Chapter 1095 The Tangled Carlos
Japan is not close to the British Isles, and even if an agreement is reached immediately and it is shipped back from London immediately, it will be two months later.
What's more, armored troops are technical arms, and it takes a certain amount of time to familiarize themselves with equipment and basic training. It is highly efficient to be able to enter the battlefield within half a year.
For the current Russo-Japanese War, it can only be regarded as a distant water. If you want to quench your thirst, you still need the Japanese army to work hard.
On this issue, no one can help. When it comes to specific tactical command capabilities, the front-line officers are obviously better than the civilians in the government.
Professionals can't handle it, let alone amateurs. Japan's family base is weak, can't stand any toss, and has not yet reached the time of self-will.
Ito Hirobumi: "Although the Far East battlefield is somewhat troublesome, it is still within our control.
According to information provided by the British, the Trans-Siberian Railway will not open to traffic until the second half of next year at the earliest.
Coupled with the later opening and integration of the railway, it is estimated that it can really play a role in early 1906, and we still have enough time.
The trouble is the international situation. The battle between Britain and the Holy Roman Empire is getting more and more intense, and many things have been brought to the table, and they are too lazy to cover up.
Someday they will fight. The Empire is too deeply tied to Britain, and now it is at war with the Russians. Once the hegemony battle breaks out, we have no choice at all.
Although the Royal Navy has an absolute advantage, the British are invincible; but the Holy Roman Empire, which spans Asia, Europe and Africa, has an unshakable land hegemony.
Both have their own absolute advantages, and no one dares to draw conclusions easily about the final outcome of this hegemony battle.
If two tigers fight, one will be injured. It should be a good thing for other countries in the world.
But the empire was unlucky, just in time to break out the war with the Russians. One bad, we will be involved in the hegemony battle.
Judging from the current situation, it is very likely that Britain and the Holy Roman Empire will not be able to do anything about the other and will finally be forced to choose a truce.
They are a big family, and it doesn't matter if they fight a war. We, the countries that have been implicated, will be out of luck.
Similar cases have not happened in history, just like our Warring States period. "
Ito Hirobumi's worries are definitely not aimless. With Japan's national strength, it ran to participate in the hegemony competition between Shinra and Britain, and the final result was definitely a tragic ending.
Even if the British win and stand on the side of the victors, the fate that awaits them will never be good.
For no other reason than the lack of strength. The Russians alone are exhausting them, and there is no way they can go elsewhere to grab territory.
If you win, you won't share the spoils; if you lose, you may lose your entire fortune. No one wants to be involved in such a hegemony battle!
This kind of experience and lessons, the Japanese government is not lacking. Although "Japan's Warring States Period" is mostly a fight at the village level, it is still feasible to learn from the experience of the ancients.
Several big names compete for hegemony, and the first unlucky ones are the little princes. To fight with the boss, not only to be cannon fodder, but also to pick up the rest of the spoils.
If the casualties are heavy, you can only consider yourself unlucky. If you meet someone who is benevolent and righteous, you may take care of them to help preserve the family inheritance;
Prime Minister Katsura: "Ito-kun, there is no need to think too much. The changes in the international situation are beyond our control, and what the Empire can do now is to win this war.
As for the struggle for hegemony between the Holy Roman Empire and Britain, we can only wait for an opportunity as the situation develops.
As long as the empire grasps the degree of it well and does not participate too deeply, even if Shinra wins, the Vienna government will not be able to go on an expedition to find the bad luck of the empire.
What's more, from the current situation, the possibility of losing both parties is the greatest, and the danger of the empire is not great. "
Distance is the best moat. For Japan at this stage, being far from the European continent is the biggest advantage.
No matter how fierce the Anglo-Austrian struggle is, the main battlefield is in Europe. As long as the Japanese government does not dig into it, it is very likely to become a bystander.
Even if the British boss is not happy, there are still Russians who top the tank! Being busy with the Russo-Japanese war and unable to distract Nan Gu is the best reason.
Containing the Russians and reducing the pressure on Britain in India was their greatest contribution to the alliance.
Of course, the prerequisite for Kataro to draw such a conclusion is that Britain and Russia did not hook up.
If the Russians fell to the British, they would have no choice but to end the war and head south.
After all, British money is not easy to get. Since you have received money from others, you will have to pay it back.
...
The Japanese government, which is thousands of miles away, has felt the pressure, not to mention the European countries facing the storm.
It's the once-in-a-decade season of standing up again, and at this point, everyone has to make a choice.
