Holy Roman Empire

Even if you want to open up new markets, you can't find such a big buyer in the international market.In many fields, Shinra has formed a substantial monopoly.

Although Shinra is also uncomfortable, there are alternatives after all.The big deal is to open mining restrictions and let in African food at the same time, and the processing and manufacturing industry will not die.

Without the threat, the army continues to occupy the most resources, which is very obtrusive.If it weren't for the army's strong military exploits and being strong enough within the empire, I'm afraid it would have been unable to withstand the pressure long ago.

Even so, the Army is often criticized in the annual competition for military expenditures.Not only the navy and air force sprayed them, but even the government internally criticized them constantly.

If you are scolded, you will be scolded, and if you criticize, you will be criticized. Anyway, the Army will not let go of the benefits you get.

In this matter, Franz mostly pretended not to see.There has never been a simple right or wrong in politics, and the emperor's first task is to balance the forces of all parties.

The dominance of the Shinra Army has lasted for many years, and it has not changed until the last few years.

For details, you can refer to the proportion of military expenditure. When Franz succeeded to the throne, the army’s military expenditure accounted for more than 90.00% of the total military expenditure, and it has gradually dropped to the current 40.00%.

Since the navy and air force jumped out to make trouble, why should he, the emperor, be a bad guy?When they have quarreled almost, and then based on the results of the quarrels from all parties, the final allocation of military expenditures will be decided.

Cutting flesh with a blunt knife is not an option, but sometimes it is the only option.It would be truly irresponsible to cut down the army's military spending immediately.

Whether it is disarmament, reducing the establishment, or finding ways to increase revenue and reduce expenditure, time buffers are needed.

Therefore, the proportion of the army's military expenditure in the national defense budget has been decreasing year by year, but the specific amount of military expenditure has never been reduced. On the contrary, it has been increasing year by year, but the growth rate is slower than that of the navy and air force.

Regardless of how fierce the competition is now, in fact, what is really fighting is the new military expenditure, not the nearly fixed expenditure before.

In order to change the passive situation, the army will naturally not be idle.The Navy has the "Super Battleship Project", the Air Force has the "Terminator Project", and the Army can naturally have the "India Project".

No matter how difficult it is to implement, something is better than nothing.Anyway, the success rate of the plans of the Navy and Air Force may not be very high.

The strategic plans of the army, navy and air force have all come out, and now it's time for the senior officials of the Vienna government to have a headache.Who to support and who to oppose is a balding question.

At first glance, the three major strategic plans, no matter which one they are, can bring down the British; if you study carefully, you will find that these three strategic plans are just plans.To accomplish any of these plans, a lot of resources are required.

……

Seeing that it was getting late, Franz got up impatiently, waved his hands and said, "Come here first today, and continue tomorrow.

I hope you can come up with a more adequate and responsible plan, instead of drawing me a big pie that I can see but can't eat. "

In fact, Franz was already secretly glad that he was not lazy this time.If Frederick were to leave this trouble, it is estimated that this battle of strategic routes could be staged in full force.

Obviously, the Army does not intend to continue to retreat this time.It is simply unrealistic to rely on pressure from all parties to make the Army make concessions.

In case of a pressing situation, the Ministry of the Army will spread the news and invite people from all over the country to participate in the discussion, then it will be a lot of fun.

When it comes to politics, no one can say for sure.Compared with the air force and navy, the army has much higher support among the people.

Let ordinary people do this multiple-choice question, and it is estimated that 80.00% of them will choose to go all the way from Persia to India and cut off the lifeblood of the British.

In addition, 19.00% of the people are moderates, and they will invite the Russians to send troops to India.As for less than one percent of people, they may support the navy or the air force.

This is determined by the record.The army has brought enough confidence to the people through its victories in the past.

Although the air force has also performed well, the power of the air force these years is obviously not strong enough to bring enough confidence to everyone.

Not to mention the navy, which has always been a role of soy sauce, not to mention ordinary people. Even Franz does not think that the Shinra Navy can defeat the British Royal Navy.

If you can't win a head-on decisive battle, can't you think of a way to play around?

Anyway, the gateway to the Mediterranean Sea has been obtained, and the Shinra Navy can attack from both directions, east and west, so that the British cannot take care of both ends.

Anyway, running the inner circle in the Mediterranean Sea is faster than the British who run the outer circle.Unless the Royal Navy can have more than twice the tonnage of the Shinra Navy, just play and block the door.

To do this, it seems that it is still not enough.At this time, the strategic position of the Strait of Gibraltar was once again reflected.

The Vienna government can deploy the air force in Morocco to complete the lock-up plan; the British can also operate Gibraltar as a giant aircraft carrier.

There are planes in the sky, submarines in the water, and waves of mines are laid from time to time.The same can lock the Strait of Gibraltar.

If you can't go out from the west gate, if you can only go out to the east, you will be passive.At that time, it really only needs to cooperate with the army, and then the Russians will join forces, and the two will fight from Afghanistan and Persia to India.

