Holy Roman Empire

If we artificially control it, the gold rush can last at least five or six years. As long as one-third of these gold diggers can stay, our foundation on the African continent will be stable. " Franz replied calmly.

People who dig for gold may not make money, but those who provide logistics supplies to gold diggers will definitely make money.

What the government needs is a long-term sustainable colony, not a colony that prospers because of gold mining and slumps because the gold mining is over.

The colony is losing money, is it really losing money?It depends on how the account is settled.

If taxation and administrative and military expenses are simply calculated, there may be losses on the books, but the gold rush will also form a local market, which can expand the sales of industrial and commercial goods in Austria.

For example: tents, kettles, shovels, hardware, ships...

So many related industries have received orders, which will inevitably generate a lot of tax revenue, which will be fed back into fiscal revenue.

If the loss cannot be filled, then the government can buy gold locally, use it as a reserve to issue currency, and convert the currency tax collected, it will always make a profit, right?

There are not one or two loss-making colonies in various countries, but everyone still has not given up, so you know the hidden benefits behind this scene.

……

The Vienna government released the blockade, and news of the discovery of a large gold mine in Guinea quickly spread throughout the new Holy Roman Empire, and then throughout Germany.

This is just the beginning. After Baron Fickney discovered gold mines, others discovered gold mines one after another, but these gold mines were not that big.

But it doesn't matter, as long as there are gold mines.Even some gold mines whose gold content is too low to be mined are valued by the unscrupulous Colonial Department for publicity.

Anyway, they are all gold mines, and the official only announced the reserves, giving an ambiguous figure on the gold content of the ore.

For example: 0.8~45 grams, the gold content of 0.8 grams per ton is not necessarily the lowest number, but the gold content of 45 grams per ton must be the highest, even far exceeding the highest gold content.

These data are enough to fool ordinary people. The gold content of each piece of ore is different. It is normal to have such a large gap. No matter how rubbish a gold mine is, occasionally a piece of high-quality ore will be produced!

The media also cooperated very well with the publicity. So and so became rich overnight in the gold rush. For example, Baron Fickney became a household name, so everyone knew that he became a multimillionaire overnight.

As for the fact that wealth is still buried in the ground and mining gold mines also requires costs, the media has decisively ignored it.

Chapter No.16 Gold Rush

No one can resist the temptation of gold. Since Baron Fickney discovered the first gold mine, God seems to have opened the door, and gold mines, large and small, have been discovered one after another.

The scope is no longer limited to Guinea. Gold mines have been discovered in Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali and other regions.

Even the most conservative aristocrats in Germany couldn't help it, and they sent their family children to organize overseas expansion groups to compete for this fat cake.

Vienna Palace

Lopez, president of the German Regional Cultural Exchange Association, said: "Your Majesty, recently, many German nobles have expressed goodwill to us, hoping to join this battle for gold mines. Do you want them to join in?"

After the Paris Conference, Franz ordered the formation of the German Regional Cultural Exchange Association, the main purpose of which was to continue to resist the banner of unification.

There is a great market for youth groups, literary circles, and education circles in the German region. Through the connection of this organization, the Vienna government organizes cultural exchanges in the German region every year.

Not only people from the New Holy Roman Empire, the Federal Empire of Germany, and the Kingdom of Prussia participated, but also from independent countries such as Switzerland, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

The venue of the meeting is also rotated among the various states in the German region. The funds are nominally from private donations, but in fact most of them are allocated by the Vienna government.

The nobles in the German region proposed by Lopez will naturally not be the nobles in the new Holy Roman Empire. Those families who are interested have already joined in, and more are from other regions.

"Anyone who agrees with German culture can join, whether it's nobles, non-governmental organizations or individuals, you can promote it in this regard.

The land we have expanded on the African continent is not just for the new Holy Roman Empire, but for the living space of the entire Germanic nation.

We welcome every compatriot to join and contribute to the construction of our second home.

The Vienna government is formulating a bill to encourage everyone to emigrate, and all immigrants from the German region will enjoy the best conditions. "

Franz is still worried about not enough immigrants, how could he refuse them to join?

In this era, the nobles went to pan for gold, but they didn’t just go into battle alone. If you didn’t organize an armed team, even if you found a gold mine in the African continent, you couldn’t defend it.

The serfdom in the German region has only been abolished not long ago, and the influence of the nobles has not dissipated. It is much more efficient for them to organize armed immigration than the government's propaganda.

As long as he fooled the people, Franz was not afraid of them leaving.The big deal is to distribute land, which has no temptation for capitalists, but it is different for poor ordinary immigrants.

Is a farm afraid of not being able to keep people?Anyway, there are not many other things in the African continent, that is, there are many lands without owners.Logging and selling wood first, and then open up farms and plantations.

If you fool one, you fool one family.People who can't get enough to eat at home suddenly have a farm of their own, are they afraid that they will not emigrate?

Although the conditions in the United States are better, it is also full of uncertainties. If many people want to obtain a farm of their own, many people may not be able to achieve it after struggling for a lifetime.

