Holy Roman Empire

The size of the Russian Navy is not small, the total tonnage is only behind the United Kingdom, France, Oxy, and the United States.It has been 17 years since it started in the 200th century.

However, this does not mean that the Russian navy is strong.On the contrary, the current Russian navy is far behind European countries.

All the major naval powers are building iron-clad ships, and only the Russian Navy is holding on to sail warships.For no other reason than simply lack of money.

First came the Near East War, then the reforms of Alexander II, and now the Russian-Prussian War. How could the tsarist government have the financial resources to develop the navy?

From this point of view, Nicholas I appointed Menshikov to be in charge of the navy in the first place, which was very prescient.

The naval combat ability has not been trained, but the land combat ability has improved?Finally, he has a skill, and he didn't let the military expenditure go in vain.

Franz is considering whether to pay attention to Alexander II and send the navy to attack the coastal areas of Prussia.

If you can't get a record in naval battles, you can make up for it in land battles.The elite Russian navy fought against the people temporarily recruited by the Kingdom of Prussia without any pressure at all.

After hesitating for a while, Franz decisively gave up this tempting idea.Now is not the time. If it is brought up at this time, Alexander II's face will be very ugly.

There's no rush, it's okay to be late.Don't look at the poor combat effectiveness of the Tsarist Navy, but there is no pressure to bully the Prussian Navy in naval battles.

Even the Kingdom of Prussia built ironclad ships, but their technical capabilities were limited, and they built fake ironclad ships, so there was no need to worry that the artillery might not be powerful enough to sink them.

Not necessarily in land warfare, they are the pinnacle of marine warfare capabilities in this era.No one knows which of the two of them is better before they have played.

In St. Petersburg, when the main force of the Far East Fleet was almost wiped out when it visited the United States, Alexander II was blown up.

The embarrassment was thrown to America, even though he suspected that there was a British black hand behind it, but there was no evidence?

The British navy is professional in this regard. If you take off your military uniform and refit your warship, you will become a pirate.Even the Americans, who are local snakes, did not find any problems.

Now is the era of ironclad ships, and it is inevitable to eliminate sailing warships.The pirate ships that are robbing the Russian Navy are still entrenched in the Channel Islands of the United States.

The people are gone, but the boat is still there.

Obviously, the British sold these warships that were about to be eliminated to pirates, and made a complete cut with this sneak attack on the Russian fleet.

"My Minister of the Navy, can you tell me what's going on? When will the navy of the Russian Empire lose even the pirates?"

Lawrence Lowski, the current Secretary of the Navy, replied anxiously: "Your Majesty, these pirates have many warships in their hands, so they cannot be treated as ordinary pirates.

According to the information provided by the Americans, we can preliminarily judge that this is a trick of the British, and the artillery on the ship is all British.It is even possible that the British navy ambushed us posing as pirates.

But don't worry, the Admiralty is ready to send a fleet to the Pacific Ocean to remove these pirates and wash away our shame. "

Alexander II scolded angrily: "Idiot, you know it's the British who did the trick, but you still want to send warships there, don't you think the loss is not big enough!"

Retaliation, of course Alexander II thought about it, but his strength did not allow it.If the enemy is the British, no matter how many warships they send, it is a result.

He didn't dare to overestimate the integrity of the British. The Royal Navy pretended to be a pirate, but few countries could stand it.

Foreign Secretary Clarence suggested: "The majesty of the empire cannot be desecrated, and these pirates must be wiped out.

But it's okay to send a fleet from the mainland, and now the Prussian-Russian War is important.The eradication of pirates can be resolved through diplomatic means.

Whether it is to let the Americans send troops to destroy it, or to ask the Austrians for help.The British will not stand up for these pirates for their own reputation. "

This is inevitable, no matter how shameless John Bull is, he will not collude with pirates in the open.From the beginning, these pirates were outcasts.

The British just wanted to hit the Russians, and they didn't really want to turn against the Russians. The current Russian Empire is not easy to mess with, and they have to fight another battle to defend India when they are in a hurry.

Now a bunch of pirates are left, just to vent their anger on the Russians.In case the tsarist government has no steps to go down and run to trouble them.

