The Rise of Australasia

The situation of the war in the Dutch East Indies temporarily entered a peaceful state, which was also good news for Arthur.

Since the outbreak of the war, Arthur's focus has been mainly on the war, and his free time has been greatly reduced, leaving him no time to accompany William and Anna.

As time slowly entered the second half of December, Arthur, together with Queen Mary, William, and Anna, decorated the palace for the upcoming Christmas holiday.

In the palace of Australasia, there was hardly any sense of the turmoil and panic brought about by the war in the outside world. All that was present was the warmth and harmony among the royal family members.

Unfortunately, snow is not common in Sydney. Otherwise, with snow on the ground, the scenery in Sydney and even Australasia would be even more beautiful.

Unconsciously, the territorial scale of Australasia has become quite exaggerated. Without exaggeration, Australasia has already become a transcontinental country with large territories in both Asia and Oceania.

The westernmost part of the territory is in the Middle East Region, and the easternmost part is in the eastern Pacific Ocean; the distance between the two is more than half the circumference of the Earth.

Although the span from north to south isn't as exaggerated, the northernmost part of Australasia lies between the North Temperate Zone and the Tropics, and the southernmost part extends from the South Temperate Zone to the Antarctic Circle. The distance between the southernmost and northernmost points is quite far apart.

In Australasia, you can see various climates from the North Temperate Zone, the Tropics, the South Temperate Zone, and the Antarctic Circle, experiencing scorching heat, freezing cold, and warm comfort – the climate and environment are diverse.

Being solely a tourism resource, Australasia will become an internet-famous country in later generations, attracting the most tourists among other countries.

After some states and cities started to build tourism resources, the number of visitors in Australasia has been continuously rising.

If it were not for the impact of this war, the beautiful environment and the numerous islands suitable for tourism would attract even more tourists and immigrants to Australasia.

Fortunately, after this war, there should be a peace period of up to 20 years. During this time, not only will Australasia develop rapidly, but the tourism and economy of Australasia will also undergo rapid development.

Although the war went smoothly in the first half of the year, since entering the second half of 1915, it has become a war of attrition for both parties.

Up to now, the total number of soldiers involved in the war has already exceeded 10 million and is even approaching 20 million.

According to preliminary statistics, over 2 million people have died in this war, and the number of injured has reached as high as more than 7 million, with casualties accounting for nearly half.

Although the number of injured is cumulative, and some soldiers may participate in the war after their injuries have healed, it cannot deny the fact that the war is a serious burden on European nations.

Besides consuming various resources and funds, the war also depleted the most important manpower for the country.

The bad news is that this is just the beginning. The Battle of Verdun, although it lasted only a short time, is already the deadliest among all current battles.

Next, the British and French will launch the Battle of the Somme. Without any accidents, this will be yet another bloody battle, perhaps the bloodiest of all.

In short, both parties have reached an impasse, either defeating the enemy at a heavy cost or being defeated by the enemy at a heavy cost.

The quick victory planned by the Germans has become impossible, and the outcome of the war depends on which side collapses first and which nation falls apart first.

However, Britain and France have a significant advantage in a war of attrition due to their numerous colonies.

If the Germans can't find a way to break the stalemate, Germany's defeat will not only be a matter of time but also face the powerful exploitation of Britain and France after the war.

Unconsciously, Arthur has been in the Australian Region for 15 years.

Time has changed Australasia, and it has also changed Arthur. If Arthur was merely a benevolent monarch when he first arrived in Australia, now he has become a qualified monarch who knows the greater good and can handle any situation with confidence.

A qualified monarch should have an iron heart and prioritizes the interests of the majority of the people in his country.

If it were Arthur who had just arrived in Australia, he might have felt sorry for the large number of casualties that Australasia faced in the war.

Although most are indigenous armies, the casualties of Australasia's regular troops have now reached tens of thousands.

However, for the present Arthur, if the casualties of tens or even more than a hundred thousand people will make Australasia stronger after the war, and even establish its superpower status, then it is all worth it.

Improve the pension policy of Australasia, treat the families of all the soldiers who participated in the war well, as compensation for all the injured and even deceased soldiers, as well as their families.

