Holy Roman Empire

Not surprisingly, as one of the quasi-industrialized countries, the Russian Empire is also a copycat country.

It's just that others are optimizing product performance, or reducing production costs, or modifying according to local cultural habits and aesthetics.

Russian business is different.First of all, performance is not the first pursuit; convenience for people's lives is also not the main goal; optimizing product performance is even less of a concern.

The concept of "making is worse than buying" has long been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. If it is not for defrauding subsidies from the tsarist government or winning preferential policies, no one will engage in industry at all.

In this context, everyone's pursuit is limited to being able to produce products, and nothing else is important.

It's not that everyone didn't pursue it. The main reason is that the industrial supporting system can't keep up, and the quality of labor is also holding back.

Not to mention high-tech spare parts, even screws with slightly higher precision requirements need to be imported.It's not that it can't be produced, the main reason is that the yield rate is too impressive.

This is also the origin of the "silly big black thick" made in Russia.It’s not that everyone wants to play like this, and it’s really impossible to make refined products.

In order to ensure normal use, we can only make sacrifices in other aspects, so there is no need to count on performance. The only commendable advantage is that the leather is durable.

However, this advantage has great limitations. It is limited to ordinary daily industrial products and is not suitable for any high-precision products.

Not to mention high-tech products such as airplanes, what Russia can produce is only the first generation of wooden airplanes.

Now the most popular aircraft in the world has transitioned to metal alloys, and none of the core technologies can be handled by Russia.

If you want to produce by yourself, basically all spare parts must be imported.I can't guarantee the performance, anyway, the cost will definitely go up.

Now is the time of war, obviously not the time to slap a swollen face and pretend to be fat.Instead of forcing domestically produced fighters that are uncertain, it is better to directly purchase finished fighters.

At least the mainstream fighters equipped by the Shinra Air Force are produced in hundreds or thousands, and they have also passed the test of time.

His right hand tapped the seat a few times, and Nicholas II frowned and asked, "How many fighters do you plan to purchase? How much budget do you need? How will the crew solve it?"

Time is the best teacher. After more than ten years of imperial career, Nicholas II is no longer the pink and tender boy he used to be.

Maybe there is still a long way to go before becoming an excellent monarch, but basic common sense things can no longer be fooled.

In fact, the Tsarist government was not the first to discuss the issue of purchasing fighter jets.

The importance of air supremacy is self-evident. If it can be held in the hands, no one will give up.But in the end it all came to nothing due to various reasons.

Knowing that there are difficulties, but now they are still bringing up the old matter again, the military will naturally come up with a plan to deal with it.

Minister of War Yevgeny: "According to the information from the front, we need at least a hundred fighters to gain air supremacy.

Considering that the current international situation is tense and the Anglo-Austrian war may break out at any time, after this purchase, we will not be able to replenish it for a long time in the future. We plan to imitate the Shinra Air Force system and form an air division.

In terms of reserve war losses, we need to purchase a total of 400 fighters, and the approximate purchase budget is between 3000 million and 5000 million Aegis.

The specific figures will not be determined until after formal negotiations.In the field of aviation, Shinra has an absolute advantage, and even the British are an era behind.

With Japan's industrial strength, it is not easy to send the produced aircraft to the sky, and there is no performance at all.

To deal with them, it is enough for us to buy second-hand fighters that are nearing retirement.Not only can save costs, but also can get the spot in the shortest time.

As for the crew, after the war broke out, we entrusted Shinra to help train a group.After more than half a year of training, it is barely usable now. "

(Remarks: The Air Division of the Holy Roman Empire has 3 regiments, each regiment has 3 flying brigades and a maintenance brigade, each brigade is composed of 3 flying squadrons, and each flying squadron has 8 fighters. The whole division has a total of 288 aircraft There are more than [-] fighters, flight crews and ground crews.)

With a strong tone of disdain, it is not difficult to see Yevgeny's contempt for Japan.Although the Russian Empire is not much better, the superiority in the bones cannot be hidden.

For all this, no one felt strange.It is normal to look down on the Japanese. If Japan is treated on an equal footing, then there is a real problem.

It can be seen from the plan that the Russian army has really made progress.If it was stored decades ago, then the storage would be "treating the head when the head hurts, and treating the foot when the foot hurts", and it is absolutely impossible to prepare in advance.

As soon as the war broke out, people were organized to be sent out for training. Such a forward-looking approach was obviously different from Mao Zi's previous roughness.

It's just that Nicholas II didn't feel happy, but a kind of despair emerged deep in his heart.

A little analysis of Yevgeny's words shows that the Russian army relies too much on Shinra.If one day the two countries turn their faces, the combat effectiveness of the Russian army may be greatly reduced immediately.

You know what you know, but now that the Russo-Japanese War has broken out, it is impossible for Nicholas II to abandon advanced equipment in order to get rid of his dependence on Shinra.

