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Text Chapter 1116 East Asian War 1

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    After the Battle of the Marne in 1914, the Allies and Central Powers were locked in a stalemate on the front lines in northern France and the corner of Belgium.  As the war became protracted, the Ottoman Empire's fall to Germany posed a serious problem.  Due to the unwise British diplomatic strategy and Churchill's rashness, the Ottoman Empire was extremely dissatisfied with Britain.  Because according to some hearsay, when the Turks purchased battleships from Britain, even primary school students donated money, and the British actually seized the battleships that originally belonged to the Ottoman Empire without any reason.  Although the Ottoman Empire in this period is no longer the Ottoman Empire in history, this empire is still very powerful anyway, and it is very scary from the appearance alone, and the Ottoman Empire itself also has extremely powerful powers.  Of course, the Ottomans would not allow the British to do this because of their arrogance.  Therefore, the Ottoman Empire "gifted" two new warships that could not escape the Mediterranean to Germany and then half-drag them to join the Allies. The result of this was that the most important Black Sea channel in Western Europe's aid to Russia at that time was blocked, and only a few  Russia's shipping throughput available in the frozen ports has shrunk to only 5%, which is extremely detrimental to Russia's continued fighting and may cause the Allies to lose the war.  After all, Russia is an extremely important link in the Iron Triangle of the Allied Powers. If the Russians fail, the Allies will no longer have any threat at all on the Eastern Front.  In fact, Russia at the beginning of the war was still very scary, and was even called the ‘European steam roller.  The Russian giant enchanted Europe like a magic power.  On the chessboard of military plans, Russia is regarded as a behemoth because of its large land and large population.  Although it was humiliated in the war against Japan, France and Britain felt relaxed and emboldened as long as they thought of the Russian "steamroller", while the Germans were on tenterhooks and had trouble sleeping and eating because they were afraid of the Slavs behind them.  Although the Russian Army has many shortcomings and is notorious.  Although it was the harsh Russian winter rather than the Russian army that drove Napoleon out of Moscow. Although the Russian army suffered defeats on its own soil in the Battle of Crimea by France and Britain, although Turkey suffered defeat in the Prussian War in 1877,  The Russian army had been defeated in the Levin Defense Battle, but was later defeated due to the disparity in numbers. Although Japan had defeated the Russian army in Manchuria, the myth that the Russian army was invincible still spread for a while.  The Cossack cavalry charge, with loud killing sounds, ferocity and cruelty, has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people in Europe, so in August 1914, newspaper artists were able to be thousands of miles away from the Russian front and depict such scenes with chilling precision and fine brushwork.  .  People have formed a concept of the Russian army, that is, Cossacks plus millions of strong, docile and obedient gray animals that are ready to die.  The Russian army is staggeringly large.  The peacetime military strength is 1,423,000 people. Once mobilized and recruited, it can increase by 3,115,000 people. In addition, there is a local army of 2 million people and reserve forces that can be recruited. Therefore, it can be  The total number of troops available amounts to 6.5 million.  In people's minds, the Russian army is a behemoth. It is bloated and slow at the beginning. But once it is fully mobilized and put into action, it will be an endless wave of people. No matter how big the casualties are, it will be unyielding and continue to roll towards  forward.  Edward in history?  Lord Gray noticed this and felt the same way when he went to Paris in April 1914 to negotiate a naval agreement with the Russians.  He told President Poincarai, "Russia is very rich in resources. Even if we don't support Russia, the Germans will be exhausted over time." However, facts have proven that everyone is wrong.  On the Eastern Front battlefield, the Russians were completely defeated, even beaten to pieces.  Only when facing the Turks and Austrians could the Russians exert some of their advantages.  It's just that the losses on the Eastern Front battlefield were extremely huge, and Russia's own capabilities were obviously unable to support it. As a result, the Black Sea naturally became very important to the Russians.  Because that is the only channel through which the Allied Powers can provide assistance to Russia. If this channel is blocked, then from a certain perspective, the Allied Powers' blood transfusion to the Russians will also stop.  Although Britain and France regretted mistaking the Russian steamroller, they also knew that if the Russians failed, the Allies could concentrate all their forces on the Western Front.  On the Western Front battlefield, the British, French and Germans were already fighting very anxiously, and it was difficult to distinguish between them. At this time, a little straw may change the balance on the battlefield.  If the Germans wipe out Russia and transfer millions of troops from the Eastern Front back to the Western Front, Britain and France will be completely unlucky.  So in order to save the situation on the Eastern Front, we also want to save the unsatisfactory ally on the Eastern Front.  The French minister first recommended a "peripheral strategy" (in theLooking for a decisive battlefield outside the Western Front to break the deadlock, in November 1914, British Admiralty Minister Winston?  