The customer is God. It doesn't matter whether the weapons they buy are suitable or not, that's their freedom.
As the so-called "a thousand dollars can't buy me happy". On this issue, Shinra's military enterprises are very clear-headed and never force customers to buy products they don't like.
Technical blockade and export restrictions do not exist. Now in the 19th century, even if all the weapons construction drawings were packaged and sent to others, few countries could copy them.
With a weapon to push back the technology, let alone. It is estimated that the British can do it. Even if other countries push the technology out, they will not be able to mass-produce it for a while.
So the question is, what can the British do with a bunch of army equipment
You can't fight for the arms market with Shinra, right
You know, this year is in the era of weapon replacement. Today's advanced technology may be eliminated by the times tomorrow.
If you want to stay ahead, you have to keep investing. With the current plate of the international arms market, no matter how hard you work, you will not be able to support a few gold-eating beasts in peaceful times.
Shinra's military enterprises can continue to invest, that is because the Holy Roman Empire itself is the world's largest buyer of arms. Its own military expenditure alone accounts for more than 13% of the total global military expenditure.
The military expenditure of the British is indeed not low, but that requires the London government to be willing to spend money on the army. Sadly, this is impossible.
In order to maintain the dominance of the Royal Navy, the British government has worked hard enough, and if they engage in an army arms race with Shinra, it is definitely not dead fast enough.
As for the Air Force, this year is a little brother. No matter how much Franz takes it seriously, the Air Force is still far behind the Army and Navy.
This is the case with Shinra, not to mention other countries. For many countries, the symbolic meaning of getting a few planes back is far greater than the actual meaning.
Although the Air Force showed good combat effectiveness in the anti-French war, the lethality of the aircraft was mainly directed at the airship, and the threat to the ground troops was limited.
In the eyes of many people, the greatest strategic significance of the aircraft is not for bombing, but for reconnaissance of the enemy's situation and to combat the morale of the enemy's ground troops.
Want to change this, unless the engine technology breakthrough again, increasing the aircraft's carrying capacity. The ability to drop more and larger bombs from the sky is truly meaningful for strategic bombing.
Of course, if there is a breakthrough in engine technology, not only aircraft will benefit, but tanks and armored vehicles on the ground will also benefit, and even the internal combustion engine industry will usher in new opportunities for development.
For Shinra, this is a project that benefits multiple parties at a cost. If it is put on the British people, it will only benefit from the simple aircraft, plus the car industry at most.
There is no way, who is used to letting the British capitalists lie down and make money, and they are unwilling to let go of the steam engine.
Britain was originally the first brother of the industry, but after the outbreak of the second industrial revolution, it quickly began to fall behind.
Whether it is scientific research and development innovation, or the application and promotion of new technologies, the British are lagging behind.
One step behind, one step behind. If you are chasing with your heart, that's all, if you are waiting in a complacent way, then as time goes by, the gap will only get bigger and bigger.
Well, the UK government can't be blamed for that either. The British Isles are such a big place, with a population of only more than 30 million. Even if you want to rush forward, the ceiling is locked.
Being able to surpass all countries in the world to become a maritime hegemon under the limited congenital conditions is already very remarkable.
…
In London, the Prime Minister's residence in Downing Street, Robert Cecil is watching a "movie" with senior government officials.
Although it is a silent movie and the picture is not clear enough, the content of the movie still shocked everyone.
At the end of the documentary, Prime Minister Robert Cecil asked: "What do you think of the performance of the Austrian army?"
"It seems to be well-trained and very powerful. However, the navy is different from the army. The navy pays more attention to technology.
Admiral Flora replied indifferently.
Among the people present, he was the least stressed. The advantages that the Royal Navy has accumulated over the centuries cannot be caught up by competitors overnight.
Unless the Vienna government is desperate to explode the navy, relying on the number to pile up. Obviously, this is completely impossible for a land-power country.
From the military expenditure of the Holy Roman Empire, it can be seen that the army, the first navy, the second air force, and the third are in a mess.
Although the military expenditure of the Holy Roman Empire is already the highest in the world, the military expenditure allocated to the navy is far less than that of the Royal Navy.
There is no advantage in technical experience, and it is reluctant to spend money. It is simply unrealistic to rely on limited military spending to surpass the Royal Navy.
"Your navy has so much military spending every year, so naturally you don't have to worry about it. Our army is miserable, we have to eat chaff every day, and we can't even get a cup of coffee.
From what is in the film, I very much doubt that we are living in the same era as the Austrians.
Unfortunately, the reality is very cruel to tell me: yes!
Now, without doubt, I can directly conclude that the Army and the Austrians are more than one era apart.
If we don't invest more in the military, we will meet on the battlefield one day, and we will not perform better than the defeated French. "
It is a century-old tradition of the British Army not to miss any opportunity to ask for military expenses. As a child who "grandma doesn't hurt, uncle doesn't love", if he doesn't learn to cry, he will really starve to death.
Clearly, Skybrook was a qualified Minister of War. Appropriate use of rhetorical devices emphasizes the strength gap between the two sides.
If it is a young man with hot blood, maybe he has already tried his best to raise money for the army.
It's a pity that all those present are political old fritters. It's not once or twice that the British Army can't keep up with the times. The more you experience, the more you get used to it.
Every progress of the British Army was forced out by external pressure, generally speaking, when it was severely beaten by society.
For example: the First Near East War, the South African War, and the British Army gained a short golden period of development after the defeat.
When politicians emerged from the shadow of failure, they immediately changed their faces. I would rather waste money on the navy than spend an extra penny on the army.
In this context, Skyebrough naturally wants to turn the knife around quickly. While everyone was still immersed in the film and did not regain their senses, the results were finalized in advance and resulted in established facts.
