Chapter 798

Along with telegrams, the news of the attack on the Suez Canal quickly spread all over the world. The already tense situation in Europe became more and more out of control at this moment.

On the same night, the Government of Vienna held a press conference and announced that they would fight to the death with the people behind the attack.

Although it was not explicitly stated, everyone knew that except for the British, no one else could be the "people behind the scenes."

The investigation team had just set off, and the Government of Vienna had not yet given a conclusion on the attack on the canal, but the people of the two countries had already begun to fight.

Armed conflicts were no longer limited to South Africa. East Africa and the Malay Peninsula had also erupted in wars of different scales. The total number of troops involved on both sides had exceeded the 100,000 mark.

Such a large-scale exchange of fire, yet there was no declaration of war. The actions of the two governments once again refreshed the understanding of the European world.

According to a politician who did not want to be named, "As expected of a hegemonic country, this" self-restraint "(shamelessness) is not something that ordinary countries can have."

…

At the Palace of Vienna, Franz was currently fighting with Frederick The Great. The turmoil of the outside world did not affect them at all, as if they were detached from the world.

Transcending was impossible. At this critical moment, he couldn't afford to relax at all. However, it was true that they were not affected by the tragedy of the Suez Canal.

The reason was very simple. Whether the Suez Canal was blocked or not, it had little impact on this war.

To borrow a phrase from the media: "The Mediterranean Sea is our inland sea. The great Holy Roman Empire will shine on the world. This is our era."

Although it was a little exaggerated, it was basically in line with reality. The current Mediterranean Sea could indeed be regarded as the inland sea of Shinra.

With both the European Africa Middle East Railway and the Bathtub Sea Route, the core territory of Shinra was still firmly controlled by the Government of Vienna, which was enough to ensure the normal supply of raw materials.

Franz didn't panic as the situation was basically stable. Not to mention that the Suez Canal was blocked for a few months, even if it was blocked for a long time, the Holy Roman Empire could withstand it.

As for the strategic impact, it was impossible to go east, so there was no rush to go east for the time being. It was not too late to go to the British after all the warships in the dock were put into service.

In contrast, the harm caused by the crude oil leak was greater. Tens of thousands of tons of crude oil gushed out. Not only did it pollute the river, but it was estimated that the entire Red Sea would be affected.

If Franz hadn't reacted fast enough and ordered the cleanup and interception as soon as he received the news, the entire Mediterranean Sea might have been affected.

Frederick said, "Father, since the British planned this attack, they will definitely take themselves out of it. I'm afraid the investigation team will not find anything."

Whether it was Britain or Holy Empire, neither side was alone. Even if they went to war, it would be a group fight.

If they wanted to wage a war, they would not only need to see the problem from their own perspective, but they also had with the allies.

Old tricks like the disappearance of soldiers could be distinguished at a glance, and the other party would not buy it.

Of course, they could forcefully pull their allies onto the ship, but this way, they wouldn't be pulling in allies, but a bunch of pig-headed teammates full of resentment.

He had gathered all the useless teammates from all over Europe, and if he didn't build a good relationship with them, the Vienna government wouldn't be able to bring him along.

The Government of Vienna would not be able to do anything to delay the transportation of supplies.

In fact, one of the main reasons for the delay in starting the war was the lack of a reasonable excuse.

In fact, one of the main reasons why the war hadn't started yet was the lack of a reasonable excuse for war.

Although this economic lifeline was in the hands of the Government of Vienna, most of Europe would benefit from it. As long as the attack was proven to be planned by the British, it would be logical to launch a war to retaliate.

As long as they could prove that the attack was planned by the British, it would be logical to launch a war to retaliate.

Even if it really has nothing to do with the British, we can let them be involved. Even if it really has nothing to do with the British, we can still get them involved.

Inviting representatives from various countries to participate is nothing more than letting them endorse it. Of course, a fake is a fake. No matter how perfect the arrangement is, there will always be clues.

Of course, a fake was a fake after all. No matter how perfect the setup was, there would always be traces left behind.

Otherwise, it will be a big problem if it is exposed in the future. If it is exposed in the future, it will be a big problem.

If similar things happen in the future, just hand it over to the cabinet. As monarchs, we have to learn to pretend to be ignorant at the appropriate time. "

It was the nature of human nature to lean towards the pros and cons, and emperors were no exception. Especially this kind of operation that could not be seen in the light, it was best to hide as far as possible.

As long as they did not participate, even if they were exposed in the future, they could use the excuse of "ignorance" to deal with it.

Although it was just a formality, the investigation was still meticulous. For example, how long the investigation would last depended on the anti-British propaganda of the various governments.

When the anti-British sentiment of the European people was aroused, it would be the end. Only when the people supported the war was the best time to launch a war.

