On 11 April 1913, Berlin, with a completely unexpected and intransigent attitude, categorically rejected the Anglo-Russian proposal urging Germany to accept the fact that France occupied Morocco. In the face of the innumerable influx of journalists and politicians at home and abroad, Reich Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Kidren loudly declared: If the situation is imposed on us in such a way that Germany will give up the greatness and justice it has won over the centuries in exchange for humiliation and humble peace, then the Reich Government and the Army and Navy will surely take up arms and fight as fighters to the last breath.

Berlin's announcement sent off a monstrous wave throughout Europe and even in the world. In the face of pressure from Britain, France, and Russia, the German government continued to use harsh rhetoric and showed no sign of compromising under heavy pressure. The subsequent remarks of the Vienna government in support of Germany pushed the current tense and antagonistic situation to an unprecedented peak. It was only then that the French realized that their audacity in Morocco had stabbed the hornet's nest, and that Germany would not hesitate to fight a war in Europe for the sake of that strategically important colony, far from Germany itself!

Although the German revenge faction led by De Casse and the military department led by Messimi are always eager to make a comeback, they obviously do not represent the attitude of the French Third Republic, which has had 45 prime ministers in the 43 years since its establishment. In the face of the sudden tension in Europe, countless French parliamentarians panicked; Together with the voices of the people, they urged the government to take practical and effective measures to prevent the colonial dispute from turning into a raging war in which the whole of France was swept away. At the same time, there were calls for peace in Britain and Russia, and the Russian people were still haunted by the devastation caused by the Russo-Japanese War. At this moment, a strong anti-war wave broke out that shocked the world. Countless citizens rushed to St. Petersburg's Hermitage Square. I begged the great Tsar not to be overshadowed by what the French had done in Morocco. So that Russia can move towards a brighter future in an environment of peaceful development.

Under these circumstances, Britain and France had to begin to seek a peaceful negotiated solution. Tsar Nicholas II, who had long been instigated by the unexpectedly tough attitude of Germany and Austria, was even more eager to get rid of the current situation of Russia as soon as possible, and raised his hands in favor of the German-French settlement through negotiations. On the 10th day of the Leopard's departure into Agadir, France and Germany, accompanied by representatives of Britain, Russia, Austria and Italy, gathered in The Hague, the Netherlands, to begin detailed consultations on the Moroccan question.

Although, according to the initial plan of the Qing Ying and the entire German General Staff, the act of waging war in 1913, when Germany was fully prepared, had already been decided, and there would be no further changes; However, the German government actually sat down at the Hague and began bargaining with the Allies on the Moroccan question. That's why Berlin is doing that. To a large extent, it was to set an example for the Social Democrats, who occupy nearly a third of the seats in Parliament; The Franco-German negotiations undoubtedly showed that the Imperial Government was not "a Junker warlord run by a bunch of warlikes" as they had imagined, but was trying to find a peaceful solution with France. As for the final war, the Reich government could logically put all the blame for the war on the unreasonable arrogance of the French, so that it could claim internally that it was "forced to take up arms" and unite the national strength of the whole of Germany.

In addition to this, the Berlin government had another consideration in doing so, and that was to gain enough time for the super-dreadnoughts ordered by the Turks in Germany to refit and ship. Although the turret bearings were produced by Germany itself, the servo machinery used for the heavier British 356 mm L45 naval guns could also be used directly on the Krupp 350 mm L42 guns, but it was obviously quite a task to complete the hoisting of the four main turrets weighing 670 tons. Looking at the battleship "Sultan Selim", which was gradually completed in the Volkeng shipyard, Qingying couldn't help but have a thought in his heart: the sister ship across the sea from it. What about now?

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Vickers Shipyard, UK.

It is the top shipbuilding base in the British Empire's private shipyards after Armstrong. Vickers has all the attributes of all shipbuilding heavy industries in this era: the factory building is in ruins, and the steel is piled up; In the grand and tall factory, the machine tools roared, and the crimson molten steel roared at an inclination. On the towering tower cranes, countless building materials and steel plates are transported back and forth in the air; The sound of rivets hitting each other rises and falls like a sea tide, adding an indescribable and blood-boiling majestic atmosphere to this already magnificent heavy industry base.

