Greece to roman road

Speaking of this, Constantine said to everyone: "This time the Congolese government purchases warships, which will require a lot of crew. My current plan is to let the British shipyard build them."

"How is Türkiye's naval strength now?"

"The Turkish navy was severely damaged in the Battle of Sinop before the Crimean War and was almost completely lost," Emmanuel explained to everyone.

“Until Sultan Abdullah Aziz succeeded to the throne in 1861, the Sultan attached great importance to the construction of the navy. During his ten-year reign from 1861 to 1871, the Ottoman Navy relied on self-construction (assembly) and outsourcing. There are as many as 15 ironclad ships.”

"However, since Aziz, especially after the last Russo-Turkish War (1878), the Ottomans have been financially strapped, with almost no new warships in service, and the navy has become an outcast of the empire."

After hearing this, Constantine roughly understood the naval strength of Ottoman Turkey, which was probably third-rate in Europe - including the navy department.

The 19th century was an era of rapid development of naval warship technology. Various new technologies emerged in an endless stream. A warship might be completely behind the curve within a few years of being launched. These old-fashioned ironclad ships that had been in service for 20 or 30 years, according to the industrial capabilities of the Ottomans, fell behind. With poor maintenance methods and lack of finances, it is hard to say whether these warships can still leave the port.

To be honest, for poor countries like Greece and the Ottomans, it would be more cost-effective to invest their limited military expenditures in the army.

Why do European countries have the impression that among the three Balkan powers, Greece, Serbia and Bulgaria, Greece is the weakest?

This is because Bulgaria and Serbia are both land countries. They can invest all their military expenditures in the army. However, Greece’s special national conditions cannot do this: it is a peninsula (Greek Peninsula), and there is another area in the Aegean Sea. Large swaths of the island were wanted to be recovered.

If it weren't for Congo's wallet, Constantine would not have agreed to let Greece get involved in the navy now.

"In addition to building warships, I plan to select a group of people from the navy to go to Britain to receive training in the modern navy. Chief of Staff, please make arrangements," Constantine said.

Greece currently also has an Athens Naval School, although the Greek navy is just a few small gunboats.

For a country like Greece with a developed maritime industry, maritime culture is almost imprinted in the blood, which is a major advantage for Greece in developing its navy.

"Prime Minister Trikupis, it's up to you to go to England to discuss the purchase of warships," King George interjected.

"Constantine, after all, Congo is buying warships this time. Where do you plan to set up the home port of these warships?" King George asked.

“Congo,” Constantine replied without hesitation.

The reason for this is that Constantine did not want to irritate the Ottomans. The Aegean Sea is not large. Once the news of Greece purchasing new warships spread, it is difficult to say how the Ottomans would react.

Secondly, the entire Mediterranean is just a large bathtub, calm and calm. Since the money has been spent, the value must be reflected. What kind of elite navy can be cultivated by being in the calm Mediterranean for a long time?

Naturally, these navies are to be sent to the vast Atlantic Ocean to fight against the wind and waves and temper the tenacious fighting spirit of the sailors.

After telling everyone his thoughts, Emmanuel questioned: "This can certainly train an elite navy, but once there is a war in the Aegean Sea, these sailors who are accustomed to the sea conditions of the Atlantic will not understand the channels and sea conditions of the Mediterranean. what to do?"

When a conflict breaks out between Greece and the Ottomans, these warships will inevitably participate in the war. If the geographical conditions of the Aegean Sea are completely unknown, accidents may easily occur, such as running aground and running aground.

"This is not difficult. It can be solved by allowing the local Greek naval crews to closely exchange personnel with the Congolese fleet," said Arms Minister Giannis.

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After the military meeting, Constantine personally sent Prime Minister Trikupis and the naval personnel accompanying him to England to the port of Piraeus.

Procuring warships is a highly professional matter, and these active personnel in the Greek Navy will help the Prime Minister decide on warship procurement matters.

The reason why King George asked Prime Minister Trikoupis to go was to consolidate and maintain the "friendly" relations between Greece and Britain.

After all, the last time British warships blocked the waters near Athens, the Greek people's goodwill towards Britain dropped sharply.

The British are so arrogant, this is also the reason why Greece is so cold towards the British in time and space.

However, as the world hegemon, the British were at the peak of their national power in the late 19th century. As a small country, Greece could only endure the humiliation and bear the burden. It was impossible to completely ignore the British because of this incident.

Secondly, this arms purchase, to a certain extent, is actually paying protection fees.

Commodities like arms are quite special. For some weak countries, advanced weapons are not something you can buy with money.

Therefore, it is most appropriate for Greek Prime Minister Trikoupis to go to this warship purchase.

At the pier, Constantine rode in a royal carriage and personally saw off Trikupis.

"Your Highness, do you have any instructions for this warship procurement?" Trikupis asked.

After all, the owner of this warship purchase is nominally the Kingdom of Congo, and the opinions of King Constantine should still be taken seriously.

Looking at the young officer in a navy uniform next to Trikupis, Constantine asked doubtfully: "Who is this?"

"Pavlos Kontoriotis, who was previously a captain on a naval patrol boat, was a talent I personally selected from the Greek Navy. He will accompany me to the UK this time," Trikupis replied. road.

"Then let this professional tell me what warships we should purchase. After all, I am not a professional navy," Constantine said happily.

Seeing Constantine's inquiry, Contoriotis saluted solemnly, and then replied: "Your Highness, Prime Minister, I think a cruiser is more suitable."

Seeing that neither of them interrupted, he continued: "The Congo region has a special location. It is far away in Africa and is caught between the colonies of various countries. If an ironclad ship is stationed here, it will be more conspicuous."

Ironclad ships were the main force of the navies of various countries at this time. They had heavy guns and hard helmets. Due to their thick armor and large-caliber artillery, which were incredibly heavy accessories, the ironclad ships were relatively slow, like an iron turtle.

"Moreover, ironclad ships are expensive and slow, and do not meet the requirements for maintaining the safety of the route from Congo to Athens."

"We in Greece are not as wealthy and powerful as the UK and have sufficient budget to build warships. We cannot have the luxury of building warships like the British Navy to perform specific tasks. Therefore, the Greek Navy cannot be like the British Navy." Like the navy, the ironclads have fierce firepower and reliable armor, and are used for the main decisive battle, while the cruisers play a supporting role and are faster."

"The Greek Navy cannot do this and let the warships perform their respective duties."

In the late 19th century, Britain's annual naval expenditure was approximately equal to the Qing Dynasty's annual fiscal revenue!

"Therefore, an armored cruiser with a certain speed and relatively reliable armor is the best choice for Greece, and can take on multiple roles."