Holy Roman Empire

……

Chapter 13 A Whimsical Plan

Washington

Secretary of State Safar said calmly: "Your Excellency, these are the quotations of arms dealers from various countries, as well as quotations from domestic capitalists.

Of course, this doesn't mean much to us.In this war, the federal government prepared too hastily. Both the government army and the militias of the states are now short of weapons.

At present, many of our troops still carry their own shotguns.In terms of weapons and equipment, there is no way to compare with the southern army.

Now buying all the stocks of these arms dealers will not be able to meet our needs.So choice is just a fallacy. "

President Lincoln rubbed his forehead. He very much suspected that the Secretary of State came here to find fault.Since I have no choice, I will buy it and hold it back. There is nothing to say.

"Send someone to talk to them, lower the price as much as possible, and kick out the one with the highest offer."

Safar shook his head and said: "I'm afraid not, the Austrians with the highest quotations, their products are breech-loading rifles, which are superior in performance.

The most important thing is that they have the most stock in hand, and they can provide us with 15 breech-loading rifles, [-] front-loading rifles, and [-] various types of artillery at one time.

Not long ago, they just sold 20 breech-loading rifles, [-] artillery pieces, and some ammunition to the southern government. If the people in the south were not so stupid, these weapons would not be our turn. "

In the opinion of Mr. Secretary of State, the southern government is just too stupid.

During the war, it is not stupid to not take advantage of the good relations with other countries to sweep up goods and let these weapons and equipment flow into the hands of the enemy?

As for the price paid, no matter how much money is spent on purchasing weapons and equipment, it cannot compare to the losses caused on the battlefield.

If the southern government sweeps up the goods immediately, then at least in the next six months, the northern government will not be able to obtain enough weapons and equipment.

This is the advantage brought by the constant communication, which can make a time difference.Don't look at the gathering of international arms dealers in North America. In fact, the stock in everyone's hands is still limited.

Tens of thousands of rifles, hundreds of artillery pieces, and thousands of tons of ammunition are all huge sums.No matter how much, unless it was a time traveler like Franz, who would ordinary people know the scale of the Civil War?

If there is too much stockpiling, and the North and the South suddenly cease fighting and compromise, then it will all fall into the hands, and the cost will not be recovered.

Except for the Americans, no one in the world can find such a taker as a taker.

It would cost less than £1000 million to clear out the warehouses of arms dealers active in the United States.Using 1000 million pounds in exchange for the enemy's lack of weapons and equipment within half a year is a huge profit.

After hearing Safar's explanation, President Lincoln almost broke out in a cold sweat.

Half a year is enough to decide the outcome of a war.Fortunately, the southern government did not do this, otherwise the northern government would be miserable.

After adjusting his mood, Lincoln asked back: "Your Excellency, Secretary of State, you are not looking for me just to talk about these things, are you?"

Secretary of State Safar explained unhurriedly: "Of course not. Now the four major powers of Britain, France, Occidental and West support the southern government. Under their influence, most European countries stand on the southern side.

These arms dealers basically have political backgrounds, and under similar conditions, they are definitely more willing to do business with the southern government.

If we bid more, the situation is different again.In the face of interests, arms dealers don't care what the government thinks.

Therefore, I am going to increase the price of weapons and equipment, especially some advanced weapons.The industrial strength of the southern states is weak, and their own production capacity is limited, so they can only follow us to increase prices.

Unlike the gang of traitors in the south, our own industrial capabilities are not bad, and our lack of weapons and equipment is only temporary.

If there are no accidents, our weapons self-sufficiency rate will reach 80.00% or more from next year, and the southern government may not be able to reach 30.00%.

Since we can't win militarily, we wear them down economically. "

This is the advantage of the northern government, but President Lincoln is not happy at all. It seems that the Secretary of State's plan is to fight a protracted war.

Lincoln frowned and asked, "Are you so unconfident in our army?"

Safar replied solemnly: "Your Excellency, the war has broken out for more than three months, and the federal government has lost more than [-] troops.

I admit that the military has worked very hard, and they have achieved considerable results, but it is still us who are at a disadvantage.

If there is any change on the battlefield in Maryland, the federal government will immediately fight a battle to defend Washington.I don't think the federal government has a chance of winning the war in the short term. "

To some extent, the attitude of the Secretary of State also represents the attitude of officials within the federal government.Since we are going to fight a protracted war, it also means that everyone has lost confidence in putting down the rebellion in the short term.

This is not the worst. If the war drags on, the voices of the peacemakers in the country will rise.

As a qualified politician, Lincoln knew that the enemy inside was the most terrifying. These people were lurking in the dark, and he didn't even know who they were.

