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Looking at Yang Qiu, who disappeared behind the gate with Edward Gray and the others, Foch seemed to scratch his ears and cheeks like a child. Because Yang Qiu's words just now hit the most tricky and biggest weakness of the French Army! Because the tactics of the French army before the war had been ruthlessly proven to be ineffective and even stupid by machine guns and artillery, the Anglo-French forces were basically in a period of tactical confusion at present.

In later generations, there have been countless discussions and analyses on the First World War, and the food, personnel, equipment and other materials of both sides have been put forward and compared, but only real soldiers can understand that the biggest gap between Britain and France and Germany is the army, and the main reason for the gap between the army is the most basic infantry tactics!

In terms of equipment, soldier quality, and manufacturing capacity, Britain and France alone surpass Germany by a large number of new members of the free world, not including the United States, which is openly and covertly supported. But with so many advantages, it is getting harder and harder, and even countries have postponed the end date to 1920, why is that? In the face of trenches, artillery blockades, and the interspersed tactics of the German army, why did they lose again and again? Who can understand the helplessness of soldiers in the face of all kinds of new weapons and still using traditional methods to attack? Tactics! Tactics! Artillery, infantry need tactics! The larger the war, the more rigorous, effective, and clear basic tactics of the army are needed, because the infantry is always the ultimate king in solving problems! However, the hasty meat grinding war made it impossible for the French army to re-receive complete and systematic training in new tactics, and the troops often had to be pulled up and fought as soon as they were formed. At present, the grass-roots officers, who are known as tactical cells and nerves, only have old tactics or some experiences that have not yet been systematically explored from the battlefield.

It is precisely because of the lack of the army's tactical system that when encountering the German army, which is comparable in number and equipment, but has more tactics, it is often crushed at the touch of a button, and it is constantly broken through and surrounded until it becomes chaotic. The Wehrmacht, on the other hand, is completely different, and Yang Qiu has a hundred years beyond this era. Chapter 397 of the new members of the free world who have experienced the tests of World War II, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War and so on, advanced tactics! Although only a small half was taken out because of insufficient conditions. However, the first four guard divisions and the five main divisions all received several years of long-term tactical training, and the other divisions that saw the gap after the Sino-Japanese War also strengthened their training in this area.

This is the confidence of Yang Qiu to dare to invest in Europe! But Foch did not have such conditions, and every time he thought that the French army had to imitate the tactical system of his dead opponent at this moment, he and all the generals who really loved the country could not sleep well, but the continuous war made it impossible for them to re-establish a successful and efficient tactical system. And there are very few people who really understand the importance of this issue, so he didn't expect to be picked on by Yang Qiu, who had just met! There are only two answers, either he has a very far-sighted staff or the rumor that says he is a genius army tactician is true.

Judging by the path of his rise, it is clear that the latter is more convincing.

Foch looked at Zhang Xiaozhun and the others, who were waiting outside in military uniforms. The latter joined Yang Qiu after re-accepting the basic tactical learning far beyond this era. to understand what is the real core and most valuable thing of the Wehrmacht! Not to mention that even if Foch held a gun at him, this kind of thing could not be revealed, so he spread his hands and smiled: "I'm very sorry, General!" We are not allies yet, at least not yet. ”

Not allies, of course, can't share. How much can even allies share? What's more, it is still an ally who hated each other or didn't look down on each other at all.

The joint arrival of Edward Gray and Lloyd George shows that Britain has actually made a choice! Jutland, who has changed slightly, has stripped off all the proud coats of the empire on which the sun never sets, land warfare is not their best war, and a Boer war can be fought like that, which shows how bad the British Army is at the moment. So when the French army was short of manpower, and after Russia was losing and retreating, they also needed to really sit down and re-examine the battlefield. Originally, the Japanese army they hoped for the most could no longer appear in the European theater with the defeat of the Sino-Japanese War and domestic turmoil, so Italy, which had less than 300,000 standing troops, could only give up major interests, but the Italians were obviously not trustworthy, and they were actually lost in Caporetto and were counterattacked by Austria-Hungary to the country.

