Holy Roman Empire

Napoleon III nodded and said: "Then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will mediate this conflict, as long as it does not harm our interests!"

Chapter 9 The True Colors of Great Powers

Sinai Peninsula

In the colonial stronghold camp, Austrian military representative Peter Lariva arrived and was warmly welcomed by the colonial team.

"Mr. Peter, when will the reinforcements arrive?" Andrea asked with concern

Peter smiled slightly and said, "Sorry, the French have come forward to mediate this conflict, and we have to wait for the outcome of the Cairo negotiations.

Before that, you must stand here alone.If Egypt attacks, you can simply retreat to the coast and the navy will meet you.

Of course, this is only an ideal state. Under normal circumstances, the Cairo government will not go to extremes. They do not have the confidence to go to war with Austria. "

"Sir Peter, this is beyond the scope of our contract. In advance, we did not promise to act as a bait to attract the Egyptians' attack!" Leo Haver protested

It's not easy to be a bait. It's okay for them to bully the indigenous tribes, but they obviously can't catch the regular Egyptian army.

If they are unlucky and the entire army is wiped out, they are here to make a fortune, not come here to die, so Leo Haver is naturally unwilling to take the risk.

Peter said calmly: "Mr. Leo Haver, the original contract was for you to create an excuse, but it didn't allow you to occupy this place. The current situation is caused by your actions without authorization.

Everyone is responsible for what they do, and you caused the trouble yourself, so of course you have to be responsible for it.

Besides, we won't let you do it for nothing.If you successfully lure the Egyptian army to attack, you will be the most responsible for this colonial operation.The country attaches great importance to this operation, and you may be awarded titles. "

The two asked in surprise: "Is there a fief?"

They were able to organize hundreds of NO.80 people to run out to colonize, and they were obviously not afraid of taking risks. The only problem was the size of the income.

Peter replied humorously: "If the fiefdom you want is a desert, you can apply for it. There is a high possibility that the country will approve it."

The two laughed awkwardly, obviously they didn't think the Sinai Peninsula was worth anything.Since there is no value, the shared income from colonial activities will naturally disappear.

Austrian noble titles are not easy to obtain, and most of them are life-long nobles. It is difficult to obtain a fiefdom.Even the discounted colonial fiefdoms were not so easy to obtain.

In theory, the colony that the colonization team opened up alone, they have the right to get a piece of it as a fief.Of course, after taking the fief, the government does not need to pay bonuses.

This is a lifetime feudal nobleman specially invented by Franz. If the credit is not enough to obtain a hereditary nobleman, he wants to obtain a fiefdom.It doesn't matter, this problem can be solved in the colonies.

When there is a title, these lands are fiefs. If there is no title, it is considered private land, and the government will not take it back.

The same applies to the situation in the Sinai Peninsula, except that there is an endless desert, even if all the credits are exchanged for fiefdoms, you can only get a few square kilometers of desert as fiefdoms, which is probably not something a normal person would do.

Both Leo Haver and Andrea are normal people, so they naturally chose to exchange for the bounty without hesitation.Don't talk about them, even if Franz chooses, it's still a bounty.

Although the Sinai Peninsula has an important strategic position and is rich in oil resources, but with such a large area of ​​the peninsula, not every piece of sand has resources under it, and there are still sand under more sand.

……

Cairo

Under the mediation of the French, negotiations between Austria and Egypt on the conflict in the Sinai Peninsula have begun, and there is no doubt that there has been arguing about whose responsibility it is at the beginning.

The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs de Lessebs, who was in charge of mediating the conflict, dissuaded: "Calm down, both of you, things have already happened, and now we are discussing how to deal with the aftermath."

There was no way, the negotiations did not go smoothly at the beginning, Austria did not set up an embassy in Cairo, only an office, and the diplomatic representative was still held by a capitalist.

The Vienna government did not send professional diplomats for this negotiation, and it seemed that they did not care about this inconspicuous negotiation at all.

