My Italian: Chapter 572 regretful french
Cosenz has a bigger stage to display his ambitions.
And for the whole of Europe, the cloud of war can be seen even by ordinary people.
Although the Moroccan crisis has been resolved, the preparations of various countries have reached a new level.
The British Empire, which provoked France to be **** Germany on the Moroccan issue, announced at the beginning of the year that it would start the construction of 7 large-scale battleships this year, 5 of which will be new battleships equipped with 380mm main guns. In addition, the British Empire was not satisfied with its small army, and announced that it would expand the army to 238,000 this year.
The preparations of the British Empire also affected Russia, one of its allies. The Russians have announced that they will build three 13.5-inch (343 mm) superdreadnoughts to deal with the current complex form.
Unlike the 305mm main guns equipped by the Queen Maria class in history, due to the pressure of Britain and France on the shipbuilding of Germany and Italy in this time and space, the British decided to share their 343mm main guns with their allies. As for the British move, France and Russia are of course very happy. Russia is also supported by the British 343mm main gun, so it decided to choose the main gun for its next-level battleship.
In addition to this naval expansion, Russia has also expanded its vast army. The Russians announced that they will increase the total strength of the Russian army from 940,000 to 1.024 million this year.
The actions of Britain and Russia made the Allied camp unable to sit still. Not to mention Italy. Germany decided to expand its army from 571,000 to 653,000. And Austria-Hungary expanded from 254,000 to 314,000.
Major European countries are gearing up and glaring at each other from different camps.
Here we seem to forget that there is another country, France.
Speaking of which, in this time and space, the pressure of French defense is no less than that of Germany. The pressure of the Germans on the border alone is enough for the French to endure. In addition, Italy is also eyeing its south, making the French defense pressure not small.
In addition to land pressure, at sea, the French are also very stressed.
Although the alliance with the United Kingdom allows France to rely on the British Empire's navy at sea. But this was limited to the German Navy in the North Sea. In the Mediterranean, the British Empire's Mediterranean Fleet is stationed in Alexandria, Egypt.
If you open the map of the Mediterranean Sea, you will find that Egypt and France are separated by more than 2,000 kilometers, not to mention that they are separated by an Italy.
On the bright side, the French navy can be in a position of attacking the Italian navy with the British Mediterranean Fleet. But the bad thing is that they are very easy to be destroyed by the Italian Navy. The changes in this completely depend on the strength comparison of the two sides. At present, the strength of France and the United Kingdom in the Mediterranean is likely to be the latter.
In fact, for Britain and France, the two countries are well aware of the current situation in the Mediterranean Sea, but it is not easy at all to solve this problem.
In fact, it can not be said that it is not easy. There is a way, that is, the two countries can increase their naval strength in the Mediterranean to the point where they can compete with the Italian navy. Let him not be able to solve any one party in a short time, if he can't do it, then it's barely enough to hurt his vitality.
For as long as Italy was without naval protection, the advantage of a long coastline would immediately become a disadvantage. The navy alone will be enough to keep the Italians on pins and needles and put an end to their hot-headed behavior.
However, it is too difficult to do this, and France is already struggling to build four Solitary Classes. However, under the constant urging of the ally, the United Kingdom, to spend more money to build three Brittany-class ships can be regarded as gritted teeth. If you want to continue to follow the footsteps of the Italians, it is no longer a word to describe suffering.
The French Navy has no way to follow up, so what about the British Empire?
I'm sorry, although the British Empire's docks are full of various warships, it is also a fantasy to have the navy to suppress the German and Italian navies.
And the British Empire also needed to ensure the security of its homeland, as well as the task of suppressing the German fleet in the North Sea. Then the strength of the fleet remaining in the homeland must be higher than that of the German high seas fleet.
Therefore, there cannot be too many warships left for the Mediterranean Fleet.
As for the idea of combining the British and French fleets in the Mediterranean, the two countries only talked about it once before shelving it.
While this would allow the British and French fleets to compete with the Italian navy, there is a key issue that the two countries cannot resolve.
Where should this fleet be stationed?
Is it the French mainland port of Toulon or the Egyptian port of Alexandria?
In other words, abandoning the coastal cities of southern France, or abandoning the Suez Canal?
No one dared to make this decision, and no one could make this decision.
In this regard, the two countries can only continue to expand their naval strength in the Mediterranean while negotiating how to cooperate.
The problem of how to suppress the Italian navy has left the British and French navies at a loss.
However, some smart people soon thought that since it was difficult to solve at the naval level, it would be easier to do it in another way. And this method is not complicated, that is, since it is difficult to solve, then pull it over to become an ally. This time, the problem between the two countries in the Mediterranean will not be solved, and this will also ease the pressure on the French land.
Of course, for the two countries, it is not a simple matter to pull them over, or to break up the alliance between Germany and Italy.
You must know that the French side has discovered this problem several years ago and has always wanted to improve tensions with Italy. Subsequently, various acts of goodwill emerged one after another, and his greatest act of goodwill was to give half of the Tunisian colony to Italy during the first Moroccan crisis.
Although the southern part of Tunisia is basically a desert and the Gobi is very desolate, its population is less than 100,000, and it has no economic value. But it is still half a colony, and valuable minerals may be discovered at some time, just like the Libyan province of Italy.
But unfortunately, the Italians are not interested in the kindness that the French people continue to release.
Although annoyed at the shameless behavior of the Italians, considering the situation they are facing, the proud French can only continue to release their goodwill, intending to impress Italy.
Of course, it is unlikely that it is possible to rely on words alone, but in view of the current situation of extreme tension in Europe, the French decided to come up with a gift that the other party could not refuse. And the requirements are not high, as long as the other party can be neutral when a war breaks out with Germany.
So what makes the French think that Italy cannot refuse, and that is the remaining northern Tunisian colony.
Needless to say geographical location, if Italy occupies Tunisia, the entire Tunisian Strait will be in its hands, and every ship passing through the Mediterranean needs to see the face of the Italians. Before, the reason why France seized Tunisia first, there were concerns in this regard, and of course it was tacitly accepted by other countries.
In addition, northern Tunisia is also its essence. This large amount of arable land and grassland is distributed here, and the olive oil exported by Tunisia is in northern Tunisia.
And according to French calculations, Tunisia has 9 million hectares of arable land, enough to feed a large population. For Italy, which has more people and less land, it is definitely an irresistible temptation.
Given such a generous gift, of course, it cannot be brought by a few diplomats to talk to the Italians. This time, the French side sent the number three person, and Ribes, the president of parliament, was in charge of talking with the Italians.
------off topic-----
In the second chapter today, everyone voted enthusiastically and let the steamed buns continue to explode