Chapter 663

In St. Peter's Castle, the news that the Government of Japan suddenly announced the severing of diplomatic relations came. The Tsarist government was stunned, and they all had the same expression – how dare the Japanese …

No matter why they dared, it happened anyway. In addition to being angry, the Tsarist government could only face the reality.

Just when the Tsarist government came out of its state of confusion and clamored to teach the Japanese a lesson, something even more intolerable to the Tsarist government happened.

On February 8, 1904, the Japanese directly launched an undeclared war against the Russian Army in the Far East.

Well, the Government of Japan helped the Tsarist government make a choice. At this point, there was nothing to argue about, and whether they were willing or not, they could only fight.

Of course, it may be a more rational choice to give up the Far East and wait for the Siberian Railway to open before settling the accounts with the Japanese, but the Tsarist government could not do it.

No big country could tolerate the loss of its territory without declaring war. If the Tsarist government really chose to endure, it was estimated that the people in the country would rebel.

The pride of a fighting nation was not a cover. They could tolerate anything, but they could not tolerate the Tsarist government's cowardice.

From this point of view, the original space-time put the blame of the Russo-Japanese War on Nicholas II, which was purely wrong.

The Japanese had attacked, and the Tsarist government couldn't just take a beating and not fight back, right?

Of course, Nicholas II was not without responsibility. The biggest problem was the strategic judgment error. They wishfully believed that the Japanese would not dare to attack and did not prepare for war in advance.

The current situation was similar to the history. Although the butterfly effect had a great impact, it still could not change the subjective judgment of the Tsarist government.

If it hadn't been for the war report from the front line, the Tsarist government would not have believed that the Japanese dared to fight the Russian Empire without declaring war.

It could only be said that the Government of Japan chose the wrong time to attack. If the attack was launched on April Fool's Day or the day before, the Tsarist government would probably ignore the war report from the front line.

…

After being the emperor for a few years, Nicholas II's self-control skills had improved a lot, and he could barely control his emotions.

"The war broke out. What's the government's plan?"

Those who knew Nicholas II knew that the calmer the situation was, the angrier Tsar was.

Although this strategic misjudgment was the result of everyone's joint effort, the government had to take the blame.

Prime Minister Sergei Witte stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, with the strength of the empire in the Far East, it will be very difficult to defeat the Japanese. We can only adopt a defensive stance in the short term.

The top priority is to concentrate our forces and defend several strategic points. After the Siberian Railway is opened, reinforcements will be sent.

The next step was to get the support of the Vienna government. Although there was an alliance between Austria and Russia, it was only signed with Austria. It didn't represent Holy Empire.

According to Emperor Franz's style, he will definitely support us. However, the strength of his support will depend on our diplomatic means.

If we can Vienna Empire, Vienna, and Emperor, will will, Ar Tsar, the Government of the Ar, the Vienna, and Empire, will, and the Vienna will.

"If we can get the full support of the Government of Vienna, then it will be much easier to get the support of the international community.

"No matter what, we are also a European country. No European country wants to see Europe lose to the Japanese.

The Philippines War is an example. For the sake of the white world, the European countries will naturally be more inclined to us.

"If possible, it is best to pull Spain. The Philippines War has only been less than ten years ago. If there is a chance, the Spanish will not hesitate to beat the drowning dogs.

"With Spain's help, the problem of landing is no longer difficult. With Shinra restraining the British, it will not be difficult for the Imperial Navy and the Spanish Navy to defeat the Japanese Navy. "

Overall, there was nothing wrong, but the details were full of loopholes.

It was easier said than done to defend a strategic location, but there were many problems that they would have to face if they really did it.

The first problem they faced was "resources". Although the Russian Army had hoarded some supplies in the Far East, it was obviously not enough to support the Siberian Railway.

In the original world, many keyboard warriors criticized the Russian Army's command errors, but they didn't know that many of the "mistakes" had to be made.

No matter how big the strategy was, it was not as important as the stomach. The commander's first task was not to win the war, but to find a way to fill the soldiers' stomachs and meet the supply of strategic supplies.

When the troops were scattered, some supplies could be replenished on the spot. Once the troops were concentrated, it would be a test of logistics.

Winning the support of the international community was even more mysterious. Spain was Spain, Russia was Russia. In the European world, these were two completely different concepts.

The European world did not want to see the white people lose to the indigenous people, but this was only the opinion of the people and did not represent the position of the governments.

The governments were willing to support Spain because the declining Spain was not a threat to them. With Shinra taking the lead to find trouble with the Japanese, everyone was naturally happy to do a favor.

It was different when it came to the Russian Empire. Even Shinra was afraid of Russia, not to mention the other countries.

