Nanyang Storm 1864

After a long and circuitous journey, the Emperor of Great Chu led his fleet for over four months, finally arriving back at the empire's homeland at the end of February 1914, during the Lantern Festival.

In a few months, it will be the 70th birthday of the Emperor of the Great Chu Empire. The whole country is making grand preparations for this festival and is also preparing for the grand celebration of his 50th anniversary of his ascension to the throne two years later.

November 5st

Breaking news has arrived from across the Pacific Ocean.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the U.S. Army Expansion Act of 1914, increasing the size of the Army from over 19 to over 25, an increase of over 6 personnel and a 31.5% increase in military size.

Its key deployment area is in southern California, in the U.S.-Chu border region centered around Los Angeles.

After the Great Chu Empire acquired Baja California Island through a treaty, it renamed it the "Xinjiang Special Reclamation Area" and quickly mobilized troops to form the Xinjiang Military Region, stationing 11 soldiers there.

At present, the various divisions that have been transferred have successively moved into various parts of Xinjiang and are carrying out construction work in full swing.

Faced with this new situation

The United States sensed an imminent crisis, and this new year's military expansion bill is a formal measure in the US military response; this is only the first step.

On March 18, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the "U.S. Navy Additional Appropriations Act of 1914," which provided a special budget to give the U.S. Navy the green light to build four new battleships equipped with 356mm main guns (note: originally planned to build two), and reserved the priority right to order two more battleships of the same class.

this means
In response to the conflict arising from the Xinjiang Special Reclamation Area, the two countries of Chu and the United States began an arms race.

The Great Chu Empire, which made the first move, was currently building the latest generation of Duke-class battleships on its slipways. These ships were equipped with 16-inch main guns, meaning the main guns had a caliber of 381 mm, surpassing the main warships of the United States by a generation.

The first ship, "Duke of Cebu," is about to be launched for fitting and construction, while the second ship, "Prince of Manila," will be launched for fitting and construction at the end of the year. Shipyard workers are working day and night to meet the demand, and the construction is in full swing.

The third ship, "Duke of Madagascar," and the fourth ship, "Duke of Cavite," were under construction at different stages and were all expected to be completed and commissioned by mid-1916.

New naval combat equipment, including heavy cruisers, are being produced at full capacity in shipyards across the Great Chu Empire, putting it ahead of schedule in a heated arms race.

The Americans were a bit late to the game in this regard.

Fortunately, the Americans were not stupid. They realized that the Great Chu Empire had already started its war machine and launched a struggle for Pacific hegemony to suppress the US Navy, forcing the United States to confront it head-on.

1914 January 6

After heated debate, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Defense Refund Act again, and 11 days later it was passed by the Senate, raising the U.S. military budget to an average of $3.72 million per year, an increase of 68% compared to the beginning of the year.

This officially kicked off the arms race with the Great Chu Empire.

And all this

Just as Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Empire had anticipated, in order to make the Americans feel direct military pressure, the Royal Navy added two front-line battleships equipped with 343mm main guns to the Caribbean Fleet, immediately escalating the tense atmosphere.

The two Kunlunshan-class battleships arrived in Panama in late July and successfully passed through the Panama Canal to join the Caribbean Fleet, giving the Americans a chilling sense of real threat.

To date, in the U.S. Navy's order of battle
The most advanced force consists of 20 battleships equipped with 305mm main guns. The US ships are inevitably wary and fearful of these two Kunlunshan-class battleships, and have even significantly reduced their operational range.

If a conflict breaks out, they will clearly be at a disadvantage.

美国紧急上马的装备356亳米主炮的内华达级战列舰，于1912年12月开工，1914年7月下水栖装，计划于1916年3月服役，在1917年初形成战斗力。

The battleship of the same type, the USS Oklahoma, was commissioned around the same time, and both were not deployed in actual combat until 1917.

The two battleships subsequently equipped with 356-millimeter main guns, following the passage of the U.S. Navy's 1914 Refund Act, were the USS New York and the USS Pennsylvania.

The former had just cut its first steel plate at the shipyard and had been under construction for less than a week.

The latter is still in the construction plan, with various parties arguing over which shipyard to build it. Many shipyards are eyeing the large orders for warship construction, which involves the competition of political forces behind the scenes.

