Anti-Qing: Starting from the Jintian Uprising

Chapter 173 Che Guevara: Because we have been here!
This time Britain suffered such a great loss in Hong Kong that even its ambassador was beheaded as a sacrifice. Given Palmerston's character, it was impossible for him to turn a blind eye to this.

The purpose of his visit to 10 Downing Street was to lobby the current Prime Minister Edward Smith-Stanley to launch a war against China in retaliation.

Stanley frowned when he heard this.

"Palmerston, I fully agree with you. The death of the British ambassador, Sir John Wenham, should not be in vain, and the blood of the British soldiers should not be shed in vain."

"But I don't think now is the best time for us to impose military punishment on the rebels in the Far East!"

"The situation in Crimea has now reached a critical moment, and Britain needs to focus more on Crimea."

Ever since Napoleon III came to power through a military coup.

They attempted to break the restrictions and blockade of France by the anti-French alliance by provoking disputes in Crimea and sowing discord between Russia and Britain, and Russia and Austria.

Britain is naturally well aware of this, but France has been acting sufficiently flattering and submissive in front of Britain recently.

He has publicly acknowledged more than once the British advantage in Egypt after driving out France, and has firmly kept pace with Britain in diplomacy, acting as Britain's younger brother.

In addition, Britain did have considerable conflicts of interest with Tsarist Russia over Crimea.

Moreover, Tsarist Russia's continued westward expansion threatened Britain's position as an arbitrator in Europe.

Therefore, Britain adopted an attitude of acquiescence or even support towards France's small actions.

And Napoleon III intervened in the Crimea situation by using the protectorate of the Holy Land as a handle.

The situation in Crimea has become increasingly tense and is almost on the verge of breaking out.

Now, Britain needs to focus its main attention on Crimea and has no spare energy to deploy troops to the Far East or launch a large-scale expedition.

For Stanley, the Near East is obviously more important than the Far East!
Palmerston heard this and immediately spoke.

"Your Excellency, the Prime Minister, the British envoy's death cannot be in vain."

"The rebels dared to kill the British envoy. This is a provocation to the dignity of Britain. If Britain cannot retaliate immediately, where is the dignity of Britain?"

He emphasized Wenhan's death again.

The killing of an ambassador was something that had never happened before in Britain.

Given the pride of the British at that time, they would never accept such a thing.

Once the news spreads, there will inevitably be an uproar in public opinion across the UK, forcing both the House of Commons and the House of Lords to vote.

In other words, it is imperative to launch a war against the rebels in the Far East and impose military punishment on them.

Stanley frowned.

“What about Crimea?”

"What if Crimea officially opens fire when Britain is withdrawing troops to expedition to the East? How should Britain respond?"

As the Prime Minister of the Empire, Stanley still has a clear mind.

He was not blinded by anger, he knew where Daying should focus his main energy now.

In Stanley's view, Russia's eagerness to take Crimea was a challenge to British hegemony.

If Britain cannot suppress Tsarist Russia, then Britain's voice in the Middle East and even Europe will inevitably be weakened.

This is unacceptable to Stanley!
In other words, France was the first to lose its patience and was eager to take over Crimea.

Otherwise, it might not be long before Britain would personally step in and add fuel to the fire.

"Palmerston, I know you are angry about what is happening in the Far East, but the situation in the Near East is more important to Britain."

"Once the Crimean issue is concluded, it won't be too late to launch an expedition against the rebels in the Far East and impose military punishment on them."

Palmerston heard this and immediately spoke.

"Mr. Prime Minister, the situation in Crimea is not as tense as you think."

"The reason why Crimea is so tense right now is because our French friends are fanning the flames. As long as France stops fanning the flames, the situation in Crimea will definitely cool down, and there will be no war in the short term."

"But our poor Sir Wenham cannot come back to life!"

"And the anger of the British people cannot be appeased except by resorting to war and retaliating against the rebels!"

Palmerston knew what the situation in Crimea was all about, and he also knew that France's instigation was the key to the increasingly tense situation in Crimea.

Having said this, and seeing that Stanley's expression showed some interest, Palmerston continued.

“And it doesn’t matter if Crimea doesn’t cool down.”

"Because we can also bring in France, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and other countries to form a coalition to launch an expedition and let them share the pressure for Britain."

"Among these countries, Portugal is an ally of Britain, and Portugal must be unwilling to accept the fact that its colony of Macau was forcibly seized by the rebels."

"As long as Britain promised Portugal that it would allow them to rebuild the Macau colony after the war, Portugal would definitely stand on Britain's side."

