Chapter 331 Exchange of Interests
After the end of the Balkan War, the world seemed to have fallen into a long period of silence.
The arms race between the two major military groups continues. From the simplest naval arms race before, it has now developed into an arms race between the army, navy and even the air force.
If the airships and planes dispatched by Italy in the previous Italian-Turkish war can represent the importance that European powers attach to current aviation equipment.
Since the success of Australasia's circumnavigation plan, aviation equipment represented by airships that can travel around the world has become an important weapon that is not weaker than the army and navy, and has attracted the attention of countries around the world.
The first country to make achievements in airships was Germany, which owned the Zeppelin Airship Company. From the end of September to October, Germany publicly announced the establishment of an air force, which will gradually equip at least 30 large airships, 100 small airships and dozens of aircraft of various types in the next five years.
Although the number seems small, Germany is the first country to publicly declare that it will establish an air force mainly based on airships and aircraft.
After Germany announced the establishment of an air force, the British naturally did not give in. Within a few days, they also announced that the United Kingdom would establish an air force service and equip more than 50 large airships and 100 small airships.
Out of the pride of being the world's most powerful country, the British naturally set the number of airships in their air force at a number that far exceeds the number of Germans to ensure that they can also have certain advantages in new military services.
With the prototypes of Germany and the United Kingdom, in just one month, major European powers have announced the establishment of air forces. Even Italy, which is expected to have the smallest air force, will be equipped with ten large airships and dozens of small airships.
It's no wonder that these countries attach so much importance to airships. In fact, the current performance of airships has surprised and frightened many European countries.
The longest range of an airship previously recognized was only a few hundred kilometers. In addition, the flying speed of the airship is not very fast, so the threat is not very great.
But now, Australasia's round-the-world airship has not only improved its speed a lot, but can even travel around the entire world with a few stops.
This also means that without air defense means, no region in the world is safe at present. Even the capitals of top powers like Britain and France may be bombed by enemies.
Before you master advanced prevention and control weapons, it is very necessary to equip a large number of airships.
This not only ensures that it has a certain threat capability to the enemy, but also ensures that it has certain countermeasures against unknown air threats.
The importance these European countries attach to airships can be briefly described in one sentence, that is: you may not pay attention to airships, but you cannot live without airships.
Although European countries have attached great importance to the research and development of airships, it is obviously impossible to have an airship that can sail around the world in a short time.
Therefore, Australasia's AU-3 airship has become the only main way for European countries to obtain a circumnavigating airship in a short period of time.
Although Australasia has previously stated that it will not sell airships to the military industry and will not allow foreign airship companies to resell airships.
But as the saying goes, there are no absolutes. All European powers believe that as long as the benefits are sufficient, let alone buying airships, it seems that it is not difficult to buy airship technology.
Starting from mid-October 1912, European powers successively contacted the aeronautical laboratories in Australasia and asked if they could purchase airships and airship technology.
After receiving the requests from these countries, Director Theodor did not dare to make his own decisions, so he quickly went to Sydney Palace to ask Arthur for advice.
At this time, Arthur was enjoying a happy life in the palace because he had just visited the Melbourne Shipyard and the Auckland Shipyard.
After hearing Director Theodor's inquiry and the requests from European powers to purchase airships and airship technology, Arthur couldn't help but laugh out loud and said: "Logically speaking, our airships are suitable for both civilian and military purposes. It has irreplaceable value. But if European countries are willing to spend technology with the same strategic value, it is not impossible to purchase and exchange airship technology." In the final analysis,
airships cannot have the same advantages as airplanes in the air. Even though Australasia's research on airships has not fallen behind, Arthur has to admit the fact that the most advanced airships at present will only be a living target in front of the most advanced aircraft.
Since such an obvious gap has been known for a long time, for Arthur, the importance of airships is far less important than that of airplanes.
Since European countries want airships and airship technology, it is not impossible to give them to them. The most critical question is, what kind of technology can these European countries pay in exchange for Australasia's airship technology?
Among these European countries, the one that Arthur valued most was actually the British Empire.
After all, it is currently the most powerful country in the world. The various naval technologies of the British Empire are very coveted by Arthur and he wants to possess them.
In addition, almost all European powers have advantages. Their technology is also something that Arthur is envious of, and it is also the foundation that Australasia is in urgent need of.
