The Imperial Age with the Resurgence of Han Style

Chapter 124 England’s internal and external difficulties
January 1726, 1, London, Palace of Westminster.

"Lord Walpole, the Spanish have declared war on us." After knocking on the door, Viscount Charles Townsend, the Northern Minister in charge of foreign policy, entered the office of the First Minister of Finance (i.e. Prime Minister) Robert Walpole and handed over a copy of the Spanish The declaration of war submitted by the minister in London was placed on the cases before him.

"After delaying it for so long, the Spanish finally declared war on us." Walpole picked up the declaration of war, read it carefully, and couldn't help but smile bitterly, "This is definitely a threat to our Kingdom of England. Worst news ever."

"Yes, we have not completely reversed the situation at sea, and now we have added a new enemy." Townsend said: "The Spanish insist that we withdraw from Gibraltar and Minorca unconditionally, and at the same time, they also make us promise that we will not withdraw from Gibraltar and Minorca without permission. , English merchants are not allowed to conduct trading activities in Spanish American territories without authorization. If we agree to these two conditions, we will not only lose the Spanish American market, but also lose Gibraltar, the most critical maritime stronghold. Without this maritime fortress Tianjin, we will not be able to block the strait and prevent the Qi people from transporting supplies to their expedition fleet through the Mediterranean. It is reported that the Qi people have hoarded a lot of combat materials in Egypt."

"During the war with Qi, we must ensure control of the Strait of Gibraltar to prevent the Qi people from receiving a steady stream of supplies." Walpole held the kettle and made a cup of tea for Townsend, and then poured himself He added some water to his tea cup, nodded and said: "The Spanish are obviously skeptical about our promise to return Gibraltar and Minorca, so they want to take advantage of our difficult situation and insist on using force to force us to submit. "

"We need to increase troops to Gibraltar immediately, and also transport a large amount of combat supplies and living supplies to prevent the Spaniards from mobilizing a large army to attack again." Townsend said: "After several months of fighting and defense, the original 500 There have been more than 800 soldiers attrition. If the Spaniards organize a large-scale attack again, I am worried about whether they can hold on with this small force."

"It is indeed necessary to increase the number of troops." Walpole said: "I will submit a bill to Parliament to prepare to transfer [-] soldiers from Scotland to support Gibraltar."

"One thousand, two hundred people?...Are there a little less reinforcements?"

"This is the amount of troops that the cabinet has tried its best to raise." Walpole sighed, "The sales of special war bonds were not very satisfactory. The first issue of 200 million pounds took more than five months to sell. Ended. The second tranche of 300 million pound treasury bonds subsequently issued has only sold less than 130 million pounds so far. In the market, investors seem to be less optimistic about our current war prospects. Even the greedy Ni The Terlanders, too, tightened their purse strings, and scarcely subscribed for a penny.”

"..." Tang Sende was startled when he heard this, and then smiled bitterly.

In the past, when England went to war with European countries, the government could easily raise sufficient war funds by issuing national bonds, which effectively supported England's continuation of foreign wars and ultimately defeated enemies one after another.

Through these wars, England often forced the other party to surrender some of its markets and commercial interests, grabbing a large amount of trade benefits for domestic industrial capital and commercial capital, and also taking the opportunity to seize countless commercial markets.The Baltic Sea, North Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Caribbean Sea, as well as Spanish America and Portuguese Brazil are full of England's industrial products and merchants.

The national debt accumulated during the war could eventually be digested and absorbed by the capital market through commercial channels, which further promoted the development of the domestic financial industry.

Of course, the prerequisite for achieving the above goals is that the Kingdom of England can win the ongoing war and gain huge benefits.Even if the enemy cannot be defeated in the end, the safety of England's domestic and overseas interests must be ensured to prevent the domestic financial market from being affected by the war.

However, the course of the war in recent months seems to have become increasingly unfavorable for the situation in the Kingdom of England.

The expected decisive battle at Gibraltar with the Qi Expeditionary Fleet was "declined" by the other side. Instead, their warships were dispersed along England's overseas trade routes, frequently intercepting and attacking English merchant ships.In just over five months, nearly fifty merchant ships lost contact. Even if some of them may have suffered shipwrecks, most of them must have been captured by Qi warships or sunk.

The Royal Navy conducted several maritime battles of varying scales with the Qi Expeditionary Fleet in the Gulf of Algeciras, Cape Verde, the North Sea, and the Faroe Islands. Not only did it fail to achieve the intended purpose before the war, it also severely damaged Qi. On the contrary, the navy itself suffered losses. More than [-] warships were sunk, more than [-] warships were damaged, more than [-] officers and men were killed, and more than [-] were injured.

Especially in the Battle of the Faroe Islands a month ago, many first- and second-level battleships were destroyed by the Qi Navy, which made the Royal Navy extremely sad.

From the end of August to the beginning of September, the Kingdom of Spain launched three consecutive large-scale attacks on the Fortress of Gibraltar. Although they were repelled by the stationed British Army with the solid fortress defenses, the situation was still very serious.

