My Italy

Cosenz has a bigger stage to display his ambitions.

For the entire Europe, even ordinary people can see the cloud of war.

Although the Moroccan crisis has been resolved, the war preparations of various countries have reached a new level.

The British Empire, which provoked France to toughen Germany on the Moroccan issue, announced at the beginning of the year that it would start building seven large battleships this year, five of which will be new battleships equipped with 380 mm main guns. In addition, the British Empire was not satisfied with its small army and announced that it would expand the army to 238,000 this year.

The British Empire's preparations for war also affected Russia, one of its allies. The Russians have announced that they will build three 13.5-inch (343 mm) equipped super-dreadnought battleships to deal with the current complex configuration.

Different from the 305mm main gun equipped by the Queen Maria class in history, in this time and space, due to the pressure from Britain and France on German and Italian shipbuilding, the British decided to share their 343mm main gun with their allies. Of course, France and Russia are very happy with Britain's actions. Russia also received the support of the British 343mm main gun, so it decided to use this main gun for its next-level battleship.

In addition to this expansion of the navy, Russia also expanded its huge army. The Russians announced that they will expand the total strength of the Russian Army from 940,000 to 1.024 million this year.

The actions of Britain and Russia made the Allied camp uneasy. Needless to say Italy. Germany decided to expand its army from 571,000 to 653,000. Austria-Hungary expanded from 254,000 to 314,000.

All major European countries are gearing up and glaring at each other in different camps.

Here we seem to have forgotten that there is another country, that is France.

Speaking of which, in this time and space, the pressure on France's national defense is no less than that on Germany. The pressure from the Germans on the border alone is enough for the French, and with Italy also eyeing it to the south, the pressure on France's national defense cannot be reduced at all.

In addition to pressure on land, the French are also very pressured at sea.

Although its alliance with Britain allowed France to rely on the British Empire's navy at sea. But this was limited to the German Navy in the North Sea. In the Mediterranean, the British Empire's Mediterranean Fleet is based in Alexandria, Egypt.

If you look at the map of the Mediterranean Sea, you will find that Egypt and France are more than 2,000 kilometers apart, not to mention that they are separated by Italy.

At best, the French Navy can form a pincer attack on the Italian Navy with the British Mediterranean Fleet. But to put it worst, they are very easy to be defeated by the Italian navy. The changes in this completely depend on the strength comparison between the two parties. At present, the strength of France and Britain in the Mediterranean is likely to be the latter.

In fact, Britain and France are well aware of the current situation in the Mediterranean, but it is not easy at all to solve this problem.

In fact, it cannot be said that it is not easy. There is one way to do it, and that is for the two countries to improve their naval strength in the Mediterranean to a point where they can compete with the Italian Navy. Make it impossible for them to defeat either party in a short period of time. If they can't do it, then it will be enough to severely injure their vitality.

Because as long as Italy does not have the protection of the navy, the advantage of a long coastline will immediately turn into a disadvantage. At that time, the navy alone will make the Italians sit on pins and needles and put an end to their hot-headed actions.

However, it is too difficult to achieve this. France is currently struggling to build four Guba-class ships. However, under the constant urging of the ally Britain, they have to spend money to build three more Breton-class ships. They gritted their teeth and persisted. Wanting to continue to follow in the footsteps of the Italians can no longer be described as suffering.

The French navy can't follow up, so what about the British Empire?

Sorry, although the British Empire's shipyards are filled with all kinds of warships, it is also a fantasy to have the navy to suppress the German and Italian navies.

Moreover, the British Empire also needed to ensure homeland security and the task of suppressing the German fleet in the North Sea. Then the strength of the fleet remaining on the mainland must be higher than that of Germany's High Seas Fleet.

Therefore, there cannot be too many warships left for the Mediterranean Fleet.

As for the idea of ​​​​joining the British and French fleets in the Mediterranean, it was only discussed once by the two countries and then shelved.

Although this will allow the British and French fleets to have the strength to compete with the Italian Navy, there is a key problem that the two countries cannot solve.

Where should this fleet be stationed?

Is it the port of Toulon in mainland France or the port of Alexandria in Egypt?

To put it another way, should we abandon the coastal cities in southern France or abandon the Suez Canal?

No one dares to make this decision, and no one can make this decision.

In this regard, the two countries can only continue to expand their naval strength in the Mediterranean while negotiating how to cooperate.

The problem of how to suppress the Italian Navy left the British and French navies somewhat helpless.

However, some smart people soon thought that since it was difficult to solve the problem at the naval level, it would be much easier to find another way. And this method is not complicated, that is, since it is difficult to solve, then draw them over and become allies. Wouldn't the problem between the two countries in the Mediterranean be solved now, and it would also relieve the pressure on France's land.

Of course, it is not an easy task for the two countries to pull them over, or to break up the alliance between Germany and Italy.

You must know that France has discovered this problem a few years ago and has always wanted to improve its tense relations with Italy. Subsequently, various acts of goodwill emerged one after another. Its biggest act of goodwill was to give half of the Tunisian colony to Italy during the first Moroccan crisis.

Although southern Tunisia is basically a very desolate desert, the Gobi Desert has a population of less than 100,000 and has little economic value. But it is still a half-colony after all, and valuable minerals may be discovered at some point, just like the Libyan province in Italy.

But it's a pity that the Italians are not interested in the goodwill that the French are constantly releasing. They will eat up the benefits and give you no chance of reconciliation.

Although he was angry at the shameless behavior of the Italians, considering the situation he was facing, the proud French could only continue to express their goodwill in order to impress Italy.

Of course, it is unlikely to rely on words alone, but in view of the current extremely tense situation in Europe, the French decided to offer a gift that the other party could not refuse. And the requirements are not high, as long as the other party can be neutral when war breaks out between itself and Germany.

So what made the French think that Italy could not refuse, and that was the remaining northern Tunisian colony.

Needless to say about the geographical location, if Italy occupies Tunisia, the entire Tunis Strait will be in its hands, and every ship passing through the Mediterranean needs to look at the Italians' faces. The reason why France took the lead in seizing Tunisia before was because of concerns in this regard, and of course it also received the acquiescence of other countries.

In addition, northern Tunisia is also its essence. There is a large amount of cultivated land and grassland distributed here. Tunisia exports a large amount of olive oil in northern Tunisia.

And according to French calculations, Tunisia has 9 million hectares of arable land, enough to feed a large population. For Italy, which has a lot of people but little land, it is an irresistible temptation.

Since such a generous gift was given, of course it cannot be carried by a few diplomats to talk to the Italians. This time France sent its No. 3 figure, Parliament Speaker Ribes, to talk to the Italians.

Today is the second chapter. Everyone voted enthusiastically to let the steamed buns continue to explode.