Chapter 830： Essen and Mülheim

Bullying a Lord Gomen and Earl of Schaumburg, Marin's strength is obviously crushed. However, there are also political risks. For example, some princes who are hostile to Marin will find an excuse to do so.

Therefore, while bullying Gomen and Schaumburg, Marin must also be prepared to fight. Of course, it is not really fighting with people, but a tough posture.

Although it is said that Marin did not have any loopholes this time, he has obtained authorization from the Archbishop of Cologne, the "landlord" of Recklinghausen. However, in order to prevent out-of-section branches, Marin has to do some other preparations. For example, a posture that is ready to respond to the invasion of the princely coalition forces needs to be displayed, saying "I am not afraid of you".

As a result, while exerting pressure on Gomen and Schaumburg, Marin also publicly called for national heroes and vigorously repaired several major points such as Aurich, Emden, Groningen, Oldenburg, Schleswig and other major points. City, make a posture of preparation and death.

At the same time, Marin also highlighted the 20,000 militia originally recruited secretly, and the existing more than 20,000 regular troops in the country, which made the size of the Beihai army reach a terrifying point.

The size of the army of more than 40,000 people is enough to play against any state in Germany and have a certain chance of victory. Even in the face of the coalition of princes, there may be problems with the offensive, but sticking to important cities can be done.

After all, the two or three hundred princes in Germany have really touched a large army, so there are dozens of them. Moreover, part of this is still part of the Habsburg family. Well, the remaining princes can theoretically touch more than 200,000 troops. However, this is only theoretical. Because these countries also have to keep their troops to protect themselves, it is impossible to send all the troops to fight Marin.

Well, such a calculation, the coalition of princes dispatched at most hundreds of thousands of people. So many people look scary, but considering the combat effectiveness, they may not be stronger than Marin's more than 40,000 people.

The most important thing is that if Marin chooses to defend the city, it will offset the opponent's number advantage. Coupled with the difference in combat effectiveness, the coalition of princes may not be able to capture the North Sea country.

Moreover, the coalition of princes may not be together. The princes obviously have their own abacus, and they will not be really stupid enough to send their own army and Marin to die.

An obvious example is that the eighteen princes of the Three Kingdoms period condemned Dong Zhuo. The overall strength of the coalition forces is obviously stronger, but because everyone is thinking about each other, Dong Zhuo's soldiers and horses retreat safely ...

As long as Marin takes a tough stance, the other party must have some scruples. Moreover, compared with the alliance between the Beihai Kingdom and the Habsburg family, the interests of the little princes such as Gomen and Schaumburg are obviously not very important.

Therefore, Marin publicly announced the enlistment of Zhuang Ding Xiu to repair several major cities and practice the defense of the city. In fact, it is just a political fraud.

After all, getting the Ruhr area is too important for Marin. If you can get the core area of ​​the Ruhr area, even taking a little risk is worth it.

In order to let the princes of various countries learn about Marin's attitude as soon as possible before the imperial conference, Marin sent a large number of men directly to major cities in Germany to purchase saltpetre or finished gunpowder for the deployment of gunpowder.

At the time of the acquisition, these people will also send a message to the people that the Beihai State has been prepared for long-term adherence ...

In this way, those princes who will be attending the meeting will also learn about Marin's attitude as soon as possible ...

...

Although the area of ​​Recklinghausen is not small, it is only part of the area between the Ruhr and Liper rivers. In addition to the land between the two rivers of Markberg obtained by Marin and the Recklinghausen, there are two imperial cities of Dortmund and Essen, as well as the east of the river in the Principality of Cliff and the north of the Ruhr River in the Principality of Berg enclave.

Therefore, if Marin wants to occupy most of the coal production area in the Ruhr area, he also needs to win the enclave in the east of the river in the Principality of Cliff and the north of the Ruhr in the Principality of Berg. There are also two imperial cities of Dortmund and Essen.

However, Marin had planned long before to seize the two imperial cities of Dortmund and Essen during the religious war. Therefore, what Marin needs to do now is to take the land on the east of the Rhine in the Principality of Cliff and the enclave on the north of the Ruhr in the Principality of Berg.

The land of the Principality of Cliff in the east of the Rhine, the south of the Lipper, and the north of the Ruhr is about four or five hundred square kilometers, which is only a little smaller than Recklinghausen.

It is an important agricultural area in the Principality of the River Cliff. After all, the land is very fertile. It was quite difficult to want John II, Duke of Cliff, to give up this land.

The enclave in the Ruhr River in the Principality of Berg is less than 100 square kilometers. On this land, only Mülheim on the Ruhr is an important town. At present, Mülheim is not even a city, only a bustling market town. Therefore, Marin had enough confidence to take down Mülheim. Moreover, this is also in line with the principle of easy first and then difficult.