This means that in the next 2-3 years, the United States will not have a battleship of the same class that can rival it.

A single step behind leads to a series of setbacks, which is the predicament the United States is currently facing.

In June and July, the United States urgently dispatched two high-level diplomatic delegations to the Great Chu Empire to mediate and try to explain that its recent policy measures were not specifically targeted at the Great Chu Empire's Xinjiang Special Region.

An attempt was made to ease tensions between the two countries and reduce the intensity of the arms race.

This is clearly a delaying tactic, intended to buy time for the US heavy industry to shift towards a full-blown arms race, which will take at least several months.

How could Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Empire possibly fall for this?
This was originally a conflict between the two countries that he deliberately provoked, with the aim of interrupting America's coming golden age, usurping America's destiny, and keeping the huge demand created by World War I within the empire, thereby promoting the scale and development of the empire's industry and agriculture to a higher level.

This is a strategic contest between nations, and there is no room for pretense.

Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Empire explicitly instructed the diplomatic department to feign compliance, creating a misleading impression on the US delegation:
It seems that the recent hostile actions between the two countries are merely a result of the anger over the Xinjiang issue.

As long as both sides keep a low profile, everything is negotiable.

1914 January 7

"Your Majesty, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary and his wife, Princess Sophie, have been assassinated in Serbia. This has enraged Austria-Hungary, and Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany seems poised to act. The situation looks very dire." Prime Minister Li Jingxi rushed into the palace and reported the bad news with a worried expression, fearing that it would cause a dramatic change in the European situation.

have to say
Prime Minister Lee Kyung-hee possessed a keen political sense, as he astutely recognized that this heinous assassination attempt could trigger a domino effect, leading to an unpredictable descent into crisis in Europe.

But he never expected that the "Serbian incident" would lead to the largest war in human history, drawing the whole of Europe into the flames of war and resulting in the deaths of tens of millions of people.

The latest news from Europe was delayed; even with information transmitted station by station via transoceanic long-distance telegram, it would take more than a day.

Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu turned his head and looked at Prime Minister Li Jingxi with an unprecedentedly stern gaze. This made Prime Minister Li Jingxi feel as if a sharp blade was piercing his heart, and an overwhelming pressure was pressing down on him.

At that moment, I felt like I was suffocating, and my back was soaked with cold sweat.

"The Balkan powder keg has exploded as expected, and the Empire is facing an unprecedented opportunity. The next step in the plan must be expedited..."

At this moment, countless thoughts flashed through the mind of Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Empire, and his eyes revealed a strong aggressiveness, but he did not expect to accidentally injure Prime Minister Li Jingxi.

After a moment's hesitation, Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Dynasty said in a somewhat hoarse voice, "The Serbs have really stirred up a hole in the sky. Europe is going to be in turmoil again."

Royal Secretary Gu Huaiyu saw that under His Majesty's oppressive gaze, the Prime Minister's forehead was covered in a fine layer of sweat, and his back was bent over.

He then cautiously asked, "Your Majesty, should the Empire, through diplomatic channels, quickly communicate with friendly nations such as Britain, France, and Germany to clarify its position?"

"That's necessary. The Empire must express strong condemnation and call on Germany, Austria, and other countries to remain calm and prevent the situation from spiraling out of control, which is something the entire international community does not want to see."

"Your humble servant obeys the decree and will immediately draft and convey it."

"Well, let's go."

Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Empire casually dismissed Prime Minister Li Jingxi. His face appeared calm, but his heart was churning with turmoil.

Even with the composure of Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu, who had presided over state affairs for decades, he still could not remain calm in the face of this momentous historical moment and lost his composure somewhat.

Poor Prime Minister Li Jingxi, under the emperor's immense pressure, was so weak in the knees that he almost tripped and fell just outside the Zichen Palace.

Fortunately, his court secretary assisted him, maintaining the prime minister's composure.

Prime Minister Lee Kyung-hee was truly terrified today. When he reported on the "Serbian incident," His Majesty the Emperor's eyes were so fierce they looked like they could devour someone; they were terrifyingly bright.

He pondered the incident repeatedly, and his expression grew increasingly solemn.