On an open wharf in the factory, a dense crowd of nearly two thousand had somehow gathered at this moment; A long, barbed wire fence was erected abruptly, dividing the crowd from each other. Under the light of the afternoon sun, the situation of the two sides belonging to two camps became clearer: on one side was a large number of yellow-skinned mustaches dressed in white clothes and wearing a white Kabbarak military cap; On the other side were heavily armed British Army units, and the two machine guns they had set up at the intersection made everyone who confronted it shudder.

After a while, the white crowd of Allah Ahukoba was like a wave, and a tall middle-aged man in black clothes and black boots and a small stiff round hat stepped out of it. He walked alone to the makeshift position on the docks, and said in fluent English: "Distinguished gentlemen, please get out of the way. This battleship was purchased by the Ottoman Empire, and now that the battleship has been completed, my sailors and I will also board the ship to take over the battleship that already belongs to the Ottoman Empire. ”

"Your Excellency, I regret to inform you that the Sultan Suleiman cannot be delivered to your navy for the time being." A young British major wearing white gloves touched his chest with his right hand and gave a standard aristocratic salute to the Ottoman admiral in front of him, "Your Excellency Winston has given an order to suspend delivery, please wait patiently in the barracks for a while." ”

"But in the last two and a half years, my home country has paid off the entire £2.5 million purchase price for it according to the contract!" When they saw the British put on this formation, the Ottoman generals who came to pick up the ship faintly felt a little bad; And when he heard the words of the Englishman in front of him, the incomprehension and anger in his heart exploded in an instant. A flush appeared on his face, and he said, "The handover time we discussed before is today, why did your country break its promise and suddenly regret it?" ”

In the face of the angry questioning of the Ottoman generals, the young major of the British army replied unhurriedly: "Your Excellency, this is not the reason why my British Empire has broken the treaty, but really considers the interests of your country. Although the Balkan War is over, your enemies are still secretly making small moves: according to reliable information received by the British Empire, Greece is currently preparing to ambush your battleship with submarines on its way home! Therefore, in order to protect the personal safety of Your Excellency the Admiral and the officers and men of your navy, Your Excellency Winston has made it a matter of course for you to stay in Britain for a longer period of time. Rest assured, General, after the British Empire has succeeded in persuading Greece to abandon its plan of sneak attack with submarines, we will deliver this battleship to your navy in its entirety! ”

The Greeks are ready to sneak attack with submarines? Hearing this, Osman was shocked to take the lead; However, a moment later, the flames of fury filled his heart in an instant. As hostile feuds, Greece and the Ottomans had long known each other's navies in the recently concluded Balkan Wars; The Greeks are going to have submarines, which have long been used to attack "Barbarossa?" "Hayreddin" and several other large warships of the Ottoman Navy! Taking a step back, even if the Greeks had secretly purchased submarines from France or the United States after the war and were preparing to attack their own huge ships, which the empire had spent so much money on, it would have been almost impossible for a submarine with slow underwater speed and poor visibility to ambush a battleship. As long as you slip through the Strait of Gibraltar at night, the entire Mediterranean voyage will be sky-high. From this, it is highly likely that the British deliberately delayed, and they did not even intend to deliver the ship to the Imperial Navy at all!

"I wonder how long your country is prepared to persuade Greece to abandon this act?" The Ottoman general took a deep breath and asked in a voice that popped out between his teeth.

"This is a matter for the big men at the top, and I don't know if I'm a little major. Maybe it can be solved in three or five days, but it may take a week or two, and who can say this kind of thing? The young major still maintained a graceful smile, but the words he said made the Ottoman general's heart sink suddenly, "In short, please take your soldiers back to the barracks to rest, and when the British Empire has succeeded in persuading Greece to abandon its plan to attack your country, we will notify you to come and receive the warship." ”

The Ottoman general's eyes swept around, looking at the British troops with a rifle behind the barbed wire, and knew that he could not get any advantage today. He took a deep look at the majestic and majestic battleship behind the British position, and a sour meaning quietly surged in his throat: Is the dream of a naval power that lingers in the hearts of every Turkish people so difficult to realize?

Seeing the Ottoman general standing silently in place, silent for a long time, the corners of the young major's mouth couldn't help but arouse a hint of a smile. With a wave of his hand, several soldiers brought in a large megaphone, and moments later, the sound of the Turks going back and waiting echoed over the entire dock. After a while, there was a huge commotion among the white crowd, but in the face of the black muzzle of the British, all they could choose was to endure! (To be continued......)