Chapter 203 Dutch Surrender

After much hesitation, King Christian finally accepted the agreement.

"Your Majesty has made a wise decision. The people of Norway will be grateful for your choice.", the German envoy flattered, taking back the signed agreement from King Christian. "Now, if Your Majesty would kindly come with us, our sovereign has prepared a small performance feast for you."

"..." Although unsure of the German envoy's intentions, King Christian complied, leading a group of high-ranking officials to a mountain summit outside Oslo. On the other side of the mountain was a desolate and uninhabited area.

By now, the massive fleet had divided into several squadrons, heading toward predetermined landing points. In the distant sky, over a hundred planes were still circling.

The German envoy glanced around at the various expressions on the faces of Norwegian officials and instructed his subordinate, "Tell them the audience is seated, and the performance can begin."

"Yes." The subordinate returned to the car and started fiddling with the radio.

Soon, a four-engine plane separated from the formation and flew towards them. About ten kilometers away, it dropped a bomb. Observing the plane after releasing the bomb, it sharply ascended, visible to the naked eye. It seemed that the bomb was quite heavy.

Indeed, the dropped bomb was imposing, with a length of at least seven or eight meters and an unprecedented thickness. In the horrified gaze of onlookers, the bomb hit the ground forcefully, disappearing from sight.

It truly "hit" the ground. This bomb was a replica of the British "Grand Slam" super bomb. Weighing 10 tons, it had a height of 8.08 meters and a diameter of 1.17 meters.

In 1942, British engineer Barnes Wallis, responding to a request from the Royal Air Force, successfully developed the 6-ton "Tallboy Bomb." This bomb proved immensely powerful in combat, particularly in sinking the German battleship Tirpitz. Building upon this success, Wallis embarked on developing a 10-ton bomb, named the "Grand Slam" (also known as "Tallboy").

Internally filled with 4,144 kilograms of aluminum powder mixed with D1 high-explosive material, the Grand Slam bomb had a penetrative force of 40 meters into soil and could penetrate concrete layers up to 6 meters. It was the largest explosive device manufactured by humans before the advent of nuclear weapons and remains the largest explosive device deployed in actual combat to date.

"..." Just as everyone exchanged bewildered glances, a muffled "boom" echoed, and the entire earth began to shake violently. As if an earthquake was imminent, loose stones on the mountainside tumbled down. Several people couldn't keep their balance and ended up sitting on the ground.

Witnessing the ground bulge into a large mound where the massive bomb had entered, flames spouted from numerous cracks. After a few seconds, the raised ground collapsed with a thunderous roar, creating a massive crater. It was too far to see how deep it was, but its sheer size was shocking.

The German envoy looked at the pale-faced crowd and smiled faintly. "I'll take my leave now, gentlemen. I wish you all a pleasant afternoon." With that, he nodded, got into the car, and departed.

"Oh, my God!" After a while, King Christian let out a weak sigh and asked his attendant, who was supporting him, "Do you think the palace's air-raid shelter can withstand such a bomb?"

The attendant, with a trembling voice and a pale face, replied, "Your Majesty, I'm afraid it cannot."

Upon hearing the king's words, the already grim faces of the officials became even more solemn. Although these high-ranking individuals had dedicated air-raid shelters, none could withstand such a terrifying bomb.

In that instant, everyone had one thought in their minds: never offend the Germans, or else, if greeted by such a super bomb, nothing would be left.

As for why Wilhelm staged this particular scene, it was entirely due to the nature of the Norwegian people.

Norway, situated on the edge of the ocean with numerous islands, is known as the "Land of a Thousand Islands". The country boasts beautiful landscapes, including high mountains, glaciers, and extensive lakes. However, its long and harsh winters, with a cold climate, have shaped the Norwegians into resilient individuals.

When Norway was occupied in the original timeline, the people did not give up resistance. Internally, they formed various guerrilla units. Abroad, particularly in England, they established an exile government to call for resistance. They also formed an air force, participating in the Battle of Britain. Mobilizing a large number of fleets, they provided support for the Allies. Winter served as the savior against the German forces, as the Soviet Union utilized the winter to stop and counterattack against Germany. Meanwhile, the Norwegian people, utilizing the vast snow-covered landscapes, continuously resisted the German forces. There was a Norwegian youth who, alone in the ice and snow, persisted for several days, crossed the Scandinavian mountains, and delivered intelligence to the Allies.

