After the end of the Balkan Wars, the world seemed to have fallen into a long silence.

The arms race between the two major military blocs continues, from the simplest naval arms race to the army, navy and even the air force.

If it is said that the airships and planes dispatched by Italy in the previous Italo-Turkish war can represent the importance that the European powers attach to the current aviation equipment.

Then, since the success of Australasia's round-the-world voyage plan, aviation equipment represented by airships that can circumnavigate the world has become an important weapon that is not weaker than that of the army and navy, and has attracted the attention of all countries in the world.

The first to produce results in the field of airships was Germany, which owned the Zeppelin company. From the end of September to October, Germany publicly announced the establishment of an air force, which will be equipped with at least 30 large airships, 100 small airships, and dozens of aircraft of various types in the next five years.

Although the number may seem small, Germany was the first country to openly declare that it wanted to establish an air force with airships and airplanes as the main force.

A few days later, the British also announced that Britain would set up an air force and equip more than 50 large airships and 100 small airships.

Proud of being the world's first power, the British naturally set the number of airships in their air force far beyond the number of Germans to ensure that they could also have a certain advantage in the new branch of the military.

With the proofs of Germany and Britain, in just one month, the major European powers have announced the establishment of air forces, even Italy, which is expected to have the smallest air force, will be equipped with ten large airships and dozens of small airships.

It's no wonder that these countries attach so much importance to airships, but the performance of airships is currently showing, which has surprised and feared many European countries.

The longest range of the previously recognized airship was only a few hundred kilometers. In addition, the airship does not fly fast, so the threat is not too great.

But now, Australasia's Globetrotter is not only much faster, but can even circumnavigate the world with a few stops.

This also means that no part of the world is safe at present without air defense, and even the capitals of top powers such as Britain and France may be bombed by the enemy.

Before mastering advanced prevention and control weapons, it is very necessary to equip a large number of airships.

This is not only to ensure that you have a certain threat capability to the enemy, but also to ensure that you have a certain countermeasure against unknown air threats.

The importance that these European countries attach to airships can be briefly described in one sentence, that is: you can not pay attention to airships, but you cannot do without airships.

Although European countries have attached great importance to the research and development of airships, it is obviously impossible to have airships that can sail around the world in a short period of time.

Therefore, the AU-3 airship in Australasia has become the only main way for European countries to obtain round-the-world airships in a short period of time.

Although Australasia has previously stated that it will not sell airships to the military industry, and foreign airship companies are not allowed to sell airships.

But as the saying goes, nothing is absolute. All the great powers of Europe believe that as long as the interests are sufficient, let alone the purchase of airships, it seems that the technology of buying airships is not too difficult.

Beginning in mid-October 1912, European powers approached Australasian aviation laboratories to inquire if they could buy airships and airship technology.

After receiving the requests from these countries, Director Teodor did not dare to make his own claims, so he hurriedly went to the Sydney Palace to consult Arthur.

At this time, Arthur was enjoying his days at the palace because he had just visited the Melbourne shipyard and the Auckland shipyard.

After hearing Director Theodor's inquiry and the European powers asking for the purchase of airships and airship technology, Arthur couldn't help laughing and said: "Logically speaking, our airships have irreplaceable value whether they are civilian or military. But if European countries are willing to spend technology of equal strategic value, it is not impossible to buy and exchange the technology of airships. ”

At the end of the day, airships can't have the same advantage in the air as airplanes. Even if Australasia's research on airships has not fallen, Arthur has to admit the fact that the most advanced airships at present will only be a live target in front of the most advanced aircraft.

Now that such an obvious gap has long been known, for Arthur, the importance of airships is far less important than that of airplanes.

Since European countries want airships and airship technology, then it is not impossible to give them. The key question is, what kind of technology can these European countries pay in exchange for Australasian airship technology?

Among these European countries, Arthur paid the most attention to the British Empire.

After all, it is currently the world's number one power, and the British Empire's various naval technologies are very covetous and Arthur wants to have.

In addition, almost all of the European powers have an advantage, and their technology is also coveted by Arthur, which is also a much-needed foundation in Australasia.

Although Arthur didn't want to use the airship to slap the European powers, but since these European powers have already been delivered, it is impossible to say that this meat is not eaten.

