Chapter 1012: South and North

The British government panicked, and the Japanese government as the protagonist panicked even more. Different from the past, now is the moment of life and death.
No one would have thought that European countries were so innocent, pulling the sideways to the point where they ended up in person.
An understatement of "economic sanctions" can kill the Japanese Empire half-life.
If it is implemented in accordance with the contents of the note, the sphere of influence of the 18 European Union countries is their forbidden zone, then the Japanese government does not need to develop international trade, so it is better to close the country directly.
Just look at the world map and you will know that the sphere of influence of the European Union has covered most of the earth. With the hegemonic style of the powers of this era, cross-border law enforcement is also common.
In this context, Japanese merchant ships go to sea and oceans are completely unreturned.
At the same time, it has lost its international market and maritime transportation capabilities, and Japan is reduced to meat on the chopping board and can only be slaughtered.
This is still a civilized approach. If it goes too far, the European Union will directly send troops to destroy the Japanese navy, and another "black ship incident" is not impossible.
The consequences of rejection are serious, and the consequences of compromise are equally serious. Up to now, the Japanese government has tried its best to compromise. At this time, all previous efforts have been lost.
Whether it is heavy casualties or huge military expenditures, the Japanese government has been forced to a corner.
Taking a step back is no longer the sea and the sky, but the abyss. For this war, the Japanese people have been suffering from starvation for a long time, and suddenly received a bad news of failure. "Tenchu ​​National Thief" is a must.
The imperial meeting had already begun, but no one spoke first this time. There is no way, it happened too suddenly, and there was no time for everyone to prepare.
Forced by the emperor's murderous gaze, Ito Hirobumi bit his scalp and said, "Everyone must be prepared for this scene.
Since the launch of the Philippine War, we have discussed the issue of interference by foreign powers, but we did not expect this day to come so quickly, let alone that European countries could unite in action.
There is no way to hide. Now the worst situation has emerged, so we are ready to deal with the aftermath.
Don’t worry too much about it. At the moment an economic crisis is erupting in Europe, countries will not easily provoke a war, especially a war with no return. "
To comfort people, Ito Hirobumi can't make it up. The anticipated international interference was only that Spain brought in a few well-connected countries to intervene, and it never expected that the eighteen-nation joint interference would be brought out.
How can I play this?
I took the script of "Eighteen Lords Asking for Dong", the problem is that they are not Dong Zhuo, and they don't have a "Xiliang Iron Horse" with Megatron.
There is no need for the 18 countries to organize coalition forces from within, and the military forces of other people in Southeast Asia will be able to reach Tokyo in less than a month.
"Resistance" is a false proposition. Spain and the Southward Fleet alone are at odds with each other. If the Dutch and Shinra fleets are added, the Southward Fleet will definitely kneel down.
It is only a matter of time before the navy is over. The main force of the army that is still fighting hard in the Philippine Islands will be destroyed.
The army and the navy are gone, what can you resist?
"One hundred million pieces of jade", that was the crazy plan of World War II. Japan now has more than 40 million people across the country, and the government is known for its "rationality" in the "Meiji Era".
Originally Ito Bowen wanted to mention the British allies, but seeing the expressions of disdain from the crowd, he finally chose to swallow the words back.
Those who can enter here are all sensible people, and everyone knows the most about what the "Anglo-Japanese Alliance" is about.
In normal times, it doesn't matter if you are talking about tiger skins. At this terrible time, you can count on the British for help. It is better to worship Amaterasu and ask Shenfeng Tianxiang to help destroy the enemy.
Kiyotaka Kuroda: "It is precisely because of the eruption of an economic crisis in Europe that we are more dangerous. European powers have always liked to wage wars with the outside world to shift the economic crisis at home.
Especially in recent decades, after almost every economic crisis broke out, it is the climax of European countries' external expansion. Including the Ottoman Empire that once dominated the Mediterranean, all fell under the expansion of the crisis of Shenra's external transfer.
With such lessons learned, we have to guard against it now. If carelessness and carelessness cause the situation to get out of control, we will become sinners of the empire. "
As a rare rationalist in the Japanese government, Kuroda has always opposed military adventures. The practice of gambling on the national fortune is even more disgusting.
It's just that the arms can't squeeze the thighs, which can't stop the Chinese people's desire to expand. At present, the strategy of going south is frustrated. It seems to Kuroda that it is a good time to step on the brakes.
