Vol 5 Chapter 65: , On the importance of face

Genius remembers this site address in one second: (Vertex Chinese), the fastest update! No ads!? Austro-Hungarian Empire
Since the outbreak of the World War, the internal conflicts in the Austro-Hungarian Empire have been aroused. Hungarians who wanted independence were strongly suppressed by the Vienna government.
However, this suppression did not dispel the idea of ​​independence for the Hungarians, but strengthened their determination to be independent.
However, Hungary is no longer the Hungary it used to be. A large number of ethnic minorities have been separated from the Kingdom of Hungary and have become directly under the jurisdiction of the central government.
The Vienna government freed these minorities from the oppression of the Kingdom of Hungary. These people immediately became loyal supporters of the central government, and they also hated the Hungarians extremely.
With the help of these minorities, the situation in the Austro-Hungarian Empire has stabilized. Even if the Hungarians want independence, their current strength is not enough!
Since Britain and France hoped to support the Austro-Hungarian Empire to contain Bulgaria, no one from outside has supported their independence. The independence goal of the Hungarians now seems to be farther and farther away!
It's not that they have never thought about fighting for Bulgaria's support and then gaining independence. Unfortunately, the Hungarians made a mistake in their wishful thinking. Ferdinand did not want to break the peace and stability of Southern Europe, so he refused to support their independence!
As for whether the Austro-Hungarian Empire will grow bigger? Anyone who has known about the Austro-Hungarian Empire knows that they cannot truly become strong until the ethnic problem is resolved!
The national problem of the Austro-Hungarian Empire is not that there is no way to solve it, but that the Vienna government cannot make up this determination, otherwise the problem will not be delayed until now!
It can be said that as long as the Kingdom of Hungary is settled, half of the ethnic problems in the Austro-Hungarian Empire will be solved, and the remaining half will be solved.
On the surface now, the Austro-Hungarian Empire has solved most of its ethnic problems.
Except for the restless Hungarians, other ethnic groups have united around the Vienna government under the leadership of the Habsburg family.
As a bystander, Ferdinand knows that these ethnic minorities now separated from the Kingdom of Hungary are grateful to the Habsburg family for giving them a better life, and they will naturally support the Vienna government.
What about the future? People's hearts will always change. Once certain policies of the Vienna government harm their interests, or they are provoked by careerists, it is not impossible to move towards independence!
No sense of national identity is the root of national independence!
This is also the reason why the 13 states of North America will have a war of independence, while Canada, New Zealand, and Australia have never been independent!
The thirteen North American states are a mixed place with many ethnic groups. The proportion of British immigrants is too small and they have become local ethnic minorities. Among these British immigrants, Irish people who hate the British government account for the majority.
So when the British wanted to collect stamp duty here, they became independent. In fact, their taxes are lower than those in the UK!
But Canada, New Zealand, and Australia are different. British immigrants have always been dominant.
Even in the 21st century, under the joint action of the United States and the Soviet Union, they parted ways with the United Kingdom, and people believed that the Queen of England was their supreme leader!
This is the sense of cultural identity. In the first dozen or two decades of the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in history, many people still supported the Habsburg family after these nations established their own country.
But after World War II, with the death of the older generation, this sense of identity no longer exists!
An Austro-Hungarian Empire that was destined not to be a threat, Ferdinand naturally did not bother to suppress it. No matter how Britain and France supported it, their national power could not be transformed into combat effectiveness.
I believe that any general who is told that there are more than a dozen languages ​​in his army will probably have a numb scalp. If you want all units to collaborate, let the officers learn foreign languages ​​first!
This kind of army, once the establishment is broken up, is really broken up. The language doesn't know how to reorganize it. It's just a dream!
Due to the world war, the young and strong labor force of the Austro-Hungarian Empire suffered heavy losses, and the domestic economy did not recover quickly.
In addition, there is also a Russian civil war nearby, and they can export some industrial products. Therefore, they have escaped the Great Depression in Europe.
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France
One of the winners in the First World War and one of the losers in the First World War!
It defeated Russia, its biggest enemy, expanded its own land area, obtained precious mineral resources, and obtained the largest share of enemies, becoming the hegemon of the European Midwestern Continent.
On the surface, they are a big winner, but in fact only their own people know their own suffering!
The population loss in the war is forgotten. This is not fatal. The key is that the most tragic battles in the world war were fought in their homes, and the results can be imagined.
Of course, if the French are a country dominated by the real economy, then this is not a problem, and it will recover soon.
