British civil servant

He believes that only the prince who became the crown prince in 62 and has been in the British Empire for [-] years is more in line with the image of a prince in his heart, and the other Charles are fake and shoddy.

In the Royal Palace of Belgium, the national flags of the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, and Belgium fluttered high, indicating that the Brussels Conference, which was declared to be the European Post-War Restoration Conference, officially kicked off.

British Prime Minister Attlee and Chairman of the French Provisional Government Charles de Gaulle are undoubtedly the most important figures in this post-war recovery meeting. Their attitudes determine the future of these colonial empires.

Chapter 148 Europe must be united

Unlike the heads of state and foreign ministers strolling in the garden, showing friendship, the delegations of various countries are nervously preparing meeting topics and negotiation materials to promote the topic of this economic reconstruction conference that is nominally aimed at revitalizing Europe.

In fact, the remaining colonial imperial newspaper groups kept warm and jointly defended each other's collective interests.

But in fact, due to the different distribution of the colonies, the threats they face vary from big to small. Although the general direction of the meeting should be the same for all countries, there must still be debates at the meeting.

Take the current Britain and France as an example, they treat the colonial issue absolutely differently.

The attitude of France after the war is naturally unquestionable suppression. It can be seen from the fact that the French army has embarked on the journey again before the meeting, and it can be seen that France, including Charles de Gaulle himself, now has the attitude of maintaining all the colonies.

And Britain, especially Prime Minister Attlee, is no longer prepared to waste time in British India. Once the local elites in British India lose patience and choose to rise up, with the current capabilities of the United Kingdom, unless they are not prepared to live well, they will break the pot and fall The wartime rationing system has been maintained, otherwise there is no way to stop it.

The most important thing is that even if the wartime rationing system is maintained, Britain may not be able to suppress the resistance of British India.

This problem has actually been around for a long time, and it's not even a recent problem.

During World War II, Britain fought against the French army in West Africa, Syria and Madagascar, against the German and Italian troops in Egypt, against the Japanese army in Australia and Burma, and at the same time maintained the North Sea, the North and South Atlantic, and the Indian Ocean routes and transfused blood to Malta. It is simply an impossible task.

And the colonial empire itself is not a big empire in the traditional sense, but a component that is isolated overseas and connected with each other surrounded by powerful enemies. Defending a colonial empire means fighting with different enemies on all fronts at the same time. Geographically the worst.

When Germany declared war, Britain and France were capable of gathering and confronting troops similar to those of the German army. However, after Italy declared war and France defected, the British army was at a loss. After Japan also declared war, its troops were even more stretched.

The British Empire has never had the ability to fight multiple major opponents on multiple major fronts at the same time. The security of the Empire is entirely hoped that the so-called Imperial Promise will bring troops to build up. When a war breaks out in India and Afghanistan, troops can be mobilized from Britain , when the war in North Africa is tight, troops can be mobilized from Australia and New Zealand.

It is best to only face one enemy at a time. This is the idea of ​​the Germans when they are fighting on two fronts. This is not the idea of ​​the United Kingdom. It is also necessary to suppress the resistance of the colonies and guard against the peeping of the colonies by other powers. Russia confronts, in the Americas it competes with the United States, in Africa it competes with France.

After the two world wars, London finally felt that with its current national strength, it really couldn’t handle it. Prime Minister Attlee felt that it had to shrink, kick out the colonies that invested more than they produced, and concentrate on managing those with weak resistance. colony.

And British India is the burden that Prime Minister Attlee wants to kick out to complete the contraction of the empire and gain breathing time.

Allen Wilson just hoped that the British Empire would shrink and not collapse and shrink all the way to the British Isles.He doesn't think it is his life pursuit to let the United Kingdom serve as a follower behind the Americans.

If that's the case, it's better to resign and go to sea to become a rich businessman. That's more freedom. You don't have to be bound by the status of a civil servant.

At the meeting within the British delegation, Alan Wilson also worked very hard and launched an extremely violent attack on the Soviet Union, but the core argument was that the Soviet Union did not have the strength to start another war.

