In Tokyo, after receiving news of Austria's involvement in Philippine affairs, Emperor Meiji convened an imperial council overnight.

It can't be helped, this is the deterrent power of the top powers. Like most ordinary people in this era, Emperor Meiji also suffered from a phobia of the West.

Emperor Meiji was very nervous about challenging Spain alone, and if he came to Austria, he really couldn't live.

Don't look at the southward strategy this time is very smooth, the Spanish are even more wasteful than expected, in just over a month, the Japanese army occupied a small half of the Philippines, which can be described as brilliant results.

But this is only on the surface, the Japanese army's soaring advance only caught Spain by surprise, in essence, Spain's comprehensive strength is still above Japan's.

No matter how powerful the Meiji Restoration was, it only developed for more than 20 years, which is not comparable to the 100-year accumulation of the old empire.

Of course, since it dares to be a challenger, the Japanese government also has its own advantages, such as: it is closer to the mainland, and the army is more combative and morale.

Having a military advantage does not mean that everything is fine. As the first to challenge the existence of a white state, Japan fell politically and diplomatically into a downside across the board.

It's just a matter of fighting alone, the key is that there is not even a single supporter, it can be said that it is more isolated than France; Spain, on the other hand, has at least gained sympathy points from the European world.

The intervention of the great powers has become the biggest risk of this southward movement. Discovering the Austrian movement, even if it was just a trivial matter, Emperor Meiji did not dare to take it lightly.

Hirofumi Ito analyzed: "Your Majesty, don't worry. Austria was busy with the war on the European continent and probably didn't really want to meddle in Philippine affairs.

We went south this time under the banner of being invited by Britain and France, and it was normal for the Austrians to be vigilant.

At this time, the Nanyang Chinese came to the door, and they pushed the boat down the river to try to see if there was any sign of us continuing to go south.

General Yamaguchi did a very good job, decisively chose to back down, did not cause a conflict, and now the Austrians should be relieved. ”

If you don't think about it, the Japanese army entered the South Seas at the invitation of Britain and France, and at first glance it was going towards the Austrian South Seas. Although the Japanese government explained it afterwards, this would have likewise caused displeasure in Austria.

The great powers must all have tempers. It's normal to create a little obstacle and a little revenge.

Oyama Iwa asked, "Ito-kun, this is a shame for the Great Japanese Empire, how can it be called good?"

Today Austria is coming, and we are going to give in; Tomorrow Britain and France are coming, do we still have to make concessions?

Step back, step by step. This is how the ambitions of the great powers are used, and if you don't learn to say no to the great powers, the Great Japanese Empire will never really be able to stand up!

Don't say anything tempting, Austria has never taken us seriously, and the Vienna government will not bother to do so.

I think it's probably the personal behavior of a diplomat, and whether the Austrian government knows about it or not is unknown.

Austria is not yet the hegemon of the European continent, it is so domineering, if they win the war, will it directly let us withdraw from the Philippines?

I propose to ignore the unreasonable demands of the Austrians, to deal with this incident toughly, and to make clear to the outside world our tough stance on the outside world.

Anyway, the war on the European continent was so fierce that it was impossible for the Austrians to push us to the opposite side at this time. ”

failed to grab the position of coach and was forced to stay in the base camp to engage in planning, and that's it, the key is the strategy formulated by the base camp, which became unrecognizable when it reached the front line.

In the face of the number one veteran of the Japanese Army, Yama Prefecture Youpeng, Dashan Yan had no choice but to endure it, but he still held his anger.

Now that this is happening again, I naturally can't help but vent. Moreover, his status also requires him to be tough on the outside world, otherwise how can he establish his prestige in the army?

What's more, there is no problem with his analysis, and Austria really has no time to care about the South Seas region in a short period of time. Even if it goes too far, it is impossible to come and settle it right away.

As for settling accounts after the autumn, isn't it still possible to hug your thighs? The Royal Navy was in full swing, and as long as the British did not agree, it would be difficult for Austria to do anything even if it wanted to settle accounts after the autumn.

Ito Hirofumi rubbed his forehead, this kind of reasoned rebuttal was the most troublesome, but he didn't want to offend Austria.

The Japanese Army studied the French and had a kind of confidence in France, but Ito Hirobumi, as a politician, did not see it that way.

The scale of the European War was huge, and the combat effectiveness of the troops was of course important, but it was more important to look at the overall national strength.

In the eyes of many politicians, France had lost the war from the moment it was in a state of scorching. Just when Ito Hirobumi was struggling, a shocking news came.

"Your Majesty, I just received a telegram that the Russians have declared war on France!"

Emperor Meiji didn't care about restraint, snatched the telegram from his attendants, and quickly skimmed it.

Although it was not known what was happening, it was clear to everyone that there was no need to continue the issue that had just been debated. From the moment the Russians entered the war, France was powerless.

Probable victory and doomed victory are two different concepts. In the absence of certainty that Austria will win, there are still those who dare to gamble; Now that the overall situation has been decided, everyone cannot ignore the attitude of the future European hegemon.

……

In London, George, who had returned in vain, had just disembarked when he received the bad news. There was no time to rest, so he hurried to the palace to attend the royal council.

