Holy Roman Empire

London

Inside the Prime Minister's residence in Downing Street, the British cabinet gathered together.Prime Minister Gerston took out a stack of top-secret documents and distributed them to everyone.

"This is the Austrian battle plan. The intelligence department paid a heavy price to get it. I hope it can help us in our next operations."

Indeed, a heavy price was paid, and this semi-public battle plan was almost published in a newspaper in Vienna.

British intelligence personnel spent a total of [-] pounds to get the preliminary plan.Don't ask where the money went, intelligence is priceless.

Everyone did not speak, and began to read carefully.There is not much content in the document, only a rough plan, and does not involve specific combat parts.

The Secretary of the Navy, Robert, frowned tightly, and the beard on his face was particularly eye-catching: "According to this battle plan, the Austrians will win this war without spending much.

With the broken ships of the Ottoman Empire Navy, they didn't even have the ability to fight back against Austria.With the loss of sea power, the coalition forces can land in any area at any time.

According to the intelligence learned by the Navy, the Ottoman Empire has at least more than 30 ports suitable for landing large troops, and the actual number may be even more.

To defend so many places, at least one million troops are needed.With the national strength of the Ottoman Empire, this cannot be done.

Once the coastal areas are eroded and a large number of war refugees are produced, the Ottoman Empire will soon be dragged down. This scorched earth plan is too vicious. "

Everyone understood Robert's words, criticizing the viciousness of the Austrian battle plan was secondary, and the main purpose was to emphasize the importance of "sea power".

There is no objection that sea power was indeed very important to the British Empire.What happened to the Ottoman Empire just proved this point again.

Prime Minister Gerston nodded: "Yes, the Austrians' plan is indeed very vicious. If we don't want to interfere, it won't be long before the Ottoman Empire will collapse.

And it's still a complete collapse, and it can't even consume Austria's strength.Without the nail behind us, it will be even more difficult for us to check and balance Austria. "

Picking up a baton, pointing at the map on the wall: "Everyone can look at this world map, it is marked on it.

These blue areas are all Austrian power colonies, or spheres of influence.Only 20 years have passed, and Austria is already the second largest colonial power after us.

The issue of overseas colonial expansion is not in a hurry. Now the world has almost been divided up, and the rest are hard bones or relatively low-value areas.

Turning our attention back to the European continent, this is the European pattern after the Prussian-Russian War.The Russian Empire was suppressed, and its influence was suppressed in Eastern Europe.

The Kingdom of Prussia has risen, and France has also been revived. At present, European countries are restraining each other, and with our mediation, the overall balance can still be maintained.

But everyone still cannot relax their vigilance. From the end of the Anti-French War to the present, the Austrians have been in a dominant position on the European continent through diplomatic means.

If Austria was 20 years ago, then this is a good thing, they helped us achieve a continental balance.

However, the situation has changed in the past ten years. The foreign policy of the Vienna government has become incomprehensible, and their strategic goals have become blurred.

The only thing that is certain is that the continental balance policy is no longer the core strategy of the Vienna government, otherwise the French would not be able to annex Italy. "

Taking a step back, Gerston's expression became serious: "In today's world, there are only two countries with the strength to threaten British hegemony." The baton was tapped twice on the map, and it was France and Austria.

"Information from Paris shows that Napoleon III is sick in bed, and the crown prince is too young to suppress the many forces in the country. Once Napoleon III passes away, this power struggle will be inevitable, and the French will not be a threat in a short time.

Austria is different. The domestic political situation is stable. Franz is in his prime, and now he is ambitiously launching the Near East War.

Once the Ottoman Empire collapses, the next goal of the Vienna government must be to annex the German Federation.

They chose a good time, when Prussia and Russia were restrained and opposed to each other, and it was impossible to intervene together; France, in the process of handing over power, would most likely not send troops to intervene for the sake of stability.

