Beiyang reactionaries

Holland is gone.

So their navy is also gone.So don't look at the current Dutch Far East fleet in the East Indies, which is not weaker than the Netherlands' mainland fleet.For the Netherlands, their home fleet and the Far East fleet are comparable in strength.If there are some shortcomings, it is that there are not as many submarines in the East Indies as there are in the mainland.It can be seen that the Netherlands attaches great importance to the East Indies.

But now China and Japan have formed a joint fleet to protect the so-called legitimate rights of the East Indies. This is not directly directed at the Netherlands.How could the Netherlands agree?

What if the Netherlands disagrees?

There is definitely going to be a conflict, a war.China and Japan just did not declare war, and the effect is the same.Alexander Cadogan's hands trembled at the news.

After receiving the information from the staff, I looked at the main warship models of the Sino-Japanese joint fleet.Alexander Cadogan is not very familiar with naval warships, and he is not very clear about how to fight.However, the British embassy in China also has military attaches, and they have already included their analysis reports.

After a look, Alexander Cadogan's face became ugly.The strength of the Sino-Japanese joint fleet far exceeds that of the Dutch Far East Fleet.In particular, the Japanese navy dispatched two heavy cruisers, completely crushing the strength of the Dutch navy.If there is a fight, although anything can happen on the battlefield, the biggest possibility is the victory of the Sino-Japanese joint fleet.If the Sino-Japanese joint fleet really defeated the Dutch Far East Fleet, then no one can say who will control the East Indies in the future.

What he was most worried about happened. China and Japan finally couldn't bear to intervene in Nanyang's affairs, and they were the weakest link in Nanyang.Except for the East Indies, the rest of Nanyang is in the hands of Britain, France and the United States, and China and Japan will not mess with them.So I chose the Netherlands and started to break through from here.Thinking about it this way, Alexander Cadogan understood that the Far East has been unstable ever since.

damn it.

Alexander Cadogan is not a hardliner, he is very supportive of Chamberlain's point of view, because the two men have worked together.Both believed that Britain could not afford war, and that conflicts in the world would affect Britain's interests.Therefore, Britain should try to avoid wars as much as possible, and for those ambitious countries, it should give them some benefits to avoid conflicts.This is the current idea of ​​the entire British cabinet, and even the idea of ​​the entire British society.That's why he quickly intervened in the affairs of China and the Netherlands, hoping to calm down the conflict between China and the Netherlands.

It's a pity that his efforts were completely in vain.

Neither China nor the Netherlands retreated. As a result, the situation in Nanyang will change drastically.But Alexander Cadogan understood Holland.Because China and Japan are too irritating, they don't give the Netherlands a step at all.In fact, after Japan intervened, the Netherlands already wanted to take a step back.

Holland is no fool.

The Netherlands is no longer the coachman of the sea, and China and Japan are no longer small players who are bullied.Needless to say, Japan is a power that has negotiated with Britain, the United States and France on an equal footing over the years, and even once engaged in a naval arms race with Britain, the United States and France.How can the Netherlands compare with Japan in this respect.

As for China, although the Netherlands looks down on China, China is still a big country.At present, the world generally believes that China's population is more than [-] million people. Although it is much smaller than the actual data, it is still enough to attract the attention of the world's major powers.After all, such a large population occupies a quarter of the world.

These people alone are enough not to be taken lightly.

But China and Japan are going too far.

Don't give the Netherlands a step down at all.First, they proposed conditions that the Netherlands could not agree to, many of which were beyond the bottom line of the Netherlands.Then the British began to circle in the middle. The British gave a good step, it should be said that both sides gave a step down.As long as China takes a step back, the Netherlands will naturally choose to go downhill.

But damn China, don't talk about taking a step back.Instead, it joined forces with Japan and issued an ultimatum to the Netherlands.This is simply a naked humiliation of the Netherlands.Moreover, China and Japan even proposed to set up an institution to supervise the Dutch government and take root in the East Indies.Such conditions are equivalent to saying that China and Japan also want to have a foot in the East Indies.

How to say the Netherlands is also a veteran imperialist background. I think the Netherlands was also a world hegemon back then.Although it is now in decline, the arrogance of the Netherlands is still there.

How could the Netherlands stand such an insult, so it rejected the ultimatum.

Unexpectedly, not long after the Netherlands refused, China and Japan had no sincerity to continue the negotiations, and directly announced the formation of a joint fleet.Moreover, it was generous, and did not conceal the composition of the combined fleet at all.

Two aircraft carriers, two heavy cruisers, seven destroyers, three torpedo boats, and three submarines.Such a combination is already quite strong.In particular, the warships of China and Japan were added in recent years, and no matter how early they were, they were all built nearly ten years after the end of World War I.

Like the heavy cruisers that Japan now owns, they were all battleships that were to be built back then.It's just that the Washington Naval Treaty restricted the development of battleships, so Japan changed those battleships into aircraft carriers, or changed the original plan and built heavy cruisers.In fact, there is not much difference between a heavy cruiser and a battleship.

There are also destroyers from China and Japan.

At present, the tonnage of destroyers is not large.A destroyer of 3000 tons is considered to be relatively large in tonnage.The destroyers of the Dutch Far East Fleet have a tonnage of only 3000 tons, or even less than [-] tons.However, China and Japan have made the tonnage of destroyers [-] tons, or even more than [-] tons.

This kind of destroyer is also called a destroyer?They have already caught up with many light cruisers.

"Is their combined fleet going? Or is it just a warning to the Netherlands?"

