v3 Chapter 628： The Difficult Situation of the British Empire

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According to research by the Centre for Strategic and Budgetary Assessment, a think tank at the University of Oxford in the British Empire, the Dutch army has the resources to continue its naval leadership reforms beyond the 1870s, reports the European Times. The results of the institute's analysis of the budget and size growth rate of the Dutch navy show that until the early 1880s, the Dutch army is expected to continue to execute more than the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Tsarist Russia, the Confederate States of Milan, Italy and other countries. The budget and other countries have higher relative military budgets after rising prices, but they are only the fourth largest military budget country in the world, which is smaller than the military budgets of Britain, France, and Prussia.

The Center for Strategy and Budget Assessment, a think tank at Oxford University, British Empire predicts that with the amazing emergence of Dutch submarines leading the world, the Dutch Navy will no longer focus on surface ships in the future, reducing the surface fleet and continuing to expand the advantages of underwater submarines may be the future. The trend of the decade, the rest of the world, including British Prussia, will therefore be dragged into the submarine strategy.

At the same time, old surface ships such as sail battleships will be gradually phased out, and the number will become less and less. That is to say, the Netherlands will focus on Gini training in emergencies, and use steam battleships that can match the combat power of Britain and France to compete with Britain and France. Competing at sea, under water, the Netherlands will be the king of undersea combat and the ability to project military power on the international stage.

According to the Strategy and Budget Evaluation Center, a think tank at Oxford University, the British Empire, the Dutch military forces around the world have steam battleships, sailing battleships of various levels, submarines, etc. Grow into an ocean navy operating at least 20 steam battleships and 100 submarines.

With the expansion of the advantages of submarines, the British Empire's current status as the world's largest naval power will be at risk.

The fighting power of the Netherlands in 1880, as portrayed by the Centre for Strategic and Budgetary Assessment, a think tank at Oxford University in the British Empire, immediately sent a warning to the British Empire, especially the British Imperial Navy, into a state of emergency.

The British Empire currently has 2 ships of the Channel Fleet (based in the English Channel),

At present, there are five fleets with 8 steam battleships, 2 of which are deployed in the northern Indian Ocean in the Indian Ocean fleet, and 2 in the Atlantic fleet (1 in South Africa and 1 in Canada on the east coast of the Americas). 2 ships in the Mediterranean Fleet (1 ship in Egypt and 1 ship in Crete) and 2 ships in the North Sea Fleet.

The Centre for Strategic and Budgetary Assessment, a think tank at Oxford University, British Empire, warned Prime Minister Disraeli's cabinet government and Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom that in the future, these eight steam battleships will not only face the navies of France, Spain, Russia, Austria and other powerful countries, but also In response to the Netherlands, coupled with the sudden emergence of submarines in the Netherlands, the British Navy's 32-ton navy is only higher than the second France (250,000 tons of surface ships) and the Netherlands (200,000 surface ships, and at least 50,000 tons of underwater ships) , Spain (180,000 tons of surface ships), Tsarist Russia (170,000 tons of surface ships), Austria-Hungary (150,000 tons), Prussia (140,000 tons of surface ships), Portugal, the Commonwealth of America and Italy (120,000 Ton).

With so many threats at sea, British surface ships may therefore be insufficient in numbers.

Phil Davidson, the former commander of the Channel Fleet who participated in the research of the British Empire's Oxford University think tank Strategy and Budget Evaluation Center, said, "The British Empire currently has an advantage over France in surface combat capability, but it lags behind the Netherlands in underwater submarines. At least 5-8 years of generation difference, in the future it is necessary to concentrate on widening the gap in combat capability of surface warships with France and the Netherlands, and quickly create a British naval force and form a certain ability to suppress the Netherlands.”

To this end, the former commander of the English Channel Fleet proposed to the British Disraeli government and Queen Victoria, "The British Empire should expand the tonnage of surface warships, maintain the status of the first naval power, and at least the tonnage of the second after the United Kingdom. the sum of the top and third countries”

With the proposal of the former British naval commander, there were countless British responders.

At the same time, the British military eagle represents the agent of the British arms dealer, and he has connections with the three major naval ports and three major shipyards established in the British mainland and Ireland.

It was a pressure from the military that forced discussions between Queen Victoria and Disraeli's government.

Prime Minister Disraeli said urgently: "The Netherlands has produced such a weapon. I have to say that this makes the entire British military passive. Her Majesty, the current practice of the United Kingdom is naturally that asylum can allow the Netherlands to stay in the water. We must stop this situation where the Netherlands dominates the underwater world. To this end, our cabinet government will push forward the British Navy's submarine bill in the next week, and strive to pass the budget draft in the British House of Commons and the House of Lords at the same time. Eucalyptus"

Queen Victoria did not eat this set, and asked directly: "How much budget does the government need?"