It was useless to use the banner of "Europe." The debate about whether the Russian Empire was a European country or an Asian country was not clear in later generations, let alone now.

In addition, the Tsarist government's overbearing style in the past had offended a lot of people. Now there were more people who wanted to see the Russian Empire defeated than those who wanted them to win.

In this context, it was already a lot of face that people didn't hit them when they were down. If they still wanted to support them, they could only dream on!

If it weren't for the Government of Japan's equally annoying approach, it was estimated that public opinion would have been one-sided. The general trend was not something that could be reversed by the strength of an individual.

The only feasible way was probably to rope in Spain. Unfortunately, the Tsarist government chose the wrong time.

If it was during the Philippines War, the Spanish government would definitely ally with them, but now it was better to forget about it!

There were a lot of internal conflicts in their own country, and the Spanish government was already exhausted. Who would care about revenge against the Japanese?

Of course, there was no actual revenge, but there was no problem with moral support.

It was estimated that there was no need to rope in them. The Spanish government would spontaneously help wave the flag, but only limited to waving the flag.

As the Prime Minister, Sergei Witte naturally wouldn't ignore these problems. Even if he didn't notice it for a while, the think tank would remind him.

There was naturally a reason to pretend to be confused now. Not destroying his prestige was one thing, but more importantly, it was a political need.

Strategic misjudgments needed someone to be responsible, and as the Prime Minister, it was certainly difficult to escape the blame. If he didn't want to leave with his tail between his legs, then he must find a way to remedy it.

The key to determining the outcome of the war was still strength. There was no way to reverse the strength balance in the Far East, and naturally, there was no way to turn the tables.

But since Tsar already asked, Sergei Witte couldn't pretend not to hear it, let alone say there was no way.

Politics had to be dealt with first. As for how to fight on the battlefield, that was the military's business. As the Prime Minister, he was responsible for logistics.

As soon as the voice fell, Mikhailovich's expression became nervous. He didn't know if the military could complete the plan, but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs couldn't.

Being caught in the crossfire, Mikhailovich couldn't care less about the Prime Minister's face. He immediately retorted, "Prime Minister, don't forget that there is still the British.

We have the Russo-Austrian Alliance, and the Japanese also have the Anglo-Japanese Alliance. Whether you want to admit it or not, the most powerful force in the Far East is the British.

Including this war, most of it was planned by the British. Without their support, the Government of Japan doesn't have the courage to go to war with us at all.

What we have to do now is not only to fight the Government of Japan, but also to play a game with the British.

With the British making trouble, it is impossible for us to get the support of the international community. The European countries won't easily choose a side.

The only ones that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can really win over are the Holy Roman Empire and Spain. With the British holding us back, it is difficult for the two countries to provide us with substantial help in the Far East. "

There was no way, the British Empire was so powerful these days. Even the strong rise of the Holy Roman Empire still couldn't cover up the strength of Britannia.

What's more, the British had the advantage in the Far East. Shinra only came in later, and its influence in the local area was far less than that of the British.

If it wasn't for the prestige of defeating France, it was estimated that it would still be regarded as a second-rate country. Now the conflict between Shinra and Britannia, in addition to interests, was also a struggle for "fame."

Individuals could ignore fame and fortune, but a country couldn't. Without an illustrious reputation as a deterrent, it was inconvenient to do anything.

Yevgeny, the Minister of War, said, "Not only is there a diplomatic problem, but there are also military difficulties. Our troops in the Far East are limited, and the Japanese can mobilize several times the number of troops to participate in the war.

Strategic retreat was originally the best choice, but the Empire is not ready for war, and the supplies stored in various places are limited.

In order to ensure logistics, we can only divide our troops to defend and buy time for the arrival of reinforcements.

From a military point of view, no matter what we do now, it is not as important as the Siberian Railway.

I propose that from now on, the Siberian Railway is under construction day and night, and strive to open to traffic in the shortest time possible.

Secondly, immediately organize a material procurement team to go to Europe to purchase strategic supplies. If we are late, the Japanese will be ahead of us. "

Perhaps it was hitting someone when they were down!

However, in politics, someone had to take responsibility for strategic misjudgments. If the Prime Minister didn't take the blame, everyone else would.

Taking responsibility didn't mean immediately packing up and leaving. When to resign still depended on the battlefield. If the front line won, it would also be a happy ending.

The original Sergei Witte was forced to resign after a year because of taking responsibility, coupled with the Russian Army's continuous losses on the front line, in order to give an explanation to his country.

As for the anti-war and political disagreements with Tsar on the Internet in the future, it was complete nonsense, and it probably couldn't even be considered as an incentive.

