Holy Roman Empire

Considering that some of the newly planned railway routes are too remote and it is difficult to make a profit, in order to attract investors, the Vienna government also promised to permanently exempt remote roads from taxes.

It’s okay to fool ordinary investors with good news. Smart people know that this is just a tempting picture.But in the age of market frenzy, who cares so much?

Smart people know that no matter whether the project succeeds or fails in the end, as long as they don't become the last taker, they can make money from it.

Although all the railway companies in Austria have never made a profit, the railway stocks have been bullish all the way and are very optimistic about the capital market.

At present, all the railways in operation are making profits, which has given many people the illusion that railway companies are profitable business, especially Austrian Railways, which can operate monopoly.

In terms of bidding projects, the Vienna government is also bragging. For example, the current economic development speed of the new Holy Roman Empire, the demand for railway transportation, and the high population growth rate are all good news.

After packaging in this way, many speculators have been recruited. In theory, all these railway lines will be profitable, even the most remote railway in Bosnia and Herzegovina will also be profitable in the future.

These data are not deceiving, and it is really only a matter of time before the railways make a profit.In this era, there were no cars, no airplanes, and no means of transportation could compete with railways in land transportation.

The territory of the new Holy Roman Empire is not large, there are no too remote places, and there are no uninhabited frontiers, and there is potential for discovery in the future.

Franz estimates that if the Vienna government does not impose restrictions on railway transportation prices, then after ten years, more than 70.00% of the routes will be profitable; after 20 years, more than 90.00% of the routes will be profitable; after 30 years, all routes will be profitable up.

This profit is based on not considering the construction cost, but the pure operating income exceeds the operating cost, and it will take years and months to recover the investment.

The construction cost of the railway has not been recovered, and major repairs are needed again. No matter how good the maintenance is, most of the rails and sleepers will have to be replaced after decades.

Since it was a painted cake, Franz didn't mind making it look more attractive.For example, the Vienna government promised to subsidize routes that are seriously losing money to ensure the normal operation of the railway.

This promise is actually the same as nothing. The railway company will definitely give up the railway line that cannot recover the operating costs!

As a successor, the Vienna government must ensure the normal operation of the railway no matter whether it gives subsidies or not.It is the responsibility and obligation of the government to ensure the smooth flow of basic transportation facilities, and this money is absolutely indispensable.

What's more, before that time, the economic crisis broke out, the railway company's capital chain was broken, and it became inevitable to accept the government's shareholding. After a few more economic operations, the largest shareholder became the Vienna government.

Why break the rules when you can control the railway holdings within the rules?

Obtaining a controlling stake in the railway by economic means is much more clever than overturning the table and blatantly declaring the railway state-owned.

Moreover, the management system of the joint-stock cooperative company is much lower than the management cost of directly appointing bureaucrats by the government.

……

London

Barclays Bank is now somewhat of a prototype of the Barclays Bank consortium. Except that it has not publicly announced the establishment of a consortium, the capitalists who are essentially attached to the bank's periphery already have the strength of a consortium.

The funds of Barclays Bank itself have exceeded [-] million pounds, and the funds that can be mobilized through the financial market have exceeded [-] million pounds, and the industries affected have exceeded [-] million pounds. It is also among the top few consortiums in the UK.

President Genos took out a stack of materials and distributed them to everyone, and then said: "Everyone, not long ago, the Vienna government suddenly announced a large investment in infrastructure.

Including: railways, ports, urban drinking water projects, municipal engineering reconstruction, and even some water conservancy projects, all included in the bidding scope.

The total investment is estimated to be as high as 4.8 million Aegis, or 2.4 million pounds, which will drive the peripheral industry market to exceed 5 million pounds.This is a feast of capital, but it is also accompanied by very severe challenges.

How to win the biggest cake while controlling the risk to the lowest point is the topic we are going to discuss today.

The information has been distributed to everyone, and it is basically the same as what we learned before, but the current one is more detailed and involves specific projects. "

The big capitalist Simon questioned: "Mr. Genos, as far as I know, the total financial revenue of the Vienna government last year was only 1.21 million Aegis, and this year it will not exceed 1.28 million Aegis. Can they use this huge sum of money to invest? ?”

