Master Yuan, start!

Tsarevich Nicholas was very confident in the Russian army, and Delcas was no exception.

He also didn't think the Chinese would win, after all, they were a Russian army fighting at a high latitude.

If France lost, why shouldn’t the Chinese lose?

Delcas just wanted to rely on this sentence to open a breakthrough.

After all, we can't reveal all of France's cards as soon as we meet.

Should we tell the Russians that France's expansion from Congo to Sudan was obstructed by the British army and that it had to seek external help?

What Delcas was worried about was an extremely important dispute that had occurred in Africa in the original time and space.

Fashoda incident! ^,) wife tumor. Sansi 4 children novel day) more un:

Historically, conflicts between Britain and France have escalated over their competition for Africa.

The UK went south from Egypt and France went east from Congo in Africa. The two countries had a "friendly encounter" in the Fasho region of Sudan.

This eventually led to the outbreak of the "Fashoda Incident of 1898", which can be regarded as the peak of the British-French colonial dispute.

The Fashoda incident ended with France's concession.

But in this time and space, before things happened, France was not willing to make concessions in Africa.

So, they naturally thought of Russia, which had no interests in Africa but had many conflicts with Britain.

Thinking of this, Delcasser simply didn't beat around the bush and directly pointed out the purpose of his trip.

"Your Majesty, for the sake of peace in Europe and tranquility in the Far East, the French government believes that it should work hand in hand with Russia to maintain stability in these regions."

"Oh, is that so?"

Crown Prince Nicholas raised his eyelids and looked at Delcasser who was standing in front of him with a sincere expression.

He knew that the Franco-Russian alliance was a good option, but he did not want to let the French have it easy.

Four years ago, you French ignored Russia, and today you are bound to suffer the consequences.

"The Russian Tsar is fishing, France can wait for a while."

"puff!"

Hearing this, the guard standing by couldn't help but let out a very short, suppressed laugh.

But then he bit his tongue, trying hard not to make any sound.

The Tsar is fishing.

A statement that couldn't be more classic.

In the mid-to-late 19th century, Russia's importance in Europe continued to rise due to its abolition reforms and the promotion of capitalism.

At that time, Russia did not even need to use force, and could achieve its political goals through diplomatic efforts alone.

Alexander III was the Tsar of this period. His most famous diplomatic statement was "The Russian Tsar is still fishing, Europe can wait for the time being."

It happened that one time when he was fishing, the official in charge of European affairs came to report urgent official business, and Alexander III said this.

This passage later spread out of the Russian court, was widely publicized by the Russian media, and was also known to everyone among European politicians.

However, this sentence may be okay to say to one's own people, but it is a bit too rude to say it to foreigners, especially to foreign diplomats in person.

Upon hearing this, French Foreign Minister Delcassé felt dissatisfied.

Alexander III went out for a walk today, and you insist that he went fishing. I really can't argue with that.

But in fact, who in Europe doesn't know Alexander III's current physical condition?

Fishing, can he hold the fishing rod?

"Ahem, Your Highness is saying that the Russian-French alliance is of great importance, and this matter needs to be reported to the Tsar for a final decision."

Russian Prime Minister Sergei Witte saw that Delcasser's expression was unmoved and hurried out to smooth things over.

“After all, in this country, the words of His Majesty the Tsar are the most effective.

Minister Delcasser, please go down and rest. We will discuss this matter later."

"All right"

Faced with the Russians' difficulties, Delcasser took a deep breath and chose to let the matter go.

Now is not the time to save face. Compared with national interests, face is nothing.

Just wait, France can afford to wait.

After figuring it out, Delcas turned around and walked out.

At this moment, a guard hurried into the meeting room, passed him, and presented the Prime Minister with a telegram from the Far East.

Sergei Witte opened it with a little doubt, his face changed drastically after a few seconds, and then he handed it to Nikolai beside him with trembling hands.

"Wait a minute! Minister Delcasser!"

Just before Delcas was about to step out of the conference hall, he heard the anxious voice of Russian Prime Minister Sergei Witte from behind him to keep him!

Chapter 334: Yes. ?, Zhong: Britain's Alliance is signed

French Foreign Minister Delcassé walked back into the Golden Hall. He didn't know the specific reason why Prime Minister Sergei Witte wanted him to stay.

However, he knew that he had to seize every opportunity to form an alliance with Russia.

