.“ Teacher, please be seated! I read the report you wrote last night! In the absence of outsiders, Chentian used to call Hindenburg "teacher". For his military enlightenment teacher, even if he has now become a monarch and a minister, he feels that such a title is not an exaggeration.

Hindenburg didn't speak, just waited quietly for Chentian to finish speaking.

"Do you think that we have been conducting military operations too often this year, which is very bad for the peaceful situation in Europe! Therefore, you want us to end all foreign military operations this year as soon as possible, and then devote our energies to the construction of internal affairs, and the task of the army turns to updating equipment and training! Chen Tian repeated the main content of the Hindenburg report, and then looked at the veteran who will be 70 years old next year.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Hindenburg first looked at Chentian's face, and then said in a calm tone: "Your Majesty, please forgive me for my frankness, I think your whole person has changed a lot since the Washington bombing!" ”

"How's it going?" Chen Tian raised his head, just in time to meet Hindenburg's gaze.

Hindenburg's eyes did not evade, and his words remained so unwavering, that one could not feel a trace of sadness or joy. "Become more enthusiastic about the use of force, more decisive and decisive, in short, not like your former majesty! I don't know if this is the reason for Her Majesty's departure, or if that bombing changed your mind. ”

"The love of force is only a superficial phenomenon, it is the result that counts! As for the reason you say, I think maybe it's both! Chen Tian said softly.

"Your Majesty is beginning to hate the United States!"

Hindenburg didn't seem to be asking questions, the tone was more like speculation and analysis.

In front of Hindenburg, Chen Tian did not hide his views on the United States:

"It used to be disgusting, but now it's even more disgusting!"

"What about Russia?" Hindenburg asked, "Is it hate?" ”

"No, it's a static brake, silently waiting for the death of the giant!" When he said this, Chen Tian showed a lot of faith. If he didn't know the story of Napoleon so well, if he hadn't heard Hitler's name at all. Now his army should have crossed the Russian border, and as for the result, it may be the same as its predecessors, or it may not be the same.

If there were ifs, everything would be different.

"So, what about the Empress of Russia?" Hindenburg went further.

"She caused that explosion, it's a secret that the top of the world knows! It's just that no one has definite evidence, and no one knows what the consequences of opening this Pandora's box will be for the situation. No one is sure that they will be able to profit from it after finding out the facts, but they will not be beaten upside down! ”

Chen Tian spoke quickly, and this was obviously the answer he had thought about many times before he got it.

"So it seems that after the occupation of India, our large-scale military operation this year can indeed be over!" Hindenburg reiterated the observations made in his report.

"No, it doesn't stop there!" Chen Tian said very resolutely, "In the past, the first few years after the end of the war would enter a short period of relative peace, but now the situation is different! After we stifled the Japanese government's ambition to dominate East Asia through the Triple Agreement, the Japanese turned to occupy the whole of Southeast Asia! The oil there is dispensable for us, but the gum produced there accounts for 70% of the world's total, and there are many important and precious mineral resources! Like glue, minerals, oil. This will be the key to determining the outcome of future wars! ”

"Your Majesty. Nigeria also produces gum! Hindenburg reminded that British Nigeria had been included in the list of German colonies since 1915, and that natural gum was also produced there.

Chen Tian still denied: "Whether it is quantity or quality." None of them met our requirements! Nigeria's future lies in minerals, and if you want to get enough gum resources, either from Southeast Asia or from Brazil! Obviously, the Americans are not going to let us easily get Brazilian glue, and the glue there is actually not as good as Southeast Asia! ”

"Your Majesty, is it difficult for us to go to war with Japan?" Hindenburg is not very positive, but he does not replace "we" with "you" here, and the implication is very obvious, no matter when. The army will unconditionally carry out the emperor's orders.

