Chapter 918 "Profane Alliance"

The Russians' operations directly defeated the British. They never expected that the Tsar did not care at all, or that Nicholas I's concerns were not on the same channel as the British.

It was already May, and the ice in the Baltic Sea had melted, allowing maritime communications, so the Russians responded much faster this time.

Neither the French nor the Russians were of use, so the British had to rely on themselves.

But the problem has returned to its original point. In order to prevent Britain from causing trouble with Austria in 1848, Franz found too many things for them to do.

From North America to South America, from the Central American Isthmus to the Far East, from Ireland to New Zealand, the British were in constant trouble, far beyond their capacity.

Note: The United Kingdom is located in the northern hemisphere, near 0 degrees longitude and more than 50 degrees north latitude. The corresponding country across the globe is located in the southern hemisphere, near the 180-degree longitude.

The country that meets these conditions is New Zealand, which is located at 175 degrees east longitude and about 40 degrees south latitude.

Although John Russell was not a particularly shrewd prime minister, he still understood that Palmerston was throwing the blame.

But there was nothing he could do about it. As the British Prime Minister, he had to bear the blame.

But how to deal with the Austrians? Really organize an army of hundreds of thousands to fight in Austria?

Putting aside whether the war can be won or not, the military expenditure alone is not something the British government can afford at this time.

At this time, the Bank of England was on the verge of collapse, gold reserves had bottomed out, and runs were spreading.

If a large-scale war is launched at this time, the result is likely to collapse the entire British financial system.

So what if we can dispatch an expeditionary force of tens of thousands of people? On Austria's narrow coastline, tens of thousands of people may not be enough to fill the gap between teeth.

So in the end, we still have to rely on sea control. However, the Mediterranean Fleet is gone, and the North Sea Fleet still has to keep an eye on Prussia and not attack Denmark.

So the question is, which fleet to send to the Mediterranean now?

"We must prevent the Austrian Crown Prince from becoming the German Emperor! There is no doubt about this!"

John Russell declared solemnly.

This was within everyone's expectation. After all, it was the King of Rome and the Emperor of Germany. Now that the Russians have created an Emperor of the Western Roman Empire, will they take back the province of Britannia after a while?

Note: Britain was once one of the 46 provinces of the Roman Empire.

"We must rebuild the Mediterranean fleet and force the Austrians to give up their attempt to form a Greater German Empire! Who wants to go?"

As soon as John Russell said this, everyone looked at each other.

Rebuilding the Mediterranean fleet is indeed the best way to force the Austrians to give up their plans for the Greater German Empire.

"Your Majesty Prime Minister, we have just signed a peace agreement with the Austrian Empire. Have you forgotten?"

Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs Granville said.

It is not a wise move to rashly tear up a peace agreement with a major country. This not only means losing the country's friendship, but will also have extremely negative international consequences.

"Of course I know! Then just sit back and watch the Germans grow bigger and seize our market share? Now the French can't count on it! The Russians' attitude is...

We cannot accept the emergence of a super empire spanning Europe! "

John Russell was also under a lot of pressure, because no matter whether he succeeded or not, no one would remember his achievements, and history would only judge him this way.

"Deficit Prime Minister. Ruined the British Empire's Mediterranean Fleet."

"But against the Austrians, we are at great risk. It is definitely not a wise move for the fleet to operate deep into the Adriatic Gulf.

If the French join forces with the Austrians again, without a supply port nearby, our fleet is likely to be annihilated."

The loss of the large island of Crete actually had a great impact on Britain's Mediterranean hegemony. The island of Cyprus was too far away and its radiation range was limited.

The land carrying capacity of Malta is very limited, making it difficult to supply a large fleet.

At that time, the population of Malta, including the British garrison, was less than 20,000.

To complete the blockade of Austria, the navy plus logistics will require more than 20,000 people, and the army may also be used when necessary.

The most important thing is that based on the experience of Crete, the British Navy is very afraid that the Austrians will land on the beach again.

Although the fact that the Austrians fought naval battles and joined the army was despised by many naval experts, this was undoubtedly a new idea.

Moreover, once the army lands on the island, the navy really has no good solution. After all, a military port is not a fortress, and the main responsibility of the navy is not to fight land warfare.

The most terrible thing is that after the Orleans Dynasty fell and Louis Philippe went eastward, the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies fell to Austria.

Sicily and Malta are across the sea, and there are too many opportunities for the Austrians to launch a sneak attack.

What the Lord Admiralty said made all the senior British bureaucrats present tremble in their hearts.

Ruin an entire fleet again? That's not just Robert Peel, everyone present will probably be nailed to the pillar of shame.

But if you think about it carefully, it is not impossible. After all, strictly speaking, the British have already lost two fleets in the Mediterranean.

Although one of them was only a squadron, it was also a member of the once invincible British Royal Navy.

(The first fleet was destroyed during the Second Turkish-Egyptian War in the book.)

The atmosphere of the meeting was very dull. They had never thought that the diplomatic situation would be so difficult. In this situation of sharing the blame, no one wanted to be the first bird.

Fortunately, Viscount Stratford brought good news at this time. The Hungarians extended an olive branch to the Ottomans.

The new Hungarian regime was ready to give Belgrade to the Ottomans in exchange for their support.

This condition undoubtedly moved Magid, but the timid Sultan did not dare to attack Austria directly, especially after the Austrians quickly defeated the Kingdom of Sardinia and the Italian coalition forces, and with the Pope's defection, Magid began to fear the possible Crusade.

Viscount Stratford continued: "Austria is now surrounded by enemies both inside and outside, and those people need our support."

John Russell's brows, which had just loosened a little, tightened again.

"What can we use to support them? Hungary is an inland country, and the Ottoman Empire's weak army can't even beat the Egyptians. How much will it cost us to help them?"

Palmerston on the side saw the turning point, and he was not as straightforward as John Russell.

"Prime Minister, we don't need to send a single soldier, let alone spend a penny. We just need to promote the Sacred Alliance again."

"Sacred Alliance?"

John Russell said subconsciously, but he was a knowledgeable man after all, and he reacted immediately.

"That's right! The Ottomans may not be reliable, and the French may not be reliable, but forming an alliance with them is another matter."