Chapter 120 Preparation

In November 1896, the ongoing Cretan uprising caused tensions between Greece and the Ottomans and attracted the attention of various countries.

On November 3, Constantine and King George met at the Palace of Constitution Square with the British Foreign Secretary, the Marquis of Salisbury, who came to inquire about the situation.

The Marquis of Salisbury looked like a typical British gentleman, wearing a bowler hat, a black woolen coat, and holding a civilized stick in his left hand.

After the two parties met and sat down, the Marquis of Salisbury got straight to the point and said: "For God's sake, the whole of Europe is bathed in a rare time of peace."

There have been no major wars in Western Europe since the Franco-Prussian War in 1871.

"Your Majesty the King, Your Highness the Crown Prince, Greece and the Ottoman Empire are on the verge of war due to the uprising in Crete"

"Greek newspapers are increasingly attacking Ottoman Turkey. Are you ready to start a war with the Ottomans?"

The prelude to war is usually to flood public opinion against the enemy country in order to mobilize the enthusiasm of the people.

The content of newspapers in Greece cannot deceive anyone at all. As long as you buy one on the roadside, the news about the Ottomans in it is shocking.

"The British Empire expresses concern over the stability of the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean"

First, a war broke out in Italy and Ethiopia, and now the two are fighting fiercely on the south bank of the Red Sea. At this time, a war has also broken out in Europe, which may cause turmoil in Europe.

European countries are inextricably linked to each other, and they have various alliances with each other.

Especially for a big country like Ottoman Turkey, whether it was defeated or won, it would be a trouble for other European countries.

Britain was unwilling to see a war between Greece and Ottoman Türkiye at this time.

King George and Constantine looked at each other and responded: "Your Excellency, Minister, you should know that in the past two years, the commercial activities of Greek merchants in the Ottoman Turkish Empire have been boycotted. The despicable behavior of the Ottoman Empire has caused Greek merchants to lost heavily"

Salisbury remained calm after hearing this, and after a moment of silence, he said: "If it is just an economic issue, I can represent the British government and immediately go to Constantinople to mediate and try my best to persuade Hamid II to let him He stopped being hostile to Greek goods”

“As long as Greece guarantees not to interfere in the situation in Crete”

The Foreign Secretary of the British Empire seemed very confident in persuading Hamid II to abolish trade discrimination, or in other words, he was confident in the prestige of the British Empire.

After thinking for a moment, Constantine said: "Now the Greek people are very angry. Your Excellency, your time will not be long."

Salisbury was dissatisfied with such a general answer, but he had no good solution. His heart sank. It seemed that this visit had little effect.

After bidding farewell to the British Foreign Minister, King George asked Constantine in the palace garden: "Constantine, what do you think of the Marquis's suggestion?"

"There is nothing feasible. Now Greece has no better choice. The statement issued by the people of Crete is already known to everyone in Greece. Who dares to refuse?" Constantine replied without thinking.

"Moreover, the British are not trustworthy. They may have gained some benefits from the Ottomans and then sold Greece."

The British are such a troublemaker in Europe, and they always benefit from the chaos in European countries. How can Constantine put hope in them.

As things have developed now, both the Ottomans and Greece have realized something and are making preparations intensively. At this time, they listen to the British and stop their actions. If the British mediation fails, then Greece will be passive. ?

With Osman's size, the longer the preparation time before the war, the greater the advantage he would have.

Thinking of this, Constantine said to King George: "It is best to make complete preparations now. This is the best choice."

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Port of Matadi, Congo, Africa.

As the only link between Congo and the Atlantic Ocean, Matadi on the lower reaches of the Congo River is Congo's most important port.

Although it is an inland port, Matadi has direct access to the Atlantic Ocean.

On the wide river, mist filled the air, and you could vaguely see dozens of ships taking turns loading cargo in an orderly manner.

Several ships docked at the port, and under the command of Greek officers, indigenous soldiers lined up in a long line to board the ships through wooden planks.

Under an awning on the side, a group of senior officials from the Greek colony in the Congo were waiting for news of their departure.

Banning, the governor of the Congo colony, looked at his ambitious colleague and confidant of Crown Prince Constantine, Brut.

It has been more than ten years since the Berlin Conference obtained the Congo colony, and Brut was sent to Africa by Constantine to train indigenous soldiers.

During these more than ten years, Butet followed the orders of Constantine and relied on the model of Greek officers and black soldiers to raise an armed force of about 50,000 indigenous soldiers in Africa.

Now, after receiving orders from Constantine, he finally leads this army back to Greece.

"Brut, congratulations. Now you have returned to Greece with such an armed army. With your position in the army and the support of Crown Prince Constantine, you have a bright future." Banning looked at Brut enviously. Congratulations.

As Banning came to Congo when Stanley opened up the Congo colony, he stayed in Africa longer than Brute.

Colonel Kontoriotis, who was dressed in a white navy uniform and looked high-spirited, said loudly: "Governor, we are leaving"

As one of the few senior naval officers in the Greek Navy, after the two Esmeralda-class cruisers were delivered and sent to the mouth of the Congo River to be stationed, this Greek naval officer was sent to the mouth of the Congo River to familiarize himself with the command of the warships.

A soldier ran quickly to the location of the three people and shouted: "Report, a total of 41,000 soldiers have boarded the ship"

This time Constantine has drawn a total of about 40,000 native soldiers, and Congo still has nearly 10,000 soldiers left to prepare for emergencies.

After saying goodbye, Cantoliotis rode ahead and boarded the "Congo" (two Esmeralda-class cruisers, one named Congo and the other Banning) which was docked at the pier.

On the masts of the two warships and three destroyers, the Greek Navy's emblem - the anchor cross flag was hung. The crew members lined up and stood on the side of the ship facing the port, with blue streamers behind their heads flying in the wind, bidding farewell to the stationed port of Matadi for nearly two years.

Dozens of ships with a tonnage of more than 2,000 tons waiting on the river, after seeing the warship leave, sounded their whistles together, black smoke billowed from the chimneys, and the port suddenly made a loud noise, officially setting sail for Greece.

On the shore, Banning looked at the fleet gradually going away, his heart was agitated, with mixed feelings. He went to the wild Africa, and his hard work for more than ten years finally came in handy.

With moist eyes, Banning murmured: "I wish you good luck in the exam, and I wish Greece good luck"