roccoschili Chapter 444 One more time
Chapter 444 One more time
new York.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy International Airport.
When David boarded the Morgan family's private jet and walked into the cabin, he saw old Morgan wearing a pair of glasses and looking at a folder in his hand.
Bergnino Odesette, CEO of General Electric Company, was holding a wine glass, sipping the wine comfortably, and admiring a illustrated magazine in his hand with a smile on his face. .
"Cough~huh~"
David found a place for himself to sit down, met Old Morgan's eyes, and smiled.
"My secretary Maggie is going to fly Livlin~"
"Um.."
Old Morgan glanced at the folder in his hand again, took off his glasses, and smiled.
"I heard... When you went to San Francisco last time, Lilith prepared a document to help you understand the general situation of the family's business in China?"
David shrugged calmly: "Yeah~"
"Thanks to her help~ Otherwise...my understanding of many aspects would only be at the level of newspapers and TV news~"
There was something strange about the smile on Old Morgan's face that made David feel strange. .
He threw the folder in his hand to David casually: "Well...this is the information she prepared for you today. You can read it yourself~"
"..OK, thanks!"
"Hehe~"
"I'm tired, let's take a shower first and then go to bed~"
"You guys should go to bed early~"
"ok~"
"Ok!"
David and Begnino both responded and watched Old Morgan enter the innermost room of the cabin~
. . .
Now that old Morgan is gone, David becomes more relaxed ~
He smiled at Mr. Odyssey and said, "If you don't mind... I'd like to read this information first~"
"Haha~Of course~"
Mr. Odyssett, who smiled very kindly, responded casually, and relaxed himself into lying down on the double sofa ~
David looked around, asked the flight attendant for a glass of juice, and then slowly opened the first page of the folder in his hand~
As expected, there was a small envelope on the first page of the folder, with the handwriting left by Lilith.
David opened the small envelope, and there was only one sentence on the letter paper inside: "Giles told me that you don't study well, so I must prepare some tutoring materials for you~!"
Emm. .
David looked through the letter and couldn't help but feel silly and happy~
He never thought that his lack of education could be used as an advantage and produce surprising results. .
He collected the message and put it in his pocket.
Then, using the light above his head, he found a comfortable reading position and read carefully~
The information that old Morgan was looking at just now is slightly different from the one Lilith prepared for David last time~
Its content is more inclined to introduce British history and some major events that affected the course of British history.
On top of the information, in addition to the densely printed fonts, there are also many beautiful handwritings of Lilith~
. . .
Britain is just an abbreviation.
Its full name is: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
In this United Kingdom, due to long-term historical reasons, it is divided into four parts: England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland, and the capital is set in London.
In terms of geographical division, the long and narrow island of England is divided into three regions, England, Wales and Scotland, by a horizontal line and a curved diagonal line on the map.
Scotland is in the northern part of the island; Wales is more like a small piece of butter cut off from England in the southern part of the island. .
The remaining island of Ireland is located to the west of the island of England, across the sea from the island of England.
Although, it was once a member of the United Kingdom.
But in 1922, after it declared independence from the United Kingdom, the entire United Kingdom and the British government fell into "fierce internal conflicts and disputes" that lasted half a century.
On the island of Ireland, the Northern Ireland region, which is still under the control of the United Kingdom, is the trigger of "internal conflicts"~
. . .
David twirled the first page with his fingers, and he gave Lilith a thumbs up for her carefulness and thoughtfulness~!
Every time he heard about the messy regional divisions in the United Kingdom, he would get a headache and get upset, and he couldn't understand them at all~
Now with the introduction of this information, he can clearly clarify some of the internal composition and divisions of the United Kingdom, as well as the roots of its conflicts with the Irish.
The information turned to the second page, and the printed font throughout the article exuded a hint of. .The breath of history appeared in front of David.
. . .
If the key word for the rise of Portugal and Spain is exploration, the key word for the rise of the Netherlands is commerce.
So, the key word for Britain to rise from a small island country to a world superpower is undoubtedly the system of continuous innovation.
It is precisely by relying on the new institutional civilization of continuous innovation that Britain has allowed itself to find the new path that is most suitable for its own development amidst the blood and fire, victory and defeat in history~
Britain's continuously innovative institutional civilization has also been leading the trend of human progress, attracting countries around the world to follow suit.