The African continent is much better, and Emperor Franz has plenty of land to distribute.The prerequisite is to overcome local diseases, and the personal risk factor is very high.

In order to increase the number of immigrants, Franz had to mobilize everyone's patriotic enthusiasm. Rebuilding a second home is the slogan of the government's immigration propaganda.

……

Guinea

The Royal Bank has been in the African continent for more than a year. Since the colonial stronghold was stabilized, the Royal Bank opened a branch here, and it was the first bank to enter the Austrian colony.

Now there is another business, granting loans to cash-strapped mine owners.The development of gold mines also requires a lot of investment, and most gold prospectors can't afford the funds, so the demand for loans has arisen.

When everyone ran to find the gold mine, Franz didn't follow suit.He is very clear that those who search for gold mines may not be able to make money, but they can definitely make money by doing logistics services.

The upstarts who have just discovered gold mines are the best customers of the bank, and they have gold mine property rights as collateral, so they don't have to worry about their repayment ability at all.

……

Tedis, the account manager of the bank, said with a smile: "Your Excellency, this is already the most favorable loan condition.

If you don't believe me, you can go out and inquire. Is there any financing channel with lower interest than the Royal Bank in the New Brook area? "

Baron Fickney shrugged his shoulders and said, "Mr Teddys, there is only one bank in Newbrook, the Royal Bank, where do you want me to find out?

If there are financing channels outside, it must be the usury of the underworld.It is impossible for you to learn from them, it will damage the glorious image of His Majesty Franz! "

Baron Fickney also knew that he didn't have much room for bargaining. There was only one bank in the entire Austrian African colony, and it was impossible for him to go back to the mainland to raise funds.

For developing gold mines, time is life.If it is developed one day earlier, gold can be dug up one day earlier and profits can be realized one day earlier.

He has not forgotten that he still has a lot of debts in his home country, and the collateral is the family fiefdom. Although the income from the land is not high, he does not want to become a prodigal son in the eyes of people and lose his ancestral property.

Tedis said without changing his face: "Your Excellency the Baron, you are so humorous. Is there any doubt about the credibility of the Royal Bank?

You should be aware that the cost of operating a bank on the African continent is much higher than that at home.Now that New Brook is in disarray, we're basically out of business.

The current interest rate is a little higher than that in the local area, mainly because the operating costs are amortized. When the economy of New Brook enters the normal state in the future and our customer base grows, the interest rate will naturally come down. "

Baron Fickney said helplessly: "Mr. Tedis, but your loan interest is not a little bit high, the monthly interest rate is [-]%, which is three times higher than the domestic loan interest rate.

Even the riskiest business loan interest is nothing more than that.I took out part of the property rights of the gold mine as collateral, so you don't have to worry about defaulting at all. "

Tedis shook his head and said, "Baron Fickney, you can't settle accounts like this. This is the African continent, and risks will always exist.

Indigenous tribes are threatening gold mines, and countries are threatening diseases. Although your gold reserves are good, the environment for development is not good, and accidents may happen at any time.

Once the worst happens, we lose everything.

Royal Bank is a humane bank. In the event of force majeure that prevents you from performing the contract, we will only take away the collateral and will not pursue your personal responsibility.

In fact, we have shared the risk for you.At that time, the property rights of gold mines would have been worthless.

Moreover, if you encounter some troubles during the mining process, the Royal Bank will also block the pressure from the outside world for you. If you give up this service, then the interest is not negotiable. "

The last one is what Baron Fickney is most tempted to do. Pulling the Royal Bank into the arena can block the prying eyes of hungry wolves.

As for whether it will be swallowed by the Royal Bank, he is not worried at all.A mere gold mine is not worth it, and the Royal Bank has its own reputation.

After hesitating for a moment, Baron Fickney said, "I can pay with gold, so I can always get a certain discount, right?"

Tedis replied with a smile: "Of course, we can settle at a [-]% discount on the gold price in the international market, which is already the biggest discount.

I can guarantee that in the future, the price of gold in New Brook will not exceed the [-]% discount of the international gold market, which is a common situation in all gold producing areas. "

After contemplating for a moment, Baron Fickney, who felt that the price was not bad, didn't hesitate any longer, and directly picked up a pen and signed his name on the contract.

After the transaction was completed, Tedis continued to sell: "Baron Fickney, I think you still need mining machinery and equipment, and there are ready-made ones in New Brook.

We have cooperated with the Austrian Machinery Group. If you have not purchased it, you can go and have a look. The quality is definitely not inferior to any similar products. "

Baron Fickney replied politely: "Thank you, the name of the Austrian Machinery Group, I have heard of it in China for a long time. As long as the price is right, I am happy to cooperate with them."

Baron Fickney has no interest in the relationship between the Royal Bank and the Austrian Machinery Group.How the big man makes money is beyond his consideration.

However, now he really needs mechanical equipment, and it takes only a few months to order from China, and it is impossible to arrive at all.

