KEO.PLUS

On October 7, 9, Arthur had just held a cabinet meeting with the new cabinet governmt wh he received an invitation to a large gathering in London.

The British had invited more than t countries to this gathering, mostly countries that had good relations with Britain, including countries like France and Russia that had directly signed treaties with Britain.

Of course, this meant that countries like Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which stood against Britain, were not on the list of invitations. Therefore, this meeting can also be se as a large gathering of the Entte Powers and countries leaning towards the Entte Powers.

This also represted that Australasia received favorable views from Britain, France, and Russia. After all, Australasia, located in Oceania, could participate in such an Entte Powers conferce, represting that the strgth of Australasia was recognized by the Entte Powers.

But such an invitation made Arthur very troubled. If he participated directly, he would inevitably be se as joining the camp of the Entte Powers.

This was significantly differt from Arthur\'s ideation of neutrality for armamts sales in the early stage and later joining the advantaged side.

However, after all, it was a request from the British \'big brother\'. If he did not go, it would inevitably be offsive, hurting the feelings of the British governmt and the British people.

After careful consideration, Arthur chose to let Prime Minister Kt go. Prime Minister Kt was Arthur\'s confidant and, to a certain extt, could represt Arthur. In addition, Kt was Australasia\'s newly appointed Prime Minister, who could represt the currt Australasian governmt.

Therefore, Prime Minister Kt was a suitable candidate besides Arthur.

Before Kt departed, Arthur specifically instructed him to observe more, ask less, and participate less in the conferce.

It is necessary to understand the currt support for the Entte Powers among European countries, but there is no need to directly join the Entte Powers.

After all, World War I consumed the Entte Powers massively. Joining the war one day earlier represted consuming Australasia\'s foundation one day earlier.

If this meeting posed a tough choice for Arthur, it was, for the Ctral Powers represted by William II, a straightforward target.

Unfortunately, although the timing and participants of this meeting were public, the contt of the conferce was highly confidtial.

Ev though the German intelligce organization expded a great deal of effort for this, it only understood that this meeting targeted the Ctral Powers, as for what the meeting discussed and what purpose it achieved, Germany knew nothing.

However, that does not mean that Germany had no means of opposition.

Shortly after Butler Kt arrived in London and on the second day of the Entte Powers Conferce, that is, November 30, 9, Germany also counteractively stated that it hosted a conferce in Berlin, and the participating countries were also members of the Ctral Powers and European countries leaning towards the Ctral Powers.

What troubled Arthur was, ev though Germany knew Arthur had st Kt to participate in the Entte Powers Conferce, the German governmt still unabashedly invited Australasia to participate in the Ctral Powers Conferce.

Although Australasia does indeed maintain good relations with both sides, such a blatant fce-sitting behavior before the war will not only undermine Australasia\'s image, but also displease both sides.

Therefore, on December , 9, Arthur, on behalf of the Australasian governmt, publicly stated that Australasia is a peaceful and fridly country and is not willing to join the European dispute for the time being.

However, for world peace and all humanity, Australasia is willing to provide necessary medical and material support to Europe at any time to sure that European citizs are not affected by European disputes.

Also, Arthur emphasized that Australasia would not directly join the Entte Powers or the Ctral Powers for the time being, unless the interests of the country and its citizs were harmed.

Giv the good relationship betwe Britain, Germany, and Australasia, as well as the blood relationship betwe the two sides, Arthur sincerely advised, hoping that the two parties could remain rational and resolve disputes at the negotiation table.

Anyway, first set up the facade of neutrality. Otherwise, there will be many such dilemmas, and a slight carelessness will brand Australasia with the reputation of fce-sitting.

To express his guine inttion to remain neutral, from December onward, Arthur asked the governmt to keep a low profile internationally as much as possible to avoid attracting more atttion to Australasia.

In mid-December 9, the Ctral Powers Conferce was officially held in Berlin, with the participation of the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the Kingdom of Italy, three members of the Ctral Powers, and several small European countries fridly to Germany.

Although the contt of the conferces on both sides was strictly confidtial, Europeans could see that the gunpowder smell in Europe was extremely strong, seeming to explode at any small spark.

In January 9, with Kt returning to Australasia, Arthur finally understood the contt of the Entte Powers Conferce.

In fact, Kt had only heard some rumors. The real core Entte Powers meeting was only attded by Britain, France, and Russia.

And other small countries could only catch wind of some gossip, only hearing what the British wished for them to hear.

After this conferce, it is predictable that the Triple Entte will become ev more tightly bound together.