The tsarist government has no money?This is true, but it does not mean that the Russian nobles have no money.In a hurry, Alexander II promised India to raise funds from domestic nobles, and it was not a big problem to raise funds for a war.

Now the Russians are full of arrogance. They think that the army is the best in the world, and it is no problem to push them all the way.

Or to raise funds from overseas, as long as the benefits are enough, you are not afraid of not being able to borrow money.

The Austrian financial circles did not dare to lend money to the Tsarist government, mainly because they were worried about their ability to repay.If Alexander II was willing to offer the collateral that made Franz tempted, these problems would not exist.

The Russian Empire, which has a big family and a big business, has a lot of capital in its hands.As long as Alexander II is willing to betray the country, let alone Austria, it is not difficult to obtain a loan from the French.

What doesn't happen under normal circumstances, doesn't necessarily happen in the Russian Empire.

Peter III's magical operation back then is still clearly recorded in the history books. Who can guarantee that Alexander II will not dare to gamble?

Just like Nicholas I back then, if he won the bet, he would be the greatest tsar of Russia, and if he lost the bet, it would be a big deal to see God in advance.

After hesitating for a while, Alexander II made a decision: "Let the Americans take action. This incident was originally caused by them, and they will naturally have to do the aftermath."

This is the most sensible choice. The strategic value of Russia-US relations is not high, so there is no need to invest too much capital.

Using this matter as an excuse to bring the relationship between the two countries to an end is beneficial to everyone.

The federal government is not yet the American imperial federation of later generations, and there is no way to help them with European issues, not even a loan assistance.

Likewise, they cannot give Americans the help they want.The tragic experience of the navy this time is that the British are warning them not to participate in American affairs.

Alexander II, who was planning to fight for a seat in the North-South negotiations, was completely woken up.

The Russian Empire is indeed very powerful, and this is only on land.In Europe, Central Asia, and the Far East, they all have a great voice, but in the Americas separated by oceans, no one buys them.

Among the four countries participating in this mediation, which one is not a naval power?Which one is in the Americas, without a fleet?Can't mobilize tens of thousands of troops?

Strength is the right to speak. I haven't seen the federal government that has made good friends with them. Hasn't it invited them to participate now?

Chapter 65 Integration process

The negotiations between the North and the South are not over yet, but the American Civil War is effectively over.Neither the European powers nor the American people want this war to continue.

This cannot be reversed by one's will, and the rest is nothing more than negotiating conditions.

To demonstrate sincerity, both the North and the South stopped military operations, including ongoing military mobilization.

From a strategic point of view, the goal of weakening the United States has basically been achieved.Now it is the last treaty that will divide the United States.

This is not only a good thing, but also accompanied by a series of problems.For example: Austria's cotton and cotton spinning industries will be affected.

Taking advantage of the tight supply of cotton in the international market due to the reduction in cotton production during the American Civil War, the Austrian cotton spinning industry, which had ample cotton supply, sprung up and seized the British market in Europe.

Now in Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, and Central Europe, British cotton spinning products are gradually being squeezed out of the market.

Before, due to the insufficient supply of cotton, the supply of cotton spinning products was in short supply, and the British were helpless when the market was robbed by Austria.

Not so now, and with the end of the Civil War, cotton production in the U.S. will soon recover.With sufficient supply of raw materials, British capitalists will naturally make a comeback.

The market is the lifeblood of every industrial country. As the first country to complete the industrial revolution, the British have accumulated enough advantages, and their industrial strength once exceeded half of the world.

With the completion of the industrialization of France and Austria, the proportion of British industry in the global industrial total has declined, but it still ranks first in the world.

However, an embarrassing thing is that the British Empire, the world's factory, has been in a super state for a long time.

In 1864, the total export volume of the British was as high as 2.15 million pounds, while the total import volume was as high as 2.75 million pounds, and the trade deficit was as high as 6000 million pounds.

