Holy Roman Empire

Looking at Prime Minister Campbell's current look of wanting to eat people, one knows that things are definitely not going well.

Under the impetus of people with good intentions, the integration of industrial production capacity is regarded by the people as a consortium colluding with the government, intending to annex everyone's industry and monopolize the market.

For a while, there was an endless stream of protests, and the shocking slogans of the demonstrators resounded throughout the British Isles for a while, and small and medium-sized capitalists said to them with practical actions-"No".

Not only the people below resisted, but even the consortium lacked interest. "Monopolizing the market" sounds wonderful, but if you really operate it, you will find that many industries cannot play like this.

On the one hand, the threshold is low. The key is for social stability. The Campbell government requires everyone not to lay off employees and not to drive up prices.

In essence, the core advantage of monopoly lies in optimizing the corporate structure, reducing production costs, and self-control of pricing power. Now that these two points are gone, what is there to play?

Especially for financial consortiums, this is even more of a disaster.People are used to making quick money, but they are not interested in doing business honestly.

As the [-]% in the "[-]th Law", financiers are working hard to control [-]% of the world's wealth. Naturally, everyone is "respectfully insensitive" to the Campbell government's plan.

Everyone opposed it from top to bottom, so the plan naturally couldn't be promoted.After working hard for several months, Prime Minister Campbell found helplessly that he had gained a loneliness.

Even though the government has implemented tariff barriers, the sluggish industry in the country still hasn't improved much.

Intense international competition is only one aspect. The most important thing is that Britain has embarked on the old path of the former space-time usury empire.More and more consortiums in China are falling in love with the financial industry, and fewer and fewer people are willing to do business honestly.

The British government itself is not very strong, and its policy orientation can affect the domestic economy, but it does not have the ability to make a final decision.

Sunset industries that lack capital injection, even with government support, are not developing smoothly.

It can only be said that Campbell was in a hurry. If he slowed down and waited for the economic policies formulated before to ferment, so that the outside world can see that investing in the industry is also profitable, people will naturally join.

Obviously, Campbell couldn't afford to wait, and neither could Britain.The turbulent international situation tells them that they must be "fast".

Henry Birx, Minister of Industry: "There is a growing civil disapproval, with all sectors of society opposing government meddling in the economy.

It is now impossible to integrate the domestic industry in a short period of time. The Ministry of Industry is preparing to adjust the plan and start a backup plan. "

There are always only a few politicians who plunge into it without looking back, and most politicians still prefer to "adapt to the situation".

Seeing that the plan failed, the Ministry of Industry, as the specific executor, naturally had to find a way to deal with the aftermath.

Campbell's face became even more ugly when he heard "activate the backup plan".There is no way, it sounds good as a "backup plan", and it sounds bad to appease the capitalist world with national interests in exchange for everyone's cooperation in the future.

Of course, this "cooperation" must be based on the premise that the government abandons the industrial integration plan.

Minister of the Interior Azevedo said angrily: "Failure is failure. Since everyone doesn't care about the overall situation, why should we be such villains!"

This is the truth, the deeper the understanding of the country, the more desperate Azevedo feels.

After the strong rise of the Holy Roman Empire, only the glamorous appearance of the awesome British Empire remained.

Free trade has achieved the glory of the British Empire, and free trade has also brought the British Empire to a point of no return.

Under the free trade system, British capital galloped around the world, earning a lot of money.

Even though Shinra's economy is larger, the British still have more say in the capital market.Shinra capital uses industrial and commercial products to make profits, while British capital makes huge profits by harvesting leeks.

Don't look at the long-term trade deficit of Britain in international trade, but the profits earned by British capital are no less than Shinra, or even more.

In a sense, this is the core reason why previous governments did not withdraw from the free trade system even though they knew that the trade deficit was expanding.

Until the Campbell era, the grievances of the domestic business community had accumulated to the peak, and the contradictions could not be suppressed anymore, and the strong men had to cut off their wrists.

After this break, everyone discovered the fragility of Britain.It’s okay to be completely behind in emerging technology fields. The key is that even the traditional advantageous industries are now experiencing insufficient production capacity.

Azevedo, who was so angry outside, can no longer suppress his grievances, and can't help but want to smash the can.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Asquith: "Calm down, Sir Azevedo, Britain has reached its most critical moment, and we can no longer allow our anger to affect our sanity.

Although the plan to integrate industrial production capacity is progressing slowly, it is not without gains. At least in the fields of steel and coal, resources are indeed more concentrated, and production capacity improvement is just around the corner.

Although the progress is a bit slower than expected, our time has not been wasted.Using the Russo-Japanese War as a cover, the empire purchased a large amount of scarce materials from overseas.

With these materials as supplements, we will not fall into a disadvantage in a short period of time. "

It's okay not to explain, but the atmosphere in the room became more tense after this explanation.Everyone is paying attention to the implication. If you don’t lose in the short term, it means you will lose in the long-term competition.

War Secretary Markus Katzell: "We've been talking and talking like this, but we can't actually solve the problem.

