Chapter 893: The Underestimated Napoleon IV

  Chapter 875: The Underestimated Napoleon IV

Regardless of what the Russians’ true purpose was, the impact of the Andrzej Offensive and Defense was horrific.

A bunch of experts and scholars whose level is not even as good as Franz have jumped out to point the finger, as if the war will burn to India tomorrow.

The appearance of the telegraph has brought the world closer together, and the unpopularity of European public opinion has likewise affected British public opinion, and for a time the pressure on the British government has increased greatly.

“What has happened at the front, why has Andhuey lost his ground, and what is Patrick doing?”

Three “what” questions in a row proved that Prime Minister Gladstone was now in a very bad mood.

Afghanistan’s area is not small, and Anderhuizen is not a core strategic location, just losing the tens of thousands of square kilometers around Anderhuizen is not worth mentioning to the entire battlefield.

The same is the loss of cities and land, just started the fight lost a large area of land, and after a long and fierce battle lost cities and land is very different.

Andrzej was lost at the start of the battle, and public opinion questioned the fighting ability of the British army, and the opposition parties took advantage of the situation to make things difficult for Prime Minister Gladstone.

Secretary of State for War Rosario, full of anger, replied: “It’s all because the Russians are so despicable, not waiting for the news of the declaration of war to reach the front line, they launched a sneak attack.

Our troops in the Afghan region are busy exterminating the guerrillas, and Andhoui, because of its low strategic value, has deployed a limited number of troops there, allowing the Russians to take advantage of the situation.

However, you can rest assured that Lt. General Patrick has abandoned his previous plan to round up the guerrillas and sent troops to reinforce the front line.

If nothing else, the front line is now stabilized, and we’re just waiting for our reinforcements to arrive so we can launch a counterattack.”

It was better not to explain, but after hearing Patrick’s explanation, the crowd present instead felt more and more uneasy.

Giving up the siege of the guerrillas likewise meant that the besieged guerrillas could come out of the mountains. With the Russian hordes pounding away outside and the guerrillas ravaging inside, how could anyone feel at ease?

Reinforcements will counterattack when they arrive, this statement can be taken out to fool ordinary people, but the people present at the meeting do not have so strong confidence in their own troops.

Skepticism is skepticism, Gladstone Prime Minister still did not pour cold water. The war has already broken out, it must be fought.

“The situation on the battlefield is changing very quickly, the Ministry of War has to take responsibility, it’s been almost a month since the war started, why haven’t the reinforcements left yet?”

Facing the Prime Minister’s accusation, Rosario explained stiffly, “Your Excellency the Prime Minister, there are a lot of preparations that need to be made for the troops to labor.

The vast majority of the soldiers have never been to sea before, and the Atlantic Ocean is windy and rough, so if they don’t train, non-combat attrition will be very high.

If possible, it would be best for the troop transports to take the Suez Canal, which is not only shorter but also less stormy.”

There was no way around it, even being a maritime nation didn’t mean that every Englishman wasn’t seasick, and most of the Army soldiers had never left the British Isles.

From the British Isles to India, the earliest would take two or three months, and without specialized training, many would not be able to hold out.

If the army soldiers who have never been trained are forced to send on the ship, the death rate will be very alarming, halfway to the military morale tossed out, how can we still fight the war?

Foreign Secretary George shook his head: ”The Foreign Ministry has communicated with France and Austria many times, the results are not optimistic.

The Suez Canal issued a proclamation at the beginning of its opening: the canal company will maintain absolute neutrality in times of war, prohibiting any military ships of the belligerent countries from navigating.”

Not to mention wartime, in normal times Britannia’s warships could not navigate the same way through the Suez Canal, and each time they had to make a detour from the Cape of Good Hope.

Many efforts were made by the British Foreign Office for this purpose, but nothing was achieved.

The French and Austrian governments simply stayed out of the way on this issue, shifting the problem to the canal company.

The Canal Company was initially funded by the French and Austrian governments, and theoretically belonged to all the people of the two countries, with a lot of strange regulations at the beginning of the listing.

For example: the stock can only be circulated in France and Austria; the company’s operating concept of major changes, must be agreed by the people of France and Austria ……

These provisions, directly blocked the possibility of the British want to interfere in the canal, even if the money can not enter the shares.

The “principle of absolute neutrality” is the core operating concept of the canal company, want to let the canal company release, first of all, to let the people of France and Austria agree.

This is an impossible task.

Civilian relations between Britain and Austria were not bad, but government relations were terrible; Britain and France were politically allied, but civil relations were a mess.

