Paris, since the news of the Japanese attack on the Philippines came, Napoleon IV did not sleep well for several days.

In any case, the Japanese army went south at the invitation of Britain and France. In order to allow the Spaniards to let them go, the British and French governments also repeatedly gave assurances to the Spaniards. Now that this has happened, they are naturally to blame.

In this age of the jungle, commitment is about the same as farting. If it was in normal times, Napoleon IV would not have broken his word against Spain, and they could not do anything anyway.

But now it is different, unlike Britain, which is out of the way, France is now mired in the quagmire of the European continental war. Even Spain, which was already on the wane, can now pose a deadly threat to them.

How to appease the angry Spain and resolve the diplomatic dispute has become the most urgent issue for the French government at present.

Resisting his discomfort, Napoleon IV asked: "Say, what do the Spaniards want?" ”

The interests of countries are eternal, and no matter what happened in the past, as long as the interests are in place, anything can be discussed.

As neighbors, the contradictions between France and Spain are naturally not small, but France's strength is too strong, and the Spaniards do not have the confidence to confront it.

The European War changed the balance of power between the two sides, and the French threw all their forces into the war, losing the strength to continue to suppress Spain.

For various reasons, the Japanese army's sneak attack on the Philippines happened to intensify the Franco-Spanish contradictions. Add to that Austria's back-the-scenes involvement, and the Spanish nationalists have exploded.

Under domestic pressure, the Spanish government not only declared war on the Japanese at the first time, but also sent sternly worded diplomatic notes to Britain and France.

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

The Japanese monkeys went too far, and the nationalists in Spain were stimulated, and the call for a main war in the country was raised.

According to the information from the embassy in Madrid, the Austrians have hooked up with the Spanish nationalists, and the spearhead of public opinion is pointing at us, and the situation is very unfavorable for us. ”

What do the Spaniards want, does Karel Kadlec really not know?

The answer is no!

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

When you open the diplomatic note, you can see that the Spaniards have already made conditions. Needless to say, France was asked to fulfill its agreement, expel the Japanese, and compensate for the damages.

The Spanish government also made territorial claims to France, not only for France to cede French Morocco, but also for the redrawing of the border between the two countries.

Karel Kadlec naturally refused this request to take advantage of the fire, and there was no room for negotiation at all.

Except for the first article, the expulsion of the Japanese was acceptable, and if the French government dared to agree to it, a revolution would have to break out in the country.

The only condition that can be agreed to is that France can't. The French Far East Fleet, which was confronting the Austrian Navy, was simply incapable of driving out the Japanese.

Even diplomatic threats, the French government did not dare to use them. If the Japanese were forced to rush and they ran to join forces with the Austrian navy, the French Indochina Peninsula would be finished.

It's not a joke, but it really could happen. If the Japanese were to take the initiative to cooperate with the Austrian Navy in destroying the French Far East Fleet, the Vienna government could not find any reason to refuse.

As a qualified politician, when nothing can be done, Karel Kadlec naturally has to play dumb.

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

For Napoleon IV, who aspired to surpass his father's generation, making this decision was undoubtedly bowing to reality.

But there was no way, the development of the war on the European continent was unexpected, and France alone could not win the war at all.

Without compromising with the British, it was impossible to get the full support of the London government. Without the support of the British, France had no hope of victory.

A compromise with the British meant that France had given up hegemony on the European continent, and even the dominance of building the post-war international order.

In this context, even if France won the war, it would not be able to achieve its original strategic objectives, and the war could be said to be in vain.

It's better to fight for nothing than to lose. Deep down, Napoleon IV had already made up his mind to farm with peace of mind when the war was over, and to make peace when his strength was restored......

……

Downing Street, inside the Government House.

Gladstone's cabinet is gathering to discuss the international implications of Japan's surprise attack on the Philippines and what to do to respond.

Admiral Astley said righteously: "The Japanese are so bold that they dare to play tricks on us. If we don't give them a little bit of power, all cats and dogs will ride on top of us in the future. ”

It was not to be angry, and the life or death of the Spaniards was never in Sir Astley's consideration. In his opinion, the Japanese army's sneak attack on the Philippines was an opportunity for the Royal Navy to perform.

In the past decade or so, the navies of France and Austria have been catching up, and the Royal Navy, as the hegemon of the world's naval circles, is also under great pressure.

A lot of money was poured into the bottomless pit of the navy, and there was no real war, and many members of Congress had a problem with this.

There are even rumors that the navies of Britain, France and Austria colluded with each other to deliberately create a maritime conflict in order to defraud the government of funds.

