Reborn South Africa as a police officer

Chapter 1559 Orsay Pier
Of course, the training of troops still needs to be trained. The biggest advantage of the establishment of the Southern African Union is that Southern Africa can use the military expenses of the members of the Union to raise soldiers in Southern Africa.

Although the military expenditures of several member states are not much, they still have 3000 to [-] million rand combined, which is more than enough to support an army of [-].

Coincidentally, Southern Africa now has a standing army of [-], including the Marine Corps.

The investigation by the French side only took a week and was hastily concluded.

Richard Brown is right, the French side's conclusion to the sinking of the "France" is that it hit the rocks.

Although this result is unconvincing, it is at least acceptable to the French compared to other conclusions.

Then a serious question was placed before the French government, whether to continue to attack Madagascar.

If we continue to attack, it is hard to say whether we can occupy Madagascar. What if another battleship hits the rocks and sinks?
If you don't attack, where will you put the face of the dignified France.

The French also need to respect themselves.

Paris, on the left bank of the Seine, at the Quay d'Orsay, where the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs is located.

The French are used to calling government agencies by place names, so "Orsay Pier" usually means the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The current French foreign minister is Aristide Briand, who served as French prime minister 11 times.

By the way, the President of France has now been replaced by Gaston Dumegue, and the Prime Minister of France is Édouard Herriot. Raymond Poengale has left office. He and Édouard Herriot Between them was Frederick Marshall.

Frédéric Marshall was unlucky. He resigned after only 7 days as prime minister. The French government is like this. These people come and go. They are kicked out of office after only a few days. There is no policy continuity at all.

The decision to return to Madagascar was made against this background. Frederick Marshall was born in the Republican Union. The most important decision he made during his 7-day tenure was to return to Madagascar. After making this decision, Frédéric Marshall was ousted by the French Parliament, and Édouard Herriot was forced to take over the mess.

"Hi Carl, I've kept you waiting—" When Briand arrived at the Dock d'Orsay, Carl Lewis, the ambassador of the Southern African Union to France, had already been waiting for a long time at the Dock d'Orsay.

"Hello Aristide, today's weather is good, it's a day suitable for sleeping in—" Lewis was used to the French's laxity.

It was already 10:30 in the morning when Briand arrived at the Quay d'Orsay, which is unimaginable in southern Africa.

But it doesn't matter, anyway, no one dared to record Briand's attendance at the Dock d'Orsay.

"Didn't my secretary tell you that I just came back from the Elysee Palace." Briand looked haggard. It's not easy to be the French Prime Minister, nor is it easy to be the foreign minister. He doesn't know how long he can be the foreign minister.

In short, it is like a monk hitting the clock for a day.

"What do you say, Your Excellency the President?" Lewis was rude, everyone was very busy, so they hurriedly finished talking and went back to their respective homes to find their mothers.

"Most-favored-nation treatment alone is not enough. The previous series of actions in Madagascar have seriously harmed the interests of the French-Madagascar. In addition to the most-favored-nation treatment, the French-Madagascar should be compensated to ensure the interests of France in Madagascar. Relevant responsible persons will make compensation." Briand had high demands, and he hoped to get what he couldn't get on the battlefield at the negotiating table.

Lewis came to Briand to mediate, but in fact, he wanted to find a way for the French government to step down.

The so-called "most-favored-nation treatment" is just a rhetoric, and the Madagascar government has the final say on how to implement it in the later stage. Such a result will definitely not satisfy the French government.

Speaking of things that cannot be obtained on the battlefield, they can be obtained on the negotiating table. It sounds like a fantasy, but in fact, this situation has precedents for the French government. In the Qing-French War in 1883, France was also invincible win.What was not obtained on the battlefield was easily obtained at the negotiating table.

In other words, this is what the French are best at. Since the First French Empire, France has rarely won foreign wars.

"Aristide, you know this is impossible. If war really breaks out, the Southern African Union will not sit idly by. The Union must ensure that the interests of any member are not violated—" Lewis is indifferent, and the French can certainly dream , which is the right of the French.

"Are you threatening me? Don't forget that Madagascar is a French colony, and France can return to Madagascar whenever it needs to." Brienne said sternly, even without the help of the Southern African Union, Madagascar is enough for the French to drink pot.

"Haha——" Lewis laughed dumbly, calling him shameless.

