Empire Conquest
Chapter 272 - 268: Each Harboring Their Own Schemes

Chapter 272: Chapter 268: Each Harboring Their Own Schemes

Corresponding to the strategic offensive plan, besides the strategic assistance played by the Liangxia Empire as the major victim, there was also the yet undiscussed distribution of post-war benefits.

Strategic assistance was as expected.

There was not much to say about the Luosha Federation, except that it had resources. In other respects, it couldn’t compare with the Liangxia Empire and the Tiaoman Empire, not even in terms of industrialization.

In fact, it was precisely because the Liangxia Empire agreed to provide strategic assistance that the Luosha Federation was ultimately persuaded.

After the trilateral alliance was established, the Liangxia Empire had to start transfusing the Luosha Federation.

Strategic assistance was divided into two phases.

The first phase, which was within 100 years of the New Calendar, mainly involved the Liangxia Empire providing the Luosha Federation with weaponry, ammunition, and other material goods. Except for the regular assistance, everything else was settled through barter trade, with the Luosha Federation primarily using oil, ore, and agricultural products for payment.

In the second phase, starting from the year 101 of the New Calendar, the Liangxia Empire would send experts and provide industrial equipment such as machine tools to help the Luosha Federation enhance its existing industrial system, thereby helping the Luosha Federation achieve full industrialization and eventually become self-sufficient in major industrial products.

In the second phase, what the Luosha Federation most wanted to acquire was actually advanced technology.

Although its industrial strength was not as strong as that of the Liangxia Empire, compared to many other countries, the Luosha Federation’s industrialization was already quite impressive. Besides, the Luosha Federation was an authoritarian state with very formidable mobilization capabilities during wartime.

In other words, the Luosha Federation had an extremely strong capability to switch between peace and war, maximizing the country’s war potential.

In addition, the Luosha Federation had the capital to become a powerful country.

Over eight million square kilometers of territory, a population of one hundred and fifty million, rich oil and mineral resources, and self-sufficient food production.

All these were essential conditions for becoming a superpower.

If judged by the crucial standards of population and resources, the strategic potential of the Luosha Federation even exceeded that of the Tiaoman Empire, making it the second most powerful land-based empire after the Liangxia Empire.

What the Luosha Federation lacked was comprehensive and thorough industrialization, or precisely, the technology for industrialization.

This was precisely why the Liangxia Empire postponed the second phase of assistance until the year 101 of the New Calendar.

No matter how the battle situation developed, by the year 101 of the New Calendar, a clear judgment could be made on the outcome of the war, thereby deciding whether or not to assist the Luosha Federation.

To use Wang Kaiyuan’s words, the coming year was actually a trial period for the Luosha Federation.

In other words, if the Luosha Federation failed the test, it would be fortunate enough just to hold onto what it had, let alone receive assistance.

If there is blame, it might be placed on the Luosha Federation for becoming too closely aligned with the Newland Federation in recent years, necessitating caution.

The assistance given to the Tiaoman Empire was the exact opposite, mainly consisting of military technology, or to be precise, based on mutually beneficial cooperation.

The most obvious example was aero-engines.

The Tiaoman Empire possessed the world’s best water-cooled engines, while the Liangxia Empire excelled in air-cooled engines, the complementarity of which could simply be described as "perfect."

There were many such examples, too numerous to count.

It seemed coincidental, but it was not.

In almost all cutting-edge research fields, especially those related to advanced military technology, the Liangxia Empire and the Tiaoman Empire had staggered development with strong complementarity.

It was evidence of long-standing collusion between the two empires.

Staggered development and mutual supplementation and learning had the great advantage of avoiding the waste caused by redundant development.

Since neither side would admit it, it could only be viewed as a coincidence.

The Tiaoman Empire also lacked resources, and it lacked everything.

Relative to the Liangxia Empire, which only lacked oil, other resources were either self-sufficient or imported from other countries and regions.

The Tiaoman Empire, besides coal and iron ore which they could produce themselves, highly depended on imports for other resources.

They even had to import food from the Locke Republic!

For this reason, the Luosha Federation would provide resources to obtain the necessary technology and equipment from the Tiaoman Empire to enhance its own military industrial production capacity.

Simply put, the Luosha Federation was a resource-producing nation.

Given that the Tiaoman Empire’s military industrial production capacity was already insufficient, especially before completing the mobilization, and even had to rely on the Liangxia Empire for help, such as the 3,000 bombers provided in two batches, the Tiaoman Empire could only offer military technology in exchange for cooperation with the Luosha Federation.

Was this a coincidence?

Clearly, it was not.

Comparatively speaking, the Tiaoman Empire’s military technology leaned towards tactical applications, whereas the Liangxia Empire’s military technology focused more on strategic applications.

Take aviation engines, for instance.

The maximum advantage of a water-cooled engine was its smaller frontal area, particularly suited for high-speed fighters that needed to minimize air resistance. However, its disadvantages were also quite prominent. It was more complex structurally and more difficult to maintain, which was not suitable for bombers that did not require high speed. In contrast, the characteristics of air-cooled engines were exactly the opposite, used mainly in bombers by the Navy and the Army barring special naval requirements.

Obviously, the Tiaoman Empire focused on developing water-cooled engines, indicating a tendency to develop tactical air forces.

The Liangxia Empire consistently pursued air-cooled engines because, fundamentally speaking, besides accommodating Navy Air Force demands, it aimed to develop strategic air forces.

The disparity in tactical and strategic applications was the real key issue.

Fundamentally, it was about preventing the Luosha Federation from taking advantage of the situation to grow stronger.

With the military technology provided by the Tiaoman Empire, the Luosha Federation could at most defend itself and solidify its terrestrial dominance, presenting a minimal strategic threat to the two great empires.

Conversely, acquiring military technology from the Liangxia Empire would be a different matter entirely.

Such precautions and constraints were reflected in many areas.

The Luosha Federation did not break ties over this, solely because it had no other choice.

Xue Yuanzheng had previously told Bai Zhizhan that the Luosha Federation’s unwillingness to ally with the Newland Federation was not due to the latter’s lack of strength, but because of the distance.

No matter how powerful the Newland Federation was, they were ’distant water’ that could not extinguish a nearby fire!

Moreover, with how the situation had developed, as long as the leaders of the Luosha Federation were slightly rational, they would abandon all unrealistic fantasies and act entirely out of practical interests, which were to ensure homeland security and minimize the damage their country would suffer in a major war.

Wasn’t the military technology provided by the Tiaoman Empire intended to ensure strategic safety?

Even if it lacked offensive capabilities, it ensured enough for defense.

Comparatively, strategic aid and cooperation were relatively easy to discuss, as the three terrestrial powerhouses on the same line had similar strategic demands. Adding in the two great empires’ evident advantages meant that addressing the dreams of the Luosha Federation as a resource producer posed no major issues.

The real problem lay in the distribution of post-war benefits, that is, how to divide the war dividends.

Upon seeing this part, Bai Zhizhan felt immensely emotional.

Not just about the content of the draft but also concerning how such a draft was negotiated in such a short time.

It must be said, the negotiators from all three parties had made their utmost efforts.

This proved from one side that all three terrestrial powers were eager to reach an alliance treaty as soon as possible, considering the current circumstances, no one could afford to delay.

Because the distribution of post-war benefits involved issues such as resource distribution, they were discussed together with strategic aid and cooperation.

As for the content, that was absolutely shocking!

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