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Upon receiving the news from the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the French government was also beside itself with rage. The Italians were clearly on the verge of collapse, yet John Bull had jumped out to stir up trouble again.
In the eyes of the French, Bulgaria's earlier proposal to partition Italy had been an excellent option. It would both eliminate a competitor and strengthen their national power—a win-win move.
But from the British perspective, this was the worst possible outcome. Even if the three nations partitioned Italy, what use would Italy's land be to them?
Other than Sicily and Sardinia, John Bull had no interest in any other regions. It was one thing for them to lack interest themselves, but they certainly could not let their competitors have them.
If France and Bulgaria divided the Italian Peninsula between them, the French would dominate the European continent—at the very least, Central Europe and Western Europe would tremble beneath their wings. Bulgaria, meanwhile, would effectively control half the Mediterranean Sea. Only the British would come away with little to show for it.
They were already the masters of the Mediterranean Sea. Even if they acquired the two islands of Sardinia and Sicily, it would change nothing.
As for carving out a piece of territory from the Italian Peninsula itself, they disdained the very idea. Becoming neighbors with two land-power giants? John Bull had not gone mad yet!
President Raymond Poincaré asked coldly, "Has the accuracy of this information been confirmed?"
The French Foreign Minister shook his head. "Not yet. But one thing is certain: the Bulgarians would not joke about something like this. As for motive, the British are fully capable of doing it!"
After a long silence, Raymond Poincaré finally said, "Confirm it as soon