The value of the flight show wasn't just for appreciation, but it was also a show of force by the Tsarist government to the outside world. It didn't matter where these planes came from, they still existed.
In a sense, being able to buy a plane was also a manifestation of strength. Most countries couldn't even buy one even if they wanted to.
Perhaps intentionally, or perhaps unintentionally, Alexander III also invited envoys from various European countries to participate in the air show, including the envoy from France.
According to European practice, an ally's ally wasn't necessarily an ally, and an ally's enemy wasn't necessarily an enemy.
The Fao War and the Anglo-Russian War were both separate war instances and didn't interfere with each other.
Therefore, when the European War was in full swing, France and Russia still maintained normal diplomatic relations.
After confirming that the Russians were equipped with planes, the French ambassador immediately became concerned. Ever since the bombing of Paris, the Government of France had been worried about aircraft manufacturing technology.
As it turned out, it wasn't that easy to figure it out on their own. Without technical experts in the field of aircraft, the Government of France could only find a few hobbyists and a group of mechanical engineers to form a grassroots research and development team.
The results weren't worth mentioning. The plane couldn't be manufactured, but the key was that the plane built in the laboratory was still in the primitive stage, the kind that couldn't be returned.
If they wanted to simply achieve free flight and landing, they would need a lot of time to experiment and explore. Anyway, the French army on the frontline couldn't wait.
As far as Minister Alban knew, in order to get the aircraft manufacturing technology as soon as possible, the government didn't hesitate to cooperate with the British.
And then there was no then. Although Britannia's industrial strength was stronger, in the field of aircraft manufacturing, just like France, everyone was a layman. There wasn't a single aircraft manufacturer in the country.
This was undoubtedly an opportunity. If they couldn't get the aircraft manufacturing technology from Austria, they could get it from the Russians.
Of course, the Russians didn't have the aircraft manufacturing technology, but they had ready-made planes!
Independent research and development required a lot of time. Having samples to refer to and imitate would undoubtedly save a lot of time.
Although the European countries seemed to be very powerful, in fact, most of the industrial powers in Europe started with imitation, and France was no exception.
Minister Alban didn't feel any pressure from copying and imitating. The only problem was how to get the plane from the Russians.
…
"Your Excellency, this business is too troublesome. It's beyond my capabilities."
With that, the middle-aged man pushed the check back. From the look in his eyes, it was clear that the middle-aged man was full of reluctance. He didn't want to give up on this check.
However, there was no other way. The French were not to be trifled with. If they did not do anything after receiving the money, they would only bring endless trouble to themselves.
"Your Grace, you are too modest. Who doesn't know your name? There's nothing you can't do in St. Peter Castle.
It's just a small matter, as long as Your Excellency … "
Flattery, endless flattery. In order to achieve his goal, Minister Alban had also given up his bottom line.
With that, Minister Alban pushed the check back and placed a blank check on it.
His meaning was very clear. As long as he could achieve his goal, he could name any price.
Seeing this scene, Duke Olmedo's stance wavered once more. Even though working with the French might offend the Austrians, the French's offer was too high!
Although there were many people looking for him to do things, this was the first time he had received a casually written cheque.
After hesitating for a moment, Duke Olmedo shook his head again. "Your Grace, it's not that I don't want to help.
The problem now is that the Austrians are keeping a close eye on us. The ones responsible for the maintenance of the plane are all Austrians. We can't send the plane out of Russia under their noses.
You know Austria's influence in Russia. Once they discover a problem, the government will definitely give them an explanation. "
Money was good, but life was more important.
Normally, Olmedo had a way to steal a weapon from the military camp, whether it was scrapped or retired.
But not now. The Austrians were keeping a close eye on them. In case the Austrians caught hold of something, for the sake of the relationship between the two countries, the Tsarist government would definitely give Austria an explanation.
Under such circumstances, even the most powerful network couldn't hold up. Olmedo hadn't lived long enough and didn't want to die yet.
Being rejected again, Minister Alban's face darkened. With many years of life experience, he could see that the Duke of Russia wasn't trying to raise the price, but really didn't dare.
