There is no impermeable wall in the world, not to mention that when Britain decided to compromise with France, the two sides carried out frequent diplomatic activities, and it was impossible not to reveal some rumors, and after Britain and France reached an agreement, the two sides had to make some diplomatic and military adjustments and transfers in accordance with the agreement. And this made almost all European politicians realize the arrival of a new era, and Britain, which has always pursued the idea of "glorious isolation", decided to go into battle and directly interfere in the affairs of European countries on its own! This situation only occurred in the case of Napoleon-led France. This time, however, the British joined forces with France, which had always had a bad relationship, to deal with the more threatening Germany!

If the change of the British policy towards China can be described as the fire at the city gate and the fish in the pond, then Germany is the main master of this international change, and even China has had a big problem because of the change of British policy, then as Germany, the goal of the British and French joint efforts, it is impossible for the top level of the government not to make some response and preparation! In July 1901, just after Berlin had reaffirmed that the Anglo-French alliance had been formed, the top leaders of the Second Reich gathered in a palace outside Berlin to prepare for the future national fortunes and the international situation.

To tell the truth, the top brass of the German government and Wilhelm II still wanted to avoid a head-on confrontation with the British from the bottom of their hearts. Even Field Marshal Tirpitz, the father of the German High Seas Fleet, only said that the High Seas Fleet was a risky fleet, which only put the British under pressure so that they could "listen" to Germany's demands on the maritime and colonial issues, rather than really fighting to the death with the British Empire's Grand Fleet, and at the time of war. It directly chose to defend its own side in the North Sea, and at the same time guaranteed the blockade of the Russian Baltic Fleet.

As for the Army, the Germans had planned to sweep away France in four to six weeks. Then concentrate the main forces to advance eastward, and defeat Russia within half a year. But as for the idea of landing in the UK, the German General Staff did not even think about it. What the Emperor Napoleon, who trampled all of Europe underfoot, did not do, Wilhelm II could not do either! As long as they can win the continental war, they can make the British bow their heads with a relatively complete high seas fleet. This was the most perfect ending in the hearts of the Germans back then, and as for the destruction of Britain, the Germans did not even think about it.

And it's not just because of the narrow English Channel between Britain and continental Europe. It is not simply because of the unparalleled fleet during World War I, Britain's strength as the third largest industrial power in the world at that time was not weak, and Britain was not fighting alone. The Commonwealth also included Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as vast colonies, providing the British Empire with ample troops, weapons, and resources. Although Germany is strong, it is still not comparable to the world's largest colonial power in terms of agricultural self-sufficiency and resources.

When it was learned that Britain and France had finally decided to stand together against themselves. Germany's top brass will have to plan for the country's future. Thereupon. Kaiser Wilhelm II, Chancellor von Caprivi, Chief of the Army General Staff Schlieffen and Admiral Tirpitz came together to advise on the future of the German Empire. Now that the situation is clear, the alliance between Britain and France is already a fact, and since these two powers have come together, will Russia be far from joining this alliance? It is important to know that the French have been planning revenge since the defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, and winning over Russia is the most important step, and now the Russians are obsessed with the Far East, if the war situation in the Far East has a result. Win or lose, Russia's center of gravity will shift back to Europe.

"Your Majesty. Judging by the current situation, war is inevitable. Having received the support of the British, the French had no worries about the sea and the colonies, and there was no doubt that the French would focus mainly on the land side. The pressure on us on the Western Front will increase. Schlieffen said carefully.

"Increased pressure? Can you be more specific? Also, didn't the Chief of Staff draw up a plan to set out from the United States and cross the Belgian plains into France? So after the French concentrate on the army, will this plan be affected in any way? Wilhelm II asked.

"The French built a series of forts and fortresses along the 150-mile border between the two countries, and in the southeast, starting in the Swiss Alps, a line of reinforced concrete and bastions through the fortresses of Belfort, Tühr, and Verdun. It would have taken a long time to face this line, even with heavy artillery bombardment, and now, after the French had reconciled with the British, they had more resources to strengthen and extend it. So far, the French have done just that! They began to build fortifications and bastions in Belgium! And help the Belgians to strengthen the line between Belgium and Germany! Schlieffen said with a little embarrassment.

