Holy Roman Empire

Before George could finish speaking, the Chancellor of the Exchequer Higgy Childers interrupted forcefully: "Oh, God! Our Sir George still thinks that we have the ability to contain Austria. The world must be crazy!"

Although Xiaozhi Childers' expression was a little exaggerated, what he said was recognized by everyone.

Britain is not iron and simple. Although it has suddenly become more powerful in the last 80 years, the fine tradition of being flexible and stretching has not been lost.

If Austria goes it alone, Britain can still win over European countries and use the pressure of the international community to force Austria to make concessions.

Now all European countries are members of the anti-French alliance. Even if Austria does not demand severe punishment of France, a series of countries participating in the war, such as Spain, Belgium, and Switzerland, will demand that France be killed.

At this time, Britain intervened, not only standing on the opposite side of Austria, but also on the opposite side of the European countries participating in the war.

Anyone with a discerning eye knows that if France really revives and wants to retaliate, it will not be Austria that will be the first to suffer, but the neighbors around it.

If you can't do it, then just don't do it.The anti-French alliance was assembled because of the common enemy of France. If the enemy does not exist, the value of the alliance will disappear.

Even if Austria works hard to maintain this alliance, it will only be effective in the short term. In the later stage, due to various conflicts, everyone will still part ways.

Britain is professional in this regard. Even if there are no conflicts among countries, they can create conflicts.

The problem of the European balance, the big deal is to wait until the anti-French alliance collapses, and then find a way to rebuild it.

As for whether it will be successful or not, I don't know how many times it will be in the future, and it's not everyone's turn to worry about it.

"We can temporarily give up the affairs on the European continent; but we must get the warships of the French Navy.

For a long time to come, the European continent will be dominated by Austria. In order to ensure the safety of Britain, the Royal Navy must have an overwhelming advantage.

At present, the number of capital ships of the Austrian Navy is almost approaching our seventh floor.If they are allowed to get the French warships again, the trend of strength and weakness will be reversed. "

The words of the Secretary of the Navy, Sir Astley Cooper Key, immediately mobilized everyone's emotions.

If the balance of continental Europe is broken, it will kill Britain; but once the advantage of the Royal Navy is lost, it will really be fatal.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is already working hard. It's just that Napoleon IV regarded the French Navy as the biggest bargaining chip and tried to use these warships to make a fuss.

Before this, the French had blackmailed us in order to obtain material aid.Crying: Once the support for them is stopped, the navy will be given to Austria intact in exchange for leniency after the war.

According to the information from the embassy, ​​it can be determined that France and Austria have indeed negotiated on the issue of naval warships.Now that the European war is still going on, it is preliminarily judged that they have not reached an agreement. "

George's explanation not only did not reassure everyone, but made everyone more uneasy. 1+1 is not necessarily equal to 2. The French and Austrian navies are both self-contained systems, and the degree of adaptation must not reach [-]%.

This group of "1+1" is less than 2, but that is also a little bit.In the face of the numerous enemies of the capital ships, can the Royal Navy really survive?

No one can answer this question. Anyway, everyone knows that Britain cannot afford to gamble, even if it is a tie.

After a little thought, Gladstone said coldly: "At all costs, get the warship in the hands of the French."

2 Chapter Twenty

The interests are touching. While the British are eyeing the French warships, the Austrian Navy is also thinking about warships in the hands of France.

The seemingly ordinary battle of warships has actually evolved into a battle for maritime supremacy. The final ownership of the warships in the hands of the French will directly affect the subsequent world structure.

Facing the eager crowd in the Palace of Vienna, Franz asked calmly: "Do you think the French will obediently hand over the warship to us?"

Frankly speaking, Franz also had the idea of ​​a French warship.It is a wonderful picture to directly inherit the French naval heritage and combine the power of the two navies to surpass the British in one fell swoop.

However, the cruel reality told him that this was impossible.The French and Austrian navies are all self-contained systems, and the integration alone cannot be completed in a short while.

