Chapter 639: Churchill's determination
Chapter 639: Churchill's determination
"Your Excellency, I think that we must now be prepared to fight to the end. If Britain surrenders to the Germans, Britain will be no different from perishing. Only by fighting to the end will there be a slight chance." Churchill looked determined. .
"Fight to the death? That will turn the entire British Isles into a battlefield. At that time, our land will become scorched earth, our city will be reduced to ruins. And our people will die in the war. In that case In the end, what is left of the British Empire?" Sir Edward Gray shook his head, opposing Churchill's point of view.
"Your Excellency, I hope that we can resist until the end. We want to fight for the last chance. If we can resist the Germans' attack. In other words, let the Germans suffer heavy losses in the British Isles, so they have to give up using To defeat us by force. In this way, we may be able to pay as little price as possible. This will be very beneficial to the British Empire. Of course, this will also make us pay a greater price. But as long as We can achieve this goal, and all the sacrifices are worthwhile." Churchill said firmly.
?? Prime Minister Asquith nodded, of course he hopes to achieve a decent peace. In this case, even if he steps down, his face should look better.
?? "Can our army hold the mainland?" Prime Minister Asquith asked.
"Your Excellency, the local army has expanded to two million people. But we lack weapons and equipment, and the soldiers lack training. Once attacked by the elite German troops, I am afraid it will be difficult to resist." Minister of War Chad Haldane said.
??The army has never been the strong point of the British Empire. For a long time, in addition to having the world's number one navy, the British Army has always been very small. Unless there is a major war to be fought, the British Army will be temporarily expanded. Under such circumstances, can we still count on how elite the British Army is? That is simply impossible.
??In addition, the most elite unit of the British Army is undoubtedly the expeditionary force. But it is a pity that the expeditionary force has been wiped out in France. This caused the British Army to lose millions of troops, and it was still the most elite part of the army. This is undoubtedly a huge blow to the British Army. Richard Haldane really didn't have much confidence in wanting to rely on the British Army to defend the mainland.
?? Prime Minister Asquith frowned involuntarily. If the army can't defend the homeland, it will be a waste of time to resist to the end, and it will also waste the strength of the British Empire in vain.
"Your Excellency, the expansion of the army to two million people has not reached our limit. With the population of the British Empire, and now it is at the critical point of life and death. The army can be expanded to another two million people. As for weapons and equipment, we It can be assembled step by step. Sufficient soldiers can make us last longer in the war. The Germans are attacking us across the strait, and their logistical supplies will be under great pressure. This also restricts them from sending troops to the British mainland I predict that the Germans can only send hundreds of thousands of people to land in the British mainland at most. In this case, our army can completely withstand their attacks. As long as we can resist the Germans' attacks, there is room for change. At that time, we may be able to pay less." Churchill continued.
?? There is no doubt that Churchill intends to use military force to squeeze out the full military potential of the British Empire. This is undoubtedly a desperate move. However, if Churchill can really succeed, then this will definitely be of great benefit to the British Empire. Among other things, at least the mainland of the British Empire can be preserved, as well as the power of the monarch, so that the British Empire does not have to be restricted. As for the overseas colonies, only God knows how many can be kept.
??Of course, to achieve this goal, one must be prepared to pay a heavy price. It is not known how many British people will die on the battlefield because of this. How many families have been ruined because of this, and how many towns have been reduced to ruins during the war.
?? "If we can successfully resist the German attack, that would be a good thing. But if we fail, what should we do?" asked Lloyd George, the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
?? "Even if it fails, I don't think the situation will be worse than it is now, right? The current situation is already extremely bad!" Churchill continued.
??Everyone looked to Prime Minister Asquith, waiting for him to make the final decision.
"We have tried our best in this war. However, the final result is still not what we want. If the war ends now, the Germans will definitely not let go of this opportunity to kill us. There is After learning the lesson from last time, everyone should know how big the appetite of the Germans is. If they surrender to the Germans, the British Empire will only be completely reduced to a third-rate small country. I think everyone must not want to see such a day Yes. However, if we resist to the end, there are also too many risks. The British mainland will be devastated by the war, and the people will suffer heavy casualties. If we win, that is of course good, and we can end the war at a relatively small price. But what if we lose? The British Empire is completely over!" Prime Minister Asquith said. Now he is also caught in a dilemma, and he doesn't know what choice to make.
"Your Excellency, even if we can't hold on at home, we will fight to the end. The British Empire will never admit defeat to the Germans like this, nor will it be destroyed by the Germans like this. If we can't hold on at home, We can also go to the colonies. Go to India or Canada, or Australia. Stay away from the European continent. In this way, we can continue to persist. Although the Germans are very powerful, they still can't cross the ocean to defeat us, can they? Therefore, the British Empire will not be destroyed." Churchill said excitedly.
?? These were all things he had thought about before this. When everyone thought that the British Empire was doomed and had to surrender to the Germans, Churchill had already thought of something more.
??After hearing Churchill's words, everyone's eyes lit up. The British Empire has vast colonies, and it would be best if they could escape to those colonies. At least, as cabinet ministers, they can continue to hold power and live comfortably.