Nanyang Storm 1864

"What's there to be afraid of? Only by tightening the supply of materials can we make the Allied military bloc realize the importance of the Empire. Are we going to buy goods without paying? We must always guard against the accumulation of risks."

"Given the current intense war situation in Europe, whichever side defeats the other will be plunged into a prolonged period of vulnerability, which will rapidly increase the risk of loan funds."

"Don't underestimate the British, French, or other Europeans as being rule-abiding. We must prevent them from defaulting on their debts and guard against financial risks. This is an important issue that the Imperial Government must currently face."

"You must remember, nobody wants to renege on a debt, the key issue is how much of a price to pay?"

"By imperial decree, by the end of this year, the size of the Korean Peninsula coalition forces will be doubled, reaching a total of 16, equipped with elite heavy firepower and tanks, and with an excess of ammunition reserves to meet any unforeseen needs."

"At the same time, Eritrea, Madagascar, and seven West African states are simultaneously expanding their military capabilities, with each state having a fully-equipped division of 2 mobile troops, and ensuring that no less than 18 mobile troops can be deployed at any time. They are preparing for war on this scale."

"Hmph, let's see who tries to renege on the Empire's debt."

With a single order from Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu, the Imperial Royal Army underwent another expansion, rapidly increasing its total strength from 73 to one million, in order to cope with the current chaos in the world.

Simultaneously, military expansion was also carried out in four states: Baja California, Central California, Costa Rica, and Patagonia in South America, showing signs of sharpening their knives and preparing for a major operation.

This ensured that the Great Chu Empire could draw up to 46 troops from overseas states with a single order, and with reinforcements from the mainland, the total number would exceed 65.

Given the Great Chu Empire's status as the world's leading maritime power, its ability to transport such a large force to any corner of the world within 4 to 5 months is itself a powerful deterrent.

No one can ignore this, including world powers such as Britain, France, Germany, the United States, and Russia.

It should be noted that, in addition to size, the armies of the world's major powers place even greater emphasis on quality.

At its peak, the German army deployed nearly 80 troops on the Eastern Front. However, due to the critical situation on the Western Front, the German army had to transfer troops from the Eastern Front to reinforce it.

Especially now, with 23 German divisions being withdrawn to fill positions on the western front, the total number of German troops on the eastern front has been greatly reduced to just over 50.

Even so, it continued to inflict heavy losses on the Russian army, killing, capturing, and defeating a total of four to five million Russian soldiers.

This is the formidable fighting power of the German army, which is universally acknowledged.

The strength of the Great Chu Empire's army was comparable to that of Britain and France, superior to the Russian army, and far superior to the American army—a fact acknowledged by countries around the world.

Deploying 65 troops of the Great Chu Empire in any direction would have catastrophic consequences. Chu's military buildup has drawn significant attention from the two major European military blocs at war.

This included Britain, which was constantly making underhanded moves, and France, which was on the verge of collapse, but Tsarist Russia didn't care. This was because the Eastern Front was in complete disarray, and Tsar Nicholas II's corrupt rule was teetering on the brink of collapse, so he had no time to concern himself with these matters.

At the beginning of the war in 1914, Tsarist Russia amassed 700 million troops on the Eastern Front. The Tsarist army only thought that the more the better, but did not expect that such an astonishing army size would cause a logistical disaster.

Given the severely lagging capabilities of the Russian military supply department, it would be difficult to even feed such a large army a full meal, let alone provide them with weapons and equipment.

On the eastern front, Russian soldiers often shared a single rifle with three or four men, and some teenagers even went to the battlefield with just a wooden stick in their hand. It was common for them to go hungry after battles.

It was common for Russian soldiers to starve to death on the front lines; being captured by the Germans might offer them a chance of survival.

Even if the Russian army was not strong enough, defeating the Austro-Hungarian army would have been a piece of cake, with a success rate of over 70%, and the Austro-Hungarian army on the Eastern Front would have been crying out for their mothers.

The Austro-Hungarian army, having been bullied on the Eastern Front, regained its advantage on the Italian front in the South.

The Italian army, known as the weakest in the European war, suffered repeated defeats on the southern front, forcing Britain and France to send reinforcements to clean up the mess left by the Italians.

