The sun never sets in America

Chapter 375 The Situation in Europe: Russia

"The naval battle in the Mediterranean once again proved that evil can never defeat justice!!"

“If some countries think they can conquer everything by force, then I want to tell them, dream!!”

“Peace in Europe may come late, but justice never fails!!”

British Prime Minister Russell's European Peace Speech in the House of Commons.

This is the first time since the European War that Britain has expressed its "indignation" to the world in such a tough stance towards the situation in Europe.

And the time when this speech appeared happened to be the second day of the Mediterranean naval battle.

The Battle of the Mediterranean was a naval battle that the French regarded as a national shame.

The most shameful thing for the French is that even if they suspect that a third party may have "participated" in this naval battle, because there is no proof and they do not have the advanced radio technology of the Han Navy, they can only rely on "guessing" on the vast sea. Let’s explain the secondary reasons for the failure of this naval battle.

In fact, after this naval battle, France mobilized the entire European intelligence system to investigate the process. Although some clues were found in the end, it still endured it for some reasons.

But enduring it does not mean that the French are easy to bully. On the contrary, the defeat in the naval battle prompted the French army to speed up its attack on land.

"Great Russia needs a great Tsar!!"

Most of the British power is still in Europe, and has recently shrunk to the English Channel and Northern Europe. The meaning of this is self-evident.

But at this time, it was difficult for France to take it back, because the entire country and the national atmosphere had been stimulated by the naval battle in the Mediterranean. Even if Napoleon III wanted to withdraw his troops at this time, it would be impossible.

"Europe can't let me stop either!!"

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"If you ask me, it's better not to continue the fight. Didn't the Austrians say they can accept peace?"

The structure of Europe does not allow France to have a second chance to choose. Either defeat the British this time and establish a European order with France as the core, or return to the time of defeat amidst the pursuit and interception of the British and the hostility of European countries. , be a France that is harmless to humans and animals.

Russian Minister Lindelof looked at His Majesty the Tsar and asked carefully.

…………

She didn't understand why the Austrians continued to fight without negotiating peace when they could. ?

Only Napoleon III knew that France had no retreat at this time. Now that it had jumped out and chosen to participate in this European struggle for hegemony, it would have to withstand the pressure and scrutiny of all countries.

And this is also the fundamental reason why France still endures it despite knowing the "tricks" involved. Essentially, after gaining benefits, it wants to withdraw from the Austrian battlefield as soon as possible and devote itself to the next war.

Of course, it is not ruled out that Napoleon III had the idea of ​​​​giving up as soon as possible.

"Only the great Russia can save them now!!"

Listening to Queen Jenna reminding herself not to be too greedy, Napoleon III replied with a wry smile:

Lindelof followed, patting Nikolai's horse.

"Small countries can compromise or fail, but big countries are not allowed to. Big countries will either succeed or be dismembered. This is the fate of every big country."

France is a typical European country.

According to the latest battle situation, on the land battlefield, the French army has basically controlled the entire Apennine Peninsula. Except for some coastal islands, basically the entire Italy is already in French hands.

Judging from the world situation, it is difficult for France to have a chance. The Americas, which were originally expected to disperse their firepower, seemed to be "calm" after the signing of the second secret treaty between China and Britain. It was just an intra-American war.

The British, who had tasted the pain of France again, would not let France go so easily, nor would they allow France to withdraw from the war so simply.

So now the French army is actually very uncomfortable. It has an army of millions, but it is trapped by the situation in Europe and cannot move anywhere. If it moves, it will fall into passivity.

"We are very lucky to have won Italy. My dear, we should understand that God's favor is limited!!"

"France cannot fail again", this is what Napoleon III often said to those around him.

Napoleon III wandered around the room for a long time, and finally shouted:

"Inform the Russian Minister that I invite him to a dinner at Versailles this evening."

The so-called "peace negotiation" is nothing more than an extravagant hope for a weak country.

"Napoleon III is no longer good. He is now, as the Chinese say, riding a tiger with difficulty."

Napoleon III's deep voice rang in Queen Jenna's ears, leaving her at a loss as to how to persuade her.

At the Palace of Versailles, Napoleon III looked calm and unaffected by the recent situation, and even had time to enjoy afternoon tea.

"At this time, I'm afraid France won't be able to stop even if I want to."

Napoleon III saw the current situation very clearly. The situation in Europe was already very clear, and France had no way out.

A big country is not qualified to "advance and retreat as freely" as a small country. Success and failure are like twins. From the moment a big country is born, it is destined to either succeed or fail.

Nicholas nodded very helpfully, without any of his previous humility.

Europe has once again reached a crossroads. Whether it will advance or retreat, I am afraid only God knows.

"Your Majesty, what do you think of the French request??"

And this is also the fundamental reason why Britain has frequently traveled to various European countries recently. As Bismarck said: "The British can't wait to have the formation of a new anti-French coalition written on their faces."