Amidst Lewis's laughter, Briand's expression gradually became ugly.

Of course, he also knows the current situation in France. Even the real French are no longer willing to fight for France. France can only mobilize colonial troops to expedition to Madagascar.

During the First World War, despite the French official's repeated emphasis, the colonial troops performed very well, in fact, that was the case.

During the World War, not to mention the combat effectiveness of the French colonial troops, there were multiple mutinies over the years, which brought the French army to the brink of collapse. This was never said by French officials.

Even if it is combat power, there is a big question mark.

Don't forget that during the World War, the entire Allied Powers supported France regardless of cost, and the French army fought against the German army with extremely sufficient logistics.

Even in the case of sufficient logistics, the French colonial troops mutinied several times, and now the battlefield has been changed to Madagascar, thousands of miles away, and the situation can be imagined by then.

Of course, Briand would definitely not admit this. Politicians must have the ability to do what they say, and they can overthrow what they say in the next moment.

"How about this, let's find a place where you can sit down and talk with Madagascar." Lewis wanted to bring both France and Madagascar to the negotiating table, and let them negotiate on their own terms.

"Impossible, we don't have time to spend on the negotiating table." Brian didn't give in an inch, Lewis had a position, even if Brian made concessions, he wouldn't give in to Lewis.

What's more, even if the French government stops mobilizing troops to Reunion, Reunion has already gathered tens of thousands of troops. It is impossible for these troops to stay permanently in Reunion and perform missions overseas. Quick fix.

"Okay then, I wish you success." Lewis didn't bother. It seemed that the "French" hadn't made the French realize the reality.

Then keep playing.

Not long after Lewis left the Dock d'Orsay, British Foreign Secretary Austin also came to the Dock d'Orsay.

Austin is also for Madagascar.

Facing the Southern African Union, Briand still had some confidence.

Facing Austin, Briand became more restrained.

They are all thousand-year-old foxes, why are you playing Liaozhai for me?

"How much are you prepared to pay to return to Madagascar?" Austin looked at Briand with undisguised contempt.

There is no way around this. The interest disputes between Britain and France have been entangled for hundreds of years. Before the World War, Britain and France formed an alliance to fight against Germany. Now this premise no longer exists. The British European policy has returned to continental equilibrium. The norm in Anglo-French relations.

"For the benefit of France, we will do whatever it takes!" Briand said firmly.

"Come on, Aristide, if you want to do whatever it takes, all French people must be willing." Austin had mixed feelings.

In fact, after the World War, Britain's international status was also gradually weakening, and the United States and southern Africa were launching a strong challenge to the British Empire.

Seeing that France, one of the great powers, has fallen to where it is today, Austin suddenly feels that the current situation of the British Empire is not bad.

But looking at southern Africa, many people may say that Britain has made a loss-making business.

In fact, the British who pay or not know best.

Through the Second Boer War, the British Empire gained almost nothing. In order to maintain the so-called interim government in southern Africa after the war and appease the Boers in southern Africa, the British Empire spent more than 5000 million pounds every year.

The fundamental purpose of Britain allowing southern Africa self-government is to get rid of the heavy financial burden of southern Africa.

Now it seems that the British Empire has lost southern Africa, but in fact the British Empire has gained a powerful ally. The British colonized southern Africa, and the biggest beneficiaries were the British in southern Africa, who had little to do with the British government.

Now that southern Africa is self-governing, the biggest beneficiary has been replaced by the British government. As for the British in southern Africa——

There are also many British people in the United States, but can the British people in the United States be considered British?

"Of course the French agree—" When Briand spoke, he lacked confidence.

"Don't reject your friend's kindness. I don't want to see France suffer unbearable losses. That's why I crossed the English Channel and came to Paris. Think about what happened to the Italians in Ethiopia. You must know when enough is enough, my friend." Austin sneered, In terms of foreign colonization, Italy and France are brothers and sisters, and both are the laughing stock of the great powers.

Briand said nothing, the sinking of the "France" was already an unbearable loss for France.

Regardless of whether Briand admits that returning to Madagascar is already an impossible task for the French government, Briand just wants to strive for as many benefits as possible for France under the current situation.

On February 2th, the French government and Madagascar finally sat down on the negotiating table under the mediation of various parties, and the venue of the negotiation was Cyprus.

ps: There is something wrong with the chapter numbering, but it does not affect reading

(End of this chapter)