Chapter 681 Purchasing an Airship
As a boss who keeps up with current affairs, the front-page headline of the newspapers under the League of Nations on that day was "Zeppelin Arrives in Paris!"
"Don't worry, dear. War is not decided by one or two weapons." Sheffield comforted Arlington's hostess into the microphone. "The whole of France is in a mood of revenge. The whole society, regardless of class, has invested in the war. The mobilization force is even greater than that of the Germans. The tragedy of the Franco-Prussian War will never happen again."
"But I read in the newspaper that the situation in Paris seems to be very dangerous." Anne said hesitantly, "I am just worried."
"There's nothing to worry about. The old man will be in New York soon." Sheffield exclaimed, "It will only take a few days to get home. Don't worry. It's okay. Don't underestimate your motherland."
The French army's combat effectiveness is not exaggerated. Although they did lose a lot of people in the border battle and were beaten badly by the well-prepared German army in the active attack, in the subsequent wars, the French were never afraid of facing the Germans and bleeding each other face to face.
The French army in World War I was a model of a citizen army. The whole country, regardless of class or occupation, was extremely enthusiastic about joining the army. France was the only country among all the participating countries that sent scholars directly into the muzzle of the Maxim machine gun. The son of the sociology master Durkheim, along with the young scholars of the Annales School, and a whole generation of young mathematicians, scientists, and historians died on the battlefield. Whether they were royalists or radicals, many men with noble titles joined the army as front-line soldiers. Defending the mother France was not empty talk.
Even France played a greater role than the Soviet Union in World War II in some areas. When the US military entered World War I, it underestimated the need for firepower. There were not enough light machine guns, so it had to modify the French Chauchat light machine gun to make up for the shortage. Serbia was beaten by the four-nation coalition forces and the military and civilians retreated to Albania, relying on French aid to survive. Italy's military industry was poor and weak, and it could not support the needs of the army, so it imported a large amount of military supplies from France. Romania: backward equipment, insufficient training, France provided a large amount of arms. Belgium was occupied by Germany. Greece also received military supplies supported by France.
It can be said that in the Allied camp, France is doing the same work as the United States and the Soviet Union did in World War II, and it is necessary to practice both magic and martial arts.
If you calculate carefully, France's most reliable ally in World War I was the Russian Empire in the Franco-Russian Alliance, the core of the Allied Powers. The Russian Empire really saved the lives of the French and even defeated the German-Austrian coalition before its collapse, causing the Austro-Hungarian Empire to never recover.
The collapse of the Russian Empire, which was particularly reliable when it was reliable, allowed France to win the World War, but it faced an even worse situation after the war and had completely lost confidence before the outbreak of World War II.
In fact, if you understand that France's population is less than two-thirds of Germany's, but it has to play the same role as the Soviet Union, which had a population twice that of Germany during World War II, you will know how difficult it is for France to hold on.
"Our country is very safe, dear." Sheffield said softly and hung up the phone. He tapped his fingers rhythmically on the table and suddenly looked at Natalia and asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"If it was the United States facing the Germans, would you still be so relaxed?" Natalia curled her lips. Her man hung out with the Germans every day. How could she say that he didn't have any thoughts at all?
"To be honest, the combat effectiveness of the United States Army is only equivalent to that of the Italian Army. If we really let go of the fighting, it is even a question whether we can defeat the Ottoman Empire." Sheffield spoke the truth. This was what he thought.
Slave owners dare not underestimate the Ottoman Empire's final dying struggle. The Ottoman Empire's resolute participation in World War I shows what kind of fighting power an old empire will burst out when it reaches the end of its rope. The Italo-Turkish War was limited in its hands and the casualties were even worse than those of Italian soldiers. It was like a completely different person in World War I.
"You speak so highly of such a backward country." Natalia was a little unconvinced.
"Among East Asia, South Asia, and West Asia, the most vulnerable is India, which is occupied by the British Empire. Their vision is too accurate." Sheffield joked, "Maybe if the United States is asked to pick one from them, it will choose India."
Based on the news he received from Constantinople, Sheffield had almost concluded that it was only a matter of time before the Ottoman Empire joined the Allies. It might happen tomorrow, or it might be officially announced a month later. The process would be different, but the result would be the same.
After the outbreak of the World War, it was almost impossible for the Ottoman Empire to stay out of it. Whether the Central Powers or the Allies won, it would cause major changes to the political landscape of Europe, and such changes would inevitably affect the Ottoman Empire and even endanger its survival. For it, the most dangerous result would be that the Russian Empire became an important member of the victorious countries. At that time, Britain would sacrifice the Ottoman Empire to meet the requirements of the Russian Empire, and the Ottoman Empire would have no choice but to go all out and participate in the side that was most likely to benefit itself, hoping that Germany would defeat the Russian Empire.