Tsar Nicholas smiled and replied:

Just like what Liu Peng said in Land Theory:

After all, she was just a woman, and she didn't understand what Napoleon III said at all.

But only Queen Jenna, who is opposite her, understands that all this is just a "cover-up", and that Napoleon III, who can only fall asleep in the middle of the night, is the norm for her husband.

Then he continued:

“What’s going on with the Ottomans??”

After Nicholas finished speaking, a rebellious look appeared on his face.

"Are they still conducting so-called defense??"

When Nicholas talked about the Ottomans, he looked disdainful. In his opinion, in the last war, if Han and Britain had not intervened, Asia Minor might have been retaken.

If Nicholas was "admired" for the Han people and "nervous" for the British, then he only had "contempt" for the Ottoman Empire.

Nicholas even said:

"I will give Istanbul to the Ottomans".

"In the direction of the Black Sea, the Ottomans have increased their troops again, and now they have exceeded 600,000."

"The Ottomans are still recruiting troops. Your Majesty, I guess the Ottomans want to do what happened last time again!!"

When Lindelof talked about it later, he was afraid of upsetting Nicolas and bringing back some bad memories, so he could only use "that incident" to replace the last failure.

"Hmph, these Ottomans still don't have a long memory. Do they really think that the last failure was caused by them??"

Nicholas is still brooding about the last failure, and it can be seen from his tone.

"Tell Napoleon III that I will satisfy him, but he must guarantee Russia's reasonable needs!!"

After Nicholas finished saying this, his whole person was filled with a "confident" smile.

"Yes, Your Majesty!!"

Lindelof wanted to say something, but finally endured it and asked before leaving:

"Your Majesty, where are the Han people??"

Nicholas frowned, and then ordered: "After the war starts, send them a message. This will also fulfill your obligations as an ally."

But soon Nicholas seemed to realize something again, and then said:

“No, let’s send a notice first!!”

Lindelof glanced at Tsar Nicholas in surprise, then nodded in agreement.

After Lindelof left, Nicholas looked out the window, and finally set his sights on the southern area where the Han Legation was located.

…………

Buckingham Palace……

Queen Victoria was sitting on a wicker chair, with her favorite black forest cake and black tea with milk and sugar in front of the table. This was her most comfortable time of the day.

Opposite her was British Prime Minister Russell, who looked reserved but pretended to be very relaxed.

"Mr. Prime Minister, how are you doing lately??"

Queen Victoria took a sip of black tea. Before putting down the cup, she looked at Russell opposite and asked a seemingly ordinary question.

"Very good, after all we just won a victory against France!!"

Russell's words brought a smile to Queen Victoria's face, and then she said:

"I think Napoleon III is already furious. His so-called navy is so vulnerable in front of the Royal Navy!!" When Queen Victoria mentioned Napoleon III, Russell could hear a hint of "sarcasm."

Then listen again:

"We can't just teach those damn French guys a lesson at sea, teach that Louis who is as bastard as his uncle!!"

"Rather, we should win a victory in Europe, on the European continent, and drive the French out of Italy and back to Paris in one fell swoop!!"

Queen Victoria's words are as unreliable as a Christmas wish.

Although he knew it was unreliable, Russell still answered with an expression of approval, and even said that he would study it carefully.

“What’s going on over there in America??”

After Queen Victoria got her satisfactory answer, she then asked about the war in America.

Queen Victoria still attached great importance to the Americas, because there was a country there that she had always felt was in danger but could not name it.

This country is more "aggressive" than France. Compared with Emperor Longwu, Napoleon III is simply the difference between a teacher and a student.

And this is also the fundamental reason why Queen Victoria is more concerned about the situation in America.

"Your Majesty, the current situation in America is basically that the Han people have the upper hand."

"But according to our analysis, it will take at least two years for the Han people to defeat the United States. In two years, our European strategy may have ended long ago."

Britain's current attitude towards the Americas basically has three attitudes.

One is the "optimists" like Russell. They naturally believe that the war in the Americas will be protracted. Even if the British Empire joins the war at this time, it will still have the opportunity to check and balance the situation in the Americas.

The main idea of ​​this kind of people is that the strength of China and the United States is almost the same. The United States has a larger population and a larger territory than Han. No matter how the war is fought, it cannot end in a short time.

The stalemate in Montana really brought this trend of thought to its peak.

It is also because of this that "optimists" like Russell believe that the situation in the Americas is still under control, and that the British Empire can still return as king after the war and even regain control of the Americas.

Apart from the optimists, the most popular ones are the "disdainful ones".

These people have never been to America, let alone abroad.

Their impression of America is a colony, a relatively remote colony.

Although Britain lost the colony, the fate of the colony would not change.

As for the strength of China and the United States, they were automatically ignored by them, and they even spoke of "second-rate" countries.