"Choices outweigh efforts", the same applies to countries. This step has been taken, and it will be difficult to turn back.
Whether the next few decades will be "sweet and spicy" or "eat savory" depends on the outcome of the current wave of bets.
Paris, since the end of the European Continental War, this international metropolis has fallen into a second-tier city, and its presence in the world is getting lower and lower.
In the past, the grand occasion when the Paris government stomped its foot and the earth trembled three times is long gone.
existing.
Now there is only a Bourbon dynasty that survives in the slits, without the arrogance of the former European hegemony.
Not only has the government lost its momentum, but even the people have lost their confidence, and the arrogance of the past has not been seen at all.
The original revolutionary holy place with active thinking is now like a pool of backwater. With the end of the war, the ideological prosperous era of contention among a hundred schools of thought came to an end.
The hot-blooded and passionate campus debates no longer exist, and the passionate and romantic Parisian street is also gone.
I don’t know since when, the people of Paris are no longer keen to discuss politics, and news of international events is not as good as store discounts to attract everyone’s attention.
Once the capital of newspapers, it has now been reduced to the point where newspapers are stopped without a trace, as if people don't like reading newspapers anymore.
The scenes in front of him cast a shadow deep inside Lloyd-George with a mission.
The vibrant Paris no longer exists, there are now just a group of walking dead just to survive.
Ask yourself, can such France be able to take on the heavy responsibility of "anti-Hinra"?
Lloyd-George himself didn't know. It's just that it's all coming, whether it can be done or not, the work must continue.
No one could have imagined that the Vienna government's reaction to Britain's withdrawal from the free trade system would be so fierce, directly piercing the last layer of window paper between the two countries.
The smell of gunpowder in Europe suddenly intensified, but Britain's strategic plan has only just begun.
Seeing that the footsteps of the war are approaching, the banner of the anti-"Shinra" alliance has not yet been able to be erected.
The main force in the reservation, Mao Xiong, is currently busy fighting with another teammate, Japan. If the internal problems have not been solved, how can we talk about anti-Shinra?
It's just that time waits for no one, the arms race has already broken out, and Shinra and Britain are currently having a dumpling competition.
Lloyd George wouldn't be surprised if war broke out tomorrow.
In order to increase the odds of winning in the war, the British government is doing its best to win over allies at this moment. It doesn't matter whether it's a powerful faction or a soy sauce faction, as long as it can be pulled over, the more the better.
In the eyes of the British government: "A rotten ship has three pounds of nails", not to mention the once arrogant French Empire. No matter how declining, it is not comparable to ordinary small countries.
In a sense, the British government's judgment is not wrong. At present, France is still a "big country" with a population of over 10 million. Although it has been greatly weakened, the foundation is still there.
It's a pity that "inheritance" is just "inheritance". Before it is transformed into strength, no matter how deep the background is, it cannot support a big country.
The current France is one of the typical cases. No matter how rich its historical accumulation is, it cannot stand the constant bloodletting and tossing of the anti-French alliance.
First, the French military industry was violently destroyed, and then the French heavy industry was killed by commodity dumping.
If only the industry was damaged, that's all, the most important thing is the performance of the Russians.
Originally, the French still welcomed the Russian troops. At the Vienna Conference, the anti-French alliance advocated letting them go, and even quarreled with other countries because of this.
It's a pity that this "ally" who was expecting to come here is properly a wolf in human skin.
With the help of the Russians, France successfully fell from the edge of the cliff to the endless abyss.
No matter what kind of arrogance, backbone, feelings, and hatred, they all shivered under the Russian army's butcher's knife.
If you look at the peaceful performance of the people of Paris, you will know that it is all due to the Russians. But those who have the backbone are either sent to see God, or they are contributing to the construction of the Siberian Railway.
At a glance, all eyes are full of yin and yang. Young and strong people have almost been harmed by the Russians, and the rest are mostly old and weak, women and children, and it is difficult for them to do things.
Lloyd-George can see that even if the French participate in the anti-Shinra war, they can only follow the soy sauce.
If you want to be the main force, you have to have soldiers, right?
If one were to simply count the young and strong labor force, it would be estimated that Belgium next door was not much different from France.
Although France still has a population of 17 to 8 million, the army that can be taken out is only a few hundred thousand at most.
Not to mention the fight against Shinra, it is estimated that once they move, the surrounding Sardinia, Belgium, Switzerland, and Spain will solve them.