"According to what I found in the British-occupied area, the German generals who had combat experience in the Soviet Union learned that the German army caused extremely serious damage in the Soviet Union. It is no worse than the damage in Germany now! I believe gentlemen, you should Recently, I have learned from the newspapers how exaggerated the ratio of men to women is in Germany."

At the internal meeting hosted by Alexander Cadogan, Alan Wilson talked eloquently, saying that the loss of the Soviet Union should be inferred from the losses suffered by Germany. The Soviet Union’s casualties should be more than 500 million. man.

"The former Prime Minister Churchill once said that we would like to see the Germans in their graves, but we would rather see the Russians on the operating table. We can conclude that this is now the case."

"The Soviet Union has not announced the losses in the war until now." A middle-aged diplomat said, "Is the estimate of the Soviet Union too optimistic?"

"This is exactly where the Soviets feel guilty. Can't count it? This is impossible. Moscow will not be ignorant of the domestic population. They have done three censuses. It is impossible to come up with population statistics now, so it is deliberate. Conceal it. And judging from the insatiable behavior of the Soviets at the Potsdam Conference, the condition of this polar bear must be very poor, so everything from Germany was accepted as it was ordered.”

The diplomats at the meeting nodded in approval, and Alexander Cadogan, the permanent undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also agreed.Alan Wilson should be the most qualified civil servant to question the Soviet Union. At the Potsdam Conference, he was the one who conducted secret operations on behalf of the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union.

"Although Allen's estimate is too optimistic and there is no direct evidence, the evidence of various factors can also explain part of the problem. The cruelty and ruthlessness of the Germans and the huge damage caused in the Soviet Union are real. If the Soviet Union and Germany The degree of damage to the opponent is on one level, and the loss of 500 million school-age youths in the Soviet Union is very reasonable."

"That's right, Sir Alexander. The Soviet Union will certainly not be any better than Germany. If we can send a delegation to visit the Soviet Union, we can choose a few big cities as the visit, and we can communicate with ordinary people in the Soviet Union. , mentioned the issue of German aggression, if the interviewee expressed hatred, mentioned that relatives died in the war, we put these interviews together, and we can have a rough estimate.”

"By the way, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs received news from Moscow that the Soviet Union wanted to conduct an art visit to London in the form of non-governmental exchanges. It seems that they will send a team called the Red Flag Song and Dance Troupe."

Alexander Cadogan listened to what Alan Wilson said, nodded and said, "The Foreign Minister means that this kind of non-governmental exchanges are welcome, and our reply is that we can conduct an exchange of visits, expressing that the British Empire has no intention of becoming an enemy of the Soviet Union and making a gesture of unity and harmony." Since it is a non-governmental exchange, the return visit team can naturally communicate with ordinary people in the Soviet Union, so that we can confirm whether the Soviet Union is really unable to start a world war in a short period of time."

"That's really great!" Alan Wilson couldn't hide his excitement. He believed that for ordinary people, the British master of speech in the delegation would be able to get the information they wanted.

The Red Flag Song and Dance Troupe is that very famous male choir, right?If there is time, he also wants to listen to it. After all, the opportunity is rare, and if you miss it, you won't have it again.

Why criticize the Soviet Union for being strong outside but for doing well in the middle? It is actually very simple to make this idea a consensus. If there is a war with the Soviet Union, according to the experience of the previous two wars, it will be enough to beat the entire British Empire within a few years without leaving a single young person.

This is the same as the Soviet Union believed that imperialism would start a world war. The United Kingdom is also afraid of the Soviet Union, and has the same thinking as the Soviet Union. They all believe that at this difficult moment, the other party must not dare to start the idea of ​​​​initiating a war.

The Soviet Union's approach was to establish a buffer zone in Eastern Europe to prevent the invasion of Britain and the United States, especially the United States. The British approach was to prevent the Soviet Union from invading and hold the US troops stationed in Europe.

If it was clear that the Soviet Union did not have the ability to start a world war and was recuperating on the operating table, the British Empire would not have to welcome the United States into Europe, at least limiting its right to garrison within the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany.

