Chapter 305: italian ambition
Chapter 305: italian ambition
??In Rome, the capital of Italy, although the war has broken out, it seems that it has not been affected at all. As a member of the Allies, the Kingdom of Italy remained neutral as Germany and Austria-Hungary fought to the death with the Entente. The citizens of the Kingdom of Italy seem to think that war is still very far away from them.
?? Some Italians were puzzled as to why they did not fulfill the covenant and declared war on the Allies, but most Italians still supported the cabinet's decision. For the Kingdom of Italy, joining the camp of the Allies at the beginning was just to seek support and obtain development. Now, they have to think carefully about letting the Kingdom of Italy participate in the life-and-death battle. After all, once the battle is defeated, the consequences may be quite serious.
??The King of Italy, Vittorio Emanuele III, has always claimed to be a wise and powerful monarch, and he wants to restore the Kingdom of Italy to the glory of the ancient Roman Empire. Moreover, the Kingdom of Italy seems to have been working hard in this direction over the years. They worked hard to expand into the Balkans and North Africa. However, because of the weakening of the Ottoman Turkish Empire, the expansion of the Kingdom of Italy in North Africa was successful. However, its expansion in the Balkans encountered obstacles. The Austro-Hungarian Empire, also a member of the Allied Powers, is also expanding to the Balkan Peninsula, and they occupy a great advantage in the Balkan Peninsula, which hinders the expansion of the Kingdom of Italy.
?? During the ancient Roman period, the powerful Roman Empire ruled the entire Mediterranean. Let the entire Mediterranean Sea become the bathtub of the Roman Empire. And the current Kingdom of Italy is developing in this direction. But unfortunately, it is very difficult for them to achieve this goal.
??This world war is regarded by the Italians as a good opportunity to achieve their goals. If this opportunity is missed, the Kingdom of Italy will have to wait until the Year of the Monkey if it wants to revive. Therefore, the Italians have always remained neutral in this war, in order to wait for the price and strive for the greatest benefit.
"Your Excellency, the current situation is becoming more and more confusing. How should the Kingdom of Italy choose in this war? We can't always remain neutral, right? In that case, we won't be able to share the dividends of future wars at all. What's more, the attitude of the Germans towards us is getting tougher, and they won't give us too much time to choose." Italian King Vittorio Emanuele III frowned tightly, Looked worried.
"Your Majesty, the current situation is indeed very complicated. Germany still holds the upper hand in this war. However, the Allied Powers are not easy to bully. They are reversing the situation bit by bit. If we really want to wait until the battle situation is clear, It will take a long time," said Antonio Sarandra, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Italy.
?? "Then which side are we going to fight?" Vittorio Emanuele III was a little distressed. This question has always troubled him. He hopes that the Kingdom of Italy can stand on the side of the victor in this war, and after the war is over, it can share the fruits of victory, instead of being slaughtered wantonly by the winner because it is on the wrong team. However, in such a responsible battle situation, it is undoubtedly very difficult to make a correct judgment.
?? "Your Majesty, the battle situation is still unclear. I am afraid we will have to wait for a while before we can make a choice that is beneficial to the Kingdom of Italy." Foreign Minister Paul Boselli said.
?? "Indeed, Your Majesty, it is best to wait for a while." The Minister of War also said.
"Judging from the current situation, the German Army won two big victories on the Eastern Front, and the Russians suffered heavy losses. This gave them a great advantage on the Eastern Front. However, Russia's mobilization is coming to an end. At that time, the Russians will send more troops to fight on the front line. It is hard to say whether the Germans can still resist. Besides, the performance of the Austro-Hungarian Empire on the Eastern Front is not very good. They were defeated by the Russians. He was beaten hard and lost a lot of troops. If the Russian army dispatched a group army to go north at many critical moments, it is estimated that the Austro-Hungarian Empire would not even be able to defend the Carpathian Mountains. Once the Russian army rushed into the Hungarian Plain Otherwise, the Austro-Hungarian Empire will be finished. In addition, the Austro-Hungarian Empire did not take much advantage on the southern front. They can't even defeat a small country like Serbia, which is really a loss to the face of a big country." The Italian Minister of War looked on of contempt.
"On the Western Front, the Germans still have an advantage. However, their advantage is being lost bit by bit. Especially in the Battle of the Marne, they failed to defeat the British and French allied forces in one fell swoop. The occupation of Paris made them lose their rapid The opportunity to defeat France. This also makes the Germans, who may be selected for a protracted war. Once they start fighting for consumption, the Germans are not the opponents of Britain and France." The Minister of War continued. It can be clearly heard from his words that he is very unfavorable to Germany.
?? "Don't forget, the German navy has an advantage in the Atlantic Ocean." Said the Minister of the Navy.
"Even if the German navy has the upper hand temporarily, so what? The background of the British navy is not comparable to that of the upstart German navy. The outcome of one or two naval battles cannot determine the outcome of the entire naval battle." It is too early to say who will win the future naval battle, the British or the Germans," the Secretary of State for War continued.
?? "Do you mean that we have a better chance of winning by joining the Allied Powers?" Vittorio Emanuele III said.
"Your Majesty, from the current point of view, the Allied Powers seem to have a better chance of winning. Of course, which side to join in the battle depends on which of them can give us more benefits and the further development of the war situation." Prime Minister Antonio Sarandra said.
??The other ministers of the Kingdom of Italy nodded one after another, and they thought so too. It is too early to think that the Kingdom of Italy is making a choice now. In addition, the benefits given by various countries are not many, not enough for the Kingdom of Italy to make a decision now.
??Vittorio Emanuele III seemed to agree with this statement: "Well, then let's delay for a while! Whether the glory of the Roman Empire can be restored depends on us this time!"