"Our contacts with the British have been smooth, and London is very supportive of our actions. Prime Minister Gladstone told us that no matter what happens, the United Kingdom is on our side."
In the Prime Minister's Office, Gambetta, as Foreign Minister, was briefing Prime Minister Juffeil on the latest developments, and beside him was General Laurent, the Minister of War representing the military.
"What about the German side?"
After receiving this good news, Juffelli was not satisfied and continued to ask about Germany's attitude. Currently, the only ones that could affect France's march into Tunisia were Britain and Germany, and he needed to eliminate these two possible unfavorable factors.
Faced with the Prime Minister's inquiry, Ruferi, who is the Minister of Foreign Affairs, said, "We have not yet contacted the German side. Special Envoy Lomonk just sent a telegram yesterday. He plans to take a train to Berlin today. But based on our understanding of this
Prime Minister Bismarck knows that he should be very happy to support us."
Bismarck's attitude has been understood throughout France over the years. He pays attention to a balance. Of course, the balance is also based on Germany's interests. This prime minister who has made great contributions to Germany has only done one thing in these years, that
It is to avoid Germany's diplomatic isolation. Therefore, whether it is to win over Austria-Hungary or to stabilize France, Russia and Britain, it will buy Germany time to develop.
Of course, other countries are not fools either, but this man is so skillful that he can always find conditions that satisfy both parties.
Of course, his career was not perfect, and it was not his own will that William II asked him to retire. Rather, after the development of German capital, his style was not popular enough. But now the big ship of Germany is under its control.
Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, they are also bravely moving forward.
Rufeili is not unclear about this person, but of course there are some things that people have to recognize the facts.
After Germany was unified, its population, territory, resources and other aspects were superior to France. He was not a reckless man like Clemenceau, who only knew how to shout slogans of revenge. If France's national power could not overwhelm Germany, what would it use to take revenge?
Just relying on slogans?
In his opinion, France currently has less potential than Germany in terms of territory, people, and economy, so it needs to find another way and find a solution through its colonies. Competing with Germany is not conducive to France at all. Only by relying on colonies can France quickly increase its strength.
And compared with Europe, which can affect the whole body at once, Asia, Africa and Latin America are not only weak and conducive to colonization, but also lack those constraints, which is simply the best choice to enhance France's strength. As long as France has enough colonies, even if it can only mobilize three
One percent is enough to deter Germany.
By that time, it will not be too late to talk about recapturing Alsace and Lorraine. A qualified politician must have enough patience. How can he be so reckless and directly trigger hostility between the two countries like Clemenceau? This is not
Wise men do what they do. So Rufeli pays attention to planning and then acting, killing with one blow.
Either don't launch it, or you will kill the enemy if you launch it. This is the experience he learned from the Franco-Prussian War. Fortunately, the iron-blooded prime minister at the time miscalculated France's strength and only took away 5 billion francs, which did not cause any harm to France.
Damage to fundamental losses, otherwise France would still feel out of breath.
Of course, he could not forget such hatred unless Germany offered enough benefits to resolve this grudge. However, as far as he knew, the Germans had been immersed in the pride of defeating France and had no such idea at all, so there was no way he could help it.
France is hostile to it.
Since the time of Louis XIV, France has been the largest army in Europe. It has never been afraid of anyone in land warfare. This is recognized by all European countries from Louis XIV to Emperor Napoleon. Therefore, a temporary defeat cannot affect the French people.
It will definitely once again prove France's reputation as the number one army in Europe.
Of course, it is best to bury this kind of hostility in your heart and stop shouting verbally.
Having said so much, we must focus on the present, and Ruferi now also needs to focus on actions against Tunisia first.
So after Foreign Minister Gambetta finished speaking, he immediately asked the military representative, Army Minister General Laurent, "How are your military plans prepared?"
"We are already ready."
Facing the Prime Minister's inquiry, General Laurent, a military representative, immediately responded. And what he said was true. As early as after the Berlin Conference, the French military had made a plan to invade Tunisia. Of course, the plan at that time was not suitable.
The current situation. But it still has huge reference value.
After the Prime Minister made it clear that he was preparing to invade Tunisia, the military immediately prepared a combat plan that conformed to his ideas. After the military worked day and night, the plan has been initially completed.
General Laurent took out a combat map marked with various military symbols, spread it out and said, "At present, our country has made a military plan, and this is the combat map of the plan."
"Prime Minister, please see, this is a 50,000-to-1 military map. Our current plan is to use the terrain of the coastal plain in western Tunisia to gather 30,000 troops in two groups, all the way from the city of Ambala on the Algerian border to attack Tunisia.
The other route crosses the Tebesa Mountains from Tersa in the center, seizes the central city Sousse and cuts off Tunisia. In addition, the navy also expressed its willingness to provide 8,000 marines to land in Binzet to prevent the enemy from escaping.
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Although Ruferrie didn't know much about military affairs, he still understood through General Laurent's explanation that the military's battle plan met his expectations. It surrounded the enemy on all sides and gave them no chance to escape.
Only in this way can the Tunisian problem be solved quickly without giving the Italians a chance to intervene.
"It's good that the people are implementing this plan. By the way, who is leading the charge this time?"
After Ruferi praised the military's good plan, he then asked who the general was leading the army.
"It's General Pelissier."
"It turns out it's him."
Ruffelli also knew the commander given by the military. Of course, General Perissier was not simple at all. He had experienced the Franco-Prussian War before, and was later transferred to garrison in North Africa. In this place, he had other security capabilities.
Outstanding, he has put down many riots and rebellions among Algerian indigenous people. He is a general who has experienced hundreds of battles. (Algeria's population decreased by 500,000 to 1 million during this period, but the total population of Algeria is only 3 million)
Of course, this alone was not enough for Juffelli to remember that this General Pélissier also caused a lot of trouble in Paris. When he returned to Paris for a vacation, he was dissatisfied with a man who was dissatisfied with what he had done in Algeria.
The reporters got into a fight. After this incident was reported by the newspapers, he did not have a good reputation in France, but this was also appreciated by Juffelli.
In his view, General Pélissier was a general who sought to gain benefits for France and could not be harmed intentionally.
Since the military has given this candidate, it means that it hopes to use his ability to solve Tunisia as soon as possible. Ruferi is quite satisfied with this candidate, and the next step is to wait for the news of the meeting with Germany.
The news from Germany did not keep them waiting. A telegram was sent from Berlin a few days later. Special envoy Romonk had already met with Prime Minister Bismarck. The German Prime Minister expressed support for France's actions in Tunisia. He expressed his support for Romonk.
Special Envoy Monk said, "France should occupy Tunisia without thinking about Italy!"
Although Bismarck expressed his support, Jouferry, as the French Prime Minister, knew that this was just a strategy of the German Prime Minister to promote the "continental policy". But this is beneficial to France, isn't it?
Moreover, under its leadership, Germany is not interested in colonizing at all, which just benefits France. As for who has the right path in the future, let time prove everything.
After receiving support from Britain and France, Juffelli asked the French troops stationed in Alnigeria to begin secret preparations.
Of course, everything requires an excuse. France is a civilized people, so how can it invade other countries at will?
