The Rise of the European Emperor

Marin was also surprised when he received Kohler's information. He had been prepared for the UK to compete with him in North America very early, so he had been plotting against the UK. But I didn't expect that the British sent ships to explore North America so early.

Then, from the depths of his memory, he found information about John Cabot. All along, Marin ignored this man. In fact, in the original history, this person was the first European person to discover North America (not counting the legend of the Vikings in the age of Vikings). It's just that John Cabot always thought that what he found was the east coast of Japan or other Asian regions.

John Cabot was an Italian who settled in the British port of Bristol from 1490. In 1496, John Cabot heard that his Italian fellow and fellow traveler (John Cabot was also a Genoese, also a navigator) Columbus discovered the westward route to India (in fact, America ), so he was rewarded by the Spanish royal family and became a great aristocrat.

So, in 1496, John Cabot also conceived the idea of ​​exploring a new route westward for the King of England to gain aristocratic status and great benefits.

Originally, John Cabot won the support of King Henry VII in 1497. But because of Marin's intervention, the Europeans' enthusiasm was greatly diminished when they learned that America was not India. Combined with the terrible legend of syphilis, that voyage in 1497 did not take place.

However, John Cabot did not give up his efforts. So he changed his lobbying strategy and persuaded Henry VII to say that even if the wild continent is not Asia, there is a vast land. The United Kingdom is only an island country with a small territory. Why didn't Your Majesty go to the wild continent to occupy some colonies?

By 1504, Henry VII was finally persuaded. However, the stingy Henry VII only gave John Cabot a boat and 18 sailors. In Henry VII's view, even if John Cabot lost, he only lost a small boat and 18 sailors, and the loss was very small. If you are successful, you can make a lot of money...

Not to die, John Cabot broke into the Newfoundland fishing grounds, saw the fishing boats sent by the East Frisian Cape Breton Island colony to fish, and followed the fishing boats from Cape Breton Island to the capital of Cape Breton Island. sydney. 【】

Although John Cabot was cautious, he was finally managed by Garland, who had learned a few tricks from Marin. In this way, the British side will not know the news from the North American side...

Just, that's not the point. Garland worried that since the British had their first expedition, there might be a second. Moreover, they don't know if the UK only filmed John Cabot. Moreover, on the French side, I don't know if there will be a similar move. Therefore, Garland needs Marin's guidance and decision-making.

Marin was also quite unhappy about the British meddling in the North American colonies. Obviously, it was right to start pitting the British at the beginning. After all, the UK is a maritime nation and could easily be a Marin competitor. Moreover, the British controlled the English Channel, which was a serious threat to Marin's large-scale navigation.

The fate of the historical "sea coachman" in the Netherlands is a lesson from the past. Originally, the Netherlands was a very powerful maritime country, known as the "sea coachman", controlling most of the maritime trade share.

However, the Netherlands was ill-fated to meet the rising United Kingdom. Although the maritime strength was stronger, the British, relying on the advantages of the English Channel, frequently intercepted Dutch merchant ships, attacked the maritime trade of the Netherlands, and launched three "Anglo-Dutch Wars", which finally brought down the Dutch. Since then, Britain has replaced the Netherlands as the maritime hegemon.

so,

The United Kingdom, which controls the English Channel, is definitely a huge threat to Marin's large-scale navigation. Back then, the Second German Reich and the Third Reich were both destroyed by the British naval blockade...

All in all, if you want to go to the ocean, there are only two options for Britain - one is to try to destroy it and never let it have a chance to rise; the second is to directly annex Britain. Or at least occupy the area along the English Channel in the UK and take the strait into your own hands.

As for adopting the first method or the second method, Marin still needs to wait and see the situation. Naturally he would like to use the second method, but in Europe, where blood is important, it seems difficult to do so. So, Marin is still on the sidelines.

However, for the British to explore new routes, Marin has absolutely no tolerance. Therefore, he decided to respond aggressively…

As for how to deal with it? Marin has long learned the way from the British in the original history - that is, to use "pirates" to intercept other countries' ships to ensure that other countries cannot encroach on the Americas...

The specific method is very simple, that is, Marin sent a fleet, hoisted the pirate flag, and in the name of pirates, prevented any British expedition ships from going to North America. Once found, the ship was sunk, and the people on board were put into sacks and sank into the sea...

In the end, put all the blame on the pirates. After all, this is indeed the usual modus operandi of pirates...

As long as all the British ships exploring the new route are destroyed and all the personnel are killed, then, if the UK has not even completed the exploration of the new route, it is impossible to go to the Americas and Marin to seize territory.