Purchasing fighter jets is nothing more than that. Counting the foreign wars in recent decades, every war must import arms from the next door.

The problem is that what I bought now is still second-hand, and I have lost the face of the Russian Empire. I didn't expect the military to be able to say it so calmly, which made Nicholas II unhappy.

It’s okay to be unhappy, but now the Russian Empire needs to hurry.Not to mention the urgency of the battle on the front line, just look at the international situation.

With the deterioration of the relationship between Shinra and Britain, the international situation suddenly became tense, and the whole world could smell the smell of gunpowder.

If the arms purchase agreement is not reached as soon as possible and the arms transaction is completed, after the war between the two countries officially breaks out, even if you have money in your pocket, you may not be able to buy it.

Only second-hand equipment can be delivered in the shortest time.If it is really to place an order directly with the military factory, it will not be done in a few months.

Fortunately, Nicholas II didn't know the real situation. If almost all the second-hand equipment in the Russian army was found, the volcano would really erupt.

In a sense, there is nothing wrong with second-hand equipment.Not only cheap, but more importantly, reliable performance.

There are a lot of things that international arms dealers cheat people these days.If you don't leave a few traps, you will be ashamed to say that you are an arms dealer.

Ever since the British made a bad start, everyone's ethics have plummeted. For example, before exporting the most advanced weapons, some performance should be cut first.

And the more advanced the weapons and equipment are, the more weakened they are, and they can only be regarded as high imitations at best.

But no matter how high the imitation is, the fake is still not true.If on the battlefield, the imitation product meets the genuine product, it will be a tragedy every minute.

The large-scale use of second-hand equipment by the Russian army is naturally not because they like it, but more because the officers and soldiers are scared by domestic bureaucrats.

There is no way, once the government and businessmen collude with domestic weapons that are already of poor quality, then there is no need to count on it.

In contrast, second-hand equipment purchased directly from Shinra is much more reliable.Not only is there no deletion in performance, but even the quality has passed the test of time.

"Then do it!"

Nicholas II replied flatly.Everyone can see that His Majesty the Tsar is not very interested now.

But if you are not interested, you are not interested, the government affairs director still has to deal with it.Especially at this critical moment, there is no room for passive sabotage.

Foreign Minister Mikhailovich said: "With the intensification of the conflict between Britain and Austria, the situation in Europe has become more tense in recent days.

In order to avoid standing in line again, European countries have stood up and called for peace. Among them, coastal countries such as the Netherlands and Portugal have been most active.

So far, we have received notes from eleven countries, hoping that we can take the lead in maintaining neutrality so as to avoid being involved in hegemony wars.

Considering the complexity of the situation, it will be difficult for us to figure it out for a while, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not give a direct response. "

It's not easy to be the leader. European countries don't want to be involved in the war, but no one comes out to be the leader, which can explain many problems in itself.

The current situation is very obvious. It is clear that whoever takes the lead first will bear most of the firepower.

If it was 30 years ago, when encountering such a good opportunity, Mikhailovich would have accepted it without even thinking about it.

But it is different now. Although the strength of the Russian Empire is constantly increasing, its dependence on Shinra continues unabated.

Especially the ongoing Russo-Japanese War requires the support of the Vienna government.You can't stab people at the same time, and ask them for support at the same time, right?

Not being consistent with other countries is also a big trouble.Without the leading organization of the Russian Empire, the so-called neutrality of all countries is a big joke.

For no other reason, the political and military pressure exerted by Shinra and Britain, someone must come forward to bear it, right?

Who could bear the pressure but the Russian Empire?

Even Spain, because of its own lack of strength, is also unable to take on this important task.

Not to mention other countries, if they don't have enough strength to mix things indiscriminately, they will have to pay a price.

No one dares to take the lead in making trouble, so it is imperative to stand in line.

In this context, the position of the Russian Empire is crucial, and it almost acts as a weather vane for the choices of European countries.

If the tsarist government supports the Holy Roman Empire, then it means that there will be no war on the European continent.Everyone just wave the flag and shout, there is no need to mix with the British at all.

On the contrary, if the tsarist government supports Britain, then this war will be decided jointly by the sea and land, and the future is truly uncertain.

After sighing, Nicholas II stood up from his seat, and after wandering around the room for a few steps, he said helplessly: "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs can figure it out! Anyway, we have no other choice now, right?

Use this opportunity as much as possible to strive for greater benefits for the empire, and I am afraid that there will be no chance in the future. "

The reality is so cruel. The Russian Empire, deeply bound by Shinra, now has no choice but to follow Vienna all the way to the dark.

Chapter 122 Final Preparations

The world is cruel, and in the fierce international competition, there is no room for warmth.

For its own benefit, the tsarist government decisively chose to abandon the European countries, and Madrid was in turmoil for a while.

No matter how it declines, Spain, as the goalkeeper of the great powers, is a big European country, and its influence in Europe cannot be underestimated.

