The wheel of human civilization is rolling forward, and the trend of the times is mighty. With the advancement of science and technology, the footsteps of the big era are getting closer and closer to the world.
Maybe it was because they were all tired, or maybe God was tired of watching war movies every day. In 1897, the world suddenly became quiet.
In addition to the flames of war in France, Cuba, the Philippines, and Morocco all quieted down. The Spanish Kingdom, which was exhausted, was finally able to stop and take a breath.
It's just that this kind of peace is not all fought on the battlefield, but more is the result of compromise by all parties.
No matter how the Kingdom of Spain fell, it was not comparable to a few indigenous tribes. After a long and fierce battle, the insurgent army finally could not stand it.
As the victor, the Kingdom of Spain was also unhappy. The Spanish government, which suffered heavy casualties and was heavily indebted, was no longer able to continue to encircle and suppress the insurgent army that abandoned the city and retreated into the jungle.
Since everyone can't fight, they can only sit down and negotiate. Relying on a series of compromise treaties, the Kingdom of Spain finally quelled the colonial rebellion.
Obviously, this is not the end. Since hatred has been forged, it is not so easy to eliminate.
Compromise is only a temporary truce, and it is unknown when the war will rekindle in the future.
It's just that the hard-working Spanish government has no time to manage the future. The war is over and their troubles are just beginning.
Not to mention how to repay that huge debt; the French mercenaries in their hands are just a hot potato.
According to the contract, the war is over, and these mercenaries should be "repatriated". But now that the French and Russians are fighting, who should the Spanish government hand over this "elite force"
Handing it over to the resistance organization is definitely not acceptable. If they did that, the Russians would definitely be furious, and the whole anti-French alliance would have an opinion on Spain.
This kind of detriment to others and self-inflicted pain, the Spanish government can't do it.
In theory, the Russian Empire and Spain are both members of the anti-French alliance, and there is nothing wrong with handing this mercenary to the Russians.
The problem is that the tsarist government has done something really inauthentic. If this mercenary is handed over to the Russians, it will be pushed into the fire pit.
Although the Russians also formed a French cannon fodder unit in France, the Russians would definitely not dare to trust such an organized former French army.
As with any ruler, the elite troops that cannot be controlled can only be destroyed.
With the style of Mao Xiong, he must have done one thing and another, and directly sent these mercenaries back to China to repair the Siberian Railway.
In any case, the French mercenaries also made great achievements for the Kingdom of Spain, so they sold them out, and the Spanish government still couldn't do it.
Since it is not suitable to send it back, it can only be raised first. The problem is that the Spanish government is not rich, the war is over, and it is a waste to keep more than 200,000 mercenaries.
…
Madrid
Prime Minister Antonio asked with concern: "How many people have we attracted?"
Spending money on mercenaries for a long time is a waste, but spending money on your own army is different.
Having seen the fighting power of the French mercenaries, Antonio found that his own army was really incapable of doing it.
It wasn't that the Spaniards were bad at war, but the army, like the country, was rotten.
Reform can never be completed overnight. Before the military reform is completed, the Spanish government still needs a force that can support its appearance.
Not to reach the world's top level, at least to be able to hang up colonial rebels and maintain the stability of the colonial empire.
Now this mercenary from France can just meet the requirements.
If it was during the powerful period of France, Antonio would never have dared to have this idea. It's different now. France, which has been fighting for years, is obviously a phoenix that has been plucked.
Except that the army can fight a little, the rest is not as good as Spain, including the population.
Although the total population of France is currently slightly larger, there are fewer young workers. If the current situation continues, the total population will be surpassed by Spain in a few years.
The balance of strength has changed, and the courage has also changed. Without the risk of being occupied by a dove, Antonio was ready to dig a corner in France.
Colonial Minister Taboada: "It's going very well, the endless wars, the French have long been tired of it.
