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The Fourth Empire of China Piaotian Literature www.piaotia.com Chapter 685: Big Fight

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    "Gentlemen, what should we do now? How can we preserve the interests of the British Empire in the Middle East and curb the ambitions of the Chinese?" Arthur?  Prime Minister Balfour asked.  He also felt that the current situation was very difficult. The Chinese in the Middle East posed a very serious threat to the British Empire. If it was not handled well, the British Empire's colonial system in the Middle East and even Asia would collapse, and this would  For Britain, which relied heavily on its colonies, it was a complete disaster.

    Everyone was silent, and they had no good solution.  Today's British Empire is no longer the world hegemon it once was.  After just experiencing the Boer War, Britain's strength had dropped to freezing point.  In Europe, there was another challenge from Germany, which forced Britain to win over France to compete with Germany.  In the face of threats and challenges from China, the UK has been unable to withstand.

    "Your Excellency, Prime Minister, I think that the reason why China attacked Kuwait is not only the Chinese ambitions, but also the revenge on us. We joined forces with the French to compete with the Chinese for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which made the Chinese very worried.  Dissatisfied," said Lord Lansdowne, the foreign secretary.

    "Should we withdraw from this war? In exchange for the understanding of the Chinese? France is now an ally of the British Empire, and we need to help the French. In addition, when did the proud British Empire need to be so cowardly that it bowed to the Chinese?  "Colonial Secretary Edward?"  Sir Gray said dissatisfied.  He is a traditional Englishman. Even though Britain has obviously begun to decline, he still seems to be immersed in the aura of the British Empire, the world's most powerful country, and is unwilling to wake up.

    "Okay! Then, war, only war, only by defeating the Chinese can we preserve the interests of the British Empire!" Lord Lansdowne said angrily.

    Everyone knows that war is the only way to resolve the conflict between Britain and China, and it is also the most beneficial way.  But, can it be won?  No one dares to claim this for sure.  The fierce battle that broke out in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia last month has completely verified that in terms of land warfare, if there is no absolute military superiority, it seems to be very difficult for the British and French coalition forces to defeat the Chinese.

    "War!" Arthur?  Prime Minister Balfour murmured.  He cannot make up his mind to fight a war with China in the Middle East.  Because if you can't win, it won't end well.

    "What do you think?" Arthur?  Prime Minister Balfour asked.  China's attack on British colonies has touched Britain's bottom line. It seems that a war is inevitable.

    "Your Excellency Prime Minister, if you are determined, the Navy will go all out. Although the Navy currently does not have the ability to compete with the Chinese for command of the Indian Ocean, we can take the lead in gaining control of the Red Sea. As long as we deploy in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait  With heavy troops, we can prevent the Chinese navy from advancing westward. At that time, we can take advantage of maritime transportation to dispatch a large number of troops in the western part of the Kingdom. Logistics and supplies will not be a big problem." Navy Minister John?  suggested Sir Fisher.  The Red Sea is relatively narrow and cannot carry out large-scale naval battles.  As long as the British navy takes the lead and blocks the Bab el Mandeb Strait, it can block the Chinese navy to the east of the Bab el Mandeb Strait with a small number of troops.  In this way, Britain will have a favorable opportunity to send a large army to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and gain an advantage in the war.  Although the Chinese army is powerful, it is not difficult to defeat the Chinese army as long as Britain and France send their troops to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with all their strength.

    ¡°However, we can only dispatch two ¡®Dreadnought-class¡¯ battleships to the Middle East now. Even if we add the French¡¯s four ¡®Gourba-class¡¯ battleships, I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to take advantage of the Chinese!¡± Arthur?  Prime Minister Balfour asked.  If there is another accident in the British Navy, Britain's security will be shaken.  The Germans already have two more new battleships than the British, and they will certainly not let go of such an opportunity.

    "As for the defense of our homeland, I think we need to turn to allies. The six Connecticut-class battleships of the U.S. Navy are already in service, and their performance is no worse than our Dreadnought-class battleships. We can invite the U.S. Navy to visit the UK.  Fill the gap left after we transferred all the Dreadnought-class battleships. As our ally and facing serious threats from the Chinese, the United States will not refuse this invitation!" John?  said Sir Fisher.  Just letting the U.S. Navy replace the British Navy to guard the North Sea and confront the German Navy does not mean asking them to fight the Chinese. The United States should not refuse this.  In this case, the British Navy's six "Dreadnought-class" battleships and the French Navy's four "Gourbat-class" battleships will be able to form an absolute strength advantage over the Chinese Navy's Indian Ocean Fleet.  Unless the Chinese Navy moves the Pacific Fleet all the way to the Middle East, it will be impossible to reverse this disadvantage.  Moreover, the British navy at least needs to control the Red Sea, notUse it to enter the Indian Ocean and have a decisive battle with the Chinese Navy.  Under such circumstances, the danger faced by the British Navy will be greatly reduced.

