Chapter 177: Great Britain enters the war
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The sudden outbreak of war caught the British Empire on the other side of the strait by surprise. Although, the British government has long expected that war will be inevitable. However, they still did not expect that the war would come so suddenly.
Of course, for Britain, it is better to start this battle earlier than later. This is especially true when the strength of the German navy is growing faster and faster and has already posed a serious threat to the United Kingdom. If Germany cannot be defeated, Britain's dominance will be shaken, which will have a very negative impact on maintaining Britain's world colonial system.
In order to maintain its own hegemony, the United Kingdom has been implementing a balance of power policy in the European continent, that is, it does not want a hegemon to emerge in the European continent. Once a country rises, Britain will join forces with other countries to besiege it. The last one to be besieged by the British was France, now it is Germany's turn.
Because of its own geographical location, the UK can keep their homeland from being attacked as long as they maintain a strong navy. As for the war on land, it was left to the French and the Russians. Let them fight the Germans to the death on the land battlefield. It is much better than letting a large number of British youths die on the battlefield!
Germany declared war on Russia and France respectively, but Britain did not declare war on Germany immediately. On the one hand, Britain has not signed military treaties with France and Russia, and is not obligated to go to war immediately. Whether to go to war or not depends on the interests of Britain. On the other hand, the British did not mean to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight, using Germany to consume the strength of France and Russia, causing them to suffer heavy losses in this war. In this way, it will be easier for Britain to control the post-war world.
So, there are no permanent friends between countries, only permanent interests. In this war, the performance was vivid. Even if they are allies, everyone is counting on each other.
However, the wishful thinking of the British was obviously wrong. Germany's next actions disrupted their deployment.
On the afternoon of August 2, the British cabinet held an emergency meeting. There is only one topic, and that is the notification from the Kingdom of Belgium. After an ultimatum has been issued to them, if they do not allow the German army to use it, Germany will attack them. This is absolutely unacceptable to the British.
"Damn Germans, what are they trying to do? Could it be that they really want to push the British Empire into war?" Prime Minister Asquith was furious.
Once Germany really attacks the Kingdom of Belgium, it will be impossible for Britain to continue to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight. According to their commitment, Britain has the responsibility to protect the security of the Kingdom of Belgium.
"Your Excellency, the tactics of the Germans are really vicious! They launched an attack on the neutral kingdom of Belgium, which is equivalent to avoiding the heavily deployed defense line of the French army and the rugged Ardennes, and directly attacking northern France. According to our As far as we know, the defense of northern France is very empty. It can be said that the French never expected that the Germans would attack from the north. Once the Kingdom of Belgium is defeated, the French defense line will be dealt a fatal blow." Richard Haldane, Secretary of State for War, sighed.
"The French must be informed and prepared. Otherwise, once France suffers heavy losses, it will be difficult for us to contain the Germans." Sir Edward Gray, the foreign secretary, also said.
Even if Britain wants to use the hands of the Germans to further weaken France. However, they must not stand by and watch France suffer heavy losses. Once France is defeated, it will be dangerous. Otherwise, they will lose the war. Britain cannot take such a risk.
"Well, let the French prepare in advance!" Prime Minister Asquith said.
"Even if we notify the French now, it may be too late for them. The Germans are ready for war, and they only gave the Belgians 24 hours to think about it. Several hours have passed now. That is to say, there is still In less than 20 hours, the Germans will launch an offensive. The French’s war preparations have not been completed at all. Their standing army is mainly deployed on the eastern defense line. Even if they immediately deploy troops to defend the north , or enter Belgium to fight, this will also take time. By then, the Kingdom of Belgium may have been defeated by the Germans." Churchill shook his head, looking a little negative.
Prime Minister Asquith's face was also a little unsightly.
"What if we dispatched an expeditionary force and landed directly in the Kingdom of Belgium?" Prime Minister Asquith asked.
Although the British army has very few troops, its combat effectiveness is not very strong. However, for the upcoming war, Britain still decided to send an expeditionary force to fight on the European continent. This is what the French strongly demanded at the beginning.
