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"Your Majesty, although we have already started mobilizing, it will only take a month to expand the army to one million. However, neither our weapons nor ammunition have yet completed their reserves. In addition, our allies, Austria-Hungary and Italy, were not ready for war. In the event of a war, we will face the Entente attack alone! "Chief of the General Staff Alfred? Feng? Count Schlieffen said.

"Your Majesty, the navy is ready to go into battle and is able to ensure the defeat of France. But if Britain intervenes, we have no certainty of victory. Therefore, the Navy should wait until both the Caesar-class battleships and the King-class battleships are in service, and then go to war with the Entente, in that case, our chances of victory will be greater! "Secretary of the Navy Alfred? Feng? Tirpitz also said.

"Your Excellency Tirpitz, the Navy has no chance of winning now, will it have a chance of winning when the 'Caesar-class' battleships and 'King-class' battleships are commissioned? The number of our battleships is increasing, and the British and French are not idle. Their 'Neptune' battleships, 'Giant-class' battleships, and 'Orion-class' battleships will also be in service. When the time comes, the Imperial Navy still has no advantage! Crown Prince William retorted.

"Your Highness, the performance of our battleships is no worse than that of the British, and even much stronger than theirs. The gap between us and the British. And not on the battleship, but on the suzhì of the Navy! The time for the development of the Imperial Navy was too short. There is still a big gap between Britain and the United Kingdom, which has dominated the world's oceans for hundreds of years, and we need to work on this aspect. After a few years, even if the Imperial Navy is still inferior to the British Navy, the gap will not be too big. When the time comes, the chances of victory for the Imperial Navy will be even greater! Minister Tirpitz explained.

Crown Prince William was speechless when he was retorted, and had to say nothing more. However, it can be seen from the expression on his face. He was very dissatisfied. Think that both Count Schlieffen and Tirpitz are too timid. This is a real opportunity for Germany. Although Germany is ready, Britain and France are also not ready, and if they go to war, it may not be Germany that will lose!

"Your Excellency the Prime Minister. What about your opinion? Wilhelm II asked.

"Your Majesty, the attitude of the French has softened somewhat. However, Morocco should be their bottom line, and if we want to take Morocco away from the French, it should be impossible. The most we can do is for Morocco to remain the status quo. If the Empire does not want to go to war with France immediately, keep Morocco as it is. Waiting for a new opportunity should be the best choice! "Prime Minister Bernhard? Feng? Billo said! Negotiations with France have always been presided over by him personally. Removed the tough Foreign Minister Théophile from the French? Delcasse, replaced by the relatively mild-mannered Morris? Ruvière, for example, was able to see the change in the attitude of the French government.

"So. If there is a war, will we be able to hold out? Kaiser Wilhelm II asked. He was also a little unwilling in his heart.

"Your Majesty, with the current economy of the empire, it can last for about two years at most. However, the prerequisite was that the Empire's overseas access was not cut off. If the sea access was cut off, it would be difficult for the empire to sustain a long battle. Many of our resources, including iron ore, copper ore, oil and non-ferrous metals, need to be imported from abroad! "Prime Minister Bernhard? Feng? Billo said.

Wilhelm II frowned, Germany lacked nothing but coal, which severely restricted Germany's development. If it weren't for the fact that the Franco-Prussian War had snatched Alsace and Lorraine, two iron ore producing areas, from France, Germany would have been even more constrained in terms of resources!

"The problem of resources has always been a problem for Germany. If the war cannot be ended in a short time, an empire that lacks resources will not last long. Do you have a solution to this problem? Wilhelm II asked.

"Your Majesty, to protect the Empire's sea lines of communication, a strong navy is needed. The strength of the Imperial Navy was still lacking. However, our power is rapidly expanding, and when the Imperial Navy can defeat the British Navy, our sea lines of communication will be safe! Secretary of the Navy Tirpitz said.

"So, before the Navy can defeat the British Navy?" Wilhelm II continued.

"Your Majesty, we have an alternative. We can stay in touch with the outside world through the Guò-Baghdad railway and get support from China. China is rich in resources, and if they can provide the empire with the supplies it needs, the empire can hold on even if the overseas transportation lines are cut off! "Prime Minister Bernhard? Feng? Billo said.

The Baghdad Railway originates from the Bosphorus Strait through Baghdad to the Persian Gulf. At the end of the 80s of the 19th century, in order to dominate the world, Germany pursued the policy of eastward expansion, extended its influence into the Near East, and tried to build a railway to connect it with the European railway, becoming a large railway from Hamburg and Berlin to the Persian Gulf through Constantinople and Baghdad. This railway not only allowed German power to dominate Turkey; Moreover, Yan zhòng threatened the Caucasus, Persia and other regions and British India. Therefore, it has been opposed and obstructed by Russia, France, and especially Britain.