This group of people belongs to what the remaining "panic factions" call the "brainless faction." They are basically old guys who lived in the era of the British Empire. They view the world from the perspective of hammers and nails.

As long as the British Empire was happy, it would do nothing. Once it was unhappy, it would have to pick up a hammer and beat it.

As for the Panic Faction, they were actually nicknamed by the Disdain Faction, teasing them for being timid and lacking any imperial aura.

This group of panic-stricken people are actually rational people in a strict sense. They have always believed that the threat in America is on the same level as Europe.

Because from a geostrategic perspective, America is stuck behind the Atlantic Ocean, just behind the United Kingdom, and far away from the World Island.

It seems disconnected from the world, but it actually gives America more room for choice.

In the words of rationalists:

"America is the British Isles enlarged a hundred times."

Regarding threats from the Americas, rationalists have always put them first, which is why they have proposed the so-called "American Balance" strategy.

Originally, according to their plan, it would be implemented within two years at the latest, but who would have thought that the situation in Europe was like a meteorite, disrupting all the deployments of these people, so that they had to return to the Europe-first strategy. , a great opportunity to rebalance America was lost.

Queen Victoria stood up, took out a copy of Liu Peng's Land Theory, handed it to the other party, and said:

"Mr. Prime Minister, we should find ways to deal with the situation in America from this book!!"

Russell took the book handed over by the Queen, flipped through it a few times, then raised his head and answered:

"Your Majesty, I think that what we have to do is to put Europe first and then the United States. Interfering in the situation in America now will only allow the French to succeed and will not do any good to the empire!!"

Russell's words actually reminded Queen Victoria to take the overall situation into consideration.

Queen Victoria obviously understood this truth, so when she finally left, she specifically asked about the situation in the Black Sea region to show her support for the strategy of putting Europe first and then the United States.

…………

"Currently our army has surrounded 120,000 US troops on the northwest side."

"General Li Zihao requested that they be allowed not to annihilate these US troops for the time being, and use this as bait to annihilate all 350,000 US troops in Montana."

When Liu Yu said this, he obviously paused and waited for instructions from his father.

"Li Zihao did a good job. He was able to resist the temptation, but instead used it as a tactic to plot a bigger plan."

“He’s a pretty good talent!!”

Liu Peng's words instantly made Liu Yu remember that Li Zihao in his heart.

Then Liu Peng said:

"The current situation in the United States is complicated, but after all, it has not reached its limit. If the provocation is too fierce, it will easily lead to the unity of Americans."

"I think we should stop trying to stir up trouble between the north and the south. We don't want to get rid of the chicken and end up with a lot of feathers."

Liu Peng's words are actually very simple. The basic meaning is actually to oppose the high-profile conflicts between the north and the south. He does not think that Americans cannot see what the Han Dynasty did.

Therefore, the best thing to do is to stop in time before being completely exposed.

After all, the situation in the United States has reached this level. Blindly provoking others is likely to be counterproductive. It is better to wait and let things dry out.

Waiting is the most important thing.

"Prince, continue!!"

Liu Peng didn't wait for Liu Yu for a long time and urged him directly.

"Yes, Father!!"

Liu Yu relaxed for a moment and then spoke:

"Father, the current situation in Europe is not very stable. Although France controls Italy, the failure of the last naval battle had such a bad impact that it directly led to some countries that originally planned to join the French camp to declare neutrality..."

"The British are now recruiting people everywhere in Europe, hoping to unite the forces of European countries to attack Napoleon III's France."

“France always loses its footing at critical moments!!”

Hearing this, even Liu Peng couldn't help complaining about France's "unreliability".

The battle is about to be won, so why not engage in a naval battle? Just start it and lose it. Isn't this a "waste"? ?

You must know the current situation in Europe. France does not have the capital to continue its willfulness.

The British have opened their huge mouth and are ready to swallow up all countries at any time.

The news of France's failure in the naval battle at this time will undoubtedly increase the British's willingness for war.

Liu Yu nodded, and then continued:

"The direction of the Black Sea is relatively calm at the moment, but as the Ottomans have frequently increased their troops near the Black Sea in recent days, the risk of war continues to increase. It has now surpassed the Mediterranean Sea and become the largest powder keg in Europe..."

When Liu Peng heard this, he frowned slightly and finally said:

“The day is not far when the Russians will join the war!!”

"Why, father??"

Liu Yu didn't quite understand what Liu Peng meant. This was obviously the best opportunity for the Russians to observe.

The French had just been defeated, Britain had not yet joined the war, and the situation in America was in a stalemate. No matter how you looked at it, it was not a good time to start a war.

"What, you don't believe it??"

“It’s not because I don’t believe it, but??”

"Just what??"

“It’s just not in Russia’s national interest!!”

Liu Yu expressed all his thoughts.

Liu Peng replied with a smile:

"Remember, sometimes wars don't involve so many calculations. Just go to war when you have the chance. Now is the chance!!"

(End of this chapter)