Holy Roman Empire

With the poor financial situation of the Spanish government and the decadent bureaucratic system, if this continues, the Spaniards will probably be the first to fail. "

Seeing the conversation, Governor Chandler couldn't help drooling.There is no way, the Philippine Islands are too rich, except for Java Island in the hands of the Dutch, there is no other place in the Southeast Asia that can match it.

As a qualified colonist, it is impossible not to be tempted by such a rich place.It can be heard from the analysis that even the resources of the Philippine Islands have been clarified, and it is obvious that they have been prepared for a long time.

In the hands of the Spaniards before, Governor Chandler had no way to do it due to political influence, but now there is finally a ray of light.

As long as the Spaniards are defeated and give up their ownership of the Philippine Islands, the Nanyang Governor's District will have a chance to get the Philippine Islands.After all, there is no political pressure to rob the Japanese.

Not only Governor Chandler's idea, but the colonists in the entire Nanyang Governor's District are anxiously waiting for this to happen.

If it weren't for the order of the Vienna government, the Spaniards would not have used the dock for repairs, and I am afraid they would not even be able to obtain logistical supplies.

2Chapter 16 All Winners VS No Winners

Time passed by, and the war became more and more intense. The smile on Admiral Valkenhain's face no longer existed, and was replaced by a full of sadness.

The battle started at ten o'clock in the morning and has continued until five o'clock in the afternoon. It's okay to be hungry, the key is that the enemy will not retreat.

Because of the lack of training and the impressive hit rate, while fighting, the Japanese kept narrowing the fighting distance in an attempt to fight them hand-to-hand.

After the warship suffered heavy damage, the first reaction of the Japanese was not to leave the battlefield, but to speed up, wanting to "hit" into it and die together.

The Japanese are crazy, but the officers and soldiers of the Spanish fleet are still normal people.After the warship suffered heavy damage, it immediately chose to leave the battlefield.

Logically speaking, these severely damaged warships could no longer pose a threat, but the Japanese still clung to them.

The battleship is going to a decisive battle, and there is no time to beat the dog in the water, but the sailing warship that stays behind to watch the excitement can.

Once the Spanish warship left the battlefield, the cannon fodder of the Japanese sailing fleet swarmed up.Originally, the artillery power of the sailing battleship was limited, so it couldn't help the ironclad ship, but this did not include the injured ironclad ship.

The Japanese were willing to spend their lives on the top, sacrificing a few sailing warships, and they were always able to take away a seriously injured ironclad ship.

In addition to these normal attacks, the Japanese army also has a suicide attack ship, which is filled with explosives and detonated when it rushes up.It forced them to split their firepower to deal with these small boats.

This kind of life-for-life style of play can be said to be the original creation of the Japanese Navy. It has never been encountered before, or even heard of.

Meeting such a group of lunatics would give normal people a headache.Admiral Valkenhain is no exception, the original contempt has long since disappeared, and now only deep fear remains.

"Report, the battleship Madrid was shot, the ship was leaking, and it is undergoing emergency repairs. The captain, Major General Alfondas, was killed, and now Colonel Winterger is taking over the command!"

When another bad news came, Valkenhain's heart sank, and he said indifferently, "Got it!"

At this time, the two sides are fighting for resilience.The Spanish fleet suffered heavy losses, and the Japanese fleet on the opposite side suffered even more heavy casualties.

The gap in the quality of warships, the gap in the quality of officers and soldiers, if only relying on quantity to make up, it is doomed to flow into rivers of blood.

For the Spanish fleet, the most important thing right now is to destroy the enemy's madness, otherwise the subsequent wars will be disasters.

……

With a loud "boom", the "Tokyo" was unfortunately shot and violently shook. General Ito Yuheng, who was directing the battle, sat down on the ground.

Regardless of the pain of being thrown, Yuheng Ito hurriedly ordered: "Send someone to repair the warship quickly!"

Soon, a young officer ran over in a panic: "Your Excellency, the Tokyo is seriously damaged. It must be taken back to the shipyard for repairs immediately, or it will be dangerous."

There is no way, the British's thin-skinned warships just don't do anything.After a few shots, it was seriously damaged.In contrast, the warships built by the French on the opposite side are much more resistant to beating.