Some people must shed blood for their country, and what Arthur can do is to try his best not to let those soldiers who shed blood for the country suffer from inhumane treatment after the war, or even have their own interests violated.

Time passed quickly, and before Arthur knew it, William and Anna had already turned five years old.

Five years ago, he was just a child in swaddling clothes, crying to be fed. Now, he is already able to follow behind Arthur and help him set up the Christmas scene.

Meanwhile, Queen Mary stood to the side with a gentle smile on her face, assisted by her attendants and watched over by Arthur's mother, Princess Louise.

"Mary, remember not to stand for too long," Arthur reminded her from time to time.

Queen Mary was pregnant once again, and had been for seven or eight months. Her belly was now so round and high that one could even feel the baby's movements.

The royal family was about to welcome another new member, which was good news for Arthur.

At present, the members of the Australasian royal family were rather few: Arthur, Princess Louise, Queen Mary, William, and Anna.

Together, these five controlled the entire royal financial group, with a total fortune of over 700 million Australian dollars and an average wealth of more than 100 million Australian dollars per person, showcasing the luxury and wealth of the Australasian royal family.

As long as there were no inheritance issues, having more children would be beneficial for Arthur and the royal family.

After all, each of Arthur's children would inherit a significant amount of wealth and noble titles, ensuring that they would never lack status or fortune in Australasia, and there would be no concerns regarding raising children.

Having more members in the royal family would also help solidify their position. If there were only five members in the Australasian royal family, an accident could potentially jeopardize their rule.

Take, for example, the current British royal family. They have many direct heirs, and hundreds of others among their various collateral branches and distant relatives, waiting in line for the British throne.

Although an inflated royal family can incur big expenses, the British royal family does not have to worry about succession issues, as there are hundreds of successors waiting in line.

Even Arthur has the right to inherit the British throne. However, his highest position in the line of succession was actually during the reign of Edward VII.

Not counting Edward VII and his children, Arthur would have been the first in line for the throne at the time.

Of course, the chances of the British king and all his children dying were extremely low, and Arthur didn't have many aspirations for the British throne. After all, since Edward VII's death, the British throne no longer seemed so dazzling, with intricate relationships limiting the power of the British king.

Only a monarch who had been on the throne for a very long time, like Queen Victoria, and had a lofty status in the hearts of the people, could gain significant power.

Otherwise, the power of the British monarch would only weaken from one generation to the next, eventually diminishing their influence over the government.

Of course, a monarch who has been in power for a long time, like Queen Victoria, ensures that their successor will not be too young. For example, Edward VII ascended the throne at the age of 60, and this resulted in his death just nine years later.

Although Edward VII inherited quite well the power and status of Queen Victoria, the rapid succession of British monarchs during that time eventually led to the loss of power for his successor, the current King George V.

In later generations, Queen Elizabeth reigned longer than Queen Victoria and had a good status in Britain, even helping to stabilize the British Isles.

However, the issue was that her successor, Prince Charles, was already 74 years old when he ascended the throne, and 75 years old when he was crowned.

Such a monarch's reign is bound not to last long, and if the British government were to experience frequent turnovers, the next British monarch's power would undoubtedly weaken even more.

Of course, it seems like the power of the British monarchs in later times was not much, and their decline would not be substantial.

Though not as strong as the British Empire, the good news for Australasia is that its political environment is relatively unified, with all political parties managed by the Royal Parliament and relationships between them not being too complex.

Due to the short period since its establishment, Arthur was able to effectively control most of the government's power and had no threatening opposition.

Furthermore, the various policies of the royal family and the government that Arthur had promoted over time ensured that the Australasian royal family held a prominent status in the hearts of the people of Australasia.

It is not an exaggeration to say that Arthur's position in the hearts of the Australasian people even surpasses that of Queen Victoria among the British people.

After all, Arthur is the first king of Australasia, the monarch that led the Australian and New Zealand regions towards independence and unification.

As the founder of the country and ruler for over ten years, as long as Arthur doesn't impact the vital interests of the people, his prestige will never waver.

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