Chapter 334: Chapter 291: The Leap of the Leopard and the Italic War

The actions of the French in Morocco sparked strong dissatisfaction among the German people and the government, and made the already tense European situation even more intense. War seemed imminent.

In order to quell the soaring domestic anger, and because the actions of the French had indeed touched upon German interests, William II adopted the strategy of Foreign Minister Kidron, sending warships to the important ports of Morocco as a bargaining chip while watching the development of the Moroccan situation.

On March 1, 1911, Germany officially submitted a memorandum to France and other major European powers, declaring that in order to protect the safety of German nationals and Germany’s interests in Morocco, the German government decided to send warships to the Agadir Port and withdraw immediately once the Moroccan situation stabilizes.

Before the German government decided to act, William II had cautiously consulted Kidron, who proposed the idea.

In response to William II’s cautious questions, German Foreign Minister Kidron confidently stated: “We are only taking corresponding actions and are not hindering France’s actions in Morocco. As long as the French are willing to pay the corresponding interests in colonies, we can withdraw our warships immediately and recognize French occupation of Morocco.”

Such words reassured William II slightly, leading him to decide to send the Panther gunboat to the important port of Agadir in Morocco.

It’s worth mentioning that the Panther gunboat did not, as Foreign Minister Kidron said, sit idly by after entering the Agadir port in the face of the Moroccan crisis.

This small warship, with a tonnage of less than 2,000 tons, did not communicate with the French after arriving at the Agadir port, but directly aimed its guns at the urban city.

This famous historical provocation, known as the “Leap of the Panther,” immediately heightened the already tense Franco-German relationship. Many people even thought that war was imminent and began selling their assets in panic.

As the saying goes, antiques are for prosperous times, and gold is for chaotic times. If war did break out, everyone would know that their various assets would be the least valuable.

Only by converting as much as possible into gold and important supplies before the war could they survive better when the war broke out.

This behavior also filled the German and French securities markets. Numerous people sold their stocks, and many small and medium-sized German and French companies went bankrupt overnight.

The people of Germany and France were full of grievances, and their hatred for each other’s countries deepened even more.

The sudden appearance of the Panther gunboat at the Agadir port startled the French troops stationed there.

What’s more, the small gunboat aimed its guns at the city, or rather the French troops stationed in the city, as soon as it arrived at the port.

Such a bold and provocative move directly shocked and angered the French troops stationed at the port.

After all, France was still one of the most powerful powers in the world at the time. Even if Germany’s overall strength had surpassed France, it could not send such a small warship to provoke France so blatantly.

Although the French infantry was furious, there was not much it could do against gunboats. They quickly reported the situation to the domestic government, exaggerating the facts, and asked for battleships to be sent for assistance.

After being embellished by the French troops, the news quickly reached Paris.

The French government was furious at the sudden appearance of the German warship, and its overt display of aggression, believing that Germany’s use of a small gunboat to directly provoke French troops and actions was a great insult to an old superpower like France.

But it didn’t end there. The next day, Germany sent a message to the French government, demanding that France compensate Germany sufficiently for its actions in Morocco and guarantee Germany’s interests.

The operation, which had originally been like a threat, had now become a direct one. Somehow, the news leaked out, and the French public became aware of Germany’s threats. They took to the streets in protest, demanding that the government declare war on Germany to protect French interests and the French people.

Faced with enemies and public opinion, even a fool would know how to choose.

On March 4, 1911, the French government officially announced to Germany that it was unwilling to accept Germany’s diplomatic blackmail and only promised to protect the safety of Germans in Morocco.

The French’s tough stance and unwillingness to back down led to a stalemate in the “negotiations” between Germany and France.

Under Foreign Minister Kidron’s “ingenious plan,” the Germans did not back down, but instead chose to continue their extortion, sending the Berlin cruiser to Morocco.

If the deployment of the Panther gunboat was just a diplomatic extortion and threat, then the deployment of the Berlin cruiser in the eyes of the French seemed like a war threat and extortion.

Today’s France is not the weak country it would become decades later. Faced with Germany’s blatant threats and intimidation, French public anger was almost unstoppable, even claiming that if the country backed down, they would overthrow the cabinet.

Do not underestimate the voice of the French people; if they say they will overthrow the cabinet, they really dare to do so.

At this time, the French government was also very angry, so it chose to continue to be tough on Germany.

After Germany continued its extortion, the French government refused to see the German ambassador to France, demonstrating France’s tough stance.