Chapter 939： Act early

In Paris, Napoleon IV has not slept well for several days since the news of the Japanese attack on the Philippines came.

In any case, the Japanese army went south at the invitation of Britain and France. In order to let the Spaniards go, the governments of Britain and France have repeatedly made guarantees to the Spaniards. Now that this happened, they are naturally to blame.

In this age of the weak and the strong, promises are similar to farting. If it is in normal times, Napoleon IV is not breaking his promise to Spain, and they can't do anything anyway.

But now it's different, unlike Britain, which is out of the way, France is now stuck in the quagmire of the European War and can't get out of it. Even Spain, which was declining to the west, can now bring them a deadly threat.

How to appease the furious Spain and resolve this diplomatic dispute has become the most urgent problem that the French government needs to face.

Enduring the discomfort, Napoleon IV asked: "Say, what do the Spanish want?"

The interests between nations are eternal. No matter what happened in the past, as long as the interests are put in place, everything can be discussed.

As neighbors, the contradiction between France and Spain is naturally not small, but the strength of France is too strong, and the Spaniards have no confidence to fight against it.

The European War changed the balance of power between the two sides. All the French forces were put into the war and lost the ability to continue to suppress Spain.

For various reasons, the Japanese attack on the Philippines happened to intensify the contradictions between the Fa and the West. With Austria's behind the scenes, the Spanish nationalists have exploded.

Under domestic pressure, the Spanish government not only declared war on the Japanese immediately, but also sent a stern diplomatic note to Britain and France.

Foreign Minister Karel Cadlec shook his head: "I don't know. It happened so suddenly that the Spanish government has not made a decision.

The Japanese monkeys have done too much, the nationalists in Spain have been stimulated, and the domestic call for the main battle is high.

According to information from the Embassy in Madrid, the Austrians have already got on the line with the Spanish nationalists, and the spearhead of public opinion is directed at us. The situation is very unfavorable for us. "

What does the Spaniard want, does Karel Kadlec really know?

the answer is negative!

The problem is that France can't give what the Spaniards want now, is unwilling to give it, and cannot give it.

When you open the diplomatic note, you know that the Spaniards have already set the conditions. Needless to say, France is required to fulfill the agreement, expel the Japanese and compensate the losses.

The Spanish government also made a territorial claim to France, not only for France to cede French Morocco, but also for the re-delineation of the border between the two countries.

Karel Kadletz naturally rejected this request to take advantage of the fire, and there was no room for discussion at all.

Except for the first one that is acceptable to expel the Japanese, if the French government dares to agree to the remaining conditions, a revolution must break out in the country.

The only condition that can be promised, but France can't do it. The French Far East Fleet is confronting the Austrian Navy, and has no ability to expel the Japanese.

Even the French government dare not use diplomatic threats. In case the Japanese were in a hurry, they ran to join forces with the Austrian navy, and the French Indochina Peninsula would be finished.

This is not a joke, but it can happen. If the Japanese were to actively cooperate with the Austrian Navy to kill the French Far East Fleet, the Vienna government could not find a reason to refuse.

As a qualified politician, Karel Kadlec would naturally be confused when he could do nothing.

After a long silence, Napoleon IV said weakly: "Tell the British, I have agreed to their terms."

For Napoleon IV, who was aspiring to surpass his father's generation, making this decision was undoubtedly a bow to reality.

But there was no way. The development of the European War was unexpected. France alone could not win the war.

Without compromising with the British, you cannot get the full support of the London government. Without the support of the British, France would have no hope of winning.

Compromise with the British means that France has given up the European hegemony, and even the dominance of building the international order after the war has also been given up.

In this context, even if France won the war, it would not be able to achieve its original strategic goal. The war was fought in vain.

It is better to fight for nothing than to lose. Deep down, Napoleon IV has made up his mind to farm with peace of mind only when the war is over, and to reconcile when his strength is restored...

...

Downing Street, inside the government building.

The Gladstone cabinet is gathering to discuss the international impact of the Japanese attack on the Philippines and the countermeasures.

The Secretary of the Navy Astley said righteously: "The Japanese are too courageous and dare to play with us. If we don't give them a good look, all cats and dogs will ride on us in the future."

Anger is hard to talk about, and the life and death of the Spaniard has never been within Sir Astley's consideration. In his view, the Japanese attack on the Philippines was an opportunity for the Royal Navy to perform.

In the past decade or so, the French and Austrian navies have been catching up, and the Royal Navy, which is the hegemon in the world's naval industry, is also under great pressure.

A lot of financial resources have been invested in the bottomless pit of the Navy, and no war has really broken out. Many members of Congress have opinions on this.

Even the outside world still circulates that the three navies of Britain, France and Austria colluded with each other in order to defraud the government of funds and deliberately created maritime conflicts.

