Rise of Australia

Chapter 342 The Allied Powers

At this time, the Triple Entente between Britain, France, and Russia has not reached the close connection in the war, and the three parties have different preparations for the war, and the progress is also different.

At this time, Australasia proposed to have command of its own troops participating in the war, and Minister Gray had nothing to say.

Because judging from the current situation, even if a war breaks out, Britain, France and Russia will at most only cooperate in combat, and it is impossible to hand over their own troops to other countries for command.

Under such circumstances, it is reasonable for Australasia to demand independent command of its own army. After all, no one has such good intentions to hand over the command of their own country's army to others. This is equivalent to handing over the lifeblood of the army to others. out.

As for the military expenditure of the army, under Prime Minister Kent's proposal, Minister Gray also made some changes.

Once the Australasian army embarked on a journey to Europe, the British government provided half the salary of the soldiers and covered all the expenses of the Australasian army during the operation.

This also means that after the Australasian army arrives in Europe, all kinds of weapons can be fired recklessly, because there are British people with a strong family background.

The Australasian government only needs to provide half of the newly added soldiers, which can not only achieve the purpose of military training, but also meet the requirements of the British to send troops to fight.

Of course, the British did not spend their money in vain.Minister Gray also put forward a new requirement, that is, once the European war breaks out, Australasia's combat troops in Europe must be maintained at a scale of more than 20.

Once the attrition occurs due to various reasons, Australasia needs to continue to send troops to Europe to keep the number of combat troops in Europe at more than 20.

This also means that counting various casualties, Australasia may need to mobilize at least 50 troops to join the European war in order to meet the requirements of the British.

However, the condition mentioned by Minister Gray did not strictly require the number of main forces in Australasia.

This is also acceptable to Arthur. After all, after World War I, it is necessary to reduce the number of indigenous people to avoid possible ethnic problems in the future.

As for the hidden dangers of manpower problems brought about by the reduction of aborigines, in fact, most of the capable manual labor of aborigines can gradually be replaced by machinery.

Moreover, the population of Australasia is also growing. According to the current annual population increase, if World War I breaks out as it did in history, before the outbreak of World War I, the population of Australasia is expected to exceed 1350 Ten thousand.

Before 1920, the population of Australasia could exceed 2000 million at least, and the problem of manpower vacancies would not be so serious by then.

Even the long period after the end of World War I, plus the phase of Australasia's massive immigration.

If the operation is good and it successfully replaces the status of the United States in World War I, then it will face millions or even millions of immigrants every year.

Coupled with the background of absorbing the defeated country, before the outbreak of World War II, Arthur even hoped to turn Australasia into a top power with a population of 4000 to [-] million, the world's top three military strength, and the world's top five comprehensive strength.

In addition to these military agreements, there is another important topic in this negotiation, which is the issue of the division of interests after the war.

This is a topic that can never be avoided.If the allies of Germany, Austria, and Italy aimed to break the original colonial order, Germany acquired more colonies, the Austro-Hungarian Empire expanded in the Balkan Peninsula, and Italy acquired new territories, then the Allied Powers also had their own goals.

Although the original intention of the formation of the Allied Powers was to jointly resist the expansion of Germany, as long as the war is won, the defeated countries must be given a lot of benefits to compensate for the military expenses and consumption of the victorious countries.

Britain, France, and Russia are okay. Whether it is receiving the colonies of the Allies or acquiring the territories of the Allies, in short, there are many ways to gain benefits and expand.

But Australasia is different.Australasia is located in remote Oceania, the sphere of influence of the Allied Powers and the area adjacent to Australasia, there is only a small German New Guinea.

But German New Guinea certainly cannot satisfy the appetite of Australasia, and Arthur agreed to send a large number of combat troops, and it is certainly not for this piece of land that can be taken over immediately at the beginning of the war.

Around Australasia, except for the land of German New Guinea, the other lands are either the Pacific Islands of Britain and France, or the Dutch East Indies in the north.

