Chapter 1063: Dreadnought-Rome

In order not to be profitable, the Tsarist government did not want to provoke a war against Britain at this time. Not to mention Britain as the center of the storm.
It's okay to go to the land to fight a great power. When has Britain been so brave?
Even if it is really going to fight, it will be a bunch of cannon fodder allies and it is impossible to go it alone.
The Czarist government was afraid of the strength of Britain, and the London government was even more afraid of the strength of the bear. The most important thing is to go to war with the Russians. If you win, there is not much benefit. If you lose, you may lose to India.
Having personally learned about the power of the Afghan guerrillas, the British government no longer remembers the Afghan region.
It's a pity that these guys are also bullying and fearing hardships, and when they dealt with the British and Indian colonial forces, they were one of the two. When they met the unreasonable bears, the Afghan guerrillas did not have an amazing record.
This is not surprising. Although Afghanistan’s people are tough, the local resources are poor, land suitable for agricultural production is limited, and the population that can feed is limited.
Because of the war, the local population was even smaller. The Tsarist government has deployed more than 200,000 Russian troops in Afghanistan, and the local military-civilian ratio has reached 1:10.
A Russian soldier looked at ten Afghan people, even if he wanted to make trouble, he couldn't make trouble! After all, the combat effectiveness of gray animals is still much stronger than the Indian colonial army.
If the British troops stationed in Afghanistan were the main force instead of the Anglo-Indian army, they would not be bullied so badly by the guerrillas.
After all, the international public opinion these years only focuses on Europe, and all countries are tacitly pretending not to see what happens in overseas colonies.
Of course, this is just thinking about it. The total strength of the British Army is less than 200,000. How can it send more than 200,000 to station in Afghanistan?
Although the army is a bit cheaper than the navy, it still cannot change the fact that the army is a gold swallowing beast.
With the exception of the Russians, in peace times, even the large European army powers had no more than five to six hundred thousand standing troops.
Sending more than 200,000 troops to station in a region at a time, even the Vienna government will feel pressure, let alone the British government.
Precisely because it was unable to do so, after the European situation changed drastically, the British government would abandon most of Afghanistan, which was cumbersome, and temporarily compromise with the Russians.
If there were no such problems, the British government would bite the bullet and hold on. With Britain’s financial resources and India’s manpower, the Russians must be the first to be dragged down.
War is the continuation of politics, and politics is the continuation of interests. Both the British and Russian governments believe that the outbreak of war is not in their own interests, and the war will naturally not be fought.
Instigating divorce can only worsen the relationship between Britain and Russia, and cannot really influence the decision-making of the two governments. Even though the influence of Shinra in the tsarist government is very large, it is not enough to make decisions for them.
...
The first wave of international strategic plans that he personally organized and implemented went bankrupt. Apart from being slightly disappointed, Frederick was not depressed.
Provoking the Anglo-Russian War was originally a small probability event.
Even as early as nine years ago, the Vienna government began to make preparations to help the Russians build the Central Asia Railway, which only worsened the relationship between Britain and Russia and slightly increased the success rate.
Even in order not to expose his intentions too clearly, after the main line was opened to traffic, the technicians of the Austrian Railway Company were evacuated immediately.
However, this is still useless. It is a conspiracy in itself, and no amount of concealment can change the fact that the Vienna government wants to provoke the Anglo-Russian War.
In this context, failure is normal. Right now is just the beginning, at best it can be regarded as a temptation.
The fact that the Anglo-Russian War does not break out now does not mean that it will not break out in the future. The seeds of war have been planted, and now they are waiting to take root and sprout.
...
In July, through the blue sky, the sun illuminates the earth like a big fireball, evaporating the clouds, and the sky is exceptionally high.
The port of Trieste under the scorching sun is especially lively today. The guards from where they came from have surrounded the dock.
None of this affects the local people's heart to watch the excitement, as if it is commonplace, but stunned the first time merchants.
Looking at the increasing number of soldiers on the street, Du Chengen, who was afraid of trouble, led people to answer the hotel decisively, for fear of causing a terrible disaster.
There is no way, the international environment these years is quite unfriendly to Chinese businessmen, and we have to be cautious.
There is no country behind it, and it has caught up with the most serious era of racial discrimination. To engage in overseas trade is to risk your life.
The emergence of Lanfang Autonomous Province only slightly changed this situation, and did not really reverse the situation.
