Rise of Empires: Spain.

Chapter 503 The British Plans
"What? Our fleet was driven out of the Dardanelles by the French? And now it has returned to Malta?" At the famous 10 Downing Street, the British Prime Minister, Herbert Henry Asquith stood up in surprise and asked the official who had come to deliver the message.

“Yes, Your Excellency Prime Minister. According to Rear Admiral Robert’s report, the French guns were already aimed at our fleet. If we did not evacuate, there was a very high probability that the French would open fire on us.” The officer from the Navy Department replied with a wry smile.

This was indeed a tricky choice. The French had made their stance clear, and if Britain didn't back down, they would have to prepare for war.

The problem is that, to this day, the British government has not made a decision to join the war. Rear Admiral Robert, who commanded that fleet, ultimately chose to withdraw, a clearly wise decision.

However, British Prime Minister Herbert Henry Asquith did not see it that way.

How could the British fleet back down in the face of French threats? Anyone who didn't know better would think the French navy was incredibly powerful at the time, but in reality, the French navy only ranked fifth in the world, while the British Royal Fleet was number one!

The fact that the world's number one chose to back down in the face of a threat from the world's number five sounds rather ridiculous.

Moreover, Britain and France have a long history of enmity, and such a swift and decisive retreat made Prime Minister Asquith feel as if he had been slapped in the face, his entire face turning bright red.

“Send a telegram to Malta and ask Rear Admiral Robert what he’s thinking. Is this how the Navy repays our people after building warships with the taxes paid by the public?”

"If we only know how to back down when faced with the threat of the enemy, then what use is our navy?" Prime Minister Asquith said angrily to the naval official who had come to deliver the message.

"Furthermore, inform the other departments of the cabinet to come to the meeting immediately. We cannot remain indifferent to such blatant provocation by the French."

"Has this information not been leaked yet? I don't want the public to know about the weakness of our navy. What will the public think of us then?" Prime Minister Asquith continued.

As the world's most powerful nation, Britain boasts the highest levels of national pride and honor. Countless Britons are proud of London's prosperity and the strength of its Royal Fleet.

This would normally be good news for the British Empire, as public support would give the government more confidence to expand the navy without worrying about parliamentary obstruction of the budget.

However, at such a critical juncture, excessive public attention is not good news for the British government. Just like in the last war between Britain and Spain, when the public learns that the powerful Royal Fleet has been utterly defeated by the Spanish navy, they will naturally not support the British government; instead, they will criticize it mercilessly.

It is no exaggeration to say that when news of the British Navy's successive defeats reached Britain, the country almost experienced turmoil unlike anything it had seen in decades.

Fortunately, the remaining British Home Fleet still had some strength, barely maintaining the last shred of dignity for the Royal Fleet.

In fact, Spain played a part in Herbert Henry Asquith becoming British Prime Minister.

It was Spain's victory over Britain in the war that forced the then-British Prime Minister to resign, ultimately leading to the appointment of Asquith as the new Prime Minister.

Of course, this did not make Prime Minister Asquith feel any goodwill towards Spain. On the contrary, due to the British hatred towards Spain after the Anglo-Spanish War, Prime Minister Asquith's public image had to project an image of hatred towards the Spanish.

Prime Minister Asquith has served in the British Cabinet for nearly two decades and enjoys considerable prestige and status in British politics.

He was well aware that Major General Robert's order to retreat was a reluctant choice, but as the Prime Minister of the British Empire, he could not possibly express his support for it.

Unlike countries like Germany and Spain where monarchs wield real power, the British Prime Minister generally holds greater power and is the supreme leader of the government.

It is precisely because of this enormous power that every British prime minister has to act cautiously to avoid taking the blame for the previous government.

Compared to Spain, the term of office for British prime ministers is much shorter, even ridiculously short.

Since Juan Carlos became King of Spain, almost every prime minister of Spain has completed his full term, and no prime minister has ever been impeached and removed from office.

Carlos never exercised the power to dismiss the prime minister; such a power was more often kept on hold, serving as a Damocles' sword that could influence the prime minister.

This is actually good news for Spain. Because of the relatively stable political system, the political agenda of each prime minister has been effectively promoted, and Spain's development has been very smooth. Major political decisions are rarely changed in a short period of time.

Compared to Spain, each British cabinet government has a much shorter lifespan.

Prime Minister Asquith has only been in office for three and a half years. Previous British prime ministers, some serving for three or four years, others for just over a year, have served longer.

With over a year allotted for familiarizing themselves with government affairs, it would be difficult to formulate development plans based on the country's actual situation, let alone implement those plans to advance the country's development.

This is one of the reasons why Britain's industry and economy have gradually lagged behind emerging industrial countries, due to the excessively frequent changes in government.

The two emerging industrial nations that are gradually surpassing Britain, Germany and the United States, do not have this problem.

The German monarchs still wielded considerable power. Whether it was Wilhelm I, who founded Germany, or Wilhelm II, who ascended the throne at a young age, they both had enormous influence in the government.

