Chapter 56 Discussion

Constantine returned to Greece and entered the familiar city of Athens.

In order not to cause a commotion, Constantine and his party changed into casual clothes.

Driving the horses towards the direction of the Tatoi Palace.

People gathered in groups on the street, discussing eagerly.

"Have you heard, Tipis, there will be a war soon?"

"Who will we fight against?"

"Who else? Of course it will be the Turks, these damn Turks"

"Really? We have to teach those turbans a lesson (Turks turban)"

The young man named Tipis blushed and his eyes lit up when he heard the word war.

As a young man who had never seen a war, his impression of war was limited to the exciting and fascinating war stories.

"Why not, I just heard what the senator said, can he still lie to me?"

Constantine, who passed by the two, listened to the conversation without missing a word.

It seems that the citizens of Athens are already in a state of panic.

Thinking of this, Constantine sped up.

Meeting room of the Tatoi Palace.

King George I, Prime Minister Trikoupis, Conservative leader Delianes, Chief of General Staff Emmanuil, and the military and political leaders of the Kingdom of Greece gathered together to discuss the situation in the Balkan Peninsula.

"Mr. Chief of General Staff, if Greece is going to participate in a war now, can our army go to war at any time?" Delianes asked.

Emmanuil thought about the actual situation of the army, combined with the intelligence of Greece's opponent, the Ottoman Turkish army, and replied; "If the war is controlled within two months, the army's supplies and ammunition can be guaranteed."

At first glance, it seems that the army can only maintain its war capability for two months, which seems to be too short.

In fact, the war capability of two months is already very good. For example, in the Franco-Prussian War, the front battlefield lasted only about two months.

At the end of the 19th century, the combat thinking of various countries was to fight quickly and decide the outcome quickly.

This is because a long-term war will consume a huge amount of materials. After all, the army fighting on the front line does not produce anything, and the rapid consumption of weapons and ammunition will severely hit the economy. Therefore, all countries try their best to avoid a long-term war.

European countries have small land areas and scarce natural resources, so the potential for long-term wars is naturally limited.

For example, during World War I, countries thought that the war would end in a few months at most, and did not expect it to be an extremely cruel and long-term war of attrition.

As for the long-term war such as the Hundred Years' War between England and France (1337-1453), it is actually a general term for a series of wars, which were fought and stopped in the middle. Strictly speaking, it was not a war at all.

Given the social productivity at that time and the population conditions of the two countries, if it was a long-term and high-intensity war for a hundred years, the people of the two countries would have been killed on the battlefield if they did not starve to death.

"The prerequisite is to obtain the approval of major powers in politics," Emmanuel said solemnly.

Hearing this, there was silence in the conference room.

No one had confidence in such a request, and the determination of various countries to maintain the situation in the Balkan Peninsula was firm.

"Delianis, how is your contact with the British ambassador?" King George I asked, breaking the silence in the room.

"The British attitude is still unclear. It should be that the British are still unclear about the whole story, so there has been no clear reply."

Delianis replied unwillingly.

"Then why did you incite the people to go to war in the National Assembly?" Trikoupis asked angrily with a livid face.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Greece. We cannot hesitate. If we want to gain something in this crisis, we must be decisive and firm," Delianis replied calmly.

"But without the consent of the great powers, even if we have achieved results on the battlefield, what does it matter? We can't get it at all!" Emmanuil said angrily.

One of the characteristics of the great powers is that they control the international discourse power. Changes in territory, especially changes in European territory, must be agreed by all countries.

Without the consent of all countries, even if we get it on the battlefield, we have to spit it out at the negotiation table.

Even a big country like Russia, if it is not determined to fight, cannot be spared. The Berlin Conference in 1881 abolished the Treaty of Sansnovat, which is a clear proof.

Russia is not immune to this, let alone a third-rate small country in Europe like Greece.

At this time, Butler Capet came to George I and whispered; "Duke Constantine has returned from the Thessaly camp."

"Let him come here to participate in the meeting," George ordered.

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Constantine walked into the meeting room and saw that all the powerful people in Greece were present.

"Constantine, how is the Thessaly Corps?" George I asked anxiously.

The war clouds are still there, and the situation is turbulent. At this time, only the army can be relied on.

Constantine, who came back from the barracks, is naturally the best person to ask.

"The morale of the army is good, but the number of cannons is insufficient, and the soldiers' live-fire training has also been affected," Constantine said without concealment.

Everyone turned their eyes to Emmanuil. This was not consistent with what he said.

"The military budget has always been insufficient, so the training of soldiers will certainly be affected. Prime Minister Trikupis is most aware of this, right?" Emmanuil naturally did not want to be accused for no reason.

During his tenure, Trikupis has always pursued a policy of supporting industry and commerce. He also had to build public facilities such as roads and docks, and at the same time he had to repay foreign debts. He had to spend money everywhere, and the financial pressure was always great.

"Your Majesty, everyone, the current situation is unclear, and Greece's finances are sluggish, so it is best to stay away and watch, and don't rush to express your views."

Trikupis felt very aggrieved. Since Greece's independence in 1823, it has been in debt and has never been well-off. It has always been tight.

"I agree with the Prime Minister's proposal. As far as I know, Bulgaria's actions this time did not have Russia's consent." Constantine knew very well that Greece had better not get involved in the turmoil of Bulgarian unification this time.

The best choice for the mess in the Balkan Peninsula is to maintain the status quo. Countries will not make a big fuss over the Balkan Peninsula at this time.

"In this case, Bulgaria will definitely have a conflict with the Turks. After all, Eastern Rumelia is Turkish territory. If Bulgaria does not have the Russians to back it up, the Turks will not be able to react," Trianis said excitedly.

"In this case, it is just the opportunity for Greece. It is best to contact the Bulgarians and attack the Ottoman Turks together."

Everyone looked at each other. It was obvious that Trikupis and Delianis disagreed.

This is nothing new. The two are political opponents. Trikupis is the leader of the Liberal Party, and Delianis has always wanted the position of prime minister.

After that, Delianis left the meeting room angrily and went to the direction of the National Assembly.

"Your Majesty, is Delianis really for the country and the nation, out of justice, so enthusiastically inciting war, or is it just for the position of prime minister, inciting the people as a cover?"

After everyone dispersed, Constantine asked.

"Who knows? But it is more likely to be both," King George replied.