After receiving the positive response from the Roman side, the government courts in both Berlin and Vienna breathed a sigh of relief and strengthened their confidence in winning the war.

Although Italy's performance in the war was truly eye-shattering, it was they who set the record of European powers being beaten to the knees by the African natives to pay reparations, so much so that there was a joke that "it only took 5 divisions to defeat Italy, while it would take 40 divisions to protect Italy as an ally"; But for Germany and Austria, this country, which has repeatedly set the lower limit of zào in war, is definitely an indispensable member of their chariot.

With a population of 35.6 million, 90 percent of France's, Italy could theoretically call up more than 5.5 million combatants once it is fully mobilized. Even if the Italian army was all scum with a combat strength of only five, it would inevitably be able to contain a considerable number of Allied armies and relieve the pressure on Germany's frontal battlefield.

Compared to their scumbag army, the Italian Navy is a force to be reckoned with: its lineup of three dreadnoughts is enough to break the current balance of power between the warring sides in the Mediterranean. More importantly, only when Italy opened the Strait of Otranto could the Austro-Hungarian fleet step out of the Adriatic basin with its head held high and truly move from the green waters to the blue oceans. If the Italians choke this key waterway to the Mediterranean, the power of the Austro-Hungarian fleet will also be greatly reduced due to geographical limitations!

Because of this, when the Roman side asked the German-Austrian government for a loan, even the Austrian Emperor Franz I, who did not have any good feelings towards Italy, could only curse the Italians for being treacherous and shameless on the one hand. While signing his name on the appropriation document handed to the prime minister. But. What made Franz I feel that it was worth the ticket price a little. The Italians, who got the benefits, also reacted quite positively; The day after they took the loan, they informed the Viennese government of a request for a joint operational conference to discuss the actions that should be carried out after the entry of Italy into the war. After several days of negotiations, Italy and the Allies reached an agreement on the army: Italy and Austria would withdraw their main armies deployed along the border, and Italy would cross the Alps with all its forces and attack the southeastern provinces of France.

In the field of the navy, these two rivals, who had fought a lot half a century ago, actually reached a unified opinion. Due to the strength of the French Mediterranean fleet. It was impossible for Austria-Hungary and Italy alone to defeat it; Therefore, the top brass of the two navies advocated that the ships of the two countries should be combined to form a joint fleet to deal with the Allied navies, which had a numerical advantage. In order to pursue the improvement of strength, the Italoes and Austrians are even ready to involve the Turks; Although this group of infidels on the peninsula of Asia Minor was barbaric and backward, they undoubtedly possessed two first-class battleships, one of which was the Sultan Selim, which was claimed to be the strongest German-made super-dreadnought in the Mediterranean. With their joining, the Allied fleet, which has the advantage in quantity and quality, will certainly be able to make a big difference in the Mediterranean.

This series of actions of the Roman government naturally did not conceal the spy agents planted in Italy by the Entente powers. After the outbreak of the European War, Italy was given a significant position in the Mediterranean. It was also the focus of the Entente; Seeing that Italy was already inclined to turn to the Central Powers, the Allied governments were terrified. Time. The official residence of Italian Foreign Minister Sonillo was almost torn by the leather boots of the ambassadors of Britain, France and Russia; They either offered Soneloch a lure of great interest or a fierce threat warning that the Italians would never be allowed to become accomplices of Germany, if not to allow them to join the side of the Entente. Despite the best efforts of the ambassadors of the three countries, the collapse of the Entente on the battlefield was simply not enough to change the final decision of the Italians.

On July 27, the Italian parliament chamber was crowded with pro-Germans, pro-British, liberals, far-rightists, nationalists, Social Democrats, and others in an unprecedented line-up in this magnificent Sardinian-style building, waiting for the speech of Giolitti, who had formed a cabinet for the fourth time. Since 1866, when Italy declared war on Austria for independence, the hall has never been as crowded as it is today. The increasingly clear shape of the European war and the scaly claws deliberately released by cabinet ministers have made these politicians, who usually fight to the death for power and profit, smell a trace of unusual tension. The endless demonstrations, fights and invectives of the various factions in the Roman Forum may determine the final answer today!

