Xinshun 1730

Chapter 1356 The Total Collapse of Britain ([-])
Young people, especially young kings, are always ambitious, always feel that they can do something, and make a lot of trouble.

He understands many truths, and he has also read "The Prince".

Any Machiavellian will generally refuse to admit that he is a Machiavellian, and even publish a book such as "Anti-Machiavellianism".

Although George III was not so proficient, he also knew several basic principles of Machiavelli.

One: the army and the law are the foundations of power.No military power, no farting.

Second: The monarch should exercise power, focus on strength, and be proficient in military affairs.

Third: The monarch wants to pull the people to oppose the nobles, so as to gain power (we must consider the era, take its bones, and consider the political niche of the nobles mentioned by Machiavelli).

Fourth: The monarch should not be bound by any moral principles. He only needs to consider whether the effect is beneficial, not whether the means are harmful. He can be kind on the outside and treacherous on the inside.

It is precisely because he understands these principles that George III regards the chaos in Liverpool as his own opportunity. If he handles it well, he can solve many problems.

His ancestors, as well as the history of England, do have history to follow.

However, there is no way for him to learn a lot of historical experience.

For example, his grandfather, George II, really got the support of military power and military aristocrats, so that his son, the Duke of Cumberland, started to promote military reform. What did he rely on?
Relying on his own horse, went to Europe, fought a battle in Göttingen and France, and gained prestige in the army, which led to the subsequent military reform of the Duke of Cumberland.

The king wants to take power.

Either personally conquer, get on the horse and lead the team to win.

Or, at the very least, provide strategic guidance.

Otherwise, there will be no prestige in the army, and many things will be difficult to handle.

Before the coup in the Netherlands, William of Orange was also trying to gain prestige in the army.It's a pity that with chicken breasts and asthma, he couldn't go to the battlefield at all. In the end, Dashun fiddled with it a little, and was directly overthrown by the coup.

But obviously, George III couldn't learn this.

Because it is obvious that it is impossible for him to lead troops to Europe now.

Moreover, people still need to be counted. At this time, Frederick II, who was the most powerful in the circle of European kings, was hammered to death. He didn't think he could win prestige in the European continent.

But the rebellion and chaos in Liverpool, Lancashire, Manchester, etc., gave him a chance.

It's not that he led troops to suppress it. His uncle, the Duke of Cumberland, went to suppress the Jacobite uprising, and his reputation was mixed with stinky shit, and he got the title of "butcher".

Rather, George III believed that he could take advantage of the chaos and seize military power first.

The British know very well that because of the barrier of the strait, the army is fundamental to determining the political direction.

The purpose of the Duke of Cumberland's military reform is to take the power of "promotion and appointment" from the hands of local powerful factions to the government.Increase the number of standing armies, reduce the scale of the system of buying officials and the ownership of regimental leaders.

Naval problems, never mind.Just let the navy operate normally, that thing will not determine the political situation in London.

The army, the key is the army, as long as it can take advantage of this chaos, grasp the military power, and tear a hole in the parliament to allow the number of standing troops to increase.

Well, it's a big win.

With the military power in hand, there will be plenty of time to toss and play slowly with the people in the parliament in the future.

As for how to take advantage of the chaos in Liverpool, Dashun's suppression of Britain, and the reality that the war was about to fail to gain military power and increase the number of standing troops, George III had his own ideas.

The key to this problem lies in three support points.

Hannover.

North America.

British mainland.

In fact, after Dashun entered the war, especially after the fall of Gibraltar, Lord Bute discussed an important issue with George III.

"My lord."

"You want to be king of Britain and North America?"

"Still want to be King of Britain and Hanover?"

This question is still in my ears.

Now, George III knows exactly how to choose.

Because, Hannover will definitely not be able to hold on.

France is not Dashun, France has a lot of pressure on the European land war, France will not be tossing around at sea like Dashun.

Therefore, on the issue of Hannover, as long as France wins, it will definitely not back down.

Britain will definitely get out of the way, let "the people of Shinra decide the affairs of Shinra", and the people of Shinra decide the affairs of Shinra, which means that France can be the "referee", playing against Prussia today and Austria tomorrow Well, if Shinra beat out his brains, France would be happy.