The German Chancellor is chosen according to the will of the Kaiser, and even if the Chancellor changes easily, it will not affect the national development policies set by the Kaiser.

Although US presidents are elected, they generally complete their terms. The main reason for the short terms of US presidents, rather than impeachment, is assassination.

Of course, assassination is not unique to the United States. In fact, the frequent assassinations of US presidents can be traced back to the United Kingdom, the US's mother country.

Britain has a history of numerous assassinations, and other European countries during the same period also experienced a number of similar incidents.

Compared to forcing a prime minister or president to step down through political means, assassination is clearly a faster method.

This method has even been reflected in later generations, and it is even more prevalent in this day and age.

As Prime Minister of the British Empire, Herbert Henry Asquith wielded far more power than King George V, but he also faced pressure from four sides: Parliament, the King, the opposition, and the people.

Another point that must be mentioned is the UK's two-party system.

The two-party system was originally well-intentioned. The alternation of power between the two parties can prevent a country from continuously weakening. The ruling party needs to face oversight from the opposition party, which ensures that while the prime minister wields immense power during their term, they must also exercise caution and vigilance.

However, with the development of the two-party system in the UK, the advantages have not been very apparent, while the disadvantages have been fully revealed.

Because there are no additional competitors, the ruling party only needs to focus on suppressing the opposition party, and the opposition party only needs to do everything possible to bring down the ruling party.

What was originally a healthy competition between the two parties has degenerated into a situation where the two parties, in their struggle for power, are completely opposed to each other.

Prime Minister Asquith was not angry about Major General Robert's order to retreat, but rather that such an order could potentially implicate him.

This is also why Prime Minister Asquith is calling a cabinet meeting. He wants to do everything he can to minimize the impact of this incident while the public is still unaware of the news.

British cabinet members are appointed by the prime minister, which means that cabinet ministers and the prime minister are in the same boat.

After the current prime minister falls from power, the new prime minister will certainly appoint cabinet ministers he trusts.

To secure a position in the new cabinet, one must either possess exceptional abilities or enjoy considerable prestige and influence in British politics. Otherwise, one must obediently serve the Prime Minister and pray that any upheaval will not jeopardize his position.

Following Prime Minister Asquith's order, members of the British Cabinet quickly gathered at 10 Downing Street, the Prime Minister's residence.

Because of the urgency of the situation, Prime Minister Asquith did not keep the details a secret, but directly explained the situation to his cabinet members, and then asked: "Gentlemen, let's all speak. Should we respond to this incident? And what exactly are the French's intentions? Should we further monitor the movements of the French and Russian fleets to prevent their military actions from having a greater impact in the Balkans?"

Although Britain had not officially joined the war at this time, it was practically indistinguishable from one.

In addition to considering how to address public concerns, Prime Minister Asquith also needs to consider whether the unusual actions of the French and Russian fleets will affect the war in the Balkans.

The fact that France and Russia would mobilize their fleets from so far away to meet must indicate a secret military operation. Since the two fleets met in the Aegean Sea, the military operation must be related to Constantinople and the surrounding straits.

If France and Russia were indeed plotting something big, the British would have to inform Germany in time to ensure that the Allies would not be caught off guard and forced to react hastily.

Ultimately, the British hoped for a victory for the Central Powers. While they also wanted Germany and France to weaken each other, ideally resulting in mutual destruction, they didn't want either side to succeed.

But all of this is predicated on the ultimate victory of the Allied powers.

"Your Excellency Prime Minister, I believe that the purpose of the French and Russian fleets joining forces is most likely to gain control of the Bosphorus and Dardanelles Straits."

The importance of these two straits goes without saying. If they were controlled by France and Russia, not only could trade routes between the two countries be restored, but the Russian fleet trapped in the Black Sea could also be freed, allowing the Russian Black Sea Fleet to sail south to the Mediterranean.

One point we must consider is that once the French Mediterranean Fleet and the Russian Black Sea Fleet joined forces, their combined strength was no longer something that the fleets of the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman Empires could rival.

"Unless Italy is willing to join the Central Powers, the Central Powers will completely lose their advantage in the Mediterranean." The British First Lord of the Admiralty was the first to step forward and reply.

Ultimately, the main reason for this incident was that the British Navy failed to stop the French Navy. However, the greatest responsibility lay with the British government for not clearly stating whether it would join the war, forcing the fleet commander to back down.

However, this kind of thing certainly cannot be directly blamed on the government. The Navy can only try its best to find solutions to ensure that the Navy will not ultimately be held responsible for the government's mistakes.

Upon hearing the Navy Minister's reply, Prime Minister Asquith nodded.

The intentions of the French and Russian fleets regarding the Strait of Constantinople were almost obvious, and their control of the Bosphorus and Dardanelles was certainly not good news for the Allies.

Especially for the Ottoman Empire, if the strait fell into enemy hands, the Ottoman Empire would be forcibly divided in two. Unable to attend to both the east and the west, internal turmoil would certainly ensue.

