Australian Storm 1876

   Chapter 1023 Friends (additional eighth bullet for the leader)

   Earl Li Jianyang met Churchill's doubtful eyes with a firm look, obviously what he wanted was London's real thoughts. rather than verbal perfunctory.

  We are all smart people, so there is no need to hide them.

   Although Li Jianyang served in the British army, his family has a lot of wealth, and he holds a British passport to work for the London government, but he is Chinese after all, not an Angkor-Saxon.

  Churchill also speculated about his identity and background, but he tacitly did not discuss it publicly, and the two sides maintained a certain tacit understanding.

   Now that he has asked, it may be that the influential people behind him need to know the answer.

Churchill, as the Minister of the Admiralty in the British cabinet second only to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, was the real core member of Prime Minister Herbert Asquith's cabinet, and knew very well the real thoughts of the top politicians. His answer was unquestionable. authoritative.

   hesitated for a while

   Churchill asked solemnly; "Li, will the Ocean Kingdom really join the Allied Group to deal with the Germans?"

   "The answer is yes, at a suitable time in the future."

   "How far in the future?"

   "It depends on when the Entente needs it most?"

   "I see, so are we still friends?"

   "Of course, just like I have been fighting for Great Britain, it is now, and it will not be shaken in the future. The Ocean Kingdom will always be Britain's best friend and one of the members of the Commonwealth of Nations. It is now, and it will not be shaken in the future."

   "Oh, that's great."

   It can be seen that Churchill breathed a long sigh of relief, and he organized the language and continued; "The national policy of the British Empire is to pursue only eternal interests, and no eternal friends.

   Actually, you can totally ignore what London thinks, because Ocean Kingdom is already strong enough to say "no".

   In the opinion of the high-level Londoners, they have always been vigilant and distanced from the Ocean Kingdom, but they can't help but see that their dependence on the Ocean Kingdom is getting deeper and deeper, which is not based on someone's will.

  Although I don't like it, I still want to be a friend.

  The Ocean Kingdom has extensive influence in the Pacific region, which is the basis for London to take realistic countermeasures, after all, this is far better than being an enemy.

  I think that the venerable emperor is the most outstanding monarch next to Queen Victoria in the past two hundred years. He is like a skilled dancer who always moves on the world stage with the right drum, which is impressive.

  Whenever we tried to deal with him, there was always someone who jumped out and grabbed his hind legs and stood in front of Britannia's gun.

  It used to be Tsarist Russia, but now it is Germany. Who else is there in the future?

Unknowingly, the Ocean Kingdom has grown so powerful that the UK has developed a strong dependence on him. Prime Minister Herbert Asquith and I, including some other influential political figures, have all seen it. at this point.

   raises problems, but no solutions.

As you can see, the biggest problem we face now is to solve the anti-world order alliance headed by Germany. Yesterday was the Marne and Gallipoli, today is Verdun, where the French allies have suffered a severe setback. Mu He made some moves.

   Everyone is very busy, like I said before.

   Whenever we want to do something, someone always jumps out to stand in front of the gun, now it's a German, who the **** knows who else?

  Man, if you're right, we won't have the energy to harass him for years after the end of this so-called world war.

As for the future, it is difficult to say. The British Empire will never tolerate any country that threatens its world hegemony. Not France, Germany, the United States, nor the Ocean Empire. This does not depend on the will of a person or group, but the country. Interest dictates.

   Maybe by that time, we are all retired and can still have a cup of afternoon tea together. "

   "I agree with you, Winston, that the Ocean Empire is the beneficiary and defender of the existing international order, and puts the interests of the United Kingdom first. This is what my friend wants to convey privately through me."

friend?

  Churchill chewed these two words carefully, and was soon relieved.

   With Li Jianyang's status, he is far from being qualified to speak for the dictatorial emperor. Maybe it is a high-level government. This is a more reasonable explanation.

   Now that everything has been said, the atmosphere of chatting invisibly has gone a step further, and they have become more cordial to each other.

"Lee, you know I've been in a bad financial position, my publishing house's manuscripts weren't delivered on time a while ago, and these **** **** dragged me with the manuscript fee, which was £5,200, heck. "Churchill said indignantly, with an expensive Cuban cigar in his mouth.

   If you don't hear what he said, you will think he is assigning tasks to Li Jianyang.

   Li Jianyang is also used to it. This guy already owes him £11,320.

   Once we attended a grand cocktail party in the upper class in London. When it was over, Churchill wanted to go out with the woman he had just talked to, and his pockets were cleaner than his face.

