Chapter 238: Intervention by the Great Powers
Arthur listened quietly to Minister Kent's report and nodded with a smile, saying, "General Fritz did a good job this time. After this reinforcement army is wiped out, the Portuguese will have to consider whether they want to continue opposing Australasia."
Previously, the regular Portuguese army in the three colonies combined had only about 3,000 men, which hadn't yet made the Portuguese government realize the strength of Australasia. But now, it was different. While the exact size of this reinforcement army was unknown, it definitely numbered over 10,000 soldiers. Even without counting the African indigenous soldiers as cannon fodder, the number of Portuguese soldiers was still around 10,000.
It should be noted that Portugal wasn't a large country in terms of population. Even up until now, Portugal's population had only just surpassed six million. Losing 10,000 Portuguese soldiers would be a major blow for the Portuguese government. Even if it didn't cripple them entirely, it would certainly cause them a headache.
What was more important was that, even after losing over 10,000 soldiers, the situation of the war had not improved in any way. How many more 10,000-strong armies could Portugal afford to lose? Portugal's colonies in Africa also required a large number of soldiers to be stationed there. While the Portuguese government might not care much about the death of indigenous soldiers, the losses of Portuguese soldiers were real and could shake the very foundation of their country.
"Even if the Portuguese government is not yet ready to back down, their remaining strength is probably quite limited now," Minister Kent said with a smile. "According to our intelligence, Portugal has a total of 60,000 domestic troops and 80,000 colonial troops."
"Although it looks like they have a total of 140,000 soldiers, the Portuguese forces themselves number fewer than 80,000. Adding the losses from the previous three battles, Portugal should have lost more than 10,000 Portuguese soldiers by now, along with 10,000 indigenous troops. With the remaining domestic and colonial garrisons, Portugal can only muster fewer than 50,000 troops, which is not enough to pose a threat to us," Minister Kent continued.
At this point, it was necessary to commend the Royal Security Intelligence Bureau and David, the European Royal Affairs Director, for their contributions. Although they did not have access to core confidential information, the military capabilities of the major European powers were generally understood.
In simple terms, Portugal was a country with a population similar to Australasia's, and its economic and industrial power was not necessarily superior. Additionally, the long distance from Europe to the battlefield increased Portugal's logistical burden.
If Portugal had continued sending armies in small batches of 20,000 soldiers, they would have been picked off one by one by Australasia. But Portugal didn't have more transport ships and fleets, and they couldn't afford to send soldiers from Europe to Asia—by the time they arrived, the war might already be over.
"But, Your Majesty, there is still one issue we haven't addressed," Minister Kent said, turning his gaze toward Arthur.
"Are you talking about the Portuguese fleet?" Arthur furrowed his brow and asked.
"Yes, Your Majesty. The Portuguese army is no match for us, but their navy currently holds the advantage. If we don't find a way to neutralize their navy, our troops in India might become sitting ducks, or even risk being surrounded," Minister Kent replied, nodding.
India and Australasia's mainland were not connected, and the most important mode of transport was still by sea. But if the Portuguese navy blocked the coast of Portuguese India, the only way to transport supplies to India would be through airships.
However, airship transportation depended on weather conditions and wasn't 100% reliable. This could only serve as a special method, and relying on airships for all supplies wouldn't be very secure in the long term.
"At this point, relying solely on our own strength to solve the Portuguese navy issue is unrealistic. Kent, do you have any good ideas?" Arthur asked, furrowing his brow.
"At the moment, there are two options, both of which could resolve the issue we are facing," Minister Kent said. "The first option is to invite the major European powers to intervene and end this war. Our relations with Germany and Russia are good, and Britain should not oppose us. Given the current relationship between England and France, France shouldn't pose much of a threat. With the public opinion in Europe, if these powers align with us, meeting our demands won't be difficult."
At this point, Arthur's good relationships with the major European powers had to be praised. Germany and Russia were likely to support Australasia due to their favorable relations with Arthur. And because of their blood ties and the goodwill Arthur had in the UK, Britain could not oppose public opinion and stand against Australasia. As for France, they would never risk offending the three other countries just to support Portugal, so to put it nicely, it was "intervention by the great powers," or, less kindly, "forcing Portugal to negotiate peace."
Arthur nodded but didn't make an immediate conclusion. Instead, he asked, "What's the second option?"
Minister Kent looked at Arthur's expression before continuing, "The second option is riskier, but it could bring us more benefits."
"Oh? Go on."
"Your Majesty, the first battleship we've built for Russia seems to be nearing completion, right?" Minister Kent suddenly asked.
Arthur was taken aback, then quickly understood Kent's implication.
The two dreadnoughts being built for Russia, with the first one—Petropavlovsk—almost complete and entering the water testing phase. Although its actual performance hadn't been fully tested yet, it was a genuine dreadnought.
The Portuguese navy didn't even have a battleship, so they were no match for the Petropavlovsk. However, the problem was that this battleship was the first one built for Russia, and the relationship between Russia and Australasia was strong.
Using this battleship without authorization would surely damage the trust between Russia and Australasia. Furthermore, Petropavlovsk still needed some time to be finished, and since no tests or sea trials had been conducted, the actual power of the battleship was still uncertain. Additionally, Australasia's naval soldiers had not yet fully mastered operating a dreadnought, so its full capabilities remained to be seen.
Using this battleship would only be a last resort. Since the war was still in Australasia's favor, Arthur did not intend to deploy it.
"Using the Petropavlovsk is not a good plan. Let's invite the European powers to intervene in the war instead! Contact Governor David and the ambassadors from various countries to express our desire for peace and our willingness to end the war," Arthur ultimately chose the first option, as it would achieve his objectives without causing too many unforeseen complications.
(End of Chapter)
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