Seeing that the German army was raging and the Entente was becoming more and more unfavorable. The sudden influx of hundreds of thousands of Chinese workers from China gave Britain hope. The British side, in particular, was not as arrogant as those MPs, but actively seized the opportunity to establish a subtle relationship with the Wehrmacht at the end of last year. But in the end, these things are not for the army to decide, only one person in that country can make such a decision! Now he was sitting in front of him.

Edward Gray picked up the black tea mixed with milk, trying to keep it light, not wanting to be seen through by the other party. It's a trick he's learned from his 11-year diplomatic career, and England must remain tough. Otherwise, you will lose more. He shook his teacup slightly, and said lightly: "Your Excellency Vice President, I don't think there is any need to state the situation when you come here. Justice and justice are under threat, dictatorship and tyranny are threatening the entire free world, and you have led your people out of the beautiful road of republicanism, and you must not want history to go backwards! We can all understand that the Germanic people were trampling on the whole of Europe, wantonly unleashing brutality and violence, and the whole free world had reached a critical juncture. I know that you may think that you can avoid it by staying away from Europe, but as your friend I would like to remind you! You have no choice! Do not be delusional about keeping peace with the Germans, when you arm hundreds of thousands of Russian soldiers with rifles and shells, when you sell us a steady stream of weapons and ammunition, Germany will not forgive! Kaiser Wilhelm II regarded you Chinese as a yellow peril! Germany has long since stretched over the Far East, and if we had not blocked all roads to the Far East, do you really think your country and regime would have lasted long? Don't hesitate or delusional! Our enemies are well-armed and trained, and our enemies are stronger than ever! Now is the time for us, the leaders of the free world, to unite and give our all. ”

His words are very powerful, so that Wang Zhengting and Gu Weijun, who are recorded behind him, nod secretly, it is not ordinary to be able to control the diplomatic power of the world's largest country for 11 years, and with the strong national power behind him, people can feel the strength and determination contained in England.

On the contrary, Lloyd George was a little unhappy with the old friend's call for Yang Qiu to be the leader of the free world, but he also understood that some high hats were needed now. Edward Gray doesn't notice that he has become the main character. Perhaps he and the British Empire have become accustomed to being the protagonists. His arm waved slightly to make his words more infectious, and he looked at Yang Qiu's eyes with a sharp gaze: "I know." You have been trying to save your country since 1911, and I know that I have no right to comment on this issue, but from my point of view, you have made great efforts but not enough! You've tried your best but you're still lacking top-notch metalworking capabilities, and your industry can't do without our help! While you have an army that can defeat the Japanese, your navy is inexperienced and ill-trained! We understand your good intentions to fight for the interests of the country, but you need a steady stream of outside help, otherwise all your persistence and all your dreams will become sculptures piled up by children on the beach.

England and France have everything you need! All the workers you currently send to Europe will be trained to return home after the war, if you need to. If you need to. England can provide you with a large number of technologies, including the construction of battleships, at once. If you need to. France and our country will continue to provide you with more machinery and equipment, and help build more factories! If you wish, we can give you some German and Austrian industrial equipment free of charge after the war! ”

Gu Weijun and Wang Zhengting glanced at each other, the flames in the depths of their eyes were beating, and they finally waited for the promise of the United Kingdom! Edward Gray is worthy of being a bold diplomat, not only seeing through the hidden worries behind the so-called prosperity of the Republic of China. I can see through Yang Qiu's mind of waiting for a sufficient price. If we can get the full support of Britain and France, it will be a godsend for the industrial and social development of the Republic of China. But when the two of them looked at Yang Qiu, they only saw a smile, calm and unmoved.