As the third oldest in the world, the Russians refused to stand out, so it was naturally postponed to the fourth Spanish.

Although Spain's title as the fourth most powerful country is not worthy of the name, it cannot stand up to the weak competitors.

Stand tall among the dwarfs, the Kingdom of Spain, which was once awesome, is still more recognized by the outside world than Japan and the United States, which have never been awesome.

Not only European countries are encouraging Spain to come out and lead the "No Team Movement", even Britain, the United States and other countries are also playing behind the drum.

Overnight, the Spaniards seemed to have returned to the era when their destiny returned, and became the trendsetters of the times.

Unlike the Russian Empire, which is deeply tied economically, Shinra's penetration into Spain is relatively limited, and it is far from being able to influence government decision-making.

With the changing international situation, the British have changed their strategy, from pulling people on board to encouraging countries to remain neutral.

The one who wants them to stand in line now is actually the Holy Roman Empire.In theory, as long as it resists the pressure from the Vienna government, the No Side movement will succeed.

If the Spanish government has ambitions, now is the best chance.As long as the operation is good, it is entirely possible for Spain to become the fourth pole in Europe with the support of various countries.

As a big country, it must have ambitions.It is a pity that ambition needs the support of strength, and Spain does not have the strength to become the fourth pole, even with the support of other countries.

In fact, the Spanish government can't do without a clear head.On the surface, the European countries are encouraging them to lead the "neutrality movement", but secretly they continue to collude with the Vienna government.

Leaving aside other countries, Sardinia, Belgium, Tuscany... These younger brothers who were supported by Shinra also came to participate in the "Neutral Movement", are you sure they didn't come here to make trouble?

What if the younger brothers below ran to stand in line just as soon as I got ahead, wouldn't it be a tragedy.

This kind of thing is not impossible. Despite the great momentum of the current "neutrality movement", there are actually very few people who really participate.

Many countries that have no choice and must stand in line are all following along and making fun of it.

Jumping out to make a fuss now is mainly to refresh the sense of existence and enhance my impression in the mind of the boss so that I can sell it at a good price.

The countries that really desperately want to be "neutral", namely the Netherlands, the Nordic Federation and other countries bordering the North Sea, are worried that they will become a battlefield.

For more countries, the war between Shinra and Britain has little impact on them.

Although overseas import and export trade will be affected, they themselves are not a big maritime trade country, and the impact is quite limited.

The most important thing is the geographical location. It was decided from the beginning that they had to stand in a team, and even who to support was chosen for them in advance.

The direction of standing in line is determined, what kind of posture should be used to stand in line is also a question worth pondering.

With the turbulent international situation, the diplomatic game is still going on, but this is no longer the focus of Franz.

The struggle for hegemony between Britain and Austria is, in the final analysis, a competition of comprehensive national strength.If the national strength of the two sides hadn't widened the gap, Shinra would not have launched a challenge at this time.

In the Palace of Vienna, it can be seen from Franz's serious expression that the documents in his hand must be unusual.

After a while, Emperor Franz, who had read the document carefully, said slowly, "Since the third generation of large merchant ships have been completed, they should be handed over to the shipping company as soon as possible.

Now the situation is tense and war is imminent.We must strive to rush to transport as many strategic materials as possible to the colonies before the war breaks out.

The six vacant berths were all mounted on super battleships.After these materials arrive in the colony, the news will be announced.

In addition, the submarine formation can also start.Although I don't know when the war will break out, it is always right to prepare in advance. "

There is no doubt that the "three generations of large merchant ships" here are definitely not large merchant ships in the true sense.

If it was just a pure merchant ship, no matter how superior its performance was, it would not make Emperor Franz so nervous.

Especially at a critical moment like the arms race, it is even more abnormal that merchant ships can compete with battleships for docks.

Abnormal is not normal, but on the surface these big guys are indeed merchant ships.Believe it or not, these merchant ships are still running out with their cargo.

Not to mention the fact that the intelligence personnel did not understand the situation, even many people in the Vienna government were puzzled.

"Strategic fraud" is obviously wrong!At this point, if you don't go all out to build warships, if there is a fight, you will suffer a lot.

If you can't figure it out, you can't figure it out. It's impossible for Franz to explain it anyway.In order to keep the secret, only a few people know about the fact that the aircraft carrier is disguised as a merchant ship.

Even the cabinet members are not all informed, let alone others.

From the beginning of the project approval, the state-owned enterprise ordered the merchant ship route, which had no financial allocation at all, and had nothing to do with military expenditure.

Until the completion of the construction, the engineers of the shipyard did not know that they built the aircraft carrier themselves, at most they just felt that the design of this merchant ship was a bit different.

In the history of the development of the shipbuilding industry, there are so many alternative and exotic designs, and everyone doesn't care about adding another one.

In fact, the history of aircraft carrier development in the Holy Roman Empire has been going on for some years.It's just that it hasn't become mainstream all the time.