Of course, this is directly related to the construction time. The "Tokyo" was born more than ten years earlier than the opposite "Madrid".If the performance cannot be surpassed, the French did not have the ability to challenge Britain's maritime hegemony.

After receiving this bad news, General Ito Yuheng, who has always been calm and calm, couldn't hold his breath anymore.He can accept the sinking of other warships.But "Tokyo" is different. It is not only the flagship of the Japanese Navy, but also their only two "former dreadnoughts".

Affected by the butterfly effect, the development speed of the navy has been accelerated for more than ten years, but it is the old-school powers that have benefited the most. For emerging countries like Japan, the gap is even wider.

After great difficulty, I bought two second-hand "pre-dreadnoughts" from the British. If they are gone now, it will be difficult to replenish them.

"Pull it back, do you mean that the power system of the Tokyo ship has been damaged and it cannot be driven back?"

The young officer explained: "Yes, from the beginning of the battle to the present, the Tokyo has been hit by the enemy seven times, and the power system has collapsed."

Looking at the battlefield, Yuto Ito shook his head: "Tokyo can't be withdrawn now, and it can't be withdrawn. Unless we persist until dark, the enemy will not let us go."

Originally, this battlefield was chosen because it was close to the port, so it was convenient to escape after the defeat.However, the plan did not change quickly, and the desperate Japanese fleet actually fought the enemy in half a catty.

"Heavy casualties" is not a problem at all for Ito Yuheng.As long as the war can be won, no amount of loss is worth it.

You must know that this war is not only for the sake of war, but also for the powers to see.

The observation ships staying in the distance are not only from the Holy Roman Empire, Britain, the United States, Russia, the Netherlands and other countries have sent observation ships.The performance of the Japanese navy at this moment will directly determine the positions of other countries towards them.

Otherwise, Yuheng Ito gathered so much strength to fight the Spaniards recklessly because he was full.Wouldn't it be nice to put a part of the Spanish army ashore and let the army horse manures also make a contribution?

From the very beginning, Ito Yuheng's purpose was to leave an impression of "dare to die" and "crazy" to other countries. Only in this way can the major powers be deterred and dispel their peeping hearts towards the Philippine Islands.

Otherwise, with Japan's current strength, even if it defeats the Spaniards, there is no way to keep the Philippine Islands.

The effect is indeed very obvious. Governor Chandler, who is watching the battle, has decided to revise his strategic plan for capturing the Philippines.He is not going to let the Nanyang Fleet take risks until he gets local support.

The British, who originally had doubts about the Japanese's combat effectiveness and were still hesitant to support them, will probably make up their minds after the war.

……

The weather gradually dimmed, and under the cover of night, the two warring parties withdrew from the battlefield one after another.With the end of the naval battle, telegrams also flew from Nanyang to all parts of the world.

In the Palace of Vienna, watching the result of the first ironclad battle in human history, Franz felt an indescribable sense of comfort.

Who won between Japan and the West?

It is estimated that no one can give an accurate answer to this question.Judging from the number of casualties and the number of sunken warships alone, the Spanish fleet is the big winner; however, from the perspective of overall strategy, the Japanese navy is the winner of this naval battle.

To break the myth that white people are invincible, with such great achievements, no matter how big the loss is, it is acceptable.

"The naval battle has come to an end for the time being. According to the intelligence sent by the Governor of Nanyang, the Japanese and Western navies have suffered serious damage, and there should be no more major wars in a short time.

Next is the time for the army to perform. How is the combat effectiveness of the Spanish army? Is it capable of capturing the Philippine Islands from the Japanese? "

The coastline of the Philippine Islands is very long. Without defeating the Spanish expeditionary fleet, the Japanese navy could not do a comprehensive defense at all.

With the bad relationship between the Japanese army and navy, maybe the navy is happy to see the army's jokes.It would be even more perfect if the army was defeated and they came out to clean up the mess.

"We haven't had an in-depth understanding of the combat effectiveness of the Japanese army. However, judging from their military expenditures, the combat effectiveness should not be too strong.

The combat effectiveness of the Spanish Army is very average, judging from their performance in the anti-French war, it can even be said to be very bad.Like their international status, they are definitely at the bottom among the great powers.