If it's just a matter of time, then it's not insurmountable.The trouble is that under the butterfly effect of Franz, the development of naval technology has greatly surpassed the original time and space, and it is only one idea away from the birth of the dreadnought.

If Austria gets the French warships, the British will definitely increase their investment in the navy in order to maintain their maritime hegemony.

Once the dreadnoughts come out, these iron-clad ships that cost a lot of money will immediately be swept into the garbage dump of history.

There is no doubt that Austria will definitely follow suit.At that time, what should these tasteless ironclad ships do?

If you sell it, you will definitely not be able to sell it. Even if you give it away for nothing, no one can afford it.The second navy in the world, even Britain and Austria will struggle to connect, and the rest of the countries together will be enough.

Keeping it in your hands is not only good-looking, but the actual value is about zero.You can't take advantage of the British to come up with dreadnoughts, and have a naval battle to kill them first, right?

It wasn't that Franz was cowardly, but that he was really unsure.The French and Austrian navy surpassed the British in terms of combined tonnage. 1.5:1 seems to have an advantage. In fact, if there is a fight, it is unknown who will win and who will lose.

The Royal Navy is really awesome these days. Franz doesn't know what's going on in the French Navy. Anyway, the Austrian Navy has a lot of water.

As one of the first countries to enter the era of ironclad ships, the Austrian Navy is now in a special period of aging ships and a large-scale replacement.

Except for the capital ships, which are advancing with the times, most of the auxiliary warships are already behind, and there are even many sailing warships.

For no other reason than to save money.Only those who have experienced it will know the pain of developing sea power and land power at the same time.

In his own way, Franz has reason to believe that the French Navy is also seriously flooded.The world's three major naval powers are nominally at the same level, but in fact that is for other naval powers.

In essence, the Royal Navy will be one level higher, and the navies of the three countries were forcibly compared together because of their interests.

Without competitors, how can there be military spending?The slogan of the three major naval powers was originally chanted by the British Navy in order to put pressure on Congress.

Compared with the large number of old warships in the French and Austrian navies, the Royal Navy is much better.As the king of the international warship trade market, the British can export a batch of second-hand warships every few years.

The funds returned from the arms trade, coupled with the highest military expenditures themselves, made the Royal Navy far surpass France and Austria in the replacement of warships.

Minister of the Navy Castagni explained: "Your Majesty, civil strife broke out in France, and the Bonaparte dynasty is at stake. As long as we are willing to help them keep their power, Napoleon IV will compromise."

After a little thought, Franz vetoed: "No!"

"Meddling in the change of the French regime seems to be a clever move, but the gains outweigh the losses. It is no longer the Middle Ages, and the French, full of nationalism, simply cannot accept a regime supported by foreign forces.

The war has destroyed the foundation of the Bonaparte dynasty. Unless we show mercy, no one can clean up the mess after the war.

This is impossible, even if we are willing to give up suppressing France, our allies will not give up.Don't mess with France, how can you let everyone sleep peacefully?

Napoleon IV was not a fool, even if he was a fan of the authorities, someone would remind him.The most suitable thing for the Bonaparte dynasty at the moment is to retreat quickly and find a scapegoat to bear the anger of the people. "

Today is different from the past, and now is the time when Fao's hatred is the deepest.To support the pro-Austrian regime in France is obviously a thankless effort.

If it is true to support the Bonaparte dynasty, then the best way for Austria is to publicly support their competitors, and then the angry French people will take care of everything.

"But this opportunity is really rare. Once we miss it, it will not happen overnight if we want to surpass the Royal Navy."

Secretary of the Navy Castagni argued.

Foreign Minister Weissenberg: "Your Excellency, calm down, it is not impossible to get a warship from the French, the key is to see whether the price paid matches the benefits gained.

The price we paid for this war was also very high. In the short term, we simply did not have the financial resources to compete with the British for maritime supremacy.

