Add Bookmark | Recommend this book | Back to the book page | My bookshelf | Mobile Reading

Free Web Novel,Novel online - All in oicq.net -> Historic -> chinese fourth empire

Piaotian Literature of the Fourth Empire of China www.piaotia.com Chapter 357: Japan¡¯s Way Out

Previous page        Return to Catalog        Next page

    (Thanks to book friend Little Sailor and Extreme Deep Sea Diving for the tip! Thanks to book friend Lee and One Apple for his monthly pass!)

    In Tokyo, Japan, when Wang Yuze held an imperial meeting, the Emperor of Japan also held an imperial meeting.  After Togo Heihachiro's telegram ordering the attack was sent back to the Navy Ministry, Japanese Navy Minister Yamamoto Gonbei did not dare to neglect and immediately reported it to Prime Minister Yamagata Aritomo. Yamagata Aritomo was also shocked. He only received the news yesterday that the Japanese fleet had escaped from the Chinese navy.  Telegraph into the Pacific.  Now he has received a telegram that the Japanese fleet has launched an attack on the Chinese navy. This shocked Yamagata Aritomo.

    "What did Togo Heihachiro do? Doesn't he know that this is triggering a war between China and Japan?" Yamagata Aritomo said angrily.  Now, Japan is not at its strongest. If the war can be delayed until the middle of next year, Japan will have a greater chance of winning.  However, Togo Heihachiro ordered the firing, which undoubtedly caused the war to break out immediately.

    "Your Excellency, Prime Minister, Togo-kun has no choice. The whereabouts of the fleet have been exposed, and he has no choice but to fight to the death!" Yamamoto Gonbei defended Togo Heihachiro.  He actually thought that Togo Heihachirou did the right thing, and under the current circumstances, this was the only way.  Although the Japanese Navy still has two battleships, the "Shikishima-class" battleships "Hasuse" and "Mikasa" are under construction, which cannot maximize the combat power of the Japanese Navy.  But there is really no way around it.

    "Follow me to see His Majesty! Now that the war has broken out, we are powerless to stop it!" After Yamagata Aritomo finished speaking, he took Yamamoto Gonbei to see Emperor Meiji.  At the same time, he also sent people to inform Foreign Minister Aoki Shuzo, Riku Prime Minister Katsura Taro and Tibetan Prime Minister Masayoshi Matsukata.

    Emperor Meiji sat on his throne, looking at the five ministers of the cabinet below, accompanied by the Minister of the Interior Saigo Yumichi.  Emperor Meiji, who is only 47 years old, already looks a bit old.  Suffering from uremia, his life has become increasingly difficult.

    "Your Majesty, now the navy and the China Navy have launched an attack, and the war has begun. Now, we must enter a wartime system, tilt everything in the empire towards war, and strive to win!" Shen Xianxian Youtomo  said the voice.

    "I have only one question, can the empire's army and navy win victory for the empire!" Although Emperor Meiji was not in good spirits, the light emanating from his eyes was like a falcon, making people dare not look directly at him.

    "Your Majesty, I will do my best!" Youpeng from Shan County replied.  He didn't dare to vouch for it. Compared with China's military power, the gap between Japan and China was too big.  If the navy fails, then Japan will lose the war.

    "Huh!" Emperor Meiji snorted, very dissatisfied with this answer.  If Youpeng from Shanxian County hadn't been one of the elders, he might have reprimanded him long ago.  He took back power from the shogunate in his early years. After that, he started the Meiji Restoration, which put Japan on the path of rapid development.  In order for Japan to rise, he even tightened his belt to develop the navy. However, in the end, it was a series of failures, which deeply affected him who wanted Japan to become a world-class power.

    "Your Majesty, the empire's national strength is not as good as that of China, so it is inevitable that victory cannot be guaranteed. However, China is not just our only enemy. We also have the United States and Russia as allies. Even Britain and France may directly attack China.  Let's start a war. Although China is powerful, it is definitely not a match for the five major powers in the world. Even if the navy fails, as long as the army can defend the country, we can persist until the day we win!" Riku Prime Minister Katsura Taro said.  The implication of his words is very obvious, that is, if the navy is not good enough, Japan will ultimately have to rely on its army.  The navy has occupied most of the military expenditures one after another, but it has failed one after another in front of the Chinese navy.

    "What if the great powers cannot defeat China? What will the empire do then?" Emperor Meiji asked again.

    Everyone was silent. It was obvious that they had not thought about this issue.  They all regarded China as Japan's archenemy, and thought that with the backing of the great powers, they would be able to achieve final victory.  However, the questions raised by Emperor Meiji forced them to think deeply.  If it fails, what should Japan do?

    "Alas! China has been a first-class power in East Asia and even the world for thousands of years. Compared with China, we in Japan have a sparse population and barren land. Although I have always longed for the empire to defeat China and use China's rich resources to develop itself  . But I have to admit that until now, I was wrong. If the empire loses, then Japan should just follow China and become a vassal state!" Emperor Meiji said.  Now, he has to think about Japan's future.  In the past thousands of years, when China was strong, Japan had always surrendered to China.  It was not until China's decline that Japan turned from a dog into a wolf and wanted to dominate China's position.??Bite off a piece of fat and develop yourself.  But now it seems that their strategy is simply wrong.  Therefore, Japan has to prepare for the worst.