You must know that the NATO was actually established by the United Kingdom and France first to persuade the United States, but this period of history in which the United Kingdom actively mentioned the establishment of NATO is not well understood.

What is also not well understood is that after the disintegration of the Soviet Union, Britain's continental balance instinct broke out. It once suggested that Russia join NATO, but at that time the United States had already dominated the strength of one family, and it was very sensitive to the British tradition of breaking down fortresses from the inside. I understand, just pretend you didn't hear this suggestion.

Before the official meeting started, the internal meeting of the British delegation had come up with a consensus that the Soviet Union was only superficially strong, and the US had nuclear bombs in its hands, so the Soviet Union would not take the risk of provoking a world war.

As for the main issue, the colonial issue, is the real top priority. There has been news from the Far East that Jakarta, Indonesia, and Sukarno of Indonesia have declared independence, which makes the Netherlands, which is still on the road with a large army, very angry.

The Dutch were now the most eagerly awaited country for the conference, but it was the French who were first approached by the British delegation.

When meeting with Nino Bertrand, a diplomat of the French delegation, Alexandre Cadogan opened his arms and hugged each other, setting a tone of unity for this Brussels meeting.

"The speed of the French army is even faster. Vietnam is not a colony of the British Empire. We have no reason to stay there for a long time." Alexander Cadogan offered to show his favor.

"The unity of Europe lies in the relationship between Britain and France." Nino Bertrand gave a positive response, "How to protect the interests of Greater Europe requires the joint efforts of our two countries. I think the same should be resolved at this meeting."

"In principle, London will not object!" Alexander Cadogan said in an official tone, "Who made Britain and France allies?"

Chapter 149 Portuguese Goa

Regarding the issue of the ownership of the Saarland, London has indeed not come up with a unified opinion. On the one hand, London has expressed its moral understanding of France's actions when Germany provoked two world wars in decades.

But at the same time, Britain is also afraid of changing the balance of power between Germany and France, causing France to dominate in Europe.This conflicts with the mainland's equilibrium strategy, and the idea of ​​the shit-stirring stick is so tangled and hesitant.

As a member of the gentlemen, Alan Wilson can also experience this kind of entanglement. After all, France has Charles de Gaulle, and in the end it must pursue political and military independence. If the Saarland region is merged into France, facing a France, which has greater industrial strength, and the United Kingdom may not be able to play.

France must be much more difficult to deal with than the Federal Republic of Germany, which has a bunch of occupying forces on its own. That's why Britain hesitated on the issue of the Saarland area, expressing a moral understanding of France's proposition, but refused to express support publicly.

However, the final solution to the problem in the Saarland region has evolved into the European Iron and Steel Community. France and Germany revolve around the ownership of the Saarland region. Considering the future of Europe, France and Germany feel that it is necessary to establish a common market for coal and steel. The idea of ​​a common market for coal and steel is also known as the "Schuman Plan".

Later, the six countries of France, West Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg signed it. Since then, the key industrial sectors of the Federal Republic of Germany's rearmament have been placed under the joint management and supervision of the six countries, which has brought peace to Europe. At the same time, the European coal and steel pool has also become the embryonic form of the European Union.

But now the UK has no plans for a steel community. Although six countries are meeting in Brussels, the focus is on the colonial issue. The European economic revival plan is not without its share, but it is far less important than the colonial plan.

In the end, faced with Nino Bertrand's questioning, Alexander Cadogan kicked a ball and said that the Americans should be asked for their opinions.

This meeting was held in the name of the European reconstruction plan to avoid the participation of the Americans. At this time, the Permanent Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs of the British Empire thought of the Americans again.

Said that without the approval of the Americans, this matter would be very difficult to do.However, obtaining the approval of the Americans requires constant mediation and communication, which may not be effective in a short period of time.

Finally, he changed the topic to the colonial issue and said, "The Dutch are in a hurry now. The local elites in the Dutch East Indies have declared their independence. Nino, needless to say, you and I both understand that this is a very dangerous sign. "

"This is a very dangerous sign!" Coincidentally, the British Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin, who was walking in the garden of the Belgian Royal Palace, said the same thing to the Foreign Minister of the Fourth French Republic, Georges Pidour. , also mentioned the changes in the Dutch East Indies, "Europe's interests in Asia have been engaged in by the Japanese in this way. If it cannot be stopped, it may cause irreparable damage."