The United Kingdom is the first country to establish a cabinet system. Government in the modern sense originated in the United Kingdom.
But Britain’s institutional civilization is by no means limited to politics, but also extends to economy, culture, science and technology, industry and even ideology.
Britain, with its continuous innovations under its system, brought the entire human civilization from the Middle Ages to modern times.
It is no exaggeration to say that in terms of the global contributions made by the UK, almost no country in the world can match it.
With this kind of institutional civilization, Britain, a small island country floating bumpily in the rough waves of the North Sea, took the lead in knocking on the door to the modern world, and eventually became the "empire on which the sun never sets" with colonies all over the world.
Of course~
If we want to understand this country that was once known as the "Empire on which the Sun Never Sets," we must know how the sun rises.
In fact, for a long period of time in history, Britain, which lives on the island, has been wandering on the edge of the civilized world on the European continent~
The process of civilization has been interrupted many times by foreign invaders.
If the rise of the United States is a history of immigrants’ plunder and war,
Then the rise of Britain is a history of invaders.
Before the 11th century, due to its location at sea, the defense forces on the coast and sea were very weak.
England has experienced countless large-scale invasions of continental civilization, and was once reduced to one of the weakest "hotel countries".
At that time, every invader who came would regard the British Isles as their home to resist the new invaders.
The new invaders, after conquering or assimilating the previous invader, will then guard against the next invader.
In this way, in a cycle that lasted for more than 1000 years, this island accommodated a variety of ethnic groups, and these ethnic groups eventually merged into a unified nation through war after war.
Because of this period of early British history~
Britain was once described as the "melting pot of invaders and pirates".
As descendants of the invaders, the monarchs and ministers of the Kingdom of England had a combative nature flowing in their bodies.
Doing everything possible to expand territory and expand power is an important feature of British historical development.
However, because Britain had suffered digital invasions from the mainland in the past 1000 years or so, Britain's early foreign policy was full of "strong" continental sentiment.
The successive rulers of England have focused their main attention on the continent and constantly fought with other monarchs on the European continent.
One of the most important struggles was the "Hundred Years' War" that took place between England and France from 1337 to 1453.
The cause and process of this war, which has lasted on and off for hundreds of years, are extremely complex.
The Hundred Years' War ended with the withdrawal of the British army from the mainland.
And this long-term war also destroyed the sense of hatred between the two nations~!
During the Hundred Years' War, France took the lead on the road to national reunification!
After the Hundred Years War, England withdrew from Europe and silently licked its wounds. .
It was also during this period of "recuperation" that nationalism began to rise in England.
them. .Finally realized that I am an island country!
An independent island country with no connection with the European continent. .
They began to gradually give up their passion for the mainland, and gradually shifted their attention to the development of the ocean and overseas colonies.
But the whole process of abandoning the mainland plot and evolving towards the island mentality lasted for a full century.
It was not until 1558, when Elizabeth I became Queen of England, that England's island national character was truly established.
Elizabeth I’s mother, Anne Berlin, was an authentic English woman.
Therefore, Elizabeth I had "heavy" English blood in her veins.
Maybe that's why~
Elizabeth I regarded England as everything to her~!
And her emergence also represents England better than any of her previous rulers.
If any character can represent Britain in this era of self-awareness, then perhaps only two characters can win this honor~
One is Shakespeare and the other is Queen Elizabeth I.
Elizabeth I's handling of her marriage is the best embodiment of her Englishism.
After she came to the throne, princes and nobles including her brother-in-law, King Philipel of Spain, the King of Sweden, the Archduke of Austria, the King of France, the Duke of Sapp, and the Duke of Anjou proposed to him one after another.
But she knew in her heart that a combination with any of these foreign suitors might involve Britain in endless conflicts and entanglements on the European continent, thus endangering Britain's interests.
Therefore, she used all kinds of ridiculous excuses and prevarication and delaying methods to cool down the enthusiasm of many foreign suitors.
result. .She never got married throughout her life.
But Elizabeth I did not regret this~
As Churchill, the British Prime Minister during World War II, said, "She may be satisfied that she can become the public lover of all the British people."
Therefore, it is not so much the Queen's wise policies. .
