Chapter 1127: Anxious

  Chapter 1106: Anxious
War is not something that can be fought just by saying it, especially in a system like the UK, where the cabinet government simply does not have the power to take the liberty of waging a war that bets on the nation’s fortunes.

This kind of thing is not suitable to be discussed in the parliament. If hundreds of MPs knew about it, it would be the same as the whole world knowing about it.

By the time everyone had finished pulling the wool over everyone’s eyes, it would be God’s blessing if they didn’t get hit first, not to mention making the first move.

Although the Royal Navy had the advantage, the Shinra Navy wasn’t weak either. If we follow the original time and space book’s 70% standard theory, we can all just do it now.

When a new batch of battleships are installed, the gap between the strength of both sides will be even smaller, with the time difference between the first service, it is completely possible to make the first move.

This kind of thing, do not expect the king will come out to carry the thunder. Edward VII is also not George V. He is not that easy to fool and will not take the blame for them.

The Royal Navy had been dominating for too long, and the people had long since gotten used to winning. In this context, winning a naval battle is deserved, losing it is a great offense.

Frankly speaking, if not for the fact that the term of office is still long, Campbell would most likely also choose to muddle through and leave the trouble to the next term.

No kidding, there are already people in the Cabinet who are ready to “retire sick”. This includes the Secretary of State for War, who has been making the most noise.

It is often the case in politics that the person who shouts the loudest slogans is the one who does the most cowardly things.

The reason for this could not be more realistic. Everyone has faith in the Royal Navy, but who has faith in the Lobster Soldiers?
The enemy may not be able to defeat the Royal Navy in a naval battle, but can they not win a land battle?

The Secretary of State for War, who had no confidence in his heart, naturally wanted to wipe his feet.

Politics in Britain is like this, as long as there is no big political stain, now retired, in a few years can still rise again.

On the other hand, the Minister of War, as one of the persons in charge, has to take the blame in case of a loss on the battlefield after doing his duty and working hard.

At this point in time, those who are still able to take the blame for their leaders are all gods. Throughout the history of the world, there are only a few of them.

Others can retire, but Campbell, as Prime Minister, can’t get away. The interest groups behind him have spent a lot of money to push him to power, and now it’s time to reap the rewards, so how can he be allowed to retreat?
Can’t hide, then we can only let go of the fight. All island countries have a gambling heart, and betting on national luck is not exclusive to the Japanese.

The British Navy challenged Spain’s invincible fleet back then, and it was likewise a big gamble. The only difference is that the British are a little more prepared, while Benji is a hot-headed to start.

Shinra’s new warships are still in the dockyard, and there are still a few months before they are launched, so they need time for the installation of weapons and equipment, and for break-in training at a later stage.

When all these things are completed, the real formation of combat power, that is also a year or two later. Such a long period of time is enough to create friction and provoke conflicts.

Instead, how to lull the Shen Luo Navy into a duel was the big question. If the enemy had been harboring in the Mediterranean Sea to explode warships and gather up a hundred or eighty main ships and then come out, then it would really be the end of the line.

The gap in industrial strength, Campbell has personally learned. Comparing the number of heaps, Britain really can’t catch up, even if it is pulling on allies also can’t.

This year’s American manufacturing, that is cottage, and then cottage. To play with high-tech battleships, even if the full set of shipbuilding equipment, along with a full set of design drawings sent over, no ten or eight years can not be digested.

The original time and space of the United States can be much more bullish than now, the total amount of industry, the total economic volume has been the world’s first.

Look at the British to engage in the dreadnought, the Americans can not resist the loneliness to follow the trend, the result took three years and a month to build a displacement of 16,000 tons of South Carolina-class battleships.

Look at the paper data to know, the Americans created a number of the world’s most. Including: the lowest displacement, the lowest power, the slowest speed, the firepower most ……

The performance can not keep up with it, that’s all, the speed of shipbuilding that is also a snail. At the same time the British came up with the world’s first dreadnought, the construction time is only 14 months.

The external explanation is to determine the design program delayed time, but under normal circumstances, are not all the first to determine the design program and then start construction?

Have already begun construction, has not yet determined the design program, there is only one possibility, that is, technology can not keep up, the original design program can not be completed.

Nothing strange, responsible for the construction of the South Carolina-class battleship shipyard, people are the construction while digging, buy technology, slow a little bit is also understandable.

Now it’s even worse, after the split of the United States, the total amount of industry is not even half of the original time and space, the quality is even less to be expected.

In addition to this barely industrialized ally, Britain’s remaining little brother, then really just little brother.

Not to mention the construction of dreadnoughts, can build ironclads are only a few, which shipbuilding industry is the most developed or is in the middle of the war in the present.

Not to mention count on, these days the Japanese built warships, in addition to the Japanese Navy, the general public do not dare to use. With the Royal Navy’s picky about warships, it’s impossible to get into the eye.

Neither this nor that would do. What was left before the British government was practically the last way – to strike first and start the war before the enemy had finished his preparations for war.

