Holy Roman Empire

Frankly speaking, such a decision made at the economic summit is obviously out of date and uncoordinated no matter how you look at it.

No way, who made European countries ignore it?

An international conference dedicated to this?

I'm sorry, everyone is very busy now, and I don't have time to care about the feelings of the Japanese.Coupled with the influence of Spain's public relations, simply cut the mess quickly.

Who made the Japanese unlucky and offended many people?

Just a few years ago, when Nicholas was traveling around the world, he was assassinated by Japanese followers in Tokyo. Although he saved his life, the two knives still left a shadow on the young crown prince.

If it was just that, it would be fine, but the Japanese government was perfunctory, and after catching the assassin, he only sentenced him to life imprisonment.What's even more ugly is that the assassin with the title of "Patriot" was clearly imprisoned, but in fact he was not sanctioned.

Affected by this, Japan-Russia relations dropped directly to a freezing point.Not only Crown Prince Nicholas wanted revenge, even Alexander III, who was the most well-mannered, clamored many times to give the Japanese "billion" some color.

If it weren't for Russia's financial disapproval, and Japan itself didn't have much oil and water, the tsarist government would have sent troops to help the Spaniards long ago.

Although no troops were sent, the tsarist government still provided convenience and allowed the Spanish government to recruit mercenaries from the Russian Empire to join the war.

Perhaps out of vigilance against the Russians, or perhaps for the benefit of the Bourbon dynasty itself, the Spanish government finally chose French mercenaries.

The Dutch are also unhappy with the Japanese. As a small country, the Netherlands can occupy the richest Java Island in Southeast Asia, relying on political skills.

However, the Japanese who didn't understand the rules suddenly broke in, and the political rules that were originally observed by European countries became fragmented, and the Dutch Southeast Asia suddenly became precarious.

In the absence of a leader, the Dutch government could only make small moves secretly, intimidated by the position of the British.Now that someone is taking the lead, it must be voted for.

Coupled with Shinra, who has already stood in line, and Spain, which is in a bloody battle with the Japanese, almost all the important countries in the European Union have participated.

Anyway, these companies are enough to interfere in the Philippine war.The rest of the countries want to contribute, but they have more than enough energy, and they only need to follow the flag-waving and apply political pressure. Naturally, there is no reason to refuse.

In this context, a harshly worded diplomatic note was delivered to Hidehisa Yamamoto, the Japanese Minister in Vienna, in the name of the European Union.

……

"This is impossible!"

"You can't do this, it's unfair to the Empire of Japan!"

……

Although he received a lot of stares in Europe, it was the first time Hidehisa Yamamoto encountered such a bullying thing.

There is no way, the staff of the European Continental Union are stationed in various countries. After the Union made a decision, a staff member from Spain took the initiative to take over the work of drafting the note.

The basic meaning has indeed remained the same, but the tone and wording have changed a little bit, completely rubbing the Japanese's face on the ground.

For the sake of "SHIELD", the officials in charge of the review did not intend to make things difficult at all, and simply ignored this little difference.

The "little difference" in the eyes of bystanders falls into the eyes of Hidehisa Yamamoto, and that is killing people.

You can directly ignore the nonsense of the above principles; you can also ignore the big hat that accused the illegal Japanese government of invading and destroying world peace.

The most unacceptable thing is: the European Continental Union ordered the Japanese army to withdraw from the Philippine Islands within the year and hand over the war criminals to be tried by an international tribunal established by the European Continental Union.

Otherwise, the alliance will send troops to intervene in the Philippine war, and reserves the right to further hold the Japanese government accountable.

Such an overbearing and blatant mediation note is rare in world history.Obviously, it does not appear in normal diplomatic activities.

But for the desperate Spanish government, this is not a problem.If the Japanese government can be angered and the situation escalated, it is estimated that the Madrid government's celebration banquet can last for a month.

