Capítulo 138: Chapter 216 The Queen
Another unit of Army Group B, commanded by Georg von Küchler, the 18th Army, entered Dutch territory. As Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands had already reached an agreement with Germany, the 18th Army advanced rapidly into the Dutch capital, Amsterdam, as if entering uncharted territory.
Certainly, they couldn't avoid encountering spontaneous resistance along the way, but anyone familiar with sports knows the vast difference between amateurs and professionals. The same applies to warfare; these armed individuals, who were ordinary people just a few days ago, were effortlessly eliminated by the German forces. Despite their passionate fervor, they couldn't withstand the onslaught of bullets.
By nightfall, the vanguard of the 18th Army had entered the city center, occupied key points, and gained complete control over Amsterdam.
Von Küchler flew to Amsterdam and headed straight to the Amsterdam Palace. "I salute you, Your Majesty the Queen."
In the original WWII timeline, after the invasion of the Netherlands, Queen Wilhelmina issued a proclamation titled "The Fiery Protest", hoping her subjects would maintain vigilant and calm from the depths of their conscience. A few days later, she led the royal family and the cabinet to England, establishing an exile government. Throughout the Second World War, Wilhelmina steadfastly broadcasted radio messages from London, calling on the people to take up arms and maintain high spirits until the liberation of the country. After the Germans withdrew from the Netherlands in 1945, she returned to her homeland, receiving a warm welcome and earning the title of "Mother of the Resistance".
However, this time Wilhelm had sent paratroopers early, occupying the palace, so Queen Wilhelmina couldn't go anywhere.
Queen Wilhelmina's face remained cold as she said, "Humph, I, as a queen, have long been in name only. How could Crown Prince Wilhelm do something so morally reprehensible!" Yesterday evening, she had contacted Wilhelm II, who was in Ming Dynasty China, complaining to him tearfully, hoping he could intervene and advise his grandson. But in the end, Wilhelm II could only express his apologies helplessly.
As the victor, von Küchler decided to show some generosity and not dwell on the queen's demeanor. "Your Majesty the Queen, rather than saying His Highness violated morality, it is more accurate to say this is the inevitability of history. I wonder if Your Majesty has read 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms' from Ming Dynasty China; the first sentence of that book is 'The empire, long divided, must unite; long united, must divide.' We've been divided in Europe for so long; it's time for someone to unify it."
In history, Napoleon almost succeeded in unifying Europe. Unfortunately, his eagerness for success ultimately led to failure, a common root cause for many great emperors' failures, like Emperor Yang of Sui.
In the thousands of years of Roman history, there was also a hope for unifying Europe. If the Roman Empire had strengthened its ruling power and exerted cultural centripetal force, it might have been possible to unify Europe. However, history is full of "what-ifs". The flourishing Roman Empire was later divided into Eastern and Western Roman Empires. The Eastern Roman Empire weakened under the scourge of Attila the Hun and gradually lost local power. It could only maintain the status quo through the feudal system. The more unfortunate Western Roman Empire fell into the hands of the Germanic people due to the simultaneous expulsions, becoming a victim of history.
Queen Wilhelmina showed a trace of disdain. "Unify Europe? Crown Prince Wilhelm has grand ambitions. Maybe he can conquer small countries like ours, but..."
Von Küchler interjected. "Are you talking about the United Kingdom and France? His Highness said that France would surrender in less than eight weeks. You might think His Highness is joking, but so far, all of His Highness's jokes have come true! Soon you will see the so-called 'strongest country in Europe' willingly submit at our feet. As for the British Empire..." Von Küchler sneered. "I'm sure you've heard of our submarine victory in the Battle of Scapa Flow. Those Brits thought they were the masters of the seas, able to influence the will of the European continent? After we knock down the Gauls, the next ones to fall will be those John Bulls!"
Wilhelmina listened with a momentary confusion. "Gauls? John Bulls?"
Von Küchler explained, "It's a new comic created by His Highness, called 'That Year, That Tiger, That Thing.' In the comic, animals represent the images of various countries. We, the Germans, are portrayed as tigers, the United States as eagles, the Soviet Union as polar bears, France as roosters, Australia as kangaroos, and so on. Because my grandson likes it a lot and tells me stories every day, I've become quite familiar with it."
Wilhelmina subconsciously asked, "Then, what is the representation for the Netherlands?"
Von Küchler thought for a moment. "I remember it's a cow."
Wilhelmina's mouth twitched slightly, and she coldly snorted. "Crown Prince Wilhelm is truly leisurely. Even at such a time, he still has the mood for these things."
Von Küchler smiled and said, "His Highness portraying your country as a cow does not imply disrespect. His Highness likes the cows of your country very much, and our soldiers also like them. His Highness even plans to increase the purchase of cows from your country."
Dutch Holstein cows are a unique and excellent breed worldwide. Due to their strong adaptability, they can be raised in most countries, developing distinct local characteristics.
During World War II, many armies had Holstein cows. The U.S. Army, British Army, French Army, and Australian Army all had them. Of course, these cows were not meant for consumption; they were there for milk production. The Holstein cows' characteristic is that as long as there is grass, they can continuously produce milk, almost like a grass-to-milk converter. Moreover, these cows brought a different atmosphere and hope to the military. Many soldiers liked to take photos with them and learned how to take care of the cows.
Wilhelm would not miss such details. Before the war, he had imported over ten thousand Holstein cows from the Netherlands to the front lines. Each cow could produce thirty to forty kilograms of milk per day. Two cows were enough to supply a whole platoon, greatly welcomed by German soldiers.
"..." Wilhelmina's expression became somewhat gloomy, as if she was unwilling for cows produced in her country to assist others in conquering the world.
The atmosphere became somewhat tense, and von Küchler stood up to leave. "His Highness invites Her Majesty the Queen and her family to Berlin as guests, the sooner, the better."
Wilhelmina sighed somewhat despondently. "I'm sorry; my granddaughter Beatrix is seriously ill and cannot travel far. It may be delayed for some time."
Von Küchler nodded. "His Highness also heard about your granddaughter's condition. His Highness specially asked me to convey that Germany has developed a treatment for leukemia."
"What?!" Wilhelmina suddenly stood up, looking incredulous. "Are you saying this is true?!" Her excited voice trembled slightly.
Von Küchler nodded affirmatively. "Of course." However, Queen Wilhelmina seemed to have gotten too excited and didn't notice that Wilhelm's original words were about treatment, not cure. Even in the 21st century, the cure rate for leukemia was still quite low. Currently, penicillin could only suppress its effects.
"Then we will go to Berlin tomorrow."
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