"Lord Churchill, what has happened?" Prime Minister Asquith inquired. Although his rest had been interrupted, causing some displeasure, he understood it was part of his duty as the head of the Empire. With power comes responsibility, and perhaps this was one of the so-called "sweet burdens" of leadership. After all, anyone would gladly accept such a burden—being the Prime Minister of the British Empire was akin to being the most powerful person in the world.
"Prime Minister, the Germans have sent a significant number of warships and submarines into the Atlantic to attack our merchant and transport vessels. In just the past two days, we have lost over a hundred merchant ships," Churchill reported with a grave expression.
"What? How could this happen?" Prime Minister Asquith's brow furrowed deeply. The loss of over a hundred merchant ships was a considerable blow to Britain. While they had a large fleet of merchant ships, at this rate, it wouldn't take long before their losses became catastrophic. Without the ability to bring in much-needed war supplies from overseas colonies, how could they continue the fight?
"And where is the Royal Navy? Why haven't they been able to stop the Germans? Churchill, you know how vital our sea routes are to the British Empire. If those routes are severed, our people won't even have enough to eat. Forget about continuing the war—our government itself could collapse!" Asquith's tone grew increasingly severe, his earlier fatigue entirely dispelled by the dire news.
"Prime Minister, the Germans have been incredibly cunning. They sent their battlecruisers and submarines out before the war even began. Although the Royal Navy's main force is concentrated at Scapa Flow, our blockade of the Germans wasn't strict enough before the official declaration of war, giving them the opportunity to slip through. I've already ordered the Royal Navy to hunt down and destroy their battlecruisers and submarines. I assure you, we will stop their attacks on our merchant ships," Churchill explained.
Asquith studied Churchill but did not immediately respond. He had a sense that things were more complicated than they appeared.
"Churchill, I must ask—are you certain the Royal Navy is capable of defeating the Germans?" Asquith questioned, his voice laden with doubt.
"Prime Minister, you have my word. The Royal Navy will triumph over the Germans. I guarantee it," Churchill solemnly promised.
"Churchill, I appointed you as First Lord of the Admiralty because of your talents in this field. Now that war has broken out, I expect you to lead the Royal Navy to victory and defend the honor of the British Empire. You know as well as I do that the fate of the Empire rests on the Navy's shoulders. If the Navy fails, then Britain is finished," Asquith reminded him.
"Yes, Prime Minister, I understand that perfectly. And our nemesis, the Germans, understand it too. That's why they've launched this calculated assault on our sea routes. Our overall strategy is to blockade Germany after the outbreak of war, cutting off their overseas trade and slowly strangling them into submission. But now, the Germans are using the same strategy against us. If we don't neutralize their threat to our shipping lines, our own overseas trade will be severely impacted, perhaps even cut off entirely. If that happens, the British Empire itself could collapse," Churchill analyzed grimly.
Asquith nodded. For the British Empire, the lifeblood of overseas trade was everything. If that lifeblood were cut off, the Empire wouldn't last long.
"The Germans' tactics may be ruthless, but we must admit—they are highly effective. It feels as if they've tightened a noose around our necks, slowly strangling us to death," Churchill added.
"The situation is indeed critical. Summon the rest of the Cabinet for an emergency meeting," Asquith ordered.
Though it was the middle of the night, the urgency of the situation left Asquith no choice but to act immediately.
Within half an hour, the meeting room at 10 Downing Street was packed with Cabinet members, many of whom were yawning and sipping strong coffee as they took their seats.
"Gentlemen, the reason I've called you here at such a late hour is because the war has taken an unexpected turn," Asquith began.
The faces of the Cabinet ministers immediately darkened. They had pushed for Britain to join the war, believing victory was assured. But now, things seemed to be going awry.
Churchill then briefed them on the situation. Upon hearing it, the ministers grew even more anxious.
"The Royal Navy must act immediately to eradicate the German battlecruiser and submarine forces. Our sea routes are the lifeline of the British Empire—they cannot be compromised!" Chancellor of the Exchequer David Lloyd George was the first to voice his support.
The other ministers quickly followed suit. They all knew full well what the sea lines meant to Britain.
Churchill reassured them that orders had already been given to the Royal Navy to address the German threat. This brought some relief, silencing the barrage of criticism directed at the Navy.
"Prime Minister, it's clear that the Germans had meticulously planned this war long in advance. They've even devised specific strategies to target the British Empire. We must be on our guard. The Germans are currently invading Belgium, and the Belgians likely won't hold out for long. We need to deploy our expeditionary forces to the continent as soon as possible," Foreign Secretary Sir Edward Grey suggested.
"Secretary of War, is it possible to send the first expeditionary force to the continent within a week?" Asquith asked War Secretary Richard Haldane.
"Prime Minister, the first expeditionary force should be able to deploy within a week. The subsequent forces are also being prepared," Haldane responded.