Chapter 2633: 20 Pounds 3
In fact, many times the navy's armament construction is a matter of what you have and what I have. That is, if potential competitors have this equipment, then you must have it too! It has nothing to do with whether a war will actually break out. For example, the historical naval armament plans of France and Italy before World War II! France's Richelieu-class battleships and Italy's Veneto-class battleships actually compete. Will France and Italy definitely go to war?
At least when these two classes of battleships were designed, the possibility was extremely small, but in order to gain a kind of psychological comfort, or to save face, the two navies must maintain a balance. Now, the Mediterranean is divided between France, Austria-Hungary, Italy, and Turkey. Even Turkey has fast battleships equipped with 14-inch guns. The Austro-Hungarian Empire wants to build 16-inch gun battleships, and the French also want to build 16-inch gun battleships. clamoring to start construction, then tell me, what will the Italians think? This is a psychological game!
In fact, after the war with technology, from the perspective of national will, all countries hope that their naval power will be in a dominant position. Of course, everyone knows the final result, because quite a few countries have no money, so in the end, everyone After some negotiation and pulling, the naval arms limitation treaty came into being. But what now? The war between the United States and Japan is not over yet. Italy is not involved in the war and has gained some huge profits from the war. They are indeed completing the Calacciono-class battleship. It is impossible to say that France has no ideas for this class of battleship!
After all, if France and Italy clash on some issues in the Mediterranean and North Africa in the future, France will be at a disadvantage. Neither Germany, Austria, nor the United States and Britain have any reason to intervene in this conflict. This is like, before World War II, Britain and France were still allies, but when it came to Mediterranean issues involving France, the French had to face the threat of Italy alone!
The development speed of the Italian Navy has actually surpassed that of France. Even if the French government really has no money, they will definitely build momentum. After all, both the Normandy and the Lyon-class battleships with the most artillery in history have appeared in the design bureau. on the drawings. In the eyes of the French, although this kind of behavior will increase regional tensions, it is also a sign of toughness. The French can surrender to Germany, which is stronger than themselves, but they will certainly not show weakness to Italy! Because France is still a colonial power, and the sword in his hand still needs to be used outside of Europe. From this perspective, once France’s economy improves, its naval expansion will continue. This has been the case historically. This plane Still so!
"But according to Japan's current economic conditions, it is probably impossible for them to obtain enough funds to purchase Italian battleships." Prince Baden said.
"First of all, Japan has no choice. They must use every penny in the national treasury to purchase military equipment. The environment in Japan is worse than that in the United States, so they have no choice. It would be good if they can buy something, but Can you still be picky?"
"Secondly, the British will help the Japanese complete financing. This is not only because British India and Burma are under Japanese control. More importantly, Japan has oil, rubber and other resources that the British need. You have to know , after losing Persia, Britain no longer has its own oil fields! Moreover,
If the Japanese are willing to exchange part of their colonial rights, I think the Italians will also be willing to accept it! Because now the whole world has been divided. Any overseas rights and interests are very attractive to Italians! "The crown prince said.
"And we don't need Japan to buy all the Calacciono-class battleships. As long as they buy one, Americans will have a very bad impression of Italy. When the relationship between the United States, France and Italy has stagnated or even regressed, , as long as we have the right skills, we can always incorporate these two countries into our system." the crown prince said.
"So what about the British? According to our latest news, the British are preparing to sell two unfinished Fury-class battleships as scrap ships to a third country. Currently, the British are discussing related matters with the Italians. This approach seems It’s exactly the same as what happened back then.” Prince Baden said.
"We don't need to worry about this matter. If a Fury-class battleship can enter Japan, this is actually a good result." Ruprecht said.
"Your Highness, I don't know if I should say something. If we acquiesce like this, will the Japanese navy be too powerful? Punishing Japan is also the purpose of our war. We must make Japan pay in this war. The cost is huge, we have always believed that the war situation is in our hands, but if it gets out of control, we will lose more than we gain," said the Grand Duke of Baden.
"Does your concern about the Japanese navy come from the results of this battle?" the crown prince asked.
"That's right. To be honest, I was surprised that the Japanese could achieve such results, and I was also shocked by what happened to Su Xiong's fleet. Our most elite battleships have never received such serious damage. The Japanese The performance exceeded our expectations." The Grand Duke didn't understand the navy, he just spoke based on his feelings.
"There is no problem. In fact, the Japanese arms supply is completely in our hands. As long as we are willing, we can prevent the Japanese from getting any ship! Don't underestimate the Americans. This time it is just a matter of time for the United States. Tactical failure, apart from the human losses that made Americans feel very heartbroken, the material losses were not too serious for the United States. American capitalists even hope that such an incident will happen again so that they can get more order!" the crown prince said.
"So in addition to doing what you asked us to do, do we need to do anything else?" the prince asked.
"Issued an announcement to support the French rights and interests in Indochina, the Imperial Navy and the Austro-Hungarian Navy issued plans for new battleships, and at the same time warned the Crown Prince at home. Well, it should be almost done, the rest is to wait and see what happens, and observe the United States, Japan and Britain, France and Italy are taking action." The Crown Prince was thinking in his mind.
"There shouldn't be anything else. You can just take care of the rest." Ruprecht said.
"Okay, in that case, brother, you can leave for a moment. I have something to discuss with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince in private." Just when everyone thought the meeting was over, the Grand Duke of Baden's words surprised his younger brother. .
"Okay, I'll rest first." The prince hesitated and said.
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