Chapter 693 Shocking Plan
Franz's decision means that the honeymoon period between Britain and Austria is over, and the conflict between the two countries is bound to increase in the years to come.
The world is big enough to feed billions of people; the world is too small to hold two overlords.
The world can't hold it, let alone the European continent?
With the renaissance of Austria, a conflict of interest with the British was a matter of time. Even without the Russian-Prussian War, elsewhere the two countries would still be on opposite sides.
Franz would have feared the British before the Suez Canal was opened. It's different now, the Austrian Navy has direct access to the Arabian Sea, with colonies to rely on along the way.
If Britain and Austria really turned their faces, Austria could completely adopt a lose-lose strategy. Drive the British off the African continent, and by the way, burn the war into the Indian Ocean.
The significance of India to Britain can be seen from its productivity, which is almost the same as that of the British Isles.
There is no doubt that this leveling is limited to the total economic volume, one is agriculture and the other is industry, and the two are completely incomparable.
This "the most dazzling gem in the crown of the British Empire" is beyond Austria's grasp, but it still has the ability to overturn the chessboard.
Of course, "turning over the chessboard" is only a last resort. If it is done, Austria will be miserable.
There is no need to think about the colonization of the Americas, and the colonies in the Southeast Asian region may not be able to survive. Most of the overseas markets have been lost, and it will be difficult for them to recover for decades.
This is still optimistic. In case the British went crazy and the main force of the Royal Navy would kill him without hesitation, chasing after the Austrian Navy and beating hard, Franz would cry.
Rationally, the odds of this happening are very low. The British were worried that the French would sneak attack on their homeland; Austria was also worried that the French would take the bottom line and cut off the connection between the homeland and Austrian Africa.
The strength of Austria is also based on the premise that the mainland and the colonies are integrated. If the connection is cut off, it will not be much better than the German Empire whose original time and space were blocked.
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Chief of Staff Albrecht proposed: "Everyone, in view of the current complex situation, it is necessary for us to expand the navy.
If the British suffered a loss in the Russian-Prussian War, the London government would definitely have to find it elsewhere, the future international conflicts would inevitably intensify, and the pressure on the navy would be greatly increased.
There are also concerns about the French, who have dropped a notch in the Parisian government's involvement in international affairs since Napoleon IV took the throne.
In the past few years, it can be said that the Paris government was fighting infighting, and there was no time to take into account international affairs. Now that Napoleon IV is in power, the Paris government has stabilized, and it is abnormal if there is no movement. "
It's really unaccustomed to living without the French. Originally, there were French people blocking the front to attract attention. The "Mediterranean Empire" was a big shock to the European continent, and Austria was covered up.
With the silence of the Paris government, Austria had to stand up and fight the British in person. Whether it is the "guano war" in South America or the Prussian-Russian war in Europe, the British and Austrian are playing the game, and the French are just playing soy sauce.
In this era of the law of the jungle, there is nothing that cannot be solved by force. When the pressure is great, the army will be expanded, and when the strength is in place, the problem will be solved.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Carr objected: "No, at least not before the expiration of the three-nation alliance, we must have the spirit of the contract."
"Contract spirit" is a joke. It is estimated that the British, French, and Austrian countries did not take it seriously, and at most they can only take comfort in their hearts.
It is precisely because there is none that it is extraordinarily precious. Everyone attaches so much importance to it and often talks about it.
No breach of contract is not because everyone has the "spirit of contract", but mainly because it is not worth breaching the contract. As long as the common interests of the three countries outweigh the contradictions, there will be no breach of contract.
The "England, France, Austria, and Austrian Covenant" has already been renewed once. Judging from the current situation, it is difficult to have a third alliance.
However, it is difficult to say. The international situation is ever-changing, and no one knows what will happen in the future. It is definitely unwise to tear up the covenant rashly, which will make diplomacy narrower and narrower.
Franz nodded: "The covenant still has half a year to expire. If you want to renew the contract, you will re-revise the proportion of the three countries' navies at that time.
The expansion of the navy is a matter of time, but there is no need to be so anxious. Let the Admiralty make a plan first and put it in the annual budget for the next year. "
Expanding the army has never been a simple matter, especially the expansion of the navy requires comprehensive consideration of various factors.
Unless it is a period of an arms race, naval expansion in normal times usually takes several years to discuss. It's not about government efficiency, it's mainly about waiting for the budget.
The government's annual financial budget is determined in advance, and suddenly it is said that it will expand the military. Where does the money come from? It's not a war time, of course, we have to go by the rules.
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If you know of a temptation, it will accelerate the expansion of Austria's army and trigger an arms race in the future. It is estimated that the London government will not do anything.