There is no way, the rights are always obtained by oneself. As a country under the rule of law, since it has accepted Lanfang Autonomous Province, it is natural to recognize Lanfang's household registration.
But this recognition is limited to the recognition of the Holy Roman Empire itself. Internationally, the recognition is still not high.
In other words, even if it is recognized, it is difficult to get the tiger skin of the Holy Roman Empire. In the final analysis, the Chinese businessmen have encountered problems, and the first choice is to calm people.
On the one hand, it is inconvenient to transmit information these days, and it is very difficult to prove their nationality; on the other hand, they have been oppressed for many years, making Chinese businessmen not want to deal with government officials.
When something went wrong, I didn't seek help from the embassy in the first place. Instead, I found a way to solve it myself. Naturally, the jackal cannot be deterred.
In this context, more and more Chinese businessmen engaged in overseas trade choose to do internal trade of the Holy Roman Empire or do business with Asian countries.
Anyway, the internal market of the Holy Roman Empire is large enough, and everyone is familiar with the Asian region.
Du Chengen is one of them. Originally, he was only active in Southeast Asia and East Asia, transporting tea directly to Europe. This was the first time.
Despite opening up new trade lines, Du Chengen's nature of being cautious has not changed. I would rather earn a little less than trouble myself.
After the goods were delivered to the port of Trieste, they directly traded with local tea merchants, and did not intend to penetrate the European market.
Seeing the increase in the number of soldiers outside, Du Chengen, who was cautious, naturally did not want to stay.
"My boss, there are so many people watching the excitement outside, why are you leaving in such a hurry?"
Glancing at the young sailor, Du Chengen reprimanded: "Afu, how many times have I told you that the most taboo thing about going out is curiosity.
With so many soldiers on the street now, who knows what will happen next. If you get involved and you get shot and collapsed, your kid will not have time to cry. "
After hearing Du Chengen's words, the guide on the side became unhappy, and the country he co-authored was described as a land of chaos.
However, for the employer's sake, Laukol restrained his emotions and reminded slightly: "Du, you are too worried.
This is the Holy Roman Empire. As a country under the rule of law, our army will not shoot civilians casually.
Unless you attack the military blockade or approach with weapons, you will be warned to leave at best.
It doesn't matter just to watch the excitement. If I am not mistaken, a large warship was launched today to close the port.
This is also a major feature of Trieste. If you want to see it, I can take you to the observation deck and bring a telescope to see the warship launching. "
As one of the shipbuilding centers of the Holy Roman Empire, Trieste has warships launched almost every once in a while, but not every time the dock is closed.
Generally speaking, such a big movement can only happen when a large warship is launched and there are important figures in the country.
Of the details, the face-saving Laukel would naturally not talk about it. Right now he wants to take the employers over and pretend to be forced.
Realizing his failure to say something, the old spicy Du Chengen immediately remedied: "Sorry, Mr. Laukol. But we are really tired today, and now we just want to go back and rest.
Today’s work is over. You can move freely during the rest of the day, as long as you come over before 9:30 tomorrow.
If possible, it is best to take a few photos of the launch of the warship, so that we can follow along. "
Hearing today's "end of work", Laukol's dissatisfaction was wiped out, and he immediately promised: "Don't worry, I am the most familiar with Trieste, and I can definitely take the best photos."
After speaking, Laukol disappeared without waiting for Du Chengen and others to say goodbye. Obviously, watching the excitement is far more fun than work.
Back at the hotel, Du Chengen and others happened to run into the boss who was going out with a camera-James.
The old man enthusiastically invited: "Du, you are back at the right time. Do you know that today there is a super battleship to be launched, it is said to be an epoch-making warship.
I have to admit that you are lucky to have caught up with this historical moment. Follow me now and witness history in the past! "
If an average person is likely to be fooled. But Du Chengen knew that this innkeeper who was similar to Grande was only so enthusiastic when facing Aegis.
Immediately refused: "Sorry, Mr. James. We have been busy all morning and now we are very tired. We have no honor to witness history with you."
Rejected, James did not continue to entangle, but sighed: "That's really a shame. With only 5 Aegis, we can buy a good position and witness a scene in history."
After listening to James' sigh, Du Chengen finally understood why the previous guide and the innkeeper in front of him had invited him.
Don’t look at James’ light-hearted words, only
5 Aegis
is needed. In fact, this figure is already a month’s income for the bottom workers.
Even if it is for international trade, Du Chengen ran a boat, and after deducting all the costs, the profit obtained would hardly exceed 1,000 Aegis.