It's so big that Queen Victoria, who doesn't bother much with politics, can't sit still. Love Book House

At this moment, the aged Queen Victoria asked in a trembling voice: "According to your meaning, the monarch should not meddle in politics. In recent years, I've been paying little attention to politics.

The big and small things of the empire have been left to you to deal with. But can anyone tell me why the international situation has developed to this point? ”

The struggle between the monarch and the power of the prime minister has been common throughout the ages. The world only knows that Queen Victoria rarely cares about politics, but they don't know that this is also the result of a power struggle.

Since the death of Prince Albert, Queen Victoria has lost her politically strong arm and has gradually become powerless in the struggle for power.

However, Queen Victoria is not an idle person, and seeing that she can't suppress the cabinet, she decisively chooses to retreat.

On the one hand, it reduces and mixes less politics, and on the other hand, it firmly controls power and does not let go. In short, I can delegate power to you, but I also have the right to take it back.

This is also the reason why Edward VII was able to restore the monarchy in the future. After all, power has always been in the hands of the royal family, but it is just useless.

In contrast, the later generations of the British king could not. From the time George V gave up power, it was never taken back.

In the face of the queen's questioning, everyone lowered their heads. Everyone knew that a crisis was coming, not just for Britain, but for theirs as well. If it is not handled well, everyone's political life will be over.

As the person directly responsible, Foreign Secretary George stepped forward and explained: "Queen, the Russians' declaration of war on France came too suddenly and completely illogical.

In recent years, Austria has developed so fast that it has not had time to crack down on it, and it has become a behemoth.

The main reason for this mistake was that successive governments had a false consensus that Austria was not to be a concern.

Geographically, Austria was sandwiched between France and Russia, blocking both the eastward and the westward advance of the Russians.

The seeds of the crisis were already planted, and theoretically speaking, the stronger Austria was, the more it would attract the hostility of France and Russia. We just have to push from behind the scenes, and France and Russia will join forces.

Based on this judgment, we have always focused on France and Russia. You know, France and Russia are not at peace, the French are constantly jumping up and down, and the Russians are directly invading Afghanistan......"

Before George could finish speaking, Queen Victoria interrupted forcefully: "I don't care if it is logical or not, anyway, the Russians have now declared war on France."

Your so-called Franco-Russian plan to counterbalance Austria is nothing short of shit, not even shit.

What's even more ridiculous is that this European war is still promoted by you. I remember your promise to use this war to defeat both Faus and fight both enemies at the same time.

Now the results, you have also seen. The task was half accomplished, and the French were successfully weakened. If nothing else, post-war France will no longer be a threat to us.

Doesn't that sound good? Britain's old enemies have been killed, and you are all British heroes.

But is that what we need? Without the French, who will counterbalance Austria for us and count on the Russians?

Are you sure they want to go west and Austria for continental supremacy, and not go south to fight us for India? ”

Whether the continental balance is upset and Austria becomes the new hegemon; Or the Russian invasion of India, which is the greatest threat to Britain.

Anyone with a discerning eye knows that since the Russians declared war on the French at this time, it must have been an agreement between Russia and Austria.

There is only one hegemon on the European continent, and Austria is now in a big position, and the Vienna government will certainly not budge on this issue, so it can only be that the strategic direction of the Russians has changed.

With the vast glaciers of Siberia, even if the Russians wanted to go east, they would not be able to cross it. At least without railways, they can't support their ambitions.

Not to mention the north, the Nordic Federation is a hedgehog, the kind that doesn't have much meat, and it's obviously not a stuffy bear's dish.

Looking around, apart from westward expansion and Austria's struggle for continental supremacy, the only way to seize India was to move south.

The queen who incarnates as a big troll is invincible, and no one dares to go up and touch the mold at this time.

Explanation is to cover up, everything has already happened, whether it is reasonable or not, it is all a fact. If you think it's unreasonable, it can only mean that you don't have enough brains.

Maybe it's enough spraying, or maybe it's old age and physical exhaustion. After venting her anger, Queen Victoria slowed down and asked, "Prime Minister, what are you going to do next?" ”

It's impossible to deal with it in person, it's a mess right now, and it could explode at any moment. The responsibility must be borne by this administration, which is why the Gladstone cabinet has not yet topped.

"Queen, the Russians entered the war so suddenly, we don't know anything about what happened in between. The top priority is to find out the reasons for this, and then find a way to keep the French.

The government has already taken action and has convinced more than a dozen neutral countries that they will join us in mediating the war when the time comes. ”

It is true that more than a dozen neutral countries have been co-opted, but unfortunately there are prerequisites for this. What the London government promised everyone was that Britain and Russia would take the lead in forming an intervention alliance, and everyone just followed the soy sauce before all countries agreed to participate.

At this point, even if countries continue to fulfill their agreements, it is useless. In these years, it is not that many countries have the right to speak, and the key is to look at strength.

Let the small countries mediate this war, and maybe they will be scared at the negotiating table. When the great powers play hooliganism, not everyone dares to accept it.

Far from it, the European countries can't count on it anyway. As long as the anti-French alliance gives the slightest warning, everyone will take it seriously.

This unreliable plan, Queen Victoria naturally will not be satisfied, and said coldly: "Yes, then may God bless Britain." May the French hold out a little longer and give you the opportunity to act. ”

If the plan is unreliable, it is better than nothing. Until there is no better way, we can only use it first.