India, with a population of nearly 200 million, is the most populous country outside the empire, and I really don't know why those Indians are so able to survive when they can't even eat enough. Perhaps, it is precisely because of their large population and laziness that India has the world's leading arable land, but it cannot feed all Indians!

However, it is true that India has too many people for the empire. In the current world, a huge population, in addition to a vast market, also means great strength. Even if the Indians were lazy, but once the British armed them. It will still pose a serious threat to the empire. Fortunately, India's industry is now almost completely blank, and all weapons, even bullets, need to be imported from the British. In the past two years, although India has begun to build an arsenal, it is still very difficult to say whether it can meet the consumption of millions of British and Indian troops. With the Indian fleet annihilated by the 5th Fleet of the Imperial Navy, the coastline of India will be blocked by the Imperial Navy. From now on, India will no longer have access to resources from the British mainland.

In order to destroy India, the empire assembled 4 army groups, as well as the 7th Army, the 12th Army, the 13th Army, and the 14th Army. Among them, the 7th Army attacked western India from the province of West Frontier in Central Asia. It's just that the reason for the need to cross mountains and deserts, the attack of the 7th Army will not be too effective.

The 12th Army, the 12th and 15th armies of the Imperial Army stationed in Burma, attacked eastern India from Burma. Of course, the real killer moves are the 13th Army and the 14th Army. They will be in conjunction with the Navy and the Marine Corps. Landing directly in Kolkata. The Viceroyalty of British India was located in Calcutta. Once Calcutta fell, it would be a fatal blow to British India. In addition, the Imperial* Military Intelligence Agency is still in contact with the last Mughal emperor, and if they can gain their support, then the Empire will be able to eliminate the British and Anglo-Indian forces entrenched in India.

It's just that before the outbreak of the war, the main energy of the empire was focused on preparing for war against Russia. Troops should be dispatched to launch an attack on India. It's going to take a while. Of course. The navy could first blockade India's coast in order to weaken India's power and create a chance for the empire to land in India in the next phase.

At noon on July 26, 1854, the Viceroy of India, Marquis Dalhousie, was enjoying a sumptuous lunch. The main course for lunch is steak. Though. Indians worship cows. However, these British colonies apparently did not take the faith of the Indians seriously. They're still eating beef on a big scale, huge India. It was already about to be tamed by the British.

"Your Excellency the Governor, Hugh. General Gough and Viscount Canning ask to meet! "Just then, a servant entered the dining-room, and the Marquis of Dalhousie dined.

"What are they doing here?" Marquis Dalhousie frowned. Stop. Admiral Gough was the supreme commander of the British army in India and the commander of millions of British and Indian troops. Viscount Canning, on the other hand, was the administrative officer of the British Indian colony.

"Your Excellency the Governor, we have just received news that the Indian fleet has been completely annihilated by the 5th Fleet of the Chinese Navy. The sea control of the entire Indian Ocean has fallen into the hands of the Chinese! "Hugh. Admiral Gough spoke directly. In the Indian Fleet Chief of Staff George Brown. Before giving the order to surrender, Major General Mundi sent a telegram to the command in Calcutta.

"What? How is this possible? The Marquis of Dalhousie stood up in his place at once. Although, after the outbreak of war, he knew that there would be such a day. However, he didn't seem to expect this day to come so soon. He had thought of leaving India in a few days and returning home. Although this is another suspicion of escape, with his status in British high society, it should be easy to settle these things. At the same time, in the past few years, he has made enough, even if he is dismissed, the money he has earned over the years is enough for him to live a very nourishing life. However, now that the Indian fleet has been defeated, and the entire Indian Ocean is under the control of the Chinese, it will be impossible if he wants to escape again. If it is not good, it will fall directly into the hands of the Chinese, and once captured, not only will it be difficult to save a small life, but the hard-earned money will also be handed over to the Chinese!

"Your Excellency the Governor, I fear that the Chinese, having destroyed the Indian fleet, will soon attack us. Before the navy has no way to come to our rescue, we may have to prepare for a war with the Chinese with the help of losing our country! "Hugh. Admiral Gough continued.

"General Gough, in the name of the Viceroy of India, I order you, no matter what, no matter what the cost, you must hold India, and you can't let those Chinese occupy India!" Marquis Dalhousie said.

