My Italy - Chapter 663 Greece’s Road to Entente

When Italy and Austria were offering a lot of benefits to win over Bulgaria, Britain and France were doing the same thing, but the target they chose was not Bulgaria.

In the Prime Minister’s Office in Athens, the capital of Greece, the two ambassadors of Britain and France were talking with Prime Minister Venizelos.

Speaking of which, Prime Minister Venizelos is a man of the hour. He was born on the island of Crete. His father was a revolutionary in Crete who was exiled to Sylo by the Turks.

Venizelos lived there with his family from the age of two, and later went to university in Athens and was a student leader. After receiving his law degree, he returned to Crete and worked as a lawyer and journalist.

When Italy supported the Republic of Crete after the First Balkan War, he readily joined as a member of Parliament. However, Venizelos soon discovered that the Italians were too powerful in Crete and were affecting the situation of the Republic at all times.

This made Venizelos indignant, and he later organized a resistance army to try to overthrow this puppet-like republican government, but failed and was captured by the Cretan police with both weapons.

However, in view of Venizelos’s high prestige in Crete (after all, he was the son of a revolutionary leader), the Cretan government exiled him and could not return to the Republic of Crete without amnesty.

Venizelos then went to Greece and interacted closely with the Military Association composed of young officers. Later, the Military Association launched a revolution in Greece and invited Venizelos to serve as its leader. At Venizelos’ urging, the Military Association and King George revised the constitution. In the general election held in August 1908, Venizelos was elected as a member of parliament and became Prime Minister of Greece in October.

After becoming prime minister, Venizelos continued to consolidate the secret alliance with Serbia, and later brought Romania in before the war broke out. Ever since, under the prime minister’s brilliant diplomacy, Bulgaria’s fate was decided by the three countries.

Everyone knows what happened next. Under the leadership of this prime minister, Greece acquired South Macedonia and many islands on the east side of the Aegean Sea, bringing Greece’s strength one step closer.

In addition, Prime Minister Venizelos is a pro-British and French faction. After the war broke out, he called on Greece to join the Allied Powers. However, because the new king of Greece, Constantine I, was related by marriage to the German royal family and sympathized with the Allied countries, he rejected his suggestion.

Now, here in Greece, the king is pro-German and the prime minister is pro-British, making Greek diplomacy unpredictable.

However, there is a question mark on this, because its pro-British tradition has not been lost, so London believes that Greece has a strong pro-British tradition. Although its king is pro-German, the prime minister who holds most of the power is pro-British, so Greece is It is a country that is very easy to win over to the Allied Powers.

“Prime Minister Venizelos, as long as your country joins our entente camp, then after defeating the Allies, the southern Albania region, the island of Cyprus, and the Twelve Italian Groups can all be owned by your country. In addition, your country can also annex the Republic of Crete. , I believe that the Greeks on Crete are enthusiastically looking forward to merging with Greece.”

The British Ambassador, Mr. Villegas, was working hard to tell Prime Minister Venizelos the conditions offered by the Allied Powers.

To be fair, the conditions mentioned by the British ambassador are simply too good for Greece.

Although Prime Minister Venizelos was very tempted by the British ambassador’s conditions, as an excellent prime minister, he certainly knew the importance of this choice. Not to mention that the current performance of the Allied Powers camp in this war is not very good.

“Thank you for your interest in our country. Although our country is also willing to join the alliance camp that punishes those who provoked this war, our country is not ready at the moment. I am sorry that this has disappointed your country.”

Although Prime Minister Venizelos declined, since they came with a purpose, how could the two ambassadors give up.

I saw French Ambassador Durden speaking. “Your Excellency, Prime Minister, your country is not ready. It doesn’t matter. If your country is short of weapons and funds, we can provide it to your country. In addition, although the current alliance camp seems to have an advantage on all fronts, your country also needs to see that , the great advantage of our Allied camp. Although our country has lost a lot of territory, even Paris is occupied by the Germans, but we are working hard to regain Paris. Although we were attacked in Bonteru. A small setback, but it does not affect the fact that we will definitely capture Paris.