The rest of the European countries are sloppy, and it’s okay to wave their flags, but it’s too difficult for them to check and balance Austria.Our family alone is powerless even if we want to interfere. "

This is what the British are most worried about. Austria has unified the German region, and it is the only one in continental Europe. If you want to check and balance, you don't know where to start.

Now is not the original time and space, there is French and German hatred that can be used.European countries are not stupid, and they don't have enough interests. How could they rush to fight Austria in a daze?

The Vienna government is also good at playing diplomacy. Franz has been on the throne for so many years, and Austria has never been isolated.

The Vienna system has been established twice, and a third time can also be established.In the context of the confrontation between Prussia and Russia, the end of the Ottoman Empire, and the infighting in France, the success of establishing Austria's European hegemony is very high.

Foreign Minister Maclean: "From the standpoint of the empire, the Ottoman Empire cannot be finished anyway. It is not enough to support the Ottoman Empire. The strength gap between the two sides is too large, and the Sudanese government cannot last long.

It is too difficult to start directly from Austria, we can only find a way on Pfau.The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is lobbying the Berlin government to create conflicts on the Prussian-Russian border, and the Central Asian countries can also move to find a way to get the Russians out of the war.

As soon as the Russians withdrew from the war, we joined forces with the French to conduct military exercises in the Mediterranean Sea, making an appearance of intervention, and deterring the Vienna government.

Franz doesn't like to take risks, no matter what he does, he has to plan before doing anything. This is an advantage and a disadvantage.As long as we create enough momentum and pull European countries to mediate together, the possibility of Austria giving up is very high.

If the plan fails, we create disturbances abroad to distract the government in Vienna.

The Austrian colonial system is not impeccable. We cannot move Austrian Africa, and Central America is not easy to move. It is different in other regions. "

The chancellor of the exchequer, La Luke Lloyd, asked: "It sounds like this plan is very good, but where are our interests, we can't spend such a high price, and there is nothing to gain?"

The biggest feature of British diplomacy is pragmatism. There is no problem in suppressing Austria, but it cannot harm Britain's own interests.

Winning over European countries is not a matter of one sentence, it needs to pay a price, even if a small country helps wave the flag, it also needs an appearance fee, which has a cost.

Especially the last method, starting directly from the Austrian colony, requires more investment.

Regardless of the income, Austria's most fertile colony cannot be moved, and the remaining leftovers are cold, and there is no return at all.

Alaska is ice, a bit of fur at best, or to catch a few fish.If Britain was interested, it would have been in its hands as early as the last century, and there was no need to wait until now.

Patagonia is not much better. The colonial stronghold that the Spaniards have abandoned is obviously a loss-making business.

Argentina and Chile are somewhat interested in this land, but they are not brave enough to snatch it from Austria, or they are not attractive enough.

Austrian Southeast Asia is relatively fertile, but the cost of capturing it is too high, and even thugs can't be found in the surrounding area, unless the British go there in person.

However, considering the cost issue, even if the plan is successful, Britain will lose money.Not only lost money, but also gained an enemy.

It is worthwhile to suppress Austria.The most troublesome thing is that the fight did not go on, forcing France and Austria to move closer together, which would be a big loss.

McLean stood up, walked to the hanging map, and drew a circle with his hand.

"This is the current map of Austria. Compared with the first Near East War, it has doubled."

And then put a point on the map: "This is the Suez Canal. Once the Ottoman Empire is over, the power of Austria will be connected, and its influence will spread to the Indian Ocean.

On one side of the Suez River is the Austrian Sinai Peninsula, and on the other side is the French Egypt.The second export of the Mediterranean, nothing to do with us, everyone must have an idea!

This action may not hurt Austria's vitality, at least it can reach into the Suez Canal and turn the French-Austrian joint management into a British-French-Austrian joint management? "

The Suez Canal, France and Austria are very close, and they don't give the British a chance to intervene. If they want to intervene, they must first divorce France and Austria.

The London government has been working hard, but with little success.Although there are many pro-British factions in the Paris government, being pro-British does not mean that they are about to betray the country.

