The Rise of the Empire

"The military's appetite is really big, even Hawaii wants to eat it." After Huashan Shiji and Togo Heihachiro left, Xiyuanji Gongwang said with a sigh. "They don't understand politics at all. They think that the army is the saber of the empire, but they don't know that it is the people who really decide to give the country, not the weapons in his hands. Weapons are only a means of gaining benefits, not the purpose of action."

"It's not just them, I'm also a little unwilling to give up Hawaii. We have worked hard for so long, but in the end we couldn't eat it under the most favorable circumstances. It's a pity." Hirofumi Ito said unwillingly. Even though he has come to a conclusion on this matter, every time he thinks about it, he still feels very heartbroken. The Japanese have been thinking about Hawaii for more than ten years, but in the end they have to give up when it seems to be the most favorable time, which makes him feel a little bit Not reconciled.

"Hehe, the most favorable time? You don't believe the words of those short-sighted people, do you?" Xiyuan Temple Gongwang sneered. Even Dashanyan and the others can see that the empire at this time is actually very dangerous. The empire is too sharp. After the Sulu Sea naval battle, while winning an almost equal position with other great powers, we also gained their fear and hatred. There can only be one enemy at any time. And if this matter is not handled well, we will also be attacked by the United States when facing Russia. "

"It is impossible for us to defend Hawaii, which is thousands of miles away, when we are dealing with Russia. This failure is nothing to the United States. On the contrary, this failure will stimulate their military development. It is already hard for me to imagine Once we take down Hawaii, how will Japan deal with the simultaneous efforts of the United States and Russia in the future." Xiyuanji Gongwang said with a wry smile.

"The British also think this way. Although the so-called Anglo-Japanese alliance has certain military significance, the British will try to avoid getting involved in this war. They are very cunning." Hirobumi Ito said.

It's not that the Japanese don't want Hawaii, but they really can't now! If it is purely a confrontation between the United States and Japan, then it is still possible for Japan to win against the United States, and then take advantage of the trend to bring Hawaii into its sphere of influence in a short period of time. After all, after this naval battle, the hatred between the United States and Japan can hardly be resolved. Now that they have become sworn enemies, what else is there to say?

But this time after Russia intervened, the situation was different. Two unconnected enemies are far easier to deal with than two connected enemies, and Japan's sharp-edged actions are clean and neat in a battle. The defeat of two powerful countries is also a threat to other powers, and other powers will unconsciously contain Japan.

As the master of Japan, the British are unwilling to undertake too many obligations for Japan on the one hand, and on the other hand they will not offend several powers for Japan. The Japanese even think that Britain may still want to appear as a mediator. So the British will not support Japan's actions, so if Japan shows a little interest in Hawaii, then the hostility of other powers towards Japan will increase.

Some people may say that if you are hostile, you should be hostile, as long as you don't do anything. But is it possible? The U.S. military is indeed relatively weak now, but the United States does not lack the courage to expand, otherwise it would not expand from the 13 states on the east coast to the Pacific coast! Not to mention that after the Napoleonic Wars, the British had two tricks. The failure of the Americans was temporary, and it was even just a small ups and downs for the United States to move towards hegemony. America will lose the courage to enter Asia.

It doesn't matter if the Americans lose this time, they will gain a lot of wisdom and just go back to violent soldiers, but what about Japan? The next few years are about to face the challenge of Russia! It is not clear whether it can resist the Russians and Japanese,

But what is certain is that even if Japan occupies Hawaii, once the Russo-Japanese War breaks out, it will be impossible to stop the US military's offensive on Hawaii, and the British will probably do nothing. If it is occupied, it cannot be defended, and a lot of resources are wasted, so tell me, what is the point?

So now the question is, since Japan cannot occupy Hawaii, nor can it completely block the United States' access to the Western Pacific, what should Japan do to prevent the United States from retaliating? Where is the outermost line of defense in Japan?

"We must at least control Samoa! In this way, even if the Americans occupy Hawaii, they will lack a transit base if they want to enter the Far East! Their fleet will have to sail thousands of nautical miles without port support to reach the Far East. Vast The ocean will be our best defense!" Ito Hirobumi had already thought about this problem, and he tapped Samoa heavily with his finger!

Compared with Hawaii, which is still nominally independent, Samoa is a disputed area between the United States, Britain and Germany. The three parties have not signed an agreement. In this case, occupying the area controlled by the Americans will not cause much impact. After all, the United States and Japan are now belligerent countries, and it is normal for one party to attack the other. And as a nail at the forefront of the United States in the Far East, only by controlling this place can the vast ocean become a truly insurmountable barrier for the Americans!

As I said earlier, the hatred between the United States and Japan is almost impossible to resolve. Japan must always be prepared to defend the US military from entering the Far East, especially when it is at war with Russia. How to avoid war with two countries at the same time is the most important issue for Japan. one!

So the best way to avoid this is naturally to make the cost of the war unbearable for the Americans. Samoa is different from Hawaii. The latter is close to the United States, but too far away from Japan, and Japan cannot control it at all. Samoa is relatively close to Japan, but very far away from the United States. The cost of attack by the Americans is much greater than the cost of defense by Japan. Therefore, no matter from a military or political point of view, occupying Samoa is the best choice for the Japanese! This will be the most important bolt to block the entry of the US military into the Far East!

"Then let the navy attack Samoa after finishing repairs? Will it cause an overreaction from the Germans?" Xiyuan Temple Gongwang asked.

"The Germans have no power in the Far East now, so we don't have to worry about it in a short period of time. In fact, I always have a feeling that the Germans really hope that we will fight Russia. No matter whether we win or lose, it will be beneficial to Germany. After all, the Russians and Russia The French are very close, and if the French allies are weakened, the situation in Germany will undoubtedly be much better." Ito Hirobumi sneered.

"So, the Germans who are weak and have small plans don't need to worry. As long as we don't attack the Germans, they will be neutral. Let the navy do it boldly!" Ito Hirobumi finally made a decision. The deepest attack line of the Japanese Navy in this war has been set!

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