Holy Roman Empire

It is said that the enemy also has a car covered with steel plates, which is very powerful and invincible in field battles.Our main force was defeated by them, and it was the failure of the last battle that led to the collapse of the situation.

Now we have no way to deal with these iron lumps, and there is almost no hope of restoring the logistics supply line in a short time.

Moreover, the strategic materials we have hoarded in Egypt are limited. Even if we break through the enemy's blockade, the headquarters will not be able to provide materials to support us.

Since the Aswan region is doomed to be undefended, there is no need for us to make unnecessary sacrifices.France has already sacrificed over 20 people to defend Egypt, and there is no need to continue now.

The key to determining the outcome of this war lies in Europe, not Aswan.Even if we lose this place, as long as the European war is won, what is lost now will return to us in the future. "

"Your Excellency, you are changing the concept secretly. The Aswan region does not affect the outcome of this war, but the ownership of the Egyptian region affects the balance of victory.

Once the Aswan region fell, the enemy would be able to blow up the dam, flood the downstream delta region, and destroy the social order in Egypt.

At that time, the homeless Egyptians will rebel and deal a fatal blow to our rule, which will lead to the fall of the entire Egyptian region.

For the sake of France, we must persevere, even if we persevere for one more day, it will be of great help to the domestic battlefield. "

There is no shortage of passionate men in any country, and France is no exception.Major General Antoine had no way to refute the lack of strategic materials.Now that he directly said surrender, he couldn't help it.

You must know that surrender is also contagious. The French army in Aswan wanted to surrender, but it was actually influenced by friendly forces.

The first ones to surrender were the Italian divisions who came to reinforce them. Originally, the Paris government sent them here to cut off their connection with the Italian independent organization and reduce security risks.

After all, the relationship between Italians and Austria is not good. Under the deliberate propaganda of the French government, many Italians hate Austria.

However, none of this can stop their determination to surrender.After being severely beaten by the Austrian army, these guys decisively chose Congxin.

That's not bad by comparison.If the European continent was left behind, the Paris government would not dare to use such a pure Italian division.

Once it gets mixed up with an independent organization, it is not a question of surrender, but a direct mutiny is possible.

So far in the war, three pure Italian divisions have defected on the battlefield and almost collapsed the southern front that the French worked so hard for.

Fortunately, there are not many such pure Italian divisions, and they are all historical relics of France's annexation of the Italian state. Over the years, they have been gradually abolished by the French government.

Taking advantage of the opportunity of this war, the Paris government directly seized the military and political power of several Italian states. The original governments of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies, Tuscany and other states have become rubber stamps.

If France wins this war, these Italian states may completely become history, and they will not even have the opportunity to make rubber stamps.

The internal troubles were resolved, but the French army in Egypt was miserable.They came here with the head of the main force, but they had a record that was not even as good as that of the colonial troops.

In the previous battle, the French army was defeated so quickly. In addition to the powerful armored troops, these laggards also contributed a lot.

Although fighting is not good, running is No.1.

If someone conducts statistics, it will be found that in the previous battles, the Italian division was not only defeated the fastest, but also had the lowest casualty rate.

After the war, they were scattered and stationed in various places. These guys also did not give up and continued to play the role of cheating goods.Not only did he surrender himself, but in order to sell at a good price, he often mobilized his teammates to surrender together.

As for the hatred with Austria, is it important to have national independence, or is it important to have Aegis?

Seeing someone come out to sing the opposite tune, everyone's faces darkened.Everyone wants to be a hero, no one wants to be a coward, but the price of being a hero is too heavy.

Seeing the change in the situation on the field, the coach, Lieutenant General Armand, tried to persuade him: "Major General Antoine, please calm down first. No one wants to see the fall of Egypt, but we really can't fight anymore.

Maybe you don't want to believe it, but it's true.Including the telegrams we communicated with the outside world, they were all intentionally left by the enemy.