Obviously, this is impossible. For the famous usury empire, domestic industries cannot compete with the virtual economy.
In the face of interests, who wants to honestly engage in business?
Everyone knows that the profit of ten years of business is not as high as the profit of one year of mixing in the stock market. Capital is profit-seeking!
There are fewer people investing in industries in society, so the number of new jobs in the society will naturally decrease, and of course the number of unemployed will increase.
The unemployed population in France has exceeded 5.6 million, and the unemployment rate has exceeded 21%. This is in sharp contrast to Bulgaria, where the unemployed has been less than one thousandth for a long time!
(Unemployment rate = unemployed persons / labor force population of working age)
With such a high unemployment rate, the French economy will naturally not get better!
The political struggle within France is also the fiercest among the European countries. The politicians are your side and I will appear on the stage!
What about the British Empire?
The biggest winner after the World War, the biggest winner of the American War! They are simply standing at the pinnacle of their lives, but their domestic economy is sluggish!
Although there is no French unemployment rate as high as 21%, but the distance is fast. After the end of the world war, the British Empire increased by 1.1 million people every year.
Want to ask the reason? Similar to the French, capitalists are keen to invest in the virtual economy and are not active in industrial investment.
Now that the three kings of North America have been added, new competitors have also appeared in their colonial market. The capitalists are surprised to find that reselling cheap German goods is more profitable than their own products.
This consequence is very terrible. Driven by interests, the British Empire's investment in industry in recent years has not increased, but has continued to decrease.
As of 1921, the total amount of new investment in local industries for the whole year had dropped to 12 million pounds, which was inversely proportional to Bulgaria's annual increase in investment!
It is important to know that the equipment of enterprises also needs to be updated. As far as the new investment scale of the British are concerned, it is estimated that not to mention the expansion of the industry, and their local industrial scale will not shrink!
Of course, from the perspective of capitalists, their approach is not wrong. Now that the overall market in the capitalist world is shrinking, tightening investment at this time is the best way to avoid risks.
Anyway, because of the decline in the purchasing power of the people, the processing and manufacturing industries are also facing overcapacity. They took the opportunity to reduce surrender, and there is nothing wrong with reducing production capacity!
As to whether this will cause an increase in the unemployed population and a further shrinking of the market, it will once again be fed back into the vicious circle of overcapacity in the manufacturing industry.
This is the prelude to the London Conference. With the economic depression of the European continent, all countries hope to reduce military expenditures through disarmament, and then invest the money at home.
Among them, Britain and France have the most urgent mood. The total tonnage of the Royal Navy has reached the peak in history. There are thousands of warships large and small, and the total tonnage is approaching three million.
As a price, the navy expenditure of the British Empire has always been high. Even in peaceful times, to maintain this large navy, the navy expenditure accounts for 38% of their fiscal revenue!
If the army and the air force are added together, military expenditures have already accounted for 43.7% of fiscal revenue, which is even higher than that of the arms race with the Germans before the World War!
If there is an enemy, it would be nothing for them to maintain this large navy, but now looking around the world, there is no navy with a gross tonnage exceeding one million tons!
Even the total tonnage of the Royal Navy>Bulgaria + France + Japan + Russia + Austro-Hungary!
Is it really necessary to maintain such a large fleet? This is the top five standards!
Now that the navies of all countries in the world are all united together, their combat effectiveness may not be able to beat the Royal Navy!
After discovering that there were no strong enemies, the satisfied members of Congress decided to reduce military expenditures. The first cut was the navy, which had the highest military expenditure.
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London Conference
"We recommend that the Royal Navy of the British Empire retain 1 million tons of naval tonnage, as the base 10, and the ratio of the total naval tonnage obtained by each country is: France 2.8, Bulgaria 2.7, Japan 1.8, Russian Empire 1.8, Austria-Hungary Empire 1.3, Spain 1.2, Netherlands 1.1. Portugal 1..." Gray said solemnly
With the exception of Japan being suppressed, the proportions given by the British are still in line with everyone's actual situation, so everyone does not have much opinion.
It's just that the total tonnage of the navy is about to double that of the Washington Conference in history. This also means that the British now have stronger financial resources and can afford more military expenditures.
Seeing no one came out to object, Uchida Yasuya had to bite the bullet and jumped out and said:
"No, I object! This ratio is too low. The Great Japanese Empire must take at least 5 shares, otherwise we cannot accept it!"
"Mr. Uchida Yasuya, this navy ratio is the most scientific figure calculated by everyone after combining various factors!
