Greece’s Roman Road

Hearing Constantine's question, Venizelos said without hesitation: "British-Japanese alliance"

"What does the Anglo-Japanese Alliance have to do with the United States? Didn't the British establish the Anglo-Japanese Alliance to curb Russia's expansion in East Asia? Japan and the United States are separated by the vast Pacific Ocean."

There is an interesting phenomenon, whether it is the period when Britain and France jointly colonized the world, or the day when the United States dominated the world, no matter who sits on the throne of the world hegemony, containing Russia is one of the foreign policy of the world hegemony.

There is no other reason. The area of ​​the Tsarist Russian Empire is too vast. Western Europe, the Balkans, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and East Asia are all the direction of Russia’s expansion. For centuries, Russia has continued to expand. By the beginning of the 20th century, the territory of this vast empire had reached more than 22 million square kilometers.

The vast territory naturally gives this country the qualification to compete for world hegemony.

Shortly after the establishment of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance, the Russo-Japanese War broke out between Russia and Japan for hegemony in the Far East.

"From the perspective of the United Kingdom, forming an alliance with Japan has great strategic significance and many benefits," Venizelos responded indifferently.

Constantine, Alexandros and Lundhardt listened intently to Venizelos' analysis of the international situation.

"First, it can contain Russia's expansion on the East Asia Pacific coast. This is a very intuitive purpose. After the Russo-Japanese War, this purpose has been achieved. Russia's tentacles extending to the Pacific Ocean have been cut off by Japan."

"Secondly, Japan and the United States are both countries on the Pacific coast, and the Anglo-Japanese alliance is meant to deter the United States. From the map, taking the United States as a reference, the United Kingdom is located in the east of the United States, Japan is located in the west of the United States, and the United Kingdom and Japan are located in the west. The two allies sandwich the United States right in the middle"

The three of Constantine nodded their heads in yes.

"Although Japan and the United States are separated by the Pacific Ocean, after the Spanish-American War (1898), the United States defeated the old colonial empire Spain and occupied Guam and the Philippines. Hawaii is also in the hands of the Americans. These areas echo Alaska in the north and south, and the entire northern Pacific Ocean has been captured by the United States and has become the sphere of influence of the United States." Venizelos said eloquently.

"Therefore, Britain's international status is now threatened by two powerful competitors, Germany in continental Europe and the United States in North America. This Thucydides trap is unavoidable."

The so-called Thucydides Trap refers to the contradiction between the old hegemon and the emerging country. The new rising power will inevitably challenge the old hegemon. The new king wants to ascend to the throne, and the old king is naturally unwilling to abdicate peacefully.

"And now the UK has already begun its layout. In order to combat these two challengers, on the European continent, the UK chose to cooperate with the Franco-Russian alliance to suppress Germany."

"In response to the US issue, the UK chose the Anglo-Japanese alliance, relying on the two countries in the east and west of the United States, and the Canadian colony in the north of the United States. In each direction, we sandwich the United States in the middle and implement a strategic encirclement of the United States.”

Listening to Venizelos' analysis, the world situation suddenly became clear and clear.

"The British chose to form an alliance with Japan, with very clear considerations behind it. Japan is a very important part of the British encirclement network to contain the United States, and an alliance with Japan can serve multiple purposes."

Alexandros was stunned for a moment. Venizelos' analysis of the international situation is based on a lofty perspective, with a broad perspective and clear thinking.

"It turns out that the contradiction between Britain and Germany has intensified in recent years. After Wilhelm II came to power, Germany also began to implement a world policy, known as "competing for the land under the sun", the naval competition between the two countries, and trade friction" Alexandros muttered to himself.

"At present, Germany's strength is increasing day by day. Whether it is British industrial products or French industrial products, their share of the world's industrial products market has been far surpassed by Germany, and they cannot compete with Germans at all."

Venizelos looked at Alexandros and said, "Prime Minister, when the two major European blocs will go to war is only a matter of time. Once Western Europe goes to war, due to the alliances between the major powers, the whole of Europe will inevitably be involved. In a chaotic place like the Balkans, the status quo is maintained by mutual restraint and restraint between the great powers.”

"Once the European war breaks out, can Greece stay out of it?" Venizelos said with a serious face.

Now that the three Balkan countries have secretly infiltrated Macedonia, once Europe falls into war, the Balkan region will definitely be in chaos.

"Previously, in order to speed up economic development, Greece's finances were tilted towards economic construction, but the situation in Europe is deteriorating. We must increase investment in the military and deal with risks," Venizelos said solemnly to Alexandros.

"The number of the Greek army is currently 60,000, which is far from enough. As for the navy," Venizelos said with a wry smile and shook his head. "The British and Germans are currently competing to build dreadnoughts, such epoch-making cutting-edge warships, it is said that this is the case. The new warships swept all other warships into the garbage heap of history, while the Greek Navy has only built and served a few large torpedo boats through the Athens shipyard since the last war.”

"Austro-Hungary and Italy on the Adriatic coast are also building dreadnoughts"

Hearing Venizelos talking about the dreadnought~www.wuxiaspot.com~ Alexandros looked helpless: "I heard that the price of a British dreadnought is as high as 1.8 million pounds, which is equivalent to more than 40 million drachmas. This is not a game that Greece can afford at all, it is purely a toy of the great powers"

Alexandros shrugged: "At this price, the army can form two or three full infantry divisions."

Venizelos said to Constantine: "A large part of the reason that Greece was able to win the 1896 war was that Greece completed the war preparations early, while the Ottoman Empire was in a hurry."

"In any case, the stagnant military development as before, and the policy of leaning toward the economy must be revised."

There was silence in the conference room, and no one spoke.

Anyone with a little political savvy can understand the importance of peaceful development and stability of the country to Greece.

However, developments in Europe are driving Greece to change.

After a while, Alexandros said in a hoarse voice, "So, how should the army be expanded?"

"The army's standing army has been expanded to 100,000 people, and more technical weapons have been added to the army. At the same time, the navy should build several warships. At present, the most combat-effective warship of the Greek Navy is still the Esmeralda class purchased more than ten years ago. It is seriously behind the world's mainstream standards."

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