Previously, the Triple Entte was established on the basis of the Franco-Russian Alliance, with the addition of the Anglo-Frch Agreemt and the Anglo-Russian Agreemt.

But the main commitmt of such an agreemt was for France and Russia to oppose Germany, with Britain assisting both France and Russia.

However, following this conferce, such a situation will no longer exist, and Britain will also have to bear military responsibility.

This is, of course, inevitable. If Britain does not bear a certain military responsibility, the Russians\' attitude towards the agreemt might become somewhat unclear.

It cannot be that France alone resists Germany, an outcome that was already appart many decades ago wh the Germans stepped over the Frch to reach the pinnacle of the contint.

If the British do not undertake a certain military responsibility, it would likely result in the termination of the Anglo-Frch agreemt, and the Anglo-Russian agreemt, the two agreemts that resulted in the formation of the Entte Powers.

Without the existce of the Entte Powers, no power can truly stop the rise of the German Empire.

According to Kt\'s information, Britain, France, and Russia have re-signed a Triple Entte, which replaces the previous loose Anglo-Frch, Anglo-Russian, Franco-Russian agreemts, truly uniting the three contracting countries together.

Although it is not clear what changes this new agreemt will bring to the Entte Powers, what can be clearly felt is that the attitude of the Frch and Russians towards the agreemt has tak a significant turn, and their determination to resist Germany has also strgthed.

In addition to this new agreemt, the three countries also signed a new naval treaty. This naval treaty is also op to the small countries participating in the conferce, but they are asked not to disclose it to outsiders.

According to this naval treaty, the British will protect Frch interests and regions along the Atlantic coast, and the Frch will protect British interests in Mediterranean colonies.

Meanwhile, if a war breaks out, the Russian Black Sea Fleet and the Frch Mediterranean Fleet should immediately blockade the Otranto Strait, prevting the Ctral Powers\' navies from converging.

The Otranto Strait is located betwe Italy and Albania and is the sole passage for the Austro-Hungarian Navy to ter the op sea.

Once the Otranto Strait is blockaded, the Austro-Hungarian naval forces lose their effectivess and can only remain trapped in nearby waters.

Looking closely at the three nations of the Ctral Powers – Germany\'s High Seas Fleet, Italy\'s navy, and Austro-Hungarian navy – they all share one characteristic: all three countries\' navies are limited to a certain sea, and the sea\'s exits are readily blockaded.

There\'s no need to mtion Austro-Hungary, the Otranto Strait is ough for the Austro-Hungarian Navy to be trapped in their own backyard.

The Italian navy, although located in the massive Mediterranean Sea, is bordered by British-controlled zones at the Strait of Gibraltar to the west and the Suez Canal to the east.

This also implies that if Italy\'s fleet cannot defeat the British fleet, their navy can only swagger in the Mediterranean and can\'t reach out to the Atlantic or Indian Ocean.

Lastly, there is Germany\'s navy. Before the construction of the Kiel Canal, passage back and forth betwe the Baltic Sea and the North Sea required circling a Dmark, not only significantly increasing the distance travelled but also giving up control of vital sea routes to Dmark.

After the Germans built the Kiel Canal, connecting the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, they not only greatly reduced the distance of east-west sea travel but also brought the vital sea route connecting the North Sea and the Baltic Sea into their hands.

But this doesn\'t mean the problem has vanished. There are only two options out of the Baltic Sea, apart from through Dmark: the Kiel Canal, which connects the Baltic Sea to the op sea.

However, the problem is that beyond the Baltic Sea is the North Sea, and the two paths from the North Sea to the Atlantic are the Strait of Dover, bordering England and France, and Dmark Strait, bordering England and Norway.

Both regions are also under the control of the Royal British Navy, which means that if the Ctral Powers\' navies want to converge, they must break through Frch and British naval defses.

Yet, the problem lies just here. The Royal British Navy is currtly the undisputed world\'s most powerful navy such that the navy of any single Ctral Powers\' country simply can\'t compete with it.

if the navies of the three nations of Ctral Powers don\'t converge, the threat toward the British navy won\'t be so great.

However, without the strgth to challge the British navy, it is virtually impossible for the Ctral Powers\' navies to unite.

It seems like a catch- situation, ev though the Ctral Powers\' nations are vigorously developing their navies, they are still not catching up with the Royal British Navy.

More importantly, the British Empire has broad colonies and large populations; its foundation is more well-established than Germany\'s.

The naval rivalry indeed puts Germany at a further disadvantage, which also greatly reduces the possibility of Ctral Powers\' navies surpassing the navies of the Contracting Powers.