Genos replied calmly: "Austria's economy has developed rapidly in recent years, and the Vienna government took advantage of the Near East War to successfully get rid of its financial difficulties.

Especially after the annexation of several German states, the total population of the newly born Holy Roman Empire exceeded 5000 million, and its economic aggregate surpassed that of the French, only us.

At present, the total debt of their government is less than 8000 million Aegis. This debt ratio can be said to be quite low. If they want to raise external funds, surely everyone will not refuse it? "

Reject, how to refuse?Who would have trouble with money? The British, with severe excess capital, are looking everywhere for investment these days.Facing a high-quality customer, how can you refuse for no reason?

If the financial market of the new Holy Roman Empire can be influenced through loans, the potential benefits will be even greater.

Simon replied without hesitation: "Of course, the Vienna government is now a high-quality customer, as long as they are willing to join the pound-gold system, there is no problem in providing them with loans.

But they won't join. The Austrians still want to engage in the Aegis-gold system, and it is impossible to easily compromise with the London government.

In this case, should we still do this business? "

The capitalist Bernard asked back: "Why not do profitable business?

It is a long-term work to control their financial market through loans, and then influence the decision-making of the Vienna government through finance, so that they can accept the pound sterling gold system.

Our approach is consistent with the government's strategy, but it will take a little time.The new Holy Roman Empire is also a big country, and it will not happen overnight if they want to make them compromise. It will be safer to slow down. "

Except for the fact that the first sentence is true, the rest is all nonsense.It is indeed possible to control the financial market through loans, but this is in a theoretical state.

Austrian capital is not a fool. For their own benefit, they will resist their capital invasion. It is very obvious which side the Vienna government will stand on.

It has never been heard that a single loan can control the finance of a big country.

Unless they can make the Vienna government have financial problems and rely on overseas loans for a long time, they will inevitably be affected by them.

But in this way, high-quality customers become low-quality customers again, and there is no need to continue the business.

Genos said seriously: "Let them implement the plan of the London government, we can support them, but the premise is that it does not harm their own interests.

Everyone must not forget that the bait thrown by the Vienna government is poisonous. They require investors to advance construction funds and pay a security deposit.

Once there is a change in the middle and the project's capital chain breaks, not only the previous investment will be in vain, but the security deposit will also be confiscated, and all risks will be borne by investors.

It seems that this kind of project that squeezes a lot of money is specially prepared for us, which is too abnormal.

From the analysis of the current economic situation, this round of economic development seems to be reaching its limit.The fruit has ripened, and the day of harvest is not far away.

When the economic crisis was approaching, the Vienna government threw out this big plan, and I very much doubt that they were just trying to get a security deposit. "

Bernard said without hesitation: "Even if they are cheating on the deposit, it is based on the premise that the project is unfinished. As long as the project is successfully completed, they must pay the payment. I don't think the Vienna government will default.

Compared with the security deposit, I think they are more likely to pull people into the water. Once everyone invests funds in these infrastructures that cannot be performed, even if the economic crisis breaks out, there is no way to withdraw funds from Austria.

In order not to let the initial investment go to waste, investors have to continue to invest. As long as these projects are under normal construction, the impact of this economic crisis on Austria will be minimized.

However, I am very skeptical that an economic crisis will break out in Austria?

Although the capitalist economy has developed to the present and affects more and more countries, the impact on conservative Austria should not be great.

Even they have never felt what a real economic crisis looks like, and do they make such a fuss about it? "

Simon sneered and said: "Bernett, your thinking should stay a few years ago! Since 1850, the Austrian market has become the most popular area for British capital.

So far, the total investment of British capital in the New Holy Roman area should have exceeded 1.8 million pounds, and the investment of French capital there will not be less than 5000 million pounds.

The investment of Barclays Bank alone has exceeded 1500 million pounds. If we transfer funds and leave together, the economic crisis in Austria will erupt immediately. "

They have the capital to be proud of. This era is when the capital advantage of the British Empire is at its greatest. Even the French who are closest to them cannot match it.

Genos glanced at everyone and said: "No matter what conspiracy the Austrians have, as long as it doesn't hinder us from making money, we can continue to cooperate.

