News of the British military's defeat in Southeast Asia, with Ferdinand's selfless assistance, spread at the fastest possible speed.
Everyone's first reaction upon hearing the news was—impossible!
No matter how bad the British army was, it was not something rebels could push around. And they had even sunk a battleship—could this get any more ridiculous?
Whether people believed it or not, once the news spread, the London government's good days were over. Countless British citizens took to the streets, demanding that the government reveal the truth!
The sudden blow left the Stanley Baldwin Cabinet utterly stunned. It was no longer a question of whether they wanted to conceal it. The whole world already knew; they had not been given any time to react.
Before they could even pursue responsibility, Mr. Churchill had already resigned to take the blame. He had also fallen ill and gone off to the Americas to recuperate.
Every last mess had landed in the Cabinet's hands. There was no need to do anything else—first, they had to focus on cleaning up this wreckage.
The opposition had already submitted an impeachment motion to Parliament. Fortunately, the Conservative Party held more seats at this time, and the impeachment motion failed.
There was nothing to be done about public opinion. The facts lay right before them: a loss was a loss. With casualties on such a massive scale, there was simply no hiding it.
"When the British government is in trouble, the world is at peace!"
What Ferdinand had said offhand back then became one of the most widely circulated lines of the era, revered as a classic by politicians around the world.
The reason was very simple. As a world hegemon, if you did not stir up trouble to prove your presence, who would still take you seriously?