Greece to roman road

Hearing Constantine's question, Venizelos said without hesitation: "Anglo-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 was during the period when Britain and France jointly colonized the world or when the United States dominated the world, no matter who sat on the throne of the world hegemon, containing Russia was one of the foreign policies of the world hegemon.

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

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

Not long after the Anglo-Japanese Alliance was established, the Russo-Japanese War broke out between Russia and Japan to compete for hegemony in the Far East.

"From the British perspective, an alliance with Japan is of great strategic significance and has many benefits," Venizelos responded calmly.

Constantine, Alexandros and Lundhart listened attentively to Venizelos's analysis of the international situation.

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

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

Constantine and the other three nodded in agreement.

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

"So, 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 newly rising power will inevitably challenge the old hegemon. The new king wants to ascend the throne, but the old king is naturally unwilling to abdicate peacefully.

"At present, the United Kingdom has begun to make arrangements. In order to combat these two challengers, on the European continent, the United Kingdom has chosen to cooperate with the French-Russian alliance to suppress Germany."

"In dealing with the American issue, Britain chose the Anglo-Japanese alliance, relying on Britain and Japan, two countries located to the east and west of the United States, as well as Canadian colonies located in the north of the United States. In this way, it almost formed an alliance from the northeast to the west. "In this direction, we will sandwich the United States in the middle and implement a strategic encirclement of the United States."

After listening to Venizelos's analysis, the world situation suddenly became clear and unmistakable.

"The British have very clear considerations behind their choice to form an alliance with Japan. Japan is a very important part of the British encirclement network to contain the United States. An alliance with Japan can serve multiple purposes."

Alexandros was stunned for a moment. Venizelos's analysis of the international situation was based on a lofty perspective, with a grand perspective and clear thinking. He jumped out of a corner of the Balkans and considered issues from the perspective of the entire international situation.

"So that's it. In recent years, conflicts between Britain and Germany have intensified. After Wilhelm II came to power, Germany also began to implement a world policy, claiming to be "competing for the land under the sun." The two countries had naval competition and trade frictions." Alexandros murmured 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. It cannot compete with the Germans at all."

Venizelos looked at Alexandros and said: "Prime Minister, it is only a matter of time when the two major European groups will go to war. Once the war begins in Western Europe, due to the alliances between the major powers, the entire Europe will inevitably be involved. In a chaotic place like the Balkans, the status quo is maintained only by the mutual constraints and restraints between the great powers."

"Once a European war breaks out, can Greece stay out of it?" Venizelos said seriously.

Now the three Balkan countries have secretly infiltrated into Macedonia. Once Europe falls into war, the Balkans 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 to deal with risks," Venizelos said to Alexandros solemnly.

"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, "Britain and Germany are currently competing to build dreadnoughts, such epoch-making new warships. It is said that this The new warships have swept all other warships into the garbage heap of history. Since the last war, the Greek Navy has only built and put into service a few large torpedo boats through the Athens Shipyard."

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

Hearing Venizelos talk about dreadnoughts, 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 Greek at all. An affordable game, it is purely a toy of a big country.”

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 why Greece was able to win the 1896 war was that Greece completed its war preparations early, while the Ottoman Empire responded in a hurry."

"No matter what, the policy of stagnating the development of the military and leaning towards the economy must be revised as before."

There was silence in the conference room, and few people were speechless.

Anyone with a little bit of political acumen can understand the importance of peaceful development and stabilizing 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 force will be expanded to 100,000, and more technical weapons will be put into military service. At the same time, the navy should also 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.”