To break this doubt is very simple, find an enemy to fight a battle. Britain spreads across the world, and the enemy has long been frightened, and only France and Austria are the ones who dare to fight them.

Needless to say, neither of these two can be played. The power gap between everyone is not huge, and if a war breaks out, it is easy to strike a defeated ending.

The Royal Navy is sober, and it is important to prove its importance, and it is unnecessary to take the risk of national luck.

In contrast, the Japanese who have emerged now are much more bullied. It is not Astley's pride, but the Royal Navy's big business. Just as long as the Far East fleet moves, the Japanese Navy can only go home in a desperate manner.

Foreign Secretary George reminded: "Sir, the problem now is no longer a problem for the Japanese. They attacked the Philippine Islands. On the surface, they were just a war between Japan and the West. In essence, they were also involved in the European War.

The European War is at a stalemate, and the Spaniard's strength is already sufficient to break this fragile balance. Now both France and Austria are wooing them, and it seems that the Austrians are bidding higher.

It is still Franz's usual method, generous of others, this time he promised the interests of the French.

It is said that the Austrians directly sent a map of France, as long as the Spanish are willing to join the anti-French alliance, the French territory is left to their choice.

Judging from the current situation, if we do not take action, Spain is very likely to join the anti-French alliance.

As for the Japanese, they are just a jump show. It is easy to shoot them to death, but it has no practical value. Now whether they have them or not, it will not affect the Spanish decision.

In case Spain chooses to stand with Austria, we still need this jump to cause trouble for the anti-French alliance, so we will keep them for now. "

Being generous to others also has technical content. Austria can do this because the two countries border France and Spain. For historical reasons, the two countries are not only conflicted, but also territorial disputes.

Such conditions, regardless of whether the Spanish government is tempted or not, the nationalists in Spain have already taken the bait anyway.

The French government cannot provide the same conditions. Even if you draw a gourd, take a map of Austria and send it to Spain, Spain will not ask for it.

There is no other reason, only strength. No matter how rich the benefits are, what's the point of not being able to eat it? With Spain’s national power, there is simply no ability to operate an enclave.

Prime Minister Gladstone nodded: "The French have succumbed. It seems that their actual situation is worse than we expected.

We can't wait any longer, we must act as soon as possible. In case the French lose in Southern Europe or Central Europe, they will not have the capital of Austria to come back.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs immediately followed our plan and invited European countries to form a mediation team to end this meaningless war.

Before that, we must stabilize the Spaniards. If they are willing to join the mediation team, we will help them drive out the Japanese. "

The conversation that seems to be an understatement is full of swords and swords behind it.

The British army is limited in strength. To interfere in this European War, it must rely on the power of other countries. However, everyone is not a fool, and every country has its own interests.

If diplomatic deterrence can solve the problem, it will be fine. In case the negotiation table is not settled, it will be solved by force. There are not enough benefits. It is just for a vague European balance. It is too much for everyone to send troops to intervene. Embarrassing people.

Unless Austria shows strong aggressiveness and makes governments feel threatened, otherwise it will not be possible to coordinate international relations in one or two days.

The Foreign Secretary George shrugged and replied helplessly: "To do this, not only we can accomplish this, but the cooperation of the French is also needed.

We must know that our ally has enemies all over Europe, and there are not a few who want to see them unlucky. If they do not take practical actions to reassure European governments, it may be difficult to obtain support from all countries.

Especially the Spaniards and Russians, they have the ability to influence this war, no matter which one joins the anti-French alliance, our mediation plan is meaningless. "

In this age of the weak and the strong, the key to solving the problem still depends on strength. Not only military strength, but also comprehensive political and diplomatic strength.

Although Spain has declined, but the tiger skin has not been punctured, in the eyes of European countries, they are still a great power.

On the face of it, they are the fifth powers in Europe second only to the four major powers of Britain, France, Austria and Russia, and they are also the fifth powers in the world.

The anti-French alliance is already very powerful, and any other powers are invincible.

Most countries in Europe are on the fence. Without sufficient assurance, they will not easily stand in line.

Without enough brothers, the momentum cannot be built up, and the deterrence will naturally be greatly reduced. In this context, only the major powers themselves are in battle.

The Anglo-Russian War has just ended, and the hatred between the two countries is at its peak. No matter how confident people are, they will not think that Britain and Russia can cooperate sincerely.

Even if the interests are exactly the same, the high-level governments of the two countries are willing to cooperate, and the people below will act spontaneously. There will be absolutely no ambiguity when pulling back.

It can be said that once France is defeated, the situation will turn sideways. In a sense, the actions of the Japanese helped the British government make a decision.

In order not to lose control of the situation, the British had to abandon their plan to pick peaches after the war. Taking advantage of the fact that the European War had no victory or defeat, the Intervention Alliance was formed in advance.

...

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