The future has not yet happened, Prime Minister Benjamin does not need to worry about it for the time being, but the current Russian-Prussian war has made him worry.
"How can the Commonwealth of Pubo win this war?" This is a big problem. Land warfare was different from naval warfare, and the London government could not intervene even if it wanted to help.
The size of the British Army was not as large as the casualties of a month in the Russian-Prussian War.
It is absolutely impossible to send troops, and the London government once again found that it is too difficult to interfere in the European continent without thugs.
Foreign Secretary Edward: "Your Excellency the Prime Minister, the Commonwealth of Pubo is not short of supplies and troops, and the situation is far less bad than we imagined.
At least this year, the Popo Federation will not be defeated. Winter is coming soon, and the battles that follow will inevitably slow down.
This is the opportunity, and planning a second anti-Russian alliance is imperative. Austria is supporting the Russians, and it is very difficult to win this war with the strength of the Commonwealth of Pope alone. "
Benjamin asked in confusion, "Isn't the Ministry of Foreign Affairs already doing it?"
Edward explained: "The French are doing things in Annan, and the southern border of the Far Eastern Empire is unstable, and they have no power to contain the Russians.
Although the Ottoman Empire had the intention of taking revenge on the Russians, they were only afraid of Austria's response and needed us to provide security protection, which also required the participation of France.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs only persuaded the three Central Asian countries, but their strength is limited. Seeing that the Pubo Federation is at a disadvantage on the battlefield, they dare not bet so early.
We have already tested the Paris government, and it is very difficult to convince them that the best way now is to find an ally for the Commonwealth in Europe. "
Prime Minister Benjamin asked in surprise: "You mean the German Federal Empire?"
Then he denied it: "No. The strength of the Germans is indeed good, but there are too many internal states, and Hannover can only barely control the situation.
If they are allowed to go to war with the Russians for the Commonwealth of Pubo and the Russians, will the small states in the country not be in trouble?
You should know what role Austria plays here. Don't be too busy and helpless when the time comes, the German Confederation will mess up first, and it will be troublesome. "
The German Federal Empire is an important pawn of Britain on the European continent. Its main function is to prevent Austria from unifying the German region. For this reason, the London government has also promoted the Rhineland transaction, but it cannot be abandoned casually.
Edward smiled and said, "Of course you can't let the Germans join the war, but what about the Commonwealth of Pope joining the German Federal Empire?"
If this news spreads, the entire European continent will experience a major earthquake, which is simply subverting the current international order.
The merger of the German Federal Empire and the Commonwealth of Pope is not as simple as 1+1=2. The advantages of the two complement each other and make up for their final shortcomings. This means that another top power after the three countries of Britain, France and Austria has risen.
Although this new empire is slightly inferior to the three major powers, and its overall national strength exceeds that of the Russian Empire, winning this war is naturally not a problem.
The key point is that the European landscape will undergo earth-shaking changes after the war. Austria's German unification strategy will collapse, and the French eastward strategy will also go bankrupt.
Prime Minister Benjamin shook his head: "This is impossible, the Austrians will not agree. The Vienna government will definitely send troops to intervene, unless you can get the French to contain them.
For the French, this is equally detrimental to others. At that point, the Paris government will most likely choose to join forces with Austria to jointly carve up Central Europe. "
In the face of interests, competitors and allies can also be transformed into each other. France and Austria also have previous convictions, and no one can guarantee that they will not cooperate for the second time.
Edward said firmly: "It's a matter of human effort, the strength of the two countries is growing too fast, and if it goes on like this, one of them will have the ability to threaten us.
If France and Austria join forces to carve up Central Europe, the outbreak of the Franco-Austrian War will not be far away, and the German nationalists will not let the French rule the German region.
If the operation is good, both France and Austria will be severely damaged, and the situation in Europe will be brought back to the right track again. "
This is a conspiracy and a conspiracy. Nationalism is a double-edged sword, it can kill the enemy, but it can also hurt the self.
Benjamin asked again: "After the merger of Purdue, how will the master-slave problem be solved?"
This is the most realistic question. The Pubo Federation is stronger and is definitely not willing to be a vassal; the same is true for the German Federal Empire. How can the emperor retreat?
Edward: "Of course, there is no master and subordinate, and the imperial election system of the Holy Roman Empire will continue. Considering the current special circumstances, it is necessary for the Commonwealth to make concessions, such as: abandoning the election of the emperor.
We don't need a strong empire in Central Europe, a merged German Federal Empire, preferably a loose alliance of some strength.
The central government is weak, the states are bigger, and their own strengths are not weak but they cannot be integrated. Such a political system is more conducive to European stability.
Only such a country can be accepted by France and Austria. Don't worry that the Berlin government will refuse, they simply have no choice. "
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