As we all know, to win a war, whether it is a modern war or an ancient war, all that is needed is the resources of people, money, and materials. Pen | fun | pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 infoSo, what is the current situation of the British people's human, material and financial resources?

John made a rough estimate from the material he had.

Manpower is good, judging from the data he has just sorted out, there is no shortage of human resources in the UK now. The huge colonial system and the good quality of the people provided Britain with sufficient human resource reserves. The current temporary shortage of manpower is only because full mobilization has just begun, and personnel scheduling and training will take time.

Moreover, since the beginning of the war, the total number of British casualties has only been in the tens of thousands. (Historically, the total number of British casualties during World War II was only 450,000, less than 1% of the country's population in 1939.) There is still a long way to go from the 1.2 million casualties of the last war.

As for material resources, Britain's own industrial production capacity is not weak, but because there is something wrong with the sea transportation line, a large number of industrial raw materials and agricultural products from the colonies cannot be transported in time. The data shows that the losses of the British cargo fleet at sea, while staggering, have not yet reached the point of collapsing the entire country's supply chain, only slowing down their recovery from previous losses.

In fact, Britain's industrial production capacity is still slightly higher than it was before the war, but their demand for certain industrial products is growing faster. On the contrary, the shortage of agricultural products is a little more tricky, after all, the mainland of Great Britain is so large, and it is good that local agricultural production can meet half of the domestic demand.

At the moment, the biggest difficulty is likely to be the financial problem. The Second World War was much more expensive than the last, and the total military spending of the participating countries was 6.5 times that of the First World War.

John had just calculated that just maintaining the current size and intensity of the army would cost Britain nearly £10 million a day for the war. And that number continued to grow as the Germans continued to increase in intensity, the Italians in North Africa took advantage of the fire, and the size of the British army itself grew.

And that's just the cost of maintaining the daily consumption of the army, not counting the money for the purchase and production of weapons and equipment. John conservatively estimated that the British would need at least £4 billion in military spending (historically, £1,118 million in 1940 and £3,220 million in 1941) for the British to make it to the United States. Last year, the UK's total national income was just over £5 billion, can their finances afford to wear it?

The answer is a very resounding yes, relying on government revenue alone will certainly not make a difference. Fortunately, the Churchill government did not need to maintain a fiscal balance, and the wealth accumulated by the British Empire over the centuries of colonization was no joke. In contrast, the Germans across the Channel were in an even worse financial position than they were, and military spending was already more than half of the national income.

After sorting out these punch cards, John felt that his inspection at the Home Defense Command could be over. He had enough in his head to make a good report. Because of secrecy, he couldn't take a single piece of paper from the confidential room. So, after finally confirming the data on one side, John shredded the punch cards with scissors and left the room.

"Lieutenant Colonel, are you going to have dinner here or will I send you back?" Captain Wilson's job for the past two days was to serve John, who was now not only John's secretary, but also his chauffeur, guide, and orderly.

"Send me back, those curries at noon are horrible." Thinking of the lunch that made him sick to his stomach at noon, John decided that it would be better to go back and eat.

"I'm very sorry, Lieutenant Colonel. The convoy from Australia arrived three days late, and the meat at noon was indeed a little stale. "But in a few days the HX-82 formation will be there, and they will have large freezing equipment removed from the whaling ship, and they will have fresh meat and fruit," Wilson said. I've heard that they also shipped a batch of coconuts this time, and London hasn't seen them in months. ”

John wondered why the midday curry tasted so strong. Although British cuisine and the history of the United States have been called the shortest jokes by the international community, this is the Home Defense Command, and the level of the chef should not be so bad that the feelings are to cover up the smell of the ingredients.

Curry was originally invented by British seafarers to mask the smell of food. People often think that curry is an Indian delicacy, but there is no such dish in India at all. In traditional Indian restaurants, there is only "masala" on the menu, not "curry".

At the beginning of the 18th century, British colonists invented curry powder based on "masala", mixing various tropical spices together. Because of its simplicity of cooking (just cut various meats and vegetables and cook them with curry powder) and the fact that the ingredients are not fresh or easy to eat, curry is very popular among sailors who have been adrift at sea all year round. Later, curry slowly became popular in the United Kingdom, becoming the second largest national food in the United Kingdom after fish and chips.

John remembers that the annual "curry contest" held in Britain was so famous that even the Prime Minister would attend the final award ceremony. Even British pubs also sell curry, and eating very spicy curry while drinking beer is considered a sign of masculinity.

"Wilson, are you married?" In the car, John began to talk to the British captain about family life.

"I've been married for three years and have a boy at home who is almost two years old." Wilson said, "I am a native of Newcastle, and before the Dunkirk retreat, I was the deputy commander of the 1st Battalion of the Northumberland Regiment (Northumberland is the northernmost county in England, and its capital is Newcastle). Both of them are still in the countryside of their hometown, and I am alone in London. ”

John remembered Adele and the children in Washington, D.C., and casually asked, "Aren't you going to take them over?" ”

Wilson turned his head and looked at John in surprise: "I don't have this plan for the time being, the country is safer than London, and the food is a little more abundant than in the city." ”

In fact, as soon as the words came out of his mouth, John realized that he had asked a stupid question. At this time, the people of London are busy running to the countryside, who will take the initiative to come and get bombed at this time. He quickly changed the subject: "Has the food supply been so tight lately?" ”

"It depends on what it is. Bread and butter are still available, and although they have to be purchased with the ration booklet, they can always be bought. "But fresh vegetables, meat and fruit are hard to come by, even if you have a quota in the store," Wilson said. It's better in the countryside, you can grow your own vegetables, raise some chickens or something. Unlike in the city, where only pregnant women and babies are allowed extra milk tickets, and growing children only have a small quota of oranges and eggs. ”

John nodded, Britain now has a population of nearly 48 million, and two-thirds of its pre-war food depended on imports. In a way, the lack of food was far more threatening than the German planes, tanks, and submarines.