During the same period, France exported 29.63 billion francs, imported 25.23 billion francs, and had a trade surplus of 4.4 million francs. (approximately £1760 million)

Austria's total export was 2.85 million Aegis, the total foreign import was 2.26 million Aegis, and the trade surplus was 5900 million Aegis. (approximately £2950 million)

Not only France and Austria were in a state of superiority, but even the Russians were in a superior position. In 1864, the Russians exported 1.87 million rubles, imported 1.75 million rubles, and had a trade surplus of 1200 million rubles.

In this era, the volume of international trade was small, and the grain exports of the Russians accounted for more than half of the total exports. With this advantage, they achieved a trade surplus.

Austria can have such a large surplus, and the export of agricultural products also occupies an important position. After all, people always have to eat, and the British are one of the most important food importers in Europe.

In order to solve the trade deficit problem, successive British governments have broken their hearts.There is no way, the lack of local resources has determined that the British have been in a state of superpower for a long time.

Fortunately, John Bull has many colonies, and this gap can be filled by plundering colonial wealth, otherwise ordinary countries would not be able to sustain it long ago.

The Opium War in history was started by the British in order to smooth out the trade deficit.

Now that the market has been robbed by Austrian capital, the British will definitely not let it go.It is not enough to overturn the table, and this little conflict does not require the two countries to tear their skins apart.

Of course, it is useless to turn your face. This is a fair competition in business.At that time, the supply of products from the British cotton spinning industry was insufficient, which allowed Austria to take advantage of it. John Bull did not have the ability to let the market wait.

Now that the American Civil War is over, cotton production in the South may return to normal next year.Thanks to the export of labor, this output may even increase further.

The Confederate States of America have unique geographical conditions, and their cotton yield per mu is usually higher than that of other regions.

Of course, the lack of yield per mu can be made up by expanding the planting area, but the corresponding labor input is still increased.

Historically, the north won the victory, but the southern planters who were losers lost cheap labor, cotton production was seriously affected, and they encountered Indian and Egyptian cotton grabbing the market.

Of course, the most important thing is that the northern capitalists need cheap industrial raw materials, and use methods such as raising tariffs and railway freight to make American cotton lose its market competitiveness.

At present, cotton production in India has not yet increased. In order to compete for labor to dig the Suez Canal, the promotion of cotton planting in Egypt by the British was also obstructed by France and Austria.

At this time, the only competitor of the Confederate States of America in the cotton market was West Africa.

There is no excess cotton supply in the international market, and this kind of competition is unwise in the short term. Austria itself can absorb most of the production capacity of West African cotton.

But in the future, when Indian cotton enters the market and Egyptian cotton enters the market, this kind of competition will become fierce.

To compete with the British in the cotton textile industry, and to compete with the United States, Egypt, and India in the cotton market, Franz had to consider a series of economic issues in advance.

Schönbrunn Palace

"There are only two issues today. First, how can we maintain our cotton textile products' market share on the European continent; second, how to protect the interests of cotton farmers?"

In this era, there were fewer industrial and commercial products, and the textile industry dominated the economy.Austria's core industry does not include the cotton textile industry, but because of the American Civil War, the cotton textile industry has sprung up suddenly, so it cannot be abandoned.

At present, there are more than 120 million workers in the cotton textile industry in Bavaria, Württemberg, Lombardy, Venice and other regions, and more than 250 million employees in the industrial chain.

So many people point to the textile industry for food, which directly determines that the Vienna government must protect this industry. This time, the Anglo-Austrian trade dispute is inevitable.

Not to mention protecting the interests of cotton farmers, most of the current colonial plantation owners are nobles.

This is determined by Austria's national conditions. The ordinary people are limited by their economic strength, and even if they open up plantations, they don't have a large area; capitalists have no love for farming.

Because of the redemption of domestic land, many nobles lost their land and received a ransom money, which obviously cannot be left to sit and eat.

After the colony was opened up, many conservative aristocrats focused their investment on plantations.Perhaps the profit of farming in later generations is not high, but in this era, the return rate of investing in plantations is not much lower than other industries.

Cotton plantations were no exception. A large number of nobles gathered. As the spokesperson of the noble interest group, Franz naturally had to consider their interests.

