Chapter 1096 Declining Expectations
Failing to achieve the goal, Lloyd-George can only sigh: the world is changing too fast, and the French government is not easy to fool.
Unlike the pro-British Bonaparte dynasty, the Bourbon Restoration had nothing to do with the British government. Even in order to avoid suspicion, the Carlos government deliberately kept a distance from the British.
The facts are in front of us, and no matter how much benefit Lloyd-George promises, it cannot hide the high risk of participating in the war against the Shinra.
France's vitality is now severely damaged, and the wealth accumulated by the colonial empire for hundreds of years has also been consumed, and there is no capital to fight against Shinra at all.
The country can't stand the toss, and the king can't stand the toss. Although the Bourbon Dynasty is orthodox, it has been intervened by strong dragons several times in the middle, and its ruling foundation is far less stable than what the outside world sees.
If it weren't for the fussing of the previous government and the scourge of the Russians, the people of Paris would be disgusted by the "revolution".
Otherwise, given the current economic situation in France, it is estimated that the Carlos government would have been ousted long ago.
I have to admit that social beatings make it easier for people to mature. After a series of failures, France's second-year junior high school almost disappeared.
Without this main force of cannon fodder, the revolutionary party has gone silent. There is no other way. Now is the time when the people are most disgusted with the revolution, and there is absolutely no basis for rebellion.
No one is a fool, the troops of the Anti-French Alliance are still stationed in France. The rebellion at this time is not only the rebellion of the Carlos government, but also the rebellion of the "anti-French alliance".
A smart person can see that there is no point in revolting now, except for losing one's life.
As for the idiots who can't understand the current situation, they have already died in various ways, even if they are lucky enough to escape, it will not be a climate.
The most important thing is that after Carlos came to power, although the domestic economy did not look much, the population of France has been greatly reduced.
When the population decreases, the resources allocated to each person will naturally increase, and everyone's life will go on.
It was only after the war that they realized the value of peace. The French people, who were afraid of being tossed and tossed, are now thinking of a few days to have a happy birthday. Even if life is hard, it is better than being displaced.
Against the social background of people's minds, the domestic situation in France quickly stabilized.
Lloyd George is very disappointed not to fool the French, but he has no time for sadness now. This visit to Europe is not just for a French.
With the exception of the Holy Roman Empire, which was 100% sure enemy, all European countries were the targets of the British government.
Although affected by geopolitics, it is unrealistic to want to pull people over, but it is not bad to play "being in Caoying and being in Han".
Not asking countries to stand on their side, as long as everyone remains neutral in the battle for hegemony, or slack off, is a huge victory for Britain.
To do this, it is not without hope. European countries are now attached to the Holy Roman Empire, which does not mean that everyone is really willing.
No one likes to have a "mother-in-law" on their head, and if possible, everyone is more willing to return to the era of multi-strong side-by-side.
If the Holy Roman Empire really seized world hegemony, it would be a "dominant family" in the true sense, and all countries could only shiver under this behemoth.
The Vienna government now pays attention to eating and drinking, but it does not mean that the family will still pay attention to eating. No one wants to bet on the integrity of the Vienna government.
After all, the government needs to change. The Franz era had a special social background, and we had to pay attention to eating and eating, and the basic morals were retained, but this does not mean that the next era also has morals.
If it hadn't been too slippery before, and jumped up through the anti-French war, it is estimated that the anti-Austrian alliance would have been established long ago.
From this point of view, the rise of the Holy Roman Empire can be attributed to France.
If it wasn't for their arrogance and hatred in front of them before, which affected the judgments of various countries, the rise of the Holy Roman Empire would never have been so smooth.
Perhaps Lloyd-George was born to work hard, and his names all start with "labor", and now he is running around the world as a British envoy.
Unlike the convenient transportation in later generations, although there are planes these days, politicians basically dare not take them.
The most luxurious trains, on average, cannot keep up with the green-skinned trains of later generations. The fastest and most comfortable is of course the special train, but unfortunately Lloyd-George does not enjoy this level of treatment.
The status of the British plenipotentiary envoy to foreign countries can scare a lot of people overseas, but in the European continent, there are many people who do not ignore him.
Every country has a special train waiting for him. If Edward VII visited in person, it would be more or less the same.
Staying in the car for a long time is obviously not a kind of enjoyment. Fortunately, most of the European countries are small countries. If all of them are like Shinra and Russia, Lloyd-George will have to be stunned.
The front is fighting for the cause of the British Empire, and the rear is not idle either. The British Parliament has met seven times over the issue of the military budget.