Chapter 77 Troubled Warships

After dismissing everyone, Franz's tense face eased instantly.It was obvious that he wasn't really angry.

The competition among the armed forces of the land, sea and air force for military expenditures is inherently justified, and this is also part of the balance of power.If the land, sea and air forces are all in contention, then that is the real problem.

Seeing that Franz was not angry, Frederick asked with concern: "Father, which of the three plans proposed by the military just now do you prefer?"

It had nothing to do with curiosity. Frederick really couldn't make up his mind and didn't know who to support.

On the surface, the strategic plans proposed by the army, navy and air force are all highly operable.The success of any plan can bring the Holy Roman Empire to its peak.

All of them are "high-quality strategies", and it is impossible to analyze the advantages and disadvantages at all, but it increases the difficulty of selection.

"Is it important?"

asked Franz.

As if being tortured by the soul, Frederick kept flashing "Is this important?" in Frederick's mind.It seems to be important, and it doesn't seem to be important at all.

The Shinra military is still qualified. Although the three proposals proposed have their own flaws, they still lead to the same goal in the end.

None of the other competitors have grown up. As long as the British are pulled down, Shinra will be the unique world hegemon.

After a while, Frederick slowly replied, "I understand."

Looking at his son with a serious face, Franz smiled and said: "No, you didn't understand. In fact, we have no choice at all.

Politics is never won or lost by right or wrong.Perhaps adopting a strategy alone can win the victory at the least cost, but we must consider the actual situation.

A few years ago, the army was the only one. In order to balance the strength of the military, I supported the navy and spun off the air force to establish the current triangular check and balance system.

Now the navy and the air force combined can barely compete with the army, and at the same time they have touched the bottom line of the army.

No matter how they make concessions, it is impossible for them to let the navy get the same amount of military expenditure as them. This is the pride of the army.

You should know how much influence the Army has.The establishment of the Holy Roman Empire was basically done by the army.

More than 90.00% of overseas fiefdom lords and emerging farmers are from the army, and more than seven bureaucrats in the government have served in the army.

Not to mention civilians, our compulsory military service law is aimed at the army.Both the navy and the air force are technical arms, and it is simply impossible for everyone to serve.

With so many supporters, there's no way the Army can lose.As long as they insist on not making concessions, even if the air force and navy join forces, it will have no effect.

We can't end the game in person and go to the sidelines, right? "

The emperor himself went off the field to deflect the frame, just like a referee off the field to kick a ball.Just think about it, no mature monarch would do it.

Even before supporting the navy and divesting the air force, it was the cabinet that charged, and Franz never got off the scene himself, let alone now.

Perhaps for the army, navy and air force, this competition for military expenditure is crucial, and it is related to their development in the next ten years.

But for the emperor and the Holy Roman Empire, no matter which option is chosen, the final outcome is doomed.

This is determined by the overall national strength. Today, Shinra and Britain have widened the qualitative gap.

Counting the colonial citizens, the total population of the Holy Roman Empire has reached 1.6 million, 1.2 million in Europe alone.

In contrast to Britain, the combined population of the British Isles is only over 3000 million. Including the citizens of the overseas colonies, the total population is only a little over 4000 million.

Of course, this ratio is reversed when the colonial aborigines are counted.India alone has 5 to 1.8 million people. The total population controlled by the entire British Empire exceeds [-] million, while Shinra has less than [-] million people.

It is true that the British Empire has a large population, but unfortunately the utilization rate is not high.The original colonial rule was good enough to search for wealth, but it was far from enough to enhance national power.

Comparing the data, we can see that the total economic volume of the Holy Roman Empire is one-fifth higher than that of the entire British Empire (including colonies), and the total industrial volume is 2.5 times that of Britain.

This is just the beginning, with the passage of time, this gap is still widening.

If he had such a big advantage, he would be able to lose in the end, and Franz would not have to mess around.

Deliberately expressing dissatisfaction, in addition to beating the military, the most important thing is that Franz hopes that the military can compromise with each other.

Unless the British admit defeat in advance, no matter which strategy they choose, they will need the cooperation of the army, navy and air force in the future, which is nothing more than a matter of priority.

Even if the three armies compromise, developing at the same time will waste a lot of financial resources, and Franz also recognizes it.

This is the helplessness of big countries. In order to balance the interests of all parties, almost every big country will face the problem of wasting resources.

……

The competition for military expenses continued, but the new "Roman" had problems first.When the armament and supporting equipment were completed, everyone suddenly discovered that the "Roma"'s ability to resist wind and waves was very average.

It's not surprising that almost all test ships have problems of one kind or another.Perfect products are produced at one time, which is not suitable for warships.

There has always been a saying in the Navy that "design leads, build lags behind".

The "Roman" is considered good, at least after its completion, it still maintains a world-leading level.The British "super battleship" is still being designed, and other countries are not even interested in following suit.

Despite its lack of wind and wave resistance and its minor flaws, it cannot conceal the "Roman"'s strong combat effectiveness, at least it is strong enough in the Mediterranean.

