Chapter 834: Good Men and Villains
Shortly after, the Dutch Speaker, Daendels, stepped before the crowd. His expression was heavy with grief as he prepared to speak on behalf of the Dutch government.
He began with a scathing condemnation of Britain and Prussia, accusing them of coercing the Netherlands into an unjust war. This conflict, he stated, had caused irreparable harm to France, and he offered the most sincere apologies to the French nation on behalf of his country.
Then, he produced the armistice documents and began to read the terms, point by point.
"Our government shall bring to trial those war criminals who participated in the invasion of Wallonia..."
Daendels paused to explain the concept of war crimes, as the term had yet to be formally defined in this era.
Before he could even finish his sentence, the faint sound of sobbing echoed through the square.
The Netherlands had deployed over twenty thousand soldiers to support the Anti-French Coalition. Among the gathered citizens, many were the relatives and families of those very men.
Daendels quickly raised his hands to quiet the crowd, raising his voice. "The common soldiers were merely following orders! Only officers with the rank of Major or higher shall bear the responsibility for instigating this war!"
The onlookers collectively exhaled in relief. Their anxiety instantly transformed into fervor as they began to pump their fists and roar, "Punish the warmongers!"
"Hang them all!"
Once the crowd settled, Daendels read out the amount of the war reparations.
"...A total compensation of 700,000 Dutch guilders shall be paid to the French government."
He immediately added a clarification. "The damages we inflicted upon France exceeded 800,000, but His Majesty the King of France has shown great mercy and waived a portion of the debt."
The citizens didn't seem particularly bothered by the sum. Only last year, the Bank of Amsterdam had spent over a million guilders to acquire the Batavia Trading Bank. In the grand scheme of things, 700,000 didn't seem like an insurmountable fortune.
Next, Daendels mentioned the clause regarding the addition of "noble seats" within the parliament.
While the commoners were largely confused by the political implications, the aristocrats in attendance began to cheer wildly. "Now that is a just parliament!"
"Dear God! Bless the French!"
"There is hope for the future of the Netherlands yet..."
Daendels looked back at the armistice agreement and read the final condition.
"In accordance with the demands of the French government, the Netherlands shall withdraw from all alliance treaties with Britain and Prussia, swearing to forever uphold its status as a neutral nation..."
The square fell silent for a fleeting heartbeat before exploding into thunderous cheers.
In truth, the Dutch had long harbored resentment toward the Anglo-Dutch alliance. It was a bitter pill they had been forced to swallow a decade ago after losing the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War.
During that conflict, the British had plundered countless Dutch merchant ships and seized several of their colonies. Seeing such a humiliating alliance finally abolished brought nothing but joy to the Dutch people.
As for whether the British would be angry?
The British were currently far too preoccupied with their war against France to spare a glance for the Netherlands. Everything else could be dealt with after the war ended.
If the British actually managed to defeat France, the Netherlands could simply bow their heads and apologize to the hegemon of Europe then. It wouldn't be the first time.
But for now, they chose to celebrate.
Someone in the crowd took the lead, shouting, "Long live the King of France!"
The nobles, their political status newly secured, immediately joined the chorus. "Long live His Majesty the King of France!"
"Long live the Savior of Suffering!"
"That's right! The French are our saviors!"
"I love France!"
Daendels and the other Dutch officials were stunned. They had never imagined that a surrender ceremony would turn into such a festive celebration.
Shortly thereafter, Daendels and Count Saigul signed the armistice agreement.
Another roar of approval swept through the square, followed by spontaneous parades as the people began to celebrate the end of the war.
However, the Dutch people had no way of knowing that the truly brutal part of the war had not yet arrived...
The French army withdrew even faster than Joseph had promised.
Six days after the signing of the armistice, the last French unit retreated to Leopoldsburg in the Flanders Region. After a brief period of reorganization, they continued their march south, passing through Liège toward the Ardennes.
The distance between these two points was less than 75 miles.
Meanwhile, the Coalition forces led by the Duke of York, moving from Antwerp toward Luxembourg, were forced to take a northern route through the Netherlands. They had to bypass 's-Hertogenbosch to the east before turning south past Geldern.
The total journey was approximately 200 miles and required crossing rivers twice.
Consequently, the Duke of York had only just reached the north of Luxembourg and had not yet engaged in battle.
Lefebvre's Legion was scheduled to arrive at the Ardennes in three days.
Southwestern Netherlands.
Middelburg.
Four days after the French army evacuated the Netherlands, Major General Scheyck—who had recently been promoted—appeared on the outskirts of this prosperous coastal city at the head of a ten-thousand-man army from the Flemish National Army.
Scheyck sat atop his warhorse, surveying the surroundings with an air of arrogance. For a moment, he actually felt like an invincible, legendary commander.
Indeed, just a week prior, Flanders had officially declared its independence from Austrian rule, established a parliament, and founded the Flemish Republic.
Immediately following its birth, the new nation declared war on the Netherlands, citing the "invasion of Antwerp and Ghent by Dutch forces" as a pretext.
Since departing from northern Leuven, Scheyck had been unstoppable. Not a single Dutch city had been able to hold out against his army for more than half a day.
A few days ago, he had easily captured the vital stronghold of Breda. By now, more than half of the southern Dutch cities were under the control of the Flemish forces.
However, Scheyck knew perfectly well that his string of victories wasn't due to any personal military genius. It was simply because the French army had already cleared the path for him.
Every police station in southern Holland couldn't even produce a single flintlock musket.
At this point, a monkey could have commanded the troops and won with ease.
The sound of scattered gunfire drifted from the distance.
A short while later, Scheyck's nephew, Lieutenant Colonel Lucca, galloped toward him, reporting with a relaxed grin, "General, the Dutch garrison has surrendered!"
Middelburg had managed to scrape together a defense force of about three hundred men over the past few days. Armed with nothing but hunting rifles and even bows, they had no hope of stopping a regular Flemish army.
Scheyck nodded. "Move the entire army into the city. I don't need to tell you what to do next, do I?"
"Of course not. Leave it to me, Uncle."
Two hours later, Flemish soldiers appeared on the streets of Middelburg, loudly proclaiming that the city was now under the rule of the Flemish Republic.
The citizens, having experienced the French occupation not long ago, remained relatively calm. They watched silently, expecting these troops to leave as quickly as the French had.
However, word soon spread that all Middelburg officials, high-ranking members of the Chamber of Commerce, and bank directors were required to gather at the city hall immediately.
By three in the afternoon, gunshots began to ring out through the city. Rumors swirled that Flemish soldiers were arresting officials who had failed to assemble on time.
Inside the Middelburg City Hall, Lieutenant Colonel Lucca, flanked by his soldiers, walked up to the panic-stricken officials and wealthy merchants. He gave them a thin, chilling smile.
"In the name of the Flemish National Army's military tribunal, I hereby declare you all guilty of the crime of 'colluding with the Austrian tyrant.' You are all under arrest."
Comments