Isn't he impressed? Lloyd George was a little surprised, these conditions were priceless for the weak Republic of China! Doesn't he have any plans to send troops to Europe? Edward Gray continued: "Your Excellency, Vice President, with all due respect! China and you are far from being a savior, and not even a decisive force. So I don't mean to ask for anything, and I don't want you to misunderstand that we need foreign help, because God is on our side! His greatness will shine on the free world, inspire us to attack evil and dictatorship, and ultimately win! We all have no hesitation in believing this! The reason why I say what I just said is actually kindness and a reminder. The Far East is not the only option for your country, and the Far East cannot be isolated from the world! You need the help of the free world, and the free world needs you to join us, so if you really want to fight with us, please let us know today! Expressing your friendship and sincerity, I also assure you on behalf of England. We will provide you with all the help you need. Of course, we don't want to continue to see two boats on our feet! ”

When Gray finally finished his typical British arrogant and domineering help-seeking speech, he himself was satisfied with this seductive and threatening speech, and he believed that anyone with a little sense would make the right choice! Not to mention that all the strategic points in the Far East are still in the hands of England, and even if they are not in their weak navy, even Japan may not be able to stop them. But he was still a little aggrieved in his heart, and the proud British Empire was reduced to the point where he needed Chinese help............ So he was determined to maintain his pride, straightening his chest and waiting for the final decision.

The French president and prime minister also put down their teacups, Lloyd George pricked up his ears even more, and even Gu Weijun and Wang Zhengting were waiting for his words.

Yang Qiu tilted his body slightly. As Gray said, now that we've come this far, there's no turning back! China has not yet reached the point where it can get rid of the European technological crutch, whether it is industry or national development, it needs external support, it needs a lot of money, he doesn't want soldiers to come to Europe to die, joining now will definitely pay a huge price in the next two years, but the problem is that if you don't join now, who needs these colors when the United States enters the war?!

Moreover, Britain and France still did not let go of the post-war benefits he wanted most, even for the two German Pacific colonies, and it is obvious that Britain has great concerns on this issue! This indicates that the relations between the two countries and between China and Japan may not be peaceful after the war, and it also indicates that the dispute over Taiwan may be inevitable! But even if there are such and such questions, he still understands that he can't put it off, and if he doesn't give an answer today, he may end up on fire. So he took a deep breath and said, "Your Excellency, Mr. Foreign Minister." I very much share your concerns about the free world, and I admire your efforts to defend democracy and the republic! I can't make an initial decision right away. But I will urge our parliament to pass the resolution as soon as possible and be ready to do everything in its power to do so! ”

As soon as these words were finished, Gray, Lloyd George and the French side all looked happy, but they also knew that Yang Qiu must have something to say, so their eyes continued to wait for the following conditions. "Our country is still in poverty and backwardness, and we can't afford such a large military expenditure, so we need some assistance! The amount of the low-interest loan must be raised to £500 million, and it must be disbursed in full as soon as it is passed by our Parliament, and I need to convince the people that I can keep some separate concessions such as Shanghai and Hong Kong for the time being. However, Guangzhou Bay, Tianjin, Weihai and the mainland provinces must carry out FTZ reforms. I am also willing to continue to grant special treatment to the above regions of your country for a period of 10 years, but sovereignty must be transferred! Similarly, Russian-controlled Heilongjiang must also carry out such reforms! The total amount of military, settling-in and funeral expenses must be raised to £100 million a year and allocated in advance! Of course, if our Congress passes a resolution, I can guarantee that the standard will be raised to 30 divisions, and that 15 of the first 20 divisions will be put on the Western Front. 5 divisions were put into the Eastern Front, and the remaining 10 divisions could be formed in half a year at most. I can guarantee that there will be at least 5 elite units on the Western Front that have participated in the Northern Campaign, and there will also be at least 2 main infantry divisions on the Northern Front.

We need to immediately provide our country with basic armaments, including 48 heavy guns of 200 mm or more, 120 155 cannon howitzers, 120 105 cannon howitzers, 1,200 120 mm and 80 mm mortars, 2,000 light machine guns and 200 heavy machine guns, 100 tanks, 600 internal combustion tracked tractors, 1,000 trucks, 100,000 rifles and 350,000 tons of explosives. The weapons and equipment of the remaining troops of the Western Front will be delivered upon arrival in Marseille according to the previous standards. Meantime! The Trans-Siberian Railway must be fully opened to our country, and Russia will provide 300 broad-gauge trains for our use temporarily, and some of the necessary facilities will be co-ordinated to support the investment of troops and ensure logistical transportation needs, and our shipping companies will fully cooperate with your merchant fleet to transport troops to Marseille through the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean within two months. But considering that German submarines are very active, our Navy needs a group of escort warships to support! I propose that my country and you each bear half of the cost of buying all 21 Paulding-class destroyers of the United States, and that at least 16 of them need to be delivered to our Navy for escort along the way, and I guarantee that they will not return home after the end of the transport mission but will continue to join the anti-submarine warfare in the Atlantic.

