Holy Roman Empire

Looking at the cost of the canal, Franz couldn't help sighing.More than double the original time and space, it really is a high-investment project.If it wasn't for his foresight, Franz might not have dared to invest so much.

This huge investment means that it will be difficult for the canal company to recover its investment in the next ten years.But it doesn't hurt that the Canal Company is still a golden chicken that lays eggs.

With the development of maritime trade, the fortunes of the canal company can be expected in the future.The investment in the short term is completely worthwhile, and perhaps the annual navigation fee can recover the construction cost in 30 to [-] years.

In this respect, the courage of Napoleon III is also admirable.Without the prophetic advantage, he dared to follow the big investment.

On the issue of the Suez Canal, Napoleon III's strategic vision was completely impeccable.

The butterfly effect is really terrible. Without the halo of victory in the Crimean War, it should be regarded as a good thing for the French. Their emperor did not drift away.

Chapter 4 Aftermath

The impact of the opening of the Suez Canal was far-reaching, especially for the British, whose strategic sovereignty in the Mediterranean ceased to exist.

What worried the London government the most was that India was exposed under the noses of France and Austria. After the opening of the Suez Canal, the distance between the two countries and India was greatly shortened.

Don't say stupid things without ambition, and you don't have the idea of ​​​​hitting India. The real reason is that France and Austria are not strong enough, and they are not sure of taking India from the British.

The richest colony in the world is on the dining table, who is not tempted?The value of this colony exceeds the sum of the colonies of France and Austria.

At least in this day and age, that is the case.The potential of the African continent has not yet been realized, and the importance of resources has not been appreciated.Purely in terms of the economic benefits it brings, one India surpasses the entire African continent.

It's not that John Russell has persecution paranoia, but reality tells him that he must be more vigilant.Just take a nap and you risk being overturned.

This is how Spain, the overlord of the year, was thrown down by them.Now it becomes them defending the challenge, and others come to challenge.

How to deal with the impact brought by the opening of the Suez Canal has become the biggest headache for the London government right now.

Lord of the Navy Edward warned: "France and Austria control the Suez Canal, and the gates of the Indian Ocean are open to them.

From now on, the flight distance from Austria to India is only half as long as ours, and the flight distance from France to India has also been shortened by 40.00%.

In terms of global strategy, we have been seriously challenged.From now on, the Indian Ocean and the Western Pacific will face threats from France and Austria. "

This is the immediate threat. The Suez Canal is only open to navigation for civilian ships, and warships and the like are not within the scope of passage.

However, this restriction is only valid for other countries, and the two shareholders of Fao will naturally not be restricted.

There is no doubt that this is set against the British.The Suez Canal is a joint holding company of the French and Austrian governments, and the rules formulated are naturally political priority.

Kicking out the British means that the competitiveness of the two countries in the Indian Ocean and the Western Pacific has been greatly enhanced, which is more conducive to the expansion of the two countries' spheres of influence in these regions.

The detour from the Cape of Good Hope was too far, and the delay in the voyage had seriously threatened the British maritime supremacy.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Agarwal added: "It's not just the military that's being challenged, but commercially we're also facing an impact.

After the opening of the Suez Canal, it means that the competitiveness of Austrian commodities in Asia has increased, and our original advantage of low transportation costs has now become a disadvantage. "

Considering the transportation cost, in fact, this is also the result of being forced out.Today, the industrial empire that the British are proud of is declining.

The technical advantages no longer exist, and many factories are already at a disadvantage in international competition because of outdated equipment and higher labor wages, resulting in increased production costs.

These problems were covered up by the colonies, with a vast colonial market, the British capitalists were not aware of this crisis, or did not pay attention to it when they discovered it.

In the international market outside the colonies, the market share of British goods is declining year by year, and both France and Austria are grabbing the British market.

It's just that the share of this market is not too large, and it has not attracted the attention of the outside world, but the high-level government is still clear about it.

After pondering for a while, Prime Minister John Russell asked: "These problems are real. How are you going to solve them?"

It is useless to find the problem, the key is to solve the problem.As a world hegemon, the British people encounter various problems of one kind or another every day, and what the government has to do is to solve the problems.

Colonial Secretary Steve proposed: "We are attacking Ethiopia. If it goes well, we can take advantage of the situation to control the Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea gateway.