The English government conveyed its peaceful wishes to the Spanish government through the Republic of Genoa and stated that it would jointly negotiate the ownership of Gibraltar after the war with Qi ended. The two sides would eventually return the land to Spain through friendly negotiations.

However, the Spanish rejected the English government's proposal and insisted that England immediately and unconditionally return Gibraltar and Minorca to Spain.They also accused the English government of condoning massive smuggling by overseas traders in the Spanish American territories, which seriously eroded and damaged the interests of the Kingdom of Spain.The English government also has an unshirkable responsibility for the pirate ships (privateers) that wreak havoc in the Caribbean and must restrict and prohibit them.

It is obvious that the Kingdom of Spain has a great distrust of the English government and is determined to take advantage of the outbreak of the Anglo-Qilian War to take back Gibraltar and Minorca, which are controlled by England. At the same time, it is also involved in the trade disputes in Spanish America. , maintaining a rare strong attitude.

In response, some radical naval admirals believed that they should pre-emptively launch a large-scale attack on Spain, blockade the Spanish mainland, cut off transportation between them and Spanish America, and use force to force them to make major concessions to England.

However, this proposal was rejected by Walpole and many MPs. Regardless of whether the Royal Navy could mobilize enough troops to attack the Spanish mainland and block its sea transportation channels, even if it had the remaining power to launch a war, it should also consider Europe's The overall situation, especially the attitude of Spain's neighbor France.Although the relationship between the two relatives of the Bourbon dynasty is not very harmonious, and they even criticize and plot against each other, if Spain is beaten to a black and blue face by England, there is no guarantee that France will step in to support it.

I originally planned to try my best to avoid a big fight between the two sides and drag out the Gibraltar issue. After defeating Qi, I would then free up my energy to deal with Spain.Unexpectedly, when the other party saw that the English government refused to immediately return the occupied territories, they became angry and directly declared war on England.This move means that the Royal Navy has yet to completely defeat the Qi Navy and has another powerful maritime enemy. For the entire Kingdom of England, it is nothing short of adding insult to injury.

If the two enemies of Qi and Spain were nothing more than scabies in England, then the increasingly violent armed rebellion in Ireland was a major concern for the English government.

An armed uprising by the Irish from the seaside town of Sligo in early September quickly swept across the county.After gaining a foothold, they began to attack in three directions: east, south, and north, launching a large-scale attack on the English-controlled areas, trying to control the entire island of Ireland in one fell swoop.

The Irish armed rioters changed their past guerrilla warfare model and took the initiative to launch a resolute and powerful attack on the towns controlled by the English.They were well organized, fought skillfully, and attacked fiercely, and they also had a lot of artillery. They caused the towns controlled by the English to fall one after another, and countless English and Scottish immigrants were massacred.

Although in early November last year, more than [-] troops were urgently mobilized and defeated the main force of the Irish resistance in Mullingar, a small town fifty miles northwest of Dublin, killing and wounding more than [-] resistance soldiers and winning a decisive victory. Big win.However, in the subsequent series of pursuit battles, the Irish Resistance Army began to break into pieces, and implemented a certain degree of clearing of the area where the British army was marching. Then, relying on their familiar and favorable terrain, they continued to launch surprise attacks on the British army, making The British army's campaign of suppression gradually ran into trouble, and casualties began to rise.Especially when attacking towns and strongholds defended by the Resistance Army, they encountered extremely stubborn resistance from the opponent, causing the British army to lose a lot of troops.

In order to resolutely crack down on the Irish Resistance Army, General Leslie, the commander-in-chief of the British Army, not only requested more reinforcements, but also requested more authorization from the Cabinet and Parliament to implement the most "severe measures to deal with Irish localities and resistance organizations." ".

The cabinet ministers and the gentlemen in the Parliament naturally knew what the "severe measures" mentioned by General Leslie meant. When the "regicide" Cromwell led his troops to invade Ireland, there was violent resistance there. The Irish carried out inhumane massacres.In just a few years, after the situation in Ireland was completely "calmed down", only 150 million of the more than 100 million Irish people remained.From that time on, the whole of Ireland became a slave to the English. Three-quarters of the land and five-sixths of the houses in Ireland belonged to the English. The Irish lived a life worse than pigs and dogs, living in houses without stairs and In a mud hut with a window, he goes to the fields to work for the English in rags every day.

Now, with the instigation and support of the Qi people, this group of "untouchables" actually launched an armed riot against the English. If they are not suppressed with thunderous means, more Irish people will surely respond, and they will eventually be killed. The English were driven out of Ireland.

Although the English do not know that there is a strategy in Eastern geopolitics called distant relations and close attacks, the reason why the English dare to attack Ireland, which is so close at hand, is because they positioned Ireland as a potential enemy of the Kingdom of England 300 years ago. , and it is the most dangerous one on the side of the couch.

The Irish are the most die-hard Celts. In the eyes of the English, they are even more annoying than the Welsh and Scots. They have been Catholics since the 5th century and refused to join the Protestant faith. They stick to their own culture and are the neighbors. The most difficult alien race to assimilate. After England failed several attempts to integrate Ireland, it only planned to kill Ireland and kill all those who were unconvinced. The rest would be treated as serfs of the English and exploited as much as possible.