Rather, it is her silent and tender gesture towards British subjects that has won the Queen the love of almost all the British people, who reciprocate their love.
This affection was soon reflected in Britain's maritime development.
During this period, the career of the British overseas expansion forces was not going smoothly.
The reason is that the two leading maritime powers, Spain and Portugal, have established absolute dominance on the sea.
At that time, Britain did not have enough maritime power to challenge the powerful Spanish fleet.
Especially after the Spanish fleet destroyed the Turkish fleet in the Battle of Lepanto in 1571, the huge strength of the Spanish navy daunted any European country.
But if you want to become the overlord, you have to beat up those who are stronger than you. Otherwise, no matter how strong you are, you will only be ranked second, because there can only be one boss.
The key to Britain's glory and becoming a pivotal power in Europe was to beat Spain hard.
After entering the 16s, Europe's military structure gradually tilted towards Spain.
In 1580, Philip II annexed Portugal and took the Portuguese mainland and its vast overseas colonies as his own.
The power of the Spanish Empire increases!
Next, conquering England was on King Philip's war agenda.
In the spring of 1588, the Spanish Armada commanded by the Medina Sidonian Army set sail for England.
In terms of the balance of military power, the situation clearly favored Spain.
On the British side, whether it was the army or the navy, the power the Queen could muster was very limited.
But at such a critical moment, the most precious qualities of the English nation were revealed, which are calmness and confidence, and the courage to repay the Queen's love!
When they saw the size and formation of the Spanish fleet, they only said one sentence: "Never has there been such a powerful fleet, but God Almighty is more powerful."
The courage of the British caused a heavy blow to the Armada, and "Almighty God" caused the Spanish fleet to encounter a big storm, causing seven ships and 5000 people to die at sea. The frustrated Spaniards retreated to their home port.
A vigorous expedition ended "miraculously" like this.
. . .
on the plane.
A slight vibration of the fuselage interrupted David's reading of this "interesting" information ~
He looked towards where the flight attendant was standing just now~
A middle-aged man wearing a captain's suit smiled at David and David: "Gentlemen, we have started the engine and are preparing to enter the runway~"
"Please fasten your seat belts!"
"Ok~Thank you!"
"Haha~ I wish you a pleasant journey!"
The captain waved to David and the others, turned around and walked quickly to the cockpit.
soon~
After David and Odyssett sat upright and fastened their seat belts, the plane slowly started to move~
After a few minutes.
The plane received permission from the airport and entered the runway. After a brief acceleration, it slowly flew into the dark night sky.
. . .
Wait until the aircraft has finished climbing and entered a stable flight state.
A beautiful flight attendant in her early 30s brought two bottles of milk to David and Odyssett.
"Sir, you need..."
"No, thank you!"
"Oh~ I don't need it either~"
"Ok~"
She smiled sweetly and nodded slightly, put the milk in her hand aside, and enthusiastically helped David unbuckle his seat belt.
David smiled and thanked the stewardess who looked familiar, and then looked at Odyssett who was yawning and getting ready to go to bed.
"Are you going to rest?"
"Yes~"
"You should go to bed early too! By the time we land, it should already be working time in the morning in London!"
"Okay~ Good night, Mr. Odyssey!"
"Um.."
Odyssett stood up, stretched her neck and shoulders, and walked slowly towards a small independent cabin.
When he opened the door, his feet stopped at the door~
He looked back at David who continued to read the information with his head down, thought for a while, and asked with a smile.
"Are you looking at... the information Lilith prepared for you?"
"Uh...yes!"
"Hehe~"
"I didn't expect that little girl to grow up in a blink of an eye~"
"When I first met her, she was still chasing after Cheryl... She was just a follower!"
"Hahaha~"
When David heard what he said, he understood instantly. .
he is. .Unleash kindness! ?
Because of Lilith?
Or is it because of our colleagues this time?
When they had dinner at the Blue Crystal Hotel, they only exchanged a few official polite words~
David quickly ran through a few thoughts in his head, and a surprised smile appeared on his face amidst Odyssett's laughter.
"Wow~"
"Lilith and I..."
"Yeah... I understand~ You are going to get engaged at the end of the year, right?"
"Yes, sir!"
"You...will come too?"
There was a hint of narrowness in Odyssett's smile: "Laura, she...may not hope..."
"No! Sir!"
