Shortly after returning to Ireland from Iceland, Natsuki met British Foreign Secretary Neville Chamberlain again, a deep-looking, melancholy-eyed veteran politician in his sixties, who was a little slow in his pace and neat in his words and deeds, and his sonorous voice was an innate advantage in the political arena. Pen, fun, pavilion www. biquge。 info

On the large meadow of the "Forest Palace", the two of them walked slowly with their backs to the sunset.

Before Charlotte became Queen of Ireland, Natsuki had deliberately befriended the British royal dignitaries and eased the relationship between the two countries, so he was more familiar with Prince Edward, Prince Louis, and Asquith, who was the British Prime Minister at the time, Foreign Secretary Gray, etc., but as the contradictions between the Allied camp and the United States and Britain were intensified during the first Portuguese crisis, the relationship between Ireland and Britain quickly cooled. Even so, Chamberlain, who has been a cabinet minister for nearly a decade, is still an old face with a high "appearance rate" in his sight, and the two greet each other cordially like old friends who have known each other for many years, but in fact they test each other. When he was far enough away from all his entourage, Chamberlain expressed his meaning in a tactful and subtle way: The British government admires Ireland's achievements in economic construction and social development very much, and does not want to see the harvest of the Irish people's hard work in ruins in the war, so as long as Ireland can maintain neutrality during the war, Britain will ensure that the property of the Irish royal family, government and people will not be damaged, and that Ireland's national rights and interests and international status will not be weakened after the war.

In recent years, Ireland's armament process has been markedly accelerated, with a large number of aircraft and submarines equipped with a relatively high level of technology, and a well-trained army unit, which is like a tiger lying on a couch for the British who are interested in revenge, and for this reason Britain has to expend considerable energy to build large-scale fortifications along the North Sea Channel and St. George's Strait, which to a certain extent has slowed down the progress of the British navy, army, and air force in preparing for war.

Among the four countries that concluded the secret military alliance, Britain's economic situation was only stronger than that of Japan, which was in deep crisis, but Britain's overall armament level was not inferior to that of the United States, and it was far more war-fighting than Japan and Soviet Russia. In recent years, they have built a large number of new ships in service under the name of the Commonwealth countries, and the overall strength of the Royal Navy has exceeded the level before the last major war, and the British Army's quasi-military service system has long been a well-known secret, they have long been in a state of active combat readiness, and there are a large number of well-trained federal troops waiting to be deployed, and even the Royal Air Force has developed faster than people had previously anticipated - by the summer of 1932, at least 2,000 fighters were deployed in Britain, Nearly two-thirds of them were more advanced aircraft, and once mobilized for war, Britain's domestic aviation industry could produce 500 or more fighters a month, which, like the English Channel, were used as a favorable barrier against German attacks. As long as the Germans did not launch a cross-sea landing, or if the landing was thwarted, the British could be free to deal with Ireland, and if the situation was favorable enough, American troops could also be directly involved in the attack on Ireland.

If Chamberlain brought a naked threat, then Natsuki, as the king of Ireland, would undoubtedly show a tough stance, but Chamberlain came in a deliberative tone, and put forward suggestions to avoid the scourge of war from the perspective of the overall interests of Ireland, regardless of the national position and personal inclination, Natsuki did have a little bit of a heart: it was in this way that the Franco regime in old time and space Spain survived until the 70s, becoming the most "long-lived" fascist dictatorship.

But Chamberlain's heartbeat to Natsuki felt fleeting, and he didn't want the rest of his life to be reprimanded by his former comrades and ridiculed by others, and he knew very well that once the Allied camp collapsed, Ireland would lose its greatest political and economic backing, and even if Britain could fulfill its promises, would they have the final say in the post-war world?

Therefore, Natsuki asked Chamberlain: "The Irish people don't want war, because war will destroy their beautiful city and ruin their peaceful life, but are the British really not afraid of war?" ”

Chamberlain said: "Looking back at the history of the past thousand years, the Anglo-Saxons have rarely shown bloodthirsty and warlikeness, but the Germanic people living on the European continent have been savage and martial, and have been constantly conquests." Eighteen years ago, Britain was involved in the war because Germany trampled on Belgian neutrality, which was guaranteed by Britain, and although Britain lost the war, the British people did not regret the decision they made in 1914, and the great George V remained the king respected by all his subjects. Eighteen years later, if Britain were to be involved in the war again, it would certainly be a sunny and just cause, a heroic act worth paying for with their lives. ”

This impassioned statement sounded to Natsuki like a dialogue in a European musical and dance drama, the rhetoric was gorgeous but the logic was pale, war was ultimately a conflict of interests between countries, if the British monarch and his people were righteous and knightly, then how could there be an Irish ****** in the 40s of the last century? How could there be bloody atrocities committed by British troops around the world?