Originally, Comrade Schlieffen thought very well, and the whole Schlieffen plan was actually based on two assumptions, the first premise was that the French would concentrate their forces to attack Alsace and Lorraine after the war. in order to recover the lost ground. The German Army, on the other hand, could rely on rough terrain and fortifications to hold off the superior French Army attack with a small number of troops. Another premise was that the French would not set up an impenetrable reinforced concrete defense line on the Franco-Belgian border, and that the German army could quickly sweep away the small country of Belgium and quickly advance along the railway and waterway network of the industrialized country, thereby bypassing the French defense line directly from the right flank. Defeat Paris directly with a swift offensive, and then quickly end the war on the Western Front.

And historically, the French did not build a systematic fortification on the Franco-Belgian border, not only did not repair it in World War I, but also did not repair it in World War II! The historically famous Maginot Line did not pass through this border. Historically, Germany fought from Belgium to France in World War 1 and World War 2. The only difference is that the Germans lost the First World War, while the Germans won the World War II bet! But the current situation is that the French began to build a defensive line as soon as they fought the war, and when there was no defensive line in history, the Germans were beaten back by the British and French fifteen kilometers away from Paris. Schlieffen is still self-aware, and in the face of the reinforced concrete defense line, his old man is also lacking in confidence!

The only strange thing now is why the French didn't build a defense line on the Franco-Belgian border until they died on Xu Jie's plane, so why did they start digging holes now? This change is actually brought by Xu Jie! What did the Beiyang Army, the predecessor of the Huaxia Army, do? There is only one answer, that is, defensive operations, starting from Wolbong Mountain in North Korea and Pyongyang to Arthur Pass, and then to the battle with the Russians in Inner Mongolia later, the Beiyang Army told the opponent what is called an impregnable defense! Relying on the sturdy structure and reasonable design of fortifications and a large number of automatic weapons, both the ambitious Japanese Army and the murderous Russian GIs are banging their heads in front of this fortification!

And as allies of the Russians, the French have also learned a lot based on the lessons of Russian blood, such as in the face of reinforced concrete bunkers and a defense system with large depth and width and a large number of heavy artillery support in the rear, it is simply impossible to break through without absolute superiority without paying a great price, even in the plains, a trench can become an insurmountable moat for infantry!

On the other hand, there is the enormous attrition of modern warfare. After much calculation, the French suddenly found that they had to support millions of French troops to attack the precarious Alsace Lorraine region, not to mention capture it in a short time. The sheer sheer volume of logistics put a lot of pressure on France. As for the third point, the French suddenly discovered that Russia, which was originally a European steamroller, was not as powerful as imagined, and with the installation of long-range artillery and a large number of automatic weapons, the Russians' tactics of not being afraid of death had very limited effect in the face of these murderous weapons! Coupled with the corrupt army of the Russians, the French could only express doubts about the combat effectiveness of the Russian army.

There is a saying that the situation is stronger than the person! The attack will not be easy to achieve, and the Russian allies are not very powerful! In the face of the facts, the French had to change their decades-old plans to quickly regain lost territory in the event of a war against Germany. Even with Britain as a strong ally, the French decided to use defensive fortifications to deplete the German army and then counterattack. Compared with Germany, France has no advantages in terms of industry and military strength, but France, as a colonial power and with the help of Britain, he can continuously transport the wealth of the colony to the mainland by sea, and it must be more confident for consumption. So the French began to dig deep holes, not only on the Franco-German border, but also on the Belgian side!

And because of the change in the strategy of the French, our poor Schlieffen found that the two prerequisites for the success of his strategy were gone! If Germany attacked France again, it would face the Anglo-French forces hiding behind the defense line! There is no quick solution, and Germany's barren resources can hardly withstand a war of attrition!

"That is, the planning of the war that the General Staff of the Imperial German Army carried out for decades fell short because of the pickaxes of the French?" Wilhelm II said dissatisfied!

"To some extent, the German Empire did not have sufficient resources, and the sea lines of communication would be cut off in time of war, and a war of attrition would be very disadvantageous to us if we could not win quickly. If nothing else, it is very difficult for us to achieve food self-sufficiency. Prime Minister von Caprivi said worriedly.

"We lack a lot of things, oil, food and manpower. Although the German Empire was the most populous country in Europe, the human resources of the German Empire were still quite short in the face of Britain, France, Russia and their colonies. The Italians may be a good hand in the navy, while in the army facing the mountains between France and Italy, it is unlikely that the Italians will break through. Schlieffen thought for a moment and said.

Thanks to the book friend Funeral Flower Man 731 for the monthly ticket support. I didn't subscribe well yesterday——! It's easy to catch up with a recommendation, can you support it more? (To be continued......)