"France is now eager to get rid of the control of the anti-French alliance. Napoleon III has publicly stated more than once that he will keep pace with Britain in diplomacy and will not refuse Britain's request."

"As long as we reach an agreement with France, the Netherlands and Spain will most likely not refuse to send troops."

"If we can get help from the Netherlands and Spain, and have the colonies of Manila and Batavia as logistical support for the expeditionary force, then it won't cost much to form an expeditionary force, and it won't affect Britain's preparations for the Crimea." "The cost, at most, is to share some of China's interests with them after the war."

During the First Opium War, Britain paid a heavy price for its expedition to the East.

After trying their best, they were able to gather 20,000 people to launch the expedition.

But now it is different. First, with the application of steamships, the cost of navigation has been reduced and efficiency has been improved.

Second, this time Britain is preparing to form a multinational coalition with France, Portugal, the Netherlands, and Spain for a joint expedition.

In this way, not only will the cost be lower, but more troops can be mobilized to participate in the war.

As for whether this expedition can be victorious?
Palmerston had plenty of confidence.

He didn't think a well-prepared European army could be defeated by a group of barbaric Orientals.

Upon hearing this, Stanley showed a thoughtful expression and wondered whether this battle was feasible.

Palmerston went on to add.

"Also, our target for this expedition is a rebel army from the Qing Dynasty. We need to deal with the rebels and seek support from the Qing Dynasty."

"If the Qing Dynasty can also support us in fighting against the rebels, then our expedition will surely be victorious."

The biggest obstacle for Britain to launch an expedition to the Far East was logistical constraints.

If the Netherlands, Spain, and the Qing Dynasty, which have colonies in the Far East, can be brought on board, then this biggest obstacle will naturally no longer be an obstacle.

Stanley nodded in approval when he heard this, but he did not make a decision in the end. Instead, he said.

"Well, Palmerston, I agree that you have a point."

"But whether to launch a war in the Far East, we still need to seek the opinions of Her Majesty the Queen and Prince Albert first."

Palmerston nodded, and then spoke.

"Your Excellency, Prime Minister, how about we go to Buckingham Palace now to meet the Queen and His Royal Highness?"

Stanley couldn't help but twitch his mouth when he heard this.

"Look, I'm in a hurry!"

"Palmerston, don't be so anxious. Once I have finished the business at hand, I will go with you to see the Queen and His Royal Highness."

Upon hearing this, Palmerston could only nod and agree.

Soon, Prime Minister Stanley finished dealing with the documents at hand and handed over his work to his subordinates.

Afterwards, he immediately ordered his attendants to arrange a carriage and prepare to go to Buckingham Palace to meet Queen Victoria.

Stanley and Palmerston rode in a four-wheeled carriage, left 10 Downing Street and drove towards Buckingham Palace.

Beggars who were starving to the point of skin and bones could be seen everywhere on both sides of the road.

And workers who marched with signs demanding reduced working hours and higher wages, as well as workers who were disabled on the job and demanded compensation from factory owners.

Everyone was dirty, with greasy stains on their shirts, as if they hadn't taken a bath in years.

Although Britain was a powerful country at that time, its people did not necessarily live much better than the people of the Qing Dynasty.

Under the brutal exploitation of Britain's national entrepreneurs and factory owners, most British civilians were struggling to make ends meet.

Europeans began to live a good life almost only after the rise of Russia after World War II.

As Che Guevara once said.

"After we leave, they will build schools and hospitals for you and increase your wages. This is not because they have a change of heart or because they have become good people, but because we have been here!"

Well, this sentence was really said by Che Guevara!
The roadside gutters are filled with foul-smelling industrial wastewater, which flows into the sewers and then into the Thames River.

Due to industrial pollution, the Thames at this time was no less explosive than the Ganges.

Huge chimneys stand tall, and bursts of black smoke drift in the sky, dyeing the clouds gray.

The black smoke mixed with the thick fog in London, making everything in London foggy.

This gave London the reputation of being a foggy city.

But in fact, the incidence of respiratory diseases among the British during this era was the highest in the world.

However, in today's era, these are all symbols of a country's strong national strength.

In the early stages of industrial development, pollution is something that cannot be avoided.

Pollution first, then governance, is a path that all industrial countries must take.

It is obvious that at this time, the UK has not yet reached the point where it can start to control pollution.

Of course, he didn't do that in later generations, otherwise he wouldn't have left the nuclear leak at his doorstep unattended.

Soon, the horse-drawn carriage dispersed the protesting crowd and the beggars on the street, all the way to the outside of Buckingham Palace.

(End of this chapter)