Chen Tian looked at Hindenburg again, "No! Not at least for ten years! ”

Hindenburg wondered, "It's not going to be an attack on the Dutch colonies!" ”

Chen Tian waved his hand, "It's not a war, but let them give it up!" ”

"Forcing Queen Wilhelmina to make concessions by force? But as you know about the Netherlands, these things are not entirely up to the Dutch government and the royal family! If the threat of force were to be used, it would have a detrimental effect on Germany's reputation! Just if you insist like that! Your army will be on your side no matter what! ”

"Don't be so tragic!" Chen Tian showed a sly smile on his face, "We only need to let the Japanese attack the Dutch East Indies, and then we will jump out and act as protectors." Then our army will be able to rightfully occupy those archipelagos! ”

"That's ...... But will the Japanese be willing to play a supporting role? Not to mention that they also coveted the Dutch East Indies! Hindenburg said with great disdain, "They are all about conditions, and they will never do anything without benefits!" ”

"Don't worry!" Chen Tian looked confident, "Do you know what the Japanese government wants most now?" ”

Hindenburg thought for a moment, "Well, in addition to Southeast Asia, I'm afraid it's the Philippine Islands and the Hawaiian Islands of the Americans!" ”

"What about other than the territory?" Chentian prompted.

"Money!" Hindenburg gave the answer with great certainty.

Chen Tian still shook his head, "No, what they want most is actually an aircraft carrier!" According to our secret agreement with them, we will supply them with an aircraft carrier within 10 years, that is to say by 1925 at the latest! However, the Japanese are well aware of the role of this weapon in naval warfare, and in order to advance eastward as soon as possible after the end of the war in Southeast Asia, they want us to deliver the aircraft carrier as soon as possible! ”

Hindenburg suddenly came to his senses, "You mean to exchange aircraft carriers for their fake troops?" ”

"That's right, their 3rd Fleet is now stationed in Singapore, and it is just a gesture for them to make territorial claims to the Netherlands and send warships to the waters near the Dutch East Indies to fire a few cannons! Next, we just have to wait for the Dutch to ask us for help! After completing the strategic landing on the Indian Peninsula, we can send some warships directly to the Dutch East Indies, plus a few thousand soldiers, and those resource-rich islands are under our protection! In return, we only need to deliver the first aircraft carrier 'Super Duck Mama' to the Japanese Navy. Although it is not a good thing for the Japanese to master aircraft carrier technology, the deal is still very cost-effective! ”

After saying this, Chen Tian added: "After sending off the 'Super Duck Mother', according to the Washington Naval Treaty, in addition to the 'Zeppelin' and 'Tirpitz' that have already laid the keel, we can build a new aircraft carrier, and by 1915 our local navy will have five new aircraft carriers less than 10 years old!" ”

After thinking about it for a while, Hindenburg will unconditionally support Chentian's new plan. But Hindenburg expressed reservations about his previous conservative advice.

When it was time for lunch, Chen Tian saw that Ollie and Ludendorff were still talking in a whisper, and it seemed that it would not only take courage to carry out such a long-distance strategic landing, but also the amount of preparation for the transportation of troops and logistics was also amazing. Fortunately, the German Army's war arsenal and the warehouses of the major military factories were piled up with ammunition and materials, and before the end of the war against the British mainland, the strategic materials stored by the German War Department could be used by 2 million German ** troops for three months, and some of these stocks were consumed during the invasion of Austria-Hungary, and the rest could be used only by the German-Turkish expeditionary force, which was conservatively estimated to allow the 200,000 troops to fight for a year and a half.

Right now. It is also good to spend some more ammunition and supplies through large-scale strategic landing operations. At the very least, this would free the War Department to procure new equipment and supplies.

Three days later, on 24 March, Lieutenant General Oli set out to return to the front. By this time, orders had been given to the German garrisons in Gibraltar and Qingdao. They were also the first to act. Since March 27, nearly 30 requisitioned German merchant ships have entered the ports of Gibraltar and Malaga to carry supplies and troops, and all the 33,000 soldiers planned to board and set off within five days; In Qingdao, the local garrison collected 120 German merchant ships and five German cruise ships in three days, each carrying 100 to 1,000 soldiers and three weeks' rations, depending on the size of the ship, which departed from Qingdao in four batches under the escort of the German Pacific Fleet, carrying a total of 27,000 soldiers.

On 23 March, German Foreign Minister Stresemann met with the Japanese ambassador to Berlin, General Nakamura. Stresemann tentatively expressed to the other side the idea that the German government was willing to provide aircraft carriers to the Japanese Navy in advance, and the Japanese were very positive and said that they would do their best to meet the reasonable demands of the German government on the premise of obtaining aircraft carriers in advance.