Footsteps rang, bells sounded. The heavy fuchsia door was pushed open by the attendants, and a group of ministers in formal clothes and leather shoes walked out of it steadily, and the person at the front with a clear and handsome face was none other than Prime Minister Giolitti himself. There was a commotion in the venue, and the eyes of expectation, admiration, hatred, or disdain were all cast on Giolitti's body. But the battle-hardened Giolitti, accustomed to the angry eyes of his political opponents, slowly walked up to the center of the podium, and immediately expressed his elaborate agitation speech without reservation.

From the battles of Rome to the confrontations of the Middle Ages, from Napoleon's annexation of Italian territory to the humiliation of African colonies such as Tunisia and Algeria, Giolitti briefly and sometimes instigated a brief and sometimes incendiary review of the feud between Italy and France. As for Austria-Hungary, the "ally" that has been fighting openly and secretly with Italy for more than half a century, it was directly ignored by Giolitti. As Giolitti's speech continued, the blood of the nationalists began to boil, and the right-wingers and pro-Germans waved their hands; The monopolistic big entrepreneurs and the financial oligarchy are even brighter, and their eyes are already full of golden Italian lira. By the words of the Prime Minister, they were almost certain that Italy was about to end its current wait-and-see and would soon declare war on the Entente; And for these people, this is what they have been dreaming of for nearly three months!

The liberals and social democrats remained silent, and the pro-British and Austrian-hating elements were even more depressed and desolate, with many expressions of apprehension, indignation, despair, and bitterness repeatedly displayed on their faces. Although they were either hostile to the Allies or out of sheer war-weariness, and had tried their best to oppose Italy's involvement in the war on the German-Austrian side, the current momentum of the Allies' successive victories had pushed the finger of the right-wingers and nationalists directly against France. In fact, Italy's staunch pro-German and pro-British factions are in the minority in the political arena; The vast majority of the people were opportunistic in the war, and as long as there were enough interests, they did not care whether they were in league with the French or with the Austrians. Once these people make up their minds to take sides because of the clarity of the battlefield situation, then a very small number of people on the other side will not be able to stop this trend at all!

“…… Thirty-one years ago, we concluded a treaty of alliance with Germany, and we have long been an inseparable member of the Central Powers; However, almost three months after the outbreak of the war in Europe, we still have not fulfilled the terms of the declaration of war on France. For months, world opinion has been sneering at the great Italy, treating us as cowardly and untrustworthy and cowardly, and the image of the kingdom in the world has been tarnished. We are the direct heirs of the Roman Empire, and we have the blood of the noble Julius Caesar in our veins; We have to prove by our actions that great Italy is the most important player in European affairs! Joliti's old, flat voice suddenly rose and reached the ears of everyone in attendance.

"War! Declare war on the despicable French! The pro-German parliamentarians could no longer contain their inner excitement and began to scream hysterically. Ultranationalists also rose up in a hurry and began to scramble to vent their strong demands for war against France. For a moment, the entire chamber became a sea of denunciations against France, and a huge noise almost lifted the dome away.

Giolitti looked at the scene in front of her with satisfaction, and couldn't help but feel a strong sense of accomplishment in her heart. These members of the various factions, who usually insist on their own words and fight upside down in the Congress, have finally reached a unanimous opinion under their own promotion; Although this is the objective shape of the current European war, the experience of controlling the fate of a country by himself is enough to make him shine in the history of Italy! Even Edward, who threw the whole of Britain into the war? Sir Grey, that's all it does, isn't it?

"Gentlemen, the Cabinet has drawn up an ultimatum, which will come into force as soon as it is signed by His Majesty the King. France must decide, within 36 hours, to cede to us the colonies of Tunisia and Algeria, as well as the departments of the Côte d'Azur and Provence, which are supposed to belong to our Italy, as compensation for their encroachment on a large part of the core of central Italy in the Napoleonic Wars. Otherwise, we will take a qiē measure for this! Swinging a piece of paper in his hand, Giolitti shouted to the agitated parliamentarians, "It's time for the French to pay for the insults they have inflicted on us." Whoever dares to violate the dignity of the Kingdom of Italy, we will make him pay ten times more! ”

"Destroy the beasts of Auvergne and Burgundy!" "Get out of Africa, the French!" "Tunisia should be protected by the Kingdom of Italy!" …… Members of Congress cheered like waves drowned out the sporadic protests of the Austrian-phobic faction. I don't know who shouted the slogan "The Mediterranean is the sea of Italy", and the venue changed from the catharsis of their respective call signs to a long-lasting warm applause. (To be continued......)

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