At Arthur's behest, Director Theodor held lengthy negotiations with the European side in exchange for advanced technology and technical experts from the European powers.

Thanks to the importance that Britain and Germany attach to airships, this makes the European powers have to equip airships to equip themselves with air superiority and air counterattack power.

Negotiations between the two sides lasted for a long time, until after Germany initially equipped the airship and announced that it was about to hold a military parade of airships, the British immediately could not sit still and expressed their willingness to exchange more technical and technical support for airships and airship technology.

First of all, on the British side, according to Arthur's instructions, Director Theodor asked many experts in the design of naval guns, as well as experts in the design of warship power systems, and so on.

With the development of superdreadnoughts in the future, the caliber of artillery will rise to an exaggerated 15 inches, that is, about 381 mm.

You must know that the dreadnoughts currently equipped by other powers have a gun caliber of about 305 mm.

Although the British currently only control the technology of 343 mm guns, it can be seen from the fact that after the outbreak of World War I, they hastily changed the original 343 mm main gun technology to 381 mm main guns, and also achieved complete success, it can be seen that the British have been quite successful in naval gun technology, and it is definitely worth remembering Arthur.

Thanks to the good relations with the British, and after Arthur's assurances that the relevant AU-3 airship technology would not be sold to the Germans, the British government happily agreed to Arthur's request, expressing its willingness to give Australasian 300 specialists, 100 each for naval guns, power systems, and warship design.

These 300 people are really sent, and the British government has promised that they will be sent to Australasia within a month and a half, accompanied by their families, and they will live directly and permanently in Australasia.

Thanks to such a generous attitude of the British, Director Theodor also expressed his willingness to sell 50 airships to Britain at a price lower than the market price, that is, at a price of 70,000 pounds, and directly handed over the AU-3 airship technology to Britain.

For these 50 airships, Arthur can probably make a profit of 1.5 million pounds. Coupled with those 300 British experts, this exchange was definitely not a loss for Arthur.

As for agreeing not to cooperate with Germany with the British, even if the British did not say anything about this matter, it would be basically impossible for Arthur to cooperate with Germany.

Although Germany's airship technology at this time is not as good as that of Australasia, in the field of hard airships, it is definitely the best in addition to Australasia.

What's more, after receiving the AU-2 airship presented by Arthur before, Germany's research on hard airships has never stopped, and it has also given strong support to Zeppelin Company.

This time, all European countries basically contacted Australasia to buy technology, but Germany only wanted to buy a few airships, but did not say a word about the technology of airships.

If nothing else, the Germans should be on the verge of mastering airships capable of circumnavigating the globe. After all, the so-called circumnavigation of the world is actually a multi-distance flight added up.

According to the farthest distance of the AU-3 airship when it sails around the world, it is only more than 8,000 kilometers from Los Angeles to London and Sydney to Hawaii.

If we follow the trajectory of history, the world's first round-the-world airship should have been built by Zeppelin.

Now, with the strong support of the German government, it is not impossible for Zeppelin to develop an airship that can sail around the world earlier.

In addition to Britain and Germany, at Arthur's behest, Director Theodor also cooperated with other European powers.

Australasia, including France, Russia, Austria-Hungary and Italy, has acquired a large number of technical experts and personnel from these countries, as well as many advanced technologies in various fields.

Naval guns, artillery, warship power systems, engine technology, medical technology, industrial equipment, industrial technology, etc., coupled with thousands of technical experts, Arthur believes that within a few years, Australasia's science and technology will usher in a lot of progress, and it is not far off to truly reach the level and power of the great powers.

Now that cooperation has been reached with these European powers, the construction of airships in aviation laboratories can also be accelerated.

After the technology is shared with these countries, it is believed that the airship companies and airship technology of each country will advance rapidly.

Perhaps in a few years, airships like the AU-3 that can sail around the world will no longer be valuable, and the profits of the airship market will be greatly reduced.

After all, now, as the latest strange means of transportation, coupled with the faster speed and more comfortable travel mode of airship, as well as the characteristics of scarcity and expensive, the current price of airship and airship tickets are very high, any airship company, as long as it has an airship that can sail around the world, will immediately be able to make a lot of money, and the stock market will increase several times or even more than ten times.