"Lilith and I sincerely hope you can come to participate!"
"Oh?"
"...Okay~"
"I'll go, David!"
"Thank you!"
"Hahaha~ I'm tired, let's go to bed first!"
"Good night, sir!"
. . .
After David closed the door of the independent room, he took a long breath and spit it out slowly~
Direct lineage!
Without a doubt!
In just a few words, Begnino Odesette revealed his identity and attitude to David.
Because he not only knew about the engagement, but also about the relationship between Laura and Lilith. .
Emm. .
Forget it~
During this trip to London, we still have a lot of alone time~
David can gradually understand him better and deepen his good impression of himself~
. . .
After a short interlude.
David also stood up, took the milk delivered by the flight attendant, and walked into his small room.
There is only a double bed and a small private bathroom in the room.
After David threw the folder on the bed, he finished washing up as quickly as possible, then climbed onto the soft bed. Using the light on the bedside, he turned the information to the fourth page and continued reading~
. . .
A vigorous expedition ended "miraculously" like this.
In this series of naval battles, the Spanish Armada lost half its ships.
British naval losses were very small~
None of their ships were damaged, and fewer than 100 soldiers were killed. .
In this way, Britain resisted the attack of the most powerful empire since Roman times!
This "miraculous victory" not only inspired the British national spirit, but also laid the foundation for the future development of the British Empire.
In 1603, Queen Elizabeth I passed away~
She created a golden age for Britain!
This era has already begun, and no one can make her go back.
After the death of Queen Elizabeth I, James 11 and Charles I ascended to the British throne one after another.
James 11th and his son Charles I were both kings who believed in the divine right of kings.
They preferred an authoritarian Britain to the liberal England of Elizabethan times.
However, the king's power was largely restricted by the British Parliament.
The confrontation between the king and the parliament inevitably occurred~
The process of this confrontation is very complicated.
But Parliament clearly has the upper hand in this confrontation~
Because they use freedom to call people.
The British, who were born free, are a glorious legacy given by history.
The parliament’s proposition has won the support of the people ~
Those who win the hearts of the people win the world!
This statement is true everywhere.
1649 1 Month 30 Day.
It was a cold and gray morning in London, and the sky was high and bright. People faced the biting cold wind and rushed to the square outside the British Palace during the day.
There, Parliament beheaded Charles I in the name of the people. .
The British bourgeois revolution to safeguard freedom has reached its peak~
But this revolution is far from over!
In 1688, the "Glorious Revolution" broke out in England!
1688 7 Month 30 Day.
Seven dignitaries from both parties in the British Parliament extended an invitation to William, Prince of Orange, son-in-law of James II and consul of the Netherlands.
They wanted William to lead an army to England to help the British protect British religion, freedom, and property.
William, a Protestant, accepted the invitation~
He issued a declaration on September 9, calling for the restoration of the inheritance rights of his wife Mary, the eldest daughter of James II's first wife.
On November 1688, 11, William led 1 people to land at Tor Bay.
The news reached London, and James II fled to Germany, but was intercepted and sent back to London.
With William's consent, James II fled to France.
In December 1688, William entered London without a fight.
At the plenary session of Parliament held in London in January 1689, it was announced that James II would abdicate, and William and Mary would rule Britain together, known as William III and Mary II.
At the same time, Parliament proposed a Declaration of Rights to William.
In the declaration, it condemned James II's violation of the law; it pointed out that the king could not cease any legal effect without the consent of Parliament; taxes could not be levied without the consent of Parliament; Catholics could not serve as kings, and kings could not marry Catholics.
that's it. .
Britain ended the "Glorious Revolution" at the cost of only one king~
And the new King William is still one of the legal heirs to the throne. .
At least there was no bloodshed in the revolution, and it was called the "Glorious Revolution" by historians. .
William accepted the Declaration of Rights on the terms of Parliament.
The Declaration of Rights was formally approved by Parliament in October of that year and became law, the Bill of Rights.
The Declaration of Rights, its full name is the Declaration of National Rights and Freedoms and the Succession to the Throne.
It laid the theoretical and legal foundation for the British constitutional monarchy and established the principle that the power of Parliament is higher than the power of the king; it marked the beginning of the establishment of a constitutional monarchy in the United Kingdom; together with the Succession to the Throne Act, it marked the beginning of the British bourgeois revolution. ended, clearing the way for the rapid development of British capitalism.
