Holy Roman Empire

Chapter 656 - Two Hundred and Twenty-Nine: No Time to Attend to

London, since the news of the Prusso-Russian war broke out, the British Government has been busy.

Prime Minister Benjamin: "You want to expand the army again?"

Army Minister Fox solemnly reminded, "Your Excellency Prime Minister, we have not expanded our army for many years. Apart from wartime, the army’s organization has not increased in nearly fifty years."

Benjamin answered with an embarrassed face, "Sorry, I made a mistake. Tell me the reasons, why do you think about expanding the army?"

The presence of the British Army is so low that it is usually the Navy that requests expansions. The sudden application for army expansion caught Prime Minister Benjamin off guard, leading to his habitual use of "again".

Fox was used to this kind of situation. Such is the status of the British Army; it seldom grabs the government’s attention except when needed.

"The outbreak of the Prusso-Russian War signals a reshuffling of European affairs, and we need a strong army to respond to emergencies."

Chancellor Garfield Bromley Anshilong opposed, "No, the situation in Europe is still within our control. As long as the balance between France and Austria is not disrupted, there will be no problems.

Moreover, even if the balance of Europe is broken, I don’t believe that expanding the army will change anything."

Harsh as it might sound, this was the truth. Austria has over six hundred thousand regular soldiers, and France is close to half a million.

The Prussia and Russia currently at war have both mobilized armies of over a million, and the combined forces on the battlefield exceed one million two hundred thousand troops.

How many does the British standing army have?

136,000!

Of course, this is not the entirity of Great Britain Empire’s armed forces. Across its vast colonies, there are at least five to six hundred thousand colonial troops, as well as several civilian armed groups.

However, the combat effectiveness of the colonial armies is notoriously low. When considering European affairs, these forces are customarily overlooked.

At that moment, Fox’s face darkened, this was an outright provocation. In the recent wars, the army’s performance had been lackluster, leaving him with no confidence to speak up.

Regardless of the army’s combat effectiveness, as the Army Minister, Fox had to uphold the army’s dignity. He immediately asked, "Sir, are you doubting the army’s combat effectiveness?"

Doubting the army’s combat capability is one thing, but voicing such doubts openly is unacceptable. The British Army might be overshadowed by the Royal Navy, but behind this "younger brother" stands a large group of supporters.

Offending such a large group over one comment is certainly not the act of a wise man.

Realizing his slip, Garfield immediately corrected, "No, I have never doubted the combat strength of the army.

My point is that the number of our army is too small, we simply cannot compete with the armies of other European countries. Even if our army is strong in combat, it’s hard to fight against overwhelming numbers.

As an island nation, it has been decided that Britain’s focus must be at sea. Under these circumstances, the resources we can dedicate to the army are very limited."

Upon hearing this explanation, Fox’s expression softened, "It is precisely because of this gap that we need to catch up and narrow the difference with France and Austria.

Our army’s size does not match Britain’s international status at all. We’re not even talking about deterring France and Austria, even a third-rate country would dare to look down on us."

After reviewing the documents, Prime Minister Benjamin took up a pen and circled a number, stopping the argument, "Sir Fox, your expansion plan has exceeded reality.

History has proven that Britain does not have the power to contend with Europe for dominance; maintaining balance is the best choice.

To achieve this goal, diplomacy is key; the army doesn’t need to regard France and Austria as hypothetical enemies; this is beyond our capabilities."

In the face of this situation, Fox remained unmoved; this was not the first time an expansion of the army had been rejected. Similar incidents occurred almost every year.

The military always wants to expand, especially the stepchild that is the land army. Regardless of approval, they try every year’s end.

They do not expect to reach all goals; even an increase of a single regiment’s strength would be considered a great victory.

"Prime Minister, even if we ignore the European situation, the colonies cannot be neglected, right? In recent years, the pressure on the colonies has been increasing.

Especially in the Indian Colony, we are still preparing for military actions in Afghanistan and Persia.

If we do not expand the army, relying solely on colonial troops might not be enough to fulfill the government’s plans."

Benjamin frowned upon hearing this; Austria had expanded its influence into the Persian Gulf Region, and they felt the pressure as well.

To contain Austria’s expansion, the London Government developed the Persian strategy, planning to occupy the Persian region before Austria could fully assimilate the Arabian Peninsula.

As for the Afghan strategy, it is a historical legacy issue. As the world’s hegemon, John Bull also sought to save face; after failing to invade Afghanistan in previous years, they naturally wanted to redeem themselves.