"Your Excellency, the assembly of the expeditionary force takes time. In addition to the preparation of war materials, it also takes time. Therefore, if the expeditionary force is to be dispatched, it will take at least half a month. This is because there are only two expeditionary forces. The army has 4 infantry divisions and 1 cavalry division, with a total of more than 70,000 people. If there are more troops, I am afraid that more preparation time will be needed." Richard Haldane, the Minister of War, replied.
"God! Can't we do nothing now, can we just watch the Germans defeat Belgium, and then go south and hit France hard? In that case, we will lose the war!" Prime Minister Asquith was very anxious .
"Your Excellency, now we can only hope that the Belgians can persist for a while. At least, their Liege Fortress is still very strong. I hope that God can bless them!" Churchill sighed.
Prime Minister Asquith thought for a while, but nodded. There was no other way.
"Well, inform the Belgians that we will send troops to help them immediately, and hope they persist. Also, Your Excellency, Foreign Minister, warn the Germans that if they send troops into the Kingdom of Belgium, we will participate in the war. Hopefully, more can be won Time!" said Prime Minister Asquith.
"Yes, Your Excellency the Prime Minister." Sir Edward Gray nodded.
On August 3, the Kingdom of Belgium formally rejected the German army's request for a passage, and at the same time sent troops to the Liege Fortress, preparing to resist the German attack there.
At the same time, Britain officially warned Germany not to send troops into the Kingdom of Belgium.
However, Germany turned a deaf ear to Britain's warning. War was then declared on the Kingdom of Belgium.
On August 4, the German army crossed the border and entered the Kingdom of Belgium. On the same day, Great Britain officially declared war on Germany!
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The sudden outbreak of war caught the British Empire on the other side of the strait by surprise. Although, the British government has long expected that war will be inevitable. However, they still did not expect that the war would come so suddenly.
Of course, for Britain, it is better to start this battle earlier than later. This is especially true when the strength of the German navy is growing faster and faster and has already posed a serious threat to the United Kingdom. If Germany cannot be defeated, Britain's dominance will be shaken, which will have a very negative impact on maintaining Britain's world colonial system.
In order to maintain its own hegemony, the United Kingdom has been implementing a balance of power policy in the European continent, that is, it does not want a hegemon to emerge in the European continent. Once a country rises, Britain will join forces with other countries to besiege it. The last one to be besieged by the British was France, now it is Germany's turn.
Because of its own geographical location, the UK can keep their homeland from being attacked as long as they maintain a strong navy. As for the war on land, it was left to the French and the Russians. Let them fight the Germans to the death on the land battlefield. It is much better than letting a large number of British youths die on the battlefield!
Germany declared war on Russia and France respectively, but Britain did not declare war on Germany immediately. On the one hand, Britain has not signed military treaties with France and Russia, and is not obligated to go to war immediately. Whether to go to war or not depends on the interests of Britain. On the other hand, the British did not mean to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight, using Germany to consume the strength of France and Russia, causing them to suffer heavy losses in this war. In this way, it will be easier for Britain to control the post-war world.
So, there are no permanent friends between countries, only permanent interests. In this war, the performance was vivid. Even if they are allies, everyone is counting on each other.
However, the wishful thinking of the British was obviously wrong. Germany's next actions disrupted their deployment.
On the afternoon of August 2, the British cabinet held an emergency meeting. There is only one topic, and that is the notification from the Kingdom of Belgium. After an ultimatum has been issued to them, if they do not allow the German army to use it, Germany will attack them. This is absolutely unacceptable to the British.
"Damn Germans, what are they trying to do? Could it be that they really want to push the British Empire into war?" Prime Minister Asquith was furious.
Once Germany really attacks the Kingdom of Belgium, it will be impossible for Britain to continue to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight. According to their commitment, Britain has the responsibility to protect the security of the Kingdom of Belgium.
"Your Excellency, the tactics of the Germans are really vicious! They launched an attack on the neutral kingdom of Belgium, which is equivalent to avoiding the heavily deployed defense line of the French army and the rugged Ardennes, and directly attacking northern France. According to our As far as we know, the defense of northern France is very empty. It can be said that the French never expected that the Germans would attack from the north. Once the Kingdom of Belgium is defeated, the French defense line will be dealt a fatal blow." Richard Haldane, Secretary of State for War, sighed.
"The French must be informed and prepared. Otherwise, once France suffers heavy losses, it will be difficult for us to contain the Germans." Sir Edward Gray, the foreign secretary, also said.
