The Rise Of Australasia

This time, the United States' desire to join the Allies has to some extent exacerbated the divisions within the Allies.

Great Britain and France already have a large rift in the distribution of strategic interests, and after experiencing internal turmoil, Russia's attitude is more focused on funds and supplies, rather than feelings with other countries.

In other words, whoever can provide Russia with more supplies and funding will also get Russia's support.

While this does help the national interest, it is not good news for Britain and Australasia.

Britain and Russia have many conflicts, and if France and the United States get closer, they might also approach French-American relations.

As a result, the Allies would become Britain and Australasia confronting France, America, and Russia, plus an Italy acting like a fence-sitter. The distribution of post-war benefits is bound to be tumultuous.

At the end of May 1917, the American government met with the Allies again and promised conditions that almost all major countries could not refuse.

First, the United States is willing to provide each of Britain, France, Russia, Australia, and Italy a 2 billion US dollar interest-free loan, and to provide at least 1 million combat troops and a main fleet to join the war.

2 billion US dollars, if converted based on pre-war rates, is equivalent to 4 billion British pounds, definitely not a small number.

Keep in mind that before the war, the military expenditure of Britain and France combined was only over 600 million US dollars per year. This funding could provide the pre-war military expenses of Britain and France for at least three years.

However, since the outbreak of the war, the military expenditure of various countries has soared exponentially. In 1915, Britain's military expenditure reached over 100 billion US dollars, and last year's military expenditure was as high as over 500 billion US dollars.

Compared to the exaggerated military expenditure of Britain and France, the 2 billion US dollar interest-free loan seems less significant.

However, for economically less developed countries like Italy and Australasia, the 2 billion US dollar interest-free loan is still quite useful.

Keep in mind, Italy's military expenditure last year was only just over 1 billion US dollars. The interest-free loan is enough to sustain the Italians for another two years.

Compared to other countries, the greatest beneficiary should be Australasia. In 1916, the total military expenditure of Australasia was only 120 million Australian dollars, almost equivalent to 300 million US dollars.

This is the military expenditure of Australasia when it had nearly 1 million combat troops, and its entire navy was fully operational.

The reason for the low military expenditure is that, in the treaty with the British, the British had to bear half of Australasia's European battlefield costs, which amounted to 60 million Australian dollars of expenditure.

This also means that the 2 billion US dollar interest-free loan provided by the Americans could almost sustain Australasia in the war for seven years.

With this interest-free loan, France and Russia supported the Americans joining the Allies even more.

Even Italy was persuaded by the Americans, who eventually agreed, by a 3-to-2 advantage, that the Americans would join the Allies in the war against Germany.

However, Britain and Australasia also have countermeasures.

First, regarding the distribution of the German overseas territories currently occupied by the Allies, the Americans are not to participate in the distribution of these areas according to the existing divisions.

The Americans can obtain the benefit distribution of the German land they occupy, but it must also be based on a premise that the distribution of benefits according to the contributions of the Allies during the war, as agreed by the countries before.

Since the Americans joined the war relatively late, even if they got a share, their contribution to the war would certainly not be too significant.

As a result, even if the Americans join the war, their share of the benefits would be at most at the level of Italy, and it would pose no threat to the benefits distribution of the original Four Great Powers of the Allies.

On June 1, 1917, having obtained the consent of the Allies, the Americans eagerly declared war on Germany and immediately dispatched a transport fleet, sending a division of the army and the headquarters of the American Expeditionary Force to Europe.

The number of American troops is the lowest among the major powers. Even if President Wilson had persuaded Congress to mobilize the nation in advance, it would take at least one more month for it to take effect.

This also means that, at least before August, there would be few American troops on the European battlefield, and the impact of the American army on the war would be minimal.

This is actually an opportunity for Australasia.

Upon learning that the Americans had joined the Allies to fight against Germany, the commander-in-chief of the expeditionary force, General Thomas, immediately issued an order to the formidable Expeditionary Force via telegram, demanding an immediate attack on Klagenfurt, to surround Vienna with the Italian army, and to force the Austro-Hungarian Empire out of the war.

As long as the Americans make no contribution to defeating the Austro-Hungarian Empire, they will have no excuse or qualification to share the benefits of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

In this way, the Allied nations would be left with only Germany resisting fiercely, and the Americans would have to deploy troops and fight the Germans with real swords and guns in order to obtain more benefits distribution.

Keep in mind that the interest-free loans provided by the Americans to the Five Great Powers of the Allies alone amounted to 100 billion US dollars, and adding the American war expenses, the total expenditure of the United States in this war would be at least 200 billion US dollars.

If only Germany's post-war benefits distribution is taken into account, it would be somewhat difficult for the Americans to obtain more than 200 billion US dollars in compensation.

After all, the distribution of German benefits includes the Five Great Powers of the Allies and the United States, with six countries sharing Germany's benefits, resulting in very little benefit distribution to each country.