The Rise of the Empire

"Is your government really willing to exchange German islands in the Pacific for Japan's strong support?" Churchill said looking at the French representative Juniper in front of him.

"It's like this. If the war can end soon, then we really don't need to win over Japan, but we must consider that if the war continues for a long time, the impact on France will be too great. If the war lasts for 2 years If the above is said, then there is no difference between victory and defeat for France. War is for profit, not for dying with the enemy." Juniper said.

"In a war of attrition, we have the advantage. We can concentrate the materials and soldiers of the entire world to fight against the Germans. If the war can last for more than a year, then the final winner must be us. Believe me, the Royal Navy's blockade capability is enough to defeat the Germans." Germans died of starvation," Churchill said.

"Materials and industry are not a problem. But what about population? The French Republic only has a population of 40 million. We can't exchange the future of the Republic for today's victory, right? General Joffre believes that future wars will definitely not be resolved by a large-scale battle. Yes, both sides have a sound mobilization system. If the opponent cannot be killed quickly in the early stage, the war will eventually evolve into a total war."

"Okay, let me be more clear. We need a large number of well-trained and cheap cannon fodder. France cannot provide it, and Britain cannot provide it. The colonies may be able to provide some people, but the number will not be large. And from now on Look, the only country that can export cannon fodder in large quantities is Japan! As long as we promise to give them some desert islands, some pounds and francs, they can send hundreds of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of personnel. Mr. President and the cabinet think this is very good What do you think?" said Juniper.

"That would allow the Japanese to do too much, and it would not be in line with the global interests of the British Empire. The Japanese and the Americans are mortal enemies. If we openly support Japan and establish close military ties, it will be equivalent to a complete break with the Americans. .The United States is a great country," Churchill said.

"The United States will not participate in a war in the short term. Just look at the pitiful number of Americans' army. They used to be the center of the world and live their lives quietly in a corner. We will not have a war with the Americans in the foreseeable future. , and when the four countries are closely united, Americans will also be afraid. And one thing I must explain is that in addition to the army, the Japanese navy also has a very important significance."

"We can put it another way, exchanging the German islands in the Pacific for absolute superiority in the Mediterranean. And your Excellency needs to note that whether the United Kingdom is willing or not, the Japanese will attack Germany's colonies in the Pacific. You will never order the navy Are we going to snatch these colonies from the Japanese? That’s the result, we are just going along with the flow,” said Juniper.

"What about Italy? If Italy can be on our side, the maritime superiority in the Mediterranean can be solved. We won't need the Japanese." Churchill thought for a while and said. As a person who puts the interests of the British Empire first, Churchill would find it difficult to tolerate an important maritime area in the world completely falling into the hands of a certain regional country.

"The Italians are too weak, and the price they ask is too high! We have contacted them, and they actually offered to use French territory in exchange for an alliance! Are you kidding me? A country that can't even solve Turkey's isolated overseas colonies actually still Want to gain territory from France? Who do they think they are?" Juniper sneered.

Historically, the French did exchange territory on the border for Italy's participation in the war.

But this plane? After witnessing Italy's poor performance, the French also expressed a lack of interest. In the French's view, once war breaks out, the supplies provided to Italy are really not as good as being used to "purchase" Japanese manpower! You know, Italy is a resource-scarce country. If there is a protracted war, it will require massive blood transfusions from Britain and France.

Of course, another problem that makes the French unhappy is that wooing Italy requires France to bleed, while wooing Japan will not make the French feel uncomfortable...

Shortly after Churchill and Juniper met again, despite some internal opposition, the British government finally decided to establish closer military cooperation with Japan. After British Prime Minister Herbert Henry Asquith submitted it to the government In his report, he put forward the following ideas.

"First, the British Empire should acquiesce to Japan's actions against Germany's colonies in the Far East after the war. Compared with the Americans, the Japanese are obviously a more suitable ally. Japan can give us support militarily, and Economically, there is no direct conflict between the UK and Japan. We are mainly in high-end industries, while Japan is mainly in raw materials and low-end products."

"Second, in return, the British Empire should convince Japan to take appropriate actions in future wars. The Japanese Navy should be responsible for the safety of maritime transportation from the Far East to the Indian Ocean, and send its main fleet into the Mediterranean and even the North Sea to cooperate with the British and French navies. . And the Japanese Army should also send a certain size of troops to participate in the battle on the Western Front in Europe. "

"Third, if the Japanese government accepts the Imperial Government's proposal, then the Imperial Government should provide Japan with economic and military assistance and support before going to war."

"Will signing such an agreement with the Japanese government lead to unpredictable changes in the situation in the Far East?" a member of Parliament said after the Prime Minister had just read out his document.

"No matter what we do, when the Japanese kill the Russian fleet, the Japanese navy has become a veritable overlord of the Far East. Even if the empire wins the war, the huge war consumption will take the empire a long time to recover. As long as Japan does not touch the British The interests of the empire in the Far East, then everything is not a problem, and judging from the current situation, we are the only ones Japan can rely on. The Russians have not completely withdrawn from the Far East, and the Americans are eyeing them. The Japanese dare not do anything harmful. A matter of interest to the British Empire," the Prime Minister explained.

Although there was a lot of resistance, under the influence of interests and pressure, the British finally decided to strengthen the cooperative relationship between Britain and Japan. Immediately, the British ambassador began to coordinate with Japan and proposed a series of cooperation plans including economic and military. The British even bluntly stated that during the war, the British government was willing to "purchase" the Japanese army at a price of 20 million pounds. Moreover, except for the navy, all Japanese army personnel do not need to carry any weapons to the UK, and all food, accommodation and equipment are provided by the UK.

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