Although Arthur originally had no intention of using an airship to hit the European powers hard, but now that these European powers have already brought it to his lips, it is unreasonable not to eat this meat.
Under Arthur's instruction, Director Teodor held long-term discussions with European parties in order to exchange for advanced technologies and technical experts from European powers.
Thanks to the emphasis that Britain and Germany placed on airships, the European powers had to equip themselves with airships to give themselves air superiority and air counterattack capabilities.
The negotiations between the two sides lasted for a long time, until Germany initially equipped the airship and announced that it would hold an airship military parade. The British immediately couldn't sit still and expressed their willingness to exchange for the support of more technology and technical personnel in exchange for the airship. and airship technology.
First of all, on the British side, according to Arthur's instructions, Director Theodor requested many experts in naval gun design, as well as experts in the design of warship power systems, etc.
With the development of super-dreadnoughts in the future, the caliber of the artillery will increase to an exaggerated 15 inches, which is about 381 mm.
You know, the caliber of the dreadnoughts currently equipped by other powerful countries is about 305 mm.
Although the British currently only control the technology of 343mm artillery, it can be seen from the fact that after the outbreak of World War I, they hurriedly changed the original 343mm main gun technology to 381mm main gun, and achieved complete success. It turns out that the British have been quite successful in naval gun technology and are definitely worthy of Arthur's concern.
Thanks to its good relationship with the British and Arthur's guarantee that the AU-3 airship technology would not be sold to the Germans, the British government happily agreed to Arthur's request and expressed its willingness Three hundred experts were given to Australasia, one hundred each for naval guns, power systems and warship design.
These three hundred people were really sent. The British government made a very grand promise that they would be sent to Australasia within a month and a half, along with their families, and they would live directly and permanently in Australasia.
Thanks to the generous attitude of the British, Director Teodor also expressed his willingness to sell 50 airships to the British at a price lower than the market price, that is, for 70,000 pounds, and directly sell them to the British. AU-3 airship technology handed over to Britain.
From these 50 airships, Arthur could probably make a profit of 1.5 million pounds. Coupled with the 300 British experts, this exchange is definitely not a loss for Arthur.
As for the British promise not to cooperate with Germany, even if the British did not say this, cooperation between Arthur and Germany would be basically impossible. Although Germany's airship technology at this time was not as good as Australasia's, in the field of rigid airships, it was definitely the leader besides Australasia.
What's more, after receiving the AU-2 airship presented by Arthur, Germany's research on rigid airships has never ended, and it has also provided strong support to the Zeppelin Airship Company.
This time, all European countries basically contacted Australasia to purchase technology, but Germany only wanted to buy a few airships, but said nothing about the technology of the airships.
If nothing else happens, the Germans should be about to master an airship that can sail around the world. After all, the so-called circumnavigation is actually the sum of many long-distance flights.
According to the longest distance of the AU-3 airship when sailing around the world, it is only more than 8,000 kilometers from Los Angeles to London and Sydney to Hawaii.
If we follow the historical trajectory, the world's first airship that sailed around the world should have been manufactured by Zeppelin Company.
Now with the strong support of the German government, it is not impossible for Zeppelin to develop an airship that can sail around the world earlier.
In addition to Britain and Germany, under Arthur's instruction, Director Theodor also reached cooperation with other European powers.
Including France, Russia, Austria-Hungary and Italy, Australasia has obtained a large number of technical experts and personnel from these countries, as well as many advanced technologies in all aspects.
Naval guns, artillery, warship power systems, engine technology, medical technology, industrial equipment, industrial technology, etc., coupled with thousands of technical experts, Arthur believes that within a few years, Australasian technology will There will be considerable progress, and it is not far away to truly reach the level and power of the great powers.
Now that cooperation has been reached with these European powers, the airship manufacturing in the aviation laboratory can also be accelerated.
After the technology is shared with these countries, I believe that airship companies and airship technology in each country will rapidly advance.
Perhaps in a few years, airships like the AU-3 that can sail around the world will no longer be valuable, and the profits of the airship market will be greatly reduced.
After all, now, as the most novel means of transportation, coupled with the airship's faster speed and more comfortable way of travel, as well as the rare and expensive characteristics of the airship, the current price of airships and airship tickets is very high. Any airship company , as long as you own an airship that can sail around the world, you can immediately make a lot of money, and the stock market prices will increase several times or even ten times.
