While the German Emperor was rejoicing at the emergence of a new offensive idea in his army, the plans of the surrounding countries for an offensive against Germany were also slowly taking shape in secret, and as the Germans feared, the clouds of war were already hanging over their heads.

"Your Majesty, the French rejected our 'G' plan, believing that our battle plan was too conservative, and they asked us to reformulate a new battle plan." Nikolai, the leader of the State Defense Committee? Grand Duke Nikolayevich cautiously fed back to Nicholas II with the opinion of the French.

Sure enough, Nicholas II, who listened to Nikolayevich's words, frowned, and looked very unhappy: "The French actually pointed fingers at our country's war plan? Is it because we have become their allies that they think that we must prepare our strategy according to their wishes? ”

Since the signing of the three treaties with the British, there was no longer a gap between Russia and France, and France needed the Russians to provide military pressure on land, and Russia needed France's huge financial assistance to quickly form an alliance when both sides needed it.

Now that it has become an alliance, cooperation will not remain only superficial as before, and it is imperative to go further, and the French are most concerned with the military aspect, and the object of military cooperation is naturally self-evident. However, the French were a little too eager to hope that the Russians would help them militarily relieve the pressure from Germany, much to the displeasure of Nicholas II, who did not like to be told about his empire.

"The French want us to change the conservative combat plan of Plan 'G' and adopt an offensive posture more proactively, so as to facilitate the coordination of their combat plan. In return, the French will continue to provide our country with military loans to help our army prepare according to an offensive combat program. Nikolayevich was not happy to see His Majesty the Tsar. More cautiously, he said: "In addition, the French also said that they could provide technical support for the construction of battleships of our navy, such as the complete set of materials for the latest Belleville boilers. ”

The French are not stupid to interfere with the military policy of such an army power as Russia at will, and they really provoked the stunned young Nicholas II What will you do when the time comes, so the sweetness still has to be given, and now Russia is short of money. The second thing lacking is technology, and these two promises should be just what Nicholas II wanted.

"Hmph, I don't even have a dreadnought, and I still want to help build my country's battleships? Only now do you think of supplying technology to our country? It's late! Nicholas II said angrily.

Although the French did consider terminating the construction of the Danton-class and starting construction of the new dreadnoughts, considering that the design-to-construction period was too long, and that no new battleships had been launched during this time, the French Navy would face a considerable window period, so the Danton-class had to continue construction.

The French also considered replacing the twin second-stage guns of the Danton-class under construction with single-mounted first-stage guns to obtain combat capabilities similar to those of dreadnoughts. However, this meant that the design of a new single-mounted turret and the cancellation of the order for the original two-mounted secondary main gun turret would be a waste of money, so the French Navy, which was not financially well-off, eventually abandoned the plan.

So France, one of Europe's top powers, is still slowly building the obsolete dreadnoughts. Nicholas II, whose own dreadnoughts were about to start construction, naturally looked down on the French.

And although the Russian Navy was indeed a loyal user of the French Belleville boiler before, but now it has the British John? Didn't the French, who had only come up with the technology of the complete set of Yarrow boilers provided by the Brown Company, think it was too late for the French? However, for the franc, Nicholas II had no reason to refuse.

"The French want us to take a more active course of operations? If Germany were to attack France on its own initiative, we would naturally have to assume our obligations as allies, but would the French not even have the confidence to resist until our mobilization was complete before taking action? Do you want us to take the initiative to attack Germany from the start to relieve the pressure on their defence? The current French Army is really not presentable. Nicholas II scoffed.

"Nope. Your Majesty, the plan of the French was that when they took the initiative to attack Germany, they wanted us to attack with them. Grand Duke Nikolaevich said.

"What? Did the French have the guts to take the initiative to attack Germany? If they had had the courage, they would not have been so humiliated in the case of Morocco. Nicholas II said in amazement.

"Precisely because the French do not have such courage. At the beginning, France dared to take a tough attitude because of the support of Britain, and the retreat of the British led the French to step down. On land the British are unreliable, and the French can only rely on us. Grand Duke Nikolayevich touted a little.