In 1888, Germany obtained a concession from the Ottoman Empire for the construction of the Bosphorus-Ankara railway, and established the German Asia Minor Company to build it. In 1889, on the instructions of the Kaiser, in January 1893 the company obtained a concession from the Ottoman Empire to extend the railway to Konya. Britain strongly objected, and Germany threatened to oppose British interests in Egypt, and Britain was forced to make concessions. In 1896, the railway was built. In 1901, Germany was granted a concession for the construction of a railway from Konya to the Persian Gulf through Baghdad. Britain and France strongly opposed this, and after complicated negotiations, Britain still resolutely did not agree to Kuwait as the terminus of the line.

"The Baghdad Railway is a good alternative. However, can the capacity of the Baghdad Railway meet the consumption of the war? Wilhelm II asked. In war, the amount of material consumed every day is an astronomical amount. The railway capacity of this era was generally low, and it was simply impossible to rely on a single railway to support a large-scale war.

"Your Majesty, we are going to extend the Baghdad railway to Kuwait, which has been blocked by Britain and France. But after the war in the Middle East, the power of Britain and France in the Middle East was severely weakened, and the Middle East was already the world of our Chinese allies, and if we proposed to extend the Baghdad railway to Kuwait, the Chinese would not refuse. After all, if we are defeated, it will not do them any good. As for the capacity of the railway, there is no solution to this problem for the time being. However, the Baghdad Railway is only a supplement to Germany, and what we really need to do is to stock up as many strategic materials as possible before the war. Wait for the sea lines of communication to be blocked, and then rely on the Baghdad railway to replenish it. In this way, the foreign communication of the Empire will not be completely cut off! "Bernhard? Feng? Prime Minister Bilow said.

"Well, the government came forward to contact the Chinese and talk to them about the Baghdad railway." Wilhelm II said.

At the urging of the States, Germany's attitude also softened, and on 8 July the two sides agreed to convene an international conference of the parties to the Madrid Treaty to discuss the Moroccan question, the Algeciras Conference in January 1906.

When France and Germany came to an agreement, the whole of Europe and the world breathed a sigh of relief, as if the war had suddenly gone away. The clouds of war over Europe seem to have lifted quite a bit. However, everyone seems to have selectively forgotten that the military mobilization in Germany continued, and the mobilization in France did not end. Negotiations between France and Germany are still ongoing, because the differences between the two sides are so great that there is no possibility of reaching an agreement.

As for the German government's proposal to China to extend the Baghdad railway to Kuwait, the Chinese side also agreed. The Chinese Emperor Wang Yuze had long been thinking about how Germany should be transfused if it could not hold out in the war. The Baghdad Railway is undoubtedly a good choice.

On January 16 ~ April 7, 1906, the Great Powers held an international conference in Algeciras, a seaport city in southern Spain, to seek to calm the conflict between Germany and France over Morocco. Present at the meeting were representatives of 14 countries, including China, Britain, Germany, France, the United States, Spain, Italy, Austria, Russia, the Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal, Sweden and Morocco. Germany demanded absolute equality of rights and interests for all countries in Morocco and opposed France's use of Morocco as its "protectorate".

There were two main topics on the agenda of the meeting. The first is the issue of police power in Morocco. Germany advocated the establishment of an international body to manage the Moroccan police, while France demanded that it be administered or, at most, jointly with Spain. The second is the issue of the supervision of Moroccan banks. Germany demanded that the Great Powers have an equal stake in the bank. France agreed to the internationalization of the Moroccan bank, but required a slightly larger stake in the bank's fixed capital than in other countries. At the meeting, Britain supported France in their own interests. Russia was in dire need of a loan from France and advised Germany to make concessions to France. The United States is focused on the balance of power in Europe and is also inclined to support France's position. Spain and Italy had already made a commitment to France, while the other participating countries had taken the opinion of the majority as their own. China and Austria-Hungary were the only countries that supported Germany. Germany was isolated.

On 7 April, the Conference adopted the Final Protocol of 123 articles, purporting to recognize Morocco**, but stipulating that the Moroccan police organization and security powers would be placed under the administration of France and Spain; International supervision of Moroccan finances. Financing from several participating powers, the establishment of a national bank, in which France has a majority stake, and whose business activities are governed by French law; Aliens can purchase land and engage in business, mining, and other activities; Customs duties are administered by a standing committee consisting of a government representative, a foreign representative, and a representative of the National Bank. The meeting was in fact a bargain between several European powers to pursue an imperialist power at the expense of Moroccan sovereignty. (To be continued.) If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Biquge www.biquge.info to vote for recommendations and monthly passes, your support is my biggest motivation. For mobile phone users, please go to read. )