So far, two-thirds of the cities in Egypt have fallen into the hands of the enemy. More than 20 French troops put down their weapons and surrendered. The remaining cities that are still resisting, including Cairo, are crumbling.

The enemy has already grasped the initiative on the battlefield. There is no need for them to blow up the dam. The strategic value of the Aswan area has disappeared.

If it wasn't for the Nile, the enemy wouldn't even need to take the Aswan area.

For this war, France has paid too much.If the country is included, the death toll may have exceeded 100 million.

This is nearly [-]% of our total population, but the end of the war is still far away, and no one knows the final number of casualties.

Since the Aswan area is doomed to be lost, as the commander, it is obligatory to bring the boys back safely.We can't beat up this generation for the sake of a moment. "

The previous ones are all excuses, but the last sentence is Lieutenant General Armand's sincere words.

The French Empire seems to have a population of 6000 million, but the Italians are at odds with them, and the real population is only about 700 million in the headquarters.

After the outbreak of the war, although the Italians were also recruited into the army, the main force of the recruiting was still the French, and the most casualties on the battlefield were also the French.

People hate less when they use it.Now that the war has progressed, the French government has clearly felt the shortage of manpower, and the elites have also realized the importance of population.

But all of this is too late, the population cannot increase in a day or two.Even if humans are created right away, it will take 20 years before they can be used.

Facing the cruel reality, Major General Antoine fell into a fierce inner struggle. After a while, he said fiercely: "Since this is the case, let's blow up the Aswan Dam first and then surrender. Anyway, the Egyptian region cannot be kept. Simply leave a mess to the enemy."

As soon as the words fell to the ground, Lieutenant General Armand hurriedly retorted: "No! There are still our troops downstream. If the dam is suddenly blown up, our army will inevitably suffer heavy losses.

Every soldier is a hero of France. They can die on the battlefield, but they must not die at the hands of our own people. "

There is no doubt that this is just an excuse.The telegram has not been cut off, and the defenders in the Aswan area still have contact with the outside world, so it is enough to report the news in advance.

It's just that in this way, the defenders downstream can surrender in a reasonable manner, and all the responsibility for losing the city and land will fall on them.

As the coach, Lieutenant General Armand is naturally the first responsible person.After the war, not only will you be held accountable by a military court, but you will be shot directly.

Not only the coach is finished, but everyone present is also finished, and no one can escape.Patriotism is patriotism, and it is not sensitive to everyone to pay for the name of the former and the latter.

Chapter 196

Once Pandora's box is opened, it can never be closed again.The controversy at the French Army Command in Aswan was just one of the episodes, and similar things are still happening in Egypt.

How to surrender in a reasonable and reasonable manner has become the focus of controversy.This is not because the French generals are cowardly, let alone that they are not patriotic.

High-level military officers know the importance of the Egyptian region, but it does not mean that lower-level officers and soldiers can also understand the importance of Egypt to France.In the eyes of most soldiers, Egypt is nothing more than a colony, and if you lose it, you will lose it, no big deal.

Since it is doomed not to be able to keep it, then simply give up. Anyway, France lost a colony, and it is not a star and a half. It is much richer than Egypt, and life is still the same.

With no morale in the army and insufficient strategic materials, this kind of battle must not be fought.

Against this background, shrewd high-level military officers naturally have to consider the way out and strive for a decent ending as much as possible.

Since June, the Austrian army has slowed down its offensive and changed to a long-term siege, and the situation in Egypt has gradually eased.

The original military struggle has gradually turned into a political one.At the negotiating table, the representatives fought with each other, and the intensity was not weaker than that on the battlefield.

Launch a political offensive, which Franz personally instructed.As a good peace-loving emperor, of course, casualties should be minimized as much as possible.

So far in the war, the Austrian army has also suffered tens of thousands of casualties. When the war is over, this number will go further.

The French army in Egypt is already a turtle in a urn. Time is on the side of the Austrian army. Food is insufficient and water sources have been destroyed. The besieged French army simply cannot afford it.

Instead of forcing the French to fight, it is better to use political means to make them surrender and reduce their losses.