Perhaps it was because Minister Hidehisa Yamamoto's expression was too exaggerated, or perhaps the Spaniard's efforts played a role, Dalton, who was in charge of submitting the note, interrupted: "Your Excellency, Minister, calm down.

This is a resolution shared by the [-] countries of the European Continental Union, you'd better pass it back to your country as soon as possible.If your country has any doubts, it can be raised at the subsequent mediation meeting.

But before the mediation meeting is formally held, please implement it according to the content of the note.Starting next month, the coalition will formally impose economic sanctions on your country.

All spheres of influence controlled by the alliance will temporarily suspend all trade with your country, and the sea areas of various countries are also restricted areas for ships of your country. "

If there are officials who participated in the meeting here, they will immediately ask questions. Did the alliance meeting mention economic sanctions?

It seems that there are, but that is based on the rejection of the Japanese government.The current practice of imposing sanctions regardless of whether it comes up is obviously the result of embellishment.

It's a pity that Yamamoto Hidehisa was not able to know these things.It's useless even if you know it, the Spaniards have done a good job of public relations, and the league will not accept their complaints.Right now, he can only send back the contents of the note intact, and the rest depends on how the country chooses.

……

The question is, does the Japanese government have a choice?

It doesn't matter whether there are any changes to the content of the note, once it is submitted, it represents the position of the European Continental Union.

Everyone wants face, and as the largest organization in the world, the Continental Union is no exception.The sent note will be taken back, that is to slap yourself in the face, and the Japanese obviously don't have the amount.

What's more, what the Spaniards did seems to have tampered with the content of the note. In essence, without the acquiescence of some people, it would have been impossible to succeed.

……

The Japanese government has not received the news, and the British have already received the information first.The London government was stunned, and Robert Cecil never dreamed that someone would be so unscrupulous.

Originally, the European economic recovery plan was already stimulating enough, but I didn't expect that there would be an even more stimulating "intervention plan" later.

On the surface, this is just a simple international cooperation in order to retain the domestic economy of European countries, and the Japanese just suffered an unwarranted disaster.

Politics, however, should never just be taken at face value.Today the European Continental Union can intervene in the Philippine war for the benefit of Spain; then tomorrow the Continental Continental Union can intervene in overseas affairs again for the benefit of XXX country.

Come here a few more times, and the nations of Europe will discover the benefits of an alliance.With the tiger skin of the European Union, even a small country can have the status of a great power overseas.

If things go on like this, driven by interests, this loose international organization will become a real alliance.

At that time, not to mention a small country like Japan, even Britain, the world's hegemon, will have to stand aside when it encounters the European world.

Prime Minister Robert Cecil, who thought he had insight into the conspiracy in Vienna, broke out in a cold sweat immediately.

You must know that Britain's most durable national policy is the continental balance strategy. Although it lost after the European war, the London government believes that this is only temporary.

Back then, Napoleon once swept across Europe and suppressed all kinds of dissatisfaction, and it was not cool behind.

Many people in the British government, including Robert Cecil himself, were waiting for Shinra to make a mistake, ready to stab him at a critical moment.

However, the plan did not change quickly, and Shinra's wrath did not wait, and a freak called the European Union appeared first.

I originally thought that there were many contradictions among European countries, and that this loose alliance would sooner or later be torn apart due to differences in interests.As the boss, Shinra, because he couldn't reconcile the conflicts between the parties, he ended up being inhumane inside and out.

Unfortunately, an unprecedented economic crisis broke all these illusions.In order to save themselves, European countries have to temporarily abandon their contradictions and unite to tide over the crisis.

As a master who has always put interests first, Robert Cecil is very clear that as long as the interests are large enough, there will be no contradictions that cannot be reconciled.

Once countries have realized the benefits of unity, it will be difficult to disintegrate the Continental Union.With such freaks around, how can Britain live?

Slamming the table hard, Robert Cecil said fiercely: "The Continental Union must be disintegrated! From now on, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has only one focus of work—to stir up conflicts among European countries and disintegrate the Continental Union.