However, the strength of the Netherlands is too weak compared to Australasia. Australasia does not even need the support of any country to obtain any Dutch East Indies land it wants.

This also means that in order to satisfy the appetite of Australasia, Britain and France must make some trade-offs between the Pacific islands.

Especially the British Solomon Islands, which are closer to Australasia, French New Caledonia, the New Hebrides under the British and French rule, British Fiji, French Wallis and Futuna Protectorate, British Gilbert and Ellice Islands Protectorate, British Tokelau Islands, British Phoenix Islands, etc.

These islands and archipelago are not far from Australasia, but very far from the mainland of Britain and France.

Coupled with the fact that it is located in Oceania, it is impossible for Australasia not to want to acquire these lands.

You must know that these islands and archipelagos are all islands within the Pacific Ocean and are an important line of defense for Australasia.

If these islands can be obtained, Australasia can completely build several complete island defense chains in the southwest Pacific region.

With a large number of coastal defense guns, powerful warships and air force, it is completely possible to block any enemy from the Pacific Ocean in the Pacific Ocean, and it is impossible for the enemy to approach the mainland of Australasia.

More importantly, these islands completely encompass the core parts of Australasia (Australia, New Zealand and New Guinea), which is also a solid barrier for the defense of Australasia.

Australasia wants to confront the United States, and these islands must be taken.Only in this way can we have sufficient confidence and cards to compete with the United States before the industry and economy can't catch up with the United States.

With these islands for defense, the mainland of Australasia is safe at all times.

But all this depends on whether Britain and France are reluctant to give up these islands in the Pacific Ocean in order to completely tie Australasia into a chariot.

Regarding Australasia's request, Minister Gray and the British government actually anticipated it a long time ago.

These islands in Oceania are, to Australasia, the fat next to your pillow that you must eat if you are ambitious.

Judging from Australasia's several expansions in Southeast Asia, Arthur's ambitions are not small, and it is expected that he will request the islands in Oceania.

In addition, after the Australasian region separated from the British Empire, the British control over these islands in the Pacific Ocean has weakened a lot.

In fact, this is normal. After all, the British Empire has a vast colony, and these scattered islands in the Pacific Ocean are not that important to the British.

But after all, these islands also involve the territory of the French. Even if the Anglo-French agreement closely links the UK and France, it is impossible for the UK to directly take the lead for France.

But in principle, Minister Gray agreed to Australasia's request, that is, after the outbreak of the war, the United Kingdom directly transferred all the above-mentioned islands to Australasia in exchange for Australasia's direct participation in the war.

At the same time, because Australasia was in a state of war with Germany after it entered the war, German New Guinea was Australasia's spoils of war.

As long as Australasia has the ability, it can even take over this land on the day the war breaks out.

As for the islands owned by the French in Oceania, Minister Gray also promised that he would try his best to deal with Australasia and get France to directly agree to transfer these islands as much as possible.

But if you want to come to the French, you probably won't refuse.After all, for France, these islands in Oceania are not that important.

The core of France's colonial area is still in Africa.On the premise that the African colonies are not lost, a few islands and archipelagos in the Pacific Ocean are exchanged for the support of hundreds of thousands of combat troops in Australasia, so that the French will sacrifice less. This is not a bad deal.

What's more, as long as the war is won, the French can completely acquire some land from Germany. Isn't the land in Europe less important than the islands in Oceania?
In order to express the sincerity of himself and the British government, on the day Australasia put forward the conditions, Minister Gray sent a telegram to the British government and asked the British government to negotiate with France to reach a consensus on these islands as soon as possible.

It was March 3th, which was a few days before Minister Gray received the reply from the British government.

Sure enough, neither Britain nor France paid much attention to these islands in Oceania.

Both sides agreed to transfer these islands in Oceania to Australasia in exchange for Australasia joining the Entente directly after the war broke out.

The French were very interested in Australasia's participation and the plan to commit 25 combat troops, and even wanted to invite Australasia to participate in the 1913 Allied Conference.

The Conference of the Allied Powers and the Conference of the Allied Powers have become the traditions of the two major military blocs since the last time they were held.

