Chapter 1730: Bet 1 roll
Chapter 1730 - Throwing a desperate deal 1
"Prime Minister, the French are very unstable now. Although it has been predicted that the Russians may collapse, when this day really comes, the entire French government is like a concubine, and they are even a little confused. At this time, We should take more reassurance." On the way to the French Chancellery, Marshal Haig of the British Expeditionary Force said to the British Prime Minister Herbert Henry Asquith who was sitting next to him.
Just after the riots in Russia, the French ambassador to London asked the British on behalf of the French government about the countermeasures, and when the French ambassador and the British prime minister met, he made a vague suggestion whether they could immediately support the new Russian government to take office and control it as soon as possible The whole Russian situation, the idea of continuing to fight. Regarding this, British Prime Minister Asquis can only express his helplessness. After all, what is the situation in Russia now, it is not clear who is on stage, who do you support? !
If the communication between the French ambassador and the British prime minister is normal, then the other information obtained through Scotland Yard is very bad. According to the intelligence provided by the intelligence agency, the French ambassador to the Netherlands has begun to contact the Queen of the Netherlands. I hope the latter can As a neutral mediator to test the Kaiser's tone, and the French also promised that if the Netherlands is willing to help, France is willing to ensure that the remaining Dutch territory in the East Indies will not be invaded by Japan... At the same time, the British intelligence agency in Switzerland has received similar information, and the French government is also considering the possibility of unofficial contacts with the German government through Switzerland.
What does this indicate? This shows that the French no longer want to fight. The fear of the Germans has overcome the hatred of the country since the Franco-Prussian War, and the proud Gallic chicken is ready to give in. When the British diplomats tentatively asked whether France When it is possible to make peace with Germany. The French did not answer positively. Facing the pressure from the British, the French said: "In any case, whether it is through war or other means, we must not allow the Franco-Prussian War to repeat itself."
As a result, the British Prime Minister, who was already a little stubborn, decided to come to France and discuss with the French government what should be done! After Marshal Haig introduced the general situation for Asquith, the British motorcade finally arrived at its destination.
"Welcome to you, Prime Minister Asquis." French Prime Minister Louis Bardou said with a haggard face. "You are invited to come here today because of fundamental changes in the Russian political situation. His Majesty Nicholas II has announced his abdication, and the younger brother of Nicholas II, Grand Duke Alexander Drovitch, succeeded him. And now, The Provisional Duma has been established, and our friend Luo Denko has become the Speaker. Our diplomatic service has contacted the Russians, and now they agree in principle to continue to stand on our side, but they need time to integrate , And at the same time deal with contradictions within the country."
The French Prime Minister explained the current situation in Russia in very brief words, and then he looked at the British in front of him, and the latter fell into deep thought.
"What are the so-called contradictions within the country?" Asquith asked.
"At present, there are two governments in St. Petersburg. One is naturally the Provisional Duma. The other is the Soviet Provisional Executive Committee. This executive committee is elected by voting by socialists, civilians, and soldiers. Among the civilian class in Russia, there are Very big influence. Temporary Duma needs to coordinate with them." Bardu said.
In fact, when the Russian February Revolution just broke out, people such as Lenin were not in Russia, so this Soviet was actually a spontaneous organization. And the interim Duma is not a life or death relationship, and the two sides have also had contact. Of course, as far as Britain and France are concerned, they don't care about this now. What they care about is whether the Russian Provisional Government can be established quickly, and then take over the baton from the Tsar to continue fighting for the Allies!
"Now, the Germans have launched an offensive. They have launched attacks on almost all fronts of the Eastern Front, extending from the Baltic Sea coast in the north to the Black Sea, and the Transcaucasus. At least 1 million German troops participated in this battle. Our allies are in the midst of life and death, and they need our help."
"But with the French army now, we really don’t have the strength to launch an offensive. In October this year, the Germans concentrated their forces on us. We lost at least 400,000 troops and a large amount of materials and equipment. In Asia Minor, we It also lost no less than 180,000 troops. Counting some scattered battles. Our troops were unable to attack again throughout the winter. You know, there are now less than 9,000 French divisions on the front line, and at the beginning of the war , One of our divisions is more than 14,000. Now, our army is full of young people. This war has almost wiped out our generation." Bardu said with a choked voice.
After Bardu finished speaking, there was a long silence on the venue, attacking the German army in a defensive state in the winter? Are you kidding me? However, neither General Haig, commander of the British Expeditionary Force, nor General Nivelle, commander of the Paris Front, did not speak. They knew that from a tactical point of view, this must be a very costly business. After all, the Germans can play a good exchange ratio in an offensive battle, let alone defense. But unfortunately, tactical issues have to make way for politics ~www.wuxiaspot.com~ and at this time, Prime Minister Asquith is also quickly calculating. He could feel the anxiety and even despair in the heart of the French prime minister opposite. He was afraid that his improper answer in one sentence would directly lead to some unpredictable consequences. For example, if the British refused to launch this offensive, would the French government directly negotiate with certain parties in Germany?
To be honest, if this war is won by the advantage of the Allies, the damage to Britain will be more than that of France. Germany is unlikely to invade and occupy the French territory. After all, the Germans have paid a lot in this war. They have realized France is much stronger than France during the Franco-Prussian War. It is not worthwhile to take millions of casualties for tens of thousands of square kilometers.
After the war, perhaps the French will consider changing their policies. Although Alsace and Lorraine were once French territory, look at France during Napoleon and then look at France now. Since Napoleon, the descendants of the French are not I only lost the place once... Therefore, in the face of this invincible enemy, the French may have a great deal of counsel. It is really impossible to defeat, there is no way.
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(End of this chapter)
