"The French are getting desperate!"
Upon receiving the message the French had released, Gladstone reached that conclusion.
Britain was indeed at a disadvantage in the Afghan War, but it had not yet reached the point where the British Government would panic.
Even if all of Afghanistan fell, as long as the main force of the British Army at the front was not wiped out, the British Empire would still have the confidence to win the war.
There was no other reason—when your pockets were full, your back naturally stood straight. The British Empire's century of accumulated wealth was no joke. When it came to reserves, the Russians simply did not qualify to compete.
Foreign Secretary George analyzed, "At this point in the Continental War, the French dream of a quick victory has already been shattered.
"The war ahead will be a contest of overall national strength. France's army is powerful, but its disadvantages in every other field are far too obvious.
"Judging from the current situation, if the French cannot cross the Rhine River in a short time and carry the flames of war into Germany's heartland, their strategic advantage will be completely exhausted.
"What awaits them next will be Austria's endless counteroffensives. It can be said that the longer this war drags on, the lower the French odds of victory.
"At the current intensity of the war, the French will be unable to keep fighting in another two or three years at most."
Clearly, George no longer thought highly of the French. The gap in overall strength between the two sides was too great; a war of attrition put the French at a severe disadvantage.
Still, the French Army's reputation was too formidable. No one could guarantee that it would not turn the tide against the odds at a