It is not ashamed to give in under the pressure of the European Union anyway. Changing a country will be much better than their performance.
"No way!"
"Now we cannot give in. The morale of the people has been stimulated. At this time, when we compromise with the European Union, there is no way to explain it to the people."
It's not that the mountain county has friends, but the Japanese government has been forced into an embarrassing situation. Neither the military nor the people can tolerate failure.
If you really choose to compromise, there may be a revolution in the country. Regardless of the raging economic crisis in continental Europe, the situation in Japan is actually more serious than in European countries.
Different from European countries, no matter how severe the economic crisis is, the government will find ways to distribute relief food even if it is poor. Although it is not good to eat, it can save your life.
The Japanese government will not do it anymore, the money is spent in the war, and the pockets have long been empty. Similarly, there is no money. European countries can credit grain from Shinra, but the Japanese government has no place to credit it.
In order to stabilize the situation, the Japanese government has suppressed many riots. Now Japan is just a gunpowder keg, supported by a single breath of energy, and if the qi dissipates, it will be fatal.
If the civilian is a gunpowder keg, the military is an explosive package. With the outbreak of the war, the radicals in the army have begun to emerge, and they have a great influence in the middle and lower ranks.
Once these people make trouble, their destructive power can be much greater than that of ordinary people in rebellion. As a general who has just returned from the front line, Yutomo Shanxian knows very well how fragile the current military is.
Glancing at Ito Hirobumi, he said slowly with the intention of meeting Nishionji's public expectations: "The key to the current problem is not whether we should back down, but whether we can resist the pressure of the European Union.
It is not only political and economic pressure, but also military pressure. If the European Union conducts armed intervention, will the military have the ability to keep the enemy out of the country?
It's about the survival of the empire, and I hope that the monarchs can answer rationally. Your judgment will directly affect whether the Empire of Japan can continue.
please! "
While speaking, Gongwang at Xiyuan Temple bowed to the military representative.
At this moment, the atmosphere in the room suddenly became tense. As the military representatives, Xixiang Congdao, Dashanyan, and Shanxian Youpeng felt the pressure instantly.
This is not the time for political struggles. Not only do one wrong step, but also the Japanese empire may be buried with him.
"The power gap between the two sides is too great. It is not because of the joint intervention of the European Union. Even if the Dutch South Sea Fleet and the Spanish Navy join forces, the Imperial Navy will not be able to fend off the enemy outside the country."
After that, Xixiang Congdao seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, and the whole person relaxed. Although this answer hurts my own morale, it is the most responsible answer to the Japanese Empire.
After the outbreak of the Philippine campaign, the Dutch government increased its military deployment in the South Pacific. Although there are not many warships added, and there are no 10,000-ton former dreadnoughts, it is enough to serve as the last straw to crush the balance.
"Is your navy all waste? You spend so much military expenditure every year, and now it's actually..."
Without waiting for Da Shan Yan to finish speaking, the naval commander Huashan Ziji directly said, "Master Da Shan needs to be responsible for speaking. How much is the annual military expenditure of the Navy?
Did you know that Spain is at war with us. In the past ten years, the average military expenditure of the navy was twice that of ours?
The annual naval expenditure of the empire is at best equal to Portugal, and even the Dutch cannot.
As for the real naval powers, not to mention Britain and the Holy Roman Empire. People can build two imperial navies with one year's naval budget.
With limited funds, a modern navy can be built, and it is comparable to the Spanish navy. The navy is worthy of the empire! "
The decides the head. Although Shiki Huashan was originally from the army, he has taken the position of chief of the naval commander, so he must protect the interests of the navy. It even needs to be more thorough to convince the people below.
In the case of ignoring the price level and strategic needs, and simply looking at the annual military expenditures, the Japanese navy can save money.
If the above factors are considered comprehensively, the Japanese Navy will have nothing to do with "saving money." The high cost of outsourcing warships is inevitable. The key is that the Japanese Navy fully learns from the Royal Navy. Many places have reached the point of being frantic.
Not only did tactics training and operating instructions imitate the British, but even the decoration of warships and soldiers' meals also copied the Royal Navy. There are no domestic imports, anyway, everything is in line with the Royal Navy.
Whether there is waste, no one knows the answer. After all, the navies of Europe and the United States all play like this, eating steak and drinking red wine are standard, far from the army's hardship.