As for consuming the vital force of the French, it can also be done in a prisoner-of-war camp, and it is even easier than on the battlefield.

The effect of the political offensive is naturally significant.As time went on, after realizing the futility of struggling, more and more French troops put down their weapons and entered the prisoner-of-war camps.

The dust is about to settle in the Egypt region, and continental Europe is also on the right track.The expulsion of the French, of course, increased the burden on Austria, but it also caused the people in the German region to share the same hatred.

Stimulated by the power of hatred, Bede's army, which was originally only second-rate in combat effectiveness, also underwent an amazing transformation.If the combat power is not enough, use morale to make up for it. Now there are some shadows of elite troops.

This change was directly reflected in the Central European battlefield.The anti-French alliance, which was originally at a disadvantage due to the lack of allies, is now gradually starting to turn around.

It must be known that Austria's hidden armored forces have not yet been put into use, and the total number of troops put into the Central European battlefield is only a few million, which is not to say that it is doing its best.

The gains on the battlefield are nothing; what really pleased Franz was the political gains.

Affected by this war, the idea of ​​Greater Germany has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.Even in Hanover and Prussia, it has become the mainstream of society.

Under the threat of the French, the interest groups that originally boycotted Austria have now changed their positions and sent representatives to contact the Vienna government.

If it weren't for the fact that the positions of the two parties were wrong, Franz really wanted to award Napoleon IV a Medal of German Unification in recognition of his contribution to the unification of the German region.

With the selfless help of the French government, the great cause of reunification that the Habsburg dynasty has worked hard for hundreds of years and failed to complete finally saw the light of day.

So far, the Vienna government has signed secret treaties with 23 states, reaching an agreement on the reconstruction of the Holy Roman Empire.

That's right, it is to rebuild the Holy Roman Empire, and the word "new" in front of it will be removed to show that it inherits the complete legal system of Shenluo.

As for the current North Germany, as long as the war is over, it will become history and disappear from this world.

……

Just when everything was going in a good direction, a piece of news that made Franz unbelievable came suddenly.

"Are you sure you are not mistaken, the Japanese are going to invade Nanyang?"

It's not that Franz made a fuss, it's just that this news is too abnormal.He would understand if the Japanese and the French allied themselves to invade Austrian Southeast Asia before news of the fall of French Egypt spread.

It's different now. Since the Vienna government released rumors of a complete occupation of Egypt, the American countries that were originally encouraged by Britain and France have all retreated.

Even Colombia, which has many conflicts with Austria, has now stopped all anti-Austrian propaganda and never mentioned revenge.

Everyone is a genius. Since the outbreak of the European War, the French seem to have made great strides, but in fact they have only achieved a series of tactical victories, and a complete defeat in strategy.

The Central European battlefield was unable to break through the Rhine defense line, the Southern European battlefield was overwhelmed by Austria, and the African battlefield was even more disastrous. Now the crucial Egypt has been lost.

At this time, don't say that the British secretly support it, even if they end up in person, it may not be able to reverse the situation.

In this context, who would dare to jump into the giant pit of France?

The Japanese are not stupid, even if the French promise more benefits, there is no reason to participate in seeking abuse.

Foreign Minister Weisenberg: "Yesterday morning, the Japanese government announced that it would send troops to Nanyang on the grounds that the continuous disputes in the Nanyang region harmed its own interests.

Immediately afterwards, Britain and France issued an announcement inviting the Japanese navy to enter Nanyang to help restore order there.

The current chaos in Nanyang is just a small episode of the anti-French war.After the war broke out, we and the French also tore apart our skins in the Nanyang region.

Affected by this, the social order in the Nanyang region was also broken.Pirates emerge in endlessly, and the trade in the once prosperous Strait of Malacca is almost cut off now. "

There is no doubt that the chaos in Nanyang must have something to do with Austria.The rampant piracy is also inseparable from Austria.