After hesitating for a moment, Lincoln said, "Okay, let's do it according to your plan! But we must first solve the financial problem. The southern government uses cotton as collateral to issue bonds overseas. We have no collateral."

It's not that the federal government has no collateral. The problem is that they dare not mortgage these collaterals at all.Otherwise, the people in the country will explode first.

……

The island of New Guinea has now been renamed New Bavaria.Random naming seems to be a habit of Europeans, and Franz is already used to it.

The world's second largest island now belongs to the Habsburg dynasty, but Franz was not surprised.

In terms of resources, New Bavaria is also rich, with a lot of various mineral resources, and the delta plain in the south is the most fertile land in the world.

There are no powerful indigenous kingdoms on the island. It is roughly estimated that the number of indigenous people on this island will not exceed 100 million, and may even be less than 30.

However, this land was not favored by the colonists of European countries.Obviously, this is very abnormal.

Previously, Austria's colonial activities also first seized the islands surrounding New Bavaria, such as the Melanesian Islands, the Real Islands, the Aru Islands...

This is a way to delineate spheres of influence and swear sovereignty.The surrounding areas are all my territory, so naturally you can't grab the central area, otherwise the rules will be broken.

Now that the pace of colonization has been accelerated, the colonial team has entered New Bavaria in large numbers, and problems have arisen.

1. The island has a tropical rainforest climate with large annual precipitation;

2. The terrain in the downstream is low and flat, and the drainage is not smooth;

3. The river has a long flood season and is easy to submerge the surrounding areas;

4. The coast is affected by tides, seawater intrusion, and many tidal flats;

5. The whole island is mountainous, swampy and sparsely populated.

To sum up, it is necessary to spend a lot of money to develop this island.

At least to solve the drainage problem, turn the swampland into farmland, and it is best to build seawalls to protect coastal areas from the impact of sea tides.

"What is the Colonial Office going to do?" asked Franz.

Colonial Minister Josip Jeracic replied: "Your Majesty, we are going to put aside the development of New Bavaria for the time being, and only develop some areas, and establish several cities in suitable areas to swear sovereignty.

The key point is to develop the surrounding islands. The Nanyang region is really very rich.The aborigines here do not engage in agricultural production at all, but rely on the gifts of nature for a living.

The islands are rich in tropical fruits and are suitable for growing cash crops such as coffee, cocoa, copra, palm oil, tea and rubber. "

This is the most sensible choice. Colonization is for making money, and it is very unwise to invest blindly.

Anyway, the island is sparsely populated and does not engage in agricultural production. If there is no external influence, it will remain the same after 100 years.

The island is where it is and can't escape. After the world's colonies are divided up, it will not be too late for the Vienna government to develop here.

Franz nodded and said, "That's what New Bavaria does. What about the Lanfang Republic?"

If the Lanfang Republic was not mentioned in the document, Franz would have almost forgotten that there is a Chinese Republic in the Nanyang region.

Josip Jeracic explained: "Your Majesty, Kalimantan is rich in gold mines, so a group of Chinese gathered together and established the Lanfang Republic.

Not long ago, the ocean-going fleet visited this country and signed a friendly agreement with Earl Hummel. It is not easy for us to turn our faces directly.

This small country is very weak, and the colonial government is looking for an excuse for war. It shouldn't be long before we can destroy them. "

After hesitating for a while, Franz still softened his heart.

"Don't rush into action, send a smooth talker to fool them into joining the new Holy Roman Empire.

We can give them autonomy, we can refer to the standards of the domestic kingdom, it doesn't matter if it is a little looser.

The Nanyang region is too far away, the immigration we can provide is limited, and it is very difficult to develop so many places.

If the Lanfang Republic is destroyed by force, it will not only increase military expenses, but it will also be difficult to obtain much profit in the short term.

It's better to directly incorporate Lanfang Company, and we can make profits directly, and we don't even need to pay the cost of governance. "

In Franz's view, the Lanfang Republic was the Lanfang Company, and the rulers themselves did not regard it as a country.

Historically, it was because the ruler of the Lanfang Company turned to the Dutch for their own interests that this country perished.

The force of the Dutch is not that Franz looks down on them, it is really not good.

The Lanfang Republic is located in Nanyang, which can get enough immigrants and enough land for development.If the ruling class does not degenerate and strives to develop its own strength, it will not be a dream to unify the Nanyang region.

If you can take refuge in the Dutch, you can naturally also take refuge in the Austrians.With a few noble titles thrown down, it is estimated that this group of people will not be able to resist the temptation.

This can be regarded as taking what they need. The Lanfang Republic can obtain the protection of Austria, and the Vienna government has increased its income.

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Although he feels that Franz's style of work is different from the past, Josip Jelacic has no objection, which is in the interests of Austria.