Foreign Secretary Cameron: "Don't worry, Sir. We've already bought back samples, and it won't be long before they can be localized.
However, the hands of the Austrians are really black. The planes are sold from 100 units, and the tanks and armored vehicles are directly packed with 500 units.
Except for a small amount that needs to be researched by enterprises, the rest will be equipped to the troops. You have all the pilots, tank divisions, and armored divisions you want. "
Relying on competitors to help increase the establishment, no one dares to believe it, but all this really happened.
As an old-fashioned industrial power, Britain's technology is not bad, and despite being left behind in the second industrial revolution, British companies are still able to build these equipment.
But this requires a lot of research and development time, and a lot of money.
The problem is that everyone knows that the British Army is a poor man, and the cost of manufacturing aircraft and tanks is tens of thousands. Even if these equipments are produced, the Army will not be able to purchase them in large quantities.
If the army doesn't buy it, the colonial army can't afford it. There is no domestic market, and it is also difficult to obtain orders due to international competition from Shinra.
It took a lot of money to get the product out, and the final sales volume was only three digits. Maybe even the research and development costs will not be recovered.
Capital seeks profits, and without sufficient profits, British military enterprises naturally lack motivation. Although related technical research is also being carried out, the intensity of investment is completely incomparable.
But at the national level, Britain cannot do without these advanced equipment. Even if it may not be used on the battlefield, it must be there.
This is related to the face of the empire on which the sun never sets. As a world hegemon, any weapon that can support the scene and shock people must have it.
Not only to have it, but also to be able to make it yourself. Enterprises are unwilling to do so, the government must create conditions for them to help them complete technological breakthroughs.
After all, the small life of military industrial enterprises in peacetime is very ordinary, and it is necessary to strictly control costs in order to maintain profitability.
If it weren't for the government's request, it is estimated that many military enterprises have cut off the R&D and production departments of army equipment.
Congress can't give big orders. However, it is still possible to provide sample models and let companies reverse the technology and help them save R&D costs.
That's why the British government ordered it immediately after discovering that the Vienna government was running an arms sale.
Although the price seems a little expensive, considering the technical premium, it is actually quite cost-effective.
Air divisions, tank divisions, and armored divisions are all the Army's dreams, but Skyebrough is not happy. There is no way, the key issue is still back to military spending.
The technical arms are not as cheap as the infantry. Together these pilots, tank divisions, and armored divisions, it is estimated that half of the army's military expenses are gone.
If the financial allocation is not increased, how will the life of other troops live
Just when Skyebrough was figuring out how to persuade everyone to increase military spending, Prime Minister Robert Cecil added another knife.
"With the addition of the pilot division, and the previous airship force, our air power has grown tremendously. It seems out of date to remain in the Army.
On this issue, we can learn from the successful experience of the Holy Roman Empire and set up a new branch of the military to manage these air forces. "
Hearing this bad news, Skyebrough's face changed greatly.
Swap the airship unit for the armored unit, and it seems similar. In fact, the hidden interests behind this are great.
The Army is already weak, and if another Air Force comes out to grab resources, Skyebrough doesn't know how to live in the future.
After all, the Royal Navy is too powerful, and the flying troops are independent, and they have no ability to compete with them for military spending. The only thing that can be grabbed is the army's share of military spending.
In addition, Britain has always had a fine tradition of suppressing the army, and Skyebrough instantly felt that "the future is not bright".
It's not that Skybrough, who was a civil servant, really has deep feelings for the Army. The problem is that he is now the Minister of the Army.
If you can't fight for rights and interests for the army, why get the support of the military
An army minister without the support of the military is doomed to be unstable. It is estimated that the day the Air Force was established was the time when he resigned and got out.
Skyebrough looked at Prime Minister Robert Cecil resentfully, as if to say: We are political allies, are you the one who pits your teammates like that
Perhaps realizing that eating looks a bit ugly and not conducive to the unity of the leadership team, Prime Minister Robert Cecil immediately added: "Considering the actual situation, it is too abrupt to set up the Air Force directly, and I am afraid many people will not accept it.
For a short period of time, the Air Force was still under the Ministry of War. It's just that the flying unit must establish an independent leadership to prepare for future splits. "
This addition made Skyebrough's expression a little slower, but his dissatisfaction was still hanging on his face. Clearly, the Prime Minister has made up his mind to break up the Army.
It can be seen from the calm expressions on the faces of the people present. Obviously, they have communicated about this matter in advance, and the Minister of War, Skybrook, is the last to know.
"Your Excellency Prime Minister, this is too obvious. If an independent leadership team is formed, everyone knows that the government will split the army.
The air force of the Holy Roman Empire is based on aircraft, and not all airships are included in the air force, and a considerable part of the airships remain in the army.
As the country with the most experience in using air power, the Holy Roman Empire must have their reasons for doing so.
Since we want to learn from their successful experience, we must learn comprehensively, not just the skins.
The newly purchased aircraft were directly reorganized into a pilot division, which was classified as a unit directly under the Ministry of War. It will neither arouse suspicion from the outside world nor affect future splitting efforts. "
The arm can't bend the thigh, and I don't want to accept the reality. What Skybrough can do now is to fight for the Army's rights as much as possible.
If it is in Congress or in public, Skyebrough will definitely fight for it. But in a high-level meeting with only a few people, there is no need to continue the show.
The big man has the bearing of the big man, and the red-faced quarrels are often made for outsiders to see.
Born from the same political party, they were originally political allies. If they were constantly fighting over the table, then this group would not be able to play any longer.
In fact, since Franz took the lead in establishing the army, navy and air force, many countries followed. There is no shortage of voices within the UK government in favour of following suit.
As a wise man, Skybrough could see the benefits of the independence of the three armies at a glance. But as War Secretary, he doesn't want this to happen during his term.