Up to now, the total tonnage ratio of the Royal Navy and the Shinra Navy has remained at 10:6.5, and the tonnage ratio of battleships is also as high as 4:3, but there is no advantage in super battleships.
Now that the Vienna government has increased the budget of 100 million Aegis (equivalent to 50 million pounds), the Royal Navy wants to continue to maintain its current advantage, and at least increase it by 70 million pounds.
This number sounds small, but in fact it is very fatal. You must know that the financial revenue of the British Isles is less than 100 million pounds a year.
Even accounting for colonial gains, this is still an astronomical figure. Once this military budget is passed, nothing else can be determined. The British government will definitely run a budget deficit this year.
If the original military budget is added, then the military budget of the Royal Navy will directly exceed 100 million pounds this year, which is catching up with the fiercest arms race in the original time.
Of course, this is also the time when the arms race is at its most intense. The only difference is that there is a lack of preheating, and it goes directly to the finals.
This kind of gameplay of directly competing for the final championship without preliminaries is obviously not suitable for the British, at least the parliament has not responded.
Many people are wondering if the Royal Navy and the Shinra Navy are singing "double reeds" in order to defraud the huge military budget.
Something like that didn't happen. Although the British and Austrian navies have never really colluded, they tacitly held high the "threat theory" when they asked for military expenses.
Once, twice, three or four times..., it happens more often, and it is no longer a coincidence that it falls in the eyes of those who care.
In the original time and space, there were news of the joint British and German navies defrauding military expenditures, and now there is a rumor that the British and Austrian navies jointly defrauded military expenditures, which is not a big deal.
Under normal circumstances, everyone would not believe it, but there are abnormal situations, right?
Although the British government has deep pockets, this does not mean that their funds are unlimited. Spending a lot more on the military will inevitably reduce spending in other areas.
Behind every member of parliament is the support of interest groups. Some people will benefit from an increase in the military budget of the Navy, and others will suffer.
Interests are mindless, and it is completely normal to oppose for the sake of opposition.
What's more, Shinra's shipbuilding plan has also been covered up, and everyone has every reason to suspect that this is deliberately created by the enemy to trick them into being fooled.
You must know that the increase in the Navy's military budget has never been a one-time investment. After the warship is in service, maintenance costs increase every year.
Similarly, the British government has been on more than one occasion. Anyway, the Royal Navy did not dare to enter the Mediterranean Sea, and the Vienna government was not afraid of the collapse of the game.
Just look at the comparison of the gross tonnage of warships. For a long time in the past, the gross tonnage ratio of the two navies has remained at 10:7, but now it has become 10:6.5.
It seems that the proportion has not changed much, but in fact, it is money that is tossed out. In particular, the Royal Navy has also sealed a large number of legal warships, otherwise the total tonnage gap between the two sides will be even more disparate.
It was a good thing to have the lead in the total tonnage, which meant that the hegemony of the Royal Navy was unbreakable. Unfortunately, with the advent of the "Super Battleship Age", all this has changed.
After seeing the combat effectiveness of super battleships, the Royal Navy suddenly realized that "warships are outdated".
Overnight, revolutionary naval technology broke out. In front of super battleships, traditional battleships of all types have become children's toys.
With the reshuffle of the navy, the overwhelming advantage of the Royal Navy over the Shinra Navy gradually disappeared.
Seeing the Admiralty being sprayed with blood by the MPs, Prime Minister Campbell couldn't sit still. According to the current situation, if there is such a quarrel, it is estimated that the enemy has come to the door, and they have not made a decision.
"quiet!"
"Members of the Congress please abide by the order of the meeting and prohibit personal attacks."
The speaker's voice sounded, and the venue temporarily restored order. It can be seen that everyone is still very self-respecting, and finally it has not evolved into "shrew scolding the street".
However, this is temporary, and basically every meeting requires several reminders from the speaker.
This is still the House of Lords. The members are from nobles, and most of them can restrain their emotions. The House of Commons will be even more lively.
Quarrels can only be regarded as pediatrics, and all martial arts are staged from time to time.
There has always been a saying in the British folks: "To be a qualified MP, you must not only be able to speak well, but also have a good body."
Seeing the scene quiet down, Prime Minister Campbell said, "Everyone, the situation is very critical.
The parliament of the Holy Roman Empire approved the increase in the military budget of the Navy last month, and now all major shipyards in Shinra have started construction.
According to the information we have collected, there are as many as 13 super battleships currently under construction.
What this means, everyone must know. Ordinary warships have no survivability in the face of super battleships.
If we do not follow up immediately, the advantage of the Royal Navy will be lost once the enemy ships are brought into service.
With Shinra's ambition, he will definitely not miss this opportunity to challenge us.