After a moment of contemplation, Minister Alban asked unwillingly, "Your Grace, the ones responsible for maintenance are all Austrians. This situation definitely won't continue, right?"
Duke Olmedo nodded. "Of course, we have arranged for technical personnel to go in and learn. It won't be long before our own people do the maintenance.
If Your Grace is willing to wait, in two or three years, Your Grace should be able to fulfill your wish. "
Waiting for two or three years would be too late. After such a long time, France's own research and development should have produced results. There was no need to spend a lot of money at all.
Alban didn't give up. "Don't tell me your country doesn't want to copy it? We can send engineers to help and decipher the technology. Our two countries can share it, and … "
Without waiting for Alban to finish, Olmedo interrupted, "Why would you want to copy it? What's in it for us? "
It sounded ridiculous, but it was the truth. In the beginning, after importing Arcana equipment, the Tsarist government was also keen on importing technology and copying.
But in the face of high production costs, the Tsarist government had to accept the concept of "buying is better than making".
Ordinary weapons and equipment were already like this, not to mention airplanes. With the industrial strength of the Russian Empire, even if they could decipher the technology, they couldn't produce it on an industrial scale.
…
For the sake of Rubles, Olmedo finally agreed to arrange for a few French engineers to join the logistics maintenance staff.
How much they could secretly learn depended on the French's luck. In any case, Duke Olmedo wasn't optimistic about the French.
Logistical maintenance and aircraft manufacturing were two completely different concepts. In the absence of in-depth research on the internal structure of the aircraft, there was no other way to deduce aircraft manufacturing technology other than investing a lot of time and money in experiments.
The amount of money invested was still manageable, as there would always be a little squeezing. The crux of the issue was time. Reverse engineering aircraft manufacturing technology in one or two months was completely different from spending one or two years to come up with aircraft manufacturing technology.
…
Snowflakes fluttered down, and the Rhine River was covered with a layer of silver. Following the silence of the gunfire, the smoke of the past was gone. Under the gentle sunlight, it looked especially pleasant.
It was another Christmas. Marshal Patrice McMahon looked at the soldiers celebrating happily, but he wasn't happy.
When the battle at the Rhine River broke out, the Austrian army only had 300,000 soldiers. The rest were the defeated soldiers from Bede and Germany.
It didn't take long for the Austrian army to exceed 800,000 soldiers. With the addition of the troops from Bede and Germany, the Anti-French Alliance's military disadvantage was no longer obvious.
Based on the current situation, the ratio of military strength between the two sides would be reversed by next month. By that time, the offensive and defensive positions of both sides would be reversed.
It couldn't be helped. In terms of manpower, wealth, resources, and industry, France was no match for the Anti-French Alliance.
The only advantage they had was that the French army was the most famous. With the support of their past achievements, they had a psychological advantage against the enemy.
Unfortunately, all of this was destroyed by the Austrians during the battle at the Rhine River not long ago.
The French army didn't continue their legend of invincibility. The so-called advantage in combat was now a dream.
Frankly speaking, Patrice McMahon didn't want to stop the war on Christmas because it would buy the enemy a day and further increase the difficulty of breaking through the defense line at the Rhine River.
"Marshal, the Christmas banquet will start in half an hour."
The guard at the side reminded him.
This was a tradition of the French army. Banquets were inevitable no matter when it was, not to mention Christmas.
Originally, Patrice McMahon wanted to return to Paris to attend the banquet at the Palace of Versailles. However, the road was blocked by snow last night, so he stayed at the frontlines.
Since he stayed here, as the boss of the frontlines, Patrice McMahon naturally had the obligation to host the Christmas banquet and boost the morale of the army.
"Got it. I'll be there on time!"
With that, Marshal Patrice McMahon closed his eyes to rest. Hosting a banquet also required physical strength. For the old Patrice McMahon, it was also a burden.
…
The French army was celebrating, and so was the allied army. Other than the necessary personnel who were on duty, most of the soldiers were celebrating this special Christmas.
Unlike the French army, the commander of the allied army, Grand Duke Albrecht, was absent. The main character of the banquet was King Leopold II of Belgium.
In the command center, Grand Duke Albrecht was looking at the latest battlefield map. In front of him were a few high-ranking Austrian officers who were absent from the banquet.
