In Moltke's view, if you start from a stable perspective, defeating the opponent through the ground offensive is obviously a higher level than forcing the British to surrender through the navy. Although the cost may be a bit high. But don't forget that if the British fight well, they will lose the war in one day, and if the fight is not good, the German high seas fleet will never recover! Of course, under the current circumstances, even if the navy loses, it can still hurt the British, and the German army can also complete the unfinished career of the navy. To put it bluntly, Germany is actually a great situation, and it is the kind of dog-leaving victory. The only difference is how to win!

"English victory is different from naval victory. If we defeat the French through the army, what can we get? At most, it will be some war reparations and some French colonies in Africa. These things really have limited meaning to the empire. We won't be completely successful!"

"The reason is very simple. We just defeated the French completely, but did not really threaten the British! Even if we negotiate, the British could still use their powerful navy as footnotes to protect their interests, which is unacceptable to me! We must make the British feel heartbroken, and we must take down the entire British Southern Africa! There is also the crucial Suez Canal! Otherwise, the British would not surrender, and after the war they would find opportunities to encircle the empire again!"

"And what if our navy defeated the British? We can declare to the world well-deserved that the long sword of the Empire can cross oceans and continents and kill the Empire's enemies in any corner of the world! We will replace the British and become the most powerful maritime force on the planet! We will be a new empire that will never set, and the empire can also obtain very abundant resources in southern Africa. It is much richer than the French colonies. In this case, what should you choose?" Ruprecht asked.

Although France has the largest colony in Africa, its location is really not as good as that of the British! First of all, most of the French colonies are in North Africa, and North Africa has the largest desert in the world, the Sahara Desert. Even Algeria, which is close to the Mediterranean, is mostly deserted. What about the British colonies in southern Africa? This is not just referring to the current South Africa, but also Zambia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe. In terms of environmental resources, it is much better than the French colonies. If you can choose, you will naturally take away the British southern Africa!

"Your Highness, do you have any other considerations?" Moltke had already agreed with the prince's idea, but as a political old man, Grand Duke Baden smelled a strange smell from Ruprecht's arrangement, so he wanted to take this opportunity to ask clearly.

"Of course there is." The prince said frankly: "Actually, I think that in this war, the British are our biggest enemy, and the French are just a tool to be used. Imagine that after the end of the French-Prussian War, the French endured for half a century. They knew that they could not defeat Germany. Therefore, even if there was a territorial dispute between Alsace and Lorraine, they still had no ability to take revenge. Even after they united Russia, they were still unsure. It was the British who gave the French the courage to fight us brazenly."

"But in fact, if the country that caused the most losses to Germany among the Allies was the French! Because they were the main force of land warfare, 70% of our total losses on the Western Front were caused by the French! The Empire has invested a lot of manpower and material resources to defend France all year round. So, if possible, I hope to alleviate the feud between the two sides by appropriate preferential treatment of the French!" said the prince.

"Your statement seems a bit taken for granted, right?" Albert said. "The French are very concerned about the Alsace and Lorraine. We can't return this area, right?"

"In fact, territorial issues may not necessarily become a deadlock in the relationship between the two countries. Look at the territory during the Napoleon Empire, and look at the territory of France now. How much territory did the French lose? The Kingdom of Belgium was split from France, and a considerable part of Italy's territory was placed under the rule of the French. But what was the result? Didn't Napoleon III fight the Crimean War with the Russians to please Britain, and in the French-Prussian War, the British did not help the French."

"That's good, why did Napoleon III flatter the British? You know, it was the British who ended the French's first empire! The fundamental reason was that Napoleon III believed that he could not defeat Britain! Sometimes enemies could become friends because they could not win. And in this war, the French realized the huge cost and no chance of winning, and naturally they would not stand it to the end. If we were a little proud at this time, even if Germany and France could not become friends, their hostility would be reduced. To be honest, I think those present would rather fight naval battles with the British than land battles with the French?" the prince said half-seriously and half-jokingly.

Because of the different combat modes, although the French are not as strong as the British, they are fighting land wars with the French. Land wars are synonymous with blood in this era. As a land power, Germany is still under pressure to maintain the advantages of both east and west at the same time. Therefore, taking this opportunity to ease the relationship with the French as much as possible. After the French realize that there is no future in military confrontation, and then give a step, the relationship between the two sides is still very promising. Even if they cannot become allies, it is okay to remain neutral?

As for whether there are other reasons? There are also reasons. Everyone here knows it, but it is not convenient to say it out, because everyone here feels a bit embarrassing to say it out…

To put it bluntly, Germany's most important ally and the largest funder, the United States believes that the weakening of France in transition is "inappropriate". Everyone's biggest enemy is the British, so the United States and Germany should isolate their opponents. After the US representative put forward this suggestion, he also promised that if Germany "promotes its strength" in this war and is more polite to the French, he can consider increasing the amount of interest-free loans to Germany to US$1.5 billion after the war!

This can be considered a fight and aroused. The Americans' actions showed fear of Germany's strength, but at the same time it also gave them a level and a certain amount of benefits. So although the Germans were unhappy, they were acceptable!
Chapter completed!