Even if Britain wants to use the hands of the Germans to further weaken France. However, they must not stand by and watch France suffer heavy losses. Once France is defeated, it will be dangerous. Otherwise, they will lose the war. Britain cannot take such a risk.
"Well, let the French prepare in advance!" Prime Minister Asquith said.
"Even if we notify the French now, it may be too late for them. The Germans are ready for war, and they only gave the Belgians 24 hours to think about it. Several hours have passed now. That is to say, there is still In less than 20 hours, the Germans will launch an offensive. The French’s war preparations have not been completed at all. Their standing army is mainly deployed on the eastern defense line. Even if they immediately deploy troops to defend the north , or enter Belgium to fight, this will also take time. By then, the Kingdom of Belgium may have been defeated by the Germans." Churchill shook his head, looking a little negative.
Prime Minister Asquith's face was also a little unsightly.
"What if we dispatched an expeditionary force and landed directly in the Kingdom of Belgium?" Prime Minister Asquith asked.
Although the British army has very few troops, its combat effectiveness is not very strong. However, for the upcoming war, Britain still decided to send an expeditionary force to fight on the European continent. This is what the French strongly demanded at the beginning.
"Your Excellency, the assembly of the expeditionary force takes time. In addition to the preparation of war materials, it also takes time. Therefore, if the expeditionary force is to be dispatched, it will take at least half a month. This is because there are only two expeditionary forces. The army has 4 infantry divisions and 1 cavalry division, with a total of more than 70,000 people. If there are more troops, I am afraid that more preparation time will be needed." Richard Haldane, the Minister of War, replied.
"God! Can't we do nothing now, can we just watch the Germans defeat Belgium, and then go south and hit France hard? In that case, we will lose the war!" Prime Minister Asquith was very anxious .
"Your Excellency, now we can only hope that the Belgians can persist for a while. At least, their Liege Fortress is still very strong. I hope that God can bless them!" Churchill sighed.
Prime Minister Asquith thought for a while, but nodded. There was no other way.
"Well, inform the Belgians that we will send troops to help them immediately, and hope they persist. Also, Your Excellency, Foreign Minister, warn the Germans that if they send troops into the Kingdom of Belgium, we will participate in the war. Hopefully, more can be won Time!" said Prime Minister Asquith.
"Yes, Your Excellency the Prime Minister." Sir Edward Gray nodded.
On August 3, the Kingdom of Belgium formally rejected the German army's request for a passage, and at the same time sent troops to the Liege Fortress, preparing to resist the German attack there.
At the same time, Britain officially warned Germany not to send troops into the Kingdom of Belgium.
However, Germany turned a deaf ear to Britain's warning. War was then declared on the Kingdom of Belgium.
On August 4, the German army crossed the border and entered the Kingdom of Belgium. On the same day, Great Britain officially declared war on Germany!
The sudden outbreak of war caught the British Empire on the other side of the strait by surprise. Although, the British government has long expected that war will be inevitable. However, they still did not expect that the war would come so suddenly.Of course, for Britain, it is better to start this battle earlier than later. This is especially true when the strength of the German navy is growing faster and faster and has already posed a serious threat to the United Kingdom. If Germany cannot be defeated, Britain's dominance will be shaken, which will have a very negative impact on maintaining Britain's world colonial system.In order to maintain its own hegemony, the United Kingdom has been implementing a balance of power policy in the European continent, that is, it does not want a hegemon to emerge in the European continent. Once a country rises, Britain will join forces with other countries to besiege it. The last one to be besieged by the British was France, now it is Germany's turn.Because of its own geographical location, the UK can keep their homeland from being attacked as long as they maintain a strong navy. As for the war on land, it was left to the French and the Russians. Let them fight the Germans to the death on the land battlefield. It is much better than letting a large number of British youths die on the battlefield!Germany declared war on Russia and France respectively, but Britain did not declare war on Germany immediately. On the one hand, Britain has not signed military treaties with France and Russia, and is not obligated to go to war immediately. Whether to go to war or not depends on the interests of Britain. On the other hand, the British did not mean to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight, using Germany to consume the strength of France and Russia, causing them to suffer heavy losses in this war. In this