Being caught, the army naturally had to make use of the problem.As long as it is proved that the "Rome" does not have the capability of ocean-going naval warfare, the Ministry of the Navy's super battleship plan can only be aborted.

It's a pity that Franz has been familiar with this little trick for a long time, and he didn't give everyone a chance to speak: "Block the news, the problem of the Roman's defect will stop here, and there is no need to talk about it in the future.

The ability to resist wind and waves is insufficient, and it does not affect the use in the Mediterranean Sea.Pay attention when the navy arranges missions, just don't let it go out of the Mediterranean Sea.

The follow-up publicity continues, as long as the item of world cruise is removed.

The exploration of new technologies is inherently full of uncertainties, and we can still bear this risk. "

Originally, the Shinra Navy had the reputation of "Bathtub Navy", and Franz didn't mind making it well-deserved.If the British want to see a joke, let them see enough first.

Another way of thinking, being able to use the Mediterranean Sea as a bathtub is another kind of achievement.

Throughout human history, which country that uses the Mediterranean Sea as a bathtub is not awesome?

As long as it doesn't leave the Mediterranean Sea, the "Rome" is a genuine super battleship.Whether it is to support the facade or to scare people, it can be properly arranged.

Deep down in his heart, Franz had already made up his mind. If it was not really necessary, he would not send the "Roman" to the battlefield.

After all, it is a test ship, and no one knows how many holes it stepped on.For details, you can refer to the first-generation dreadnoughts of various countries in the original space-time world, which are all kinds of pits.

A century-old navy does not mean that the navy must develop for hundreds of years, but naval warships need to spend 100 years, constantly stepping on pits and mines, and accumulating various experiences and lessons.

For Franz, as long as the test ship is unsinkable and can go to sea normally, it is qualified.As for other problems, we can wait for the second and third generations to improve.

Although Franz's words avoided in-depth investigation of responsibility, the "Super Battleship Project" of the Ministry of the Navy fell through first.

Everyone can bear a "Roma" that cannot leave the Mediterranean Sea, but if more than 20 ships are produced in one go, no one can accept it.

Even if the Ministry of the Navy has repeatedly assured that similar problems will not occur again in the following warships, everyone dare not accompany them on adventures.

Of course, the Roma is not without merit.At least the combat power is really strong, as long as it avoids the severe wind and weather, it is still the king in naval battles.

In the end, the Ministry of the Navy's "25 ships in five years" super battleship plan was cut to "five ships in five years", and it was the first to be eliminated from this battle for military expenditures.

Looking at the unwilling eyes of Castagni leaving, Franz knew that the matter was not over yet, and reckoned that when the problem was resolved, the Navy would propose the "Super Battleship Project" again.

With the Royal Navy as a competitor to help set up the stage, I believe this day will not come too late.

……

Reducing the scale of shipbuilding does not mean reducing propaganda efforts.As the brightest "baby" this year, "Roman" is still the darling of the media.

After the supporting facilities were completed, the "Roma" wandered around the Mediterranean Sea, and under the guise of exchanging experience, it continued to visit countries along the Mediterranean Sea.

Every time I go to a country, there is a joint military exercise.

The most difficult thing is the newly independent Italian states, holding a joint exercise with a small destroyer of more than 1000 tons and the "Roma" of more than 2 tons. The scene is simply...

If it weren't for the different national flags flying, everyone would probably regard them as little followers, and it would be impossible to believe that this was a joint military exercise.

There is no way, in order to stir up the heat, the Vienna government has to do this.Only when the momentum is built up can the British Parliament be willing to allocate funds to the Royal Navy.

Considering so thoroughly for the enemy, thinking about it is also drunk.However, in order to consume the national power of the British, Franz decided to do it.

Regardless of whether the Shinra Navy can surpass the British in the era of dreadnoughts, at least in this wave of warship replacement, the loss of the British is more than 70.00% greater than that of the Shinra.

Who made them have more warships?

Catching up with this era of naval technological revolution, whoever has the most warships will suffer the most.

Chapter 78 Not Giving a Chance

With the service of the "Roman", the smell of gunpowder in the world suddenly became stronger.The relationship between the two giants, Shinra and Britain, is tense, and all countries are terrified, for fear that they will accidentally get involved and be smashed to pieces.

Then, an interesting scene appeared.After the Vienna government and the London government announced the shipbuilding plan, which opened the prelude to the naval arms race, countries around the world fell on deaf ears.

Don't say that it follows the construction of "super battleships", and even conventional warships are rarely approved by the country.It seems that everyone has made up their minds to fight this "arms race" with ignorance.

It's right to think about it, the advantages of Shinra and Britain have long been established.The naval strength of any one is stronger than the sum of the three, four, five and six countries behind.

With such a disparity, no matter how hard you struggle, it's useless, so just accept your fate and forget it.Anyway, I can't turn over the board anyway, so why bother to go up and find it hard for myself?