Hannover, at the moment when Dashun entered the war and conquered Gibraltar, those who were smarter should have understood that Hannover could not be kept, so they should throw it away.

So did George III.

Therefore, using the Hanover issue as a fulcrum and taking advantage of the opportunity of the Liverpool rebellion, through the panic of the nobles and the opportunity to become the target of public criticism with the former opposition, that is, the Patriot Party, it is justifiable to expand the standing army and complete Cumberland. The military reform originally envisioned by the Duke brought the powers such as the promotion of officers to the government.

There are three questions here.

Every question can be discussed.

The first question is that Britain is fighting at this time, and a considerable part of the army is Hessian mercenaries.The Hessian mercenaries are loyal to the Elector of Hanover and the Great Treasurer of the Empire in name, although in essence they are loyal to Qian.

The problem of Britain's standing army is... not a problem with British characteristics, but a problem that any administrative feudal country will encounter.

The abolition of the standing army, the insistence on the system of buying officials and the ownership of regimental leaders are the reliance of Britain's "freedom".

In the same way, the abolition of the standing army and the insistence that each domain has its own armed forces are the reliance of Japan's "freedom".

The abolition of the standing army, the release of feudal towns, and self-recruitment in various places are also the reliance of "freedom" after the Anshi Rebellion in the Tang Dynasty.

Nothing magical.

But Britain's problem lies in the "Hessian mercenaries".

Why use Hessian mercenaries?
First, because Britain does not have a large standing army.

The standing army was firmly opposed by the parliament, because the nobles believed in the militia they had recruited and did not trust the government's standing army.

The government has a standing army, is that okay?

What is the system of buying officials and the system of head ownership, which are the basis of British "freedom"?

This is called.

There is no large standing army.

Thinking of being the overlord of the Atlantic again.

What?

Mercenaries go.

Furthermore.

Because it is cheap.

The nobles in Germany recruited their own troops and rented them out to Britain.

The soldiers get [-]%, and the nobles who recruit soldiers at home get [-]%.It was also cheaper than building a standing army for the UK itself.

And this does not need to violate the laws of parliament that require militiamen not to go abroad to fight, as required by the Militia Act.

At the same time, Britain needs to expand overseas and contain France. A global empire without troops as a hammer?
And that's where the problem lies.

If there is a rebellion in the UK, or North America chooses to separate.

The king used British soldiers to suppress, and Hessian mercenaries to suppress, these are completely two concepts.

No matter where it is placed, such things as "borrowing teachers to assist in the suppression" are quite intimidating and quite damaging to legitimacy.

It's easy to say that the British beat the British.

At most, he would be labeled as a tyrant, to the heavens.

The King of England, with [-] German Hessian soldiers, came to fight the British...

It's hard to say about this.

What has become of this?

Although, this is actually normal.

But, it was normal 100 years ago, normal 200 years ago, normal 1000 years ago...

It's not normal now.

This is one of the functions of the Enlightenment.

100 years ago, if you want to say which king or emperor used the help of his teachers to suppress or use mercenaries to massacre people in his own country, what was normal is really beyond normal.

Now, this is not normal.

The times are progressing and the people are awakening.What used to be normal and taken for granted has gradually become less taken for granted.

But in Europe, before the French Revolution, the feudal stench was too strong.Including later generations, except for France and Russia, the rest of the countries basically retained considerable feudal remnants, especially in culture.

Therefore, as far as it is concerned, George III's use of Hessian mercenaries is legally justified.

He was King of Britain and Elector of Hanover.

The German aristocrats helped the great treasurer of the Holy Roman Empire to fight and suppress. This makes sense, doesn't it?

But, as Lord Bute told him.

Or, he was king of the Anglo-Saxons.

Or, he was king of England and Hanover.

These two are now incompatible.

Since the defeat was inevitable, it would be difficult for him to hire Hessian mercenaries in the future.

This brings up the second question.

In theory, even if he is no longer the Elector of Hanover and completely decoupled from Germany, he is a pure British king.

Then, in a foreign war, it is not impossible to hire some German soldiers in theory.For foreign wars, finding mercenaries to help them fight will save money and will not cause domestic turmoil, and the country will not fail to support it.

However, only foreign wars?

The previous battle was so big that Pete slapped his ass and died, leaving a lot of mess.