After we made the conditions, about one-fifth of the mercenaries were willing to emigrate with their families, and nearly one-third said they would consider it carefully. "
"Boring", of course, has the credit of the Spanish government's propaganda. Not all mercenaries like war, and even if they don't think about themselves, they also need to think about their families.
After experiencing war, I know the value of peace. The six-year-long war has long bored the French people, but they have no right to declare it over.
In order to avoid the scourge of war, a large number of French people immigrate overseas with their families and families every year. Those who have money buy ferry tickets to go, and those who have no money flee as refugees.
With the Russians in charge of pulling hatred in the front, the hatred in the European War is not worth mentioning at all. All countries bordering France, including Spain, have not taken in fewer refugees.
It is precisely because of the acceptance of refugees that the Spanish government has the idea of leaving mercenaries. The whole family brought it over together, not afraid that these guys would be disobedient.
I dare not say more, but the Spanish government still dares to accept hundreds of thousands of immigrants. Anyway, after years of fighting, France is also a lot of boys and girls, and it is easy to digest.
Prime Minister Antonio nodded with satisfaction: "Very good, with these seeds, we can mix several main armies.
The rest of the work will be handed over to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We will negotiate with various countries as soon as possible to get the families of these people back.
As for the French who are unwilling to immigrate, don't force them, they can go back if they want. But after sending them back to France, we will no longer be responsible for their safety. "
Sure enough, the integrity of the Spanish government is not much higher. Unwilling to hand over the mercenaries to the Russians, it is because they want to dig a foot in the wall. Once you find that it can't be used for it, it is equally unequivocal to buy it.
Antonio is not afraid to spread out and damage his international image. The French mercenaries have indeed made great contributions, but the Spanish government is not without salaries.
Originally, it was just a simple labor contract, and the money and goods were cleared.
As long as the person is not delivered to the Russians in person, it is not a betrayal. As for what happened after they were sent back to France, that had nothing to do with them.
Foreign Secretary Junior: "Your Excellency, perhaps we can hand over this mercenary to the Carlos government. Although they are now in exile, they are still the only legitimate government in France.
Our previous employment contract was also signed with the Carlos government, and now returning people to them is just a reflection of our compliance with the spirit of the contract. "
It's not that Junior is soft-hearted, it's mainly that he has just dug a corner, and the emotions of new immigrants always have to be taken care of.
It is necessary to appease people's hearts, but not to offend the Russians to death. Handing the trouble to the Carlos government has become the best choice.
As for the exiled Carlos government, how to clean up the mess has nothing to do with Spain.
Anyway, King Carlos left by himself, and the Russians did not expel him. As long as he himself is willing, he can return to the country at any time.
It doesn't matter if you want to come back with an army, after all, he is the legitimate king of France, and Spain has absolutely no reason to stop it.
…
The Russian army fought hard in France, and it was not without value.
The Trans-Siberian Railway has been launched, and the Russian laborers on the Central Asia Railway have also been replaced by French laborers.
This is the truth, after all, you don't have to go to work yourself, the tsar must be wise. As for the life and death of the French, what does it matter to them
However, the "wise" Nicholas II was not happy at the moment. Although the troops on the front line, asking for help from the Allied Command a few months ago, made him lose face, but they were also their own troops.
Besides, face is not lost in vain. At least the logistics of the front-line troops do not need the tsarist government to pay for it. It is of great significance to the tsarist government, which is not rich at all.
With the passage of time, the number of casualties of the Russian army has also continued to expand, and Nicholas II felt his scalp tingling.
However, the French resistance did not weaken. According to the front-line officers, every Frenchman in sight, young or old, could be part of the guerrillas.
The more enemies you hit, the more numb your scalp will be when you encounter them. If it weren't for the military spending being paid for, the Tsarist government would have long since had to back down.
Of course, it is still insisting, and it has nothing to do with Nicholas II being the new tsar. As the first war after ascending the throne, if you can't win beautifully, it will be very detrimental to prestige.