The essence of overseas colonization is to make profits, and it doesn't matter how to make profits.

This is not the same as the African continent.The Vienna government is preparing to establish a second German home in Africa, so it is naturally impossible to rule at will.

Although Franz's plan is a bit whimsical, the cost to pay is very low, so it doesn't hurt to try it.

If it succeeds, there is no need to do anything, the Vienna government will increase its income, and Austria's industry and commerce will also increase a market.

If it fails, it's a waste of time.

Chapter 14 Poaching American Corners

On June 1861, 6, the Austrian Ocean Fleet left Japan and sailed into the Pacific Ocean.Earl Hummel stood on the plywood and looked into the distance, sighing from time to time.

Lieutenant General Arrest, the commander of the ocean fleet, asked suspiciously: "Your Excellency, you don't seem to be very interested?"

Earl Hummel sighed and said, "Your Excellency, the country allows us to gain a foothold in the Republic of Nicaragua. I'm afraid it will not be that easy. Most likely, it will be resolved by force."

Lieutenant General Arrest asked suspiciously: "Sorry, Your Excellency, I didn't find any trouble.

Nicaragua is just a small country with a total population of 40 to [-], and the number of whites is less than [-]%.There is almost no industry, which can also pose a threat to us? "

It is a fact that there are no powerful countries in Central America.Even if they are all tied together, Aleister will not feel the pressure.

Now the ruler here is not so much a republic as a few mine owners and plantation owners.

It’s okay for these people to bully the local aborigines. If they meet the regular army, Lieutenant General Arrest dares to guarantee the strength of a regiment, and he can deal with them.

Earl Hummel shook his head and said, "What about the pretext for war? If we attack Nicaragua without sufficient reason, should we proceed with the state visit later?"

This is the difference between the considerations of politicians and soldiers. The military only saw the ease of occupying Nicaragua, but did not consider the political impact it would bring.

Otherwise, the order given to them by the Vienna government is not to find a foothold, but to occupy Nicaragua, or to occupy the countries of Central America.

Lieutenant General Arrest said unceremoniously: "It's not easy, just have a showdown with the Nicaraguan government. Tell them what we want. If we don't cooperate, we will kill them. Someone will cooperate with us."

Earl Hummel explained: "Your Excellency, Commander, we don't have enough immigrants to occupy this place, and the rule by force and coercion is not stable. Once the army leaves, it won't be long before there will be a rebellion in the local area.

The cost of sending heavy troops to suppress is too high, and abandoning this place is likely to trigger a chain reaction, which will have an impact on our colonial system. "

Insufficient immigration is an unsolvable problem.There is a shortage of immigrants in Africa, a lack of immigrants in Southeast Asia, and a lack of immigrants in the Americas.

However, Austria has limited human resources, and it is impossible to immigrate without restrictions, even if the Germanic cultural circle is added, it is not enough.

The Colonial Department is able to mobilize a dozen or 20 immigrants from the European continent every year, and that has already exerted its strength.

Earl Hummel heard not only once that the plantation owner had personally worked the land due to lack of labor, and some people even bought serfs directly from Russia.

As for the use of local labor, it is mainly mine owners.It's not that the plantation owners have high moral integrity, it's mainly because the management is too troublesome.

Austria banned slavery, so naturally there were no slave training institutions.Untrained natives can easily devour the Lord.

In this regard, mine owners are different. Almost every mine owner has a gang of thugs.On the one hand, it is to combat gold robbers and protect the safety of gold mines, and on the other hand, it is to suppress miners' riots.

After some unlucky man was killed, for everyone's personal safety, the colonial government prohibited farmers and plantation owners from using unsafe indigenous labor.

Lieutenant General Arester thought for a while and said: "If it's just a lack of immigrants, we can actually find a way from the United States. It is said that the United States already has more than 300 million Germans.

At the beginning, many people left the European continent and immigrated to the United States to escape the war.Now that the north and the south are fighting, these cowards may want to run away again.

As long as we fool around a hundred thousand people, the problem of insufficient immigration will be solved.The big deal is to promise a little more benefits, anyway, Central America is sparsely populated. "

Immigrants were not introduced indiscriminately, otherwise the sequelae would be very serious.The negative teaching material is Mexico. When the United States sent immigrants to Mexico, the Mexican government also introduced many preferential policies.

After the number of immigrants gained the upper hand, the Americans immediately planned for the locals to fight for autonomy and independence.

Naturally, the Mexican government can't bear it anymore. I took you in with good intentions, and I gave you so many favorable conditions, but I still want to rebel.

The Mexican government is also useless, and it didn't suppress the rebellion.There is no second chance, and the Americans who have been prepared for a long time have already killed them.