Chapter 355 Buy Buy Buy (First update, please subscribe)
Are you sure we can't build such an airship?
This is a soul-stirring question. For Europeans who have long been accustomed to Europe's leadership, what puzzles them most is why European countries have not been able to build such a giant airship.
Even until now, they still felt that all this was incredible. They simply couldn't believe that a weapon as fantastic as an airship was made even more perfect by the Chinese and put into war.
This was not just unbelievable, it was a loud slap in their face. What was even more incomprehensible to them was that the airship was obviously invented by Europeans, so why didn't the Europeans realize that it actually had such potential.
In fact, as the power of airships was exaggerated, many Europeans raised such questions.
Why didn't European countries take the lead in building such a large and practical airship?
Of course, they are only asking this question once now, and they will ask this question again and again in the future. After asking so many times, they will get used to it, and it will become a habit!
Perhaps it was at this time that Europeans finally understood the feelings of the Chinese. Why did we invent gunpowder, but others used gunpowder to attack us?
Europeans are only just beginning to reflect.
But what about the Chinese people? In another world, they have been reflecting for nearly two hundred years.
Why?
There aren't that many in this world at all, why.
There is only one truth, either get beaten or beat others. When you are beaten, you should grow up and work hard. When you are beating others, of course you should do whatever you want. Just like Nanhua now.
But now, as the emperor, Napoleon III still doesn't quite understand why. In fact, when faced with such a question, everyone can't help but ask why.
But who can find the real answer?
"Your Majesty, I have asked many scholars, and one thing is certain: they absolutely cannot build such a huge airship. They can't even imagine how the scientists of Nanhua solved the problem of large airbags for large airships. Due to the limitation of materials, the airbags of the airships we make can neither withstand excessive pressure nor be made very large, so this also limits our use."
To put it bluntly, it is a problem of materials and design. It is only the 19th century now, and the so-called science is still basically at the empirical stage.
If it weren't for Zhu Xianhai's reminder that Nanhua's airship used silk-reinforced rubber airbags and introduced a prismatic cross-sectional configuration to increase the overall strength of the airship, Nanhua would not have been able to manufacture a large non-rigid airship.
Although these technologies are only from the 1920s, they were undoubtedly extremely advanced for Europeans of that era and were difficult for them to understand at the time.
"More importantly, we don't know how Nanhua's airships fly. Human power? Obviously not. Maybe they have a new type of engine that we don't know about yet. Who knows? But one thing is certain: our army needs this kind of airship, and it will help us defeat any enemy!"
Edmond Leboeuf said confidently that he, like many others, was stunned by the destructive power displayed by the airship. He had never seen any weapon that could destroy a city from hundreds of kilometers away, and he had never imagined that war could be fought in this way. However, he could imagine how the party that controlled the airship would wage war.
What was even more surprising was that those airships could actually fly hundreds of kilometers away. What kind of engines did they rely on? Obviously, it couldn't be a steam engine, because steam is too heavy.
And using a steam engine on an airship - is this a sign of a short life?
It is for this reason that the French scientists made a very accurate inference - Nanhua invented a new type of engine that they had never known about.
For many scientists, rather than being curious about airships, they are more curious about Nanhua’s new engine. In their opinion, that is the invention that will truly change everything.
But now they know nothing about all this. Everything is just speculation.
"Your Majesty, although we are far away from Berlin and not close to London, with airships, everything will change fundamentally. We can use airships to bomb their cities and arsenals like the South China Army did. Of course, we can also destroy their arsenals and barracks. Even before the war breaks out, we can use airship bombing to end the war, Your Majesty!"
This is exactly what many officers inferred. Although they knew that the reporters were exaggerating, they still believed that future wars would undergo fundamental changes because of airships. The biggest change was that bombing the rear would become the most common method of warfare.
When the military factory was in production, the airship dropped the bomb. The machines in the military factory would be destroyed and production would be interrupted. Is it possible to win the war when there are not enough weapons on the front line?
Of course not.
Airships can even bomb railways and trains, making it impossible for the enemy's supplies and troops to be transported to the front line.
Even for the navy fleet, the threat of airships cannot be ignored. When those warships are anchored in the naval port, if an airship flies there and drops a large number of bombs, the fleet built at a cost of millions of dollars is likely to be destroyed.
Officers and scholars are always full of various imaginations about the uses of airships, but all imaginations ultimately come down to one thing - airships are weapons that every country needs to master.
The country that cannot master airships is destined to be the loser in the next war. Of course, this judgment is just a slightly exaggerated judgment of those officers.
But how many countries are willing to risk their national future?
"Since it is so important, let's find a way to get it!"
Napoleon III thought for a moment and said.
"Didn't Reseb say that we can exchange all this for recognizing their occupation of Chile and Argentina? We recognized his occupation. Of course, just one ship is not enough. Ten ships! General, are ten ships enough? Of course we all know that they will definitely not give us that many, but we can buy them from them with money, don't you think?"
When making this decision, Napoleon III said self-deprecatingly.