As an island country, it would be unwise to compete with Shinra for its industrial strength.Don't forget that he is the overlord of the European continent, and now the Russians are busy moving eastward, so they can't play a restraining role at all.

If the confrontation continues for a long time, we will not only face the Holy Roman Empire, but also the European world attached to them.

From a military point of view, instead of waiting for the enemy to prepare and challenge us, it is better to strike first while we have the advantage now.

No matter what method we adopt, as long as we can severely damage or even wipe out the Shinra Navy, the situation will immediately reverse.

Even if the Holy Roman Empire can't be killed once, at least it can keep them in peace for another 20 years.I believe that with the power of the Imperial Navy, it is not difficult to do this. "

After hearing Marcus's proposal, Secretary of the Navy Swinding could no longer sit still: "Your Excellency thinks we don't want to, but the problem now is that the main force of the Shinra Navy is nestled in the Mediterranean Sea and does not move.

In the enemy's old nest in the Mediterranean Sea, with the cover of the air force and shore artillery, even if the imperial navy ventured deep into it, it would be difficult to achieve results. "

The greater the ability, the greater the responsibility.

As the leader of the British military, the Royal Navy is obliged to take up the important task of defending Britain.All decisive battle plans, including those formulated by the British government, revolve around the navy.

The Royal Navy has indeed lived up to expectations. In the past 200 years, it has been "gods block and kill gods, and Buddhas block and kill Buddhas".With one battle after another, the centuries-old glory of the British Empire was established.

However, the strength of the Royal Navy has its limits.The enemy can't come out from their lair, and they are also powerless.

Minister of War Marcus said without showing any weakness: "If the enemy is unwilling to come out for a decisive battle, then find a way to lure them out.

At this time, no one still fantasizes about living in peace with the Holy Roman Empire, right?

Anyway, we have to fight, so it's better to fight in advance, disrupt the enemy's rhythm, and increase our chances of winning. "

Is Marcus really belligerent?

The answer is naturally: no.

If there were more choices, he would definitely not think about fighting Shinra now.If war breaks out, not only the navy must rush forward, but the army must also go forward.

Among other things, the Cape of Good Hope must find a way to hold it.Without this important port, the route from the British Isles to India would be difficult.

Not only the Cape of Good Hope, but also Persia, Indochina Peninsula and other areas bordering the Shinra will face challenges.

But it won't work if you don't fight. Now the British government has put all its strength to support the navy. As for the army raised by the stepmother, it can only follow behind and eat the leftovers.

Chapter 117

War is not something that can be fought just by fighting, especially in the British system, the cabinet government has no right to initiate a war that bets on the fate of the country without authorization.

However, this kind of matter is not suitable for discussion in parliament.If hundreds of congressmen know about it, it means the whole world knows about it.

When everyone's wrangling is over, let's not say that it is better to strike first, and it is God's blessing not to be attacked first.

Although the Royal Navy has the upper hand, the Shinra Navy is not weak.If we follow the [-]% standard theory of the original space-time book, we can do it directly now.

After the new batch of battleships are commissioned, the gap in strength between the two sides will be even smaller. With the time difference in serving first, it is entirely possible to take the lead.

For this kind of thing, don't expect the king to come out to carry the thunder.Edward VII is not George V, he is not so easy to fool, and he will not take the blame for them.

The Royal Navy has held the supremacy for far too long, and the populace has grown accustomed to victory.In this context, it is right to win a naval battle, and it is a heinous crime to lose it.

Frankly speaking, if it weren't for the long term of office, Campbell would probably choose to fool the past and leave the trouble to the next term.

No kidding, someone in the cabinet is already ready to "retire from illness".Among them was the Secretary of War who was the loudest.

This is often the case in politics. Usually the people who shout the loudest slogans do the most cowardly things.

The reason couldn't be more realistic. Everyone has confidence in the Royal Navy. Who has confidence in the Lobster Soldiers?

The enemy may not be able to defeat the Royal Navy in naval battles, but can they still win in land battles?

The Minister of War, who had no idea what to do, naturally wanted to put oil on his feet.

British politics is like this. As long as there are no major political stains, if you retreat now, you can make a comeback in a few years.

On the contrary, he worked diligently and conscientiously. Once there was a defeat on the battlefield, the Minister of War, one of the persons in charge, would take the blame for it.

They have all reached this position, and those who can still dump the blame on the leaders are all great gods.Throughout the history of the world, there are only a handful of them.

Others can retreat, but Campbell, as prime minister, cannot escape.It cost a lot for the interest groups behind him to push him to power. Now is the time to reap the rewards. How can we make him back down?

If you can't hide, you can only give it a go.Island countries all have a gambling heart, and betting on the country's fortune is not the patent of the Japanese.

The British Navy's challenge to the Spanish Armada was also a big gamble.The only difference is that the British are more well-prepared, while the book is done as soon as the brain is hot.

Shinra's newly built warship is still in the dock, and there are still a few months before it is launched. It will take time for the later stage of armament installation and running-in training.

It will be a year or two after all these things are completed and the combat effectiveness is truly formed.Such a long time is enough to create friction and provoke conflicts.