There is no way, with the development of the times, the era of huge profits in marine trade is slowly disappearing. In particular, the emergence of large cargo ships has greatly squeezed industry profits.
Du Chengen gave up the familiar Asian route and ventured to do trade in Europe. In fact, he was forced out by cruel market competition.
In Trieste this time, in addition to doing trade, Du Chengen's more important purpose is to purchase a 10,000-ton cargo ship.
As a businessman, Du Chengen never lacked foresight. With the continuous development of the economy, the demand for cargo capacity in maritime trade is also increasing.
However, this demand is for large freighters with large volumes and low unit operating costs, rather than the small and medium-sized commercial ships that are about to be eliminated by the times.
If you don't want to be crowded out by your peers, you can only keep up with the trend of the times and purchase more advanced merchant ships in order to occupy a favorable position in the market competition.
As for witnessing history, let others do it, and he should not join in the fun.
Deep down, Du Chengen was actually a little surprised. He never dreamed that the Holy Roman Empire actually launched a warship into a business.
It can only be said that there are always more solutions than difficulties. Although it is the world's largest economy, the budget of the Shinra Navy is still insufficient.
In order to raise military expenses, the Admiralty also took great pains. Selling viewing tickets is just one of them.
A position of 5 Aegis, if you sell 10,000 positions, that is 50,000 Aegis. Over time, even for the Navy, it is not a small number.
There are too many guarantees, the annual ticket income, it is not a big problem to build another warship.
As for the issue of confidentiality, if the telescope is a few miles away, people can discover the secrets contained in the warship, and the Shinra Navy need not be confused.
...
With the bursts of salutes, Franz, who rarely appeared in public, appeared on the slipway.
After all, the world's first dreadnought ship was launched. For any military enthusiast, it is no small temptation, and Franz is no exception.
How can the history created by oneself be absent?
What's more, how can we put enough pressure on the British without increasing the momentum?
The emperor's visit to the scene in person was a political expression in itself. A discerning person knows at a glance that in the days to come, the Vienna government will vigorously develop the navy.
Secretary of the Navy Castagni: "Your Majesty, everything is ready. Do you want to start?"
Franz smiled slightly and said, "Go and host, I won't go up."
Witnessing history belongs to witnessing history, and getting on the boat to experience the launching ceremony in person is still too harsh for an emperor who is seasick.
Even if you want to satisfy your curiosity, you can also wait for the supporting facilities to be completed before going up and experiencing it.
Hearing that the emperor was not on board, Castagni breathed a sigh of relief. Riding on a warship that has just completed the main construction and has no interior decoration is not a comfortable experience.
If the Emperor Mai goes up to do something, it will be over. No matter how healthy Franz is, he is almost 70 years old.
In this age when a cold can kill people, no one dared to let the emperor experience the shock of the launch of a warship.
With the emperor's order, the launching ceremony began. As the valve was opened, the sea continued to pour into the dock and hit the hull, making choppy noises.
The hearts of all the staff were raised, for fear of an accident in the hull at the last moment, it would be an international joke.
It seems that Franz the Great, who knows nothing, asked with great interest: "Frederick, what do you decide to call this warship?"
For the name of the first dreadnought, the Vienna government is also arguing. At first the plan that everyone made was named after the emperor, but it was decisively rejected by Franz.
There is no other reason, just worrying that one day the warship will be sunk in a naval battle. As the saying goes, the older you are, the more afraid you are of death, and Franz is no exception.
Except for this popular name, the remaining list of candidates is very diverse, and there are no fewer than fifty to submit to Franz.
If you choose too much, you will inevitably get dazzled. At this moment, Franz is also facing a difficulty in choosing, not knowing which one is the most suitable.
No matter how towed, the warship is now launching. Today, a name must be chosen and announced to the outside world.
Franz was named abolished, and Frederick was not much better, so he blurted out directly: "How about the Holy Roman Empire?"
Hearing this result, Franz rolled his eyes and said: "Just named after the empire, it would be better to call it the Roman number! At least shorter, so that everyone can call it everyday."
"Short" and "convenient address" have also become the final criteria for naming, rather than considering the political significance. It is estimated that no one can believe it.
But since the emperor spoke, everyone didn't bother to object. "Rome" is actually not bad, although it is not from a political point of view, but the outside world does not know!
As long as the propaganda department interprets it a little deeper, it will be able to make up a lot of reasons and meanings, and it will certainly not fall into conventional wisdom.
...