Three days later, Sheffield stood in the busy port of New York. The help that the World War had brought to the United States had just begun to manifest. New York was far from being busy now. He came here to pick up the old man and perform a filial piety.
Edith Rockefeller, Louisa Morgan, Alice Roosevelt, and Natalia, Evelyn, and Mary Pickford all stood ahead of the slave owners and cared much more about them than their own son.
"Why aren't you happy at all?" Edith Rockefeller looked at Sheffield's unchanged face with a face full of expectation and couldn't help but complain, "It's as if the person who came back wasn't your father."
"What's there to be happy about for an old man who escaped before the war?" Sheffield snorted and curled his lips, "I hardly ever saw him."
As they were talking, the cruise ship had already docked and the passengers began to disembark. A group of women gathered together which was very conspicuous. Harry Sheffield was very sharp-eyed in this regard and also walked over with a group of women.
"My dear son!" Harry Sheffield opened his arms in an exaggerated gesture, "I am so glad you can come."
"You're an adult now, don't do this." Sheffield took two steps back without leaving a trace, pointed at Edith Rockefeller and his group, and opened his mouth, "Just know what's going on!"
"On this point, we have a lot in common." Harry Sheffield gave him an "I understand" look and gave him a thumbs-up. "Oh, by the way, let me introduce your two sisters to you."
"Let's talk about it when we get back!" Sheffield leaned back tactically with a stern face, his eyes fell on the two young women, and he just glanced at them and said calmly.
After getting in the car, Sheffield imagined the family feuds and secret histories. When he was about to send out the psychiatric evaluations at Arkham Asylum, Edith Rockefeller said, "You seem to have some ideas about your two sisters. Now that they are in the United States, what else can they do? I don't think your grandmother would want to."
"I didn't!" Sheffield said hypocritically, "Two women, what can happen if they come back? It's so funny. I'm afraid of two illegitimate daughters. I'm not even afraid of old men."
"It's fine if they live an honest life, but if they have any unrealistic ideas, they will underestimate us." Louisa Morgan said with a stern face, "Don't you see where we are? I won't say we are God, but in this country, there are not many things that God can do that we can't."
"Okay, stop yelling." Sheffield stretched out his hand to twist Louisa Morgan's chin, kissed her red lips and said, "Don't let Evelyn and the others in the car in front hear it. They are different from you, don't scare them."
"You can't go back to Arlington Manor. My grandmother told me before I came here that Oak Manor is also useful. Let me think of an empty manor in Florida where you can live." Sheffield put his hands in his pockets and asked for the opinions of the three fathers and daughters in front of him. "My two sisters, Charlotte Sheffield and Jenny Sheffield, right? First of all, welcome to America. The war situation in Europe is unpredictable now. I personally welcome you. Please treat this place as your own home."
"Thank you!" The two girls thanked very politely, without showing any idiotic thoughts of not knowing the seriousness of the matter and going for the family property as soon as they arrived.
Sheffield nodded, and then Harry Sheffield said, "Florida is great, with sunshine and beaches, a very good place."
"As long as you are satisfied." Sheffield said expressionlessly, "Arlington Manor, if you go back and stay for no more than three days, I can apply to my grandmother. Anne is still there and misses her mother a lot."
He took out his pocket watch and checked it. He knew he had something else to do in Sheffield, so he decided to leave. Anne's mother Susan tried to stop him, saying, "William, are you in such a hurry? Your father just got back."
"I'm very busy. My pace of life is completely different from that of the old man." Sheffield spread his hands and smiled.
In the first few months of the war, countries could rely on their previous accumulation to survive these months. Sheffield knew that the war would not end in a short time.
But it was not without gain. The outbreak of the European war also aroused the vigilance of the United States. Although the Atlantic Ocean is vast, it is not to the point where the United States can turn a deaf ear to what is happening outside. The federal government issued the latest procurement contract!
The slave owners owned the warship contract shared with other shipyards and the exclusive airship contract. In view of the Zeppelin airship brigade's bombing of Paris and the presence of a domestic production base for such airships, the federal government decided to order airships as the country's air force, and a $50 million contract for one hundred airships was handed over to Sheffield.
"The first big contract comes from home!" Sheffield felt the call from Mother America. At the critical moment, he could only rely on his own country.
(End of this chapter)
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