In an era of severe lack of confidence and the worst of fawning on foreigners, it is naturally beyond reproach for the Navy to follow the British in an all-round way.
But these reasons can fool ordinary people, and the army that wants to fool the enemy is not enough. Don't think that the high-level army does not understand the navy. In fact, the time they spend studying the navy every day is not necessarily shorter than that of some high-level navy.
Da Shanyan sneered and said: "Don't talk about these useless things. The Imperial Navy only needs to stay in the harbor for training every day, and the navy will run all over the world.
Even the annual military expenditures are earned by the navy from outside. If you have the ability to earn back your own military expenses, I have no objection even if you spend more money. "
Nothing wrong, the navy expenses of the colonial empire were indeed earned by themselves. Whether it is plundering wealth from the colonies or maintaining overseas trade, these are closely related to the navy.
This is why a country with more colonies and more prosperous has a larger navy. Even if it was lost on the surface, it was because the money went into his pocket. If you have been losing money, because of the feces of European governments these years, it is estimated that you will stop playing.
For details, please refer to Alaska. The Russians threw this money-losing hot potato to Austria. Prior to the development of gold, there were endless calls for abandonment within the Vienna government.
It was only in recent years that the direction of the Vienna government changed. More and more people have realized the value of territory, and they have gone to the other extreme-planting a flag when they encounter a land of no owner.
Of course, this "extreme" has little effect. After all, just planting a flag on the way, not actually sending someone to occupy it. The Vienna government still has no shortage of money for a few chess pieces.
Huashan Ziji rolled his eyes, his disdain was beyond words. Even if Spain hasn't gotten it done, they have to go out to grab the colony. That is definitely a sign of brain flooding.
Seeing that the topic was off track, Emperor Meiji glared at Da Shanyan in dissatisfaction, and sternly reprimanded: "It's not the time to listen to your quarrel. The empire is at stake. Can't you save your mind?"
There is no doubt that Emperor Meiji was very dissatisfied with this change of subject by the army.
No, no, this is something that everyone knows. Is it so difficult to admit that you are not strong enough?
The answer is: very difficult, very difficult.
Unlike the navy, the army is not so rational. The navy can roughly know the strength gap between the two sides by looking at the warships. No matter how hard it is to face a strength gap of ten times, or even dozens of times, it is difficult to be hard-headed!
The most important thing is that the European Navy is close at hand. If they survive, they will come directly. Bragging is about to wear gang, you can't admit it or not.
The army is different. Smart people can tell at a glance that although the European Union is powerful, it is impossible to send hundreds of thousands of troops to attack Japan, and it will lose money.
Since you don't need to fight with the European Union, it doesn't matter if you close the door and brag. Of course, even if you fend off the enemy outside the country, you still don't have to fight well.
If the commander's brain convulsions and he really comes to attack Tokyo, he will be over. Based on the army's record in the Philippine Islands, it really cannot provide people with enough confidence.
If you can't brag, and you don't want to admit that your own strength is not enough to take responsibility, you can only find a way to fool it. It's better than telling the truth and being scolded by radicals as "traitors".
Everyone present knows that since the diplomatic note of the European Union is issued, the Japanese government has no choice.
It is impossible to have a hard shot. If it really angers the European Union, it is not impossible to turn Japan into a colony.
Although this will lose money, the eighteen countries share it together, and each family will not lose much.
It is even possible that not only the eighteen countries, but their good allies will follow suit to ensure that their position in the Far East is not shaken. Britain has done more of this kind of thing, and doesn't care about it more.
Seeing that the main responsibility for the forced concession was thrown on the Navy, Da Shanyan knew that he could no longer pretend to be confused. If they were not willing to bear any responsibility, they would become public enemies.
"Your Majesty, judging from the current situation, it is indeed not a wise move to confront the European Union. However, if we simply give up the Philippine Islands, we have no way to explain it to the people.
If you want a safe transition, the best way is to change a soft persimmon.
Internally, we can use our voice to strike north as an excuse to appease the people in China; externally, we have sold the European Union a face, and they are not good to continue to be aggressive.
The European Union's intervention in the Philippine War was essentially due to the unstable situation in the European continent, fearing that Spain's defeat would cause the domestic situation to get out of control.
There are no such risks going north, and even if we are turned upside down, it will have little impact on the situation in Europe.
At the price of giving up the Philippine Islands, even if we cannot get the support of other countries to go north, there is no problem in exchange for their neutrality. "