Chapter 980: Sky Pit
Chapter 960 The Pit of Heaven
Interests move people, at the same time the British eyes on the French warships, the Austrian Admiralty is likewise playing the idea of warships in the hands of France.
Seemingly ordinary warships dispute, in fact, has evolved into a maritime hegemony of the struggle, the French hand warships of the ultimate belonging, will directly affect the next world pattern.
Vienna Palace, in the face of eager people, Franz calmly asked: “Do you think the French will obediently warships to us?”
Frankly speaking, Franz also played the idea of French warships. Directly inheriting the French naval heritage, combining the strength of the two navies to overtake the British in one fell swoop, this picture is just too wonderful.
However, the cruel reality told him that it was impossible. The French and Austrian navies were self-contained systems, and integration alone could not be accomplished overnight.
If it was just a matter of time, then it wasn’t insurmountable. The trouble was that under Franz’s butterfly effect, the development of naval technology greatly exceeded the original time and space, and was only one idea away from the birth of the dreadnought.
If Austria got the French warships, the British would definitely increase their investment in the navy in order to maintain maritime hegemony.
Once the dreadnought was introduced, these ironclads, which were obtained at great cost, would immediately be swept into the historical garbage heap.
There is no doubt that the birth of the dreadnought Austria will certainly follow. At that time these chicken rib iron armor ship, and what to do?
Sell certainly can not be sold, even if it is a free gift, no one can afford to raise. The world’s second naval disk, even if the British and Austrian countries to pick up the effort, the rest of the countries together are bad enough.
Remain in the hands in addition to the face looks good, but the actual value is about the same as zero. Can’t take advantage of the British to get the dreadnought before a naval Armageddon pile them up, right?
It is not that Franz is a wimp, but there is really no certainty. French and Austrian navy combined tonnage is more than the British, 1.5:1 seems to have the advantage, in fact, if the fight, who wins and who loses is an unknown.
This year’s Royal Navy that is really bully, the French Navy inside how Franz is not very clear, anyway, the Austrian Navy’s water is very big.
As one of the earliest countries to enter the era of ironclad ships, the Austrian Navy is now in the age of the ship aging, the need for large-scale replacement of the special period.
In addition to the main ship is to follow the pace of the times, the auxiliary warships have mostly been backward, and there are even a lot of sail warships exist.
There was no other reason than to save money. The bitterness of developing sea power and land power at the same time is only known to those who have personally experienced it.
Taking himself as an example, Franz had reason to believe that there was also a serious watering down of the French navy. The world’s three major naval powers were nominally in the same class, but in reality that was for the other naval powers.
In essence, the Royal Navy was a class above, and the three navies were forced to be compared together only because of their interests.
How can there be military spending without competitors? The slogan of the three major naval powers was initially shouted by the British Navy in order to put pressure on Congress.
Compared to the French and Austrian navies, where a large number of old warships existed, the Royal Navy was much better off. As the king of the international warship trade market, the British were able to export a number of second-hand warships every few years.
Arms trade back to the money, coupled with its own military spending is the highest, so that the Royal Navy in the warships replacement far more than the French and Austrians.
Minister of the Navy Castagni explained, “Your Majesty, France broke out in civil unrest, the Bonaparte dynasty is at stake, as long as we are willing to help them retain power, Napoleon IV is going to compromise.”
After a little thought, Franz vetoed, “No!”
“Meddling in the change of regime in France may seem like a good move, but in reality the losses outweigh the gains. This is no longer the Middle Ages, and the French, who are bursting with nationalism, simply cannot accept a regime supported by a foreign power.
The war has knocked out the foundation of the Bonaparte dynasty, and unless we show mercy, the post-war mess will be impossible for anyone else to clean up.
It’s impossible. Even if we were willing to give up suppressing France, the allies won’t let up. How can you let everyone sleep easy without crippling France?
Napoleon IV is no fool. Even if he’s in authority, someone will remind him. The most suitable thing for the Bonaparte dynasty at the moment is to quickly retire and find a backstabber to bear the wrath of the people.”
Times are different now, at the height of Franco-Austrian animosity. To prop up a pro-Austrian regime in France is clearly out of the question.
If you really want to support the Bonaparte dynasty, then the best thing Austria can do is to openly support their rivals, and then the angry French public will take care of everything.
“But this opportunity is too rare, once we miss it, it won’t be overnight if we want to surpass the Royal Navy.”
Minister of the Navy Castagni fought.
Foreign Minister Weissenberg: “Your Excellency, calm down, it’s not impossible to get the warships from the French, the key is to see if the price paid matches the benefits gained.
The price we paid in this war is also very high, and we simply don’t have the financial resources to compete with the British for maritime supremacy in the short term.
After the war to restore the economy first, get the French warships, we can not afford to keep. Besides, there are a lot of people who are interested in the French warships, it would be too ugly for us to take them all by ourselves.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs suggests picking a few of the main ships to get back, and assigning the rest to allies to avoid unnecessary trouble.”
In theory, this was the most sensible thing to do. Austria would choke on French warships enough to eat them, the entire Anti-French Alliance would have no problem eating them together.