Of course, the prerequisite is that Britain itself has completed its preparations for war first. It would be embarrassing to go ahead and make the first move when you are not even ready yourself.

These are also inseparable from the Parliament, without the approval of the Parliament, the British government does not have the power to use hundreds of millions of pounds to prepare for war.

On June 1, 1904, the Campbell government launched a proposal to Parliament, ready to follow the Holy Roman Empire to build a strategic material security system.

……

Just as the British government was busy pulling the wool over Parliament’s eyes, the transport blimps that Shinra had peddled to the Tsarist government arrived at the Far Eastern front from Europe.

A penny a penny, although the price of the airship is a little expensive, but the transportation speed is really not manpower can catch up.

A few hundred kilometers away, the same day to and from. Once put into use, the Russian army’s logistical pressure was immediately greatly reduced.

Originally alone in the outside, can only give up the fortress stronghold, can now also send troops to defend.

Anyway, there is radio telegraphy, there is no fear of being cut off by the enemy. If they are really pushed, they can also use airships to transport troops for reinforcement.

Untrained and risky?

Just kidding, even if the risk is high, it’s still the gray animals taking the risk, what does it matter to the noble lords.

Once the logistical pressure on the Russian army is reduced, the Japanese army’s hard day is coming. Have to admit, the Mao Bear’s fighting strength is really not blowing.

Although not up to the world’s top level, but hanging half a bucket of water Japanese Army is still enough. Especially by the samurai ideology is serious, advocating the courage of the troops is a heavy loss.

Facts once again proved that in the face of hot weapons, the power of the individual is small. No matter how brave, flesh and blood can not stand up to machine guns and artillery.

Not only interrupted the Japanese offensive posture, temporarily get rid of the logistical difficulties of the Russian army, and even organized a number of counterattacks, have achieved not small results.

Tokyo, the loss of the Far East battlefield, immediately caused the fear of the main camp, the shadow of failure hangs over everyone’s mind.

The enemy this time was the Russians, and the Japanese government would not have wanted to go to war with the Russians at this time if it had not been forced to do so.

But there was no way out, the conflict between Japan and Russia was both a conflict of interest and no less personal.

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

Threw away the hands of the war report, Emperor Meiji angrily reprimanded: “You all take a good look, what kind of war is this?

The enemy’s Siberian Railway has not yet been opened to traffic, and the Russians are now investing only one-twelfth of their forces. Even this is a loss, what about the battle ahead?”

I can see that Emperor Meiji is now really panicked, the last time he reprimanded the military department on the spot was during the Philippine campaign.

But the expression at that time, obviously not as exaggerated as now. This also side-stepped the fact that the seriousness of the problem.

Japan could not afford to lose, and the Meiji Emperor likewise could not afford to lose. Defeat meant the end, and even if he was the Emperor of Japan, his future fate would definitely not be rosy.

Either death or exile. Once in the hands of the Russians, it was another canary in the coal mine in St. Petersburg.

There is no doubt that the cold climate of St. Petersburg will not tolerate a canary. When the Russians have pretty much tossed it, it’ll be his turn to collect his box.

Even in the European world, monarchs have immunity, but that’s only for European monarchs. One couldn’t hope for the Russians, to recognize him, the Emperor of Japan, could one?
The older a person gets, the more they fear death. Emperor Meiji could not be an exception, he had not lived enough and did not want to go down so early.

Exile overseas seemed not bad, but again, it was not suitable for a monarch with few relatives like him.

Without the umbrella of exile monarch, it is a small child in the market, may one day be eaten clean, and sold to the tsarist government.

Facing the furious Emperor, the people tacitly bowed their heads. No way Meiji is not Taisho, can not allow everyone to be reckless.

Perhaps they had had enough of it here, so much so that during the Taisho period, everyone intentionally or unintentionally suppressed it, hard enough to drive the Taisho mad.

Especially the few from the military, they buried their heads to the lowest level, minimizing their presence as much as possible, as if they were an ostrich.

Driven by the gaze of his peers, Katsutaro, as Prime Minister, had to stand up against the thunder.

“Your Majesty, calm your anger. The loss at the front is only temporary, and the overall state of affairs on the battlefield is still in our favor. As long as we are united as one, we will definitely be able to ……”

Without waiting for Katsutaro to finish his sentence, Emperor Meiji’s murderous gaze was cast over, forcing him to swallow his latter words hard.

“I don’t want all this nonsense, to boost morale go and speak to the officers and men at the front, what I want now is a response plan.

Don’t tell me you guys don’t know what this means. Once the Russians are free from logistical pressure, can the Imperial Army really win?”

It wasn’t that Emperor Meiji was boosting others’ morale and destroying his own. The truth is that the gap between the strength of Japan and Russia is too great, whether it is a matter of quantity, or quality, it can not compare to Russia.

The only advantage is the geography, the Russians have to cross the vast snowy Siberia to reach the Far East, while the Japanese army is close to home.

