Chapter 738

After hesitating for a while, Franz walked in front of the hanging map and tapped it twice with his hand.

"If Blue is willing, he can go to Veracruz to be the mayor. Just take it as a test for him.

If he does well, we can increase the support in the future; if he doesn't meet the standard, then give up! "

In any case, he still had to give face to his younger brother. After decades of living together, Franz had long accepted everything left by the original owner.

Although Massimiliano was overly idealistic, it did not prevent him from being a good brother. Even if he messed around, he messed around in Mexico and never caused trouble in the country.

The governor of the Yucatan Peninsula could not be given, but the position of a colonial mayor was something Franz could afford.

Even if something went wrong, there was still Peter to take care of the aftermath. It was all a test, so it was not a trap.

The only difference was that Peter first served in the country and accumulated a certain amount of experience before becoming the governor of Central America.

Although Bru had helped Maximiliano Buendía handle the affairs of the Restoration, he did not have any experience in governing.

If he were to be given a high position, it would be a real trap. The struggle in the bureaucracy was very complicated. No matter what identity one had, one had to face challenges in a position.

Massimiliano himself was a negative example. He was too well protected by his mother since he was a child, and he became an idealist because he lacked the harsh beating of society.

As a border city, an area with a high incidence of ethnic conflicts, and a gathering area of feudal nobles, the situation in Veracruz would naturally not be good.

If the world was really at peace, the government could function normally without a mayor, then it would lose the meaning of the test.

However, compared to the situation in Mexico, the complex situation in Veracruz was not even a "trouble" and was not worth mentioning at all.

If this could not be handled well, then there was no need to say anything and just let it go.

Based on the current situation in Mexico, if Massimiliano and his son really announced that they would never return, they might wake up one day and complete the restoration.

It was not a joke. The power of the warlords holding the flag of the royalists was no weaker than the republican government. It was not impossible to win.

However, these guys were used to being the local tyrants. Even if they won the war, they would not welcome Maximilian I Of Castile back.

If they could compromise on this issue, it was not a big deal to accept a false emperor for political purposes.

Of course, with Franz's understanding of his brother, Maximilian I Of Castile would not compromise even if a knife was placed on his neck.

Since Franz succeeded, the good days of the second and third generations of the House of Habsburg had come to an end. As long as they were healthy, every single one of them would have to undergo "training".

Needless to say, he had a strict family education. Following the tradition of the German region, he had to serve in the army for two years after graduating from school.

He was going to train for real, not just pass his days in vain. Every year during the military parade, their figures would appear. If they did not perform well …

When they were almost polished, they would be sent to society to receive a few years of beating-like education. After going through this process, they would be almost thirty years old.

The only exception was academic research. After completing their military service, they could enter a research institute. They did not need to go through sociological education.

Then, they would be free to choose a career. They could join the military, politics, business, or even art.

The only exception was academic research. They could enter the House of Habsburg after completing their military service. They did not need to go through sociological education.

In a sense, Massimiliano had also made outstanding contributions to the education of the House of Habsburg.

If it were not for him, it would not be easy for Franz to convince everyone to accept this kind of family education.

Seeing that Franz was not in a good mood, Frederick The Great comforted him, "Okay, father. I will make the arrangements. I believe Blue will understand your efforts. "

Franz did not care whether his efforts would be understood or not. His many years as a king had taught him not to try to control people's hearts. That would only hurt him.

What really saddened Franz was the memories of the past. It could not be helped. People loved to reminisce when they were old.

…

The family issue was only a small interlude. At the critical moment of the struggle between Shinra and Britannia, Franz and his son were mainly focused on the British.

Unlike any previous enemy, the enemy this time could not threaten the foundation of Shinra, but they were very slippery!

After unifying the German Region, the military power of the Holy Roman Empire reached its peak in history. Whether it was the land or air force, they could be said to be invincible.

Unfortunately, with the English Channel in the way, they had to use their weakest navy to fight against the strongest Royal Navy.

Using one's weakness to defeat the enemy's strength was not desirable in military history. However, there was no other way. They still had to face it.

From the moment they chose to turn against the British, the Government of Vienna paid close attention to the intelligence of the British, just like the Government of the United Kingdom paid attention to Shinra.