After the war, the priority was to restore the economy, and we couldn't afford to get the French warships.Besides, there are quite a few people who are eyeing the French warship, and it is too ugly for our family to eat alone.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs suggested that a few capital ships should be selected and brought back, and the rest should be allocated to allies to avoid unnecessary trouble. "

In theory, this is the most sensible approach.If Austria eats the French warships, it will be choked enough. If the entire anti-French alliance eats the French warships together, there will be no problem.

Pulling everyone to share the spoils together, the international pressure will disappear in smoke.

Anyway, the most essential part of the French navy is the capital ships, and Austria has no shortage of auxiliary warships.

Minister of the Navy Castagni hastily objected: "Your Excellency, please don't do this. The French Navy adopts different technical standards from ours. If you can't get all of them back, then don't even want one at all.

For several French warships, special supporting facilities must be provided, which is completely worth the candle. "

Since Austria completed the reform of the military system, standardization has been imprinted in everyone's minds.As big as a warship and a port, as small as a screw, there are specific standards.

If you can't get all the capital ships of the French, then after losing the strategic significance beyond the Royal Navy, a few warships will become meaningless to the Austrian Navy.

"Since the navy doesn't want it, then just give it up. After the war, a warship auction will be held, and countries around the world will be invited to participate, and the funds raised will be used as part of the war indemnity."

Franz's decisive decision directly made Castagni cry.

It is indeed not worth the loss to increase the logistical pressure for a few French warships. It will be different if it becomes dozens of ships.

As the second largest naval power in the world, France has hundreds of armored ships alone. Even if Austria takes dozens of ships, the rest is enough for everyone to share, and there is no distribution problem at all.

Originally, he just wanted to bargain, but the toss was gone all of a sudden, and Castagni's mood couldn't be better.

Obviously, Franz is not a good leader who cares about the mood of his subordinates. After making a decision, he immediately moved on to the next topic without giving Castagni any buffer time.

……

While the government in Vienna considered the aftermath, another change took place on the battlefield.

First, the French army on the southern front could not withstand the pressure and voluntarily abandoned the Italian region; then the French army in Central Europe once again lost their armor and armor on the battlefield and was forced to retreat to the mainland; even the Franche-Comté area in the east was also lost. Mostly.

The only thing that is still strong is the western battlefield. A group of second-rate French troops withstood the attack of the Spaniards with their blood and courage.

Of course, this does not prove that they are powerful in combat.It's more because the Spaniards are unreliable, they all jumped out to add insult to injury, and they are still looking forward and backward.

Now there are only two ways before Napoleon IV: either run away and go into exile overseas, or be exiled overseas by the anti-French alliance.

No matter how you choose, your own safety is guaranteed.Compared with Napoleon the Great, who was spreading hatred everywhere, Napoleon IV offended not many people.

Except for domestic capitalists, there are basically few life and death enemies.If the Bonaparte family is good at public relations, they don't even need to be exiled.

Whether to go into exile overseas and continue to raise the banner of resistance, or to admit defeat and withdraw from politics has become the most tangled issue for Napoleon IV.

In the Palace of Versailles, the fading Napoleon IV asked: "The war is doomed, what do you think we should do now?"

All the people present were die-hard supporters of the Bonaparte Dynasty, and Napoleon IV did not act perversely, so it is natural that there is no rebellion.

What's more, it's the Anti-French Alliance calling now, even if someone wants to change jobs, no one will accept it!

Prime Minister Terrence Bulkin was the first to speak: "Your Majesty, the situation is irreversible, and now we can only retreat temporarily and come back at an appropriate time.

However, we cannot bear the responsibility for the defeat, let alone sign the harsh armistice treaty.This war was originally provoked by the consortium, and it failed because of them, so they must be held accountable.

According to the latest investigation results, 485 of the suspects we have arrested have confessed to collaborating with the enemy and betraying the country. Unfortunately, the leader who planned this operation has escaped.