To this end, Marin sent a representative to Jülich to find William IV, Duke of Lich-Berg, to discuss the purchase of the town of Mülheim.

However, because spending money is too cruel, Marin now has no cash in hand. After all, in this era, Europe lacked precious metals such as gold and silver, otherwise, it would not engage in big sailing. Therefore, Marin hopes that this acquisition can use food as a means of payment.

William IV initially rejected Marin's acquisition because he felt it was good to maintain the status quo.

He is not ambitious because he has no male heir. As early as 1496, William IV allied with John II, Duke of Cliff. The two parties agreed that the 6-year-old son of John II, Duke of Cliff, and the 5-year-old daughter of William IV signed a marriage contract with Maria of Lich-Berg. When the two little dolls get married at the age of four, the four great princes controlled by both parties merge ...

The reason for this is that William IV was injured in a horse fall in 1496, and the eggs were damaged, and no more offspring could be produced. Therefore, William IV could only accept the fate of no male heirs, and early to marry John II, Duke of Cliff.

Since then, William IV's life has no hope. He lives in fine wine and food every day, and no longer seeks to dominate the industry. Because he has no male heir anyway. What if you get more territory? Isn't the cheap Lamarck family?

Therefore, the current William IV has no desire and no need, and does not care about any interests. Even if Marin makes a high price, he doesn't care much ...

After hearing the messenger's return, Marin was a little speechless and felt very difficult. In this world, I am not afraid of people having ideas and desires, but I am afraid that the person has no ideas. The ancients said that if there is no desire, then it will be tough. In the face of William IV, who has no desire, Marin is also a bit blind ... Can you do it in the face of a person who does not want any good?

But the location of Mülheim is very important. It guards the lower reaches of the Ruhr River and is a necessary place to enter the Rhine channel. Moreover, it is on the edge of the imperial city of Essen ...

The city of Essen is famous in Germany in later generations. Because it is the home of the Krupp Arsenal, which is well-known in the future ...

The Krupp cannon is a super famous thing in China. That stuff was basically regarded as an artifact by Manqing. Of course, the Krupp artillery is indeed a cow, at least the Germans used Krupp artillery to blow France down ...

Before World War I, including the German Empire, Essen was always a military manufacturing center in Germany.

Moreover, unlike Mauser, which specializes in the production of rifles, Krupp has a large and technologically advanced steel plant as its support. Even the German Navy uses Krupp Steel's Krupp armor.

It can be said that the World War I and World War II provoked by the Germans are difficult to fight without Essen's strong military production capacity. Marin naturally covets Essen, the world-class arms center of future generations.

Moreover, Essen did not become a military manufacturing center in later generations. According to historical records, Essen became a famous military manufacturing center in Germany in the 16th century.

It is exactly the 16th century, and it is also the time period for Essen to move into the military manufacturing industry. And according to the report of the intelligence personnel-Essen has opened the curtain of firearm manufacturing ...

It is said that the Essen City Hall ~ www.novelhall.com ~ has issued a decree to announce support for the firearms manufacturing industry and to recruit firearms and artillery craftsmen from all over Germany.

It is said that in Essen, there are already six blacksmith shops for making matchlock guns and one blacksmith shop for casting Franc cannons ... and it is still increasing ... So, the prototype of the German Arms Manufacturing Center has been shown, Ma Lin has no reason to let Essen ...

The location of Mülheim ’s town is ingeniously located just southwest of Essen, and it is the only road from Essen to the Ruhr River.

In this era, muskets may be transported by land. But for artillery, if you want to transport it on a large scale, waterway is the best choice.

Therefore, by controlling Mülheim and the original territory of Markberg, Marin even blocked Essen's use of the Ruhr River to communicate with the outside world.

If you count the Recklinghausen, and then obtain the land on the east of the Rhine from the Principality of Cliff, Marin ’s territory can surround Essen. By that time, as long as Marin set up a card, he could block the road between Essen and the outside world. If Essen rebelled, it would be even better.

Of course, it's not that troublesome. If Essen stood on the Protestant side in the war of religion, then it goes without saying that standing on the Catholic side directly and destroying Essen in the name of apologizing.

However, if there is a deviation in history and Essen did not join the Protestantism, using the territory surrounding Essen to set up cards to block the outflow of Essen ’s goods and force him to turn his face ... is the only means ...

Mülheim is not only the gateway to the southwestern land of Essen, but also controls the channel of the lower Ruhr River, which can lock Essen. Therefore, Marin had to take down the area of ​​Mülheim in any case.

However, William IV is now desperate, and Marin doesn't know what to do with him ...