Because of the war, the route from the Austrian mainland to the Austrian Southeast Asia was basically cut off, and even if it was possible to go, it had to go in a big circle.

With the presence of the African continent and sufficient preparations in advance, Austria has less demand for resources in the Southeast Asia region, and the demand for this route can be said to be minimal.

Based on the principle that I can't use it, and I can't let the enemy use it, it will naturally be destroyed.At the beginning, it just blocked the Strait of Malacca together with the Germans occupying the Malay Peninsula, prohibiting the passage of French merchant ships.

Later, it was found that the effect was not satisfactory, so they just changed the national flag.These days, without accurate satellite positioning, it is impossible to determine the owner of the ship and its destination.

The best way is naturally to prohibit the delivery of all strategic materials.It's a pity that there are too many countries involved in doing this, and it is very easy to offend people. First of all, it is impossible for the British to agree.

In order to reduce the impact, Austria also had to make losses.For a time, gangs of bandits gathered in the Nanyang area, focusing on ships transporting strategic materials.

Since the outbreak of the European War, more than 20 ships have had accidents in the Nanyang region, and the total tonnage has exceeded [-] tons.

Austria is doing things, and the French are not idle.It's too shameful to rob in person, so the two sides each supported a group of white gloves and played pirate tactics.

What's interesting is that France and Austria did not lose the largest number of ships, but the British sunk the largest number of ships.

Of course, this is only judging from the flying national flag. No one knows, and does not want to know, the true country of ownership of the ship.

From the fact that the British did not jump out, it can be proved that among the ships looted by pirates, not many really belong to Britain.

Now let the Japanese navy enter the South China Sea, encircle and suppress pirates is a fake, help the French restore the route, attack Austria is the purpose, and may even directly invade the Austrian South China Sea.

Although everyone looks down on the strength of the Japanese, in the Nanyang region, the Japanese are also capable of determining the outcome of Fao's battle.

Prime Minister Karl: "The situation in the Nanyang region is complicated. Our local naval power is limited, and it is very difficult to defeat the French and Japanese coalition forces.

Once the enemy launches a full-scale attack, we can only choose to avoid the edge temporarily.If you want to reverse this situation, unless you can bring in new allies, for example: Spain, Portugal, or the Netherlands.

This is almost impossible. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has tried many times. No matter how high our price is, they don't have the guts to participate. "

Aside from the sleeping Far Eastern Empire, there are only a few countries that have influence in the Nanyang region.The British couldn't win over, and the Vienna government could only choose generals from among the short ones.It's a pity that these short guys are unwilling to participate.

Foreign Minister Weisenberg: "Perhaps the situation is not as bad as we imagined. If the Japanese want to enter Nanyang, they must first cross the Philippines, and it is best to win together with Ryukyu.

Under the premise that the anti-French alliance has an advantage, as long as the Japanese government is not stupid, it will not choose to bind with the French at this time.

Compared with being our enemy, those two old-school empires that are declining are obviously easier to bully.As long as we release a certain amount of goodwill, the Japanese should make the right choice. "

……

Chapter 197 Sneak Attack on Luzon Island

In the Palace of Versailles, a group of quasi-allies backed down, but the Japanese government still insisted on fulfilling the agreement. Napoleon IV was so moved that he upgraded diplomatic relations with Japan for the first time.

Substantial rewards are also indispensable. The French government now needs to set an example to let everyone know that it is beneficial to cooperate with them, so as to attract more collaborators and reverse political passivity.

Because of the war, France is not rich now, but the dead camels are bigger than horses, and even plucking a hair is a huge benefit for the Japanese government.

Besides, besides money, there is also something called technology in this world.Even in this age when technological blockades are not strict, it is also difficult for Asian countries to introduce advanced technologies.

Not to mention the difficulty in communication, even if someone sells technology, you need the ability to identify authenticity and a bulging wallet.

If you look at the history of industrial development of the Meiji Restoration, you will find that this is also a history of the Japanese government being tricked.Many of the imported technical equipment will face acclimatization when they arrive in Japan.