After roughly looking through the information, Dumbledore put down the documents directly and sneered: "Your Excellency the Earl, such an obvious method of provoking and discord is too low-end.

Everyone knows that we are allies with Austria, so why should we worry about the threat from Austria? Just rely on this information?"

The French government naturally cannot know nothing about the Austrian threat. It is not the first time Dumbledore has seen these information provided by Jeffrey Friedman.

It’s just that there are differences in data. In this regard, all countries are the same. Because of politics and personal will, they often perform artistic processing when collecting competitors’ information.

In Dumbledore's view, it was nothing more than the Popo Federation who wanted to emphasize the "Austrian threat theory" and deliberately exaggerated Austria's strength.

These data compare the various data from France and Austria, and Austria has a comprehensive advantage. After a brief look at several sets of data, Dumbledore was no longer interested.

As the Frenchman's arrogance, he didn't believe it was true. The Paris government has also collected information from Austria and concluded that France and Austria have a similar overall strength, and France even has a slight advantage.

Jeffrey Friedman felt a slump in his heart, secretly wondering if the data was too exaggerated, which made Dumbledore discover the problem.

After all, this one has no satellites and no Internet, and even collecting data from its own country is very difficult and requires a lot of manpower and material resources.

Not to mention collecting information from other countries, if you really want to send someone to count it, you probably will be dealt with as a spy just as you started the action.

Usually, information is collected through public channels through estimation of the number of imported and exported ships, or annual reports published by economic newspapers and large companies in various places.

Then based on these data, economists say that "probably possible" is equal to the answer. Errors are inevitable, and different economists draw different conclusions.

Whether out of national pride or political needs, the French government does not allow it to come to a conclusion that it is inferior to Austria.

Dumbledore is a foreign minister, not an economic minister. It is enough to look at the prestigious report, and he doesn't need to care about the specific details.

After pausing, Jeffrey Friedman said helplessly: "Okay, let's not mention these information. There can only be one overlord on the European continent, and Austria is the biggest competitor in your country's continental hegemony."

Dumbledore nodded in agreement.

Jeffrey Friedman: "In recent years, Austrians have developed the Balkan Peninsula, and their strength has grown rapidly. The population of Europe alone has nearly 80 million, and the total economic output has surpassed the British and become the world's number one.

These data are well-known, and I believe you will not make sense.

From 1870 to the present, the Vienna government has expanded its troops three times, with a total army and navy of up to 714,000, of which the army has 608,000.

Except for the Russian Empire, no country in Europe can compare with them. As far as I know, your country's standing army is only 476,000.

In addition to the standing army, Austria also has a large reserve force. The specific number is unknown. Anyway, more than one million people receive reserve training every year.

Who is such a huge military force targeting?

Apart from your country, I can't think of any other country that needs Austria to treat it so carefully.

If you don't prepare, once the Austrians are ready, your country will face the attack of millions of enemy troops."

Dumbledore shook his head: "Your Excellency, don't change the concept. Can a group of civilians be considered an army? If a war breaks out, France will have enough strength to defeat all enemies.

Modern wars can no longer be won by having more people. If the number of people is compared, the Russians have the largest army. Will your country have to admit defeat?

As for the threat from Austria, it is France's own housework, so you don't have to worry about it. With this energy, you should think about how to deal with the Russians!"

After pausing, Dumbledore added: "I would like to remind you that if you want to talk about threats, your country is also a potential opponent of France, even before Austria.

The world has been divided up, and Britain, France and the Austrians can form an alliance because we are all vested interests, and it is enough to safeguard the existing interests."

There is no doubt that Dumbledore was very dissatisfied with Jeffrey Friedman's hand stretching too long, so he directly warned him.

Even if Austria has a great threat, it can only be discovered by the French government itself. Jeffrey Friedman's reminder was obviously to provoke a conflict between France and Austria.

As France's Foreign Minister, how could Dumbledore accept being exploited?

...

On the way back to the embassy, ​​seeing Jeffrey Friedman had been worried, Deputy Envoy Lieutenant General McAfee comforted him: "Jeffrey, don't be sad. You have done a good job. This failed mission mainly because we misjudged the French."

Jeffrey Friedman shook his head: "The mission has not failed, Dumbledore has accepted our point of view."

Seeing that Lieutenant General McAfee was puzzled, Jeffrey Friedman explained: "Don't be surprised, if it weren't for the French's soreness, Dumbledore would not have lost his composure.

Although his final warning was true, the cover had never been uncovered. Since it was said directly, it seems that the relationship between Britain, France and Austria was worse than we expected."

McAfee became even more confused and asked directly: "Jeffrey, since our plan has been successful, why do you still want..."

Jeffrey Friedman replied with a wry smile: "Because Dumbledore is all about facts, Britain, France and the Austrians do not want to see the rise of new powers and divide the cake with them. Whether it is the Russians or us, they are the same.

Now it is almost the peak of our development. Even if we defeat the Russians, it is difficult for us to gain too much.

If we want to go further, we have to face joint suppression from Britain, France and the Austrians. Our future is worrying!"

Jeffrey Friedman has come to his sense of awakening. It is true that the conflicts between Britain, France and Austria are numerous, but the interests of the three countries are consistent in suppressing latecomers.

The Popo Federation is no longer a small country. If the Russians are defeated again, they will replace the Russians' status in Europe.

The rise of a new Russia that Britain, France and the Austrians did not want to see, so the good days of the Popo Federation would end after the war.

If the international situation does not change and the alliance between Britain, France and the Austrians does not collapse, the Popo Federation will always be able to survive in the shadow of the three major powers.

If it weren't for the authorities' obsession, the Berlin government would have understood these issues long ago. However, everyone has always thought about how to defeat the Russians, and has not considered what would happen after the war.

Deep inside, there was a voice that kept telling Jeffrey Friedman that ending the dispute between Pakatan and Russia was the best choice, and breaking out of war would only make it cheaper for fishermen.

No matter how much you think about it, it is absolutely impossible to say it. Most of the territory of the Popo Federation of more than 800,000 square kilometers is obtained from the Russians, so how could it stop?

Even if the Berlin government is willing to reconcile, the Tsarist government will not agree! If the Popo Federation is not suppressed, why would the Russians be embarrassed to regard themselves as powerful people?

Even if you know that continuing the war will be very unfavorable to both countries, and both sides cannot stop.

The Junker nobles wanted to gain more benefits, but the Russians wanted to avenge their shame, and the dispute over interests could not be reconciled at all.

Lieutenant General McAfee smiled slightly: "Jeffrey, you think too much. Even if you encounter suppression, it is only after we defeat the Russians. Who knows what will happen in the future?

I don’t believe in the alliance between Britain, France and Austria, and can continue to maintain it. As long as there is a conflict in the three countries, we will have a chance.

The world is divided and the colonies have no share, so just give up. Britain, France and the Austrians are worried that we will take Russia and replace it, so let's show them."

In this era, overseas colonies symbolize wealth, so naturally everyone wants it. Unfortunately, the Berlin government's attempt ended in failure.

Facts have proved that the navy could not be developed overnight. The Junke nobles were all landslides, so it was really impossible to get into the water.

Ever since the Navy was beaten by the Danes in the Baltic Sea, the Berlin government has extinguished the unrealistic dream of the sea.

Lieutenant General McAfee, who is a staunch land power faction, is no longer fantasizing about how many colonies to open up. The best choice is to catch the Russians and beat them up.

Territorial expansion on the European continent has never been smooth sailing. The strategies formulated by the Junker nobles are gradually eroding the Russians' land, but they do not have the domineering aura of embezzling the continental land like original time and space.
Chapter completed!