Berlin, Germany, General Staff Headquarters.
Emperor QinTian of Germany, along with Marshal von Falkenhayn, the Minister of the Army and Chief of Staff, Admiral Reinhard Scheer, the Minister of the Navy, and Admiral Braem, the head of the Intelligence Bureau, had all gathered here.
"Your Majesty, esteemed marshals, according to our intelligence, India is currently undergoing a massive military expansion. Under the mobilization of the Congress Party and the Green Party alliance, countless young Indians are eagerly enlisting. The strength of the British-Indian army is likely to see explosive growth in an incredibly short period of time!" Admiral Braem spoke with evident concern.
"How could this happen? How did the Congress Party and the Green Party alliance get entangled with the British-Indian colonial authorities?" QinTian frowned. Although India was merely a colony, it boasted a population of over 300 million. Had Germany possessed such a population, QinTian would have had the confidence to unite all of Europe during the last world war. A population of over 300 million could easily mobilize tens of millions, or even more, soldiers! Unfortunately, Germany only had over 50 million people, and mobilizing 3 to 4 million soldiers without harming the nation's future was already at its limit.
Fortunately, the great population nations of this era were all underdeveloped; otherwise, the Western powers would never have been able to dominate the world.
Marshal von Falkenhayn's expression was equally grim. According to the plan, Germany would only deploy two army groups to invade India. After reorganization, these two army groups would consist of just 400,000 men. In comparison to India's potential mobilization, this number would hardly make a dent.
Of course, the combat prowess of the German army was far beyond what the Indians could compare to.
"How large might the British-Indian army grow?" Admiral Reinhard Scheer inquired.
"Based on the current situation, according to incomplete statistics, the British-Indian army is likely to expand to over 5 million! Moreover, with India's vast population, further expansion of their forces is entirely feasible," Admiral Braem continued.
"So, what you're saying is, if the British so desire, the British-Indian army could grow even further? Expanding to over ten million would be no problem, correct?" QinTian asked.
"Indeed, Your Majesty. In theory, the British-Indian army could expand to ten million without issue," Admiral Braem confirmed.
"However, even if the colonial authorities in India were to raise such a large army, they wouldn't have enough weapons to arm them. According to our estimates, their current armaments could only equip up to 3 million troops at most. Of course, large quantities of weapons are arriving daily from North American merchant ships. These ships likely carry weaponry, so the British-Indian army's numbers are growing rapidly!" Admiral Braem added.
"We can't allow the British to continue sending weapons to India. If they do, the cost of conquering India will increase significantly. Marshal Scheer, have the Indian Ocean Fleet and the Pacific Fleet set sail? They must block off India immediately. From this moment on, no weapon or equipment can enter India!" QinTian commanded.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Marshal Scheer nodded.
Both the Indian Ocean Fleet and the Pacific Fleet were ready to depart, but their home ports had yet to be decided. Now, however, urgency took precedence, and it was no longer a concern. They could send additional supply ships if necessary. Once the army had secured India, the home ports for the fleets could be settled.
"Your Majesty, even if we blockade India, we may still be unable to prevent the British-Indian army from receiving weapons. According to our intelligence, the British began expanding India's armament factories over a year ago. Currently, India's factories can produce hundreds of thousands of rifles annually, and even machine guns and light artillery, though in smaller quantities," Admiral Braem stated.
"The British had foreseen their defeat, so they prepared in advance. However, even with that, what difference does it make? After we blockade India, at least they won't be able to replenish heavy weapons! As long as we act swiftly, we can crush them before they can fully arm more troops!" QinTian asserted.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" all present responded.
"Your Majesty, do you require additional forces?" Marshal von Falkenhayn asked.
"Not for now! The British have hastily armed those Indians, so they merely possess a numerical advantage. In reality, how much combat effectiveness do those newly-armed forces have? I am deeply skeptical of their capabilities. As long as we swiftly launch operations against India, those untrained troops will merely be cannon fodder. Our elite forces can easily defeat them. Once the battle turns, and their troops break, those fresh recruits will turn into panicked deserters, with dire consequences!" QinTian smiled as he spoke.
Marshal von Falkenhayn nodded. Though the size of the British-Indian army was indeed daunting, their combat effectiveness would surely be poor. If Germany's two elite army groups performed well, defeating them was entirely possible.
"Nevertheless, I am curious: how did the Congress Party and the Green Party alliance end up cooperating with the British-Indian colonial authorities at this critical moment? Haven't they always opposed the British-Indian colonial rule?" QinTian inquired.
"Yes, Your Majesty. The Congress Party and the Green Party alliance have had serious conflicts with the British-Indian colonial authorities in their pursuit of India's independence. Their cooperation this time has caught us by surprise as well. According to our intelligence, the British promised them that, if they successfully resisted our attack, India would be granted full autonomy, and in a few years, even independence," Admiral Braem reported.
"What? Is that really the reason they've decided to cooperate with the British?" QinTian was utterly dumbfounded.
The Indians were so easily deceived. Even QinTian, as an outsider, could see that this was nothing more than a British ploy. Yet they believed it blindly. QinTian found himself regretting not having thought of using such a trick to deceive the Indians himself. If he had, conquering India would probably have been much easier.
But now, it was too late to consider such matters.
"Well, since the natives of India have sided with the British, we have no other choice but to use force to subjugate them. I believe that the mighty German Empire will undoubtedly conquer India!" QinTian said confidently.