To this end, Marin decided to select a group of trusted captains and sailors to form a pirate fleet, fly the flag of skulls and crossbones, and cruise on the route from Great Britain to North America in the North Atlantic. As long as a non-East Frisian ship is found, whether it is a British ship, a French ship, or a Danish ship, it will be sunk, and no one will be spared.

Although it is said that such an approach is cruel, it is the reality. That's what you have to do if you want to keep it a secret. Moreover, this kind of thing is very confidential and must not be leaked out.

The British crew is okay, kill it if you kill it, and Marin is not afraid of breaking a pile of British. But France is different. If a French ship is intercepted, he will be soft-hearted and will be left alive. As long as that one escaped alive and brought the news back to France, it was over. France is the hegemon of the European continent, and it is not far from the East Frisian mainland. It would be too much for France to try to trouble Marin.

Don't forget that the French army failed in Italy, but that was because Italy was too far from the French mainland and needed the range of the Alps. It is impossible for the French to send too many troops to expedition to Italy.

But East Friesland is not too far from France, and it is a plain all the way, and it is easy for France to gather a large army and push it over. Not only that, but the French may also unite with anti-Marin factions in Shinra, such as Frederick III, Elector of Saxony and Elector Joachim I of Brandenburg. And the hapless King Hans of Denmark... If these great forces are united, Marin is doomed...

Therefore, if the disguised pirate fleet catches the French expedition ship, it will definitely kill all the people on board, and not a single one will be left alive. It's safest to push the problem to the pirates...

As for the pirate ship, Marin actually intends to build several new pirate ships similar to the "Black Pearl". After all, Marin in his previous life also liked to watch the movies of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series.

Unfortunately, it takes a long time to design and build a new boat. If the information on the new route was obtained by the British or the French while the ship was not finished, it would be over. Therefore, Marin needs ships that can be used right away...

Marin thought of the most powerful "Hoffman" class warships and 250-class armed merchant ships in his hands, but quickly rejected them. Why? Because the characteristics of these two kinds of ship owners are too obvious, outsiders can see that it is Marin's ship. If he was escaped from an enemy ship, Marin's exposure was certain.

Therefore, Marin needs a warship that does not reveal its own characteristics...

Then, Marin thought of the Kirk sailboat. Because of Denmark's compensation, Marin still has quite a few Kirk sailboats in his hands. However, this sailboat has a disadvantage, that is, it is not suitable for installing artillery. Because, when originally designed, Kirk sailboats did not intend to install artillery on the broadside, so the broadside is generally very thin.

In the end, the only choice is the Carrack in Spain and the Caravel in Portugal. Both types of ships can be equipped with artillery, although only light artillery, but it is enough to sink those civilian ships that dare to explore new routes.

Coincidentally, before the last "Battle of Jutland", Marin had sent people to Spain to buy 17 Clark sailing ships. Isn't this a ready-made pirate ship? The Spanish boat type, which will not make people suspicious of Marlin's head, is very suitable. Even if the enemy ship escaped, they would not know it was East Frisian. Because these boats are popular in Spain and Portugal...

Next, it is related to the formation of a pirate fleet. Marin decided to select the best 8 ships from the 17 Clark-armed merchant ships, cruise the Atlantic Ocean day and night, fly the pirate skull and cross flag, and remove all objects that show the identity of East Frisian. Seeing the ships of the British and French westward voyages, they were all sunk. Even if the opponent escapes, through the skull flag and the ship, the enemy will not infer that Marin is behind the scenes.

And if it encounters a large-scale fleet of Britain and France, a "pirate ship" with a telescope can start running 20 kilometers ahead of schedule, making the enemy stare...

In addition, in the future, Marin also intends to develop a "pirate fleet" to cruise on the route west of the Canary Islands to the Caribbean. After all, Spain has already renounced the Americas. In the future, as long as the Spanish or Portuguese ships are seen heading west, Marin can also let the pirate fleet sink them, lest they covet the American continent...

As long as you choose reliable confidants, and keep your hands clean and leave no survivors, no one will know about the relationship between Marin and those pirates.

Terrifying legends on the wild continent, coupled with pirates who kill without blinking... Before seeing the crazy benefits, Marin didn't believe that there would be so many people willing to come to die...

As for how to deal with John Cabot, Marin thought about it and decided to keep him. After all, this is also a navigator. Of course, he and his three sons are currently under house arrest on Cape Breton Island. As for the 18 British sailors, Marin waved his pen and gave instructions - they all go to the North Sydney Coal Mine to dig coal...

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