I don't care what method you use, or where you start.In short, freaks like the European Union absolutely cannot exist in this world. "

"At all costs, disintegrate the Continental Union." This was the only thought in Robert Cecil's mind at the moment.As for Japan as the party concerned, it is no longer in his consideration.

Chapter 23 Sound South Strikes North

The British government panicked, and the Japanese government, the protagonist, panicked even more.Unlike in the past, now is the moment of life and death.

No one thought that the European countries would be so unscrupulous, and they would drag themselves to the point where they ended up in person.

An understatement of "economic sanctions" can kill half of the Japanese Empire.

If it is true that the contents of the note are implemented, and the sphere of influence of the eighteen countries of the European Continental Union is their restricted area, then the Japanese government does not need to develop international trade, and it is better to close the country directly.

If you look at the world map, you will know that the sphere of influence of the European Union has covered more than half of the earth.With the domineering style of the great powers of this era, cross-border law enforcement is also common.

In this context, Japan's merchant ships never returned when they went out to sea.

At the same time, it lost its international market and maritime transportation capabilities, and Japan was reduced to meat on the chopping board, which could only be slaughtered.

This is still a civilized approach. If it goes too far, the European Continental Alliance will directly send troops to wipe out the Japanese navy, and another "black ship incident" is not out of the question.

The consequences of refusal are serious, and the consequences of compromise are equally serious.The war has progressed to the present, and the Japanese government has tried its best. At this time, all previous efforts to compromise have been wasted.

Whether it was heavy casualties or huge military expenditures, the Japanese government was cornered.

Taking a step back is no longer a vast sea and sky, but an abyss.For this war, the Japanese people have been starving for a long time, and suddenly received a bad news of failure, "Tianzhu country thief" is a must.

The imperial meeting has already started, but this time no one spoke first.There is no way, it happened so suddenly that we didn't even have time to prepare.

Under the emperor's eyes that were about to kill, Ito Hirobumi bit the bullet and said: "I think everyone is prepared for this scene.

Since the Philippine War was launched, we have discussed the issue of intervention by foreign powers, but we did not expect that this day would come so quickly, let alone that European countries could unite in action.

There is no way to hide. Now that the worst situation has emerged, we are ready to deal with the aftermath.

You don't need to worry too much. Now that the economic crisis is breaking out in Europe, countries will not easily provoke a war, especially a war with no return. "

If you want to comfort people's hearts, Ito Hirobumi really can't make it up.The international intervention that was expected in advance was just that Spain brought in a few countries with good relations to intervene. It was never expected that there would be a joint intervention of [-] countries.

What's the fun in this?

I took the script of "Eighteen Princes Begging for Dong". The problem is that they are not Dong Zhuo, and they don't have a powerful "Xiliang Iron Cavalry" that shakes the world.

There is no need for eighteen countries to organize coalition forces from within the country. With their military strength in Nanyang alone, they can reach Tokyo in less than a month.

"Resistance", this is a false proposition.Spain alone is on par with the Southward Fleet. If the Dutch and Shinra fleets are added, the Southward Fleet will definitely kneel.

The navy is finished, and it is only a matter of time before the main force of the army, which is still fighting hard in the Philippine Islands, is destroyed.

The army and navy are gone, so what can we do to resist?

"One hundred million pieces of jade" is a crazy plan only after World War II.In Japan today, there are only more than 4000 million people in the whole country, and the government is even more famous for its "rationality" in the "Meiji Era".

Originally, Ito Hirobumi wanted to mention the British allies, but seeing the disdainful expressions on everyone's faces, he finally chose to swallow the words back.

Anyone who can enter here is a sensible person, and everyone knows what the "British-Japanese Alliance" is all about.

In normal times, it doesn't matter to tease the tiger's skin, but at a time like this, if you count on the help of the British, it's better to worship the god Amaterasu and ask Kamikaze to help destroy the enemy.

Kiyotaka Kuroda: "It is precisely because of the economic crisis in Europe that we are more dangerous. European powers have always liked to wage wars abroad to divert the economic crisis at home.