Speed was important on the battlefield. Although they couldn't attack on Christmas, it didn't mean that they couldn't do anything on Christmas.
"The armored troops that just arrived, have they settled down?"
Without a doubt, the reason why the high-ranking Austrian officers were absent was because of the armored troops that just arrived.
The movements of the armored troops weren't small. It was impossible to hide from the French army's eyes and ears under normal circumstances. Christmas could be considered the only chance.
In order to hide their tracks, the Austrian army also carried out a series of disguises.
For example, they increased the number of cars at the frontlines, and occasionally deliberately made noise to numb the French's ears.
In order to reduce the risk of exposure, the armored troops didn't drive over directly. Instead, they were transported directly to the frontlines by water.
A middle-aged officer replied in a clear voice, "Don't worry, Marshal. The armored troops have been scattered into a few camps that were prepared in advance. I personally went to check it out.
The location of the camps is relatively remote. The troops patrolling around the perimeter have already been replaced by our people a week ago.
There are also vehicle transport troops nearby as cover. As long as they don't come into close contact, most people won't be able to discover them. "
Fortunately, they had gotten rid of the French airship troops. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been easy to hide an armored troop.
Although the armored troops were almost invincible in this day and age, if they were really exposed in advance, the French would be on guard, and it would be difficult for them to achieve full success.
Dealing with the armored troops could be said to be difficult, but it could also be said to be simple. As long as they dug a few more holes in the path of the armored troops, they would be able to slow down the armored troops.
An armored troop that lost its speed was, in reality, just a powerful army. It would be difficult for it to play a strategic role.
After receiving a positive answer, Grand Duke Albrecht nodded and added, "The secrecy must be done well. Announce to the public that these camps are military arsenals. No unrelated personnel are allowed to approach.
For the sake of safety, don't inform the Bede and Germany about the arrival of the armored troops for the time being.
Our strategic goal this time is to leave the majority of the French army's main forces behind and maximize the damage to the French forces.
It won't be easy to achieve this. Therefore, we must use the advantage of the armored troops to catch the French off guard.
If the French were to react and withdraw their main forces back to their country, this war will be difficult to fight. "
This was the truth. Fighting the French by the Rhine River was far easier than fighting them in France.
Not to mention anything else, it would be much easier to capture the defeated soldiers after winning the war. The German people wouldn't cover the French soldiers' escape. They would be greeted by the people's war net.
A slightly older officer asked doubtfully, "Marshal, is the armored unit really that powerful?
With just over 200 tanks and 700 armored vehicles, I'm afraid that it's a little difficult to deal a heavy blow to the French army. "
It couldn't be helped. The armored troops were under the strictest of secrecy. Even among the higher-ups of the Austrian army, they had only heard of it, but not seen it.
Except for a few officers who had watched the armored troops exercise, no one knew how powerful the steel torrent was.
Grand Duke Albrecht knew that it wasn't just one person who had doubts. Most of the people present were skeptical about the armored troops' ability to deal a heavy blow to the French army.
After all, the total strength of the French army was about to exceed two million. With such a small number of armored troops scattered among the vast sea of people, it really wasn't enough.
"Friedrich, you are the commander of the armored troops. Now, you will explain to everyone how the armored troops fight!"
Nepotism was everywhere, and the Austrian army was no exception. The House of Habsburg was the biggest nepotism.
Grand Duke Albrecht's rise was also due to this relationship. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been so easy for him to become the number one person in the Austrian army after the death of Marshal Radski.
Grand Duke Albrecht had never hidden his intention to support his nephew and heir of political resources.
Of course, the most important thing was that Friedrich was capable. There were many members in the House of Habsburg. If he didn't have the ability, Albrecht wouldn't support him.
In essence, the purpose of supporting Friedrich was to strengthen the royal family's control over the army.
This political and military structure had lasted for hundreds of years, and was one of the important means to protect the royal family's power.
Specifically, during the reign of Ferdinand I, the House of Habsburg's royal power didn't decline even though the emperor had been lawless for decades.
This was also the reason why Franz was able to quickly control the situation after he came to power. From the beginning to the end, the army never left the royal family's control.
…
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