way, it will be easier for Britain to control the post-war world.So, there are no permanent friends between countries, only permanent interests. In this war, the performance was vivid. Even if they are allies, everyone is counting on each other. However, the wishful thinking of the British was obviously wrong. Germany's next actions disrupted their deployment. On the afternoon of August 2, the British cabinet held an emergency meeting. There is only one topic, and that is the notification from the Kingdom of Belgium. After an ultimatum has been issued to them, if they do not allow the German army to use it, Germany will attack them. This is absolutely unacceptable to the British. "Damn Germans, what are they trying to do? Could it be that they really want to push the British Empire into war?" Prime Minister Asquith was furious.Once Germany really attacks the Kingdom of Belgium, it will be impossible for Britain to continue to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight. According to their commitment, Britain has the responsibility to protect the security of the Kingdom of Belgium."Your Excellency, the tactics of the Germans are really vicious! They launched an attack on the neutral kingdom of Belgium, which is equivalent to avoiding the heavily deployed defense line of the French army and the rugged Ardennes, and directly attacking northern France. According to our As far as we know, the defense of northern France is very empty. It can be said that the French never expected that the Germans would attack from the north. Once the Kingdom of Belgium is defeated, the French defense line will be dealt a fatal blow." Richard Haldane, Secretary of State for War, sighed. "The French must be informed and prepared. Otherwise, once France suffers heavy losses, it will be difficult for us to contain the Germans." Sir Edward Gray, the foreign secretary, also said. Even if Britain wants to use the hands of the Germans to further weaken France. However, they must not stand by and watch France suffer heavy losses. Once France is defeated, it will be dangerous. Otherwise, they will lose the war. Britain cannot take such a risk. "Well, let the French prepare in advance!" Prime Minister Asquith said."Even if we notify the French now, it may be too late for them. The Germans are ready for war, and they only gave the Belgians 24 hours to think about it. Several hours have passed now. That is to say, there is still In less than 20 hours, the Germans will launch an offensive. The French's war preparations have not been completed at all. Their standing army is mainly deployed on the eastern defense line. Even if they immediately deploy troops to defend the north , or enter Belgium to fight, this will also take time. By then, the Kingdom of Belgium may have been defeated by the Germans." Churchill shook his head, looking a little negative.Prime Minister Asquith's face was also a little unsightly. "What if we dispatched an expeditionary force and landed directly in the Kingdom of Belgium?" Prime Minister Asquith asked.Although the British army has very few troops, its combat effectiveness is not very strong. However, for the upcoming war, Britain still decided to send an expeditionary force to fight on the European continent. This is what the French strongly demanded at the beginning."Your Excellency, the assembly of the expeditionary force takes time. In addition to the preparation of war materials, it also takes time. Therefore, if the expeditionary force is to be dispatched, it will take at least half a month. This is because there are only two expeditionary forces. The army has 4 infantry divisions and 1 cavalry division, with a total of more than 70,000 people. If there are more troops, I am afraid that more preparation time will be needed." Richard Haldane, the Minister of War, replied."God! Can't we do nothing now, can we just watch the Germans defeat Belgium, and then go south and hit France hard? In that case, we will lose the war!" Prime Minister Asquith was very anxious . "Your Excellency, now we can only hope that the Belgians can persist for a while. At least, their Liege Fortress is still very strong. I hope that God can bless them!" Churchill sighed.Prime Minister Asquith thought for a while, but nodded. There was no other way."Well, inform the Belgians that we will send troops to help them immediately, and hope they persist. Also, Your Excellency, Foreign Minister, warn the Germans that if they send troops into the Kingdom of Belgium, we will participate in the war. Hopefully, more can be won Time!" said Prime Minister Asquith. "Yes, Your Excellency the Prime Minister." Sir Edward Gray nodded.On August 3, the Kingdom of Belgium formally rejected the German army's request for a passage, and at the same time sent troops to the Liege Fortress, preparing to resist the German attack there. At the same time, Britain officially warned Germany not to send troops into the Kingdom of Belgium.However, Germany turned a deaf ear to Britain's warning. War was then declared on the Kingdom of Belgium. On August 4, the German army crossed the border and entered the Kingdom of Belgium. On the same day, Great Britain officially declared war on Germany!