"Well, although we have formed an alliance with France, our obligation is only to help them in the event of an attack. Help them to attack Germany on their own initiative? What do they think of? Nicholas II scoffed.

Although they joined the Anglo-French Entente, there was no contradiction between Russia and Germany that needed to be resolved by war, and it was one thing to fulfill the obligation of mutual defense and another to take the initiative to attack, and Nicholas II did not want to turn against Germany, which had important trade relations.

That's why. Nicholas II's temper was able to resist the anger caused by the fact that Germany and the Ottomans had further deepened their military cooperation and helped them build dreadnoughts, because Nicholas II knew that if he wanted to use this matter to anger his cousin in Berlin, he would definitely be choked back by the fact that Russia had joined the Anglo-French Entente, so it was best for both sides to treat it as if nothing happened.

However, unlike Jochen, who had already begun to prepare war plans against Russia, Nicholas II did not think of attacking Germany on his own initiative, and the war plans prepared by the Russians after the rupture of German-Russian relations after the Berlin Conference were also prepared on the premise that the Germans would attack on their own initiative. Now to change the course of his life and devise a new plan, Nicholas II instinctively felt that this was a bit out of his control.

"Our 'G' plan has been in the works for nearly 30 years, and this plan is the most familiar and feasible Kutuzov strategy, exchanging space for time, as long as we hold off the Germans, slow down their offensive, and when our mobilization is completed, we can counterattack in one fell swoop, attacking the German mainland from Silesia and East Prussia, and it is not safe for us to change our plan now." Nicholas II groaned.

"Your Majesty, you are right, but the French believe that if they take the initiative to attack Germany, then Germany will inevitably concentrate its main forces on the Western Front, and then the Germans will be very weak on the Eastern Front, and the Germans will be taken by surprise when we launch an attack, so that even if we do not complete the mobilization, we will be able to inflict heavy losses on the German army and attack the German mainland.

In order to dispel our doubts, the French revealed some details of their plan No. 17, in the event of a war between Germany and France, the French would take the initiative to attack Germany on two fronts in the north and south with the strength of four armies, the southern front was aimed at recapturing Alsace and Lorraine, and the northern front was to meet the main German offensive force. Therefore, we believe that under these circumstances, it will be difficult to assume the obligations of the alliance immediately after the outbreak of war according to the guidelines of the 'G' plan, and that if we have completed our mobilization, it is likely that the Germans and the French will have already won the victory. Grand Duke Nikolaevich said.

The words of Grand Duke Nikolayevich made Nicholas II think, indeed, under the influence of the theory of quick victory in European wars, Nicholas II also believed that the next war would end as quickly as the Franco-Prussian War, so whoever won the victory would be very disadvantageous if Russia did not have time to act.

Although I don't know where the confidence of the French to take the initiative to attack comes from, it is true that with the contradiction between Germany and France, once France takes the initiative to attack, the Germans will definitely give priority to teaching the French a lesson. Nicholas II knew very well how glorious his cousin's officers would be at the Battle of Sedang again.

Of course, it was not clear to Nicholas II that this battle plan of the French was based on two unrealistic assumptions based on the wishful thinking of the French: first, that the French soldiers' prime, will to war, and enterprising spirit were superior to those of the German army; 2. The Germans will engage the French in a head-to-head battle.

And it is not clear to Nicholas II that although preparations for this plan began after the Franco-Prussian War, it is still not an official plan that has been adopted by the French General Staff, and it is still being revised. Historically, it was not until 1913 that Plan XVII officially became the French General Staff's response to future wars.

If he had known these two points, Nicholas II probably would not have made a decision that he would regret in the future: "Don't reply directly to the French now, I don't want those French to point fingers at us because they have formed an alliance with us, talk to them slowly, they are anxious."

However, the army can consider on the basis of the 'G' plan, and if the main German forces are concentrated on the Western Front, our army will take the initiative to attack the combat plan. ”

"Yes, Your Majesty." Grand Duke Nikolaevich responded.

"You go down first, and let Krylov in by the way." Nicholas II waved his hand. (To be continued......)