To put it more simply, in the Glorious Revolution, not only the autocratic royal power disappeared, but also the independent royal power.
From that time forward ~ the King was subordinate to Parliament, rather than Parliament to the King. .
The era of one man ruling the country is over~
In its place is a parliament representing the people.
The "Glorious Revolution" laid the foundation for the British constitutional monarchy.
Compared with the autocratic monarchy system in continental Europe, this system has a more relaxed, free and open environment~
This provided favorable conditions for the rapid development of Britain.
Of course~
This revolution not only changed Britain, it also changed the world.
The sun is already high in the sky, and soon it will be hanging over countries all over the world.
"The Empire on which the Sun Never Sets" is coming!
After Britain defeated the Spanish Armada, British maritime supremacy had begun to be established.
In the 17th century, Britain had several naval battles with the Netherlands, known as the coachman of the sea, which severely damaged the Netherlands' maritime hegemony.
In the 18th century, Britain and France, the largest rival on the European continent at the time, had many wars~
Britain defeated France in the famous Youth War.
During the Napoleonic Wars, Britain again won the war against France.
In the end, Britain achieved victory in war after war and established its position as the world's hegemon.
The 19th century can be said to be the British century!
Because in the second half of the 18th century, the first industrial revolution in human history first occurred in England.
this. .A country that was once one of the most wild islands in the world has moved to the forefront of world industrial development.
With the rotation of spinning machines and the roar of steam engines, British industry began to take off.
At the beginning of the 19th century, British industry gained a leading position not only in Europe but also in the world.
The small British Isles have become a world factory that shocked the world!
As the world's factory, Britain needs a vast product sales market and raw material production areas.
Therefore, the pursuit of wider colonies became the British proposition in the past.
Britain's early overseas colonial expansion focused on the Americas, mainly in North America.
The original residents of North America were Indians. After the British immigrated to North America, they established colonies here. The original Indians were driven to remote areas in large numbers or were massacred. However, the good times did not last long.
In 1776, Britain’s 13 colonies in North America launched armed struggles against British rule~
This is the American War of Independence!
In 1787, the United States won the War of Independence.
The independence of the United States made the British generally frustrated.
Many British people believe that the day America becomes independent is when the sun of Great Britain sets. .
However, what they don't know is. .
Just a few decades later, an unprecedented empire on which the sun never set was established by the British.
This time, the focus of Britain's foreign aggression and expansion gradually shifted to the east, and it began to establish colonies centered on India.
As for the importance of India to the empire, Curzon, who once served as the Governor-General of India, said: "As long as we rule India, we will be the most powerful country in the world."
"But once we lose India, our status will plummet and we can only be reduced to a third-rate country."
At that time, more people vividly praised India as the most precious gem in the imperial crown.
From 1815 to the mid-19th century, British merchant ships and warships appeared in every corner of the world.
They acquired territory, opened ports, plundered raw materials, and dumped products. .
In order to ensure the security of the empire and the smooth flow of trade, Britain also occupied some military fortresses and trading strongholds during this period.
For example, they occupied Singapore in 1819, the port of Aden in 1839, and Hong Kong in 1841. .
In this way, from the Cape of Good Hope to the Indian Ocean and then to the Pacific~
Britain, relying on its strong military strength, has established an extremely smooth overseas trade channel on the world map.
If we say that the huge and glorious Roman Empire in history was nothing more than a regional empire centered on the Mediterranean.
Then, the "Empire on which the Sun Never Sets" established by the British can be regarded as a true world empire.
British colonies spread all over the world. The vast territory it developed and the large population it ruled were unmatched by any empire in human history. .
This period was the great Victorian era in British history~
At that time, the British were very proud of their unrivaled position~
They once compiled a ballad about Britain's status in the world~
"The plains of North America and Russia are our cornfields~"
"Chicago and Odessa are our breadbasket~"
"Canada and the Baltic Sea are our forest farms~"
"Australia and West Asia have our sheep lands~"
“We have our cattle in Argentina and the western grasslands of North America, and Peru has brought us silver~”
"The gold from South Africa and Australia flows to London~"
"And our coffee, sugar cane and spice plantations spread throughout the Indies."