This is also related to everyone's enthusiasm for opening up colonies.When it is profitable, the ruling class will definitely try to maintain the colonial system, and vice versa.

Economic Minister Andrew replied: "Your Majesty, our Ministry of Economic Affairs has prepared contingency plans. We can use political means when necessary, and it is not a big problem to hold the domestic and Russian markets.

Southern Italy is in the middle of a civil war, and the small market is now shrinking further, so it will not be the focus of the British counterattack.

The rest is Central Europe, including the German Federation, Prussia, Switzerland, the Netherlands and other regions, which are the main battlefields of this trade war.

French capital may also join in. In recent years, the French economy has also developed very well. Under the condition of ensuring the supply of raw materials, their cotton spinning products are also competitive in the market.

In order to improve the market competitiveness of cotton textile products, the Ministry of Economic Affairs believes that tax rebates and subsidies can be given to these front-line production enterprises when necessary. "

Simple, crude, but very effective.Everyone's production technology is almost the same, and the product quality cannot be distinguished. There is still not much advantage in production cost. If you want to gain an advantage in market competition, you can only fight for policies.

Historically, the British cotton spinning industry was destroyed by subsidies from various countries.The manufacturing industry is all about cost and quality. Once the technological advantages are lost, the competition will become cruel.

Franz can't do anything in this regard, so he has to grab a part of the British market with a time difference. Now the time for competition has come, and everyone can only fight for strength.

The only advantage is that the British have a larger cotton spinning industry. Once financial subsidies are used, the British will pay 100 million for every 300 million that Austria sends.

This kind of play that hurts both sides, under normal circumstances, everyone would not play it.After all, there are so many industries in a country, it is impossible to concentrate resources on one industry.

Agriculture Minister Christian said: "Cotton is closely related to the cotton textile industry. As long as the domestic cotton textile industry does not collapse, the cotton plantation economy in West Africa will not collapse.

In order to enhance the competitiveness of West African cotton, we can find ways to tax, for example: reduce or even cancel the trade tax between the colony and the mainland. "

Looking at European countries, Austria definitely attaches the most importance to the economic development of the colonies.But no matter how important it is, it can't compare to the local.

In order to avoid the impact of cheap colonial crops on the local agricultural market, there has been a trade tax between the native land and the colonies from the very beginning, but it is slightly lower than the foreign tariff.

There has always been a call for economic integration in the Vienna government, and the nobles who invested in plantations have always wanted to incorporate the colonies into the mainland for their own benefit.

The current governance model in West Africa, the Congo, and Nigeria has begun to move closer to the country, and some colonial cities are adopting the same laws as the country.

As the first generation of colonists, everyone has a very strong relationship with the local people.Many people are promoting the integration process, and Franz himself is one of the supporters.

However, because all aspects are involved, the Vienna government has not dared to announce the integration of the colonies into the mainland, but the best-developed colonies have already begun to implement the provincial system.

Compared with domestic countries, these colonial provinces have greater rights, and even have certain military powers.Now reducing the trade rights between the colonies and the mainland is undoubtedly a step forward in the integration process.

After contemplating for a while, Franz raised a question: "There is no problem in theory, but lowering the local and colonial trade taxes will also involve the integration process of the Second Germany and the mainland.

First let the wind out on this issue, and test the reactions of all walks of life in the country.At the same time, organizing economists to conduct comprehensive demonstrations must figure out how much impact this will have on the local area. "

This is to bring the issue to the surface and promote it before that: the legal basis for the process of colonial and local integration is the rebuilding of the German second home proposed by Franz.

Since the African colony has been the second home of Germany from the very beginning, there is no problem in merging with the first home.

However, these are all speculations by the people, and the official has not made a statement.The main force to promote the integration process is also among the people, groups and individuals related to the interests of the colony are promoting this plan.

The driving force is not small, and the opposing groups are more powerful.Mostly small and medium local nobles and peasants, they are afraid that the cheap agricultural products of the colonies will be sold back to the mainland, which will harm their interests.

However, the current situation is somewhat unexpected. The agricultural products in the Austrian colonies are not cheap, at least not competitive with local agricultural products.