The Rise Of Australasia

Chapter 765 - 572: The Collapse of the Empire_1

Indeed, apart from the fifth-generation military aircraft, the passenger airplane industry in the Kingdom of Australasia had also made some progress.

The latest model of the so-called Big-belly series could accommodate over 20 passengers and had far surpassed airships in terms of safety.

However, at present, airplanes are essentially toys for the wealthy; the poor and common people can’t afford them, hence there’s no need to spend too much ink describing them.

Still, some cities had constructed airports to facilitate domestic communication within Australasia and to establish faster channels for international communication.

Riding the currently fastest warship to Europe required half a month, but if one were to take the latest passenger aircraft, the time could be reduced to less than one week.

Despite the significant saving in time cost, Arthur generally would not choose to take an airplane under normal circumstances.

Time flew by, and before one knew it, it was April 1922.

The war between Greece and the Ottoman Empire, which had lasted for over a year, was finally drawing towards a conclusion.

Greece had the support of the British Empire behind it, while the Ottoman Empire faced various crises domestically, so the outcome of this war had essentially been determined before it even started.

It is worth mentioning that, compared to the consistently maintained situation of the Philippine independence war, the Greco-Turkish War seemed fraught with problems.

In the early stages, due to being prepared, the Greek Army had forced the Ottoman troops to retreat successively, capturing a significant number of cities.

However, this did not last long. With the internal revolutionary forces in the Ottoman Empire, especially after Kemal established the Grand National Assembly and took control, the situation saw considerable changes.

The morale of the forces led by the Ottoman Empire and those led by Kemal were completely different, and this caught the complacent Greek Army by surprise and at a severe disadvantage.

Since mid-1921, the war within the Ottoman Empire had turned into an all-out contest between Kemal and the Greeks, with no involvement from the Ottoman government.

At this time, the imperial government existed in name only, but theoretically, the Ottoman Empire still existed.

As time moved into 1922, after Kemal’s forces had driven the Greek army out of the Anatolian peninsula, he immediately abolished the Ottoman Empire and established the Republic of Turkey, bringing an empire that had existed for hundreds of years to an abrupt end.

The fall of the Ottoman Empire was not good news for Greece, as the newly established state of Turkey united all Turkish people, making them far more formidable than the old Ottoman Empire.

The establishment of Turkey essentially marked the failure of this war. The British Empire, having just gone through the Irish War of Independence, had no intention of helping Greece win this conflict.

As for Greece, relying on its own strength alone, it could not contend with Turkey – its previous victories over the Ottoman Empire hinged upon advance preparations and the empire’s internal decay.

After numerous changes, the war that had persisted for over a year finally reached its conclusion, although the outcome was not so easily accepted by Britain and Greece.

Although a portion of its land was lost, the Republic of Turkey that Kemal founded still inherited most of the Ottoman Empire’s territory. Unifying the nation to maintain a second-tier status was still unquestionably manageable.

Advances in medical care were crucial for a country, not only lowering the death rate and increasing the average lifespan but also improving the happiness index of its people.

In the long run, advances in medical technology were also beneficial for the Australasian Royal Family and Arthur since, after all, they were the ones who truly enjoyed the highest level of healthcare in Australasia.

Improvements in healthcare not only substantially increased the lifespans of Arthur and his family but also stabilized the country’s rule.

A long-lived and prestigious monarch had an intangible effect on enhancing a country’s stability, even without doing much.

This was reflected in the late Queen Victoria and the later Queen Elizabeth.

If the British Empire had such a revered monarch during the division of its colonies, the colonies would not have been so easily parted.

Had Queen Victoria been alive, most Irish people would not have joined the ranks against the government, which demonstrates the influence of a revered monarch.

To encourage the development of the domestic healthcare level, Arthur established a dedicated medical funds to recognize individuals and enterprises that made significant contributions to medical technology.

Although the fund was not large, exceeding 1 million Australian dollars annually, it served as encouragement for individuals and enterprises investing in the research of medical technology.

In addition, tax rates in Australasia for the medical technology research industry were comparatively low, but this was limited to the medical research field.

While not expecting the level of medical care to catch up to future standards too quickly, the more advanced it became, the more beneficial it was for Arthur.

In the end, Arthur was just an ordinary man, the more advanced the medical care, the longer he would live.

As an ordinary person, who wouldn’t want to live longer?

Arthur wasn’t greedy, witnessing the entire World War II and the subsequent Cold War unfold, and seeing the Kingdom of Australasia he founded ascend to the pinnacle of the world, at least as one of the superpowers, would be enough for him to feel content.

As for the question of whether to create an empire, it would depend on the future international situation and the support of the people.

Actually, for Arthur, the titles of Emperor and King were only a matter of nomenclature. With real power at hand, even as a king, Arthur’s status and prestige among the European royal families were considerable. Stay updated with My Virtual Library Empire

Especially after the British Royal Family changed their surname but Arthur retained the Saxe-Coburg-Gotha name, he had won considerable favor with many German families, securing him a respectable position within the entirety of the European royal family.

After all, Arthur was no longer the green youth who had just been named Duke.

Back then, Australasia needed Queen Victoria’s care, and Arthur received respect in the European royal family because of his status as a member of the British Royal Family.

But now, the status of King of Australasia alone was sufficient for Arthur to secure an adequate position amongst the European royal families.

As for his former status as a member of the British Royal Family, it had become unimportant for Arthur; since he expressed disapproval of the British Royal Family’s name change, it also meant that Arthur no longer clung to the identity of a British Royal Family member.