Chapter 2264 Precarious One
If it is said that after the Norwegian Sea Battle ended, there was joy in Germany, and everyone was discussing how to distribute the post-war benefits and how to trample the former enemy firmly under their feet, then on the contrary, the people on the other side of the North Sea The United Kingdom is gloomy. Although the British government has tried its best to block the information, at this time, the British high-level officials already know the result of this naval battle-the loss of two-thirds of the capital ships of the large fleet! 32 battleships and 4 aircraft carriers came back with only 12 battleships and 3 aircraft carriers! The auxiliary warships also suffered heavy losses. A few days ago, when the mega-ton warships of the Grand Fleet set off from the Bay of Forth, the momentum and deterrent power were gone. A battleship full of bullet holes and wreckage, almost like a pile of waste! Everyone who saw all this, or knew all this, knew one thing, the empire on which the sun never sets has become a thing of the past!
However, any empire that is about to pass away is unwilling to withdraw from the stage of history on its own and hand over its laurels to a new king. Even though Britain has been defeated now, there is not much room to refute even the demands made by the Germans. However, From King George V to the cabinet ministers, they are still trying to find a way out of the current crisis! At this moment, in Buckingham Palace, King George V, Prime Minister Asquith, Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour, and Lloyd George, the top leaders of the British Empire gathered together to seek for the British Empire and themselves. A way out!
"Now, do you still have contact with the Americans?" George V asked. Now, he doesn't want to know how the Grand Fleet was defeated, and he doesn't want to know whether Britain still has the means to prevent the Germans from launching an attack on the mainland. Because the former reason does not help the current situation, but the latter? Know the result with your knees! Well, now Britain has very few cards, and the so-called Far East ally, Japan, is absolutely unreliable.
And looking at the whole world, the only one that can impose certain restrictions on Germany at this time is the United States! Even if the United States is still in a hostile relationship with the United Kingdom, the British can only choose between kneeling to Germany and kneeling to the United States! The former is absolutely unwilling to the British. Although the British may not know the idiom of lying on a couch, I am afraid that they will not allow others to sleep soundly. Yes, that's impossible!
As for kneeling down to the Americans? This definitely means paying a lot of benefits. The British are not stupid. They know that as Germany becomes stronger after the war and its influence spreads from Europe to the whole world, the conflict between the United States and Germany will definitely intensify, and they also know that the United States Many people in China are still very afraid of Germany. Be more aware of the small movements between some virtues. Well now, there is already a consensus within the British government on the issue of seeking help from the United States. The only question now is how much it will cost to get mediation assistance from the Americans, and whether the support of the Americans really works!
Of course, even in this case, the British still have some confidence. Even if the homeland is not good, the UK still has Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. The population, resources, and economic power of these places are the foundation of revival, and India and Southeast Asian colonies are also huge markets and raw material producers. Even if the whole of Africa is lost, the British Empire still has the possibility of rising again! Therefore, the so-called kneeling is just an adjective. The British in this era will not be the younger brothers of the Americans like the later generations!
If the support of the Americans doesn't work, or the Americans ask for more than the British would have paid, then forget it, let's cut the meat of the Germans for a while.... As for what demands the Germans will make? The British are also not very concerned now,
Because the British really have very few options! And there is no situation in Europe that directly destroys a powerful country, and it is impossible to eat all the colonies of the British Empire. Therefore, in the face of Germany's demands within a certain limit, Britain can make very little countermeasures! Especially economically!
"The contact is still maintained, but the Americans did not take the initiative to find us, let alone put forward conditions." Prime Minister Asquith said.
"They are now sure to win, waiting for us to come to the door, and then blackmail us once." George V said.
"However, we are indeed at an extreme disadvantage now, and an appropriate softening attitude is necessary for the empire." Prime Minister Asquith advised.
"In this case, Sir Balfour, I hope you can contact the United States on behalf of the British government. It is estimated that it is difficult for us to keep southern Africa, but we must deal with other colonies, especially India and Southeast Asia. Do our best to fight for it, and there is also the problem of loans. The empire has destroyed tens of billions of pounds in assets for this war, and we must obtain enough loans to tide over the crisis." King George V said.
"And what about the Germans?" asked Belfort.
"Send a request for a truce directly. For the Germans, we have too few choices. We have already lost, and the losers don't have much say." King George V said with a sigh. It is said to be a request for an armistice, but it is actually more like a statement of surrender. The security of the British Empire no longer depends on its own strength. Millions of British expeditionary forces have been lost in France, and the Grand Fleet has survived in name only. In this case, the obstacles for the Germans to launch a final blow to the British mainland only exist in Germany's overall strategic issues and the international environment. Therefore, in this case, even the proud British can only admit defeat!
"We are very worried about one problem, that is, if we ask the Americans for help, and the Americans ask us to sever relations with Japan and provide help for the upcoming Pacific War that the United States is about to launch, then what should we do?" Prime Minister Sri Lanka asked.
Now, is Japan, an ally, still useful to Britain? Naturally, there is no positive use! As a big power on the other side of the earth, Japan itself is a little overwhelmed. How can it be able to help Britain?
Therefore, in the eyes of the British, Japan, an ally, has no value, and useless things can be thrown away as rags. But is this really the case?
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