With your country’s fiscal revenue, it is already very difficult to support a naval fleet with a total tonnage of up to 180,000 tons. Why do you have to fight for one that exceeds your own standards? "Gray said earnestly
This is just a superficial meaning, in essence, it is implying that Uchida Yasuya, Japan's comprehensive national power is like this, there is no strength to fight for it!
Didn't you watch the French and Bulgarians, drinking coffee leisurely? None of them jumped out to fight, why are you worried?
Of course, even if Ferdinand wants to fight, he will not fight with the British now, at least after the disarmament is completed, he will jump out to engage in an arms race!
Now the British naval advantage is too obvious. Although everyone's tonnage ratio has not changed much after the disarmament, the tonnage gap between the two sides has narrowed!
The gap between more than two million tons has been reduced to several hundred thousand tons. How can it be seen that the latter will be easier to catch up?
As for the signed treaties, they have always bound the weak. For the strong, it is a treaty when needed, and a piece of waste paper when not needed, just tear it up!
"I'm sorry, Mr. Gray, I just lost my mind, but 180,000 tons is too small. Our bottom line is 400,000 tons. The country will not approve any lower than this number!" Uchida Yasuya said politely
Gray also fell into thinking, seeming to hesitate to agree to the Japanese request. After all, even if the total tonnage of the Japanese navy is maintained at 400,000 tons, it will not threaten the British Empire's sea power hegemony!
"If Japan obtains 400,000 tons of naval tonnage, then we will also ask for an increase in the ratio. After all, the size of the navy must match our international status!" Medev broke the silence with a smile.
"The French Republic also needs a navy that matches our international status!" The French representative said readily.
He doesn't care how large the Japanese navy is, but let the Japanese navy surpass the French navy. Gallic chicken can't afford to lose that person now. After Metev made this request, he immediately followed!
France today is not even better than France in history.
Financially, there is no such embarrassment. The American debts are gone, the Germans are still paying indemnities, and their arrogant heads have not yet come down.
The second junior is not exclusive to Japan. If the total tonnage of the Japanese and Bulgarian navies is allowed to climb on their heads, it is estimated that the patriotic youths in China will have to demonstrate again, and the opposition parties will not let it go. Opportunity to combat the prestige of the government!
Gray has already reacted. It is impossible for both France and France to tolerate the size of the Japanese navy surpassing them. Perhaps this is purely a consideration of face, but at this time, face cannot be lost at all!
This is also a manifestation of international status. Ferdinand does not care about the size of the navy. Bulgaria can tolerate that the navy is inferior to the British. They are world hegemons and acceptable to domestic citizens.
It can also be tolerated that the size of the navy is not comparable to the French. The French are a veteran empire, and for a long time they have been the second naval empire in the world.
If there is no Naval Armament Treaty~EbookFREE.me~ Bulgaria's naval tonnage is not as good as the Japanese navy. It can also be said that Bulgaria is a land power country, and there is no need to compare it with the navy.
But now we are going to sign a naval arms treaty. If the tonnage obtained is not as good as that of Japan, it will be a big trouble, which will undermine the self-confidence of the people!
I am afraid that many people will question the government. Is Bulgaria’s international status even worse than Japan?
The French are naturally the same. Even if they lose to the British, if the second largest navy cannot be maintained, how can the government explain to the people?
"Mr. Uchida Yasuya, you should understand that the navy must match the national power. If your country increases the naval tonnage, everyone will follow suit. In the end, the meaning of the arms treaty will be lost?" Gray persuaded
Japan must make concessions. This is his attitude, otherwise the two countries will increase the tonnage of the navy, and the advantage of the British Empire will be weakened!
Uchida Yasuya was shocked, and this situation will happen again!
The Bulgarians and French did not come out to fight for naval tonnage before, but they did not expect to jump out for the sake of face!
Doesn’t it mean that European countries don’t value face but only pay attention to interests? Why are they two land-powered nations jumping out now? Isn't this cheating?
"I'm sorry, Mr. Gray, this is beyond my jurisdiction. I have to ask the country for instructions!" Uchida said helplessly.
"There is also a telegram here, you can use it directly, hurry up, everyone is waiting for you!" Gray said impatiently
The crowd cast contemptuous glances at Uchida Yasuya, a plenipotentiary representative who exceeded his authority one after another and asked the country for instructions. Isn't this embarrassing to the diplomatic community?
Take a look at the representatives of so many countries participating in the conference. Which one has not obtained the highest authorization, and has to keep asking the country for instructions?
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