact is, you have already lost control over the Dutch East Indies. Even if Australasia were to dispatch troops, the casualties would be severe.
Honestly, Australasia is unlikely to deploy troops for another country’s land. This also implies that you are fundantally incapable of controlling the Dutch East Indies.
"To express Australasia’s sincerity, I am willing to use my royal status to spend 30 million Australian dollars to purchase the Dutch East Indies, and sign a friendly treaty with your country to strengthen trade between the Netherlands and Australasia,"
The Dutch at this point realized it was utterly impossible to reclaim the Dutch East Indies, the current situation in the Dutch East Indies wouldn’t allow the Dutch to take it back, and neither would Arthur.
Instead of harbouring daydreams of regaining the Dutch East Indies, it would be better to secure so extra benefits in the treaty with Australasia, at least to compensate for losses elsewhere.
If they miss Arthur’s goodwill now, there won’t be any hope of making up for it later.
"Your Majesty, this..." Although the Dutch ambassador had braced himself for the loss of the Dutch East Indies, he knew he couldn’t readily accept such a reality.
Even knowing that resistance was futile, there still had to be so dispute. Otherwise, the furious Dutch people would overwhelm the governnt, and he, the ambassador who achieved the loss of the Dutch East Indies, would be scorned by all Dutchn.
"Don’t rush, Mr. Ambassador." Arthur held the initiative and didn’t need to hurry.
Looking at the still very respectful Dutch ambassador, Arthur said with a smile, "You can first contact the Dutch Governnt to ask for the Dutch Pri Minister’s opinion.
There’s no harm in seeking out again once your country’s position has softened. For Australasia, any situation can be salvaged."
Though Arthur wasn’t in a hurry, that didn’t an the Dutch Governnt wasn’t.
The fall of Batavia not only signified the total failure to hold the Dutch East Indies but also ant that the tens of thousands of troops stationed there were facing a grave danger.
If these troops weren’t rescued soon, it was very possible that not a single one of the tens of thousands would be saved.
And yet, the real Dutch among them numbered only in the thousands, but how could the Dutch afford the loss of so many?
Furthermore, with the loss of the Dutch East Indies, the enraged Dutch might just replace their governnt, and while they’re at it, send everyone in the governnt to the guillotine.
But seeing the aningful smile on Arthur’s face, the Dutch ambassador understood it was already impossible to negotiate at that mont.
After offering apologies and taking his leave, the Dutch ambassador urgently contacted his ho country, conveyed Arthur’s stance, and requested a decision from ho.
The Dutch Governnt was already in chaos, the fall of Batavia was not a minor issue, one that could affect not just the current Dutch Governnt but also the royal family.
In response, Queen Wilhelmina issued a strict command. Under the assumption that the Dutch East Indies could not be retained, it was imperative to save all the Dutch soldiers there.
The mixed-race individuals should also be taken care of as much as possible, minimizing casualties was the current priority, at the very least to show that the governnt had done its best and it was only the enemy’s overwhelming strength that prevailed.
The Dutch Pri Minister understood this was his only chance at redemption, and instructed the Dutch ambassador to secure as much benefit for the Netherlands as possible, including raising the purchase price of the Dutch East Indies to 100 million Australian dollars.
Considering the inco the Dutch East Indies brought to the Dutch Governnt, 100 million Australian dollars was a loss for the Dutch Governnt.
But if the Dutch East Indies was sold to Australasia under unavoidable circumstances, in order to recoup losses for the Netherlands, then it would be considered a rit. Explore new worlds at .Côm
The Dutch Pri Minister was astute. Although he knew well that Australasia was behind this incident, a powerful nation like that was definitely not one to offend.
Compared to Australasia, Muhammad was evidently the easier one to bla, and it was also easy to pin all the responsibility on Muhammad.
With the helplessly captured incompetent Governor Dirk, with these two as scapegoats, the governnt could conveniently absolve itself of most of the responsibility.
After all, the Dutch reinforcents had not yet arrived, and the vast distance between the Netherlands and the Dutch East Indies was indeed a fact, leaving not much responsibility on the governnt.
With that mindset, on one hand, he urged the Dutch ambassador to reach a compromise with Australasia as soon as possible to rescue the Dutch forces near Batavia.
On the other hand, the Dutch Pri Minister had the newspapers urgently print reports explaining the war, with a considerable focus on Muhammad’s betrayal and Governor Dirk’s incompetence, preparing to wash his hands of any bla at a mont’s notice.
After all, Governor Dirk was the leader of both the colonial governnt and the military in the Dutch East Indies, his stature there almost that of a local Emperor.
Having soone of such status bear the brunt was more than sufficient, the public could still be easily fooled.
Without any intention of taking responsibility, the royal family would not stand up for Governor Dirk.
Even the reverse, if the bla ga proved highly effective, Queen Wilhelmina would also hastily shift all bla onto Governor Dirk and Muhammad.
The combined effort of Queen Wilhelmina and the governnt to deflect bla would be incredibly effective in the Netherlands.
As long as they could dupe the ignorant lower-tier citizens, it was as good as absolving themselves of bla.
How substantial the loss of the Dutch East Indies was to the Netherlands no longer mattered, as a politician, the priority should be one’s political career.
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