Chapter 648: What to do if you can’t beat them
More than a million Greeks were massacred by the Ottoman Empire.
George encourages repaying kindness with kindness and repaying evil with kindness.
The Greeks did not fail George.
On the Asia Minor Peninsula east of the Black Sea outlet, within 200 kilometers, only Slavs and Greeks are left.
The area around Ismail in the west of Asia Minor was even more extreme, with only Greeks left.
These Greeks just moved in after the Russian army occupied this area.
Like Brusinov and Vasily, Yankov continued to advance eastward after receiving reinforcements.
The Ottomans also changed commanders like swords. After Atatürk expelled the British army from the Asia Minor Peninsula, he was appointed commander-in-chief of the Austrian army by Muhammad V and led 400,000 Austrian troops to fight. The 14th Army led by Yankov.
The total strength of the 14th Army has now increased to 200,000, and the Greek army that cooperates with the 14th Army is about 100,000.
Unlike the Three Heroes, Atatürk did not fight head-on and made full use of the complex terrain of the Asia Minor Peninsula to deal with the coalition forces.
Yankov played steadily and Atatürk could not find a chance.
The Greek army was attacked by the Ottoman army in Mura. One brigade was wiped out and another brigade was routed, with losses exceeding 7,000.
Yankov had to send reserves to fill the line. Wipe the Greeks' butt.
The British were unwilling to be left alone. This time they no longer sent troops to land on the Asia Minor Peninsula, but contacted the Ottomans on the Persian Peninsula to launch a rebellion.
The British finally found their correct position in the world war.
This is what the British do best.
George also gained something and secretly occupied a small island next to Socotra.
The Socotra Islands are located at the exit of the Gulf of Aden and consist of four islands. The British army has a military base on the main island of Hideb and has designated the islands as a restricted area.
In early March this year, the Russian merchant ship "Hercules" encountered a storm in the Indian Ocean and barely sailed to the Socotra Islands and ran aground.
The "Hercules" asked the British army for help, but the British army ignored it.
So the crew of the "Hercules" was stranded on this island, which the crew named "Little Rock".
Two months later, the British army came to inspect Xiaoshi Island again and found that the crew of the "Hercules" actually built a simple dock on Xiaoshi Island.
The British army was very angry and asked "Hercules" to leave immediately.
The crew of "Hercules" was helpless.
When the crew of the Hercules asked the British army for help before, the British army ignored them.
The crew had no choice but to find a way to repair the "Hercules" before leaving.
The "Hercules" was loaded with construction materials that were originally intended to be sent to Constantinople.
Ship repairing is a troublesome matter. You can't repair it empty-handed. At least there must be a dock.
If you want to build a dock, you must first build a dock.
Although the crew of the "Hercules" had good reasons, it still aroused strong concerns among the British army.
The crew said nicely, just repair the boat and leave.
The ship is repaired, what to do with the dock and dock?
Just abandoned?
The British don’t believe that Russians are so easy to talk to.
On June 19, more than 40 British troops arrived at Xiaoshi Island on patrol boats and demanded that the crew of the "Hercules" leave Xiaoshi Island immediately and demolish the piers and docks built by the crew.
As well as houses and warehouses.
The crew cannot live on the ship all the time. Since there are building materials, it is reasonable to build some houses for the crew to live.
If you want to get the ship into the dock, you must first unload the cargo from the ship, so you have a warehouse.
But there are houses, warehouses, docks, and docks——
This is already a port!
The crew of the "Hercules" were unwilling to abandon the ship and left, and clashed with the British troops who landed on the island.
What is speechless is that the British army not only failed to expel the crew, but were beaten up by the crew.
Not only did they receive a beating in vain, but the crew of the "Hercules" complained first and sent a telegram to the Russian troops stationed in the Suez Canal, asking for help from the Russian troops.
After receiving the telegram, Yuri went directly to the British Commissioner for Egypt, William Henry McMahon.
Yes, that's the McMahon of the "McMahon Line."
McMahon’s father was a British Army Lieutenant General. In 1880, McMahon began his military career in India.
After the outbreak of the World War, McMahon was appointed High Commissioner to Egypt. He planned the Ottoman rebellion in the Persian Peninsula.
When Yuri came to see McMahon, McMahon was worried about Yuri's troops.
Britain originally asked George to send people to help defend the Suez Canal because it was threatened by the Ottoman army.
For this reason, the British were responsible for all expenses while the Russian troops were stationed in the Suez Canal.
Eating and drinking are actually nothing to the British Empire. After all, the British Empire has a strong family background and can afford it.
What the British did not expect is that it is easier to invite gods than to send them away.
What McMahon is worried about now is how to drive these Russian troops away.
Uri broke into McMahon's office without an appointment.
"General, please wait a moment -"
McMahon's secretary did not dare to stop him and trotted next to Yuri.