Based on the information we currently have, it is very unreliable to guess their plan.No matter what conspiracy the Vienna government has, the project they have put forward this time does have a lot of high-quality assets.

We just need to screen out the high-quality assets here and find a way to get them. Whoever wants to take over the remaining junk assets can take over.

If possible, everyone can work hard to see if we can throw some good-looking junk projects to our competitors.

In my personal opinion, the urban safe drinking water pipe network project is very good and can be swallowed. Once this project is completed, you can imagine monopolizing the profits of a city's tap water supply. "

Simon said very cooperatively: "Janos, you are still so good, you can pick the most effective and valuable items at a glance.

Several water companies under our umbrella have always been the most stable source of income and are hardly affected by market fluctuations.

However, I think that as long as the Austrians bid high enough, they can undertake some municipal engineering projects. By the way, we can also help them issue construction bonds to meet the project's funding needs. "

Obviously, what he is looking at is not any municipal construction project, but the issuance of bonds, which is the business of guaranteeing income from drought and flood.

These bonds were not bought by themselves, but sold on the London financial market for the Vienna government. It has nothing to do with them whether they can be cashed in the end, anyway, the handling fee and exchange fee are earned first.

Burnett added: "Our railway company can't be idle either. Now the domestic business growth has almost stagnated, and the development potential is not great.

In any case, we must take this opportunity to win a few railway lines, push the stock price up, and then find another buyer to take over the order. "

Obviously everyone knows that there is a crisis here, but this does not prevent them from making money. As long as the profit is large enough, who cares what the Vienna government wants to do?

Everyone's different opinions actually represent their own different interests.In the same consortium, everyone's development direction cannot be the same.

Everyone has their own goals, and close cooperation can only be achieved when interests do not conflict.

If this cannot be done, those who should be separated should still be separated.To put it bluntly, a consortium is just a combination of interest groups. Once everyone's interests conflict too much, it is very natural to fall apart.

Chapter 23 Chaos in Central Asia

Due to Franz's butterfly effect, although the Russians suffered heavy losses in the Near East War, they got the coveted Constantinople. In the face of victory, the domestic crisis was suppressed.

After two years of recuperation, the tsarist government began to restless again.It's just that the Vienna system was rebuilt at this time, and there was no chance for them to expand on the European continent, so the Tsarist government had to set its sights on the Asian region.

In October 1856, under the instigation of the Russians, the Persian dynasty captured Herat. The stimulated British immediately declared war on the Persian dynasty, and the Anglo-Polish war broke out.

Herat is bordered by the Persian Gulf in the west, the Caspian Sea and the Yaksart River in the north, and the Indus River in the east. Its special geographical location determines its strategic position and has become an important part of the British-Russian struggle for hegemony in the Asian continent.

During the Near East War, the Russians planned to send troops to India to force the British to withdraw from the war, and Herat was an unavoidable hurdle.

At that time, the Herat government was afraid that it would offend the British, so it rejected the request of the Russians, and the relationship between the two countries deteriorated.

In order to remove this nail, the tsarist government turned to support the Persian dynasty, and now supports the Persian invasion of Herat.

Affected by the outbreak of the Central Asian War, negotiations in the Gulf of Guinea also took a turn for the better. In order to gain the support of international public opinion, the British government had to make concessions.

Without the shit-stirring stick of the UK, subsequent negotiations will be much easier.Because the entry time was too late, the French did not have much interest in the local area. The Paris government did not make great efforts to compete, and the remaining countries did not have the strength to compete.

On November 1856, 11, the seven countries of Britain, France, Ossi, the United States, Portugal and the Netherlands signed the Treaty of the Gulf of Guinea in Vienna, also known as the Treaty of the Seven Nations.

The treaty stipulates that the coastal area of ​​the Gulf of Guinea is divided by the actual occupied area of ​​each country, the colonial strongholds of various countries are not allowed to attack each other, and whoever discovers the gold mine in the inland area first will get it.

On the surface, no one has suffered a disadvantage. In fact, this has confirmed Austria's local hegemony, and Austria, which has manpower advantages, has an absolute advantage.

The United States, Spain, and France jointly occupied Liberia; Austria, Britain, and Portugal jointly occupied Sierra Leone; Austria, Portugal, France, and the Netherlands jointly occupied Côte d'Ivoire; Austria, Britain, and the Netherlands jointly occupied Ghana; Brother, Austria monopolizes Guinea.

