Chapter 283: The Turbulent World Pattern

"This is not a high requirement, but there is one thing that needs to be communicated with the chairman." Ryans took the conversation, Fang Jianxiong took a moment to make a gesture of please, and said in his heart that he should have said about joining the war, right?

"That's right, after research, the Thunder 1 aircraft produced by your country is superior in the European battlefield. Your ace pilot, Munn, shot down thirty German planes in the skies over Reims. The French government awarded Captain Mounn the title of Knight of the Grand Cross, the highest honor in France. My Government hopes that your country will be able to provide you with the blueprints for this fighter jet, as well as the light machine guns that your country is equipped with, are the technologies that we hope to receive. Raines said as he looked at Fang Jianxiong's reaction, this guy didn't have any expression at all. In fact, light machine gun technology is really nothing, and the Americans are fully capable of building it. But Fang Jianxiong's copycat Bren machine gun, which has been verified in actual combat. If there is an off-the-shelf one, why bother to develop one? Besides, the rifle assembly lines of American arms dealers are now frantically producing Fang Dashuai's 7mm rifles, and the supporting bullet assembly lines are also producing corresponding bullets.

Since there are ready-made ones, there is no need to work hard, just go directly to the new production line and increase the scale of production of rifles and bullets. In other words, Fang Dashuai was holding back his bad intentions to force the US military to follow his equipment, which seemed to have achieved initial results. At present, American arms dealers have the most 7mm rifles in their hands, and this is still an order ready to be delivered to China.

The U.S. government has been actively looking for opportunities to enter the war and is actively preparing to enter the war. Therefore, this inspection of military production, the selection of artillery, etc., must be done in advance. When the U.S. side discovered that the entire U.S. rifle assembly line was producing rifles for China, the U.S. No.E. Arms Dealers had an annual production capacity of 600,000 7mm caliber rifles.

Say. The U.S. ** team wants to equip recruits with Springfield rifles, and there are not so many rifles at all. Now in production, there are not a few production lines. After some real work, the US military unexpectedly discovered that the rifles ordered by the Chinese had very good combat results. Moreover, there are hundreds of thousands of rifles and more than 10,000 Bren machine guns in the warehouses of the American ** fire dealers, which are all orders from Britain and France for the Chinese Expeditionary Force.

The U.S. side took a look at this situation. Forget it, don't bother so much, keep it for now.

When Raines said that he wanted machine gun technology, he was actually saying kind words. Anyway, everyone had face, and turned around and intercepted other people's rifles. Isn't it hard to speak?

Fang Jianxiong is not an insatiable person, considering that there are many places that will rely on the United States in the future, he waved his hand generously and said: "It's easy to talk about the plane, go back and let someone send you the drawings." "Now that science and technology are changing with each passing day, it won't be long before this aircraft is phased out, and the Aircraft Research Institute in Wuchang is recently developing two more advanced aircraft engines. It is said that once developed, it will be possible to increase the bomb load of the bomber to 2 tons. Now they are most worried about how to solve the problem of bombs and delivery. The more advanced the aircraft develops, the more technology it lacks. Now the main source of technology. Still in the United States, especially the new engine, which was developed jointly with the American company Kosti. Wuchang doesn't have this ability, but the research and development place of this engine is in China. This is related to the policy of the United States during World War I, and the military was often powerless.

All in all. Before the U.S. military entered World War I, the army's various military equipment was not advanced. If it weren't for Fang Jianxiong's order for 1.5 million rifles to the US ** fire dealers, the US rifle production capacity would have only reached 200,000 in 1918 in parallel history. Now the problem is not so strict, with mature technology and skilled workers, an industrial power like the United States has a strong ability to increase production.

Raines and Stilwell left satisfied, and the good relations between China and the United States were once again confirmed. Just take out an optical sighting equipment factory with supporting artillery, and the problem will be solved.

On February 24, 1917, Page, the U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom, obtained a deciphered telegram from the British. This telegram was sent by the Foreign Secretary of the German Reich, Arthur ? Zimmermann's encrypted telegram to the German ambassador to Mexico, En:Kardt, on January 16, 1917.

"On February 1, we will launch an "unrestricted submarine war". In any case, our intention is for the United States to continue to pursue a policy of neutrality. If this plan does not succeed, we will advocate for an alliance with Mexico. The condition is that we will join the war together and have peace together.

We [Germany] will provide generous financial support and an understanding to Mexico that Mexico will regain the lost territories in New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona. The details of the building will be drafted by you. I now instruct you to explain [our plan] to the President when you are confident that the United States will declare war, and to encourage him to take the initiative to invite Japan to join in the plan immediately, and to use our good offices with Japan between negotiations.

