In the outbreak of the world war in 1914, the armies of the warring countries were presented to the world in different ways:

With its sophisticated equipment and invincible offensive, the German ** team has made all countries bend their waists, and the title of the world's first army is well deserved;

The French Army advocated offensive but backward tactics, and its strength declined greatly after its defeat;

The Russians were brave and brave on foot, attacking without regard for casualties, and surrendering in groups, and the sea of men was still their most feared weapon;

The Austro-Hungarian Army was large in number but limited in combat power, and had not yet won a decisive victory in a single combat operation;

The little-known Serbian Army took advantage of its geographical and psychological advantages to inflict hardships on the invading enemy, but was flanked from all sides and eventually lost its country;

The Belgians' small army is admirable in defying the mighty, but all they can do is resist like a mantis arm;

The British Army, which lacked glorious traditions, did nothing under the command of a large group of incompetent generals, and the soldiers who lacked guns and artillery had to defend their homeland with their blood and lives;

The Turkish Army has given people a new look to see the hope of the revival of the Ottoman Empire, and the hard-working spirit of the officers and soldiers has been widely praised;

From the beginning to the end of the war, the Italian army retreated except for defense, and they were rated as the most unenterprising European army that never attacked;

The Bulgarian army entered the war without much success, and there were not many outstanding performances in the battle.

On the Pyrenees, there is an army that is gradually being forgotten, and that is an army that has the reputation of "the flower of the infantry". They have a glorious history of a century of continental warfare with infantry and arquebus, and they have countless soldiers who have been imbued with the spirit of fanatical professional soldiers, who have high morale, high self-confidence and a spirit of collectivism in war.

It has been said that the well-trained Spanish Army is one of the best in Europe, and its soldiers are proud of their professional soldiers. All things being equal, the Spanish Army was not afraid of the armies of any other country.

At the beginning of the 16th century, the Kingdom of Spain came to the fore as a unified state. At that time, the Spanish army was dominated by infantry, which was superior to other arms. The Spaniards had many originalities in army building. Before recruits enter the war, they must first be trained by instructors in all units of the country. After the training of one group of recruits, when they entered the army for standing military service, another group of recruits was transferred to training. In this way, the flow continues, forming a virtuous circle of institutionalization. This was the beginning of the recruit training system in history, and it was successively accepted by the European continent. In addition, the Spanish infantry regiments also laid the foundation for the establishment of modern infantry regiments. The Spanish phalanx, made up of spearmen and arquebusiers, had an impact on armies and soon became a model for European countries to follow, lasting for more than 100 years.

However, the conservative system and backward thinking taught the army a series of painful lessons in the 19th century, and their inability to stop Napoleon's French army and the defeat in one war after another for the colonies were a century of shame for the Spanish army. At the same time, Spain's enviable wealth was lost to piracy and foreign trade, and an empire was in decline behind the growing power of the British.

Under the young Alfonso XIII. The aging Spanish Empire showed no signs of recovery. From 1909 to 1911. Alfonso XIII's reign was plagued by a series of revolutionary movements, most notably in Madrid and Barcelona, where the populace even raised the banner of overthrowing the monarchy. Alfonso XIII under the pressure of public opinion. Some legislative, educational, and religious reforms have been made, but Spain's army and navy remain as dead as ever.

It was such an army, but at the beginning of 1915 a glorious explosion was brewing.

The reconquest of Gibraltar, which had been separated from Spain for more than 200 years, was a great temptation for Alfonso XIII and his generals, who needed victory to consolidate his dominance, and the marshals and generals who were eager to bring glory to the ailing British, all seemed so rosy, but the root of these changes was only an ultimatum from the German government.

The Spaniards were afraid of war, and even more afraid of fighting the powerful Germans.

After the surrender of France, the German Army could easily invade Spain through southwestern France. You must know that the Spanish defense line on the Franco-Spanish border was built in the last century. The fortifications that had fallen into disrepair could not stop the iron hooves of the German ** team.