Let alone the Ottoman Empire. Even the current British Empire, if the Irish Sea between the islands of Britain and Ireland were occupied by a hostile country, would certainly cause unrest in Ireland, and might even trigger an Irish uprising and rebellion against the British government.

If this matter cannot be resolved, the Ottoman Empire may become the first country to surrender, which could have a significant impact on the Allied powers.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs should contact the Allied countries as soon as possible to inform them that France and Russia have completely occupied the Bosphorus Strait and the Dardanelles Strait."

"I urge the Ottoman Empire to be wary of a potential French or Russian offensive on the Anatolian Peninsula, and to halt their offensive in the Caucasus," Prime Minister Asquith sighed and gave the order.

“Your Excellency, perhaps we need not worry too much about this,” the British Foreign Secretary said. “Although France and Russia have gained more initiative after occupying the Bosphorus and Dardanelles, neither France nor Russia has the capacity to mobilize hundreds of thousands of troops to launch a new offensive because the Eastern and Western fronts are tied down by Germany.”

Even if they had hundreds of thousands more troops available, I believe they would prioritize the western front.

After all, the Battle of Verdun was taking place on the Western Front, which was perhaps a major battle that could directly affect the Western Front and even the entire war.

France and Russia are unlikely to cause trouble at this time. If they were to mobilize troops to attack the Anatolian Peninsula, it would only allow the Germans to exploit weaknesses on both the eastern and western fronts.

The occupation of the Straits might seem fatal, but in reality, it was only a minor issue. After all, Germany still held a certain advantage on both the Eastern and Western fronts, leaving France and Germany with no choice but to defend.

Under such circumstances, even if France and Russia control the Bosphorus and Dardanelles Straits, they would most likely be unable to launch a new offensive.

As for the occupation of the Straits, unless Britain also joins the war, the Allies will have no choice but to accept it given the current situation.

After all, among the Allied powers, only Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire possessed relatively strong naval forces in the Mediterranean. These two countries' naval strength was undoubtedly among the strongest in the world.

However, in the Mediterranean alone, France, Italy, and Spain far surpass them.

Not to mention the Russian Black Sea Fleet, which is equally formidable. Currently, the French and Russian fleets have joined forces in the Mediterranean. Even the British Mediterranean Fleet is unable to withstand the combined French and Russian fleet, let alone the fleets of Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire.

Upon hearing the Foreign Minister's opinion, Prime Minister Asquith's eyes lit up.

Indeed, given the current situation on both the Eastern and Western fronts, France and Russia can only barely resist the German invasion. These two countries are highly unlikely to have the resources to launch an invasion of the Ottoman Empire, as the Eastern and Western fronts are the most crucial, and the Ottoman Empire is ultimately just a non-great power.

After thinking for a moment, Prime Minister Asquith asked again: "The Spanish navy happens to be patrolling the Mediterranean. Could it be that it has made contact with the fleets of France and Russia?"
If Spain had also joined the war, would the Allied Powers have had additional troops to invade the Ottoman Empire?

While France and Russia are unlikely to deploy additional troops, Spain certainly will. Compared to France and Russia, who are completely tied down by Germany, Spain currently poses the greatest threat.

Whether Spain would join the war was also Prime Minister Asquith's biggest concern. If Spain insisted on intervening, then Britain would have no choice but to participate.

After all, Spain's fate was enough to change the course of the war. If Britain hadn't followed suit, Spain and France, united, might very well have repelled the German offensive, forcing Germany to shift from a strategic offensive to a strategic defensive posture, where it would await its demise.

Upon hearing Prime Minister Asquith's question, the British cabinet ministers fell into thought.

After a long pause, the Foreign Minister spoke first, replying: "Your Excellency, in my opinion, Spain should not join this war, at least not now."

Spain, like us, is a neutral country. Through cooperation with France and Russia, they have gained just as much from this war as we have.

The fiscal growth over the past two years has been quite evident, and the Spanish government is unlikely to let such a golden opportunity slip by. They will probably only consider joining the war after the outcome of the Battle of Verdun.

Although there are concerns about the possibility of Spain joining the war, a year and a half has passed since the outbreak of the war, which in fact proves the attitude of the Spanish government.

According to the British Foreign Secretary, the Spanish government, like the British government, should wait until Germany and France have fully exhausted their potential before considering taking matters into their own hands.

Before Germany and France had shed their last drop of blood, what Spain and Britain had to do was frantically leech off France and Germany from behind, taking the opportunity to plunder the wealth of the Allied and Central Powers.

On this point, the British and Spanish governments were quite in sync. The reason both countries maintained their neutrality was actually for the sake of the assets of the Allied and Central Powers.

While the European continent is currently embroiled in fierce fighting, Britain and Spain, which are geographically separated from the continent, appear to be thriving.

All of this was thanks to the contributions of the Central Powers and the Allied Powers. It seems unreasonable, and absolutely impossible, for the Spanish government to intervene in this war prematurely, when its economy could still be developing significantly.

(End of this chapter)