Please bring to the attention of the President that our ruthless submarine warfare can bring Britain to peace in a few months. ”

This is the most controversial translation of Zimmerman's telegram from the history of World War I. There is no doubt that this is the introduction of a historic heavy dà event. In fact, with or without the existence of this telegram, the US government has decided to enter the war, and this should be the essence.

If I have to ask, do you need an excuse to go to war? The best answer should be the rhetorical question: Is it necessary?

History does not have so many assumptions, and in a word, the poor performance of the Germans in diplomacy after Bismarck, has continued. This was the case in World War I and World War II, and I never found the right ally. But when you calm down and look at the map of Europe and compare the course of history, you will find how awkward Germany's position is. You will find that the possibility of an alliance between Britain, France and the United States with Germany is simply zero. In parallel history, Germany had to go to war with Britain and France if it wanted to break the Versailles system after World War I. The United States, on the other hand, is also trying in every possible way to break the Versailles system, which is obviously more calm and more advanced in its means, which is determined by its geographical location and the course of world historical development.

On March 28, 1917, the French army launched the Spring Offensive, and unlike parallel history, the German army in this time and space had far less battlefield attrition than parallel history. What puzzled the Chinese side the most was that it had suffered the same losses many times, but why was the French military top brass still very confident that they could defeat the German army and achieve the strategic goal of sports warfare?

This time, the French army launched an attack ahead of the German army, and in fact, at this time, the German army was also preparing a powerful offensive. The advance attack of the French army did disrupt the deployment of the German army, but from another point of view, it was also the scene that the German army wanted to see. That is, to fight for more fortified defenses, to reserve strategic reserves, and to wait for the French army to exhaust.

The tactics adopted by the German army were the masterpiece of Ludendorff, the deputy chief of the General Staff, a German military genius who bloomed brilliantly in World War I, and was keenly aware of the backwardness of the French army's tactics. It's still the same old thing, the artillery fire is prepared, the barrage is slowly advancing, and the tanks cover the infantry advance at turtle speed. Interestingly, the French, having acquired Chinese tank technology, made twisted improvements and produced an "infantry tank" with a dead weight of twenty tons and a speed of only ten kilometers per hour.

It was with this tank that the French launched the prelude to the spring offensive after three days of artillery preparation. It should be said that the French army is quite well prepared, and as many as 500 infantry tanks alone have been prepared, which is the vast majority of the money saved by the French army in the past six months. The French attacked two targets, one was Soissons and the other was Verdun. The strategic aim was to recapture Verdun and restore the front to what it was last year.

While the French attacked fiercely, Russia was plunged into a turmoil. On March 8, 1917 (February 23 in the Russian calendar), about 130,000 men and women workers in 50 factories in Petrograd went on strike and marched, kicking off the February Revolution. The next day, the number of people participating in the strike demonstration increased to 200,000, and the February Revolution in Russia began.

Beijing, March 16, 1917.

In the telecommunications office of the chairman's chamber, Dididi's voice can be heard more than a dozen steps away. Yang Yongtai, dressed in a suit, and Foreign Minister Wang Zhengting stood at the door of the office of Yin Weijun, the director of the telecommunications department, and kept looking at the end of the corridor. What happened in Russia received great attention from the commanders. He asked Ambassador Wang Chonghui to report on the progress of the Russian incident at any time.

Wang Chonghui served as the chief foreign affairs officer in the Nanjing Provisional Government and the chief justice officer in Tang Shaoyi's cabinet, which can be described as "full of bad deeds". After the Republican Party came to power, some voices wanted to liquidate Wang Chonghui, but they were suppressed by Fang Jianxiong's words. "Both governments can occupy a place in the cabinet, Wang Liangchou is such a talent, how is China? It's very little, right? ”

All opposition immediately disappeared, and Wang Chonghui unexpectedly got a new appointment before he asked to go abroad to serve as ambassador, and vice foreign minister concurrently served as ambassador to Russia. It is not normal for an ambassador to a foreign country to concurrently serve as a vice minister of foreign affairs.

Whether it's normal or not, no one has anything to object to this appointment, uh, no one dares to object.

Tatata's footsteps came, and Yin Weijun, dressed in military uniform, appeared at the corner of the corridor, and the two greeted him together: "How is it?" Any news? Yin Weijun handed over the telegram in his hand, and Wang Zhengting grabbed it and looked at it, shocked. Yang Yongtai took the telegram and looked at it, and he was also shocked.

The message was simple: "Nicholas II announced his abdication yesterday in favor of his brother Mikhail. Today, Mikhail announced his abdication. ”

The Romanov dynasty, which ruled Russia for 304 years, is over!