Such a crazy scene is slightly better than the previous rubber market. If it weren't for the fact that the aviation laboratory had been pressing the construction speed of the airship before, I am afraid that the current airship market, just like the previous rubber market, would eventually face a stock crisis.

If the aviation laboratory releases the production of airships, according to the current production speed, it will only take half a year at most to complete the orders of these powers.

With other orders from foreign private sectors, the airship market can be maintained for at least a few years, but the proportion of Australasian airship companies in this will only become smaller and smaller.

After all, it's to make quick money, and Arthur didn't think about working hard in this area, it's good to have such a profit, and Arthur is also very satisfied.

Although the German order for 30 airships was lost, the British 50, the French 30, the Russian 20, the Austro-Hungarian 15, the Italian 15, the United States 40, still brought Australasia an order for 170 airships.

And except for the United Kingdom, the airships of other countries are all the original price, that is, 80,000 pounds.

According to this calculation, these 170 airships can bring Arthur 6.3 million pounds, or 12.6 million Australian dollars, which is a good extra money.

Even if this money is invested in the navy, it will almost be able to build three super dreadnoughts, which is definitely not a small amount.

Although Arthur didn't think about putting this money into the navy, no matter what kind of money he put it in, it could be a big help.

In all the orders for airships, the names of the Americans appear somewhat abruptly.

In fact, when the European powers first contacted Australasia, the Americans were unaware.

But Arthur thought, anyway, they have all cheated the Europeans, and how can the United States, as a world-famous nouveau riche, be an exception?

Therefore, at Arthur's behest, the aviation laboratory released the news that the European powers requested the purchase of airship technology, and it soon attracted the attention of the US military and the US government.

As early as when the Dawn airship landed in the United States, the generals of the American military had already noticed the strategic significance of the airship.

When it learned that the European powers were buying airship technology, how could the US military be silent and immediately ask the government to follow suit and take advantage of this trend to equip the US government with airships at least the same scale as the European powers to protect the US sky.

In order to move the US Congress, the military has almost broken its mouth, not only stating on many occasions what kind of strategic significance an airship capable of circumnavigating the world is, but also being able to reach the skies over any territory of the United States at any time and posing a deadly threat to the Americans and the US military.

At the same time, the US military has also openly claimed that if the US military cannot be equipped with such advanced weapons as airships, then there will be a clear gap between the US military strength and the European powers.

Although the United States does not want to participate in the European dispute at present, this does not mean that the United States has no ambitions for the status of world hegemon.

The various changes in US policies indicate that the country has considerable ambitions. Such remarks by the US military naturally attracted the attention of the government, and the airship purchase plan was carried out smoothly.

Of course, the current level of science and technology of the United States is significantly lagging behind that of the European powers, and their science and technology Arthur does not pay much attention.

Compared with the scientific and technological level of the United States, the total industrial scale and economic level of the United States are still an important guarantee for the United States to obtain the status of a great power.

As for the current military science and technology and military level of the United States, it can only be described in four words, that is, it is difficult to describe in one word.

Since the Americans have money, it is naturally impossible for Arthur to let go of this opportunity. After a period of negotiation with the U.S. government, it was finally decided that the U.S. would buy 40 airships at the original price and purchase the AU-3 airship technology for 20 million Australian dollars.

Of course, in addition, Arthur also negotiated with the U.S. government, using the lack of funds for national development as an excuse to borrow 500 million marks from the U.S. government and the private sector, and agreed to repay it after 15 years, with a total of 650 million marks with interest.

As for why he borrowed from the United States but used German currency units, it was because Arthur specifically explained that most of the borrowed funds would be used in Germany, and a large amount of industrial equipment and technology would be purchased from Germany, so the Americans could just prepare the Deutsche Mark directly.

Of course, since the loan was in Deutsche Mark, it was natural to repay the Deutsche Mark when he repaid it.

As for the interest of up to 150 million marks, if the situation in Europe really developed according to the original history, then Arthur could not care about this interest at all.

4600 words, one more today. (I went out today, no way)

Tomorrow will start with 10,000 days, otherwise the manuscript fee will not be saved

(End of chapter)