Still, the Spaniards wanted to gain more weight over the Germans with their unique geographical advantages. In the first few days of the German-Spanish talks, Alfonso XIII convened frequent imperial councils, with a level of diligence not seen before since his accession to the throne. Telegrams with ever-changing conditions flew from Madrid to Berlin, and the Spanish ambassador wrestled at the negotiating table.

However, the good mood of the Spaniards did not last long. On 21 February, Alfonso XIII and his generals were almost terrified when the formidable fleet of Hipper appeared outside the port of Santander in northern Spain. Ever since the defeat of the Armada against the British, the navy has been a lingering nightmare for the Spaniards. Later, with the combined Franco-Spanish fleet of the Napoleonic era being severely damaged by Nelson's fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar, Spain's status as a naval power officially came to an end. Due to the poor economic situation of the country, the Spanish Navy received less investment year by year, they not only lacked advanced ships, but also had poor morale and training of sailors, which directly affected the combat effectiveness of the Spanish fleet. In the Spanish-American War that broke out in 1898, the Spanish fleet was once again humiliated, and since then the Spanish seafaring spirit has been greatly damaged, and the navy has been reduced to second-rate.

At the outbreak of the European War in 1914, the Spanish Navy had 2 armored battleships to be decommissioned, 2 light cruisers, 4 destroyers, and more than 20 gunboats and patrol boats, most of which were deployed in southern ports and only a small number of light ships in the north.

When the Hipper fleet appeared in the waters of the Bay of Biscay, the sea power of the whole of Spain was less than a third of this fleet, and the German fleet, armed with 305 mm and 280 mm naval guns, was more than capable of leveling all the port cities on the northern coast of Spain.

Panicked, Alfonso XIII immediately sent a telegram to the Spanish ambassador in Berlin, demanding that he meet all the demands of the German government and sign the treaty of alliance as soon as possible. In addition, Alfonso summoned the German ambassador to Madrid, who smiled and expressed the Spanish government's goodwill towards Germany, and vowed to get the British out of Gibraltar.

On the night of the 21st. In a friendly and voluntary manner, Germany and Spain signed the German-Spanish Treaty of Alliance, which stipulated that the Spanish government would declare war on Britain and capture the mountains of Gibraltar and the port occupied by the British within one month. After the successful occupation of Gibraltar, the Spanish-controlled Strait of Gibraltar will be permanently open to Germany, and German ships can dock at various ports along the Spanish coast and replenish food, fuel and other supplies; In the event that the Spanish army is unable to occupy Gibraltar within the allotted time. The German government would send troops directly to attack Gibraltar, at which time the Spanish government would have to lend the ports of Malaga and Tetouan to Germany temporarily, and at the same time fully cooperate with the British defenders of Gibraltar in the German attack, and the Germans would have to return Gibraltar to the Turkish government after taking Gibraltar.

On the night of the signing of the treaty, Hillal's fleet was transformed into the first German fleet to make a goodwill visit to Spain after the outbreak of war, and all ships, including battleships, entered the port of Santander under the guidance of Spanish ships. The next day, in accordance with the German-Spanish Treaty of Alliance, a large number of guns and ammunition were unloaded from the cargo ship of the Chipper fleet, including 280 mm heavy howitzers, which were urgently needed by the Spanish Army.

After the signing of the treaty. Celebratory receptions were held in Berlin and Madrid.

Chen Tian is still wearing a military uniform today. European monarchs have traditionally dressed in public, which is a reflection of the prevalence of wars in Europe. The reception at the Imperial Palace in Berlin was small and not so much a celebration of the signing of the treaty. It was not so much a gathering within the German government and army, as the only non-Germans present were the Spanish ambassador and a few other negotiators. After exchanging a few compliments with the Spaniards at the beginning of the reception, Chen Tian hid with Rupresit and Tirpitz for a small meeting.

"Your Majesty, do you think the Spaniards are sure to take the fortress of Gibraltar? As far as I know, it was the strongest fortress of the British in the Mediterranean! Rupresit, the Minister of War and who had recently returned to Berlin from Vienna, did not shy away from saying that, even though the Spanish ambassador was chatting with the German Foreign Minister not far away.