Especially in recent decades, almost every economic crisis has been followed by the climax of European countries' external expansion.Including the Ottoman Empire, which once dominated the Mediterranean, fell under the pace of expansion of Shinra's foreign transfer crisis.

With such a lesson learned from the past, we have to guard against it now.If the situation gets out of control accidentally, negligently, we will become the sinners of the empire. "

As a rare rationalist in the Japanese government, Kiyotaka Kuroda has always opposed military adventures.The practice of betting on the fate of the country is even more disgusting.

It's just that the arms can't hold back the thighs, and they can't stop the Chinese people's desire to expand.Now that the southward strategy has been frustrated, in Kiyotaka Kuroda's view, it is a good time to step on the brakes.

Anyway, it is not a shame to make concessions under the pressure of the European Union.If you change another country, it will not be much better than their performance.

"no!"

"Now we can't back down. The morale of the people has been stimulated. At this time, we have to compromise with the European Union, and there is no way to explain it to the people."

It's not that there are friends in the mountain county, but the Japanese government has been forced into an embarrassing situation.Neither the military nor the public can tolerate failure.

If you really choose to compromise, maybe a revolution will break out in the country.Regardless of the economic crisis in continental Europe, the situation in Japan is actually more serious than in other European countries.

Unlike European countries, no matter how severe the economic crisis is, the government will find a way to distribute relief food no matter how poor it is.Although it is not good to eat, it can save your life.

The Japanese government can't do it anymore. All the money has been spent on the war, and the pockets have long been empty.There is also no money. European countries can borrow food from Shinra, but the Japanese government has no place to credit.

In order to stabilize the situation, the Japanese government has suppressed many riots.Today's Japan is like a powder keg, which is supported by a breath of spirit. If the breath dissipates, it will kill people.

If the civilian population is a powder keg, the military is a powder kit.With the outbreak of the war, the radical faction in the army has begun to emerge, and has a great influence among the middle and lower ranks of officers and soldiers.

Once these people make trouble, their destructive power is much greater than that of ordinary people.As a general who just returned from the front line, Shanxian Youtomo is very aware of how fragile the current military is.

Glancing at Hirobumi Ito, he slowly said knowingly about Saiyuanji Gongwang: "The key to the problem now is not whether we should back down, but whether we can resist the pressure of the European Union.

Not only political and economic pressure, but also military pressure.If the Continental Union conducts armed intervention, will the military have the ability to keep the enemy out of the country?

It is a matter of the life and death of the empire, and I hope you can answer rationally.Your judgment will directly affect whether the Great Japanese Empire can continue.

please! "

While speaking, Gong Wang of Xiyuan Temple also bowed to the military representative.

At this moment, the atmosphere in the room suddenly became tense.As representatives of the military, Xixiang Congdao, Dashanyan, Shanxian Youpeng and others felt the pressure instantly.

Now is not the time for political struggles, one wrong step will not only end him, but even the Japanese Empire may be buried with him.

"The strength gap between the two sides is too great. Not to mention the joint intervention of the European Continental Union. Even if the Dutch Nanyang Fleet and the Spanish Navy join forces, the Imperial Navy will not be able to defend against the enemy outside the country."

After finishing speaking, Xixiang Congdao seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, and his whole body relaxed.Although this answer hurts my morale a bit, it is the most responsible answer to the Japanese Empire.

After the outbreak of the Philippine campaign, the Dutch government increased the deployment of troops in the Nanyang region.Although there are not many warships added, and there are no [-]-ton pre-dreadnought ships, it is enough to serve as the last straw that breaks the balance.

"Is your navy all trash? You spend so much military money every year, and now..."

Before Da Shanyan could finish his sentence, Naval Commander Huashan Ziji directly replied, "Dashan needs to be responsible for what he says, how much does the navy spend on military affairs every year?

Did you know that Spain, which is at war with us, spent an average of twice as much as our navy in the last ten years?