Napoleon III was not a fuel-efficient lamp either. When it came to the Suez Canal issue, he didn't talk to Britain at all.There is no room for discussion, let alone meddling?

Not to mention Austria, Franz regards the Suez Canal as his lifeblood.The Vienna government is thinking about how to monopolize the Suez Canal and let the British intervene. How is it possible?

……

In Paris, Napoleon III, who was ill in bed, could no longer care about the Near East War.He has reached the last moment of his life, and the ministers dare not bother him with these problems.

If the emperor was stimulated to take the lunch box during the report, he would become a sinner.The current Napoleon III is not the unlucky guy who was kicked out of the throne in the original time and space. The French people still support the emperor.

Even if the little emperor doesn't care about his generosity, the spittle stars outside can kill people.In short, the emperor's recuperation is far more important than the Near East war.

Crown Prince Eugene, who is in charge of government affairs, was influenced by Napoleon III. When he was uncertain, he chose "stability" to respond to changes with the same.

It’s fine to shout slogans, but the Paris government has been calling on both parties to exercise restraint, and nothing more than actual actions.It seems that the London government is looking forward to it, waiting for the British to act, so they can wave their flags.

The French's immovable approach made the British feel extremely troublesome. Without this thug to charge forward, they are really not used to it!

……

In the Palace of Vienna, Franz put down the newspaper in his hand: "Have the Prussians not acted yet?"

The reaction of Britain and France was expected by Franz, but he was a little confused by the actions of the Berlin government.

If it is said that the Prussians have no ambitions for Poland, they would not believe it even if Franz was killed.But if you have ambition, you should act. The once-in-a-lifetime opportunity has appeared, and the Berlin government has not moved at all. What is this?

Did William I see through his plan?This is not right, even if the Prussians saw through the plan, they could not refuse to annex Poland.

Even if it is worried that Polish nationalism is too strong, this will not affect the common monarchs of the two countries.The big deal is to run two sets of government teams, each with its own management.

There are many examples of this kind. The original space-time Austro-Hungarian Empire was an upgraded version of the common monarchy system and a degraded version of the unified empire.

Intelligence chief Tyronn: "No. We've been eyeing the Berlin government, and so far, they haven't taken any action.

By the way, recently, there have been many meetings in the Berlin Palace, and sometimes they last until late at night.The Prussians strictly blocked the news, and no one knew the specific content of the meeting.

According to the intelligence personnel's observation, the people who participated in the meeting came out with serious expressions, and some of them had gloomy faces.Preliminary judgment should be that there has been a dispute. "

It's fine if there are abnormal behaviors, the most fearful thing is that there is no movement at all.For a big country, as long as it does not make big mistakes, it is difficult for the outside world to crush it.

Chapter 118 Airship Bombing Brigade

Time flies by, and March has passed in a flash.Declaring war and not fighting for a month, Franz would have taken it as a joke at any other time.

There is no way, war is for politics.This kind of nonsense happened in reality.

In order to buy time for the Ottoman Empire, European countries evacuated their overseas Chinese at a snail's pace.In the name of handling property, it is actually buying time to rush supplies to the Ottoman Empire.

Don't count on free trade once the war starts.The Vienna government issued a note early on, and any ship entering the war zone will bear the consequences at its own risk.

This is also the tacit agreement reached by everyone.If the Ottoman Empire is over, and the debts of Britain, France and other countries are in vain, how can we not comfort the wounded hearts of all countries?

After all, Osman is also an old empire. Even if it is in decline, the family still has property.Back then, they robbed a lot of good things across the Eurasian continent, and their ability to pay was still very strong.

In the face of life and death, the Sudanese government has tried its best to raise funds to purchase supplies.All the treasures in the palace were emptied, and the nobles also symbolically donated part of their wealth to support the war.

In addition to this reason, training for the Russians is also a reason.Fighting across the sea is no joke, if it's just going around the Aegean Sea, it's okay, Mao Xiong's health should be able to withstand it.