However, it should still be stronger than the Japanese army. In the case of equal strength, I am more optimistic about the Spaniards. "

It's not that Feslav looks down on Japan and the West. After entering the Second Industrial Revolution, the factors of absolute military combat effectiveness have changed.To use the most popular phrase to describe it now is that "a strong army is fed by military expenditures."

No bragging, the bloody courage of the Japanese army is indeed powerful, but in the face of the torrent of steel, this thing is simply useless.

Not to mention the Spanish Army, if it hadn't become the victor of the anti-French alliance, the Spanish Army has not completed the change of equipment now.

If you have the same backward equipment, the Spanish cowboys really don't have much advantage over the Japanese army.Although the equipment is newer now, the Japanese are closer to the mainland!

With Spain's national strength, it can't afford to play steel torrents at home, let alone the Philippine Islands.

The biggest advantage of the Spaniards now is probably that the army equipment and ammunition are all spoils of war, which saves a part of military expenses.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs pays close attention to the internal situation in Spain and cannot let this war affect the peace and stability of the European continent!"

There is no doubt that Franz is not optimistic about the Spaniard.Not so many reasons, just one reason - distance.

If the Spanish government were a little more domineering and directly pressed all the main forces of the army and navy, it would probably be able to win the battle quickly.

Now that most of the navy's main force has been invested, the army has only sent a hundred thousand or so. It seems to be a huge force, but it has lost the ability to kill with one blow.

You can fight the Philippine Islands, why can't you attack the Japanese mainland?The current Japanese government is not crazy yet. If the flames of war are really brought to Tokyo, the possibility of their compromise is very high.

On the contrary, the Tokyo government didn't feel deeply about the consumption of the Philippine Islands and the Japanese. Not only could it fail to deter the Japanese, but it would arouse their madness.

Of course, this style of play has high requirements for Spain.It will be difficult to implement unless the Madrid government invests heavily and obtains the support of European countries.

Franz is preparing for the aftermath, but the protagonists of this war are declaring themselves victors.The Spaniards talked about their achievements, while the Japanese encouraged the morale of the people by "breaking the myth that the whites were invincible".

His words are tough, but his physical performance is very honest.After the Philippine naval battle, both Japan and the West launched a diplomatic offensive.

……

In Sulawesi, Governor Chandler, who was harassed to no avail, still received Admiral Valkenhain.Compared with the previous contact, the Spaniard is much more sincere this time.

There is no way, the fate of the expedition fleet is now in the hands of the Governor of Nanyang.After the Japanese warship is damaged, it can be pulled back to the mainland for rescue, but the Spaniards have no way to pull the warship back to Europe.

With such a long distance, before they could drive the damaged warship back, it sank halfway.In fact, during the retreat, the Spanish fleet sank two more warships because it hit the rocks, including the severely damaged "Madrid".

Of course, they are not at a disadvantage, and the Japanese navy as an enemy also did not get cheap.On the way back to the mainland, the flagship "Tokyo" also sank unfortunately.

The sinking of a warship does not mean that it is scrapped. If the damage to the hull is not too great, it can still be salvaged.

Admiral Valkenhain came this time to rescue the "Madrid".Although the Vienna government expressed support for them, it was the governor of Nanyang who actually implemented it.

Whether the "Madrid" can be rescued and how long it will take to repair the warship, these specific issues still depend on the support of the Nanyang Governor's Office.

The colonists in the Southeast Asia region did not fail to spy on the Philippine Islands. If the colonial government did not intervene, Admiral Valkenhain could not even imagine what would happen next.

You can't count on the integrity of these repair shops, can you?What people want to do is long-term business. Short-term customers like the Spanish fleet are not as important as the colonists who are local snakes.

"Your Excellency, Commander, you have to understand that this is Nanyang, not Europe. The maintenance factory is not a shipyard, and it is normal for technology to have flaws.

If you want to achieve perfection, I personally suggest that your country should bring the warship back to Europe for maintenance.Here, we really cannot guarantee quality. "

There was work to be done, it was a treaty.But how to do it, that needs to be said.

From the standpoint of Governor Chandler, what he hopes most is that both Japan and the West will lose, and then the Japanese will continue to occupy the Philippine Islands.

Even if the Spaniard brought the lawsuit to Vienna, he would still take this position.As the governor of Nanyang, it is his duty to find a way to expand the colony.As long as you act within the scope of the rules, no one can say that you are wrong.

