Chapter 140: Baiting the Hook
Although the island nation claimed that the expansion of its military was to maintain domestic stability and protect the interests of its citizens, it was obvious to everyone that the true purpose of the military expansion was to strengthen its projection of power in East Asia and protect its strategic interests in the region and even in the Far East.
This could be seen from the current size of the island nation's active military forces and the number of reserve troops. The island nation currently had an active military force of nearly 300,000, with over 200,000 troops capable of fighting outside its borders.
This was no longer just about defending its territory. The 200,000 combat troops alone exceeded the number of Russian forces in the Far East, and the island nation had nearly two million reserve personnel in reserve.
With such a large military, their intentions were far from simple. Moreover, the island nation was actively working to strengthen its army's equipment and the number of warships in its navy.
"All German-made weapons in Australia are taught by German experts, with powerful technology from German armaments factories. If it weren't so troublesome to change the weapons and create new equipment, which would cause even more serious logistical problems, perhaps Australia would have switched all its equipment to German-made models. You're in luck—we have the right to export all German-made weaponry, and we're more than happy to sell them to your country," Arthur said with a smile.
Selling arms to gain a share of the arms market was something Australia urgently needed, and regardless of the island nation's purposes for acquiring these weapons, it did not affect Australia's decision to export them.
"Thank you so much, Your Grace. We are eagerly looking forward to signing the arms import-export agreement with your country and making large-scale import plans from your arms factories," Tozawa said, his face full of expectation.
Arthur nodded and continued, "I've heard that your country places great emphasis on the navy and has built a very powerful fleet in just a few decades. Such rapid development is really admirable. Australia's navy, on the other hand, is still only at the medium scale with plans for larger battleships in the future."
Upon hearing Arthur's slightly envious words, Tozawa couldn't help but feel a sense of pride.
The island nation had indeed experienced a miraculous transformation. Having once been forced open by the United States, the island nation had quickly reformed in just a few decades, transitioning from a backward, indigenous nation to one that had essentially Westernized and developed into a quasi-industrial power. This was something that could not be achieved by imagination alone.
Regardless of how dubious the nation's history might be, its rapid development was something to be admired.
The island nation was the only one in the 19th century that quickly transformed from a backward colony into an industrial nation and even a great power.
In a neighboring Eastern country, reforms were attempted but ultimately failed.
This was one of the sources of pride for all islanders—they had been able to overcome their primitive culture and technology and, through decades of change, became one of the great powers. This greatly enhanced the national cohesion and unity of the island nation.
"Thank you for your compliments, Your Grace. I believe that in the future, Australia will also definitely have many battleships and develop an even stronger navy," Tozawa responded respectfully, even though his pride shone through.
"Tozawa Koichiro," Arthur said, pretending to survey the surroundings. He then looked at Tozawa with a slightly meaningful expression and asked, "May I ask if your country has any plans to purchase battleships?"
"Battleships?" Tozawa's heart skipped a beat, and he looked at Arthur in surprise, hastily asking, "Your Grace, do you mean...?"
"Haha, just as you're thinking, Mr. Tozawa," Arthur said, nodding and explaining, "Thanks to the assistance from the German Empire, Australia has acquired the capability to build one of Germany's most advanced battleships, the Brunswick-class battleship. After more than a year of instruction from German experts, Australia's shipyards have mastered the independent production of this battleship. With Germany's approval, Australia also has the right to sell this vessel."
Upon hearing Arthur's explanation, Tozawa's eyes lit up, and his breath grew heavier.
There was no doubt that battleships were crucial for countries that valued their navies. They could directly determine a navy's combat power.
The number of battleships a nation had—and whether it even possessed them—was considered a key measure of its naval strength.
The island nation already had several battleships, but that didn't mean it didn't want more.
Because Britain was caught up in the arms race, it had to focus on maintaining superiority over other nations in terms of warship numbers. This limited the number of battleships the island nation could acquire from Britain.
Moreover, Britain's long-standing policy of balance meant it wasn't too keen on allowing the island nation to become too strong in East Asia, which was why the number of island nation battleships had been restricted.
Apart from the British Empire, other European powers couldn't match Britain's shipbuilding capabilities. The German Empire, for all its power, had strained relations with the island nation due to its alliance with Russia.
Other countries like France and Italy, though capable of building battleships, couldn't compete with Britain and Germany in terms of quality and performance.
France, in particular, wouldn't risk angering Russia for the sake of the island nation, and Italy's military and naval capabilities were relatively weak, making their battleships unsuitable for the island nation's needs.
Outside of Europe, the United States could provide warships, but its industrial and military capabilities were far behind those of Britain and Germany. The United States was seen more as a rich but naive newcomer in the global military scene.
Thus, the island nation had limited options, and hearing that Australia could independently produce Germany's main battleship, the Brunswick-class, and potentially export it to the island nation made Tozawa incredibly excited.
He felt as though he had just found the opportunity to continue expanding the island nation's naval power. With the support of British and American funds, this seemed like a golden opportunity.
(End of Chapter)
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