Compared with the monarchical prestige of the tsar, the life of the gray beast was not worth mentioning. On this issue, the top positions of the tsarist government were very unified.
Throwing away the telegram in his hand, Nicholas II complained dissatisfiedly: "We need reinforcements again, I really don't know what the idiots on the front line are doing!"
If there are casualties, it must be supplemented. The heavier the casualties of the Russian troops on the front line, the more supplementary troops will be provided by the rear.
Different from the cough, cough, and buckle on supplies, when it comes to the replenishment of soldiers, the bureaucrats of the tsarist government are rarely discounted.
Especially after the frontline asked the Allied Command for help, no one dared to engage in this issue. After all, no one can guarantee that the Tie Hanhan on the front line will not stab things out.
This is the first war after the tsar took the throne. If the tsar thinks it is against himself, then it will be over.
Political struggles are struggles, but there must also be a bottom line. Taboos that can't be touched, absolutely can't be touched, otherwise it will be dead.
On this issue, Alexander II used thousands of heads to teach the Russian bureaucracy a hard lesson, and everyone still has lingering fears.
Although Alexander III was not so tough, he also dealt with a lot of bad eyes.
The current Tsar Nicholas II, although the means are a little worse, but the ideal of life is great. It has been publicly stated on many occasions to follow the example of great-grandfathers, grandfathers, and fathers.
Don't be afraid to learn from Alexander III. If you learn from the two ruthless men who fought decisively before, you will die.
Especially after the "Herden Massacre" broke out, everyone clearly felt that the murderousness of the tsar was a little heavier.
Just look at what happened to the bureaucrats who had deducted front-line supplies before. Not only were their homes raided, but they were still digging potatoes in Siberia.
It is said that each person has to dig up a train of potatoes and send them back in order to be able to wash away the sins they have committed before.
The Trans-Siberian Railway has only just begun, and it is still a long way from opening to traffic. Obviously, most of these unfortunate people will not be able to return.
In the face of the angry tsar, no one was willing to go up and scold him. Others can pretend not to hear, but Sergei Witte, the prime minister, can't hide.
"Your Majesty, this can't be entirely blamed on the frontline officers, they have done their best.
In the past six months, the front-line troops have sent 500,000 laborers to the country, and this number is gradually increasing.
Behind the French resistance, there are British support, and it is normal for it to take a little longer. "
It's not that Sergei Witte excused the front-line troops. The French resistance was intensified, but it was forced out by the "forced recruitment" of the tsarist government.
If not for being forced to do nothing, the French would not have resisted so fiercely. After all, people are afraid of death, and those who are truly not afraid of sacrifice are always a minority.
Although the integrity of politicians is generally low, there is still skill in throwing the blame. If you throw the black pot at will, sooner or later, people will betray each other.
Domestic decrees increase the pressure on the front-line troops, and then throw the blame on the commanders of the front-line troops, such a stupid thing Sergei Witte can't do.
The Prime Minister also needs to take responsibility. When it is time to carry the thunder, you must take the initiative to stand up.
You can tell by looking at the effect. When Sergei Witte's words came out, the military representative was a lot more pleasing to the eye.
Nicholas II sneered and said sarcastically: "Is this a little longer, or a hundred million points longer
If it goes on like this, the Central Asia Railway will be opened to traffic. They can't wait for the opening of the Trans-Siberian Railway before they can put out the French rebels! "
Nicholas II does not care if reinforcements do not. Anyway, there is no shortage of gray animals in the Russian Empire, and some people pay for the war.
The key is that the French resistance can not be extinguished for a long time, and Nicholas II's face has no place to rest. The tsar also needs to be compared. Compared with the previous lords, Nicholas II's performance after he succeeded to the throne is obviously not good.
Not only domestic people are comparing, but also international media often come up with ridicule. For the good-natured Nicholas II, this was absolutely intolerable.
Sergei Witte hesitated. When will the French resistance be destroyed, only God can answer this question.