Thinking of this, Natsuki had a little more contempt for the sanctimonious British, in his eyes, the current British army's preparedness was much better than in 1914, but their grasp of the development trend of technology and tactics was not as good as his own after all. It was not difficult for British troops to land in Ireland when war broke out, but it was not possible to gain a foothold in Ireland without the full force of the country or the strong intervention of the American army, and any disdain would make them suffer.

"So, what do my ministers think of this?"

Natsuki knew that Chamberlain had visited a number of Irish officials on this trip, so he asked him this.

"Your Majesty knows the ministers far better than I do, and must have the answer to this question in his heart." Chamberlain replied slyly.

Nowadays, the military and political circles of Ireland are evenly matched with German officials, and neither Gaelic speaking Irish nor German-speaking Germanic people have a good impression of Britain across the sea, so the diplomatic relations between the two countries are like an invisible veil and can never enter the rhythm of normalization. As for the unofficial relations between the two countries, during the golden decade of Europe, Britain and Ireland had more and more trade and technical cooperation, but when doing business with the calculating and high-minded British, the Irish often suffered more and gained less, so the common people's disgust towards Britain continued unabated. However, this does not mean that all Irish people are willing to follow the German crusade to the east and west, after all, there will be casualties in the war, and 10,000 dead and wounded is nothing for a large country with a population of tens of millions, and a great loss for a small country with a limited population. In fact, without the need for an in-depth investigation, the opinion of the Irish press on the country's military escalation suggests that the majority of Irish do not want to be embroiled in a large-scale war because of the overseas expansion of the Allied bloc.

But if one's own country is invaded by a foreign enemy, the reversal of public opinion will be obvious.

The two stopped for a moment at the edge of the meadow, looking at Limerick under the sunset, following the Freedom Building, the Celtic Hotel, the Irish Ocean Building, the National Broadcasting Tower and other modern buildings continue to raise the "commanding heights" of Limerick, Chamberlain admired the scenery of Ireland like a poet, and intended to remind the King of Ireland that nearly 20 years of hard work have not come easily.

Natsuki suddenly changed his tone: "Even if the allied countries really have a military conflict with your country, and the United States, Soviet Russia, and Japan participate in the war because of their support for your country, the island of Ireland may not be reduced to a scorched earth. We might as well boldly predict that after the outbreak of war, Britain will inevitably be the primary target of the Allies, the German army will flood across the English Channel, the Irish army will also cross the North Sea Channel and George Strait to land in Britain, the two armies will eventually meet in the middle of England, and the next decisive battle will be fought in the Atlantic Ocean and Eastern Europe. ”

Chamberlain was a little surprised, but not like seeing a demon, he pondered Natsuki's words and expressions, and then analyzed seriously: "Germany and Ireland should join forces and defeat Britain should not be a problem, but can it defeat all the Commonwealth countries that are on the same side as Britain, as well as the United States, Japan, and Russia?" Germany's expansion in Asia and South America, the former allies, including Ireland, have not benefited in any way, the Ottomans are rotten, the Austro-Hungarian Empire is old, and Italy is poor, and it seems to me that only Ireland will unswervingly follow Germany against the challenges of most of the world. ”

Natsuki smiled playfully: "Your Excellency, don't forget, I was once a member of the German Navy, and I made great achievements for the High Seas Fleet in the Battle of Jutland, two Battle of Flanders, and the Battle of the North Faroe Islands, becoming the youngest recipient of the Grand Cross in German history, and victory is my talisman. ”

Chamberlain was stunned, then shook his head and sighed, looking unteachable.

Natsuki sneered in a soft tone: "If war breaks out between the Allies and the United States, and your country is advised to remain sensibly neutral, London, the most prosperous city of the great industrial age, can continue to be admired by the world, otherwise, it will be ten times more painful than Paris." ”

Chamberlain's eyes under his thick eyebrows finally became angry, and he said word by word: "So, is Your Majesty determined to fight the British army on the battlefield?" ”

Natsuki didn't answer directly, but turned around and walked back, saying as he walked: "The end of the war may mean the coming of peace, or maybe it just sows the seeds of hatred for the arrival of the next war, Your Excellency should have heard this proverb!" ”

This proverb has appeared in the Irish press several times, and its source is precisely the mouth of Natsuki.

Chamberlain did not answer.

Natsuki said meaningfully: "The London Armistice was a great victory for British diplomats at the negotiating table, and it also created an opportunity for British revenge. Since it is the hatred brought about by war, it may be destined to disappear on the battlefield where rivers of blood are shed. A word to your Excellency: War may be a catastrophe in history, or it may bring about the creation of an eternal classic, no matter what the outcome, it is better to face it bravely than to wander by chance. ”

(End of chapter)