Chapter 1730 Desperate Bet 1
Chapter 1730 Desperation 1
"Master Prime Minister, the mood of the French people is very unstable now. Although it has been predicted that the Russians may collapse, when this day comes, the entire French government is in a state of mourning, and they are even a little out of sorts. At this time, We should take more measures of appeasement." On the way to the French Prime Minister's Office, Marshal Haig of the British Expeditionary Force said to the British Prime Minister Herbert Henry Asquith who was sitting next to him.
Just after the riots broke out in Russia, the French ambassador to London asked the British countermeasures on behalf of the French government. When the French ambassador met with the British Prime Minister, he asked in a vague way whether he could immediately support the new Russian government to come to power and control it as soon as possible. The whole Russian situation, the idea of continuing to fight. Regarding this point, British Prime Minister Asquith can only say that he can't help. After all, it is not clear who is in power in Russia now, who are you supporting? !
If the communication between the French ambassador and the British Prime Minister is normal, then the other news obtained through Scotland Yard is very bad. According to the information provided by the intelligence agency, the French ambassador to the Netherlands has begun to contact the Queen of the Netherlands, hoping that the latter can As a neutral mediator to test the Kaiser's tone, and the French also promised that if the Netherlands would help, France would be willing to ensure that the remaining territories of the Netherlands in the East Indies would not be invaded by Japan... . At the same time, the British intelligence agency in Switzerland also received similar intelligence, and the French government was also considering the possibility of unofficial contact with the German government through Switzerland.
What does this mean? This shows that the French no longer want to fight anymore. The fear of the Germans has overcome the national hatred and family hatred since the Franco-Prussian War, and the proud Gallic chicken is ready to surrender. When the British diplomats tentatively asked whether France When there is a possibility of making peace with Germany. The French did not answer directly. Faced with the British's persecution, the French said: "In any case, whether it is through war or other means, we must not allow the Franco-Prussian War to repeat itself again."
Therefore, the British Prime Minister, who was already a little restless, decided to come to France and discuss with the French government what to do about this issue! After Marshal Haig introduced the general situation to Asquith, the British convoy finally arrived at its destination.
"Welcome, Prime Minister Asquith." French Prime Minister Louis Bardoux said with a haggard face. "You are invited to come here today because fundamental changes have taken place in Russia's political situation. His Majesty Nicholas II has announced his abdication, and his successor is Nicholas II's younger brother, Grand Duke Alexander Drovich. And now, The provisional Duma has been formed, our friend Rodenko has become the speaker. Our foreign service has made contact with the Russians, and now they agree in principle to continue to stand on our side, but they need time to integrate , but also to deal with internal conflicts within the country.”
The French Prime Minister explained the current situation in Russia in very brief words, and then he looked at the British in front of him, who fell into deep thought.
"What are the so-called internal contradictions?" asked Asquith.
"At present, there are two governments in St. Petersburg. One is, of course, the Provisional Duma. The other is the Provisional Executive Committee of the Soviets. This executive committee is elected by socialists, civilians and soldiers by voting. Very influential. The interim Duma needs to coordinate with them," Baldu said.
In fact, when the February Revolution broke out in Russia, Lenin and others were not in Russia, so this Soviet was actually a spontaneous organization. And the relationship with the Temporary Duma is not a life-and-death relationship, and the two sides have also had contact. Of course, for Britain and France, they don't care about this now. What they care about is whether the Russian Provisional Government can be established quickly, and then take over the baton from the Tsar and continue to fight for the Allied Powers!
"Now, the Germans are on the offensive. They are attacking on almost all fronts of the Eastern Front, from the Baltic coast in the north to the Black Sea in the south, and the Transcaucasus. At least 1 million German troops are involved in this campaign. Our allies are living and dying, and they need our help."
"But the current French army, we really don't have the strength to launch an offensive anymore. In October this year, the Germans concentrated their forces to attack us. We lost at least 400,000 troops and a large amount of supplies and equipment. In Asia Minor, we Also lost no less than 180,000 troops. Counting some scattered battles. Our troops were unable to launch an offensive throughout the winter. , One of our divisions has more than 14,000 people. Now, our army is full of teenagers. This war has almost wiped out our generation." Baldu said with a choked voice.
After Baldu finished speaking, there was a long silence at the venue, attacking the German army in a defensive state in the winter? Are you kidding me? But neither General Haig, the commander of the British Expeditionary Force, nor General Nivelle, the commander of the Paris Front Army, said anything. They knew that from a tactical point of view, this must be a very loss-making business. After all, the Germans can play a good exchange ratio in offensive warfare, let alone defensive. But alas, tactical issues give way to politics at times.
At this time, Prime Minister Asquith was also calculating quickly. He could feel the anxiety and even despair in the heart of the French Prime Minister opposite. He was afraid that his inappropriate answer would directly lead to some unpredictable consequences. For example, if the British refused to launch this offensive, would the French government negotiate directly with certain parties in Germany?
To be honest, if this war is won by the Allies, it will do more harm to Britain than France. Germany is unlikely to invade the territory of the French. After all, the Germans have paid a lot in this war. They have realized that France is now much stronger than France during the Franco-Prussian War, and it is not worthwhile to take millions of casualties for tens of thousands of square kilometers.
After the war, maybe the French will consider changing their policies. Although Alsace and Lorraine were once French territories, look at France during Napoleon’s time and look at France now. Since Napoleon, the descendants of the French are not Lost place only once.... Therefore, when facing this invincible enemy, the French may be very afraid, because they really can't beat it, there is no way.
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