Such a crazy scene is slightly better than the previous rubber market. If the aviation laboratory had not been suppressing the construction speed of airships before, I am afraid that the current airship market, just like the previous rubber market, would be a mess for airship companies and eventually face a stock crisis.
If the aviation laboratory lets go of the production of airships, based on the current production speed, it will only take less than half a year at most to complete the orders from these powers.
Coupled with other orders from foreign private parties, the airship market can be maintained for at least a few years, but the proportion of Australasian airship companies will only become smaller and smaller.
After all, it was about making quick money, and Arthur didn't think about working hard in this area. It was already good to have such a profit, and Arthur was very satisfied.
Although the order for 30 airships from Germany was lost, 50 from Britain, 30 from France, 20 from Russia, 15 from Austria-Hungary, 15 from Italy, and 40 from the United States still brought orders for 170 airships to Australasia. .
And except for the United Kingdom, airships from other countries have the original price, which is 80,000 pounds.
Based on this calculation, these 170 airships can bring Arthur 6.3 million pounds, or 12.6 million Australian dollars in income, which is a good amount of extra money.
Even if this amount of money is invested in the navy, it can almost build three super-dreadnoughts, which is definitely not a small sum.
Although Arthur did not intend to invest the money in the navy, no matter where it was invested, the money would be of great help.
Among all the airship orders, American names appear somewhat unexpectedly.
In fact, when the European powers first contacted Australasia, the Americans were not aware of it.
But Arthur thought, the Europeans have been fooled anyway, so how can the United States, as a world-famous upstart, be an exception?
Therefore, under Arthur's instruction, the Aeronautical Laboratory released news that European powers were requesting to purchase airship technology, and it soon attracted the attention of the U.S. military and the U.S. government.
As early as when the Dawn airship landed in the United States, the generals of the U.S. military had already noticed the strategic significance of the airship.
How could the U.S. military remain silent when it learned that the European powers were purchasing airship technology? It immediately asked the government to follow suit and take advantage of this trend to equip the U.S. government with at least the same level of airships as those of the European powers. Protect America's skies.
In order to persuade the U.S. Congress, the military has almost made its mouth clear. Not only has it repeatedly stated the strategic significance of airships that can sail around the world, it can reach any territory in the United States at any time, causing fatal consequences to Americans and the U.S. military. threats.
At the same time, the U.S. military also publicly claimed that if the U.S. military cannot be equipped with advanced weapons such as airships, then there will be a clear gap between the U.S. military strength and the European powers.
Although the United States currently has no intention of participating in the disputes in Europe, this does not mean that the United States has no ambitions to become a world hegemon.
Various policy changes in the United States represent that this country has considerable ambitions. Such remarks by the U.S. military naturally attracted the attention of the government, and the airship purchase plan was carried out smoothly.
Of course, the current technological level of the United States is obviously lagging behind that of European powers, and Arthur does not pay much attention to their technological capabilities.
Compared with the technological level of the United States, the total industrial scale and economic level of the United States are still important guarantees for the United States to obtain the status of a great power.
As for the current military technology and military level of the United States, it can only be described in four words, which is difficult to describe in one sentence.
Since Americans have money, Arthur cannot let go of this opportunity. After a period of discussions with the US government, it was finally determined that the United States would purchase 40 airships at the original price and purchase the AU-3 airship technology for 20 million Australian dollars.
Of course, in addition to this, Arthur also negotiated with the U.S. government, using the lack of funds for national development as an excuse to borrow 500 million marks from the U.S. government and the private sector, agreeing to repay the principal fifteen years later, with interest, for a total of six Fifty million marks.
As for why the borrowing from the United States was in German currency units, it was because Arthur specifically stated that most of the borrowed funds would be used in Germany to purchase a large amount of industrial equipment and technology from Germany, so the Americans were asked to directly prepare the German Marks. Can.
Of course, since the German marks were used when borrowing, then the German marks must also be repaid when repaying.
As for the interest of up to 150 million marks, if the situation in Europe really develops according to the original history, then Arthur can not care about the interest at all.
4600 words, just one update today. (I went out today, there is nothing I can do about it)
My daily expenses will be tens of thousands starting tomorrow, otherwise I won’t be able to keep my royalties.
(End of this chapter)