Chapter 466: Churchill's Plan
"Ladies and gentlemen, it is too early to prepare for peace talks with the Germans. www.biquge.info After all, once we make peace with the Germans, with their greedy character, they will definitely take this opportunity to open their mouths and extort more benefits. When the time comes, the British Empire will no longer exist. Churchill said.
The ministers all nodded their heads, and they all agreed that Churchill was right. But if you don't compromise, will you just watch the flames of war burn on the British Empire's own soil? This is undoubtedly also an unacceptable result for them.
"Your Excellency Churchill, what should we do if the Germans land on our soil by then?" Edward? Sir Grey asked.
"Sir Excellency, it will not be so easy for the Germans to land on the mainland of the British Empire. First, they needed to defeat the Anglo-French forces. Then, it was also necessary to cross the straits to attack the empire's homeland. Although, the German Army is the first in the world. However, the Anglo-French forces were also not so easy to deal with. The number of expeditionary forces we have sent to the European continent is already more than a million. The strength of the French army has also expanded to more than 2 million. In this case, the total strength of the Anglo-French coalition army will be more than 3 million. I'm afraid the total strength of the German Army is not so much. No matter how powerful the Germans are, it will undoubtedly be very difficult to defeat us when they are far inferior to ours in strength. Churchill analyzed.
"Your Excellency Haldan, do the Anglo-French forces have a good chance of resisting the German attack?" Prime Minister Asquith asked.
"Your Excellency, the French claim to have a seventy percent chance of withstanding the Germans. But I think they're too optimistic. It seems to me that we have at most a fifty percent chance of withstanding the German attack. As His Excellency Churchill said, it will not be easy for the Germans to defeat us. After all, we were on the Marne line, with heavy troops deployed and at the same time fortifications built. The quality of our soldiers is definitely not comparable to that of the Russians. Therefore, it is entirely possible for us to resist the attack of the Germans. "Richard? Haldan said.
Prime Minister Asquith nodded, as if to analyze whether the British Empire should sue for peace with the Germans if the Anglo-French forces could withstand the German attack. After all, if you make peace, it will not benefit the British Empire at all. Even if it's a tie, it's the most advantageous!
"Your Excellency, what if the Anglo-French forces are unable to withstand the German attack? When the time comes, the Germans will probably not give us the slightest chance for peace talks. Every time we lose on the battlefield, the Germans will inevitably become tougher and ask for more. "Edward? Sir Grey reminded.
Prime Minister Asquith was stunned for a moment, then nodded as well. Because he knows, Edward? Sir Grey is telling the truth. If the Germans had clearly felt that victory was in sight, they would have ignored the British Empire's request for peace talks. After all, having defeated the British Empire, the British Empire would be like meat on a board, at their mercy. There is no need for peace talks.
When Churchill saw Prime Minister Asquith's attitude, he was still inclined to peace talks, so he had no choice but to continue to persuade him.
"Your Excellency, the Royal Navy has failed in this operation. However, we are not without the slightest chance. Churchill continued.
All eyes were on Churchill. The Royal Navy has always been a pillar of the British Empire. If the Royal Navy could win, then the British Empire would at least be safe. It was not even impossible to win the war by draining Germany by other means. However, didn't the Royal Navy lose a lot in this naval battle? What are they going to do to beat the Germans! This has led some cabinet ministers to even think that Churchill is simply bragging.
"Your Excellency Churchill, do you have any new plans? If the Royal Navy could defeat the Germans, it would be the best. Prime Minister Asquith said. Although, he also thinks that the chances of Churchill's success are very small. But in his heart, there are also some expectations.
Churchill took a deep breath and said, "Your Excellency, there are 7 battleships and one battlecruiser left in the Royal Navy. Although, these battleships were all badly damaged. However, with the shipbuilding strength of the British Empire, it took a maximum of two months to repair these warships. Even, if you work three shifts, a month is enough. When the time comes, these warships will scatter and attack the German sea transport lines, break the engagement, and give them back everything they have done to the British Empire! In this case, the Germans could undoubtedly be greatly weakened. ”
Prime Minister Asquith nodded, Germany's lack of resources made it necessary to rely on overseas trade for a large number of their supplies. Therefore, the British Empire wanted to blockade Germany with its navy and then drag Germany to death. But alas, the Royal Navy not only failed to complete this task, but instead put itself into it.
"I'm afraid that's not enough to defeat the Germans, is it? If the Germans sent their fleets to attack our broken ships, we would not be their opponents at all. The German Navy now has absolute superiority. "Secretary of War Richard? Hardan questioned.
"Indeed, it is impossible to defeat Germany in this way. If you want to defeat the Germans, you will have to rely on a strong navy in the end. The warships we are building now need a lot of supplies. However, the blockade of us by the Germans made it difficult for our warships to be completed on time. Therefore, we need to fight another naval battle with the Germans, even if we lose both, we must break the German blockade of us. In this way, the warships that we will build in the future will be able to be completed and put into service. The strength of the Royal Navy can be restored! Churchill continued.
"However, the current Royal Navy simply does not have the strength to fight a decisive battle with the Germans." Edward? Sir Grey also said.
Churchill nodded: "Indeed, the Royal Navy has suffered great losses this time. However, there are other ways in which the Royal Navy can be restored. In this case, we will have enough strength to fight the Germans in a second decisive battle. With a bit of luck, winning is not out of the question. ”