So Wilhelm offered Norway such generous terms, even resorting to intimidating them with precious super bombs, as a form of coercion and enticement. The hope was to alleviate the hostile sentiment among Norwegians, making them behave and causing less trouble for the German forces.

*

Over a hundred planes in the sky began to return, but instead of heading directly back to Germany, they took a detour over the Netherlands.

Wilhelm II's father was Friedrich III, and his mother, Princess Victoria Adelaide Mary Louisa, was the eldest daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands was the daughter of Wilhelm III and Princess Emma. Princess Emma, the sister-in-law of Queen Victoria, was also a princess of the Waldeck-Pyrmont family.

In simple terms, Wilhelm II's mother's brother's wife's sister was Wilhelmina's mother. In other words, according to Chinese kinship terms, Wilhelmina was Wilhelm II's cousin.

In the original timeline, after the defeat in World War I, Wilhelm went into exile in the Netherlands. Article 227 of the Treaty of Versailles clearly designated Wilhelm II as a war criminal, stating that his crimes violated international morality and the sanctity of treaties (such as Germany's invasion of perpetually neutral Belgium). However, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands refused to extradite him for trial, ignoring the appeals of the Allied powers. Wilhelm II, thanks to his relation to the queen, received a small castle, Huis Doorn, in Doorn, where he spent the rest of his life.

Therefore, when the German envoy explained to Queen Wilhelmina the purpose of this visit as "persuasion", the queen was stunned for a moment, showing a mixture of warmth and anger on her face. "The Netherlands has always maintained neutrality. I don't understand why Crown Prince Wilhelm would commit such an internationally unethical act as declaring war on a neutral country. Doesn't he know that attacking neutral countries is an extremely heinous act, equivalent to declaring war on the entire world? King Wilhelm II would not agree to such actions!"

Listening to the queen's series of questions, the German envoy couldn't help but smirk inwardly.

Neutrality?

You dare to boast so shamelessly. The Netherlands and England-Germany are relatives; in the last war, both sides were doing business. English brothers! Do you want me to help you build ships to defeat the Germans? German brothers! Do you want me to help you build ships to defeat the English?

Nevertheless, he still politely responded to the queen, who seemed to be a victim of the "shameless robber theory". "Your Majesty, you may not be aware that the red empire to the east is becoming increasingly powerful and has its eyes on Europe. The invasion of Europe is only a matter of time. However, we, the various European countries, are constantly plotting and scheming for our tiny interests without understanding the need for unity and cooperation. For this reason, His Highness has decided to integrate the strength of the entire Europe to counter future crises, preventing the people of Europe from being ravaged by the red empire. His Highness is even willing to bear the infamy of attacking neutral countries for this noble cause. Look around the world today, who can compare to this?"

This envoy seemed to be a brainwashed fanatic, spouting enthusiastic praise for Wilhelm, nearly moved to tears.

Taking a deep breath and trying to calm down his excited emotions, the envoy ignored the dumbfounded Queen Wilhelmina and continued, "As for our King Wilhelm II, several years ago, he entrusted the entire Germany to His Highness Wilhelm. Even if you were to call King Wilhelm now, it wouldn't change His Highness's decision. Moreover...", the envoy took out a pocket watch and checked the time, "in another 20 minutes, major cities in the Netherlands will turn into a sea of fire."

"What do you mean by that? Are you threatening me?" Wilhelmina felt that something bad was about to happen, and a deep sense of unease pervaded her.

The German envoy responded coldly, "Your Majesty! Throughout history, achieving any great undertaking requires sacrifices. Today, sacrificing a few people is for the future happiness of many. And with just a word from you, even these few people won't have to lose their lives."

During the conversation, a secretary rushed into the meeting room in a panic. "Your Majesty, a large group of aircrafts is approaching the border."

"Oh, my God! Have you all gone mad?!" Wilhelmina exclaimed in shock. "I agree! I agree to surrender! Immediately cease your actions! I'll agree to any conditions!"