If you attack a farther area, the soldiers have not been trained in sea navigation, and a large area will fall on the road, and they will be soft-legged shrimps when they go ashore. How can they fight?

The tsarist government is a bunch of landlubbers and has no experience in expeditions across the sea, so it can be ignored.

Austria has a lot of experience. If you don't train and kick out the seasick guy, you will cry when the time comes!

Facing an unreliable ally, Franz decided to put up with it.In any case, the Russians were also fighting for Austria.

The harder the Asia Minor peninsula was fought, the smoother the war in the Middle East would be.Of the 15 Russian troops, the last half of the remaining half is God's blessing.

If the Russian commander is not capable enough, maybe another round will be needed.No matter how good the strategy is, it needs someone to execute it.

Theoretically, with the advantage of sea power, you can avoid reality and focus on attacking the enemy's weak areas.But this also involves intelligence, the judgment of the commander, the speed of troop mobilization and many other factors.

Ottoman is a religious empire, and the Sudanese government has called for jihad.Regardless of their combat effectiveness, at least there are more people who are willing to work hard.

The resistance in the early stage will definitely be very fierce, and this situation will only change after the tragic casualties exceed their psychological endurance.

Didn't the tsarist government want to use Austria's hands to train troops?There is no problem. After the war, the custody will train them an elite soldier, but they need to shed a little more blood in the middle.

Suffering or taking advantage, this question requires the benevolent to see the wisdom of the benevolent.

Looking at the preparations of the Ottoman Empire, Franz wanted to feint a truce and forget it. Perhaps it would be more appropriate to attack after three to five years.

At that time, the strategic materials bought by the Ottoman Empire with a lot of money will almost be scrapped, and the government's wallet will also be emptied.

Or cry wolf several times, and it is possible to achieve the effect of defeating others without fighting.

Just think about it, the real target this time was not the Ottoman Empire, and it was impossible for Franz to change his established strategy for a secondary goal.

After April Fools' Day, ultimatum time is long gone.At this point, Franz was no longer allowed to delay.

"Order the navy to attack and bombard the coastal cities of the Ottoman Empire. Remember to salute first and then soldiers. We are civilized people. Before bombardment, send airships to spread leaflets."

The bombardment of port cities in this era is not accurate at all, and how much success can be achieved depends entirely on character.The destructive power caused is far less serious than the consequences of panic.

Franz, who has always cherished his feathers, naturally had to give courtesy first and then fight.If the people in the port run away, wouldn't even the deportation work be saved?

The goal of bombarding the port city is not only to create chaos, but also to conduct firepower reconnaissance and choose a landing location.

There are many coastal ports in the Ottoman Empire, and it is impossible to fully deploy defenses, and there will always be weak points.

There were no radio stations in this era, and it was very difficult to collect intelligence after the war broke out.Even if you get the information, you have to go to Persia to detour if you want to pass it back, and the time does not allow it at all.

It may even be a trap, which requires the commander's judgment to be tested.

……

Constantinople, Allied Command

"At 1874 o'clock in the morning on April 4, 5, our Mediterranean fleet launched bombardment on the ports of Finikai, Alanya, and Anamur.

It is preliminarily judged that the fire protection level of Fikekai Port is C-level, and the fire defense level of Alanya Port and Anamur Port is D-level.

At 1874 o'clock in the afternoon on April 4, 6, the Black Sea Squadron launched bombardment to Ava and Karasu, and it was initially judged that the enemy's fire defense level was Ah B.

April 1874..."

The fire defense level is artificially divided by the Austrian Navy in order to distinguish the firepower of the enemy's shore artillery. It is divided into seven levels of SABCDEF from high to low.

Looking at the military map on the table, Aleister was a bit confused, not knowing where to start.As an admiral, land warfare is not his specialty, and choosing a landing point is too difficult for him.

Soon he decided to give up and give the right to choose to the Russians. If he chooses the wrong place and suffers heavy losses in the end, it is also the Russians' own business.