The Japanese started the Russo-Japanese War, and the Tsarist government could only passively respond. There was no choice at all. Anti-war couldn't just let the front line be beaten without fighting back, right?

If their political views didn't match, then it was even more ridiculous. From the beginning of the succession of Nicholas II, Sergei Witte was an important minister in the Tsarist government. He stayed there for more than ten years and was promoted to Prime Minister.

If there was really a political disagreement, there would be no such thing. With Nicholas II's style, he would usually kick away people he didn't like.

If he had a choice, Evgeny didn't want to add insult to injury. But there was no way. If he continued to smooth things over, it wouldn't be long before it would be his turn to be unlucky.

War was not a child's play. No one knew better than him, the Minister of War, what was the situation on the front line.

If he didn't take precautions in advance, how would he end the series of defeats that followed?

Looking at the wording, it was clear that "dividing troops", "resisting step by step", "buying time", that was clearly to let everyone be prepared to accept the "defeat on the front line."

The reversal was only after the opening of the Siberian Railway. Who made the railway start later than the original time and space?

Even if the lives of the French workers were not taken seriously, there was no way to seize the railway all at once!

The situation had collapsed, and the people below were still fighting for power and shirking responsibility. Even though Nicholas II's self-control had improved, he couldn't help it.

He slammed the table and said angrily, "At this time, you all don't think of a way to solve the problem, but fight here to shirk responsibility. Don't forget your identity!"

This was a problem that every monarch had to face. The people below were harmonious, but they had to worry about their collusion; the people below were constantly fighting, and it would affect the efficiency of political administration.

In a sense, this was also the contradiction of a monarch.

In ordinary times, everyone liked to play with the balance of power and let the people below fight with each other; at the critical moment, they hoped that the people below would unite.

There was no doubt that a bureaucrat who could satisfy both requirements at the same time did not exist. Most people were selfish, and bureaucrats were no exception. Everyone had to think for themselves first.

Don't think that they really liked political struggle. Most of the time, there was no way. Where there were people, there was society, and where there were bureaucrats, there were factions.

Even if they wanted to stop, the people below would not agree. In most cases, taking a step back in politics was not a broad sea and sky, but a bottomless abyss.

For example, now, if the ministers' positions were unified, Nicholas II might be happy on the surface, but he would definitely not be able to sleep at night.

As for solving the problem?

In fact, the various departments had already begun to act. The Ministry of Finance was trying to find ways to raise money, the Ministry of War was mobilizing troops, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was working like a swarm of bees.

Actions were actions, but most of these actions were carried out passively. No one could expect everyone to come up with a perfect plan in just a few hours.

If Nicholas II held a meeting later, the situation would definitely be much better. No matter how bad it was, it would not be a bunch of useless clichés.

…

In the Far East, as the initiator of this war, Japan showed unprecedented fanaticism. The Government of Japan had just issued a conscription order, and there was a wave of people joining the army.

Especially the people in Tokyo, perhaps stimulated by the previous embassy case, were particularly fanatical now.

Whether it was government agencies, schools, shops, or factories, they all hung up the slogan "Revenge."

The felons sentenced to death in the embassy case were now invited to the shrine as heroes, and all kinds of sacrifices among the people were endless.

If it were not for the face of the diplomatic corps, it was estimated that the Government of Japan would have personally gone to worship. In short, the results of the previous trial had now been overturned by the Japanese.

Even the Japanese students who were ready to take the entrance exam to Nanyang University had now put down their books and devoted themselves to the war that determined the fate of the nation.

In the context of the people clamoring for revenge, the minority of rational people could not do anything at all.

There was no such thing as "anti-war". Even the anti-war members had now obediently shut their mouths. At most, they would secretly think in their hearts when no one was around.

Even foreigners in Japan have been affected by it. As an ally of Russia, Shinra's embassy in Tokyo had recently been low-key.

From this point of view, the Russian embassy case was still valuable to Japan, at least it dealt a blow to the arrogance of the embassies.

As the saying goes, the barefooted are not afraid of the barefooted. Japan was now barefooted. The national mood was stirred to the extreme, and a little stimulation would cause an explosion.

However, this kind of mental stimulation obviously couldn't last long. If the frontline army continued to win, then this situation could continue for a long time.

On the contrary, if the frontline army suffered a crushing defeat. The fragile national spirit of Japan would immediately cause an avalanche.

Gambling on the fate of the country was not only gambling on the army, colonies, but also the national spirit.

Now Japan had once again embarked on the old path of the original time and space. If they lost, everything would be over; if they won, the nation would be reborn, casting the foundation of a great power, and the world would have another strong country.