Pulling everyone together to share the spoils, international pressure god forbid, would dissipate.
Anyway, the best part of the French navy is those main ships, auxiliary warships and so on Austria is not at all lacking.
Minister of the Navy Castagni hurriedly objected: “Your Excellency must not do this, the French Navy and we use different technical standards. If we can’t get them all back, then we simply don’t want any of them.
For the sake of a few French warships and having to provide specialized supporting facilities, it’s completely more than worth it.”
Since Austria had completed its military reform, standardization had been seared into everyone’s mind. Everything from warships and harbors to the smallest screw has its own specific standard.
If one could not get all of the French’s main ships, then after losing the strategic significance of surpassing the Royal Navy, a few warships in the area would become meaningless to the Austrian Navy.
“Since the navy doesn’t want them, it’s better to simply give them up. After the war, conduct a great auction of warships, invite all the countries of the world to participate together, and the money raised acts as part of the war reparations.”
Franz’s instant decision directly made Castagni want to cry.
Increasing the logistical pressure for a few French warships was indeed more than worth it, it would be different if it turned into dozens of ships.
As the world’s second naval power, France has hundreds of iron armor ships alone, even if Austria takes away dozens of ships, the rest is enough for everyone to share, there is no distribution problem.
Originally just want to bargain, the result of a tossed out, Castagni’s mood naturally not good.
Obviously, Franz is not a good leader who cares about the mood of his subordinates, and after making a decision, he immediately went to the next topic, not giving Castagni any buffer time.
……
While the Vienna government was considering the aftermath, the battlefield changed again.
First of all, the southern front of the French army can not resist the pressure, the initiative to give up the Italian region; then the French army in Central Europe once again in the battlefield lost armor, forced to return to the mainland; even the eastern Franche Comté area also lost most of the half.
The only thing that is still strong is the western battlefield, a group of second-rate French troops with blood and courage, hard against the Spanish attack.
Of course, this does not prove that they are strong. More still because the Spaniards are unreliable, have jumped out to fall on the well, still looking forward and backward.
Now in front of Napoleon IV there are only two ways: either to run away and go into exile, or to be exiled overseas by the Antifa Alliance.
No matter how to choose, their own safety is guaranteed. Compared to Napoleon the Great, who was drawing hatred from all over the world, the number of people offended by Napoleon IV was actually not that many.
Except for the domestic capitalists, there were basically not many life and death enemies. If the Bonaparte family was good at PR, even exile could be unnecessary.
Whether to go into exile and continue to raise the flag of resistance, or to admit defeat and quit the political arena, Napoleon IV became the most entangled question.
In Versailles, the increasingly thin Napoleon IV asked, “The war is doomed, what do you think we should do now?”
The people present were all hardcore supporters of the Bonaparte dynasty, and Napoleon IV did not go against the grain, so naturally it is not possible to talk about the defection of the people.
What’s more, the one who is fighting over now is the Anti-French Alliance, even if someone wants to jump ship, no one will accept it!
Prime Minister Terence Burgin took the lead and said, “Your Majesty, the situation is irreversible, now we can only temporarily retreat and wait for an appropriate time to come back.
However, we can’t take the blame for the defeat, and the harsh armistice treaty can’t be signed. This war was originally started by the consortium and lost because of them, they must be held responsible.
According to the results of the latest investigation, 485 of the suspects we arrested have already admitted to collaborating with the enemy and selling out the country, but unfortunately the ringleader who planned this operation ran away.
According to their accounts, a series of problems including provoking conspiracy this war, inflating prices during the war, and deliberately creating social conflicts were all done at the behest of international forces.”
Obviously, Terence Burgin was preparing to dump the pot before running away, to preserve the reputation of the Bonaparte dynasty as much as possible, and to prepare for a future restoration.
Whether the capitalists colluded with international powers or not is no longer important. The charges held over their heads are solid anyway, and it’s just right to push them out to pull the hatchet.
Even if it is not helped, it does not matter, based on what these guys have done, the reputation has long been infamous, there have to be enthusiastic people are willing to testify.
Competition within the bourgeoisie is equally brutal, and no one is merciful when they can take out their competitors. Even if you want to vindicate them, it will be after these guys are dead.
Napoleon IV asked uncertainly, “Do you mean to leave Paris to the revolutionaries and let them deal with the anti-French alliance?”
Paris is now a hot potato, and whoever takes it will face a crushing problem: how to get rid of the Antifa coalition.
As the loser of this war, there was no way to get by without paying a terrible price. Cuts and reparations are all but inevitable.
However, whether it is a cession of land, or reparations, the French people can not accept, such a treaty can be said to be whoever signed who is finished. Do not sign even more can not, a few million anti-French allied forces and is not vegetarian.
France can expel the people of the occupied areas, the anti-French alliance can do the same. The Ottoman Empire has already appeared, no one dare to guarantee that France will not become the second Ottoman.
International pressure didn’t exist. In this age of the weak and the strong, the Antifa alliance with the biggest fist represents the international order.
Terrence Burgin nodded, ”Yes, Your Majesty. Since the revolutionaries chose to revolt at this time, they must have the ability to bear the consequences.”
……
(End of chapter)