"Half chance of winning or losing!"

Chen Tian took a sip of the wine glass in his right hand, the current Spanish army is a slightly mysterious force, after all, the Spaniards are very honest after the Spanish-American War. In the other world, they did not fight in either World War I or World War II (the cunning Franco regime did not join the Axis powers, but continued to take advantage of both sides). This is also the longest-lived fascist regime that Franco Zhenguan has become, and it was not until Franco's death in the 70s that it ended), although there was a large-scale civil war in the 30s, but the infighting could hardly reflect the real combat effectiveness of the army. However, with Germany's huge intelligence network, Chen Tian still had a relatively intuitive understanding of the personnel and equipment of the Spanish army and navy at this time.

"Regardless of whether the Spanish army can capture Mount Gibraltar within a month, I think that the imperial army should attack and occupy it from the beginning, and the Suez Canal is also in our hands, so it is up to us to enter and exit the Mediterranean Sea from now on!" After the signing of the German-Spanish Treaty of Alliance. Rupresit seems to have some objections to the fact that Germany would not directly send troops to occupy Gibraltar. In the current situation in Europe, no one dared to say no to the Central Powers, led by Germany.

"My dear brother, do you want to keep all of our allies awake?" Chen Tian smiled faintly, the military sometimes has to serve politics, occupying the mountains of Gibraltar can control the Strait of Gibraltar, which can give Germany a huge military advantage, but Austria-Hungary, Russia, Turkey, Greece and other countries want to enter and exit the Mediterranean Sea is potentially restricted, but let Spain nominally control this strait, the concerns of countries will be greatly reduced.

Ruppresit pondered this uncomplicated political question with his very militarily gifted mind, and he soon found that, as Tatsutian had said, it was precisely because of the clause in the treaty that Gibraltar would be returned to Spain in any case, and that the Allied countries welcomed the signing of the treaty, and that there was no opposition from the neutral countries.

"Let's not forget that there are also additional terms between us and the Spanish government to build a new Gibraltar fortress, a military port and an airport, which is enough to give us the keys to the Mediterranean Sea!" Chen Tian said in a low voice.

In this regard, the scheming Tirpitz apparently had a better consideration, and he proposed to send the Imperial Navy's fastest battle cruisers to the Mediterranean. With Moltke and Seydlitz in Sheppel's fleet, and Goeben (another world-famous battlecruiser, of the same class as Moltke, sent to the Mediterranean in 1912), they would become the strongest and fastest maritime maneuver in the Mediterranean, and no fleet would be able to slip out of their noses.

"Could it be that after the end of the Battle of England, the center of gravity of Europe ......"

"That's right, Mediterranean!" Tatsuten confirmed Rupresit's speculation.

Eastern Mediterranean. The vast body of water between Europe, Asia and Africa is about 4,000 kilometers long from east to west and 1,800 kilometers wide from north to south, covering an area of about 3 million square kilometers. It occupies an extremely important position in transportation and strategy, it can reach the Atlantic Ocean through the Strait of Gibraltar in the west, connect the Black Sea through the Dardanelles Strait in the northeast, and reach the Indian Ocean through the Red Sea through the Suez Canal in the southeast. No other part of the world is geographically so closely related to the course of man, every stretch of coast, every estuary, every island, every shipwreck at the bottom of the sea. All soaked in the imprints of human civilization.

From ancient times to the present day. It has always been a battleground for wars, and there have been countless classic naval battles in this area, including the Battle of Salami and the rise of Greece. The Battle of Aktim and the weakening of the Roman Empire, the Battle of Rebanto and the fall of the Ottoman Empire, human civilization continued to move forward in these wars.

Without the Atlantic, without the Strait of Gibraltar, the Mediterranean would have become a large dry salty pit in 1000 years. From this point of view, the Strait of Gibraltar is more like the Mediterranean Territory, and the Gibraltar Hill on the north side of the Strait of Gibraltar is the keyhole in the door. With the continuous development of artillery technology, the artillery deployed on this hill is enough to threaten any ship passing through the strait. It was with this in mind that the British continued to build for 200 years after the occupation. It has now been turned into a huge fortress.