"Get away!"
Yuri's face was gloomy. He not only carried a gun with him, but also took his adjutant and guards with him.
Arriving at McMahon's office door, Yuri pushed the door open without knocking. McMahon was helpless, the Russians were so rude.
"What happened to your people? Why did you attack the Russian crew?"
Yuri got straight to the point.
McMahon was confused, where is this going?
After learning the whole story, McMahon didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"General, the Socotra Islands are not under my jurisdiction, and those soldiers do not accept my jurisdiction."
McMahon said that every injustice has its own owner, and please go to the British Admiralty for this matter.
"Is that so? Very good!"
Yuri suddenly smiled and turned around to leave.
It came so aggressively and left so abruptly.
McMahon subconsciously sensed something was wrong and immediately sent electricity to London.
It’s late.
Just four hours after the crew of the "Hercules" sent a distress telegram, an East India cargo ship arrived at Xiaoshi Island and unloaded a batch of building materials and living supplies, as well as 120 navy and army personnel. Team members.
East India is nearly 5,000 kilometers away from Xiaoshi Island. In just 4 hours, it cannot be reached by plane.
The only explanation is that when the "Hercules" sent a distress telegram, the ship was originally near Xiaoshi Island.
When the Marines disembarked at Little Rock Island, Henry Jackson, the British Lord of the Admiralty who had just taken office, was talking about Little Rock Island with Lloyd George, who had also just become British Prime Minister.
After the British army withdrew from Mersin, Churchill resigned, and Henry Jackson succeeded Churchill as Lord of the Admiralty.
Before the outbreak of the war, Lloyd George served as Secretary of the Exchequer. After Kitchener died in the line of duty, Lloyd George succeeded Kitchener as Secretary of War.
After the Battle of the Somme broke out, the British army suffered heavy losses beyond what the British public could bear. Prime Minister Asquith was forced to resign, and Lloyd George formed a government.
The combination of the novice Admiralty Minister and the novice Prime Minister is as powerful as two Nicholas.
Jackson asked George what to do?
Lloyd George was curious: Why couldn’t the British army defeat the sailors?
And this was even when the British army had a numerical advantage.
“Since the Socotra Islands are not the front line, the soldiers stationed in the Socotra Islands are all second-line personnel, and they are not good at fighting.”
Jackson thinks they can’t defeat it. excusable.
There are many who can't beat the Russians, the Austrians and Ottomans can't beat them, and Germany can't beat them at most.
"The Russian Empire is our ally. The soldiers cannot use weapons and have good intentions towards our allies. However, the Russians have no regard for the identity of their allies. They are simply animals!"
Jackson The reason is very good.
"Marshal, this is not the reason why sailors cannot defeat sailors."
Lloyd George was not satisfied with Jackson's explanation.
The sailors are on the second line, and they are also British regular troops.
No matter how good the sailors are, can they still defeat the regular army?
This is ridiculous!
"I now suspect that those sailors are all Marines!"
Jackson finally found a reason that Lloyd George could accept.
Okay, this explanation is very reasonable.
“So, the Russians have invaded our little rocky island.”
Lloyd George framed the matter.
Jackson frowned.
Although the British army has a base in the Socotra Islands, the Socotra Islands are not British territory, and this area is currently controversial.
In 1834, the Socotra Islands came under the jurisdiction of the East India Company.
In 1886, the British first proposed to purchase the island at a low price and incorporate it into the British Empire. However, this attempt was rejected by the local Sudan, so the British occupied the island by force.
The local Sudan still does not recognize British sovereignty over the Socotra Islands.
"To be precise, the Russians invaded Little Rock Island."
Jackson corrected, dropping "our."
"Very good, since Little Rock Island is not ours, there is no problem."
Lloyd George did not want to fall out with the Russian Empire because of this matter.
Lloyd George has been dealing with the Russians for more than a day or two. As early as 1895, Lloyd George became the leader of the radical wing of the Liberal Party and was active in British politics.
Because of Sarawak, the United Kingdom has often had quarrels with Russia.
The negotiations at that time were very laborious. Sarawak first reported the situation to the British Straits Settlements, and then the Straits Settlements reported it to London. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in London approached the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in St. Petersburg. St. Petersburg then conveyed the British request to George, who then asked East What is going on in India.
After George learned about the situation, he returned the same way, which took more than half a year.
It is easy to avoid such trouble. Send people to the island and directly fight the Russians away. In the end, you will lose money at most.
If you can’t fight and run away, you have to accept the fait accompli created by the Russians.
George’s reasons are also very good.
If Nicholas asks, George will show Nicholas how far it is by sea from Amur to Constantinople.
Crucially, the Russian merchant ships didn't even have a supply point along the way. How could this be possible?
George is not planning to build a large-scale construction project on Little Rock Island, he is just setting up a supply point.
(End of this chapter)