It can be said that the Suez Canal is the eternal pain of Britain, because it was not taken seriously at the beginning of the opening of the canal, and then it has been in a passive state.

After a pause, Prime Minister Gladstone asked, “Can the French government be persuaded to help, even at a price.”

Regulations were also made by men, and it was not impossible to get around them. Just because the troop carriers were not navigable did not mean that ordinary merchant ships were not navigable either.

The big deal was that the weapons and equipment all went to the Cape of Good Hope, and the soldiers took off their uniforms to ride on the merchant ships, posing as escorts to blend in.

However, this is only for a small group of troops, moving tens of thousands of reinforcements, unless there is someone within the canal company to cooperate, otherwise it will not work at all.

Foreign Minister George replied with a frown, ”I’m afraid this is difficult, even if the French government is willing to help, it’s still hard to ensure that it won’t be discovered.

Russia and Austria are allies, once the problem is discovered, they will likely detain our soldiers.

The French can’t be relied on, once the matter is exposed, the Paris government won’t support us.”

There was no way around it, England and France had been pitting each other for centuries. Even if they made an alliance now, no one could guarantee that the French wouldn’t intentionally pit them.

What if they reached an agreement with them on the front foot and sold them out on the back foot?

Eating the top and eating the bottom was supposed to be a characteristic of the times. In case the British soldiers are detained in the Suez Canal, the Afghan theater is finished.

The Anglo-French alliance was more important to avoid Russia, France and Austria coming together, in addition to having the French hold Austria at bay.

Although the chances of this happening are very small, but the British government dare not take the risk, after all, in addition to the interests of influencing national policy, there is also hatred.

Britain and France is a feud, in case the French government is hot-headed, run to join the Russian-Austrian alliance, Britain will be finished.

Just think of the French financial sector issued war bonds on behalf of the Russians before, we know how unreliable the relationship between Britain and France.

After weighing the pros and cons, without waiting for the prime minister to take a position, the minister of war, Rosario, decisively chose to give up.

“Afghanistan battlefield can not happen any accidents, reinforcements or take the Cape of Good Hope. Putting our hopes on the French is really unsettling.”

……

New Versailles Palace in Paris, watching the two British and Russian nasties at each other’s throats, Napoleon IV was in a very good mood.

In order to provoke the Anglo-Russian war, the French government also made a lot of efforts. It only did it in a more covert way, and many people ignored the role that the French government played in it.

Including the Anglo-French alliance and the issuance of war bonds on behalf of the Russians were only part of it.

Without the efforts of the French government, the British government would not have made up its mind so quickly to send troops to Afghanistan, and the Russians would not have sent troops to Central Asia on a tit-for-tat basis, and naturally there would be no Anglo-Russian War now.

Foreign Minister Karel Kadlec: “Your Majesty, both Britain and Russia are pressing us to fulfill our obligations as allies.”

The French government is actually playing no games with the British and secretly has a secret pact with the Russians, if this news gets out, the whole world is probably going to be shaken.

It wasn’t completely without clues; the fact that the French financial sector issued war bonds for the Russians earlier proved that there was a connection between France and Russia.

However, the French government is not involved, the business is undertaken by the French consortium, capitalists for the sake of profit to do some strange things, it is not a big news.

Napoleon IV sneered: “Tell the British, as long as Austria does not object, we will agree to their free navigation in the Suez Canal.

We can also send troops to Afghanistan if needed.

Considering that the logistical system is different, we will be responsible for our own logistics. In order to facilitate resupply, tell them to give us an outlet in the Indian Ocean.

Tell the Russians that we will blockade the Suez Canal and prohibit British warships from navigating it.

As for sending troops, tell them to convince the Vienna government first. As soon as Austria declares war on the British, we will follow suit.”

For the French to send troops to Afghanistan, the British government would welcome it. But to give the French an outlet to the sea in the Indian region, that would never be possible.

It is easy to invite the gods but difficult to send them away. Once the French forces are put into India, it will be difficult to expel them again.

By then, Britain’s competitors in India will not only be the Russian Empire, but the French and Russians, and may also add an Austrian.

In the face of interests, nothing is impossible. As long as the British government does not have a brain in its head, it will not be so deadly.

The reply given to the Russians was equally perfunctory, and the main reason for not allowing the British to use the Suez Canal to transport their troops was to give the Russians a greater advantage on the battlefield.

The Anglo-Russian war would only continue if the Russians occupied the Afghan area and threatened the security of India.

Foreign Minister Karel Kadlec said stiffly, “Your Majesty, would it not be a good idea to reply like that?”

(End of chapter)