Although I have full confidence in the Royal Navy, even if the performance of the warships is backward, our officers and soldiers can rely on professionalism to overcome the weak and the strong.
However, this comes at a very heavy price and will give other countries an opportunity to take advantage.
As an island country, we must always ensure the superiority of sea power, and we must not slow down for a moment. "
When it came to the "Hinra Empire Council", Campbell was secretly envious. The same is the parliament, the difference between the two is too big.
The Shinra Empire Council makes a decision, which takes only a few hours at the fastest, and no more than half a month at the slowest.
Such efficiency, it is absolutely impossible for the British Parliament to achieve.
If it weren't for the failure of the parliament, Campbell would have wanted to follow the example of the Holy Roman Empire in adding an efficiency clause to the "Parliament Act", which mandated that
Parliament must make decisions within a certain time limit.
Just think about it. There are only a few members in the Shinra Empire Parliament, and how many members are there in the British Parliament. There is no comparison between the two.
A lot of people are powerful, but a lot of people will also forcefully "reduce wisdom". I'm not sure about anything else, but when there is a quarrel, the more people there are, the more touching the scene is.
Compared with the parliament of the Holy Roman Empire with only a few dozen people, the prosperous British parliament is obviously more difficult to manage.
As soon as Campbell's voice fell, an opposition congressman jumped out and questioned:
"Your Excellency, we all know that the Empire is facing challenges, but this does not mean that taxpayer money can be squandered at will.
The one-time increase in the military budget of 70 million pounds is only one year. Do you think that the pound is just a piece of paper, and we can print as much as we want?
Now that the enemy has increased his military budget by £5,000, an equal follow-up is all it takes. Could it be that under the same conditions, the Royal Navy is afraid that they will fail? "
Times are changing, and everyone's expectations are also changing. The development plan of the Royal Navy is also constantly lowering the standard.
First, from the original three-strong strategy, it became the two-strong standard, and then it was reduced to 5:3 against the second child, and then 10:7, 4:3.
After gritting their teeth and supporting it until now, the expectations of many people have been lowered again. Quite a bit after the First World War, the British government's attitude toward the Americans.
At first, he was tough, and he was going to use the Royal Navy to suppress the Americans. After trying it, he found that his wallet was not enough, and he was forced to make concessions.
Although it has not yet reached that stage, the Royal Navy's annual military expenditures are still a bit overwhelming for the British government.
If it only persists for a few years, then relying on the heritage accumulated by Britain is naturally not a problem.
However, the Holy Roman Empire has become a general trend, and it will not be able to pk for a while. No one knows when this sudden naval arms race will end.
Referring to the Hundred Years War between Britain and France, many British people are ready to fight a protracted war, and are ready to use the advantages of the Strait to slowly consume it, waiting for the situation in Europe to change.
If it was put on hold a hundred years ago, there would be no problem with such a plan. It's a pity that the times are different now. If it is consumed for a long time, Britain will suffer even more.
Frowning, Campbell explained helplessly: "Your Excellency only saw the military budget, but ignored the actual situation.
Although we have the most advanced shipbuilding industry in the world, the cost of building warships is still 10% to 15% higher than that of the Austrians.
The construction of warships is a complex project. The birth of every warship involves hundreds of industries.
Regardless of our original reluctance to admit it, the Empire does lag behind the Holy Roman Empire in the overall industrial chain.
Not only the construction of warships, but also the construction of related supporting facilities and the cost of maintaining warships in the later period are slightly higher than those of the enemy. "
There is no way, such as warships, which involves many related companies, has to be affected by the industrial system.
As the world's largest industrial power, the Holy Roman Empire is obviously more advantageous in this regard.
For spare parts with the same function, the production cost of the Holy Roman Empire is lower than that of other countries, and the more high-tech accessories, the more obvious this cost advantage.
In the era of free trade, there are no restrictions. British shipyards can also purchase spare parts from Shinra, but it is nothing more than a little more freight, and there is no obvious disadvantage in cost.
But with the collapse of the free trade system, those good days are gone forever. Imports need to pay high tariffs and lose value for money.
The local company that was originally pushed to the brink of bankruptcy has finally turned around, and now it is natural to replenish its blood.
The purchase price of spare parts has gone up, and the unit price reported by the shipyard has naturally gone up.
For the healthy development of the industry, this order can only be bought by the British government. If you want to reduce costs, you can only wait for related companies to complete technological innovation.
Of course, although the cost has increased, it is still not too much to directly increase by 40%.
Campbell's explanation is more to divert the attention of the lawmakers in order to obtain a higher military budget and ensure absolute suppression of the Shinra Navy.