"Yes, Your Excellency the Governor, I will do my best. I am here for the purpose of hoping that His Excellency the Governor General will issue a mobilization order to further expand the size of the Anglo-Indian army. "Hugh. Admiral Goff said. Although the size of the Anglo-Indian army has reached millions, he still feels a little unsafe.

"Your Excellency, is a million Anglo-Indian troops enough? The colonial government has no extra money to spend on expanding its army! Viscount Canning, the colonial magistrate, said with a frown. In order to ensure the supply of millions of British and Indian troops and 200,000 British troops, the colonial government has already consumed a lot of financial and material resources, and if the Anglo-Indian army is expanded, the colonial government is in danger of bankruptcy.

"Your Excellency the Viscount, at this point, we have no other way, let's find a way to expand more troops first!" The Viceroy of India, Marquis Dalhousie, said directly. He knew that if he wanted to keep India, the more troops he could, the better, and as long as he had enough weapons, he could arm as many troops as possible.

"Okay!" The Marquis of Dalhousie's statement made Viscount Canning unable to refute it, so he had to agree.

In the view of the Marquis of Dalhousie, it is not important to have money or anything like that, what is important is to keep India and keep him. As for the money, it can be collected from the indigenous Indians. Although ordinary Indians are destitute and desperately poor. However, the heads of the nobility of the Indian states were rich in wealth. In order to maintain British rule in India, the British adopted a strategy of co-opting these nobles. Now? In order to raise military expenses, it is completely possible to use these nobles for the knife. It's like fattening pigs, after fattening, kill them to make more.

"Yes, Your Excellency. I plan to increase the size of the Anglo-Indian army by about two million before the Chinese offensive begins. In this way, we in Britain will be able to withstand the attack of the Chinese. "Hugh. Admiral Goff said.

The Marquis of Dalhousie nodded, indicating the population.

Later, the Marquis of Dalhousie also wanted to send a telegram to China, hoping that China would transport as many weapons and equipment as possible to India before the blockade of China was completely completed, so that India could hold out in the war for a longer time.

London, England, Prime Minister's Office, Earl Stanley frowned, and in front of him were two telegrams. The two telegrams came from different places, but they both had only one content, which was to ask for help from the British.

The Earl of Granville, the British Foreign Secretary, brought a telegram from the Russians asking for help. The rout of the Russian army in the Western Siberian Plain and Central Asia made Russia feel the danger. They needed Britain to provide Russia with more weapons and loans to arm more troops against the Chinese invasion.

And the Colonial Chancellor Henry. Viscount Hardin brought with him a telegram from the Marquis of Dalhousie, the Viceroy of India. The Indian fleet has been annihilated by the Chinese navy, which is a tragedy for the British. Of course, this was expected by them for a long time. The Indian fleet is weak and weak, and it is not an opponent of the Chinese Navy at all, and everyone has long been psychologically prepared for the destruction of the Indian fleet.

"Ladies and gentlemen, what do you think we should do about the Russian and Indian colonies' requests for help?" Earl Stanley had a headache. Britain's industrial strength is very strong, but now Britain is also desperately expanding its armaments, and the demand for various weapons is also skyrocketing. There is simply no way to provide much support to other countries or places.

"Your Excellency, India is our colony, and we must provide them with support! If India is lost, it will not only be a heavy blow to the British Empire, but will also cause the Chinese to invest their forces on other fronts. "Colonial Chancellor Henry. Viscount Harding hurriedly said.

"However, the Indian fleet has failed, India's coastline has been blocked, and even if we send reinforcements or support weapons and equipment to India, we will not be able to transport them to India." This was stated by the Earl of Granville, the Foreign Secretary.

"India's coastline is vast, and it is impossible for the Chinese to completely block India's coastline. We can send more ships to deliver it, and we can always find loopholes. "Henry. Viscount Harding insisted.

In that case, the cost is too great. Once our merchant ships or transport ships fall into the hands of the Chinese, the gains outweigh the losses. "Chancellor of the Exchequer Benjamin. Disraeli also said. The war began, and Britain's finances were spent like flowing water, and he, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, had to save a little. Otherwise, it is difficult to say whether Britain will be able to hold on.

"Is it possible that we will watch India surrounded by the Chinese, and then eaten by the Chinese little by little?" Henry. Viscount Harding was furious. India, but the biggest diamond in the Queen's crown! (To be continued......)

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