Chapter 0960: Utter Disappointment

Toronto, Canada – The Prime Minister's Residence

Although the British government had been forced to abandon its homeland and seek refuge in Canada, its influence on the European continent remained substantial. The great war between Germany and Austria-Hungary filled Britain with uncontainable excitement.

Some optimistic British ministers even believed that this war would inflict grievous losses upon Germany, creating an opportunity for Britain to launch a counteroffensive and reclaim its homeland. However, Canada's limited industrial and logistical capacity made it nearly impossible for Britain to rebuild its strength solely from this new base.

Originally, Canada's population numbered only a few million. But after Britain's defeat and retreat, a continuous stream of British refugees arrived from the homeland and other colonies. Particularly after the German military began attacking British-held territories, British subjects from all over the world flocked to Canada, swelling its population beyond ten million.

Yet even with this influx, it was far from sufficient for the British government, which was determined to rise again, crush Germany, and retake the British Isles. This was why Britain had chosen to cooperate with the Americans.

In the latest scheme, it was the United States that had orchestrated the war between Germany and Austria-Hungary, but Britain had played no small part in facilitating the conflict. Without British influence, things would not have unfolded so smoothly. Most notably, when Emperor Karl I proposed withdrawing from the Central Powers, Britain exerted pressure through its contacts in the Austro-Hungarian government to ensure that the decision was supported and approved.

At last, the war had erupted as Britain had hoped, and the news sent waves of jubilation through the British leadership. Even if Austria-Hungary could not defeat Germany, as long as it inflicted significant losses, Britain would still consider it a victory.

However, the final outcome was far from what they had anticipated.

When reports from Europe were compiled, the faces of the British cabinet ministers turned grim.

"My God! It is beyond comprehension that Austria-Hungary, once considered one of the great powers, has crumbled so swiftly. The Germans had barely launched their offensive, and this so-called empire was already collapsing. Not only will Germany escape the heavy toll we had hoped for, but they will also eliminate a major rival, further solidifying their security. This is nothing short of a disaster for the British Empire," Churchill declared, his expression dark with frustration.

"Indeed! Who would have thought Austria-Hungary would prove so feeble? And what of Emperor Karl I—was he truly unaware of his nation's weakness? To provoke Germany in such a state was tantamount to inviting destruction. How could the Habsburg dynasty produce such a reckless ruler?" Foreign Secretary Sir Edward Grey lamented.

The Habsburgs had long been one of Europe's most prestigious royal houses, worthy of comparison to Britain's own monarchy. Yet now, both dynasties had fallen into decline under the relentless blows of the German war machine.

"Prime Minister, what should our next move be? Reclaiming our homeland now seems like a distant dream," War Secretary Kitchener said regretfully. Restoring Britain's control over its own territory would dramatically enhance its military capabilities. With access to Britain's full manpower, the army could swell beyond two million soldiers. But in Canada, even under the most extreme mobilization efforts, their forces could barely reach one million—a number woefully insufficient for launching an expedition to Europe and defeating Germany. Thus, Britain had no choice but to place its hopes in the Americans, praying they would prove more formidable.

"For now, we have no option but to wait. We must bide our time until we regain our strength and until our American allies are prepared to confront Germany. By ourselves, we can no longer hope to defeat the Germans," Churchill sighed.

The rest of the cabinet members nodded in solemn agreement. Though the situation was disheartening, there was little they could do to change reality.

"Prime Minister, the Americans have dispatched a fleet to the eastern Atlantic. Initially, they had planned to coordinate with the Austro-Hungarian navy to challenge the German fleet. But with Austria-Hungary proving so ineffectual, I fear their efforts will be meaningless," remarked Admiral Jellicoe, the First Lord of the Admiralty.

Jellicoe, despite his past failure to decisively defeat the German Navy and the heavy losses suffered by the Royal Navy, remained one of Britain's most experienced naval commanders. In the absence of better alternatives, he remained a key figure in Britain's naval strategy.

"The Americans are merely trying to make a show of force against Germany. Unfortunately, our own fleet has been devastated, and our newly constructed warships have yet to enter service. Otherwise, we could have joined forces with the U.S. Navy to exact a heavy toll on the Germans!" Churchill said bitterly.

The Royal Navy had been nearly annihilated in the previous war, leaving Britain with no capital ships when it retreated to Canada. The unfinished warships in British shipyards had fallen into German hands, meaning Britain had to start from scratch to rebuild its fleet.

Canada's shipyards lacked the capacity to construct capital ships, forcing Britain to invest heavily in upgrading the facilities before any new warships could be built. Even now, construction was only halfway complete. At best, it would take another year before these new battleships were ready for service.

In the end, the British cabinet was left thoroughly disillusioned with Austria-Hungary's performance. They had counted on Austria-Hungary to bleed Germany dry, but instead, Germany had effortlessly dismantled the empire.

Similar disappointment was felt across the Far East, where another island nation had been watching events unfold with keen interest.

Having suffered a humiliating defeat in the last war, losing its colonial holdings in the South Pacific and seeing its own coastal regions reduced to ruins by German attacks, the island nation had hoped for a prolonged and grueling war between Germany and Austria-Hungary.

Had the two European powers become locked in a bitter stalemate, the island nation could have seized the opportunity to reassert its ambitions in the South Pacific, avenging its previous humiliation and securing the vital resources it so desperately needed.

But Austria-Hungary's swift collapse shattered those hopes before they could even take shape.