Of course, women can be recruited if there are not enough men. In theory, France could still build an army of millions.
It is a pity that the French did not have this opportunity. The anti-French alliance limited France's armament early, and the number of troops was severely limited.
Even the procurement of every rifle and bullet requires the approval of the Coalition Command, not to mention expanding the scope of recruitment.
It is estimated that before they can complete their domestic mobilization, the French garrison will kill them first. It is not that the anti-French alliance has not done anything before changing the government.
Knowing is knowing, it is still to be fooled. If war really breaks out, any power is precious.
The strength of France is not good, but this does not affect them as cannon fodder. Even if it can't help you on the frontal battlefield, and it can consume Shinra's resources, that's good.
Britain and France have been feuding for hundreds of years, and by the way, the French have been pitted, and Lloyd-George has no psychological pressure.
With the heart to give it a try, Lloyd-George came to Versailles.
When I revisited the old place, what I saw in front of me changed dramatically. more than a palace
After changing the owner, even the interior decoration is not as good as before.
As a French folk song sings: "The troubled Versailles, the troubled Paris, the troubled France..."
From the beginning of its construction, the fate of Versailles has been linked with France. In the past few hundred years, countless major events involving French history have been staged here.
...
Before Lloyd-George was finished, Carlos interrupted: "Sir George, it's pointless to talk about this.
France has fallen to this point, and your country has also made a great contribution. Without your cooperation, we would not have lost so cleanly in the European War.
Now talking about the friendship between the two countries, sorry, I really do not feel the friendship of your country. All I see is the betrayal of allies.
At this point, it's useless to say anything. France can no longer withstand any toss, instead of wasting our time here, your country should think about how to deal with the challenge of the Holy Roman Empire! "
Anglo-French friendship is itself a false proposition. In the past few hundred years, the two countries have been hostile for dozens of times longer than they have been in alliance.
Even so, in only a few alliances, France suffered a great loss.
The feng shui turns, and now it is the turn of the British to continue the challenge. Carlos did not fall into the trap, it would have been very face-saving.
To want France to take up arms and go to war with the Holy Roman Empire again for the benefit of the British is simply an insult to Carlos' IQ.
Being rejected, Lloyd-George was not surprised. Even he was mentally prepared to be kicked out, and now he can sit here and talk, which is already a very good result.
Although it was done by the previous government, it is still an indisputable fact that Britain cheated on France.
Being pitted so badly, it is normal to have grievances, and there are problems without grievances.
It's just that on this issue, Lloyd-George doesn't have much to say.
In the eyes of the French, it was the betrayal of Britain that led to their defeat; but from the standpoint of Britain, it was not because France was too wasteful that they lost the battle without waiting for them to be ready.
"Your Majesty, France used to be a great country, but now what I see is full of depression and people's livelihood, don't you want to change all this?
As long as the Holy Roman Empire exists for one day, your country will not even try to cross the mountain of the Anti-French Alliance.
Now is the last chance. If your country doesn't want to sink in like this, the best way is to join us.
As long as the Holy Roman Empire is defeated, your country can immediately regain everything it once had and stand on the top of the world again. "
To say that you are not interested, it must be false. It's just that the blueprint drawn by Lloyd-George, no matter how magnificent, can't make up for the weak army strength of the Anti-Shinra Alliance.
Now join in, it is a replica of the last European war, and France still has to single out the European countries.
The only difference is that they were able to do this back then, and if they do it now, they are proper cannon fodder.
But not participating, the reality is indeed as Lloyd-George said, this is France's last chance.
Once you miss it, it is estimated that you will not want to turn around in the next century. Whether it was the victory of Britain or the Holy Roman Empire, they were the targets of oppression.
After hesitating for a while, Carlos said slowly: "You don't need to say any more, no matter how great the interests are, they will only be able to eat after they have destroyed the Holy Roman Empire.
With your country's military strength, even with us, there is still no chance of victory on land.
You have the Royal Navy, the big deal is a strategic contraction, and you are not afraid of retaliation from the Holy Roman Empire. We do not have such conditions. "
Make up your mind and refuse?
That's totally overthinking it. If anyone is in Carlos' position, they will think about making a comeback.
Not agreeing to form an alliance with the British, on the one hand, is really not sure of winning, on the other hand, simply cannot trust the British.
If these two problems can be solved. Then joining the Anti-Shinra Alliance is not a big deal.
Obviously, this is not realistic. Unless the British can win over all the countries in Europe, they will not be able to gather the general trend against Shinra at all.