For example, there are a large number of British troops in North America, as well as the temporary standing army that has been expanded due to the war.

Normally, it will definitely be abolished after the war.

Here comes the problem, these tens of thousands of soldiers, it is not impossible to let them retire directly.

But what about the large number of officers in the army?
Also let them go straight away?Military officers are not ordinary people. Being a military officer in the UK is tough.

this is a problem.

Another one, the group of people from North America actually gathered in Philadelphia for a meeting with people from Dashun.

It was easy to say before, maybe it didn't matter.

Many lords in the parliament feel that in the poor places in North America, goods that lose money also affect their own land rent income and lower food prices.

It's different now.

Defeat is inevitable, and Dashun's massive cargo is about to rush in like a flood.

Massive handicraft unemployment loomed, and Manchester and Liverpool were already in disarray.

These people, if the Council doesn't let them live, they will find Winstanley's pamphlet themselves.

Where is the way to live?

Really turn out Winstanley's pamphlets, equalize the land, divide the land, and reverse the land enclosure movement?
Or, why don't you gentlemen pay some money together and let this group of people go to North America?

If you go to North America, will the land ownership of North American wasteland be in the hands of the government?
This is a question that does not need to be considered. Even if the Philadelphia side is talking about it, the British side does not know yet.But it is clear that North America and France fought because of the western border issue, and it was easy to cease the war, and then another fight with the French because of the western border?
But the question is, if the British government wants to take ownership of North American wasteland and turn it into state-owned land, will those crazy speculators in North America agree?
If you disagree, should you suppress it?
If you suppress it, what do you rely on?
Once suppressed, Hessian mercenaries cannot be used.

This is a very simple question of legitimacy, especially when the rule of the Hanover family in Britain is not yet stable, and the problem of lack of orthodoxy has not been resolved.

Using the British standing army, at least it can be called counterinsurgency.

The nature of using foreign mercenaries to massacre domestic rebels is extremely bad... I'm afraid it can really turn a bunch of pro-British factions into anti-British factions.

Of course, for George III, the crux of the problem was to maintain a sufficient standing army after the war.The standing army means the king's military power.And the king's military power was the basis of all those so-called ambitions in his young mind.

And the starting point for this standing army to be approved by the parliament is the many problems caused by the uprising at the bottom.

Because the chaos in Liverpool itself was a rehearsal after the defeat - what Dashun wanted had already been obtained during the war.The change in the Atlantic trade pattern will not wait until Britain is defeated, but has already begun. The chaos in Liverpool and Manchester is a manifestation of this change.

George III and his close ministers clearly knew this: the end of the war would not solve these problems.Therefore, before the end of the war, it is necessary to consider how to solve these problems.

But one thing is certain.

Regardless of how to solve it, it is to solve the problem or to solve the problem.

Both require a strong standing army.At least, on the issue of post-war disarmament, a standing army should be maintained.

So, don't think that the defeat of the United Kingdom means that everyone in the United Kingdom thinks this is a big bad thing like the sky is falling.

On the contrary, when Britain lost the war this time, some people couldn't wait to set off fireworks to celebrate.Because some things, if not defeated, would not be easy to handle.

Whether it's George III, or those Tories, and those country factions that broke off from the Whig Party, they are happy.Of course, as long as the French don't go to the island.

Looking at it now, the French may not be able to go to the island.Dashun was busy in North America, Jamaica and other places. Without the support of Dashun's navy, the French would not be able to go to the island.

For George III, the matter was even better.

It was so easy to boil grandpa to death, and it was so easy to become a king.

The opposition in the parliament, especially the union of the four major families, Pete and Temple, overwhelmed the entire parliament.

it's good now.

Or, let's sit down and have a talk and compromise.Don't form an opposition all day long, at least not now, and use this opportunity to achieve some conditions that the king wants.

Or, that matter has to be talked about.At the beginning of the Jenkins Ear War, Walpole didn’t want to fight. He felt that the war would cost too much money, so he had to solve the domestic land tax problem first, so you insisted on fighting; How do you say this?
Compromise is an art that the ruling class must learn.Although George III hoped to suppress the radicals of the Whig Party, it was also impossible for him to let the Tory Party dominate and repeat the chaos that the Whig Party dominated after the Tory Party was not allowed to enter the cabinet.

(End of this chapter)