Amateur, doesn't mean it's easy to deal with, and it can be messy.

The representative of Austria, Jonas, said righteously: "De, you are right, now we really should consider the aftermath.

This time, the Egyptian government robbed our caravan due to the idea of ​​making money, which caused us a large number of casualties and serious losses. The Egyptian government must be responsible for this. "

Mahmud objected: "No, Mr. Jonas. The truth of the matter is completely different from what you said. We don't have a government at all in the Sinai Peninsula, so how could we rob your caravan.

It is obvious that your people looted the Arikusi tribe and forcibly occupied Arish. You must immediately stop this aggression and compensate the Egyptian government for its losses. "

Jonas responded tit for tat: "Nonsense, who doesn't know that the nomadic tribes on the Sinai peninsula are so poor that they have nothing but camels, and idiots will loot them.

We have evidence to prove that the leader of the Ali Kuisi tribe was appointed by your government. This is the appointment document we seized in the counterattack, and the tax collection certificate presented by the Ali Kuisi tribe.

Mr Mahmoud, you can check for yourself whether it is true or not.The personal conduct of officials in your country is not up to standard, and you must be responsible for it. "

After speaking, he took out the certificate and handed it to Mahmud.The document is, of course, genuine, a letter of appointment issued by the Egyptian government a year ago.

Why is there this letter of appointment? Of course, Austria bought it from Egyptian government officials.A nominally Arish tax officer is not even an official, it is equivalent to the position of a temporary worker.

At this time, it becomes the basis for wrangling.The Egyptian government can be involved in this incident, making it difficult for them to get out.

After a closer look, Mahmud was not sure if it was forged by the Austrians, but he would not admit whether it was true or not.

Mahmud asked: "Mr. Jonas, we all know that the Sinai Peninsula is impoverished. What are your caravans doing there?"

"Those idiots are going to reopen the interrupted ancient trade roads and restore the road communication between your country and the Ottoman Empire."

Jonas gritted his teeth and replied, the expression of hatred for iron and steel appeared vividly on his face, as if he felt that those colleagues had lost face to him.

Today, when the great voyage is coming, I really can't find a better adjective to describe it as an idiot to restore the commercial roads on land.

This explanation is barely plausible. When the forest grows, there are all kinds of birds. It is not surprising that there is an idiot in the capitalist family.

Of course, this kind of statement can at most fool ordinary people who don't know it. Everyone here knows that the so-called caravan is a colonial team.

Mahmud sarcastically said: "Mr. Jonas, your reason is not valid. Now that the members of the Alikusi tribe are all dead, all the arguments are your own.

I don't think that a nomadic tribe has the guts to rob a fully armed caravan. This kind of thing is impossible for normal people to do. "

Jonas said indifferently: "That's right, normal people can't do it. They have already done it, which only shows that they are ignorant and don't know the power of muskets at all.

There are many such ignorant people in the world.Many natives regard muskets as witchcraft, and it is not surprising that they have done stupid things. "

After hearing Jonas' fallacies, the French Minister de Lesseb knew that this could not go on, otherwise the Egyptian government would be involved.

In international negotiations in this era, great powers can mess around, and small countries had better be obedient and reasonable, otherwise they will be in bad luck.

De Lesserbes said: "Mr. Jonas, the person involved is dead anyway, and no matter how serious the crime is, it can be offset.

As for the loss of your country, it will be made up by the inheritance they left behind. The property of a tribe should be enough to pay the pension. "

Jonas' complexion changed, and he immediately retorted: "Are we the ones who covet the little money?

The most important thing now is to seek justice for the dead. This cannot be solved with money. Talking about money is an insult to the great new Holy Roman Empire.

If you can't give us a satisfactory explanation, then our people will not leave.When we get a satisfactory answer, when will we talk about compensation. "

There was nothing de Lesserbes could do about Jonas's obsessions.The Austrian government obviously has no intention of invading Egypt, and this will not affect the interests of France.