    "Your Majesty, please rest assured, I will definitely fight to the death and win victory for the empire!" Youpeng from Shan County said immediately.  He strongly disagreed with Emperor Meiji's remarks.  How could Japan just give up on their ideals after decades of hard work?

    At this time, a chamberlain came to Xixiang Congdao's ear, said a few words to him, and then withdrew, but Xixiang Congdao's expression changed drastically.

    "Your Majesty, China has declared war on the Empire! China's minister to the Empire will also leave the Empire in three days!" Xixiang Congdao said.

    Emperor Meiji nodded, and then said: "Everyone, since the war has begun, then work hard to win for the empire! If things cannot be done, Japan must not be allowed to perish!" Japan can fail, but Japan  It must not be destroyed.  If this road doesn't work, then Japan can only find another way!

    "Yes, Your Majesty!" everyone replied.

    After that, the Japanese government immediately declared war on China, and the Japanese army also began emergency mobilization.  The army has begun mobilization, and the navy has also sent a telegram to the fleet to strive for victory at all costs.

    At two o¡¯clock in the afternoon on March 11, Moscow time, Japan¡¯s Minister to Russia Yuichi Maeda made an urgent request to meet with Russian Prime Minister Sergei?  Werther, to Sergey?  Witte reported the news that China had declared war on Japan, and Japan had no choice but to declare war on China.

    Sergey?  Witte was immediately shocked. Although he knew that war between China and Japan was likely to break out, he did not expect that it would happen so quickly.  According to the Pacific Alliance Treaty, Russia needs to declare war on China.  But now, the Trans-Siberian Railway has not yet been fully connected, and Russia is not fully ready.  Declaring war on China at this time would be very detrimental to Russia.  Sergey?  After Werther saw off Maeda Yuichi, he immediately rushed to the palace to ask for an audience with Tsar Nicholas II.

    "Your Majesty, China and Japan have declared war on each other and the war has begun. What should we do now?" Sergey?  Witt said.

    "What else can we do? According to the alliance treaty, declare war on China! Order the armies in the Far East and Siberia to be prepared. The Chinese army will launch an attack soon!" Nicholas II said.

    The conflict between China and Russia two months ago made him hold his breath, and now, it is finally time to vent his anger.  It is now mid-March, and the heavy snow in North Asia has begun to melt. By the end of March or early April, war can be launched.  Russia now needs to transfer a large number of troops from Europe to the Far East to prepare for China's attack.  At the same time, Tsar Nicholas II was also preparing to use Russia's powerful army to defeat China and seize China's northern territory in one fell swoop, allowing Russia to gain an ice-free port in the Pacific.

    "But Your Majesty, China's army is not weak. There are millions of standing troops. It must be desperately expanding its army now!" Sergey?  Werther reminded.

    "Have we not already begun to expand our army? Remember two months ago, I ordered the army to be expanded from one million to two million!" Nicholas II said.

    "Your Majesty, the government does not have enough funds, so the military expansion is very slow!" Sergey?  Witte also serves as Chancellor of the Finance and is very clear about this.

    "Run out of money? Ask the British and French to borrow it! They are the ones who encouraged us to join the Pacific Alliance. Tell them that if they don't lend us money, then we will not participate in the war against China!" Nicholas II said.

    Sergey?  Witte's eyes lit up, this is a good idea!

    "Yes, Your Majesty, I will contact the British and French ambassadors to Russia immediately!"

    At 5 a.m. on March 11, U.S. time, President William?  McKinley was woken from bed by his secretary.  The declaration of war between China and Japan is also a big deal for the United States.

    In William?  When McKinley came to the office dressed neatly, Vice President Garrett?  Hobart, Secretary John?  Sherman, Treasury Secretary Lyman?  J?  Gage, Secretary of War Russell?  A?  Alger and Secretary of the Navy Theodore?  Roosevelt has arrived.

    "Gentlemen, China and Japan are already at war. Then, it is time for us to fulfill our obligations under the treaty and declare war on China!" William?  McKinley cheered up and said.

    "Mr. Roosevelt, when can the Navy launch an attack on Hawaii?" William?  President McKinley asked.

    "Your Excellency, the West Coast Fleet has been on high alert for the past month. As long as the order is issued, it can be dispatched in two days!" Theodore?  Roosevelt said.  although,The U.S. Navy is not very strong now, and there are still a large number of warships that will not be put into service until next year. However, now that the war has broken out, there is no choice but to declare war on China in advance.

    PS: The second update is here!  The subscription is getting more and more bleak, please subscribe!  (To be continued. Please search Piaotian Literature, the novels will be better and updated faster!)
Didn't finish reading? Add this book to your favoritesI'm a member and bookmarked this chapterCopy the address of this book and recommend it to your friends for pointsChapter error? Click here to report