Trying to draw the Netherlands and Portugal into the anti-Spanish alliance was a decision made by Emperor Zhu after careful consideration.
Because he knew that in order to truly bury Spain's world empire, it was not enough to rely on the power of Britain, France, and Ming Dynasty. The Netherlands must be involved!
The reason is simple, because the Netherlands will not be happy to see Spain's world empire divided among the three countries of Britain, France, and Ming. Therefore, if the Netherlands cannot participate in the partition, it will inevitably choose to support Spain in some form. Even if the Netherlands does not directly join the war, it can put Britain into trouble as long as it instructs its own armed merchant ships to act as privateers for the Spanish.
The Dutch East India Company could also put Ming Dynasty into trouble in the East Asian sea.
At the same time, France's land forces were unable to break into the Dutch mainland for a while because of the obstruction of the Spanish Netherlands, forcing the Netherlands to truly remain neutral.
Therefore, winning over the Netherlands is a key step to crushing the Spanish world empire!
The purpose of attracting Portugal to join the alliance is to support a trading partner that is close enough to the Ming Dynasty and can stay out of the European war. Considering that there will be many big fights between Britain, France, and the Netherlands in the future, in order to have fierce conflicts in Europe, To maintain smooth flow of trade and exchanges during the war, a neutral Portuguese maritime empire was still necessary.
As for letting Ming go to Europe on his own... this is too underestimated by the European powers, and it is unnecessary.
Emperor Zhu glanced around the lobby and said, "I want to confirm whether the goal of our three countries is to bury the Spanish world empire?"
"Of course!" Marvell gave an affirmative answer - England's original goal was actually to break Spain's monopoly on the Caribbean and expand its North American colonies. He had not thought about destroying the Spanish World Empire in one fell swoop, but with the joining of France and the Ming Dynasty, and a series of victories in the early stages of the war, Cromwell raised his goal, so he destroyed or severely damaged the Spanish World Empire, and then profited hard. The last one has become an option.
"France's goal is, of course, to destroy Spain's maritime hegemony!" Colbert was not telling the truth.
The current French navy is far from being a rival to the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Spain, so Red Prime Minister Mazarin and the United Kingdom have joined forces with the minimum goal of successfully ending the war with Spain and the highest goal of seizing the Spanish Netherlands.
France had no requirements for Spain's overseas colonies.
Of course, if you want to trick Daming, the financial backer, into joining the gang, you have to speak louder...
"Okay!" Zhu Cixiang nodded. He also knew that Britain and France were not determined to destroy the Spanish world empire.
But he also needs to use the tiger flag of the Anglo-French alliance to deceive the Dutch...Prince Condé has already discussed with the Dutch Ambassador Bruce Van Diemen about hiring the Dutch East India Company to participate in the war. The other party did not comment. He said he would tell Batavia.
Obviously, Bruce Van Diemen was not very enthusiastic about the East India Company joining the war - it seems that the two countries were not important enough!
After all, the Ming Dynasty's maritime power was still weak. There were only twenty or thirty soft-sailed galenic ships capable of chasing Western sail warships on the ocean, and the navy's tactical level was still somewhat inferior.
France's power in the East Asian sea is even weaker, that is, the few Galen ships in the "Gift Fleet" are not worth mentioning.
Although the bombardment guns (large-caliber short-barreled guns) and wooden shells owned by the Ming Dynasty's navy are very powerful, Spain's Eastern Armada has now retreated to Kagoshima Bay, making it clear that it is colluding with the Satsuma Domain of Japan to engage in privateering. Breaking the battle.
Once the merchant ships of the Ming Dynasty were attacked by Spanish privateers, the Dutch East India Company would have the opportunity to seize the market... Why would Dutch profiteers go to the battlefield when they could obviously make money?
But once England and Portugal enter the game, it will be difficult for the Dutch East India Company to stay out!
Because the number of England's ships in the East is no less than that of the Netherlands, plus Portuguese armed merchant ships, French armed merchant ships, Ming Dynasty's soft-sailed warships, etc., there are still sixty or seventy ships. This number is the Spanish Eastern Twice the size of the Armada!