On March 25, the two sides held a second meeting, in which Stresemann formally put forward a request for the aircraft carrier to be sent on a false basis, and Nakamura said that he needed to ask the Japanese government for instructions.

The next day, Nakamura met with Strezemann for the third time with a positive reply from the Japanese government. In addition to aircraft carriers, the Japanese government also wants to purchase a batch of tanks and armored vehicles from the German government.

After reporting the situation to the Kaiser, Stresemann told Nakamura. I would like to request the Government of Japan to send a plenipotentiary to the country for detailed talks.

On 21 April, a special delegation headed by Keichi Murakami, deputy chief of staff of the Japanese Admiralty, arrived in Berlin, while the German side sent a delegation headed by Foreign Minister Stresemann and Rear Admiral Rolmann, deputy chief of the Admiralty's General Staff, to hold talks with the Japanese side. Since the disagreements between the two sides were only partial details, the talks proceeded quickly, and just three days later, the two sides signed the "German-Turkish Secret Pact in Southeast Asia" aimed at exchanging fake troops for real aircraft carriers.

Since then, the Japanese government has shown great efficiency. On 23 April, the Japanese ambassador to the Netherlands conveyed to the Dutch Government the Japanese Government's request to share the Dutch East Indies with the Netherlands, which was immediately sternly rejected by the Dutch Government.

This was followed by a naval operation codenamed "The Fool", in which the Japanese First Fleet imposed a targeted blockade of the Strait of Malacca on 1 May 1916, seizing four Dutch-flagged merchant ships and dispatching warships to patrol the vicinity of several major ports on the island of Sumatra.

In view of the lack of strength of the Dutch garrison and fleet there, the Dutch government first ordered the garrison to strengthen its garrison, and at the same time made a request to the Japanese government for consultation, but the Japanese immediately raised the price and demanded that the Dutch withdraw from the Dutch East Indies within a month and transfer ownership of the islands to Japan.

After that, the Dutch government was forced to turn to Germany for help, and the German government, on the one hand, pretended to prevaricate, and on the other hand, hinted that the Japanese government would intensify its harassment.

In desperation, the Dutch government turned to the U.S. government for help.

On 9 June, Japanese warships opened fire on a Dutch patrol boat near Penang Harbour, sinking and damaging one Dutch warship, which then returned fire. The next day, the Japanese minister to the Netherlands handed over an ultimatum to the Dutch government, demanding that the Netherlands compensate Japan for its losses in the conflict, and in fact, not a single Japanese sailor had been killed or wounded the day before.

On June 10, the U.S. government's mediation between the Netherlands and Japan was declared unsuccessful.

The next day, the German government suddenly proposed to the Dutch government that Germany take over the land and sea defense of the Dutch East Indies and intervene to quell the imminent large-scale conflict between the Netherlands and Japan.

The Queen of the Netherlands, after consulting with Parliament, agreed to the German government's proposal on 12 June.

On June 15, a detachment of the Pacific Fleet of the German Navy entered the Dutch East Indies and forced back 2 battleships, 1 cruiser and 6 destroyers of the Japanese 3rd Fleet with a "strong force" of 2 cruisers, 5 destroyers and 16 transports, and the Dutch East Indies were thus included in the "protection" of the German ** team.

At the instigation of the German government, German capital took advantage of this opportunity to pour into the Dutch East Indies, and the mining and oil enterprises under the Gigi Group quickly established oil and mining bases on Sumatra, Java and Kalidanman Island. With the assistance of the German garrison, the German-owned enterprises vigorously crowded out the Dutch enterprises, and by the end of 1916 70 percent of the industry and commerce in the Dutch East Indies had fallen under the control of the German enterprises.

On July 3, 1916, the German Navy's "Super Duck Mother" aircraft carrier arrived at the Yokoshiba Naval Base in Japan, and the aircraft carrier, which began construction in 1907, commissioned in 1910, and underwent large-scale refit in 1915, with a current displacement of 14,000 tons, was officially removed from the German Navy.

After joining the Japanese Navy, it was renamed the Hosho.