He suddenly realized that the Habsburg family, which controlled the Austro-Hungarian Empire, had few heirs to begin with, and Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the undisputed heir to the empire.

In addition, as is well known, the Austro-Hungarian Empire had long coveted the Kingdom of Serbia, seeking to conquer it and bring it under its control, thereby expanding its influence in the Balkans.

The war of a large-scale invasion of Serbia is now a foregone conclusion.

What serious consequences would that cause?

Thinking of the complex situation in Europe and Germany's tough stance, Prime Minister Lee Kyung-hee couldn't help but gasp. Only then did he realize that his back was completely soaked with sweat.

Today, war clouds loom over the European continent, with two major military blocs engaged in a fierce arms race that has reached a fever pitch, bringing them to the brink of total war several times.

In order to maintain their traditional interests in the Near East, West Asia, North Africa, India and the Indochina Peninsula, established colonial powers such as Britain and France have been strongly suppressing and hindering Germany's foreign expansion plans, resulting in extremely sharp contradictions between the two sides.

Germany's aggressive plans in Africa and its dumping policies in South America also clashed sharply with those of Britain.

Even more deadly is

Wilhelm II's open provocations against Britain and France, coupled with the German High Seas Fleet's active strengthening of its naval power in an attempt to compete with Britain for maritime supremacy, were simply intolerable.

The struggle between Britain and Germany over colonies, commerce, and military equipment strained relations between the two countries to the point that a single spark could ignite the entire powder keg.

Since the Second Industrial Revolution

Germany, leveraging its late-mover advantage, rapidly grew stronger. This economic prosperity emboldened Kaiser Wilhelm II, disrupting the balance of power in Europe. Britain was forced to abandon its traditional policy of "splendid isolation" and significantly adjust its foreign relations.

As early as January 1902, Britain signed an alliance treaty with Japan, using Japan to weaken its European rival, Tsarist Russia.

At the same time, Britain was also getting closer to its arch-rival France on the European continent. Strong pressure from Germany also led Britain and France to eventually form an alliance.

France was attempting to reclaim Alsace and Lorraine from Germany and was actively preparing for a "revenge" war.

Germany and France also have sharp conflicts over the competition for control of Morocco in North Africa.

In early 1905, a crisis broke out in Morocco.

Morocco is located in northwestern Africa and guards the Strait of Gibraltar, the gateway from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea, giving it a very important strategic position.

The Moroccan issue is one of the very few regional issues that a newly emerging colonial power like Germany can get involved in, and it is inevitable that it will stir up trouble.

Most other Mediterranean regions, including the vast French Algeria, have already been delimited; the French had managed them for over two hundred years and had no real influence over them.

France ruled over most of Morocco, and Germany, Britain, Italy, Spain, and other countries all wanted to expand their influence in Morocco, which led to conflicts.

France launched a series of diplomatic activities to consolidate its "special position" in Morocco.

In January 1905, France presented the Sultan of Morocco with a comprehensive "reform" plan for his administration, military, and finances. Accepting this plan would be tantamount to acknowledging France's protectorate rights.

Germany was determined not to allow France to occupy this important military base and iron ore deposit in the Mediterranean alone, so it decided to sabotage France's plans and directly use military force.

On March 31, 1905, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany visited the port of Tangier in Morocco and delivered a provocative speech, proposing to "defend" Morocco's sovereignty and independence.

The Germans sent diplomatic notes to the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Spain, and Russia, accusing France of violating the Madrid Treaty (signed in 1880) and threatening to launch a direct war.

This posture makes it seem like they're about to start a fight at the slightest provocation.

At that time, France was completely unprepared for war. Considering that war would be extremely disadvantageous to it, it was forced to make concessions and ease tensions first.

The conflict between Germany and France did not stop there, but was instead shelved.

At the right time
The seeds of hatred would quickly take root and sprout, igniting old conflicts between Germany and France and leading to a full-scale war that would engulf all of Europe.

This terrible prospect has always loomed over Europeans.

In April 1911, a popular uprising against colonial rule broke out in Fez, the capital of Morocco. France, citing the need to restore "order" and protect its citizens, deployed troops to occupy Fez.