Put aside the past, the English had guns and cannons in their hands, and the Irish had little chance to resist. At most, they were squeezed severely, and the English were killed sporadically to vent their anger.

Fortunately, now, the hateful Qi people are here. Not only have they invaded England, they have also set their sights on Ireland.The guns and cannons in the hands of the Irish Resistance Army were most likely provided by the Qi people, and even their army also had Qi officers to provide professional military guidance and battlefield planning.

During the Battle of Mullingar, when British soldiers were cleaning the battlefield, they found several corpses with oriental faces.Even a fool can see that besides the people of Qi, which other Eastern country would travel thousands of miles to Ireland to carry forward this great internationalist spirit?
The source of all the suffering of the Irish people comes from the cruel exploitation and oppression of them by the English. With such deep hatred, the Irish people are determined to retaliate.

You must know that England is basically an island country with a small population, few resources, and is isolated outside the Eurasian continent. The manpower and material resources available at hand are quite limited.Therefore, England's subconscious strategy is to conduct overseas colonization and trade by minimizing losses while ensuring that the main island is not threatened or damaged, maximizing overseas commercial interests with the minimum cost, and checking and balancing the European continent.

Ireland is so close to England, and its stubborn refusal to integrate into England makes it a potentially dangerous enemy that must be infinitely weakened to ensure the security of England.

Therefore, after the English cabinet and Parliament hesitated for less than five seconds to General Leslie's proposal to implement "harsh measures" in Ireland, they immediately approved it.

Only bloody and horrific killings can deter the "slaves" from resisting.

In addition to the Irish problem that was a headache for the English government, James III, known as the "Old Tyrant King," was also ready to take action and began to frequently cause trouble in Scotland.From September to November last year, the Jacobites secretly landed in Dundee, Fraserburgh, Infinness and other places in Scotland, and united with local Catholics and Jacobite supporters to launch armed riots.

Although these riots were eventually extinguished by the arriving British troops, these actions also aroused high alertness from the English government, which forced some troops originally intended to be deployed in Ireland to remain in Scotland to deal with the Jacobite riots.

In order to facilitate civil defense, the English government combined its mobilized regular army with informal and even amateur armed forces to establish a joint defense and self-defense system in the coastal areas of Scotland.Many of the country's hereditary nobles were promised small government subsidies in return for recruiting troops and armed volunteers within their spheres of influence.And, as in response to the Jacobite rebellion of 1715, the property owners were required to unite under their Sheriffs to recruit and arm all volunteers willing to swear allegiance to the government.

The enthusiasm of various places was mobilized to make up for the organizational shortcomings of the royal government and at the same time play a role in propaganda and mobilization.The symbolic significance and brilliant achievements of these armed coalitions of loyal people were to show that the Hanoverian dynasty and the royal government had the active support of their subjects.

However, men from all walks of life, who actively participated in the self-defense coalition, did not necessarily want to defend the whole of Great Britain, or England.While these warriors expect London to provide them with corresponding weapons and money, they also have their own priorities just like their predecessors in the civil war more than 70 years ago. "They all expressed that they are always ready to defend the country, but they are referring to them. County or hometown.”

What is certain, however, is that those who tended to support the Jacobites were mainly Catholics, Irish, or unemployed workers and apprentices, and few had established positions in industry or stable careers.Those who had their own shops or estates, or were heavily invested in other people's estates, were probably more disgusted by the military adventures of the Jacobites.

However, the Kingdom of England is currently facing maritime threats from Qi, and there has recently been a large-scale armed riot by the Irish. As the entire situation becomes increasingly difficult, the riots launched by these nasty Jacobites will undoubtedly make the English government's situation even more difficult.

It is reported that James III, the "old tyrant king", probably received a large amount of financial support from France and Qi. Otherwise, he would not have suddenly made such a splash after lying dormant for several years and sent several groups of mercenaries to sneak across. Scotland, launched an armed riot.

It can be said that the current situation in the Kingdom of England is almost as dangerous as during the Second Anglo-Dutch War. If you are not careful, you will suffer the humiliation of defeat and lose the status of a powerful country that you have finally achieved.

"Lord Townsend, do you think we should have a tentative contact with the Qi people at this time to discuss how to end this war?" After a long silence, Walpole said softly.

"If we take the initiative, we will definitely be regarded as surrender by the people of Qi." Tang Sende said quietly: "Then, they will definitely offer us a series of unacceptable conditions."

"But we have to admit that we have suffered a serious blow since the outbreak of this war eight months ago. Even if we finally defeat the Qi people, at most they will temporarily withdraw their power from Europe and transfer their trade interests to The Netherlands and the French, but it will suffer almost no losses of its own. On the contrary, not only will we lose the lucrative Eastern trade, but the navy we rely on will be severely weakened. And, I have a hunch that the Qi people Through the piecemeal attacks on our Royal Navy in the past few months, we may have a preliminary understanding of our true strength, and we are preparing for a decisive naval battle that will determine the direction of the war."

(End of this chapter)