Since there will be no losses for the family, the issue of the Sinai Peninsula has become a secondary issue. It is impossible for the French government to stand up for the benefit of the Egyptian government.

Just look at the reaction of the British, watching all this with a cold eye, quietly watching this farce unfold.

This is a common practice among countries in overseas colonization. When there is no conflict of interest, people generally do not directly conflict.

Mahmoud warned: "Mr. Jonas, if your people do not withdraw from Arish, we will take action and expel them by force."

Expulsion by force?Hearing Mahmud's threat, Jonas said disdainfully: "Then you take action, anyway, any action by your side on the Sinai Peninsula will be regarded as a declaration of war on the great new Holy Roman Empire.

If your country thinks it is strong enough to challenge the new Holy Roman Empire, then go to war!

Mr. Mahmud, I must remind you carefully that once war breaks out, we will not guarantee the scope of the war. "

The threat of force also depends on strength. Originally, this was just a means of negotiation by Mahmoud, but the result will soon turn into an all-out war between the two countries.

Going to war with the new Holy Roman Empire is obviously not something that Mahmud can decide, and it is impossible for the Egyptian government to make such a decision.

To put it bluntly, what is now occupied is a small oasis in the desert.It is neither a strategic location nor an economic value.

De Lesserbes persuaded helplessly: "Calm down, both of you, war can't solve the problem, it will only make things more complicated."

Jonas sneered and said: "War really can't solve the problem, but war can make some people sober, don't just keep your mouth shut and threaten with force.

Don't think that because we love peace, we are weak and can be bullied.If it is really necessary, it is not impossible to use war to solve the problem.

The new Holy Roman Empire is willing to live in friendship with all countries in the world. Even if extreme measures are taken, we will protect the interests of all countries. "

Threats, this is the real threat.Once the Vienna government promises to protect the interests of all countries from damage, the Egyptian government can only fight alone.

Britain, France and Austria have all infiltrated Egypt, but now Egypt is still an independent country, and countries have not gained much rights.

It is not impossible for everyone to carve up the interests of Egypt if Austria comes forward to beat Egypt up.

The integrity of the great powers is only in terms of interests. At this time, Egypt's strategic position is not as important as after the opening of the Suez Canal.

Even if there is a war, it will not affect the balance of power among countries.To put it bluntly, Egypt is only a small country with a population of only 350 million, and the benefits it has are not enough to turn everyone's face.

……

Chapter 10 Seigniorage

After some twists and turns, on May 1855, 5, the first currency after the establishment of the new Holy Roman Empire, the Rhine Shield of the New Holy Roman Empire, was officially issued.

The Vienna government successfully obtained the right to mint coins, and the reserves of the governments of various states were also included in the reserves of the Imperial Central Bank, but they were temporarily deposited in each state.

It's not that Franz didn't want to do it in one step, the main reason is that he just dug a piece of meat from the bowls of the governments of various states, and stimulating their nerves is likely to cause a rebound.

Since everyone wants to keep it in their hands, they will keep it. Anyway, the central government will send people to supervise and prohibit anyone from using these reserves.

There is no doubt that the central government can legally collect the seigniorage of various states after obtaining the right to mint.As the name suggests, seigniorage is the income obtained after deducting the cost of issuing currency.

Of course, now is the gold standard era, and reserves are still needed, and the profits from issuing currency cannot be as large as in the credit standard era of later generations.

Even so, seigniorage is also an important part of fiscal revenue. In comparison, taxes on tobacco and alcohol are so weak that they cannot be compared at all.

The British want to establish a "sterling-gold" system, essentially wanting to collect seigniorage from all over the world.Obviously, this requires the recognition of all countries in the world, and everyone must be willing to use sterling for settlement in international trade.

