Chapter 559： True when false

In the Middle East, the Austrian army launched an offensive against the Ottoman Empire in two ways. One way from the Sinai Peninsula, the target is Jerusalem; the other way out from the sea, straight to Kuwait.

Kuwait's natural conditions are harsh. It belongs to a tropical desert climate, drought and rain, and sandstorms. The entire territory is desert and is not suitable for agricultural production.

Before the discovery of petroleum resources, it was not valued by everyone. The Ottoman Empire only established a county in Kuwait in 1871, which is also due to the era of great navigation.

There are excellent ports in Kuwait. To develop the domestic economy, the Sudanese government plans to build a railway to directly enter the Indian Ocean from the Persian Gulf.

However, the plan is always only a plan, the railway exists only in the ideal, and the Sudanese government does not have the capacity to implement it.

Due to the limitation of natural conditions, Kuwait is still a small, poor and backward country. The domestic transportation is not resolved, and overseas trade is also lacking.

Now that the Sudanese government does not have to worry about these issues, the Austrians have made their choice. In the face of sudden enemies, the Kuwaiti defenders defeated in an aggressive state.

It is not that they do not work hard. The Sudanese government did not anticipate in advance that the Kuwait area would be the target of the Austrian offensive, and there was only one dissatisfied garrison in the area.

Politically, the strategic Kuwait area is of little significance now. But look at the map and you will see that Austria is in the enclosure.

To this day, the world is almost divided, and the rest is either hard bones or the forces of various countries converging and restraining each other. It is not easy to risk breaking the balance.

Although the Arabian Peninsula is a bit barren, anyway, it is also a soft persimmon, with fewer competitors.

With the exception of Austria, only the British extended their tentacles, but John Bull seemed to despise these small rural areas and invested very little power.

In the Palace of Vienna, Franz is carefully reading the British diplomatic notes. In summary: Protests against Austria in the Middle East have harmed British interests, and the London government is very angry.

A moment later, Franz put down the file and asked with a smile: "The British came to protest, what do you think?"

The British protested, which was a good thing to Franz. The failure to send the Royal Navy to block the door is enough proof that the London government does not attach much importance to the Persian Gulf.

A formal diplomatic note looks serious, and that's often the case, it's just a matter of exchange of interests. Under normal circumstances, as long as the core interests of countries are not involved, everything can be negotiated.

Foreign Minister Weissenberg: "His Majesty, from the current situation, the British want to let us go.

In Palestine, the Ottoman Empire has gathered heavily, and this war has just begun. The Kuwaiti region is a small country in the countryside, and there is not much interest at all.

The so-called loss of interest of the British may not necessarily be 10,000 pounds. Such a small amount of interest is not worth the enthusiasm of the British Foreign Office.

If you really want it, you'll lose it to them. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has passed with the British. It is certain that they did not come for this trivial matter. "

Kuwait is just an ordinary small county in the Ottoman Empire, with a population of tens of thousands, and its distribution is still very scattered. Subject to natural conditions, how can a poor character be too good.

The British colonial company once established a stronghold here, preparing to open a colony, and later withdrew due to imbalanced revenues.

Originally in space and time, after the end of World War I, oil was discovered in Persia and Iraq, and British talents colonized Kuwait.

Kuwait is now occupied by Austria, mainly for ports. Yemen is affected by the monsoon, and many ports can only be used for a few months, which is not suitable as a naval base.

Of course, this is Austria's external statement, and it is also Kuwait's greatest value now. If you don't believe it, this is not what Franz cares about.

Prime Minister Felix: "If so, we can talk to the British. As long as the interests are appropriate, we can cease the war at any time, and we are not prepared to destroy the Ottoman Empire now.

However, I think it is unlikely that the British want to keep the Ottoman Empire. However, the current situation in Europe is changing, and the London government has been slow to take action. I am afraid there is a conspiracy behind this. "

It has become the habit of the Vienna government to speculate on the British with the greatest malicious intent. This is not everyone's ideas, but the experience accumulated through long-term dealings with the British.

If you don't have a few hearts, it may be accepted by the British at any time, especially when you are an ally.

For example, the Kingdom of Sardinia, in order to hug the thighs of the British, had nothing to do with them in the last Eastern War. In order to talk about the British, the Kingdom of Sardinia sent troops to join the war.

I thought it would be all right to hug the British thigh, and then unified the Italian region with the support of the British, but turned around and was sold by the London government.

If you carefully analyze the reasons, you will find that the Sardinian army's poor performance on the Balkan battlefield has stimulated the French ambitions to a certain extent.

Before the Osa War, the Kingdom of Sardinia still had a certain military strength, as evidenced by its ability to mobilize more than 100,000 troops. Even if they lose the war, European countries generally give the Sardinian army a good evaluation.

The last time of the Near East War was different. The Sardinian soldiers did not want to fight at all, and then paddled all the way.