"Yes, Paris also believes that this is a harbinger of the collapse of order and must be dealt a merciless blow." Georges Pidour gave Ernest Bevin a very gratifying statement, expressing France's uncompromising attitude towards the colonial issue .

This is exactly the attitude that London hopes for France. France's resolute suppression attitude is beneficial to the British Empire. In yesterday's report, Ernest Bevin also heard that Alan Wilson hoped that the French would return to Vietnam as soon as possible .

The advantage of doing this is to look at the determination of the colonies to be independent. If France can’t handle it, it will definitely need a certain degree of help from the United Kingdom. British Malaya can become a base for France to fight in Vietnam, driving local economic development. In the same way, the Netherlands' suppression of the Dutch East Indies also had this benefit.

Georges Pidour was the leader of the resistance movement in France during World War II. During the war, he started the resistance movement in the south and published underground publications.

Soon to be a leading member of the fight and establish ties with the Free French.Entrusted by Moulin in Lyon, he formed a news and newspaper bureau, specializing in publishing news of the domestic resistance movement, promoting the unity of the resistance forces of all factions, and supporting de Gaulle as the leader of the resistance movement.

Knowing that this person is the current Minister of Foreign Affairs of France, Alan Wilson knew that it was stable. He assured Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin that the French would definitely show a tough attitude on the colonial issue. The reason given by Alan Wilson Yes, Georges Pidour is a French leader who grew up in the flames of war.

But in fact it was because, after de Gaulle established the Fifth Republic and finally chose to make Algeria independent, Georges Pidour established the National Resistance Committee, and General Sur Saran advocated terrorist activities to prevent Algeria from becoming independent.And went underground, declaring de Gaulle's government illegal.

In the end, because of the conspiracy to overthrow the Fifth Republic, de Gaulle was crushed, and Georges Pidour began his life in exile.

Such a person is now the foreign minister of the provisional government, how could France not show a tough attitude on the colonial issue.

The six-nation meeting was officially held on the second day. The delegations of the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, and Portugal entered the venue. British Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin delivered a speech on the opening of the meeting, " This is an era of reconciliation. We must focus on the future, seek common ground while reserving differences, and look back at the past. It is precisely because European countries lack a kind of unity that they usually tend to solve problems by force when solving problems, which led to two tragic incidents. World War, I hope this Brussels Conference will be the beginning of the unity of European countries."

There is no doubt that modern society was established by Europe. The British Foreign Secretary is quite modest about this. He did not say that it was established by his own country, but mentioned the contributions of other countries. As for the two countries on the Iberian Peninsula, We can only mention the contribution of the Age of Discovery.

This meeting was able to bring Spain in, and it was also out of consideration for maintaining the unity of the colonial empire.

We must know that during the Spanish-American War, after the Spanish Empire became the stepping stone for the United States to enter the world stage with a new attitude, Spain’s colonies were almost lost, leaving only limited colonies in Western Sahara and Equatorial Guinea.

Spain's colonies are now the last among the six countries in the Brussels Conference.Not to mention that compared with Britain and France, it is not as good as Belgium and the Netherlands, and even far inferior to his neighbor Portugal.

Portugal's current colonies are mainly in southern Africa, and the area is still larger than the Belgian Congo and the Dutch East Indies.

Not to mention that the current ruler of Spain is still Franco, who was ambiguous with Germany during the war.

In fact, Franco in Spain and Salazar in Portugal, strictly speaking, should be liquidated as German-Italian alliances.But at this time, Germany had already been defeated. Considering that Britain still needs the support of the two countries on the colonial issue, it sent an invitation to the Brussels meeting.

The British Empire is still strong, and its relationship with Spain and Portugal is relatively harmonious, even though Gibraltar in Spain is still occupied by the United Kingdom and has never planned to return it.

In fact, Germany did formulate a plan to attack Gibraltar, but Franco, who was scheming, would not bet on the fate of the country in this undecided war. Besides, Spain, after years of wars, was in decline and its strength was weak, so it was really not suitable for involved in an all-European war.