Both sides sent out a large number of intelligence personnel to collect as much information as possible. The only difference was the focus.

The British were more concerned about the construction of Shinra's warships, while Franz was more concerned about the material reserves of the British Isles, especially food and other necessities.

Franz asked, "What has the Government of the United Kingdom been doing recently? It's not like them to hold back for so long without making any big movements. "

"Troublemaking" was the inherent label of the British. Even the rise of the Holy Roman Empire could not change the nature of the Government of the United Kingdom. The only difference was the target and extent of the trouble.

Even if the Government of the United Kingdom wanted to cause trouble, no one would be willing to cooperate.

It was different overseas. Except for a few areas, the influence of the Holy Roman Empire was far less than that of the British.

As a result, when the British government tried to rope in allies overseas, the Vienna government could only lower its goal and only asked the countries to remain neutral.

Those who were willing to join the Shinra camp were basically screened out by the British. Because of regional conflicts, they needed to find a backer.

The Government of Vienna did not have the ability to protect the safety of its allies overseas, and the support it could give was very limited, so the requirements for its allies were very low.

It was enough to wave the flag and shout the war cry. The Shinra would never take the initiative to implicate everyone in the war.

After the corresponding victory in the war, everyone did not have to worry about the legacy left by the British.

Of course, in this day and age, apart from the Holy Roman Empire, probably only the Tsarist government dared to think about the British.

The rest of the countries were all willing but not brave. For example, Spain wanted to take back the Strait of Gibraltar, but did not dare to take action.

Frederick The Great laughed and said, "The senior officials of the Government of the United Kingdom have been very busy recently. On the one hand, they have to treat the pain of withdrawing from the free trade system, and on the other hand, they are busy integrating the domestic industrial system.

It seems that they have been stimulated and are ready to work hard. After all, after they announced the shipbuilding plan some time ago, they were forced to revise the design plan to reduce the tonnage of the warships because of the lack of large docks.

If there are no accidents, the main warship built by the British this time should have a very impressive endurance. "

This was the inevitable result. In the case of ensuring firepower and reducing the tonnage of the warship, it was necessary to sacrifice other aspects of performance.

Reducing the coal storage and shortening the range was one of the less harmful modifications.

If the warship's range was not enough, it was no big deal to have a supply ship behind it to serve it.

Franz nodded and said, "Pay close attention to every move of the Government of the United Kingdom and pay attention to any strange situations. The biggest conspiracy is that there is no action now.

It is impossible for the British not to know the industrial gap between the two countries. In terms of industrial capacity, even if there were two Britannia, it would not change the outcome.

What's more, no matter how they integrate the industry, it is impossible to double the domestic industrial capacity in a short period of time. "

It was not that Franz was making a mountain out of a molehill, but the Government of the United Kingdom's behavior was too abnormal. Normal people would not "compete in industry" with Shinra.

The strategy that was suitable for the British was to use the advantage of the Royal Navy to kill the Shinra Navy's main force in a decisive battle at sea.

The Holy Roman Empire's industrial strength was strong. They could replenish their warships indefinitely, but the number of experienced naval officers and soldiers was limited.

At most two or three times, the assets that Shinra had accumulated would be exhausted. At that time, there would be no people to drive the ships, and the Government of Vienna would have to sit down and negotiate.

Of course, this was only in theory. The decisive battle at sea had always been to defeat the enemy. It was almost impossible to wipe out the enemy.

If it was impossible to wipe out the enemy, then the officers and soldiers who escaped back would be veterans with combat experience.

After replenishing a batch of warships and recruits, after a year and a half, everyone would have adjusted and could go into battle again. Regardless of the quality, at least the quantity would be satisfied.

What's more, the replenishment would not be recruits. The Holy Roman Empire's Navy was also large. In addition to the main warships, there were hundreds of ordinary warships of various sizes.

Most of the ordinary warships did not need to participate in the battle. If the main warships were short of people, they could be directly transferred from the ordinary warships. It was not pure recruits who directly went to the battlefield.

In addition to the active officers and soldiers, there were also former retired soldiers who could also be recruited.

