The Rise Of Australasia

Chapter 463: Chapter 369: The Allies' War Preparations

In early February 1914, Arthur took an airship to the Russian capital, Saint Petersburg, to attend the third conference of the Allies since their establishment.

According to common sense, the third conference should have been held last year. However, due to the illness of Prince Aleksei Smith, the meeting was postponed by Nicholas II and eventually dragged on until several months later.

Fortunately, this does not affect anything; the rapid expansion of the Allies' military preparation strengthens the close alliance of the four major powers.

The attendees of this conference include the monarchs, presidents, and some senior government officials from the British Empire, France, the Tsardom of Russia, and Australasia. The purpose of the conference is to discuss the tasks and goals of various countries in the future.

This not only includes the expansion of naval and army military preparation but also includes the direction and tasks of various countries' military forces in the event of war.

In essence, the annual conference of the Allies is a meeting to discuss pre-war preparations, wartime plans, and post-war distribution of benefits. The target audience for this meeting is only one: the Allies' greatest enemy, the Central Powers.

On February 21, 1914, a secret internal meeting of the Allies was held in Saint Petersburg.

Although the content of this conference was highly confidential, the conference itself was public. It not only serves as a demonstration of the power of the Allies to the Central Powers but also tells the world that the four great powers of the Allies are closely united and fearless of any enemy.

Of course, in addition to external demonstrations, the presence of a large number of spies in major European countries is also a reason why a conference cannot be kept secret.

What the Four Great Powers of the Allies can do is to keep the content of the meeting highly confidential while the meeting itself is public.

The Allies take this conference very seriously but have all chosen routes away from German waters.

No one knows if the Germans will attack the Allied ships participating in the conference in desperation. For their safety, it is best to stay away from the Germans for the time being.

Arthur chose to travel by airship. After a long period of trial flights, it has been confirmed that the safety performance of the Australasian airships is relatively reliable, and the probability of accidents is extremely low.

Of course, to ensure his safety, the airship ridden by Arthur was equipped with a large number of parachutes to guarantee greater chances of survival for the airship's passengers in case of an accident.

At the same time, more than ten armed airships escorted the airship that Arthur was riding. These airships also carried hundreds of royal guards responsible for protecting Arthur's safety on land and in the sky.

If it were not for the fact that airplanes could not be exposed yet, Arthur would have even considered calling in several fighter planes for his escort.

Arthur takes his safety very seriously. Reality is not like a TV show. Even if Arthur doesn't care, the Australasian government officials will never allow Arthur to travel without more than 100 royal guards.

Arthur's safety is also a symbol of stability for the country and the government of Australasia.

Arthur and Australasia are currently in a glorious together, damaged together state. Naturally, the Australasian government officials attach great importance to Arthur's safety.

Although they took a much faster airship, they didn't arrive in Saint Petersburg until half a month later, on February 18th.

There are still three days before the conference at this time. Under Nicholas II's arrangement, Arthur and his entourage stayed in a royal manor and enjoyed the few leisure times.

Almost at the same time, the French diplomatic team also arrived in Saint Petersburg.

As for why the French arrived slightly earlier than the British, we must look at King George V of Britain, who came to Saint Petersburg with great fanfare.

The Four Great Powers of the Allies take this conference seriously. Not only were King George V, King Arthur of Australasia, Tsar Nicholas II, and the French President in attendance, but also British Naval Minister Churchill, Foreign Secretary Edward, French Minister of Defense, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Australasian Minister of State Roger, Defense Minister Raul, and others.

As for Russia, since the conference is held in Saint Petersburg, the entire Russian nation is on board, and whichever minister is needed, they will call.

After the friendly exchanges between officials from the four countries, on February 21, 1914, the Allies conference officially began.

Because Australasia participates in the official conference of the Allies for the first time, at the beginning of the conference, the Four Great Powers emphasize the importance of the four-nation alliance and reaffirm the alliance between Britain, France, Russia, and Australasia.

What the Four Great Powers value most is the covenant with any country.

The conference progressed quickly. On the first day, a rapid alliance was established between the four countries, reaffirming the military responsibilities that the Four Great Powers needed to bear.

First, the British, who have always been somewhat detached, have taken on more military responsibilities. Any Allied member attacked by an enemy should enter a state of war with the enemy simultaneously as the Four Great Powers.

This treaty directly eliminates the possibility of the British becoming a troublemaker. The British must firmly stand behind the Allies, affirm, and effectively fulfill their alliance with the other three Great Powers. Only then can the Allies continue.