If there is no special event, it will be held basically once a year.

The content and purpose of the meeting is to discuss the response to the outbreak of war based on the latest situation.

At this time, the major European countries have already understood that this European war is absolutely impossible to avoid.

Up to now, the major European powers have paid countless funds to compete with each other.

Many countries have experienced financial problems. Even if the arms race is stopped now, it will cause irreversible damage to the development of the country.

The only way to solve this situation is to use a hearty victory to increase national cohesion and support in the country, and at the same time, use a large amount of spoils of war and war reparations to save the government's finances.

"Only war can end the current situation." This sentence has been said by many high-level military officials of European powers.

Regardless of how the governments of various countries are preparing for war, anyway, the military of each country is already eager to try.

Now that it has decided to join the Allied Powers and use military contributions in exchange for more benefits for Australasia in World War I, the next Allied Powers meeting will also be involved.

Minister Gray also invited Arthur, and Arthur naturally nodded in agreement, agreeing to attend this year's Allied Conference.

Since the conference of the Allied Powers was held in 1911, the place where it is held also has certain political meanings.

The first Allied Conference was held in London, England. As the core of the Allied Powers, there is nothing wrong with holding the conference in London.

The Allied Conference of the previous year, that is, the 1912 conference, was held in Paris, France.

France is the bridgehead against Germany, and France has to bear most of the pressure on Germany's troops.

Therefore, setting the venue of the Second Allied Conference in Paris, France, not only showed the status of the second most powerful country in the French Entente, but also told all French people that Britain and Russia would be closely united behind France.

According to the usual practice, this year's Congress of the Treaty Council was held in St. Petersburg, Russia, which is also the treatment that the third power of the Russian Entente should receive.

In addition to this very necessary meeting of the Allied Powers, Arthur also plans to visit Britain, France, and Russia when he attends the meeting in the future, so as to take the opportunity to establish good relations with these three countries, and he can also be generous in future wars. Face skin to take more benefits.

Although the relationship between Arthur and Russia has always been good, Arthur cannot guarantee whether the Tsarist Russian Empire, which is in a better state than in history, will disappear in this war.

If the in-law ally of the Tsarist Russian Empire is lost, then the only relative and ally of the United Kingdom that Australasia can rely on.

Therefore, it is very necessary to take advantage of this opportunity to walk around with Britain and France.

Moreover, Australasia, as the weakest of the four major powers of the Allied Powers, is not too much to take the opportunity to ask Britain and France for some points!

You must know that Britain and France, as veteran top powers, naturally have countless backgrounds.

All kinds of military technology and warship technology, if they can be squeezed out a little bit, will also have a big improvement for Australasia.

More importantly, after establishing good relations with these two countries, Australasia can rely on the status of the four major powers of the Allied Powers to completely replace the status of the United States in the original history of World War I.

Even if the United States is stronger than Australasia, as long as it does not participate in the war at the beginning of World War I, it is impossible to obtain the recognition of Britain and France.

Arthur also planned this way in the early stage. He wanted to follow the American method, sell arms to both sides in the early stage, and directly join the dominant side in the middle and late stages to completely end the battle.

But after talking with the Prime Minister of Kent and the butler of Kent, Arthur finally figured it out.

If Australasia and the United States adopt the same approach, the United States will definitely have a higher advantage with its more developed economy and industry.

In this case, it is impossible for Australasia to prevent the rise of the United States, and it is easy to lose the trust of the British government and the British people after the war because of the reasons for supporting Germany in the early stage.

But if Australasia joined the war at the early stage of the war and experienced the world war as the four great powers of the Allied Powers, its status and status would be very different.

Compared with the United States, which makes profits in the early stage and picks peaches in the middle and late stages, Australasia is obviously the "own person" of Britain and France.

Coupled with the British government's existing defenses against the United States, if the United States wants to obtain the huge profits and benefits in history in the next World War I, it will not only depend on whether Australasia agrees, but also on the British and French governments. Not that silly.

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(End of this chapter)