"We could also do as the Austrians did and have the Spaniards exchange overseas colonies for it."
"Wouldn't that put us in full conflict with the Austrian Empire again? There is still an armistice agreement between us and them. Tearing up the agreement now would have a tremendous impact on our nation's reputation."
"What a joke! Even now, you still have no way to deal with the Austrians' airships. Are we supposed to send our soldiers off to die for nothing?"
The entire cabinet quarreled into a pot of porridge. Those in favor of sending troops to Spain were in the majority, but neither the Navy Minister nor the Army Minister had absolute confidence in the war.
On the one hand, the defeat in the Mediterranean Sea naval battle was still vivid before their eyes. On the other, this time the Austrian Empire was once again waiting at ease for an exhausted enemy.
And the battlefield was that rotten stretch of land called Spain. It was hard to say whether Britain would be dragged into it too, and if that happened, things might become very difficult to clean up.
Aside from that, although Britain had imitated and produced airships, they had also discovered many drawbacks in this kind of weapon, which made the airships they built almost impossible to put into actual combat.
Other research aimed at the Austrian Empire's weapons was also underway, but there was still no mature set of countermeasures.
Then there was the fact that internal turmoil had consumed far too much of Britain's energy. In short, they lacked confidence in starting a war now.
Then was there a way to keep Britain from joining the war?
A sudden flash of inspiration struck the Earl of Derby.
"Let the French go to Spain and fight the