It could be calculated that the average service time of the Shinra Navy officers and soldiers was about four years. On average, 25% of the people retired every year.

After retirement, they would automatically be transferred to the reserve service. There would still be a month of military training every year. This period would generally last for twenty years.

There were almost five waves of retired officers and soldiers. Even if some of them were eliminated due to various accidents, at least half of them could go to the battlefield.

Unless they encountered a continuous and destructive blow, otherwise, the Holy Roman Empire could afford to fight a slow war of attrition.

The original Space-Time Royal Navy had a shortage of personnel in World War II. On the one hand, it was because the Navy was short of funds after World War I and neglected the training of reserves. On the other hand, a large number of warships were needed to escort merchant ships. The main warships were still sufficient.

The Shinra Navy was not so worried. As long as they guarded the Mediterranean Sea and pulled out the British nail in the Mediterranean, the Air Force blocked the Strait of Gibraltar. The British warships on the surface would not dare to come in.

Although submarines could come in, the underwater range of submarines was limited. At most, they could only be active in the Western Mediterranean. The east could not be reached at all.

If they took Gibraltar and put a few destroyers to guard it, even the security of the Western Mediterranean would be guaranteed.

Theory was one thing, and practice was another. There was never a lack of miracles in military history. Before the decisive battle began, no one knew what would happen.

"A tiger will use all its strength to fight a rabbit."

What's more, the opponent was the British?

Franz did not want to have a friendly match with the British that would last for decades. That would be a disaster.

As if he thought of something, Frederick The Great's face suddenly became ugly. He frowned and said, "Recently, our exports of industrial equipment, spare parts, agricultural products, and various strategic materials have reached new highs.

Most of the new orders are from Japan and Russia. I originally thought it was because of the Russo-Japanese war, but now that I think about it, it seems to be wrong.

The amount of exports is too large. With the financial resources of the Japanese and Russian governments, to order so many materials, they must empty their pockets.

The war has just entered the middle stage. Even if the two countries want to fight desperately, they must leave emergency funds. What's more, many of the goods that were ordered in large quantities are in small demand.

Combined with the Government of the United Kingdom is busy integrating and expanding industrial capacity, these strange orders are likely to be ordered by the Government of the United Kingdom under the banner of Japan and Russia. "

Thinking of this, Frederick The Great instantly found that the new trade orders were not good. Even if they could make a lot of money, they were still supporting the enemy!

Think about it, the materials that the British ordered from Shinra eventually turned into warships, guns, and bullets, and the scene was too touching.

In contrast, Franz was much calmer. This was already considered good. At least he did not directly order weapons and equipment from Shinra. Otherwise, he would really be a "qualified arms dealer."

"Send someone to check the relevant orders. If there are any problems, detain all of them first. If there are no obvious loopholes, try to delay the delivery as much as possible.

From now on, all the exports that involve strategic materials, related machinery, equipment, and spare parts must be strictly reviewed. "

Free trade was also a double-edged sword. While enjoying the benefits of free trade, it was also bound by the rules of the free trade system.

In theory, before the outbreak of the war, the Government of Vienna could not stop the normal flow of commercial trade.

Even if it could, it should be vetoed when the contract was filed, instead of going back on it after the government approved it.

Since the British took the lead in withdrawing from the free trade system, many countries followed suit. Now, the free trade system was like a floating storm, and it could be destroyed at any time.

If the Government of Vienna broke the rules again, then the system would really be destroyed, and it would be the kind of destruction that would last for decades.

After all, if the credibility was destroyed, who would dare to believe in "free trade"? If everyone stopped playing, Shenluo's family wouldn't be able to play either!

As the biggest beneficiary of the free trade system, the Government of Vienna had no reason to let the free trade system collapse.

After weighing the pros and cons, for the sake of long-term interests, Franz decided to abide by the rules of the game.

Not only for the free trade system, but also for the sake of his allies. At this critical moment, he must let his subordinates believe that the boss kept his word.

Of course, he could not go back on his word directly, but he could still investigate the business violations. Even if they managed to catch one, they would still have to delay the delivery.

Anyway, this was the only time. No matter how many materials the British purchased, it would be rootless.