As long as the price is not too abnormal, he will accept it.The profit of the gold mine is enough to cover all these investments, all he lacks is time.

……

After a large number of gold deposits were discovered, the gold rush broke out.After entering 1856, the local situation was not under the control of the Vienna government, and the British, French, Dutch, Portuguese, Spaniards, and Americans all joined the gold rush.

Gold diggers come from all over the world almost every day. In just one year, the population of Guinea's Golden Bay has increased by nearly 20.

This number is just the beginning, and more people are coming from all over the world. The conflicts between immigrants and even the disputes between the governments of various countries have also increased.

Especially in the Ghana region, the powers of the great powers are intricate, and the most gold mines have been discovered, which has become the focus of conflicts among various countries.

Austria, which was the first to act, undoubtedly had an advantage, at least in terms of the number of immigrants.

Propaganda came into play at this time. The German Federal Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia had too little say in this round of competition. Most of the German immigrants gathered under the banner of the new Holy Roman Empire.

Including the local immigrants in the early stage, the total population of the New Holy Roman Empire’s Golden Bay colony in Guinea exceeded 20 at this time, exceeding the sum of gold diggers from all countries.

There is nothing wrong with the saying that more people are more powerful. At least when looking for gold mines, they have an advantage and preemptively occupied a large number of gold mines.

In order to deal with the colonial disputes, Franz appointed the governor of the Gulf of Guinea, put all the gold diggers from the German region into the reserve, and added an infantry division garrison in the country.

It can be said that Franz can mobilize one hundred thousand troops with one order, which is enough to sweep all the colonies of various countries in this area.

Austria has an advantage on land, while Britain and France have an advantage on the sea. Although countries such as Spain, Portugal, and the Netherlands are weak in strength, their share of interests is not large.

How to deal with relations between countries has become the primary task of all countries involved.It is impossible to swallow alone, and no one has the ability to deal with so many enemies.

What's more, the benefits of gold mines seem very attractive. Because of the mining technology, this area only mines [-] tons of gold every year at most. After the cost is removed, the remaining profits are obviously not enough to pay for the war expenses.

Chapter No.17 West African Conflict

Just entering 1856, Franz received the good news that the queen was pregnant.Now the entire Vienna court revolves around Princess Helen, and everyone attaches great importance to the new heir of the Habsburg dynasty.

Sometimes Franz couldn't help thinking, what if it was a princess?Of course, it's not that he doesn't like his daughter, but that he needs an heir politically.

Although the Habsburg dynasty has a queen's precedent, it does not mean that conservative Austria is willing to accept another queen.

Ever since Princess Helen became pregnant, Empress Dowager Sophie became nervous. Pregnancy in this day and age is like walking through the door of hell, even if you are not careful.

"Frantz, now that Helen is pregnant, you have to keep a certain distance from her. Being too close will affect the safety of the fetus. Do you know what I'm talking about?"

The embarrassed Franz could only nod his head passively. He really wanted to reply: Am I a person who doesn't know how to measure?

There is no way that in the eyes of his mother, he is just a child who has not grown up, and the result of the argument is to be criticized.

Franz changed the subject and said, "By the way, mother, how are the preparations for Maximiliano's marriage going?"

The object of Maximiliano's marriage this time is Princess Charlotte, the daughter of King Leopold I of Belgium. It is a purely political marriage without any impurities.

Franz attaches great importance to the few follower younger brothers, strict militarized management, and immediately suppresses any thoughts that break down.

Empress Dowager Sophie said confidently: "Don't worry, I will take care of it. It's just that after Maximilian's wedding, how do you arrange him?"

The children of the European royal family also need to do things. Simply being a rice borer is useless.

Franz replied: "It depends on what he likes to do, and how far his personal ability has reached?"

How to arrange for this younger brother, Franz has no idea.Historically, Maximilian had just gone out to work, and he was fooled by liberalism not long after.

When serving as the governor of the Italian region, he directly shook the basis of the Habsburg dynasty's local rule.

From the perspective of history, Franz believed that the most suitable thing for Massimiliano was to be an artist or a botanist.

This is determined entirely based on his personal ability and hobbies, but Franz dared not say this proposal. In the eyes of Queen Sophie, Maximiliano is still very good.

If this younger brother is not allowed to run into a wall a few times, and he is directly allowed to be a rice moth at home, the outside world may think that Franz is suppressing his younger brother.

Besides, is Massimiliano really willing to accept his arrangement?You must know that in history, he went to Mexico to be the emperor.

If he had no ambition, how could he go to that muddy water?The situation in Mexico, Franz is very clear, is a country that has been fooled by liberalism.

Being an emperor is not afraid of the country's conservatism. What he fears most is that freedom goes too far and loses the most basic binding force.

Franz is not prepared to go to this muddy water. If Maximiliano's personal ability is against the sky and he has the talents of the world, then the investment will pay back the cost. Obviously he is not.

Not to mention Maximiliano, even Franz himself didn't think he could settle the internal conflicts in Mexico, otherwise the crown would not easily fall on Maximiliano's head.

……