In addition, regardless of the population, territory, and finance of each country, our Allied camp is far more powerful than the Alliance camp. To be fair, as long as our Allied camp does not fall in the first wave of attacks, then the Alliance camp will have no chance at all. Because we can draw manpower from various colonies, even if these colonial armies fight less than one-third of the German and Italian troops, they only have as many people as we have more. Not to mention that we can also purchase supplies from all over the world, but what about Deio?

They can only obtain them from their own country, and at most buy them from surrounding neutral countries. However, we must know that many strategic materials in Europe are not available at all and must be purchased from all over the world. For example, rubber, saltpeter ore and other important materials related to the outcome of the war, as well as weapons and ammunition, etc. in addition……”

According to the French ambassador’s account, the difficulties now encountered by the Allies were only temporary. With their massive population and supplies, they can swamp the alliance camp to death, but it will take a little longer.

After the French Ambassador finished speaking, the British Ambassador Villegas continued. “If your country joins, our country will immediately prepare 20 million pounds of funds for your country, and is also willing to provide 15 million pounds of military supplies.”

Prime Minister Venizelos was tempted by some analysis and words of assistance from the British and French ambassadors. As the French ambassador said, from every aspect, the strength of Britain, France and Russia is much higher than that of Germany, Italy and Austria. Although the two camps have now joined the Ottomans and Japan, it can be seen from these two new countries that Japan is far stronger than the Ottomans, and the military strength of the two parties is not comparable at all.

By joining the Entente, according to the conditions disclosed by the British and French ambassadors, Greece would increase its territory by one-third and its population by a quarter. Opportunities like this don’t come around all the time.

Prime Minister Venizelos, who had figured it out at this time, immediately spoke. “I personally agree with the words of the two ambassadors, but joining you requires the consent of His Majesty the King. At this point we have great difficulties.”

At this time, Prime Minister Venizelos had expressed his agreement, and now it was the king who was a little sad to pass.

After hearing Prime Minister Venizelos’s expression of willingness to join the Allied Powers, the two ambassadors also suppressed their excitement.

“Prime Minister, please rest assured that our two countries are willing to fully support you. I believe that a good king will not ignore the wishes of the people. If he must do this, the anger of the people will be enough to burn through the king’s throne. Maybe then a A new king who can listen to the voices of the people is more worthy of the people’s expectations. “

Well, changing the king’s words is so fresh and refined, it’s no wonder he is skilled in business.

“Thank you both for your support. I think His Majesty I will seriously consider it.”

Although these two people can say whatever they want, Venizelos, as Prime Minister, cannot say this, but the meaning of his words has already shown that he agrees with the two ambassadors.

So if the pro-German King Constantine persists, abdicating the throne and going into exile will be his best outcome.

As for why Britain and France wanted to win over Greece at all costs, it was mainly because of the situation in the Mediterranean.

The current situation in the Mediterranean has begun to deteriorate as the Roman class has been put into service one after another. Although the Mediterranean Combined Fleet of the Allied Powers has various battleships from Britain, France and Japan, none of them is equipped with a 380 mm caliber battleship.

As for why there is so much emphasis on the 380 mm caliber main gun, it is because from the beginning of the design of battleships equipped with 380 mm main guns, battleship designers no longer pursue the battleship to defend against attacks from its own artillery. This means that starting from the 380 mm caliber, the firepower of the battleship is greater than the defense. This also means that starting from the 380mm battleship, other battleships with weaker calibers are no match for it.

The imbalance of naval power has also worsened the situation in the Mediterranean. Before the British Queen Elizabeth class enters service, if you want to delay the enemy’s seizure of the Suez Canal, you must expand the front. The addition of Greece will allow the Allies’ power in the Mediterranean to be dispersed to Greece.

This also destined Greece to be cannon fodder, but after the victory of the war, Britain and France were very willing to fulfill their promises. After all, Greece played a sufficient role.