It is currently manned by the British Army's garrison of the fortress of Gibraltar and the Royal Navy's Mediterranean Fleet. In fact, the Spanish intelligence was not very accurate, and the total number of British troops was not 7,000 but 11,000, including many colonial troops that had previously been withdrawn from the British African colonies, including British, Egyptians, South Africans, and even Indians. They were basically equipped with the best standard weapons of the British army, and there were quite a lot of guns and ammunition in the large arsenal of the Gibraltar fortress, and the stored food and fresh water could ensure that the fortress could last for at least four months after the siege; The main force of the British Mediterranean Fleet had long since withdrawn to its homeland, and by this time most of the battleships and cruisers were sleeping on the seabed near England, and the only light cruisers, destroyers and torpedo boats remained in the military port of Gibraltar. In addition, Spanish spies noticed that wrinkled submarines were moored in a corner of the harbor, but were not sure whether they were capable of normal combat; There were only two old biplane fighters at the military airfield north of Fort Gibraltar, but there were also six seaplanes with Lewis machine guns in the port.

The greatest threat to the Spanish army was the British artillery in 1799, when the Franco-Spanish army and navy laid siege to Gibraltar with superior forces, and the British defenders faced an extreme shortage of food and ammunition, but thanks to the superior performance of the Royal Navy, the British finally held the fort and inflicted heavy damage on the combined Franco-Spanish fleet.

At this time, the strategic partners of the Spaniards were changed from the French to the Germans, while the British were no longer protected by a strong navy. It's just that in the fortifications on both land and sea, the British have nearly 700 good guns and more than 150 machine guns.

At 8 a.m. on February 22, 1915, the Spanish government formally submitted an ultimatum to the British government, demanding that Britain reply within 24 hours whether to return Gibraltar and withdraw all troops.

At 12 noon on the 22nd, King Alfonso XIII of Spain issued a mobilization order, and the whole country entered a state of combat readiness from now on.

At 6 p.m., the Spanish representative abruptly interrupted his talks with the British Government.

At 8 o'clock in the morning of the 23rd, Alfonso XIII read out the edict of declaration of war at the Royal Palace, and Spain officially declared war on Britain and declared the Strait of Gibraltar a war zone. The Spanish Navy then dispatched ships to block the east-west exit of the Strait of Gibraltar, and all neutral ships were not allowed to enter or leave the strait.

Gibraltar Fortress.

As early as a few hours before the Spanish government declared war, the British commander in Gibraltar, General Roque, had already received a telegram from home that war between Britain and Spain was inevitable. Roque, 51, then ordered the entire Gibraltar Military District to be brought to combat readiness and convened a meeting of all army and navy officers.

At the meeting, he conveyed to the officers the Government's request for the garrison to hold Gibraltar and to be prepared for a prolonged siege.

"We will repeat the miracle of the defeat of the Franco-Spanish army in 1799, which will be a turning point in the fate of the Empire!" Despite the slim hope, General Roque tried to boost the morale of the crowd.

The officers present knew very well in their hearts that this would be an indefinite, hopeless hold on, a purely battle of honor.

After Spain declared war, General Roque announced the fort's wartime ration of food and fresh water, with all officers and soldiers receiving only a minimum daily supply. Despite the orderly preparation of British officers and men in the forts, ports and border lines (the isthmus where Gibraltar is connected to the mainland), the fearful news of being trapped finally came. Due to the blockade of the British mainland by the German navy, supplies to Gibraltar had to be carried out by British ships from India, rounding the Cape of Good Hope. After Spain declared war on Britain, the Spanish navy imposed a complete blockade of the Strait of Gibraltar, detaining a British cargo ship and three Portuguese ships attempting to pass through the strait the next day. Combined with the land blockade imposed by the Spanish Army, Gibraltar was once again under siege since 1799.