According to their account, a series of problems, including instigating this war, driving up prices during the war, and intentionally creating social conflicts, were all done under the instigation of international forces. "

Obviously, Terrence Bulkin is going to throw the pot out before running away, trying to preserve the reputation of the Bonaparte dynasty as much as possible, and prepare for the future restoration.

It doesn't matter whether the capitalists are in collusion with international forces or not.Anyway, the crimes charged on them are all real, and it's just right to push them out to attract hatred.

It doesn't matter if it's a gangster, just based on what these guys have done, their reputation has long been stigmatized, and some enthusiastic people are willing to testify.

The competition within the bourgeoisie is equally brutal, and no one will show mercy if they can kill their competitors.Even if you want to vindicate them, it will be after these guys are dead.

Napoleon IV asked uncertainly: "You mean to throw Paris to the revolutionaries and let them deal with the anti-French alliance?"

Paris is now a hot potato. No matter who takes it, they will face a crushing problem: how to get rid of the anti-French alliance.

As the loser of this war, don't even think about passing the test without paying a painful price.Land cession and compensation are indispensable.

However, neither the cession of land nor the compensation was acceptable to the French people. It can be said that whoever signs such a treaty is finished.It is even worse not to sign, and the millions of anti-French coalition forces are not vegetarians.

France can expel the people in the occupied area, and the anti-French alliance can do the same.The lessons learned from the Ottoman Empire have already appeared, and no one can guarantee whether France will become the second Ottoman.

International pressure does not exist.In this era of the weak and the strong, the largest anti-French alliance represents the international order.

Terence Bulkin nodded: "Yes, Your Majesty. Since the revolutionaries choose to rebel at this time, they must have the ability to bear the consequences."

……

Chapter 221 The Dying Interim Government

Putting down the telegram in his hand, Marshal Patrice McMahon sighed deeply.Looking up and looking out the window, he turned his back to everyone and said: "Restoring the normal supply of the troops, no matter what happens, the soldiers will not be hungry."

"Marshal, we are running out of food, and domestic supplies can't keep up. If there is unlimited supply..."

Before the middle-aged officer could finish speaking, McMahon interrupted: "Don't worry, the problem of supplies has been solved in the country. The government has raided the grain merchants who were hoarding, and now there is no shortage of food."

Hearing this news, everyone showed long-lost smiles.There is no way, the days of the French army have been really difficult recently.

Not only was he beaten by the Allied forces on the battlefield, but even the logistics went wrong.With the decline of British support, the French government has no way to raise enough strategic materials.

Now it is the battle to defend the homeland, and there is no room for everyone to back down, and the French army is supporting it with enthusiasm.You can still persist in the absence of other things, except for the lack of food.

The front line was defeated too quickly, and there was no time to get back the food that had been hoarded before.Domestic supplies have not kept up, and it is obvious that local support alone cannot support the army to fight.

In order to reduce consumption, Marshal McMahon took the lead in reducing rations starting half a month ago.Except for the front-line combat troops who can barely fill their stomachs, the rest of the people can only eat half full.

Everyone is naturally very happy to hear that the food problem has been solved.Except for a few people who found McMahon's expression unnatural, the rest were immersed in joy.

After a pause, McMahon added: "Okay, the food problem has been solved. Other logistical materials have also been solved domestically, and they will arrive at the front line in a week. Now you can rest assured.

The remaining question is how to fight the French defense war.There is a home behind us, and now we have nowhere to go, and we don’t want our family to be displaced in troubled times, so fight this battle for me.

Now I order..."

The military meeting was hastily ended, and there were only a few cronies left in the headquarters, or the direct line officers of the Bonaparte dynasty in the army.

"Marshal, the enemy's air force is becoming more and more rampant, and domestic stations and bridges have been seriously damaged. Even if the government solves the food problem, there is no way to transport them in a short time, right?"

McMahon did not answer directly, but passed the secret message casually: "Look for yourself, after reading these contents, you will know why."

After a while, the middle-aged officer said with trembling hands, "This...this...how...is it possible?"