"Spain and France are our vineyards, and the Mediterranean is our orchard~"
"The cotton fields that have long grown in the southern United States are expanding to all warm areas of the earth~"
that's it. .
By 1914, the territory of the British Empire was unprecedentedly large, with a total area of 3329.3 million square kilometers. Its territory was spread all over the world, accounting for about 1/4 of the earth's land area.
This is. . The pinnacle of the "Era of Empires on which the Sun Never Sets"!
However~
The shadow of the prosperous age quietly filled this huge empire.
Countless great civilizations that have appeared in the world all want to tell us a "truth"!
The prosperous age will not last forever~
The cyclical law of history tells us that the moment every dynasty or empire reaches its peak, it also means its decline!
Although Britain was the forerunner and absolute leader of the first industrial revolution~
But during the second industrial revolution, Britain could no longer dominate the world.
Because the second industrial revolution happened almost simultaneously in several countries with relatively advanced industrial development in the world.
The main country in technological invention and creation is no longer the United Kingdom, but Germany and the United States, which caught up later.
Emerging industries such as electricity, chemicals, petroleum, electrical appliances, automobiles, etc. have become the essence of this period.
However, Britain still clings to the traditional industries of the first industrial revolution such as cotton spinning, coal, steel and shipbuilding. Although Britain's leading position in these industries is a key factor in maintaining Britain's economic advantage.
But after 1870, the equipment in these industries was outdated~
The UK did not update its technical equipment in a timely manner.
The situation at that time was that whichever country had an advantage in the emerging industrial sector could develop emerging markets and obtain high profits.
The backwardness of the economic structure has caused Britain's overall national strength to gradually lag behind that of Germany and the United States.
In addition, various factors such as the British economy's high dependence on foreign countries, the backwardness of education compared with Germany, and the pursuit of comfort and enjoyment by entrepreneurs and the loss of enterprising spirit have all put the UK into a crisis of recession.
As a result, this huge empire is no longer stable, and a slight gust of wind will make this empire building crumbling.
In the first half of the 20th century, two hurricanes hit the world~
These two hurricanes finally uprooted the Empire State Building, which is known as the sun never sets!
And these two hurricanes are: the first and second world wars!
Although Britain won two wars, it lost an empire.
After World War II, the colonies of the "Empire on which the Sun Never Sets" became independent one after another amid the continuous wave of national independence movements~
The colonial system of the "Empire on which the Sun Never Sets" gradually fell apart.
In the short 20 years after World War II, the empire on which the sun never sets, which had more than 50 colonies, was left with only a handful of island colonies. .
Moreover, due to the impact of their own declining national power, colonial powers such as Britain and France also rushed to retreat from their colonies.
The "empire on which the sun never sets" has finally become a thing of the past. .
From now on, no country's sun can hang over other countries' territory.
The term "the sun never sets" may be sealed in the history books forever~
But this country that once created myths, integrated the world, and led all mankind into modern civilization, its rise experience is still worth learning and reflecting on today.
. . .
In David's hand, the printed font information prepared by Lilith is gone~
The last page left is a few words Lilith left for him~
"You don't need to know who the British aristocrats are~"
"Those so-called nobles, after World War II, one-third of them couldn't even save their family's ancestral property~"
"There is still one of the three who can only make a living by living on his laurels..."
"One of the last three is the big shot who still holds great power and needs your special attention!"
"But these big shots are far away from you..."
"You just need to pay special attention to the Duke of Westminster (Duke of Westminster) who has a good relationship with our family~"
"He is one of the shareholders of Westminster Bank and has a very close working relationship with the Rockefeller family~"
"In addition, the Duke of Westminster (Duke of Westminster), the Duke of Devonshire, and the Cavendish family have a deep blood connection~"
"If you can meet the Duchess of Devonshire, please bring me a greeting~"
"She is the one I admire and like the most among the six Mitford sisters!"
. . .
The information is gone~
David pointed at the handwriting left by Lilith on the paper and couldn't help but laugh~
Duke of Westminster. .?
David threw the folder aside and turned off the bedside lamp. Reading for a long time made him feel a little sleepy~
In his mind, he slowly recalled the content of the information he had just read, and silently recited a sentence to Lilith for her thoughtful help again~
"Thank you!"