Churchill proposed to use the strength of the British navy to open the Dardanelles Strait and land, then land at Gallipoli, and go straight to the Ottoman capital Istanbul to expel Turkey from the war.  On the one hand, it reduces the pressure on Russia's Caucasus Mountain Front.  The Bosporus controlled by Constantinople can lead directly to the Black Sea and support the Russian team in the bloody battle.  And hoped to use this to open up a southern front to attack the Austro-Hungarian Empire.  And as long as we can win the Dardanelles, everything will get better.  On January 2, 1915, the British government accepted Nicholas II's request and decided to launch a new front in the Dardanelles Strait.  And Zhu Erdian came over this time because it was related to this matter ———————————————————— Britain and France were hesitant about Yan Shao’s proposal to join the Allied Powers.  If you just join, they will naturally be very welcome, even if it is just a supporting country waving flags.  But in their opinion, Yan Shao's request was too much.  Such as tariffs, Weihaiwei, and even post-war compensation, etc. This is more than what a supporting country can get.  "And if they send troops directly, Yan Shao also demands a colony, and the previous conditions will not be compromised.  At present, Britain and France are not at the end of their rope, so of course it is impossible for them to agree to Yan Shao's request.  Even so, Zhu Erdian still ran over.  Because the situation in Russia is not very good right now.  So London and Paris proposed whether supplies could be transported to Russia through the Siberian Railway in China?  At present, the land and sea may not be able to be connected before the victory of the Battle of Dardanelles. Therefore, if the Siberian Railway can be used to transport supplies to Russia in a short period of time, the quantity may not be as large as that shipped by sea, but it will definitely not be less.  Moreover, the entire Northeast is now under China's control, making it very convenient to do anything.  This time Zhu Erdian came here just for this matter.  Of course, this is only temporary, because in the eyes of the British, as long as the Dardanelles Strait can be opened, there will naturally be no need for railway transportation And listening to Zhu Erdian's request, Yan Shao touched his chin  stubble on.  —————————————————— Yan Shao actually already knew that Britain would launch a campaign in the Dardanelles Strait to open up the Dardanelles Strait.  In fact, this news was obtained by chance, but Yan Shao had no doubt at all.  Having said that, Yan Shao has actually been doubting one thing "Churchill insisted on seizing the Turkish battleship, could it be intentional" Looking at Cai E and the others standing in front of him, Yan Shao smiled bitterly.  asked.  "President, what's your explanation?" Cai E, Jiang Baili and others were all surprised when they heard Yan Shao's question.     on purpose?  What does it mean?  Almost everyone was confused and didn’t know what Yan Shao’s words just meant.  However, Yan Shao did not answer their questions immediately. Instead, he walked alone in the conference room. After walking for a while, he looked up again and asked a few people.  "Do you think that Churchill's seizure of the Turkish battleship was intentional, and the purpose was to make the Turks angry and join the Allied camp?" Hearing Yan Shao's thoughts, Cai E and the others ate again  shock.  However, after being surprised, Cai E and Jiang Baili looked at each other, with a flash of surprise in their eyes, as if they had figured out something.  Of course, there were many people who couldn’t figure it out at this time, and soon someone asked.  "What the president said, did you get any evidence?" Duan Qirui said, standing in front of Yan Shao.  "There is no evidence." Yan Shao shook his head.  "It's just a little bit of speculation" "You should know that we Chinese are called the sick men of East Asia. This title was only barely shaken off after the victory in the Shandong Campaign" Yan Shao said and looked at everyone.  "And in Europe, does a sick man also exist" The term "sick man of East Asia" first appeared as "sick man of the east", which came from an article in "Zi Lin Xi Bao", an English newspaper run by the British in Shanghai at that time. The author was  British, published on October 17, 1896.  According to Liang Qichao's translation, "China is the sick man of the East, and it has been insensitive for a long time." However, in fact, the term "sick man of East Asia" was derived from the so-called "sick man of Europe" (privately referring to the Ottoman Turkish Empire) by the Western powers.  In other words, Türkiye’s status is actually the same as China’s, and it is better than China’sIt could even be somewhat stronger. After all, Turkey was still working hard at that time, unlike China But this way, problems also arise.  We all know that countries that generally bear the title of sick man are usually relatively weak.  “ Considering China’s strength during the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, we really can’t make any excuses.  Generally speaking, countries with this title are generally easier to bully Churchill, Lord of the Admiralty, was the British Prime Minister Churchill in later generations.  Although this person's status in history does not seem to be as high as Roosevelt or Stalin, as long as you consider that during the war, he always held an anti-Soviet stance and actually joined forces with the Soviet Union to deal with Germany, you can see that he is definitely extraordinary.  .  And after learning that this Churchill was the Churchill that Yan Shao knew, Yan Shao did not dare to underestimate this person.  Similarly, he also began to deeply doubt Churchill's original purpose of seizing the battleship.  It’s very simple.  "Can't he see that the seizure of the Turkish battleships will lead to fierce opposition from the Turks, and may even push the Turks to the side of the Germans? Can't he see that if Turkey sides with the Allies?  