There are only two ways to do this, either to persuade everyone with strong strength, or to let everyone accept the pound as an international settlement currency through the exchange of interests.

So far, the British plan has not been successful. The Vienna government has adopted the gold standard system. Unfortunately, the new Holy Roman Empire only recognizes gold in international settlements.

What is a pound and can it be eaten?

On this issue, the London government and the Vienna government have communicated many times, but in the end it was fruitless.

The British want to collect seigniorage, and Franz also wants to collect it!Austria is not yet qualified to collect seigniorage around the world, but it can still be collected in the circle of the Holy Roman Economic Union.

Otherwise, why did the Vienna government take the risk of reforming the gold standard?We must know that currency reform also needs to consume costs and bear certain risks.

Judging from the current situation, after the currency value reform is completed, the seigniorage revenue of the Vienna government will account for about 0.5 to 2 points of GDP.

Such a large data gap mainly depends on the domestic economic development. The more prosperous the economy is, the more currency is demanded in the market, and the more currency taxes will be.

Of course, this is internal, and it is certainly impossible to have so many external ones.It is also impossible for Franz to ask other countries not to issue currency, but to use "Aegis".

This is a long-term work. In a short period of time, everyone will still use gold and silver for settlement. Aegis is only available within the new Holy Roman Empire.

It is also not so easy to persuade everyone to join the "Aegis-Gold" system.There are no visible benefits, why should people pay you this seigniorage?

Once the status of the international currency is determined, the demand for gold reserves will also decrease, and everyone can also support the currency value by relying on the credit of the governments of various countries.

At present, the most mainstream currency is gold and silver, and this kind of hard currency is the most widely used. The remaining pounds, francs, and Aegis are just ordinary currencies.

The British have already started to promote the pound, and promoting the reform of the gold standard is the most important part of it. Only when everyone has the same standard can the pound-gold system be established.

……

Chancellor of the Exchequer Carl said in high spirits: "Your Majesty, the issuance of Aegis is going well. Now we have sufficient gold and silver reserves in our hands to cope with all fluctuations."

Thanks to the restoration system of gold and silver in various countries in this era, the Austrian government will take out silver in international settlements, and everyone will still be happy to accept it.

It will be difficult to obtain gold from the market after all countries have abandoned the bimetallic system, and even buying all the gold in circulation will not be enough.

Historically, because of the lack of sufficient gold in the market, the governments of various countries carrying out gold standard reforms had to compromise with the British and accept the pound-gold system.

Some countries even have too much gold shortage, so they directly use the British pound as the standard for issuing currency, and the currency value is directly linked to the British pound, and the value of the new currency is guaranteed by the credit of the British.

This is why it is generally believed that the peak period of the British was after the Anglo-Boer War.After obtaining the gold from South Africa, most of the gold in the international market fell into the control of the British, and the pound's world currency hegemony was truly established.

Franz nodded and said: "Don't take it lightly, continue to strengthen the monitoring of the financial market, and immediately activate the contingency plan once a large amount of capital outflow is discovered."

Although he doesn't think anyone will make trouble at this time, the previous actions of the British have already sounded the alarm to Franz. In order to establish the currency hegemony of the pound, who knows whether the British will make another wave.

The consortium Carl replied solemnly: "Your Majesty, please rest assured. We have sent people to keep an eye on the foreign consortiums entering the country. Once they withdraw their capital, we will take action.

Their black materials have been collected, and when the time comes, it will be enough to temporarily detain their capital, and if the situation is serious, they can be directly sent to the gallows. "

Who among the capitalists of this era has no black history?Even after entering Austria, these foreign capitals have restrained their behavior to some extent, but the bloodshed of capital is still indispensable.

In normal times, in order to develop the domestic economy, the people do not raise officials and do not investigate. These issues are put on hold, and everyone pretends that they have not seen anything.

Now is the critical moment, once these inconspicuous black histories are exposed, it will be enough for them to be overwhelmed.