I also need a clear and unambiguous friendship contract, which must include allowing my country to travel to the Hejaz to find two oil fields to solve our oil shortage. It must include the export of 10,000 teachers of chemistry, physics, mathematics, engineering construction, ship design and music to China in the next three years, and must ensure that 3,000 foreign students from China are admitted every year in the next ten years, including non-commissioned officers and students of the Navy and Army. At the same time, we must ensure that we can provide free machinery and equipment to no less than 30 factories of various types after the war, and ensure that we provide technical assistance including shipbuilding, metallurgy, chemical industry, electronics, etc. It must also include securing our borders during the war! The Western Front should give command to our national defense forces at the division and corps levels, and the Eastern Front needs complete independent command! ”

As one by one, not too excessive, had to pop out of his mouth, the Sino-British-French joint secret agreement was preliminarily drawn up on the tip of the note-taker's fast-writing pen, and although the follow-up negotiations would take some time, both France and England, represented by Gray, were greatly relieved.

30 infantry divisions! According to the standards of the Wehrmacht, it is almost 600,000 troops!

This was far more than the sum of its standing forces, and although most of them were newly formed, the joy of putting in more force than Italy combined at one time still made Britain and France particularly excited, and even Lloyd George changed his opinion of Yang Qiu, and also deeply admired his character of either not doing it or doing it to the end.

After some seemingly indifferent but competitive bargaining, Britain and France finally agreed to all the contract requirements, and for them to maintain the right to distribute the interests of the post-war world is the greatest victory! And Yang Qiu also got everything he could get at present, including providing all the equipment for 15 factories, including a medium-sized shipyard, a steam turbine plant (including a boiler factory), a large arsenal, two hydrochloric acid and nitric acid plants, two large ammonia fertilizer plants, a phosphate fertilizer plant, a radio factory, and a truck factory, within one year. China and Britain will each contribute half of the naval replenishment, and the former will persuade the United States to sell 16 Paulding 740-ton destroyers launched in 1910 to the Chinese Navy, and at the same time, in order to show their sincerity, Britain and France will each give a main light cruiser with a displacement of 4,500 tons to the Chinese Navy for free as the lead ship of the destroyer escort fleet. The Army will also allocate all equipment, including five Army Infantry Divisions and three separate artillery brigades, to arm the Eastern Front at one time, and provide 360 Camel fighters, 60 Schott 184 seaplanes and Britain's leading aviation torpedo technology.

The most important thing is that, considering the low command efficiency of the Russian army, Britain and France, at Yang Qiu's insistence, promised to persuade Russia to give independent command of the Wehrmacht's troops on the Eastern Front! Independent command! Yang Qiu almost wanted to laugh three times. When the revolution broke out in Russia, Britain and France realized how useful this right really was, and then the entire Eastern Front would be up to them! Want to rescue Nicholas II? Want to interfere in the Russian Revolution? Want to support the White Russian army? Want to get the Czech Legion moving? Only you can do it! Yang Qiu got up and shook hands with everyone with a smile, and when he squeezed Lloyd George's hand, he smiled deliberately: "Please rest assured, as a member of the free world, we will do our best for our allies." ”

A member of the free world!

Lloyd George suddenly wanted to take a moment on his young and handsome face, a member of the free world? A country that has only overthrown the Qing Empire for five years and has not even completely eliminated the old domestic official system dares to claim to be a member of the free world?

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ps: Moving today, I'm really tired. In the face of a messy house, it is not easy to find the code word. Oh, my back hurts, tomorrow friends and relatives come to congratulate me, continue the chaotic day!!