It's very easy to break this suspicion, just find an enemy to fight. Britain is crisscrossed the seas, and the enemy has long been terrified, and only France and Austria are left who dare to fight them.

Needless to say, neither of these can be played. The difference in strength between everyone is not huge, and if a war breaks out, it is easy to play a lose-lose outcome.

The Royal Navy is sober, and it is important to prove its importance, but it is not necessary to risk the fortunes of the country.

In contrast, the Japanese who are popping up now are much easier to bully. It's not that Astley is arrogant, it's really the Royal Navy's great business, and as long as the Far East Fleet moves, the Japanese Navy can only go home in disgrace.

Foreign Secretary George reminded: "Sir, the problem now is not that of the Japanese. Their sneak attack on the Philippine Islands was ostensibly a war between Japan and the West, but in essence it was also involved in the European War.

The European War was at a stalemate, and the strength of the Spaniards was enough to upset this fragile balance. Now France and Austria are courting them, and for now the Austrians are bidding higher.

It is still Franz's usual method, generous to others, this time taking the interests of the French as a promise.

It is said that the Austrians sent a map of France directly, and as long as the Spaniards were willing to join the anti-French alliance, the French were left to choose their own territory.

Judging by the current situation, if we do not intervene, it is very likely that Spain will join the anti-French alliance.

As for the Japanese, they are a jumper. It's easy to shoot them to death, but it's of no real value. Now, with or without them, it will not affect the decision of the Spaniards.

In the unlikely event that Spain chooses to side with Austria, we will need this snack to cause trouble for the anti-French allies, so let's keep them for the time being. ”

Being generous to others also has technical content. Austria can do this because France and Spain share a border, and for historical reasons, the two countries are not only full of contradictions, but also have territorial disputes.

Regardless of whether the Spanish government will be tempted by such conditions, the nationalists in Spain have already taken the bait.

The French government will never be able to give the same conditions. Even if you draw a scoop with a gourd and send it with a map of Austria, people in Spain will not ask for it.

For no other reason, only strength. No matter how rich the benefits are, what's the use of not being able to eat them? With Spain's national power, it simply cannot afford to run an enclave.

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

We can't wait any longer, we have to do it as soon as possible. In the event that the French lose the battle in Southern or Central Europe, they will not have the capital to make a comeback from Austria.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs immediately acted in accordance with our plan and invited the countries of Europe to form a mediation mission to put an end to this senseless war.

Until then, we have to hold the Spaniards steady. If they are willing to join the mediation team, we will help them get rid of the Japanese. ”

seems to be an understatement dialogue, but behind it is full of swords and swords.

Britain's land forces were limited, and in order to intervene in this continental war, it had to rely on the strength of other countries. However, everyone is not stupid, and each country has its own interests.

If diplomatic deterrence can solve the problem, it will be fine, and if it is not resolved at the negotiating table, it will not be good enough to rely on force, and it will be too embarrassing for everyone to send troops to intervene just for the sake of an illusory balance on the European continent.

Unless Austria is strongly aggressive and threatens the governments, it is not possible to coordinate international relations in a day or two.

Foreign Secretary George shrugged his shoulders and replied helplessly: "To do this, not only can we do it, but we also need the cooperation of the French."

You must know that our allies have enemies all over Europe, and there are many people who want to see them unlucky. If they don't take concrete action to reassure European governments, it will be difficult to win their support.

The Spaniards and Russians, in particular, were capable of influencing the war, and whether either joined the anti-French coalition, our mediation plan was meaningless. ”

In this era of the jungle, the key to solving the problem is to look at strength. Not only military strength, but also comprehensive political and diplomatic strength.

Although Spain declined, the tiger skin was not punctured, and they were still a great power in the eyes of European countries.

On the surface, they are the fifth power in Europe after the four major powers of Britain, France, Austria and Russia, and they are also the fifth most powerful power in the world.

The strength of the anti-French alliance is already very strong, and any of the great powers are invincible.

Most of the countries in Europe are wall-to-wall, and if they are not sure enough, they will not easily take sides.

If there are not enough junior brothers, the momentum will not be able to be built, and the deterrent effect will naturally be greatly reduced. Against this background, only the great powers themselves went into battle.

The Anglo-Russian war had just ended, and the hatred between the two countries was at its peak. Even the most confident people would not think that Britain and Russia would be able to cooperate sincerely.

Even if the interests are really completely identical, and the top level of the two governments is willing to cooperate, the people below will also act spontaneously, and there will be absolutely no ambiguity when pulling the hind legs.

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

In order not to get out of control, the British had to abandon their plan to pick peaches after the war. Taking advantage of the fact that the European war was not decided, an intervention alliance was formed in advance.

……