On the contrary, how to lure the Shinra Navy out for a decisive battle is a big problem.If the enemy has been nesting in the Mediterranean and exploding warships, and gathers together a hundred and eighty capital ships before coming out, it will really be the end of the calf.

Campbell has personally experienced the gap in industrial strength.Comparing the number of piles, Britain really can't keep up, even if it has allies.

Made in the United States these days is a copycat and another copycat.If you want to play with a high-tech battleship, even if you send a full set of shipbuilding equipment and a full set of design drawings, it will not be digested in ten or eight years.

The United States in the original time and space is much more powerful than it is now, with the total industrial output and economic output already number one in the world.

Seeing the British building dreadnoughts, the Americans couldn't bear their loneliness and ran to follow suit. As a result, it took three years and one month to build a South Carolina-class battleship with a displacement of 16000 tons.

Looking at the data on paper, you can see that the Americans have created many of the world's best.Including: the lowest displacement, the lowest power, the slowest speed, the most firepower...

It's okay if the performance can't keep up, and the speed of shipbuilding is also a snail.At the same time, the world's first dreadnought ship produced by the British took only 14 months to build.

The external explanation is that the confirmation of the design plan has delayed the time, but under normal circumstances, isn't the design plan first confirmed before construction starts?

The construction has already started, and the design plan has not yet been determined. There is only one possibility, that is, the technology cannot keep up and the original design plan cannot be completed.

It's nothing surprising. The shipyard responsible for building the South Carolina-class battleship is digging people and buying technology while constructing. It's understandable that the speed is a little slower.

It's even worse now. After the division of the United States, the total amount of industry is not half of the original time and space, let alone the quality.

Except for this ally who had barely achieved industrialization, the remaining little brothers in Britain were really just little brothers.

Not to mention building dreadnoughts, there are only a handful of people who can build ironclad ships, and the most developed shipbuilding industry is still in the midst of war.

Not to mention, the warships built by the Japanese these days, except for the Japanese navy, are not dared to be used by most people.With the Royal Navy's pickiness about warships, it is impossible to catch the eye.

Neither this nor that.In front of the British government, there is actually the last way left - to act first and start the war before the enemy completes the preparations for war.

Of course, the prerequisite is that Britain completes its preparations first.It would be embarrassing if you ran to strike first before you were ready.

These are also inseparable from the parliament. Without the approval of the parliament, the British government has no power to spend hundreds of millions of pounds to prepare for war.

On June 1904, 6, the Campbell government launched a proposal to the Parliament, preparing to follow the example of the Holy Roman Empire to build a strategic material support system.

……

While the British government was busy wrangling with the parliament, the transport airship sold by Shinra to the Tsarist government also arrived at the Far East front from Europe.

You get what you pay for. Although the price of the airship is a bit more expensive, the speed of transportation is really beyond the reach of manpower.

A distance of several hundred kilometers can be returned in the same day.Once put into use, the logistical pressure on the Russian army will be greatly reduced immediately.

The fort stronghold that was left alone and had to be abandoned can now be defended by troops.

Anyway, with wireless telegraphy, there is no fear of being cut off by the enemy.If you are in a hurry, you can also use airships to transport troop reinforcements.

Risky without training?

Just kidding, no matter how high the risk is, it is the risk of gray animals, no matter what the nobles are.

As soon as the logistical pressure on the Russian army eased, the hardships of the Japanese army came.I have to admit that Mao Xiong's fighting power is really nothing to brag about.

Although it is not up to the world's top level, the Japanese Army, which has half a bucket of water, is still enough.Especially the troops who were seriously affected by Bushido and advocated bravery suffered heavy losses.

Facts once again prove that in the face of hot weapons, personal power is insignificant.No matter how brave you are, flesh and blood can't stand up to machine guns and cannons.

Not only interrupted the Japanese offensive, but the Russian army, which temporarily got rid of the logistical difficulties, even organized several counterattacks, all of which achieved considerable results.

The defeat in Tokyo and the Far East battlefield immediately caused panic in the base camp, and the shadow of failure shrouded everyone's hearts.

The enemy this time is the Russians. If it is not forced to help, the Japanese government is not willing to go to war with the Russians at this time.

But there is no way. The conflict between Japan and Russia is not only a conflict of interests, but also personal grievances.

At this point, even if they want to stop, the Russians will not let them go.

Throwing away the battle report in his hand, Emperor Meiji reprimanded angrily: "You all have a good look, what kind of battle is this?

The enemy's Siberian Railway has not yet opened to traffic, and the Russians are currently investing only one or two out of ten forces.Even this will suffer, what will happen in the next battle? "

It can be seen that Emperor Meiji is really panicking now. The last time he reprimanded the military on the spot was during the Philippine campaign.

But the expression at that time was obviously not as exaggerated as it is now.This also illustrates the seriousness of the problem from the side.

Japan can't afford to lose, and neither can Emperor Meiji.Defeat means doom, even if he is the emperor of Japan, his future fate will definitely not be good.