And during the meeting with Hitler, Hitler, who is famous for his speeches, was at a loss.

Franco and Salazar are young comrades after all, and the mistakes they made are not unforgivable. This is the current attitude of the British Empire towards Spain and Portugal.Maybe when it will be counted on, Portugal and Spain will act as thugs when Britain has no scruples.

In fact, the Brussels Conference this time is no different in nature from the 60 Berlin Conference.It was only at the Berlin Conference more than [-] years ago that European countries divided and occupied colonies.

And this time the Brussels meeting, at this moment when the future is uncertain, discussed how to keep the vested interests in their hands. The most powerful colonial empire in history, the British Empire, also let go of the arrogance in its heart and was willing to sit down and discuss with other colonial countries. It is not an easy task to discuss together.

In principle, the heads of state expressed their solidarity with each other on the issue of colonies, which is the easiest issue to reach consensus.

When the leaders move their mouths, the diplomats of various countries will lose their legs. The leaders of the countries have set a principle of unity. Under this premise, the diplomats began to discuss the preservation of the order of the old era.

When Alan Wilson was speaking, he greeted the Portuguese representative and said, "Mr. Olivia, I am very glad to meet you. I have been to Goa once, and I linger on the local beauty. It is really a good place. I Good relationship with local commissioner Pedro."

"Thanks to the British Empire for respecting the sovereignty of Goa." Olivia responded positively, "As we all know, the military power of Portuguese Goa cannot exist until now without the goodwill of the British Empire. .”

"The British Empire has always respected the rights and interests that Portugal should have. We are gentlemen in the civilized world." Eileen Wilson expressed her friendliness with a reserved face, and then changed the subject, "However, some people may not It’s not like we are so talkative, people in these backward areas are really incomprehensible.”

Alan Wilson did not expect that this time the Brussels meeting would not be the impatient Dutch who first sought support, or the French who were inspired to return to Asia to be the first to be impassioned. The first issue that aroused discussion turned out to be the issue of Portuguese Goa.

However, this question is just a professional counterpart to Alan Wilson, which can be said to give him room to play.

1 Fifty chapters of a meeting of unity

"When Goa belonged to Portugal, even the Mughal Empire was not established, and the Indians had no reason and could not take him away from Portugal." Olivia was filled with righteous indignation, and said at the same time, "I believe that the British Empire will Play a leading role in this matter and defend the legitimate rights and interests of the European civilized world."

This dear friend may not know that London's opinion of abandoning British India has gradually gained the upper hand.Of course, Alan Wilson could not tell the other party, but said, "Goa belonged to Portugal long before the establishment of the Mughal Empire. All the countries present today know this fact, and we all recognize it. But it is specific to India. As for people, this issue is more complicated, especially Indians, many Indians say that India has existed since ancient times, and Goa may not be part of the Mughal Empire, but it may be part of the Mauryan Dynasty.”

"What kind of nonsense logic is this?" Olivia said angrily and dissatisfied, "Is there any more shameless logic than this? What do those dirty South Asians think?"

Allen Wilson was silent, this is nothing more than the Indian version of since ancient times.Since ancient times, this kind of statement has always been self-talk and used to persuade the people of the country to support it.No matter how nonsense it is, it must be said!

Generally, the time point of intercepting the greatest benefits is discussed, so the Chinese version starts from the largest territory in 2000. Although the Western Regions of the Han and Tang Dynasties were also under the control of the central government, they rarely publicized it. In fact, China also knew It is too nonsense to promote something [-] years ago.

But India, which is in line with India's national conditions, has been too shameless since ancient times. It is almost equivalent to the current Iran. Holding the Achaemenid dynasty shows that Iran should rule the Middle East.

However, it seems that during the period of the Pahlavi dynasty, Iran did focus on promoting the glory of the Achaemenid dynasty, saying that it was not the same as the Arabs, and that it regarded itself as an agent of the United States in the Middle East.