Germany was immediately enraged. Wilhelm II was determined not to allow France to monopolize Morocco and immediately ordered the German navy to take decisive action to demonstrate Germany's position.

On July 1, the German gunboat "Panther" entered the port of Aqadir in Morocco, followed by the German cruiser "Berlin" appearing on Moroccan waters.

At that time, the Franco-German war was once again imminent.

Britain decided to support France and declared that it stood with its ally France on the issue of Morocco, even at the cost of war with Germany. Subsequently, the State of Chu and the United States also issued public statements, aligning themselves with Britain and France.

Under pressure from Britain, the State of Chu, and the United States, Germany had no choice but to agree to negotiate with France.

In November, the two sides reached an agreement in which Germany recognized France as a protectorate of Morocco, and France ceded part of its French West African colonies to Germany as "compensation".

The Moroccan crisis was not yet over when war broke out between Italy and the Ottoman Empire.

This was because Italy, seeing the Ottoman Empire's weakened state and its perceived vulnerability, couldn't resist taking action.

On September 28, 1911, the Italian government issued an ultimatum to the Ottoman Empire, protesting its obstruction of Italian "business activities" in Tripoli.

This reason was very flimsy; it was obvious that the Italians wanted to militarily invade Tripoli and tear a large chunk of flesh from the Ottoman Empire.

The Ottoman Empire refused to accept this unreasonable ultimatum, and the Italo-Turkish War broke out.

Shortly thereafter
The First Balkan War broke out in 1912, and the Second Balkan War broke out in 1913.

One by one, these incidents kept Europe teetering on the brink of total war, constantly testing the waters.

As the saying goes, "If you walk the dark road too often, you'll eventually encounter a ghost." European countries are now like a group of hot-blooded young men, all armed to the teeth, ready to prove themselves by brutally beating their enemies.

Prime Minister Lee Kyung-hee has confirmed that the assassination attempt in Serbia has marked the beginning of another major crisis.

If they can't handle it, then things could get really messy.

After seeing off the Prime Minister, Gu Huaiyu, the head of the Royal Secretariat, returned to the Zichen Palace and was startled to find that he did not see His Majesty the Emperor at the imperial desk or in the surrounding area.

He glanced at the royal secretary serving in the hall with a probing look. The secretary did not say a word, but simply gave a wink to the side hall.

Royal Secretary-General Gu Huaiyu understood the situation, but was even more shocked.

A large world map hangs in the side hall, a place where His Majesty the Emperor would visit every day during his early and middle years. It was here that he planned one foreign expansion and colonial war after another, making it the central hub of the Great Chu Empire's foreign expansion.

However, in the past ten years or so, His Majesty the Emperor has rarely set foot in the side hall.

As if he had grown tired of a certain toy, he showed little interest in the large world map hanging in the side hall and paid it little attention.

Secretary-General Gu Huaiyu immediately realized
The Empire is on the eve of a major transformation, and with Europe facing a crisis, what choices will His Majesty the Emperor make?
In the side hall

Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Empire lit a cigar, letting the strong tobacco stimulate his active thoughts. He stared intently at the large world map in front of him, scanning back and forth across the vast region along the Mediterranean Sea.

His only regret now

The fact that the Great Chu Empire failed to establish a foothold in Europe left a significant regret for this version of the British Empire, making it imperfect.

Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Empire lingered in Europe for a long time, but had to force himself to turn his gaze away, as he could not see any place where he could possibly stand.

Forcibly entering could provoke hostility from all European powers.

What about North Africa and West Asia?

Just look at the current problems in Morocco and Tripoli to see how closely the major European powers are watching these two regions.
The Moroccan issue triggered a direct military standoff between Germany and France, drawing significant attention from Britain, France, Germany, the United States, Russia, Spain, Austria-Hungary, and other countries, leading to several international mediation efforts.

They racked their brains to get Germany and France to make peace, thus preventing a full-scale war in Europe.

It's not easy; Europeans are far too vigilant when facing powerful foreign forces.

Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt in the Near East are all traditional spheres of influence for Britain and France, making infiltration extremely difficult. Even revealing their ambitions would alert Britain and France.

So, as a second choice, how about considering Saudi Arabia? (End of Chapter)