   It happened that Li Jianyang didn't bring any money that day. With only £20 on him, he shoved it all.

   "Will 3,000 pounds be okay?"

   "Great, man, I know you're a nice guy."

   "Don't talk about those useless, don't forget to pay back the manuscript fee, even if you pay back part of it first."

   "God, look at your face, I want to take back my high evaluation of you just now."

   "Okay Winston, don't forget to pay back the royalties."

   Li Jianyang is not used to this bad habit of him. It is said that Churchill is the highest-paid writer in the UK, with a manuscript fee of tens of thousands of pounds a year. This money can be saved for two years to build a Wembley Stadium, which shows how rich he is.

   But his money was always not enough, because Churchill's living habits did not put thrift on the line, and his noble wife was the same.

   Likes famous wine, cigars, likes the luxurious pomp and feast of the upper class, likes to seduce beautiful and distinguished noble women, like yachts and French beaches, each of these hobbies is very expensive.

   Among Churchill's friends, Li Jianyang was the one who lent him the most money, and he never urged him to pay it back. So...once the hands are tight.

   Hehehe, Li Jianyang is the first choice.

  Money is the lubricant for maintaining a good relationship between the two. The Marlborough family and the British royal family regularly get a lot of money from the South African farmers gold mine, and Churchill certainly has a share.

  The Li Jianyang family has an important influence in the well-known Somali group. It also has many business partners in the UK, trading franchise firms and shares in terminals and transportation companies, and is a very influential businessman.

   Maintaining a friendly relationship between the two sides is conducive to attracting more sponsors for themselves during the election. This is extremely important for every politician. What is the election without money?

   Across the narrow English Channel, the European continent is in flames at the moment, and after a few days of hard work, the battle of Verdun was extremely tragic, reaching a fever pitch.

  After the Battle of Verdun

   At 16:45 on the same day, the German infantry launched a ferocious attack and occupied the first defensive position that day, killing and injuring nearly 100,000 French defenders. The attack momentum was in full swing.

   In the next four days, the second and third defensive positions were successively captured, advancing 5 kilometers, and occupying the important support point of Fort Douaumont. When the infantry attacked, they used deep fighting formations to advance in waves in skirmish lines, putting strong pressure on the French.

   In the face of the dangerous situation, the French army command quickly appointed Pétain, the commander of the 2nd Army, as the front-line commander of Verdun, and mobilized all available troops, determined to fight the German army in the Verdun area.

   On the 26th, Peder ordered the recapture of Fort Douaumont.

  The French army rallied heavily and fought back in a big way. After four days of fierce fighting, they suffered heavy losses, but they did not change the situation where the enemy was stronger and we were weaker on the battlefield, nor did they recapture Fort Douaumont.

Since February 27, the French army has used the Baledik-Verdun road, the only road that maintains contact with the rear, to continuously transfer troops and materials to Verdun. Within a week, 3,900 trucks were organized to transport 190,000 personnel and materials. 25,000 tons. It was the first large-scale motor transport in the history of warfare.

  A large amount of cannon fodder was filled on the front line, and the fierce German attack, which was effectively suppressed, gradually stabilized the last line of defense in Verdun, and the two sides formed a new balance of power.

   At this time, Paris was shrouded in a tense war atmosphere. The large and small churches, public facilities and residential buildings in the city were full of wounded, and countless women were mobilized to take care of the wounded. The city is filled with the smell of blood and rancidity, and no longer has the elegance of the past.

  Thousands of trucks transport reinforcements to the front line every day, bringing back countless corpses and wounded. The wooden carriages of the trucks are soaked with blood and smell bad.

   This scene, day after day, breaks the hearts of the French.

   Sadness is shrouded in this former bustling metropolis, the French "Nantes" lamented;

  The war was so cruel, the blood in France was drying, we lost an entire generation of young people, we will also lose our future, and this cannot be allowed to continue.

   Those Sumatran people who have just arrived, without training or careful nutrition, were sent to the battlefield with a gun in their hands. What fate awaits them?

  The Battle of Verdun was like a bottomless pit that devoured life. It was worthy of the cruelty of the "meat blender". The huge casualties caused the French soldiers to be extremely afraid and refused to carry out the counterattack mission that was equivalent to death.

  The officer persecuted too much, which would lead to a large-scale mutiny.

  In desperation, the French could only send the indigenous soldiers and black soldiers who had just arrived to rush in front and undertake the most dangerous combat missions.

   (end of this chapter)