Leaving aside the issue of Iran, Olivia's strict statement of Portugal's position on the Goa issue will be useful in this Brussels meeting. Of course it will be useful. Expressed firm support for Portugal's claim to overseas territories.

In the final analysis, this is not just a problem faced by Portugal alone. It is a problem faced by all the countries participating in the meeting at this time. The Netherlands and Belgium expressed their support for Portugal one after another. All eyes were on the British and French representatives.

Whoops!People's hearts are available!Alan Wilson knew in his heart that the colonial issue was the most united issue among the participating countries, but he did not expect it to start so smoothly.

For a while, Allen Wilson had the feeling that he was in the relationship with the six countries. First, the Soviet Union would be destroyed, and then the American emperor would be destroyed. The British Empire would continue to be great and lead the world for 100 years.

However, giving support to Portugal has exceeded the authority of Alan Wilson. He cannot give Olivia the support he wants. After the meeting, he will talk with the Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Secretary of the Cabinet, and get the approval of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and even the Prime Minister.

What British India now needs is stability, and anything that undermines the stability of British India must be cautious.

"For Portugal's proposition, we understand morally, and the support of various countries is also gratifying." Alan Wilson seemed to be immersed in the banner of a united Europe, and said with emotion, "We can't go the old way, after the two world wars , Europe has long-lost unity, and with this unity, I believe that at this critical point in history, we will be able to find a way out for Europe to continue to prosper."

Enthusiastic applause sounded, Alan Wilson took a deep breath, and finally barely passed the test, avoiding the statement on Portuguese Goa. Although the Goa issue may still be mentioned, after this meeting, there will be Time to discuss, we can come up with a solution.

Alan Wilson took the initiative to say hello to Olivia, the representative of Portugal, but almost failed to come back, after barely passing the customs.Finally ushered in the savior Dutch.

The representative of the Netherlands, George Armand, actually wanted to be the first to speak, but he did not expect that the representative of the United Kingdom would seize the opportunity and lead to the Goa issue. Now that the Goa issue is finally over, he immediately Can't wait to stand up.

Compared with other countries, the Netherlands has the greatest expectations for this meeting, because Japan has not officially surrendered, and the Indonesians in the Dutch East Indies have declared their independence. Now the Netherlands urgently needs the support of the countries in the Brussels Conference.At the same time, troops were mobilized to suppress in the Dutch East Indies.

Sukarno and Hatta signed the "Declaration of Independence", declaring the establishment of the Republic of Indonesia, and the news has spread to Europe.The representative of the Netherlands, George Armand, criticized Japan, which has become a defeated country, on the other hand, he said that the Netherlands will never sit idly by and will definitely protect its sacred territorial sovereignty.

sovereignty?Alan Wilson almost laughed out loud. In his impression, European countries all talk about human rights.In this era, it turns out that European countries are also talking about sovereignty, which is sacred and inviolable.

After George Armand's speech, the Belgian representative spoke as the host. After calling for unity, he introduced the situation of the Belgian Congo, which is also the only important colony of Belgium.

The road to colonization in Belgium was particularly late, and Belgium’s colonial rule over the Congo began at the end of the nineteenth century.King Leopold II of Belgium tried to persuade the Belgian government to support the then colonial expansion of the Congo.

By the beginning of the twentieth century, local Aboriginal violence led to many resistances due to violent exploitation by foreign colonists.The Belgian government then established formal colonial rule and exercised effective control over the Congo region.

It came late and exploited ruthlessly. Alan Wilson’s impression of the Congo is that Belgium’s hand-cutting punishment has created more than 1000 million disabled people in the Belgian Congo. It can be seen that the smaller the country, the more likely it is once it has a chance to ascend to heaven. Leave no stone unturned.

However, the Belgian government has deprived the king of the Congo's right to life and death. It has been decades since the beheading happened, and the colonial crimes are being diluted by time.Behind Congo's independence, there are shadows of the United States and the Soviet Union, but it is clear that the United States is superior to the competition for Congo.

But now the inner thinking of the British Empire is that the six countries participating in the Brussels Conference can clarify their own scope of operation, and to a certain extent, provide support to other friendly allies that can take care of them within their capabilities.