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Chapter 1293 European Allied Forces 2
"As the Prime Minister of France, I certainly agree with this. But you should know that there are still some people in France who are influenced by the Habsburg family and are unwilling to give up the power that belongs to the king.

In order not to irritate their fragile nerves at this critical moment, Your Majesty is temporarily unable to make a written commitment on the issue of protecting the security of the Spanish Netherlands.

However, I believe that as long as the Crusade reaches a certain stage and achieves certain results, France and the Republic can negotiate on this issue and eventually reach a formal agreement. "

Richelieu readily agreed to the conditions proposed by Andris, but it was not unconditional, but with a deadline.

This was not a deliberate delay of time. From France's own perspective, being able to free the Spanish Netherlands from the control of Spain and return it to the Dutch Republic was already a big victory.

From then on, France no longer had to worry about being surrounded by Spain, Austria and the Polish Confederation and having its living space squeezed. It would definitely be much more harmonious to get along with the Dutch Republic than with Spain.

Unfortunately, as the Prime Minister of France, he could not immediately make a final decision on the plan that would benefit the country. It was not that Louis XIII disagreed, but that the Queen's party was not happy.

Gaston, the youngest son of Queen Marie, and some governors of noble origin never gave up their attempt to overthrow Louis XIII, prevent reforms, and restore relations with Spain. In order to avoid their strong opposition and obstruction, the French government could not openly intervene in the Spanish Netherlands issue in the short term.

"Of course, I just want to ask whether the Prime Minister has a specific plan on how to completely defeat the Habsburg family in this war and make France the biggest winner?"

Andries expressed deep sympathy and understanding for Prime Minister Richelieu's difficulties, and believed that the French government would become a firm ally of the Dutch Republic.

Because it is impossible not to believe it. The Netherlands's position in Europe is very delicate. In addition to resolutely opposing the Habsburg family's struggle for independence, it also has to face the increasingly strong maritime competition from the British. Looking around, it seems that there is no other big brother except France.

In fact, France has always been the biggest supporter of the Dutch Republic since it declared independence. The two countries are not only neighbors, but also have many common interests in national security and economic development.

As long as France can completely get rid of the constraints of the Habsburg family, the Dutch Republic will benefit the most. So on this issue, the Republic must stand on the side of France and work together to calculate Spain and the Holy Roman Empire.

As for whether or not they should have their own agenda when forming a coalition, that is a question that deserves careful study. From a moral and legal perspective, it is definitely not right. If they cannot unite as one, why do they have to gather together to fight?

But from a political perspective, there is nothing wrong with this. Countries are always competing with each other. Even if they are standing in a trench to resist foreign enemies, there is a difference between who is more dangerous and who is relatively safe. And trying to put yourself in a relatively safe position is what the leaders of various countries need to consider and strive for.

"I think we should support the sea attack plan proposed by Felipe IV and launch an attack on Enniao Port first. But this is only one part of the attack plan. In addition to Enniao Port, the coalition forces should also advance on the Kazakh Khanate from land and threaten the Western Regions of the Ming Empire.

This area originally belonged to a country that believed in Islam, but was later conquered by the Ming Empire. However, Islam still occupies a dominant position in this area. As long as the Ottoman army, who also believes in Islam, sets foot on this land, they will immediately be followed by many local people. My generals got a very detailed map from the Italian missionaries. According to the map, the Western Regions and the mainland of the Ming Empire are separated by a large desert and plateau. If we can capture this place and make it a foothold for the coalition forces, it will be very proactive in terms of strategy.

No matter how much advantage the Ming Empire Navy had at this time, it could not provide support to the Western Regions. Moreover, the two fronts, one in the south and one in the north, were very far apart, which would cause the Ming Empire to encounter great difficulties in logistics supply.

As the Western Regions are occupied, countries such as Bukhara, Persia, Burma, and Ayutthaya, which were originally suppressed by the Ming Empire, will also change their attitudes, including the Mughal Empire on the Indian Peninsula. As long as we achieve this step, we will win. "

After bargaining to this point, Richelieu finally revealed his bottom price. This was a huge offensive plan, which was generally divided into two major parts: naval warfare and land warfare.

Neither side was making a feint, but France focused on land and had careful steps and arrangements. Spain focused on the sea. Given the strength of the Ming navy, the stubborn and arrogant Spaniards were unlikely to gain any advantage and were more likely to suffer heavy casualties.

By the time the Spanish had exhausted their greatest reliance, the navy, the French-led army had gained a firm foothold in the Western Regions. This was a microcosm of the post-war European landscape.

The French Army did not have to fight to the death with the Ming Empire Army. Simply entering the Western Regions would inevitably trigger a series of changes. In this situation, the Ming Empire had to disperse a large number of troops to put out fires everywhere, otherwise its rule would be in jeopardy.

Then it was time for negotiations. France, as the leader of the coalition, would naturally gain the most benefits. As a supporter and ally, the Netherlands would certainly have a bite of meat to eat. The Ottomans, Russia, the Polish-Lithuanian Confederation, and the Holy Roman Empire would only have bones to gnaw on. Spain and England would only have soup to drink, which might even be cold.

Don't want to? You have to bear it even if you don't want to! Because the naval strength of the two countries has been greatly damaged, Spain's economic situation is impossible to hold on. As an island country, England will be completely suppressed by the Netherlands if it loses its naval power, and it will not be able to make any waves.

"…Should the Republic also send its navy to join the attack on Port Enniao?" After listening carefully to the French Prime Minister's idea, Anders hesitated for a moment and asked a question related to him.

"In order to reassure the Spanish and British, the Republic must pay a certain price. But as long as the plan is implemented, the Dutch fleet will still have the upper hand in the North Atlantic in the future. Do you understand what I mean?"

Richelieu smiled again, but the smile was completely different from the one he had just shown when he was petting the kitten. It was as if only his wrinkled face was moving, revealing a chill.

"...I will bring your plan back to Amsterdam intact and try to convince the parliamentarians to pass it as soon as possible." Andris also smiled, but with more bitterness.

(End of this chapter)