"Your Highness, the British expansion around the world has increasingly aroused the resentment of peace-loving countries."

Delcassé lowered his head slightly and talked about the current situation facing France and Russia.

"These arrogant Angusans seriously proposed a double C plan to colonize Africa more than a decade ago.

They wanted to build a vast colonial empire stretching from Cairo in the north to Cape Town in the south.”

Delcas pointed to the world map behind Nicola and again referred to the British plan made public at the Berlin Conference of 1884 to divide Africa.

Although the Russian Empire was invited to attend the Berlin Conference, it played a minor role throughout.

Although the previous Tsar and the current Crown Prince Nicholas are both very interested in Africa's resources.

But neither before nor after the conference, no land on the African continent belonged to Russia.

Speaking of which, in order to counter the British Double C Plan, France also proposed its own Double S Plan for colonizing Africa.

It starts from Senegal on the west coast of Africa in the west and reaches Somalia in the Horn of Africa in winter.

The French wanted to connect their colonies horizontally to cut off the British vertical colonies.

It was precisely because of these two conflicting plans that Britain and France came into conflict in the vast Africa.

Therefore, Delcas thought it was necessary for him to explain to Nicola the current situation in Africa.

"Your Highness, imagine if the British seized all of Africa's resources.

How much gold and diamonds are stored in London Harbor every day, and how many battleships are launched in the Portsmouth shipyard every month?

Hearing this, Nikolay and Sergei Witt both looked back in the direction Delcasser's finger pointed.

If you draw a straight line from Cairo on the Mediterranean coast of Africa, all the way south you will reach Cape Town in South Africa.

Doesn’t this mean that nearly three-quarters of Africa’s territory will be in the hands of the British?

Nicholas, who had originally been indifferent to Britain's conquest of Africa, frowned slightly and fell into deep thought after seeing the vast territory of Africa on the map.

He wasn't trying to colonize Africa, but was thinking about the message behind Delcas's words.

Yes, the British have occupied too many resources.

There are so many people that they even have spare energy to help the Khitans. How hateful!

In Nicholas's opinion, it must be the British who took secret action, which allowed the Khitans to capture the entire Vladivostok.

Otherwise, how could those small Khitan boats show off their power in front of Alexander II and Nicholas I?

We must curb the speed at which the British acquire resources!

Among all the major European countries, France was the one that had serious conflicts of colonial interests with Britain.

Thinking of this, Nicholas paused and said:

"Yes, I think Africa, at least the Lower Nile region, should return to the fold of France.

The Suez Canal, built by industrious French engineers, should also be handed over intact to its creators."

Hearing the bold proposal of Crown Prince Nicolas, French Foreign Minister Delcassé was a little worried.

Are the Russians supporting France's acquisition of Egypt?

Ever since France was defeated and withdrew from Egypt in 1801, it has always wanted to return to this place where three continents and five seas meet.

However, the anti-French alliance was established first, which forced the French to be humble in front of European countries.

This was followed by the establishment of the Vienna System, in which Britain and Russia joined hands, one in the west and one in the east, to maintain the balance of power in Europe.

The balance of power means that the French cannot cause any major unrest.

Although France continued to find opportunities and obtained the right to dig the waterway from the Egyptians, it successfully opened the Suez Canal.

But the British, who smelled something, quickly used various means to acquire 44% of the canal's shares, thus controlling the canal in disguise.

In other words, the canal that the French had worked so hard to dig had to be shared with the British in the end.

This is unacceptable to any Parisian politician.

However, what can be done if one does not accept it? Before the collapse of the Vienna system, at least the balance of power between Britain and Russia was maintained.

After the collapse of the system, the British lost their shackles and used their powerful navy to frantically seize colonies around the world.

France, Germany, the United States, Russia and Austria can only get the leftovers.

Therefore, for Delcas, Crown Prince Nicholas's proposal to dominate Egypt and the Suez Canal, a golden waterway, was something he had never dared to think about before coming to St. Petersburg.

But when did the Russians become so generous?

wrong!

Delcas shook his head silently in his heart. He looked up at Crown Prince Nicholas, wanting to see what kind of wine was in his bottle.

"Of course, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince hopes that the cooperation between France and Russia will not be limited to the Near East."

Prime Minister Sergei Witte took a half step forward and took over the topic: "The Far East cannot be ignored either."