Yamagata Arimoto: “Your Majesty, the Russians have not really solved their logistical problems, right now they are mainly relying on airships to increase their transportation speed.

But the airships have limited capacity and high weather requirements, and the transportation costs are surprisingly high, making it impossible to meet the needs of the 400,000 or so Russian troops on the front line.

Besides, it’s not like we don’t have a way to deal with it. Back in the days of the Continental War, Shinra used airplanes to deal with French airships with very good results, and we can follow suit now.

The real trouble is still the Far East Empire, if it wasn’t for them selling strategic materials to the Russians, the Russian army on the front line would have collapsed by now.

I suggest that the Imperial Navy make a sortie to warn the Far Eastern Empire to settle down and order them to stop selling supplies to the Russians.”

Though reluctant to admit it, it was really the Far Eastern Empire that was drifting in the storm that was now deciding whether the Russo-Japanese War would be won or lost.

Without waiting for the Admiralty’s response, Foreign Minister Inoue Shin jumped in to object, “No! It is not appropriate for us to irritate the Far Eastern Empire at a time like now.

In case we push them to the brink and direct them towards the Russians, the Empire will be in real danger.”

The military and the government looked at things differently, the threat of force was indeed the easiest and most effective way to solve problems, but that also had to be separated into times.

At a time like now, it was too late for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to pull in the Far Eastern Empire, how could it tolerate the military pushing the other side into the arms of the enemy.

Ito Hirobumi: ”Inoue-kun is right, it is true that we cannot irritate the Far Eastern Empire now. Now that they are neutral, it is already the best outcome for the Empire.

Don’t forget that they still have a secret pact with the Russians, and if the Russians were not too greedy, and not only did they not pull the Far Eastern Empire’s hand in the year of Xinjiao, but instead, they followed suit and took advantage of the fire, the Far Eastern pattern would be completely different now.

If we stimulate them again, coupled with Shinra’s mediation, it is possible that the two countries will be allied again.

Our strength is limited, it is impossible for us to take on two great powers at the same time. Although the Far East Empire is corrupt, the new army it has trained still has some fighting power.

A single Russian exhausted us, if the two countries join forces, the empire has no chance of winning.

Right now, as long as the Far Eastern Empire does not openly support the Russians, we must focus on drawing them in.

The aftermath of the old Sino-Japanese War has not yet dissipated, and there is a new hatred for the Xin Chou. In order to be able to keep them neutral, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has done everything it can.

Now that the Far Eastern Imperial Government has not moved at all, and it is merely some civilian smuggling, there is no need to make a fuss.

Whether it’s sending troops to intercept them or bribing mountain bandits to cause havoc, the problem can be solved, so why make a big deal out of it?”

A big-picture perspective has always been what the Japanese military lacks the most. Perhaps the influence of the samurai ideology is too deep, or perhaps the military ****ism is too extreme, the Japanese Army up and down like to say one thing is – dry!

If the Meiji government is not strong enough to suppress the military’s anger, let the Japanese military tossed by itself, then, it is estimated that Japan has long been tossed out.

Only this kind of suppression, along with the outbreak of war, seems more and more powerless. It can be said that after each foreign war victory, the military’s power to expand a circle.

In the original time and space, it was after the death of these old ministers that the Japanese military completely lost control. And not only did the government lose control of the military, but the military hierarchy also lost control of the radicalized soldiers and officers below.

Right now there is already the beginning of a loss of control, but everyone is too busy with the war to realize this “small problem”.

Yamagata Arimoto: “Ito-kun, it’s not that simple. The Imperial Army has been fighting smuggling for a long time.

Unlike the previous sporadic smuggling, the current smuggling activities have become large-scale.

Large and small merchant caravans have converged and formed escorts together, and they are even equipped with machine guns and mortars, and their combat power exceeds that of the regular army of the Far East Empire.

Not to mention ordinary mountain bandits, even the imperial army could not deal with them if their number was less than one brigade.

What’s more, there are also local snakes involved behind these merchant caravans, and every time we organize troops to go and encircle them, the news will leak out in advance.”

Interest was always the best catalyst. With Louis’ involvement, although kickbacks still had to be given, he was never again blackballed by the Russian bureaucrats when it came to payment for goods.

With the benefits secured, everyone’s motivation to participate went up. Compared to the silver, the bandits were nothing.

Even the Japanese army itself was useless. If the number of soldiers was small, they would be pushed back by the merchant guards; if the number of soldiers was large, they would leak the news.

Fighting in someone else’s territory, wanting to mobilize the army without leaving any traces is simply not possible.

With the involvement of arms dealers, there was naturally no lack of radio stations. It can be said that the news transmission of the caravan was smoother and more convenient than the transmission of orders from the Japanese army.

If it wasn’t really impossible to get it done, Yamagata Arimoto wouldn’t have brought it up, after all, it would have been humiliating.

……

(End of chapter)