"In fact, we have bought a lot of weapons from them, such as the Spencer rifle and the Gatling gun. I have to say that these weapons may be invented by Americans, but the best performing ones are still those made by Nanhua. Or, this is what makes them different. We Europeans can have many new inventions, but they have ways to improve those inventions and make them more successful. Well, there is also the Pacific cable, which was successful because of their improvements. Now the same is true for airships. Their improvements are more successful, but we are the real inventors, right?"
Although this may seem like an excuse, it is also true to some extent. Nanhua is indeed better at improving some inventions of Europe and the United States. Of course, this improvement is also based on new "inventions".
"Yes, Your Majesty. Even if they are slightly ahead in some aspects now, it is only temporary. As long as we buy their airships, we will soon master the corresponding technology. Nanhua is just imitating better."
Edmond Leboeuf certainly would not refute His Majesty's excuse. Not only would he not refute it, he would even tell everyone this indisputable fact.
At least this will make Your Majesty feel more comfortable.
After thinking for a while, Edmond Leboeuf said again.
"Your Majesty, ten airships are just the beginning. In the future, we will have hundreds, even tens of thousands of airships. By then, the sky will belong to France. Even if Britain owns the ocean, so what? France, which owns the sky, will own everything!"
European countries did not have many secrets, but just one day later, the news that France was going to establish a floating force and purchase airships from South China spread from Paris to London. It was not the spying of spies, but the counterattack of the Minister of the Navy - in the view of the Minister of the Navy, the airships should belong to the navy.
Thus, the secret was inadvertently leaked. After the secret was spread, the Navy was able to use the pressure from Britain to get more airships for itself.
In the eyes of many naval officers, airships should belong to the navy. As the name suggests, airships are flying ships.
Since it was an airship, it must belong to the navy, so the army and navy of the French Empire inadvertently had some differences of opinion, and it was these differences that allowed the British to obtain some confidential information.
Of course, London doesn’t care about the army and navy dispute in Paris. The only thing they care about is?
It was the airships that the French were about to possess—weapons that would fundamentally change the course of the war.
Unlike the French, there was a fairly detailed explanation on the Prime Minister's desk at 11 Downing Street. After all, when the bombing was taking place, British warships were on the La Plata River, and many officers witnessed the bombing with their own eyes. They had a full understanding of the power of airships.
Of course, this understanding can be summed up in two words - powerful!
For Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone, he didn't care how powerful the airship was, but what he cared about was that the French owning an airship was definitely not good news for Britain.
"The sky belongs to France. This is impossible. We must get the airship!"
He spoke bluntly to Foreign Secretary George William Frederick Villiers.
"George, we need to get it. Do you think we have a chance?"
"I believe we have every chance of getting it. Since they are willing to sell the airship to the French, they will definitely sell it to us. Besides, compared to the French, we have what they need."
George's answer made William Ewart Gladstone frown.
"You mean the warship?"
What has the UK been most developed in?
That is shipbuilding.
Especially in the era of ironclad swords, Britain's shipbuilding technology had long surpassed all other countries in the world.
Is there any country in the world that does not covet the ironclad ships made in Britain?
The same was true for South China, who had once purchased warships from Britain, but because of their invasion of Chile, Britain banned the sale of warships to them.
Although Nanhua has also built ironclad ships of its own in the past few years, it is certain that they are definitely eager for those ironclad ships of tens of thousands of tons built by the British!
This is exactly what they want from the UK. Of course, it is also a bargaining chip for the UK!
"Yes, the reason why we suspended the sale of warships to South China is because of Chile, but it is well known that their occupation of Chile is now irreversible. Unless we send troops, there will not be much change. The ban on the sale of warships will not only affect our shipbuilding industry, but also our relationship with them. Of course, the most important thing is France..."
Looking at the Prime Minister, George said directly.
"The French are on their side. Our hostility towards Nanhua will only bring them closer. I think we can take this opportunity to show goodwill to Nanhua and improve our relationship with them. By purchasing their airships and mastering their airship manufacturing secrets, we can sell them warships to ensure the interests of our shipbuilding industry. After all, they definitely need British-made warships to strengthen their maritime power."
For any country that is determined to make progress, they will not ignore the existence of the ocean. Moreover, South China is a country that relies heavily on immigration.
In order to gain a foothold in the land of Nanhua, they will certainly do everything possible to ensure the input of immigrants. In this case, building a navy and strengthening maritime armaments becomes an inevitable choice.
"But, George, we all know that doing so is equivalent to abandoning Argentina. For now, South China is more inclined to France, and their control of the Rio de la Plata region is not in our interests. Now that we sell warships to them, aren't we helping them expand in that area?"
With his brows furrowed, Gladstone's tone became a little complicated. On the one hand, he hoped to stop South China's expansion in that area, but on the other hand, he knew very well that England seemed to have no other choice now.
After thinking for a moment, Gladstone said.
"The situation we have worked so hard to build in the Rio de la Plata for many years will be destroyed by their rise!"
I have set up a book club: 335260551. Everyone is welcome to join and discuss and deduce the plot together.
(End of this chapter)
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