By June 1916
The Battle of Verdun, a veritable meat grinder, lasted for more than nine months, and the unprecedentedly brutal Battle of the Somme lasted for more than four months. These hellish years of war exhausted both sides.

Even the most hardened frontline commanders were tormented by nightmares due to the massive casualties on the battlefield.

An entire division, fully equipped and manned, was brought up from the rear, but it was crippled in just one day and wiped out in two to three days.

These cruel days lasted for more than a hundred days, driving people almost insane.

As the war progressed to this point, the major participating countries were unable to launch any further attacks and maintained a stalemate in the trenches. Advancing even one step would come at the cost of heavy casualties.

At the Prime Minister's residence in Paris

French Prime Minister Clemenceau was speaking emotionally to Commander-in-Chief Douglas-Hague:

“Dear General Haig, we can’t wait any longer. We must make a change, right now.”

I need you to use your significant influence in London, together with France, to save the millions of Allied soldiers who are fighting day and night on the battlefield, and to end this damned mess as soon as possible.

The battlefield situation on the western front has already shown

This was a gamble with constant heavy bets, with stakes often amounting to hundreds of thousands or even millions of soldiers. The Germans couldn't afford to lose, and we couldn't afford to lose either, resulting in a vicious cycle of mutual attrition.

At least for now

There were no signs that the Germans were on the verge of collapse. The overall assessment of the Allied military bloc was wrong. The Germans could hold out for at least another year or two, or even longer.

So here's the real question: how many more British and French soldiers' lives do we have to sacrifice to win this shitty war and bring our children home?

The General Staff's simulations were disheartening; ending this would require 4 to 5 million troops, and the war would last into the fourth or fifth year, possibly even the sixth.

If that's really the case
An entire generation of young Frenchmen would die on the battlefield, and Britain would inevitably suffer heavy losses, paying a price that neither Britain nor France could bear.

We also need a military ally of sufficient stature, whether it's the State of Chu or the United States, to get them to send those damned soldiers over to fill those hellish front lines.

"Dear General Haig, the future of the world rests on your decisions. We need to work together to persuade London to change as soon as possible."

"Do you think we need the Chu people or the Americans?" General Haig asked.

French Prime Minister Clemenceau waved his hand dismissively and replied:

"I don't care about these things. Even those dark-skinned North Africans, as long as they can pick up a gun and join the battle, France will do it without hesitation."

The problem now is
We need a powerful ally who can end this terrible mess, not another Italy or 500,000 Russian soldiers. Dealing with their problems is already giving the Allied command a huge headache.” Clemenceau’s answer was clear: if the Western Front required 500,000 or 1 million Russian soldiers, Russia could provide them right now without any trouble.

The question then arises: what can be done?
The Allied Command had to provide these emaciated Tsarist soldiers with food to help them regain their strength, equip them with weapons and ammunition, and restart their military training.

Otherwise, they would only become a burden on the brutal western front.

Never underestimate the Germans' military instincts. Once the Germans detect a weakness in any part of the front line, they will launch a fierce attack on that point at any cost.

Yes, if the front lines are breached, the situation can spiral out of control, leading to a collapse of the front and irreversible serious consequences—a situation no one wants to see.

The Western Front unfolded across northeastern France, stretching for hundreds of kilometers from the Battle of Verdun to the Battle of the Somme. More than a dozen industrial provinces in northeastern France were reduced to ruins, and towns were bombarded into rubble.

The front line was less than 70 kilometers from Paris, leaving no room for retreat.

This is the real reason why the main force of the Anglo-French allied forces preferred to take the lead themselves at any cost rather than use Russian or Italian soldiers; they simply couldn't afford to lose.

Even if it meant shedding their last drop of blood, the French dared not entrust the lifeline of their nation to the Russians.

If it were the army of the Chu state, which didn't have so many historical grievances and entanglements, it would be much simpler and its fighting strength would be more trustworthy.

General Douglas Haig was silent for a moment, then said in a serious tone, "The old emperor of Chu is as cunning as a fox. If we can't offer him something tempting, he'd rather stand on the sidelines and watch the Europeans fight to the death than jump into this damned quagmire. The problem is, we may not be able to offer such a bargaining chip."