At first glance, the French saw that the neighbor next door was so weak that it would be difficult not to have ambition! Needless to say, the patriotic youth provided an excuse for the French to die.

As an ally, the British, after symbolic efforts, negotiated a deal with the French behind and sold the Kingdom of Sardinia.

There are still many such cases. Open the history book and look for it. With so many lessons, experienced politicians will naturally be wary of the British.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Carl: "Will it be the British who want to do business with us? There are also many places where our two powers intersect. Although large conflicts rarely occur, small conflicts occur every three to five.

In order to deal with these issues, the foreign ministries of both countries are very busy, and many issues remain unresolved. It is also in the interest of the British to take the opportunity to trade with us at this time. "

Opening the world map shows that with the continuous expansion of the major colonial empires, everyone's spheres of influence are increasing, and the conflict between the powers has increased significantly in recent years.

The alliance between Britain, France, and Austria actually meant dividing the sphere of colonial influence. After all, the areas of Fushuo are almost divided up, and the remaining residues are not worth fighting for.

Colonization requires cost considerations. Everyone opens colonies in order to plunder wealth. Blindly looting can cost any empire.

The "England War" in South Africa is a clear example. Austria, which won the war, can slowly recover its costs; the British who provoked the war have nothing to lose.

The London government still has no way to say, in order to reduce political influence, it can only choose cold treatment as much as possible, and the previous government has also fallen.

After learning the lessons, countries in the colony were very restrained in the struggle for colonies. Not every place buried a large amount of gold underground, it was impossible to win the war, and eventually it would not charge back the cost.

Staring at the map on the wall, Franz pondered for a while, and finally set his sights on Ethiopia and Sudan.

The Suez Canal is crucial, but France and Austria do not let the British intervene at all. That ’s all if you ca n’t get the Suez Canal. It still needs to maintain influence on the canal.

In this context, John Bull can only hit the attention of the Mander Strait. Yemen is occupied by Austria, leaving them to Africa.

Unfortunately, the African continent has become a hunting ground for France and Austria. At this time the British have to pay for the early negligence.

In order to make up for their mistakes, the British launched the Ethiopian War and the English-British War. The latter has failed, and the former has only half succeeded.

The British army did defeat Ethiopia. Regrettably, they have been consumed for several years. Ethiopia is still in a state of chaos and anti-British forces are still growing.

There is no doubt that Fao's two teammates will definitely pull them back. Without support, the indigenous people of Ethiopia would have yielded under their bayonet.

Franz drew a circle on the map, which happened to be the entire Arabian Peninsula: "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the British talk slowly, no matter what their purpose, if they want to achieve it, it will be exposed sooner or later.

They are not in a hurry, nor are we in a hurry. It is also a good choice to drag on, and it is best to drag it until the end of the Near East War.

If the British want an exchange of benefits, let them give up the entire Arabian Peninsula, just a Kuwaiti, there is no need to talk about it. "

After a pause, Franz drew a circle on the African continent, including most parts of Ethiopia, Sudan, and Somalia.

"These areas are the prices we can pay. If the British want to talk, they will slowly grind with them instead of rushing to reach an agreement."

Colonial Minister Stephen hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, we have lost money in such a deal. The Arabian Peninsula has limited value and the island's economy is still in the primitive era.

With nomadic tribes as the main body, there is no decent city. The benefits of colonizing the locality may not even be enough to rule the locality. "

Lost it? This seems to be the case at this time. If it were not worthless, it would not be Austria's turn.

Franz didn't explain that this era of oil is nothing short of fateful. The internal combustion engine is still in the laboratory stage, and it is far away from being put on the market.

The biggest function of oil is to use it for daily lighting after processing. Unfortunately, Austria is vigorously developing the power industry, and daily lighting is also the sunset industry.

After a moment of contemplation, Franz drew a line: "Building a railway from Jerusalem to the Gulf of Aden, and then all the way to Kuwait along the Arabian Peninsula. What do you think?"

There is no doubt that Franz is "not talking about economy, but talking about strategy." Along the Arabian Peninsula repairing the ring railway, the future of the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf will not be able to escape the influence of Austria.

If the Ottoman empire collapses, there is still a chance to expand its power into the Euphrates River, and Austria's hegemony in the Middle East will be determined.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Carl: "Your Majesty, we must consider costs. The economy in the Middle East is not strong, and these investments may not be able to recover the costs after 30 years."

Thirty years is a very optimistic estimate. If the underground resources are not considered, Franz thinks that the cost will not be recovered for a hundred years.

After hesitating for a while, Franz flickered, "This is just a plan. Whether it can be implemented is a future thing. Now let the British believe that it is true.

Think about it. Once the Ottoman Empire collapsed, we and the Russians divided the Ottoman Empire and extended the railway from the Asia Minor Peninsula to the Arabian Sea. Doesn't it look tempting? "

It's true when it's fake. If it's not a strategy maker, Franz can't understand the strategy he's tinkering with.

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