Disraeli: '£5m'

"So much?" Queen Victoria looked at the former with displeased eyes.

Disraeli coughed twice and then smiled bitterly: "At present, the three major shipyards in the British Isles have proposed their own plans. Your Majesty knows that these three major shipyards are currently competing in the market. Davidson, the former commander of the fleet, has become their spokesperson. It is conceivable that if the budget is not enough, only bidding can be made. In that case, these three major shipyards are not vegetarians. After that time, the forces behind the Navy and the military are favorable. messed up."

Queen Victoria was dumbfounded when she heard the words.

The three major shipyards are all supported by different consortiums. In the past, because the British shipyards allocated various levels of shipbuilding to the British fleet to build the British fleet, the original steam battleships let the three major shipyards have their own ghosts. Just about to move, and now facing the new type of naval ships, it is no wonder that they can sit still.

Therefore, they have asked the British government to provide orders. They must confidently set up their own submarine R&D and manufacturing teams. It is precisely because they need to spread out the three major shipyards to subsidize R&D funds, so the number is too large.

Faced with the risk of the budgets of the House of Commons and the House of Lords being blocked, Disraeli turned to the Queen.

Disraeli then explained: "Institutional research and development, weapon support, parts supply chain, manufacturing and assembly, launching. There are also submarine crew training fees and salaries, etc., which require time and money, so the budget is not small. "

Not only is it not small, but it is too large, accounting for almost one-twentieth of the UK's national budget.

Seeming to put further pressure on this budget, Disraeli said nervously: "At present, countries have begun to use the Dutch submarine as a model to promote the submarine project. I think the three major shipyards of the British Empire are simultaneously carrying out, which is not an advantage. .

And with all due respect, according to the information from the intelligence, countries with capabilities such as France, Austria-Hungary, Tsarist Russia, Spain and even the Commonwealth of America have developed their own submarine projects. Others such as Sweden, Portugal, Sweden, Denmark , the Ottoman Empire and South American countries have all proposed to the Netherlands to order submarines”

He raised his head worriedly and looked at Queen Victoria with a wry smile and said: "At present, our largest country selling arms and the Netherlands are in danger. Now the emergence of submarines has put us on the brink of being pulled to the second precipice. Perhaps Starting next year, our status will not be preserved.”

Queen Victoria's face changed greatly.

Arms export has always been the core of Britain's global domination. This arms business is not only a business, but also because it represents the improvement of Britain's external strategic advantages.

When countries buy British naval products, the British-made warships will be worn out in wars and exercises in the country. Whether they are parts or artillery shells, they all need the support of the United Kingdom, and such heavy weapons often require the release of the British government. Row.

At this time, it will cause the purchaser to rely on the technology of the three major British shipyards and obey certain requirements of the British Empire, especially in terms of diplomacy.

This is also the reason why the middle and small countries in Europe, which are incapable of building ships, are not willing to offend the UK easily, because they are afraid that when the UK will cut off the supply of warships, the British-made warships purchased by the country will also have no guns, no accessories and no accessories. technician to repair.

Now countries are purchasing submarines from the Netherlands that require high-end technical support. This is a technology that even the UK, a naval power, does not have. The final result of these purchasing countries can be foreseen by Queen Victoria.

The confident face of William IV suddenly appeared in Queen Victoria's mind.

The Dutch William IV was as cunning as a fox, a submarine. The advantages that the United Kingdom has can be disintegrated a lot in an instant, at least, it will be difficult to restore this situation in the short term.

Thinking of this, Queen Victoria sighed: "Britain's status seems to be on the decline, perhaps, if you really promised William IV, it would be okay to cooperate with the Netherlands on sea power But when I think of New Zealand I am unwilling to transfer it to William IV."

After looking down at the British Prime Minister Disraeli below for a while, she sighed again, so she told Disraeli in detail the conversation between William IV and her in Athens.

The latter is inexplicable, and Disraeli can imagine that if the Netherlands is supporting Britain's status as the world's first naval power, then the United Kingdom will have enough support to make up for the current dilemma. Many problems have also been solved.

For example, in the Franco-Prussian War, the United Kingdom got more leeway. What’s more, if the United Kingdom has the support of the Netherlands, its influence on the European continent may go further. The offshore balancer will be supported by the Netherlands. The checks and balances against the continental powers are more handy.

However, the Netherlands has thus become an indispensable partner of the United Kingdom. Whether this is pros or cons is difficult to say at present.

Queen Victoria and Disraeli looked at each other with concern.

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