"France can offer Tunisia; compared to the precious lives of hundreds of thousands or even millions of young French soldiers, these North African colonies are worth giving up," French Prime Minister Clemenceau presented his long-considered concession plan.

Through decades of encroachment, the French colonists gained absolute dominance in Tunisia, but they did not completely control this North African kingdom.

Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States all had varying degrees of presence in Tunisia, making it a region with complex entanglements of colonial interests.

More than ten years ago

The dispute between France and Germany in Tunisia nearly escalated into a dangerous war, with Germany deploying warships and troops to demonstrate its presence and reject France's unilateral colonial policy.

Later, through skillful diplomacy, France united with other European powers to negotiate and exchange some of its North African colonies for Germany's understanding, thus averting the danger of war.

France made a huge decision to hand over Tunisia, which they had gone to great lengths to acquire, to the Chu Kingdom.

"You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub"—this is the most accurate description of France today.

French Prime Minister Clemenceau was certain that the old fox that was the Great Chu Empire would be tempted, because Tunisia's geographical location was extremely important, right on the Mediterranean coast.

Across the Mediterranean Sea, opposite Tunisia lies Italy, which enjoys convenient sea transport links to other European countries and boasts a long history.

Centuries ago, this was the heart of the Arab kingdom established by the Papal people. The city's architecture still retains a strong North African religious character, as well as countless French and British buildings.

Although the territory is small, it is very important.

French Prime Minister Clemenceau was able to abandon Tunisia because he still held vast territories in Algeria and Morocco, essentially throwing away a dog's bone.

French North African colonies included Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia. Algeria had a vast area of ​​258 million square kilometers, while Morocco covered 45 square kilometers of North African territory.

It is an indisputable fact that Tunisia, with an area of ​​only 16.36 square kilometers, is far more important in terms of geographical location and strategic position.

If the Great Chu Empire had its eye on Algeria, France would certainly not agree.

They were even willing to wage a full-scale war to thwart the Chu state's unrealistic territorial ambitions, which were the apple of France's eye and they could not bear to part with under any circumstances.

France has treated Algeria as its own territory, investing billions of francs over the years in building urban roads, bridges, docks, and agricultural irrigation facilities. With more than 240 million French immigrants, France has completely dominated the region's political, military, and economic spheres.

Such an important place cannot be allowed to be interfered with by the State of Chu under any circumstances.

As for Tunisia, which had only recently been acquired, its role in the French colonial map was not so prominent.

Christmas is celebrated with it, and Christmas is celebrated without it.

Douglas-Hague was well aware of the situation in French North Africa, and showed no surprise at Clemenceau's offer of Tunisia as a bargaining chip.

He understood that the French meant that if Tunisia could not satisfy the appetite of the Chu Kingdom, then the British would have to make concessions.

The British have so many good things. Along the North African coast are Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, and Cyprus. Further east are Iraq and Iran. These are all regions where British influence is very deep, or what we would call British protectorates.

Any power that wants to intervene in the aforementioned regions must obtain the tacit approval of Britain.

Although nominally, most of these regions were Ottoman territory (except for the Kingdom of Iran).

However, under the rule of the corrupt Ottoman Empire, these frontier regions had long been fragmented and riddled with holes by the infiltration of colonial powers, making them a far cry from their former glory.

After the outbreak of the European war

With the Ottoman Empire joining the Central Powers, the British North African Expeditionary Force has entered the region and taken direct military control.

After careful consideration

General Douglas Haig finally nodded and said cautiously:

"Your Excellency Prime Minister, I will give a full account of the allies' request to London. Considering the current difficulties of the war, I personally tend to make some concessions to the State of Chu at the end of my report."

This nightmarish war certainly needed a strong ally to step forward and share the burden for the Allied military bloc, which had been fighting for three years. It was the right thing to do.

Given the stubbornness of London politicians, I advise you not to have overly high hopes.

"For at least the rest of this year, we must grit our teeth and withstand the Germans' fierce counterattack, maintain the front line, and hold on until the very end—as long as there is hope."

"I agree with your assessment. Thank you, General Haig, for your support during this incredibly difficult time; France will remember it," Prime Minister Clemenceau replied solemnly. (End of Chapter)