The Prusso-Russian War had broken out, and the Tsarist Government’s energy was tied up in Europe, making it the perfect opportunity to take action. If we wait for the Russians to recover, seizing this area won’t be as simple as it is now.

Seeing that the Prime Minister was intrigued, Navy Secretary John Vassil immediately interjected, "With the current size of the army, it is indeed impossible to complete so many tasks.

However, we still have time. After Austria assimilates the Arabian Peninsula, their next target should be the Ottoman Empire. We don’t have to worry about them competing with us for Persia before the fall of the Ottomans.

The same goes for the Afghan region; the Prusso-Russian War won’t end anytime soon. We only need to worry about this threat if the Tsarist Government wins the war.

From the current situation, the likelihood of the Russians winning the war easily is almost zero. After this war, the Tsarist Government will need at least ten years to recover.

Such a long period is sufficient for us to accomplish many things. If the army cannot complete the task, our Marine Corps can step in." Your next read awaits at NovelBin.Côm

Suppressing the army is a core strategy of the Royal Navy, no less important than subduing France and Austria, or even more so.

Lack of troops?

Just expand temporarily after the war breaks out; why bother increasing the establishment!

In the eyes of the navy, the army is superfluous. The Royal Navy and colonial troops are sufficient for overseas expansion; the police are enough to maintain domestic peace. What’s the use of the army?

Even for quelling rebellions, the Marine Corps can be called upon! If necessary, we can simply expand the establishment again. The army isn’t needed to join the commotion.

Of course, this is just a thought. No matter how little the army is favored, the London Government could not possibly disband it.

The simplest balance of power is well understood by all. Without the army, wouldn’t the nation’s military power fall entirely into the hands of the navy?

Benjamin nodded, "Let’s put this issue aside for now and discuss it slowly later. If the Army Department has doubts, they can submit them directly to Parliament for discussion.

Let’s talk about the Prusso-Russian War now. The war may seem confined to Eastern Europe, but it’s already affecting the global situation."

Parliament is the best shield; any problems brought there can’t be resolved in a day or two, making it the best tool for delaying time.

Foreign Minister Edward said, "The Prusso-Russian War can be considered the largest war in the history of Europe, and even of humanity.

According to intelligence from the embassies, the total forces mobilized by Prussia and Russia are close to exceeding three million. It might not be long before both sides commit millions of troops to the slaughter.

It’s hard to imagine that this is just Prussia and Russia. If France and Austria were to mobilize, it would probably be even more terrifying.

The war has just begun, and nobody knows the outcome. The only certainty is that this war will be very brutal, with potentially millions of casualties."

When he spoke, Edward was still somewhat shaken. Before the war broke out, no one had expected Prussia and Russia to be so reckless.

Chancellor Garfield bluntly commented, "They are all madmen!"

Prime Minister Benjamin waved his hand, pretending to be relaxed, "It doesn’t matter whether Prussia and Russia are mad; the key is the chain reaction caused by the war and the benefits we can derive amid these changing international situations.

There’s no need to mention trade benefits; everyone knows the arms dealers are going to make a fortune. Let’s discuss the changes in the situation in Europe and the world."

Foreign Minister Edward smiled lightly, "It’s not that serious. If the situation in Europe changes, although still uncertain, as long as France and Austria wish to maintain stability, they can manage it.

The impact on the global situation is even smaller. While Prussia and Russia are not weak, they are not colonial empires, and their influence is mainly on the Eurasian continent.

The most that might happen is a certain impact on the Far Eastern region, but Selys’s ruler is too weak. Even if the Russians have no time to look eastward, they most likely wouldn’t dare to make rash moves.

Actually, we just have to sit back with our coffee and pastries and watch Prussia and Russia fight; there’s really nothing we need to do!"

Britannia has the confidence to be a bystander; regardless of the outcome of the Prusso-Russian War, their interests will not be affected.

Colonial Minister Robert shook his head, "No, there’s still something we can do. While everyone’s attention is drawn to Eastern Europe, the South America war can follow our script.

Before the end of the Prusso-Russian War, I think France and Austria should be too busy to meddle with us; the Chileans this time are really picking up a huge bargain."

Considering that the navies of Prussia and Russia aren’t impressive, Britannia, as a maritime nation, can happily profit from the war. However, France and Austria, situated on the continent, can’t do the same.

The European continent is too small to accommodate so many great powers; France and Austria would not allow a new great power to rise and encroach on their interests.

Whether it’s Austria or France, they now need to keep an eye on the Eastern European battlefield and be ready to intervene in the war at any moment.

To ensure the commitment of forces in Europe, France and Austria naturally can’t worry about South America in the short term, and Bolivia and Peru are going to suffer."

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