Then the entire Black Sea may be blocked by the Turks, and the Russians will no longer be able to obtain supplies? "If this Churchill is really the one Yan Shao knows, then it is absolutely impossible for him to not understand it.  In other words, Churchill definitely had a conspiracy and had his own ideas and purposes.  Considering that Turkey is known as the sick man of Europe I am afraid that in Churchill's view, Turkey is an easy opponent to solve and a very good target.  Originally, Türkiye's political stance was unclear, and it was difficult for the UK to find a reason to take action against Turkey.  The problem is that Turkey itself was a very fat piece of meat at that time. The overall situation was very similar to that of China at that time, with a vast territory but insufficient strength.  Therefore, if Turkey can be dragged into the water, the British can get enough benefits from Turkey.  But thinking about it on the other hand, if you want to gain benefits, you must let the Turks take sides instead of continuing to maintain neutrality. After all, if a neutral country is attacked during the war, the pressure of public opinion in the UK will be great.  Of course, Britain must not let Turkey join the Entente, because in that case Turkey would be an ally of Britain.  If it was an ally, how could Churchill attack?  So we can only think of ways to force him to the Allies.  In this way, Turkey's problem can be solved while dealing with the Allies. Although this seems to increase the number of opponents, don't forget Turkey's title of the sick man of Europe. Just imagine what China had in the late Qing Dynasty.  How fragile it is to imagine Churchill and other British superiority complexes towards Turkey.  In their view, I am afraid that Turkey is a very easy opponent to deal with and can be solved very easily.  Blocking the Black Sea may initially cause some trouble to the Allied Powers, but as long as Turkey is solved, Britain can gain huge benefits from Turkey.  In fact, after the disintegration of Türkiye in history, many Turkish territories were taken over by the British.  The Ottoman Empire, which originally spanned three continents, was eventually reduced to the small area it is now.  Such a small piece was saved by Kemal with great difficulty But the British obviously misjudged one thing, that is, the Turks were not as weak as they thought, and they could still cause some trouble for the British.  of.  ———————————————————— Perhaps because of their contempt for Turkey, the British did not think of the disadvantages of provoking Turkey. They only considered the consequences of forcing Turkey into the Allied camp.  benefits.  Also considering the reputation of Europe's neat steamrollers, I'm afraid the British did not expect that the Russians would be beaten to pieces by the Germans so quickly. You must know that at this time, the Russians are still highly regarded by the whole world.  Yes, I think the Russians have extremely strong strength.  Since this is the case, it is impossible for Russia to be in trouble just because the Black Sea was closed for a short period of time.  During the period when the Black Sea was closed, Britain could dispatch its troops to launch large-scale battles like the Battle of the Dardanelles to find a way to get rid of the Turks, open up the Dardanelles Strait, and get the greatest credit for solving Turkey Here  It needs to be explained that the historical Battle of Dardanelles was originally launched by the British and the Russians.  But I don’t know why, but the British actually started it alone. This is also one of the reasons why the British failed miserably in history.    But precisely because of this, it may be more proof that the British have indeed wanted to drag the Turks into the water for a long time. The original policy of detaining the battleships was not because they were worried that the Turks would defect to the Allies. It would be more troublesome to clean up these battleships by then.  But they just want to drag the Turks into the water, dismember Turkey, and distribute the benefits.  "If this were not the case, it would be impossible for the British to launch the Dardanelles Battle against Turkey on their own.  This was done entirely because the British thought they could solve the problem themselves and help the Russians who were in trouble at the time.  But the British were wrong. The Turks were far stronger than they thought. Historically, the British suffered huge losses in this battle, and the entire battle ended in failure.  The reason is that the British underestimated the Turks, and the Turkish Army at that time was completely trained by the Germans. Even the people who commanded the Turks at that time were German officers.  ———————————————————— Yan Shao felt a little chilled when he thought that Turkey was completely dragged into the water by the British.  Because he had also violated this battle in history. After the First World War, Turkey was indeed completely dismembered.  If it hadn't been for the disastrous defeat in the Battle of the Dardanelles, I'm afraid everything would have gone as the British planned.  And just considering that the British had already started planning such a thing before the war, Yan Shao felt a little chilly.  However, the Battle of the Dardanelles was also in line with Yan Shao's wishes, and the reason was very simple, because Yan Shao originally wanted to see Europeans killing each other Only when the Europeans suffered heavy losses could China rise.  possible, at least this is extremely correct in Yan Shao's opinion.  There is no way, who said that Europe is too strong now? If Europe's strength cannot be suppressed, then China's development space will be limited.  Because almost all the areas around China are occupied by foreign powers, including countries like the United States(To be continued.)——1098099——>?…
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