The largest newspapers in Europe received a top-secret document from the Prussian embassy almost at the same time. When the editors-in-chief read the contents, their eyes widened in surprise, and then they immediately urgently requested the printing press to start Typography and printing.
What kind of document is this? It is actually a memorandum from French Emperor Napoleon III to King William I of Prussia. It is a formal diplomatic document.
The content of this memorandum was extremely exciting. It actually stated that Napoleon III asked Prussia to recognize their control over Luxembourg and Belgium, and requested that Prussia not intervene when France militarily occupied the above two countries.
The memorandum was written in great detail. It not only covered the ownership of Luxembourg and Belgium, but also France’s ownership of the land on the west bank of the Rhine that originally belonged to the Kingdom of Prussia.
He demanded that Prussia cede all territory west of the Rhine and recognize France's right to occupy Luxembourg and Belgium!
As soon as this memorandum was released, the entire European public opinion community was in an uproar. Everyone was dumbfounded. No one thought that Napoleon III actually had such ambitions.
But shouldn't this kind of conspiracy be carried out in secret? Why does the official text appear?
"Idiot! Idiot! This is an idiot!" Gladstone roared angrily in the Prime Minister's residence in Downing Street. The diplomatic encirclement that had been coordinated just now completely tore a big hole in the memorandum.
Belgium and Luxembourg were originally very firm mediators and had always been at the forefront for Britain. However, as soon as this memorandum appeared, Gladstone could guess the anger of these two countries.
"Is Napoleon III an idiot? How come he has such black and white evidence? He has a pig brain!"
"How good is this? All arrangements have come to nothing, everything has come to nothing..."
Sure enough, when King Leopold II of Belgium saw all this, he couldn't believe his eyes at first and thought that these were all forged by Bismarck.
But thinking about it again, this kind of document has to be reviewed by all European governments. No matter how stupid Bismarck is, he will not falsify it!
Leopold II was completely furious. He immediately summoned the French ambassador to Belgium and expressed his indignation with all the vicious words in his heart.
Protest, protest strongly! The King of Belgium expressed his greatest anger at the French Emperor's conspiracy!
Immediately afterwards, large-scale demonstrators appeared on the streets of Brussels. They gathered around the French Embassy, burned the French flag, shouted curses, and strongly protested against the despicable behavior of the French Emperor.
The same goes for Luxembourg, a small independent country that just broke away from the German Confederation and became independent under the protection of the United Kingdom. Its area is less than a medium-sized county in China.
Although this country is weak, it is an important country protected by the United Kingdom!
The Treaty of London in 1867 made it clear that Luxembourg was an independent and sovereign country, which was protected by the United Kingdom.
Now France has expressed its intention to annex Luxembourg, which is equivalent to directly confronting Britain!
Gladstone was suddenly faced with an embarrassing situation. If he wanted to give the French Emperor a solution, then the country of Luxembourg would not do it!
Sure enough, Luxembourg followed Belgium's lead and began to protest. There were also demonstrations in the country, but more importantly, the Grand Duke of Luxembourg wrote directly to the Queen of England.
"You have to take care of this! I have been holding your thigh. Now the French have made it clear that they want to invade our motherless children. If you don't take action, we will perish!"
"If we were to perish, wouldn't the Treaty of London become a joke? The French Emperor would be slapping you in the face!"
The Queen was furious, and he immediately asked the Crown Prince to send a message to Gladstone, making it clear that Britain must protect the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, and the tragedy of destroying the country must not occur!
Gladstone's efforts are all in vain!
Not only Belgium and Luxembourg, the entire German Federation is condemning the French Emperor. The Netherlands and Belgium used to be one country in history. Although they are now divided, the feelings between the people are still very close. When I heard that the French Emperor was going to invade friendly countries, they also Quit.
People protested and put pressure on the government for a strong official protest!
With this memorandum, the diplomatic encirclement network against Prussia linked by the entire European diplomatic community was completely shattered.
Xiao Letian and Bismarck, who were on the front line, celebrated each other, and their laughter spread throughout the military camp.
"Hahaha... I'm afraid Napoleon III himself has forgotten this memo. This idiot is really easy to fool..."
"Dear Xiao... we still have to start talking about this before the Austro-Prussian War!"
It turned out that before the outbreak of the Austro-Prussian War, in order to prevent France from suddenly sending troops to attack its rear, Bimarck conducted a very successful deception based on the character of Napoleon III.
Bismarck sent a special envoy to meet with the French Emperor. During this visit, the special envoy brought the Prime Minister's conditions.
In the Austro-Prussian War, on the condition of French neutrality, Prussia recognized France's claim to Belgium and Luxembourg, and at the same time ceded Prussian land west of the Rhine.
The King of France is an extremely greedy person, and he has a mysterious confidence in himself! He even thought that the timid Bismarck would never lie to him.
Faced with Bismarck's bait, he actually swallowed it in one gulp and believed it!
As a result, the world has seen that throughout the Austro-Prussian War, France did not send a single soldier and remained completely neutral.
After the war, the French Emperor asked Bismarck to fulfill its previous commitments, but at this time Bismarck played a trick!
He asked France for an official memorandum on the grounds that any plan must be submitted to the King of Prussia... This is a very good reason. You have put forward so many conditions, and we have to write them down in black and white. Don't always make verbal promises!
The French Emperor did not know it was a trick, but actually provided such a memorandum to Bismarck through official channels, which clearly stated the conditions required by France.
And it also has the signature of the French Ambassador to Prussia!
This is the evidence Bismarck wants! As soon as he got the memo, he turned his back on me!
With evidence in black and white, he started to delay again and again on the grounds that the King of Prussia had not yet studied this issue!
Afterwards, the French emperor was distracted by the rise of the Chinese in the East. This memorandum actually became idle like this, hanging in the diplomatic agenda of the two countries, pending a resolution!
This shows that Napoleon III himself was a man of great ambition and talent, and his diplomacy was riddled with holes and loopholes!
What's even worse is that he is arrogant. Maybe when he wrote this memo, he never thought that one day the Prussians would enter France and defeat him.
In the eyes of the French Emperor at that time, Prussia was as weak as a little white rabbit, and what threat could the little white rabbit pose?
It was such arrogance that he did not realize the danger and jumped into Bismarck's trap step by step.
This memorandum immediately revealed his greedy face to the world, and the King of France was completely darkened!