The forces of various countries in the Gulf of Guinea are intertwined, directly making this the most chaotic area in the world. The "Seven Nations Treaty" only temporarily suppressed the contradictions among the countries, but could not eliminate them.

Seeing the power distribution maps of various countries, Franz was at a loss for words. It was completely confusing. For example, the British in Togo only had a stronghold of a few hundred people, but they just refused to leave.

There is no way, the British Empire is so good at sea in this era, even if Austria has an advantage in the local area, they cannot be expelled.

Franz didn't feel that he was unbalanced. Diplomacy was within the range of cannons, and the British colonies could not be touched on the surface. Could it be possible to do black hands secretly?

Don’t look at the criss-crossing forces of the countries in the Gulf of Guinea and think that the competition among countries is very fierce. In fact, it’s just the UK playing the role of a shit stick. I don’t want to see Austria monopolize the Gulf of Guinea, so so many countries have come up with Austria. .

Without the power of so many countries, it is very likely that they will be squeezed out of the Gulf of Guinea based on their local strength. After all, their advantages lie in the sea, and they will not be able to do so on land.

Unless they are hiding in the colonial stronghold and cannot come out, once they go out to carry out colonial activities, they may encounter danger.This is the continent of Africa, and it's only normal for a little accident to happen.

In order to avoid such a situation, the London government wooed other countries to carve up the Gulf of Guinea.Anyway, they all got the biggest benefit, and Franz naturally wouldn't do anything wrong.

Don't look at the weak strength of the countries here, but this also represents everyone's face, and they will be expelled directly, and Austria will no longer have to mix in the world.

……

Metternich said: "Your Majesty, the Anglo-Polish war has broken out, and the Russians hope that we can support their actions."

Support, must support!At least verbal support is required, no matter how restless the Russians are, as long as they don't do things in the European continent, Franz doesn't care.

The negotiations in West Africa were at a stalemate, and the British, who had a naval advantage, could not easily admit defeat. As a result, when the Russians made a move, they immediately gave in.

Now is the critical moment for the British to secure the Indian colony. The Russians are beating the Persians to occupy Herat. Is there any doubt about their motives?

Without the French as thugs, it is possible to face the Russians on land. Even with the first-hand advantage, the London government dare not take it lightly.

Franz thought for a while and said, "The tsarist government wants to seek bad luck from the British, which is just convenient for us to expand overseas. What kind of support do they want?"

Metternich replied calmly: "In addition to diplomatic support, they also want to obtain a loan."

Another "loan", Franz understood why the German-Russian alliance collapsed in history.It's not that the government of William II is stupid, it's that they can't afford to support Russians.

Regardless of the fact that the Second German Empire was developing very well at that time, it seemed to be very rich. In fact, as a new empire, they did not have much capital accumulation at all.

No matter how fast the economy develops, it cannot change the fact that they are short of money.In the era of the gold standard, the rival British controlled most of the world's gold, and the German government had to be cautious if it wanted to issue more currency.

The scale of the economy in the market has arrived, but unfortunately the government reserves are insufficient, and the currency issued can meet its own needs.

In order to restrain the British, Franz decided to admit it, and after thinking for a while, he said, "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has negotiated with the Russians. If the loan amount is small, we can agree to them, but there must be collateral."

Huge loans are impossible, and the Vienna government is not rich, even if there are restrictions on the use of loans.

Franz did not dare to blindly issue additional currency, even if he had enough gold reserves, the influx of a large amount of currency into the market would cause inflation.Even if economics is bad, he still knows this bit of common sense.

Metternich explained: "Your Majesty, the Tsarist government should not fight in person in this war, so their funding gap will not be too big.

Although the victory of the Near East War caused many people in the tsarist government to drift away.But there are also many insightful people who have recognized their own strength. They want to promote the reform of serfdom, and they have the support of Nicholas I.

After the war ended, Nicholas I planned to give all soldiers the status of free citizens, but the nobles jointly pushed them back under the pretext of insufficient compensation.

Now that the reformists and conservatives are at odds, it is difficult for the tsarist government to concentrate on external expansion in a short period of time. "