Chapter 912: Clueless Belgium
Chapter 894 – Clueless Belgium
Out of the palace, Prime Minister Terence Burgin’s back was soaked, and he realized that he had been shamed.
Coincidence?
There were no coincidences in politics, and even if it was really a coincidence, the emperor would have to be convinced.
Lobbying the Emperor to go to war is not a problem, it’s also the Prime Minister’s job, it’s not beyond that.
But if the soldiers happened to be attacked in time, and the emperor mistook it for forcing the palace, that would be a big problem.
After some thought, Terence Bourgoin pinpointed the suspicion on “Raphaël”, the undersecretary of agriculture, but he really didn’t understand why his own close friend was trying to trap him.
To know that Raphaël can take the management of the farm of the fat, or he pushed up, how to say is also the favor.
Bureaucracy is also about interpersonal relationships, traitors will be despised wherever they go, even if they are jumping ship, it is also waiting for Prime Minister Terence Bourgine after the momentum has gone.
Stabbing the back at this time is completely looking for death, with the power of Prime Minister Terence Burgin, fully capable of knocking Raphaël into the dust before his own downfall.
Things had already happened, and there was no point in dwelling on it now.
Perhaps that fool, Raphaël, had been taken advantage of as well, at least Prime Minister Terrence Burgin didn’t think Raphaël had the guts to orchestrate this incident.
Just because it looks like the wind is blowing and the Belgians are left holding the bag doesn’t mean it’s over.
This time, it was the French government and the Emperor who were being victimized, and how could it be possible not to deal with such an obvious provocation of the relationship between the monarch and the minister?
Prime Minister Terence Burgin has decided to pursue to the end, no matter who did it, be prepared to meet the most powerful wave of France’s retaliation, provided that it can be found out.
After calming down, Terence Bourgogne Prime Minister quickly put aside these distractions, the war is about to start there are a lot of things waiting for him to deal with, this time there is no time to worry about so much.
……
On September 24, 1890, the French government sent a circular to Belgium, ordering the Belgian government to hand over the kidnapped soldiers and the murderers of the French soldiers within 48 hours, and to pay compensation of one billion francs.
Receiving this terrible news, Leopold II, who was still celebrating the remarkable results of the joint blockade, was outright dumbfounded.
This is not the way to play it. According to the usual practice, after the French encountered the blockade, it should be the first and anti-French allies to fight a war of words, and then to negotiate, really can not be negotiated before going to war.
How can the French come up to create a pretext for war, issued a war circular disk, completely not according to the set of cards.
The French create excuses to provoke a war is just, the problem is that Germany and Austria, they do not go to fight, in favor of picking Belgium to do the rafters, Leopold II is the heart really bitter.
To know, in order to avoid this war, the Belgian government has done a lot of efforts, including active diplomatic mediation.
Originally hoped that the British and Austrian mediation, but the British boss is not reliable, turn their hands to sell; Austria and watch the fun is not too big, mediation not only did not find a way to ease the contradiction, but further forced the French into a corner.
Even if forced to join the anti-French alliance, Leopold II began to try to reduce the sense of presence, the things that make the headlines are all pushed to the German and Austrian countries.
Unfortunately, what should come is still coming, Belgium’s geographical location determines the characteristics of their beaten, simply can not hide.
After a reprieve, Leopold II asked, “What did the German and Austrian ministers say?”
Concession is impossible, not to mention the huge amount of compensation, non-existent murderers and missing soldiers, the Belgian government will not be able to hand over.
Foreign Minister Jules replied bitterly, “The German minister did not give a clear answer, waiting for a domestic decision.
The Austrian minister said he would support whatever we decide, including going to war with France.”
Going to war was easier said than done, and if it really came down to it, Belgium would be the biggest victim.
Anyone with a little bit of military common sense knows that unless the Anti-French League takes the initiative, Belgium is the main battlefield where the League and the French engage.
It was impossible to take the initiative, and the Antifa alliance, including Belgium, was not prepared for war.
The Austrian army was still in the country, and even if it came as fast as it could, it would be half a month later.
As a matter of fact, the Austrian army could be put into the battlefield within a month, even if it was at full strength.
Maybe ordinary people from Vienna by train to arrive in Brussels, only need two days time, but the army action is not the same.
Troop assembly takes time, mobilization takes time, and transportation of equipment and logistical supplies takes time.
The capacity of the railroad is not unlimited, ordinary trains can transport up to one battalion of troops at a time, plus weapons, equipment and logistics, often a company of troops can not be transported.
Belgium did not have the ability to solve the logistical problems of the reinforcements by itself, and the Austrian army had to carry its own.
Because the track standard is not the same, the midway also need to make a number of transfers. Each transit, the need to carry out the removal of supplies, along the way will waste a lot of time.
The most optimistic estimate is that it will take four or five days to arrive in Belgium from Austria.
Together with the preliminary preparation time, and the rest and recuperation time after arrival, the earliest would be ten days before it could be put into battle.
It may not seem like a lot of time, but the problem was that the reinforcements were not one or two companies, but thousands of companies.
A train carries a company, half an hour to send a car, the railroad is at most 48 times a day, the equivalent of transporting 48 companies, almost the strength of two regiments.
Can’t be fast enough, these days cross-country railroad transportation, can realize half an hour to send a car, already very not easy.
The Austrian railroad to Belgium is only a few, all calculated, a day to transport two divisions on the top of the sky.
In fact, it would be a miracle to be able to guarantee the transportation of one division per day.
Railroad transportation can not be carried out in accordance with the limit, half an hour to send a train, with the technology of these days, coordination, scheduling is too difficult, in case of accidents in the middle of the road, it may be a collision.
There is no guarantee that all bureaucrats, are one hundred percent committed; there is no guarantee that all train drivers, are driving at even speed.
The interval between two trains is too short, and in case of an emergency, it is too late to slam on the brakes.
Moreover, even if one train stops, there is no guarantee that the train behind it will not tail up.
This is still infantry, if transporting artillery or armored troops, whether the carriages can fit the big guys is a question mark.
In a sense, in terms of railroad transportation, the Antifa Alliance was still at a disadvantage.
Germany and Austria are okay, even if the tracks are not exactly the same, the stations are still connected together, and the distance of manual transportation is not too far.
Most of the railroads in Belgium and Germany were in separate lines, and there might be a transit of more than ten miles between stations, which wasted a lot of time.
Until Austrian reinforcements arrived, Belgium could only fight alongside the German Confederation, and the Antifa alliance was at an absolute disadvantage in the short term.
After a little thought, Leopold II said seriously: “The French are prepared, the war has been unavoidable, from now on we have to be ready for war.
Send a telegram to the Vienna government, tell the Austrians that we are not prepared to give in, and urge them to send troops as soon as possible.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs intercede with the French as much as possible, we need time ……”
(End of chapter)