…

Sulawesi, Austrian Governor-General's Office. A group of important military and political officials gathered together. Prince William, who was in his fifties, was discussing the battle plan with everyone with great interest.

The British wanted to sneak attack the Nanyang Fleet, and the Nanyang Fleet also wanted to sneak attack the Royal Navy's Far East Fleet. Both sides were scheming against each other, but there was no result.

Nanyang Fleet Commander Areste: "Your Highness, we have failed many times to lure the enemy. I am afraid it will be difficult to achieve any results if we continue.

Either the Englishmen knew our plan, and were not taken in at all, or their appetite was so great that they did not care for small profits, and wanted to devour us all at once.

"The possibility of the plan being leaked is not high. There are not many people who know about it. "If it is the latter, we have the right direction from the beginning.

"The biggest problem is that the war has not broken out. Otherwise, we can form a coalition with the Netherlands and Portugal and fight the British directly. Our chances of winning are also very high."

William asked doubtfully, "Although we have fewer warships than the British, we still have the aircraft carrier strike group. Is there no chance of winning if we fight the Far East Fleet head-on? "

Admiral Areste shook his head. "Your Highness, although the attack power of the aircraft carrier was not bad during the exercise, it is different in actual combat. There are more factors to consider.

"We lack the experience of using aircraft carriers in actual combat. We can't even find a reference case in the world. We are still trying to figure out the specific tactics.

"Out of responsibility for the empire, I dare not overestimate the combat power of the aircraft carrier strike group before we go through actual combat."

The mainstream thinking of the navy these days was still big guns and giant ships. The Shinra Navy was no exception. Even with the support of the Emperor, the aircraft carrier strike group was still at a disadvantage.

The aircraft carrier strike group was at a disadvantage in the battle of ideas. The biggest problem was the lack of actual combat cases to support it. Everyone supported the theory of giant ships and cannons, but not entirely out of love. It was more for insurance.

It was not scary to make mistakes in military affairs. What was scary was that everyone else was on the right track, but you were the only one who went astray.

Since the other countries were playing with giant ships and cannons, they just had to follow. If there was a mistake, everyone would be in the wrong together. It was equivalent to no one being in the wrong.

The biggest problem with new ideas that were difficult to promote was uncertainty. Even if they could prove that the aircraft carrier strike group was correct, it did not mean that the aircraft carrier strike group would have combat power.

The correct idea was only equivalent to walking in the right direction. However, there were many forks in the same direction, and one could go astray if they were not careful.

It was mainly due to the limitations of aircraft technology. It was only after a breakthrough in recent years that the development of aircraft carriers began.

Before that, although there was research and development, the amount of investment was far from comparable to battleships.

There was no other way. There were too many areas that needed to be invested. No amount of military funds would be enough. Before they could confirm the effectiveness of aircraft carriers, they definitely had to invest more resources into battleships.

After a pause, Admiral Arest added, "Actually, the use of aircraft carrier strike groups might not necessarily be in the final battle. I feel that it would be more effective for sneak attacks.

It's similar to the Air Force's' Bull Hunt 'plan. Concentrate a group of bombers and carry out strategic bombing on the enemy's ports and shipyards.

In the Far East, the British's anti-air firepower is limited. Basically, they are not much of a threat to the fourth-generation bombers.

If we can figure out the layout of Jinlan Bay, the success rate of a sneak attack should be very high. After the bombing ends, we can go up and fight the enemy. Our chances of winning will be greatly increased.

Unfortunately, the timing is not right. If we do this ahead of time, the Air Force's plan will be ruined.

Unlike us, the Air Force has more fighter jets and has rich experience in bombing. If the 'Bull Hunt' plan is successful, the benefits it will bring will be far greater than defeating the Far East Fleet. "

Being able to see the big picture was a compulsory course for every high-ranking general. Both were sneak attacks. The Far East Fleet that heavily injured the British and the British mainland fleet were not on the same level.

Defeating the British's Far East Fleet would at most make the Nanyang fleet famous. But defeating the British mainland fleet would mean a change of hegemony.

The national interest was the most important. A local battlefield had to be compromised for the overall situation. No matter how many thoughts he had, Admiral Arest could only keep them in his stomach.

"Your Excellency, this is a great idea. We can start preparing now. Once the Air Force makes their move, we will immediately carry it out.

Even if we fail, it doesn't matter. The British can't possibly use warships to chase after planes, right? Just treat it as a bombing training to accumulate experience for the next time. "

After discussing for half a day, they finally came up with a reliable plan. William naturally would not be stingy with his words.

As the future King of Nanyang, William also needed to accumulate reputation and merits. Although the Holy Roman Empire had not developed to the extreme of "fame can only be obtained on horseback", war was still the best way to accumulate merits.

…