Moreover, the command level of the British Navy is not inferior to that of the Dutch Navy. In the last Anglo-Dutch War, the British had the upper hand.
Coupled with the Ming Dynasty's bombardment, Satsuma's Kagoshima Bay and Spain's Manila Bay may soon fall.
At that time, the position of the Dutch East India Company will be embarrassing, and it may become the target of exclusion by the British, French and Portuguese...
"Since our goals are the same!" Zhu Cixi paused, "Then let's work hard to bring the Netherlands into the group... First, we can form an alliance in the east that includes the Dutch East India Company and the Portuguese Governor's Palace in Macau. Anti-Spanish Alliance!
In addition, the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan will also join our alliance! As a lackey of the Spanish, Japan's Satsuma Domain will also be our common enemy.
Therefore, once the alliance between the three countries and two parties (the two parties refer to the East India Company and the Portuguese Governor of Macau) is concluded, our first target is the Satsuma Domain of Japan, which provides shelter for the Spanish fleet! "
Mitsuhisa Shimazu of the Satsuma Domain will definitely faint from tears when he hears Emperor Zhu's words. Not even the Tokugawa Shogunate can handle it, and now there are the Ming Dynasty, France, England, the Netherlands, and Portugal.
By the way, Annan and North Korea, the vassal states of the Ming Dynasty, will probably also send troops to participate in the war - according to the "Zong-vass Treaty", they are obliged to participate in the war, and Annan and North Korea also have small navies.
This is the Eight-Nation Allied Forces!
"If it were just the Dutch East India Company," Marvell said, "it should be easier to realize...The problem is that Spain does not have many interests in the East, how should they be distributed?"
Zhu Cixiang began to bid, he said: "The Ming Dynasty will provide military expenses for the fleets of the Netherlands and Portugal, and a Galenic warship will give 20,000 to 50,000 taels of silver!
British and French ships participating in the war in the East will also pay military expenses according to this standard... In addition, the warships of the four countries of Britain, France, the Netherlands and Portugal captured and captured in the battle against Spain and Satsuma Domain can be paid. Take it as your own. "
Emperor Zhu doesn't want anyone to work in vain. Even if an ally's ship comes to help, he will still give him money!
The reason why he was so generous was because he knew that most of the armed Galen ships from various countries operating in the East Asian Sea and the Indian Ocean in this era were "calling" private ships.
If Emperor Zhu didn't give the money, they would either not come, or they would simply go and get the Spanish privateering license.
Therefore, he would rather spend more money to win over these Western ships to his side. Even if they don't work and get paid for nothing, it's still better than letting them go to sea and work as Spanish privateers.
Marvell and Kirkbell's eyes lit up when they heard Zhu Cihong's labor charges for the friendly warships assisting in the war.
One of their important missions in coming to the East was to get the Ming Emperor to pay for the war against Spain!
"Your Majesty," Kirkbell first made the request for sponsorship, "the finances of the Kingdom of France are currently very tight... I am afraid it will be difficult to support a long-term war aimed at burying the Spanish world empire. So His Majesty King Louis XIV and Bishop Mazarin wishes to lend you a sum of money."
Borrow money? Zhu Cixiang thought to himself: Louis XIV wouldn't be a deadbeat, would he?
"How much do you want to borrow?" Zhu Cixiang asked.
Kirk Bell stretched out five fingers and said, "Five million taels of silver."
What a lion!
Zhu Cihong did a mental calculation and found that France's current gold louis is almost a quarter of a tael of gold. According to the current gold and silver ratio of one to twelve (the gold and silver ratio has been adjusted by the two major shipping and salt merchants for twelve years, it has now been adjusted When it is basically in line with the world), it is three taels of silver. Five million taels of silver is more than one million louis gold, which is equivalent to two to three million francs. France's current fiscal revenue is at most 50 to 60 million francs... But having said that, the Ming Empire is really rich now, and its fiscal revenue is almost ten times that of France!
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