"let's go."

The staff immediately said: "The Secretary-General of the Asian Joint Organization established by China and Japan, Hirota Koki, stated that the joint fleet has been conducting training yesterday, and it is not at the original port at all. When the Chinese and Japanese naval departments issued orders this morning, the joint The fleet has moved away from the port of Qiongya, China."

"Damn."

Alexander Cadogan was not a fool, and he immediately understood what Hirota meant.The joint fleet formed by China and Japan actually set off yesterday.It's just that the distance from China to the East Indies is more than 2000 kilometers, so it will take at least three days for the warship to reach its destination.

Alexander Cadogan shook his head.

Alexander Cadogan estimated that the United Fleet set off as early as noon yesterday, so it has been a day now, and this is the time for the Netherlands to not respond at all.

In this day and age, radar technology is just developing.In the absence of radar, it is very difficult to detect naval warships at sea, and it is even difficult to find them.The reason why many warships began to set up seaplanes is to use aircraft to detect the movements of the opposing navy.It's a pity that none of you thought that China and Japan would be so determined.

"No, you can't let it go. You should send a telegram to London immediately and explain the situation here. Tell London that you must strongly condemn China and Japan for this breach of peace. The League of Nations must convene a general meeting to condemn China and Japan and let them Both countries stop doing this now."

"Yes."

The staff left immediately, but as soon as they turned around, Alexander Cadogan said: "Wait, immediately send people to the French consulate, the American consulate, and the Italian consulate, and invite them to come to my place to discuss."

"Yes."

Alexander Cadogan couldn't help rubbing his temples.

Unpredictable, unpredictable.

China and Japan were suddenly so aggressive, and suddenly decided to send troops, which completely disrupted Alexander Cadogan's plan.Although he thought that China and Japan were getting tougher, he really didn't expect that the two countries would really send troops, and they were so reckless.

Alexander Cadogan stood up and stood on the map of Nanyang.Britain has too many interests in Nanyang, including Malaysia and Myanmar, which are British colonies.And it is very important for the UK.

For example, Malaysia is the world's largest planter of natural rubber after China, and the natural rubber needed by the UK is provided by Malaysia.As for Myanmar, needless to say, as the east gate of India, its strategic location is extremely important.What's more, the British Far East Fleet is stationed in Singapore.

Far East Fleet?

Is it suggested that the British Far East Fleet be dispatched to deter the combined fleet of China and Japan?Alexander Cadogan shook his head as soon as he thought of this method.

This doesn't work.

One of the cores of Britain's foreign policy is that it seldom goes into battle shirtless, which is not what a hegemon should do.Once that happens there is no wiggle room.If Britain really dispatches the Far East Fleet, it will indeed be able to deter the joint fleet formed by China and Japan, and may even force them to retreat.In the eyes of Alexander Cadogan, although the combined fleet formed by China and Japan is good, it cannot be the opponent of the British Far East Fleet.But once this happens, China, Japan and the United Kingdom will inevitably turn their faces.This is not in the UK's interest.China and Japan are both big countries in the Far East. If they fall out with them, it will greatly affect the interests of the United Kingdom.

But if you don't stop it?

"Sir, London is calling."

"So fast?"

"Yes. Call from London. Before the upcoming London Naval Arms Conference, don't provoke Japan and try to appease China and Japan. Don't let the situation expand and affect the interests of the empire. Let China, Japan and the Netherlands sit on the negotiating table as soon as possible superior."

On May 1935, 5, China and Japan publicly stated that they would form a joint Sino-Japanese fleet to go south, which surprised the Netherlands.The Netherlands has actually been avoiding war, especially not wanting to fight Japan.Japan is a naval power. On one-third of an acre of land in the Far East, even the British Far East Fleet may not necessarily be an opponent of the Japanese Navy.The strength of the Netherlands is no match for the Japanese navy, but the Netherlands cannot back down.It's just that although the Netherlands thought there would be a conflict, it did not expect China and Japan to be so decisive.

Do not give the Netherlands any steps down at all.

China and Japan don't care about the British deal.Bad news came one after another, and the Dutch side was in a hurry.The Netherlands really did not expect that China and Japan would really dare to send troops to fight.

Therefore, on the East Indies side, the Netherlands hurriedly began to gather troops.

Nearly 20 years of peace have caused countries all over the world to slowly relax their military construction.What's more, it is a declining Netherlands, and it does not have enough strength to develop the army if it wants to develop the army.Moreover, the world has just experienced an economic crisis, and the governments of all countries have no money, and the Netherlands has no strength to develop the army.The Dutch troops in the East Indies were only to maintain the rule of the colonies and deal with the colonial rebels.When did you really think about going to war with a big country like China and Japan?

The Dutch Far East Fleet attaches great importance to the Sino-Japanese joint fleet and pays close attention to their movements.However, in this era, it is difficult to find out where a fleet is at sea.

In such a big sea, let alone a fleet, even if it is increased tenfold, it is still a drop in the ocean.There are no satellites or radars in this era, where can we find the enemy's fleet?After the plane appeared, a reconnaissance plane appeared.But the Netherlands is almost blank in the air force, and the air force in the East Indies is even worse, there are not many aircraft at all.The development of the military is always related to national strength.

A small country like the Netherlands does not have enough financial resources to support them even if they want to develop their military.It is not easy for the Netherlands to support the current naval force.This is because the Netherlands is a traditional maritime country, so it maintains those naval forces.In fact, their economic strength has long been unable to support the navy.Now that they still want to develop the air force, it's just a joke.