    "So, what about the army? If the navy gains control of the Red Sea, how much of the army's operations can it guarantee in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia?" Arthur?  Prime Minister Balfour asked.  Lord Admiral John?  The plan proposed by Sir Fisher is very feasible. Once successful, it will be able to win a victory for Britain and France in the Middle East.  The geographical environment of the Middle East is destined to prevent the deployment of too many troops.  With the Red Sea at its back, the logistical support provided by the British-French connection is undoubtedly more advantageous.  As long as the Chinese can be defeated in the Middle East, China's ambitions can be curbed and Britain's interests and colonial system in the Middle East can be preserved. Even if it pays a certain amount of benefits after the war and signs a treaty with China, it will be better than the complete collapse of the entire colonial system in the Middle East.  Much better!

    "Your Excellency Prime Minister, the second batch of the Army's expeditionary force has begun to set off, and the Army has entered into mobilization. In just one month, we can send 200,000 to 300,000 troops to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Our French allies  , we can almost dispatch so many troops. In this way, our troops in the Middle East will increase to about 600,000. If the Chinese do not increase their troops, or the total number of additional troops is less than 300,000, then we will extremely  "British Field Marshal Neville, who is likely to win this war?"  Powers?  said Lord Chamberlain.  The Chinese Army was able to transport hundreds of thousands of troops across the entire Pacific Ocean to fight in the United States.  The only advantage of the British and French coalition forces is that their logistics transportation lines are shorter than those of China.  They only need to cross the Mediterranean, while China needs to cross the Indian Ocean from its homeland. The distance of its logistical supply lines is more than twice that of the British and French coalition forces.  At the same time, through the ports along the Red Sea, it is easier for the British and French forces to receive logistical support when fighting in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Under such circumstances, it is very possible for the British and French forces to win the battle.

    "What about other people's opinions?" Arthur?  Prime Minister Balfour was a little moved.  His predecessor, the Marquess of Salisbury, had to step down because he was defeated by the Chinese.  If Britain can defeat China under his leadership, even if it is just a local war, his prestige in the UK will rise a lot.  When the time comes, we will be more confident in our bid for re-election.

    "Your Excellency Prime Minister, I agree, we must show those yellow-skinned monkeys a little more power!" Colonial Secretary Edward?  Sir Gray agreed first.  Among the many ministers in the cabinet, he is probably the one who is most actively clamoring for war against China.

    "Your Excellency Prime Minister, we can do this. However, in order to avoid falling into a state of all-out war with China. I suggest that we should not declare war on China and still use the war against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as an excuse." Foreign Secretary Lord Lansdowne suggested  road.

    "I agree with your Lordship's suggestion. If we fight a full-scale war with the Chinese, it will completely collapse the UK!" Chancellor of the Exchequer Charles?  Thomson?  Richie also said.  When a cannon is fired, there is ten thousand taels of gold. Fighting a war costs money, especially a large-scale war involving hundreds of thousands of people. The military expenditures required are astronomical.  The Boer War had already cost Britain two to three hundred million pounds, and the British treasury was already empty. If Britain had not plundered the entire world for so many years, it would have been unable to sustain it.  Therefore, the scale of the war must be controlled.

    Arthur?  Prime Minister Balfour nodded, and he also agreed to control the scale of the war within the Middle East.  If we fight a full-scale war, no one can guarantee whether we will win in the end.

    "Then, everyone, for the benefit of the British Empire, take action! One month later, we will teach the Chinese in the Middle East a lesson and let them know that the British Empire is still not old, and we are still the overlord of the world!  "Arthur?"  Prime Minister Balfour said.

    "Yes, Your Excellency, Prime Minister, fight World War II for the British Empire!" Other cabinet members shouted one after another.

    After the cabinet reached a consensus and formed a decision, the British war machine immediately began to accelerate.  Large numbers of young men were drafted into the army and then shipped to the Middle East.  The Navy's warships are also open to frequent mobilization, and the latest "Dreadnought-class" battleships are also showing signs of heading to the Middle East.  At the same time, British diplomats are also active around the world.  France, the United States, and Russia all have British diplomats negotiating with governments to prepare for the upcoming war.  At the same time, British Ambassador to China Juldian also lodged a solemn protest against China's invasion of Kuwait, but no one paid attention to it!  (To be continued. Please search Piaotian Literature, the novels will be better and updated faster!)
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