Chapter 219 Hegemony

Distribution and number of main battleships of the British Royal Navy

North Sea Fleet 35 battleships, including 10 first-class battleships, 10 second-class battleships, and 15 third-class battleships.

Mediterranean Fleet 31 battleships, including 1 first-class battleship, 4 second-class battleships, and 26 third-class battleships.

West African Fleet 17 battleships, including 1 second-class battleship and 16 third-class battleships.

Indian Ocean Fleet 25 battleships, including 1 first-class battleship, 2 second-class battleships, and 22 third-class battleships.

South American Fleet 8 battleships, all third-class battleships.

West Indies 5 battleships, including 1 second-class battleship and 4 third-class battleships.

Atlantic Fleet 10 battleships, including 1 second-class battleship and 9 third-class battleships.

Pacific Fleet 6 battleships, all third-class battleships.

The Cape of Good Hope Fleet has 5 battleships, including 1 second-class battleship and 4 third-class battleships.

When the full picture of the British Royal Navy surfaced, both the French Grand Orient Fleet (25 ships) and the Russian Black Sea Fleet (40 ships) were eclipsed.

The Austrian Adriatic Fleet (21 battleships, including captured Egyptian ships).

The British Royal Navy will be stationed on Crete, which is undoubtedly a heavy blow to Austria, France, and Russia who are eyeing Mediterranean hegemony.

The treaty signed between the British and the Ottomans is also clearly written, and its unrivaled naval power makes people dare not refute it. At this time, Helmut's tragic defeat has long been forgotten like an insignificant episode, replaced by awe of British maritime hegemony.

All that Britain lost before was recovered today. Of course, this could not satisfy these Anglo-Saxons. The British Royal Navy would hand over all the ten captured Egyptian warships to the Ottoman Empire.

So, the spearhead was once again directed at the Austrian Empire.

"Your Excellency, I think your country should return the captured warships and prisoners of war. What do you think?"

As soon as this was said, the temperature in the meeting place dropped sharply.

Everyone felt that Austria was in great trouble. Britain had both strength and moral advantages. If the fleet was handed over, the Ottoman Empire would have 29 battleships, which could fully compete with the French Grand Orient Fleet and the Russian Black Sea Fleet.

Then everything would be back to square one. There would be no substantial loss for other powers. Perhaps sacrificing Austria's interests would be enough. Obviously, the Austrian Empire had been isolated.

Acting on one's own will inevitably lead to the disgust of the powers, but if the Austrian Navy was abandoned, it would probably never come out.

Metternich now began to regret putting all his money on the British. He always thought that as long as he listened to the British in everything, he could gain their trust.

In history, Metternich followed the footsteps of Britain regardless of everything during the Turkish-Egyptian War, but in the end, he lost both his money and his people, and Vienna changed from a conference capital to a club capital.

For a gambler, it is common to make wrong bets. The key to becoming a master lies in whether you can stop losses in time.

Obviously, Metternich is such a master. When Napoleon's empire was at its peak, he chose to let Franz II marry his daughter to seek peace.

After Napoleon's defeat in Russia, Metternich immediately stopped losses and beat the fallen dog, and successfully established the Vienna system after the war, maintaining the dignity of the Austrian Empire for nearly 30 years.

"I think your wording is wrong. Those are our spoils of war. It was the Austrian Empire that saved those craftsmen, not captured them. If any of them are willing to return to Egypt, we will not force them to stay."

There is no doubt that Metternich did not intend to hand over the fleet, because after being betrayed by Britain again and again, he finally decided to completely change his original expectation and use stop loss as the new strategy for the Austrian side to continue the talks. "Maybe Archduke Franz is right." He thought so in his heart.

"The British cannot be allies. At most, they can only be business partners. If this partner does not abide by the rules, the best thing to do is to fight back." Franz commented on Britain in this way.

"Your Excellency, I think you should consider peace in the Near East. Those fleets did not belong to Austria in the first place. They are the property of the Ottoman Empire. If the Ottoman Empire can regain the warships captured by our country and your country, then the balance of power in the Mediterranean will be restored."

Faced with Metternich's tough attitude, Canning softened first, because the British Parliament asked for a rebalance of power in the Mediterranean, not for him to provoke another war.

Although the language was still tough, Metternich had noticed from the subtle changes in tone and body movements that the other party was not completely sure, so he answered more firmly.

"Why not transfer General Helmut's fleet and General Simond's fleet to the Ottoman Empire, and at the same time limit the number of warships of each country, so that the maritime power in the Mediterranean region can truly achieve a balance."

Canning was speechless.

If the British really transferred the two fleets to the Ottoman Empire, then there is no doubt that Russia would lose its hegemony in the Black Sea. And limiting the number of warships is undoubtedly a fatal blow to France, which is thriving on the colonial road at this time.

The Ottomans would be very happy, at least they could extend the life of their empire for decades.

Although Metternich did not say it explicitly, it aroused the deepest fear in the hearts of Russia and France.

Although Nessellov and Guizot were both pro-British, they also knew what would happen if Britain's power continued to expand in the Middle East.

The Ottomans were Britain's younger brothers at this time. The stronger the former was, the more difficult it would be for the great powers to gain benefits from it. However, the British were an exception, because they had the strongest industry and the closest relationship with the Ottomans.

The Austrians' possession of the "legacy of Egypt" would not cause damage to the stability of the region. On the contrary, if the Ottomans obtained the "legacy of Egypt" and added the support of the British, it would be easy to break the balance in the Middle East and even the Mediterranean.

The great powers began to discuss countermeasures. Seeing this, Canning quickly changed his strategy, avoiding Metternich's edge and throwing out another sweet date.

"If the Austrian Empire is willing to hand over its fleet, the Ottoman Empire is willing to exchange it with the province of Tripoli."

Of course, if it were Palmerston, he would definitely use his advantages to threaten Austria with war, and Metternich might not be able to deal with it easily at that time.

But Canning didn't have Palmerston's courage. At the same time, he was a man with a bottom line. Unlike the latter, he could do everything he could to achieve his goal without any scruples.

Tripoli has been introduced before. After the slave trade was banned, it was also considered a bad place at this time. Moreover, it was close to Egypt and had actually long been out of the control of the Ottoman Sultan.

The Sultan sent there became a local emperor, and only paid symbolic taxes every year, which had become a tail that could not be removed.

Franz knew the value of Tripoli, but people at that time didn't know it, including Prince Metternich.

"Exchange a desert for a fleet? Unless the yellow sand there turns into gold." Metternich's attitude was tough.

"But your country agreed to exchange prisoners of war..." Canning said.

"Our country agreed to return the prisoners of war, but did not say that it would return the weapons. Will your country return the weapons to them when releasing the prisoners?"

When Metternich said this, he was unanimously agreed by ambassadors from various countries. It was not because he was very reasonable, but that Austria's victory was more in their interests.

The title was wrong. If you can't change it, just make do with it. It should be "Britain's Mediterranean Hegemony"