I Became a Plutocrat in World War I: Starting with Saving France-Chapter 990: No Other Choice

London War Building, England.

When the Minister of Military Supplies proposed in the internal meeting that war with France was necessary, everyone was stunned by this idea.

"Are you crazy? The opponent is Shire!" Prime Minister George widened his eyes: "No one can defeat him!"

Minister of the Navy Belfort was incredulous: "Haven't you seen what he did to Germany?"

General Winter was even more frightened, pale-faced: "Your Excellency, we hardly have any chance of winning. Our army is still in France, and once war breaks out, they will immediately become prisoners of the French Army!"

The Minister of Military Supplies frowned and replied in a deep voice:

"Gentlemen, I think you haven't figured something out."

"Do you think I want to go to war with France and Shire?"

"No, I don't want to do that! But we have no other choice. Shire is pushing us to the brink of war step by step!"

Prime Minister George was skeptical: "There must be other options."

"Then." The Minister of Military Supplies retorted: "Please tell me, Your Excellency, what other options do we have?"

Before Prime Minister George could respond, the Minister of Military Supplies listed all possible scenarios:

"Continue to target Germany as we are today? Not only will we fail to receive reparations, but our strength will also be exhausted by Germany."

"Lower the negotiation standards and make peace with Germany? Our economy will collapse, and our colonies will fall apart."

"Embrace Shire and join his 'International Alliance'? This means we agree with his agenda, and our colonies will also leave us!"

"Now, can anyone tell me what we can do?"

The conference room was so silent that the drop of a pin could be heard.

Each path seemed impassable.

"Wake up!" The Minister of Military Supplies rapped his knuckles on the table, producing a "thump, thump" sound:

"Shire has already declared war on us, not with airplanes and cannons, but with an invisible scalpel."

"This scalpel is peeling Britain and the colonies away one by one, severing our arteries, while we are still hesitating about whether to wage war."

Minister of the Navy Belfort suggested: "If Shire uses an invisible scalpel, then we should also respond with an invisible scalpel."

The Minister of Military Supplies let out an "aha":

"That's easier said."

"Shire's 'scalpel' is 'freedom', is 'liberation'—what scalpel should we use to respond?"

"'Enslavement'? 'Exploitation'? Or 'oppression'?"

The statesmen understood that they were no match for Shire in this regard.

No colony would support and accept Britain's 'enslavement', 'exploitation', and 'oppression'.

While Shire only needed to say, "Join me, and I'll give you freedom!"

Colonies would defect one after another to join the freedom camp led by France.

Prime Minister George was unwilling: "Perhaps we should negotiate with Shire..."

"Your Excellency." The Minister of Military Supplies interrupted him: "You seem to have forgotten that 'what cannot be won on the battlefield cannot be gained at the negotiation table'."

Prime Minister George was rendered speechless.

Shire could have everything he wanted; he was at an advantage and could potentially defeat Britain.

So why would he negotiate with Britain and make concessions?

For Shire, this would even be like raising a tiger to only potentially be attacked later.

Because once Britain is prepared, it will inevitably challenge France again.

Shire isn't that foolish; he won't give Britain this opportunity.

The Minister of Military Supplies concluded: "So, it's not a matter of whether we can win, but a matter of must fighting. Otherwise, the Great British Empire is done for, understand, gentlemen?"

Prime Minister George thought for a while, sighed softly, and slowly nodded in agreement:

"The Minister of Military Supplies is right."

"From a strategic direction, we have no choice but to be enemies with France because it is seizing our international standing, threatening our interests, and partitioning our colonies."

"Moreover, it shows no tendency or reason to stop."

"If we do not stop it, we will lose everything."

Minister of the Navy Belfort had to agree: "If we do nothing, Britain will completely sink. Rising in resistance gives a slight chance, although very slim, and the process will be arduous, but at least there is hope."

His voice carried bitterness, and his tone was filled with grievance.

It was hard to imagine these words came from the supposed world's foremost Minister of the Navy of Britain.

General Winter, upon hearing this, gradually realized it was not that the Minister of Military Supplies was 'crazy,' but rather that Shire's tactics were too brilliant. He was using a method that was beyond reproach to push Britain into a corner, ultimately having to commit the most egregious act of waging war against 'ally' France.

However, was this really the right choice?

If coerced by Shire into choosing war, this might be the wrong decision itself!

This is falling into Shire's trap!

But General Winter didn't say this trap could not be avoided, as there was no better choice.

He rephrased:

"What should we do? I mean, how can we defeat Shire?"

"This is almost impossible."

He thought this wasn't much better than waiting for death, and he even felt that 'embracing Shire' was the wisest course of action, even if it would be perceived as 'surrender.'

"The Navy, gentlemen." The Minister of Military Supplies, seeing that everyone agreed to war, stood up grandly:

"Our advantage is the Navy."

"We have 30 Dreadnoughts, 40 pre-Dreadnoughts, and 9 battlecruisers."

"However, Germany and France combined have only slightly over 60 of these warships, especially France, which has only 22, many of which are too old and not of much use."

Belfort, on the rare occasion, sided with the Minister of Military Supplies:

"Yes, if we want to defeat Shire and make him somewhat apprehensive."

"Or if we want to force him back to the negotiation table, the only lever we have is the Navy."

Then he proposed an idea:

"We can use half our forces to continue blockading the German Navy."

"The German Navy's morale is low, and they have no necessity to fight us desperately for Shire."

"Therefore, the German Navy won't likely choose to engage in full-scale warfare with us."

The statesmen all nodded.

Germany and France were only at a 'ceasefire', and their relations were not strong enough for Germany to throw its entire High Seas Fleet in for France.

Moreover, for its national interests, Germany might opt to 'watch the tigers fight from a distance.'

"So our only enemy is the French Navy." Belfort continued to analyze:

"And the main force of the French Navy is still directed towards the Mediterranean."

"In the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, there are more anti-submarine and air-defense destroyers, which are negligible to us."

Prime Minister George's eyes gradually regained some brilliance.

Belfort's analysis made him feel that Britain still had a considerable advantage.

Shire was indeed formidable, but his strength lay in his army, and armies couldn't swim out to sea and fight the fleets, could they?