Nothing like war is foolproof, it's just a matter of being prepared and unprepared. At this moment, Spain is at a disadvantage in all aspects. The weapons and weapons are inferior to others, the strength of the troops is inferior to others, and the level of training is inferior to others. Even the most famous people are inferior to others. The proud navy is also inferior to others.
The empire has long been outdated. The glory in the early days of the Age of Discovery has long been crushed by the train of the Industrial Revolution. The Spanish matador is already too old.
General Enmu sighed, "I can't make any guarantees. I can only try my best to help us defend our existing colonies under the existing conditions..."
"I no longer have the confidence to defeat the Chinese, but I have the confidence to draw them. I can delay the Chinese and buy time for China's diplomacy!"
"No matter what, Europeans must unite. France is unreliable at the moment, but Britain is still reliable... As long as there is time, let our government negotiate with the British..."
"As long as the UK takes action, we can get through it!"
Governor Botila almost cried, "General, how can we negotiate with the United Kingdom? Madeira is now a provisional government, and the two generals control the situation... The queen has hid in France, and a new king has not been elected... "
"You always talk about diplomacy, diplomacy... Who should we ask to do diplomacy? If domestic radicals create a republic, the British will not care about us!"
This is really to the point. It is very simple for the UK to help Spain out of trouble, but the UK is not a philanthropist and its relationship with Spain is not that good, so why should it take action?
Will offending the Chinese for Spain affect future business interests? Who would make a loss-making transaction?
Governor Botila and General Enmu also have another worry. They are all nobles, and the current Spanish political system is very chaotic. Since the new king has not yet taken office, many republicans are beginning to make moves.
Once a republican system replaces a constitutional monarchy, what will we do?
Look, a little thought has been made. The nobles in these colonies have long been no longer thinking about military armaments and civil affairs. They are only thinking about how to maintain their noble status. This is more important than anything else.
General Enmu said helplessly, "That's why we have to buy time! Not only to buy time for diplomatic negotiations in the country, but also to buy a little more time for the new king to come to power!"
"I'm afraid we are going to have a hard time for a long time! Even these hard days have to be fought with our lives! There is no time to hesitate. If you delay it any longer, Chinese warships have been assembled in Brunei. Their number, tonnage, If the firepower exceeds ours, we are really doomed!"
"Listen to you! I will listen to you!" The governor nodded with a pale face.
The main force of the Spanish Navy in the entire Philippines is concentrated in Manila, and the other ports are all small gunboats, which are patrol ships of two to three hundred tons.
Twelve warships capable of deep-sea operations were all concentrated in Manila. When they received General Enmu's order, more than 4,000 naval officers and soldiers began to take action, preparing to sail as quickly as possible.
At the emergency meeting, Enmu shared intelligence with naval officers and conveyed his and the governor's pessimistic judgment of the situation.
How exactly is the Chinese strategy formulated? General Enmu thought he had it cracked.
The overall strategic idea of the Chinese is to station troops in Brunei and use Kalimantan as a springboard to launch an attack on Manila. The riot troops in Luzon Island are designed to lure the Manila defenders away.
Why choose Brunei? Because the Chinese want to show off their strong military force and put pressure on Lanfang Republic and Sulu State.
The Brunei region borders the Republic of Lanfang to the west and is connected to the mountains and rivers of Sulu to the east. Everything that happens here cannot escape the eyes of neighboring countries.
If there were really 100,000 troops and more than 20 large warships gathered here, these small countries that flirt with China would definitely be tempted.
What now? Lanfang Republic was the first to jump out, right? The land has been donated, and behind it is the Sulu Kingdom!
Those native kings have been involved with the Chinese since the Ming Dynasty. Europeans have never truly trusted them. Now that the storm is coming, how can these wallflowers remain unwavering.
Although there is no movement in Sulu at the moment, they must be waiting and watching. When the Chinese army is assembled and more than 100,000 people gather in Brunei, the King of Sulu will definitely rebel.
At that time, it will be a situation of attack from the north and the south!
The Chinese are so insidious in their calculations. They can advance, attack, retreat or defend. This strategy is simply perfect!
If everything goes according to their arrangements, then the entire Philippines will belong to them. At least the main island of Luzon, Palawan Island, and the Sulu Islands will not be able to escape.
With these territories plus the entire island of Kalimantan, the Chinese will completely suppress the entire Southeast Asia, especially the Spaniards, who will have an even harder time.
The Chinese have blocked all directions leading to the Suez Canal. Where will Spanish ships go in the future? Take the Pacific Ocean around South America?
What a terrifying picture this is. As long as the Chinese achieve their minimum strategic goals, how will Spain survive in the future? They will take away all the remaining land bit by bit!
General Enmu's words moved all the navy. The navy certainly knows the importance of routes. Once the Palawan Islands, Sulu Islands and Kalimantan are controlled by the Chinese, their westward route will really be impossible. .
The Chinese can choke you whenever they want and force you to go around the Pacific Ocean. How can you do business then?
I'm afraid General Enmu still doesn't know the information that Bismarck and Xiao Letian have divided up the Annan Kingdom. If he knew, they would go crazy even more.
"Please rest assured, general, we will fight hard for Spain until death!"
The declining empire and the declining fleet left Manila against the setting sun. That scene was full of the atmosphere of an ancient tomb of death!
Standing at the pier to see him off, General Enmu watched the battleship go away. He never let go of his hands for a long time. "Warriors! You are my last hope for the Philippines. If we want to hold on to the colony we created over the past three hundred years, we have to rely on you." Go bet on this naval battle!”
"Before the Chinese have completed their naval build-up, take advantage of the fact that Brunei only has four warships and concentrate on defeating them one by one!"
"This is our only chance of winning. If you lose, we will be completely doomed!"
"God bless you! God bless Spain!"
At the same time, Governor Botila also knelt in front of the cross of the church and prayed devoutly, "Oh God! Please protect me from this disaster! Please give Spain a wise monarch as soon as possible!"
"Don't let the Chinese succeed...and don't let the republican thugs in the country succeed..."
It seems that Governor Botila has a lot on his mind. If he wants to retain his power, it is not enough to defeat the Chinese militarily. He must also ensure that Spain continues to maintain its constitutional monarchy.
The governor's job is hard enough!