Admiral Valkenhain shook his head: "Your country's repair shop in the Nanyang region is not an ordinary repair shop, not to mention simple warship repairs. If necessary, I am afraid that even warships can be built. Now it shows The technical strength of the company obviously does not match the real technical capabilities of the repair shop.

We have an agreement with your country, Madrid and Vienna have also reached an agreement on this issue, and the current performance of your maintenance factory, I am afraid that someone wants to destroy the friendship between the two countries! "

Chandler waved his hand: "Sorry, I'm afraid you have found the wrong person. Regarding the technical problems of the repair shop, you should go to talk to the capitalists, not me, the governor.

Maybe the capitalists want to take advantage of it, you know this kind of thing is their specialty, even our fleet they blackmail. "

If it weren't for his good upbringing, Admiral Valkenhain would have almost exploded.Not to mention the Holy Roman Empire, where capital was suppressed, even in other European countries with relatively strong capital strength, I have never heard of any shipyard daring to "blackmail" its own navy.

Not to mention the colonies, if they offend the navy, wear small shoes, and block the door every day to check and seize smuggling, no matter how awesome the shipyard is, it will not be able to survive.

There are not so many twists and turns in dealing with soldiers, and Admiral Valkenhain can't remember so many diplomatic rhetoric, let alone have time to talk nonsense here.

"What do we need to pay to get your help?"

2Chapter 17 Gaming

Interests have been the best bridge for friendship since ancient times. As long as the interests are in place, friendship will come into being.It's not that Governor Chandler likes to play tricks, but he was forced out by reality.

As the biggest victor in the European War, the seemingly bullish Holy Roman Empire is actually in its weakest period.

The established national policy of the Vienna government is to keep the business, and expansion is not considered at all.The Philippine archipelago was fertile, but it was not enough to make the Vienna government change its policy.

As a colonial governor, while taking into account the national strategy, Chandler also cannot ignore the interests of the colonial group.In this context, it is necessary to test the operational skills.

The original peach-picking plan was based on the defeat of Spain and the weakness of Japan.The current situation is very obvious. It is indeed difficult for Spain to win the war, but the strength of the Japanese is also unexpected.

Maybe their combat effectiveness is not very good, but they are willing to work hard!With the strength of the empire in the Nanyang region alone, even if it can defeat the Japanese, it will suffer heavy losses.

For the Holy Roman Empire, Japan has never been worth mentioning, and the British hiding behind the scenes are the real threat.

If the operation is not good, it becomes a proxy war in which the British send arms and the Japanese send troops.

Just think about the first Near East War, the two Prussian-Prussian Wars, and the recent Anglo-Russian-Afghanistan War.

Competitors, one by one, were all cheated to death and crippled, and those who survived were also severely injured.

Britain and Russia did not engage in trouble when the Holy Roman Empire was at its weakest. It was not because the governments of the two countries understood the righteousness, and it was not because there were no conflicts among the three countries. The core reason was that they were not at their best.

In the war in Afghanistan, Britain and Russia each lost hundreds of thousands of troops, but gained a lot of feathers, and at the same time, they were under heavy financial pressure.In this context, even if you want to do something, you must exercise restraint.

In a sense, the Holy Roman Empire was able to be restored, and the proxy wars secretly manipulated by the Vienna government also made important contributions.

Perhaps when he just crossed, Franz might still be in the second grade and take the opportunity to beat the Japanese to vent his anger, but now it is impossible.As a mature politician, any military action must be driven by interests.

These days, the Japanese are so poor that even if they push forward smoothly, they will not be able to recover their war funds; if something happens midway, it will be a blood loss.

I don't want to fight in person, but I covet the fertile Philippine Islands, and the value of Spain is reflected.

Britain supports the Japanese, and Vienna supports Spain. No matter who wins or loses, it is a matter of profit.

From the standpoint of the Vienna government, the more support the British government provides to the Japanese, the better. Only in this way will the conflict between Britain and the West continue to escalate.

Spain, which is at the same time hostile to Britain and France and possesses certain strength, is undoubtedly the best ally of the Holy Roman Empire.

It doesn't matter if Spain is going downhill, as long as it doesn't fall too fast.If Spain is really on the rise, this little brother Franz would not dare to ask for it.