However, this is a natural strait with a width of about 26 to 32 kilometers. It is very difficult to block it.

It may also trigger a strong backlash from France and Austria. If they take direct action, unless the Royal Navy is all pressed up, they will not be able to defend at all.

The best way is to start with Egypt, or directly occupy Egypt and take the Suez Canal into your hands.

Or snatch the Sinai Peninsula from the Austrians, but this is very difficult.Since the opening of the Suez Canal, the Vienna government has increased its garrison there, and now has about a division's strength. "

The Mandeb Strait is similar to the Strait of Gibraltar. Even if the British control it, they dare not block the channel, which will cause public outrage.

France and Austria are not soft persimmons. If they feel threatened, no one can guarantee whether they will take the risk and come forward directly.

After experiencing Prussia's challenge to the Russians, the British no longer have this confidence.Impulse is the devil, the Prussians dared to be reckless with the Russians, and France and Austria did not dare to be reckless against them?

Anyway, both are land power empires, and if the navy is exhausted, they will die.As long as they fight with them, it will be a strategic victory for France and Austria.

Even if the British shipbuilding industry is stronger, the navy will be replenished faster.But this is only for one family, and compared with France and Austria combined, it is a little bit worse.

You can tell by looking at the two-strong standards. The slogan is earth-shattering, and it is still far away to achieve the goal.

It is not a good idea to seize the Suez Canal, as it is easy to detonate conflicts.The British Empire was not prepared to go to war with the two great empires, and it would be fatal to go to war with either of them.

If the war is won, the cost of the war will not be recovered; if the war is lost, the world hegemony will be lost, and the colonial empire will not be maintained.

France and Austria are different. Even if they lose the war, they still have enough strength to keep the African colonies.

The size of the British Army is so small, even if they want to grab it, they don't have the strength.A sea blockade is useless to this kind of continent, and the coastline of the African continent is tens of thousands of kilometers, which cannot be blocked at all.

Foreign Secretary Raistling objected: "The use of force is the worst way, not only will it fail to achieve the goal, but it may also make things worse.

The Suez Canal has already been opened, and France and Austria will definitely not agree to block it back.That being the case, why don't we settle for the next best thing and join in?

Although the strategic value of the Suez Canal is high, the canal company may not be able to make profits immediately, and the high construction costs have already made shareholders lose confidence.

We can buy part of the stock and make our voice heard within the Canal Company, and France and Austria cannot stop legal commercial trade. "

Raistlin's proposal was in the hands of Prime Minister John Russell, not because they were bullying the weak and afraid of the strong, but because of the needs of real interests.

Talking about fists with the weak and rules with the strong is the code of conduct of imperialism in the 19th century.We are all great powers, so naturally we have to follow the rules.

Throughout history, when was the British Empire impulsive?In the original time and space, the British were impulsive for a while, and as a result, they not only made themselves miserable, owed a whole lot of debts, but also lost the world hegemony.

Before John Russell could speak, the Secretary of the Navy Edward objected: "It's not that simple, France and Austria are not fools, are they willing to let us enter?

If we are opposed by the governments of the two countries, we will not be able to buy stocks even if we offer two or three times the price.

It is said that private circulation shares have no decision-making power, and all rights are in the hands of the French and Austrian governments, and shareholders only have the right to supervise the canal company's finances. "

Not that he wants to start a war, but that the Navy needs to flex its muscles and prove its importance in order to compete for the next year's budget.

No way, this is the most important job of the Secretary of the Navy.The specific construction, training, and command of the navy are the affairs of the military. As a civilian-born minister of the navy, he is a layman at all.

It is also very simple to win the support of the navy, as long as you get enough budget from the government.The less he cares about other things, the happier everyone will be.

The most in line with the interests of the navy is to send the Royal Navy out to frighten France and Austria, and then everyone will reach an agreement.

Whatever the role, the Navy has a piece of credit for getting the upper hand in the next budget scramble.

The essence is no different from first receiving stocks and then negotiating with France and Austria, but the way of expression is different.The former is dominated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while the latter occupies an important position in the Ministry of the Navy.

……

The London government is arguing, and the Paris government is also discussing it.They all revolve around the Suez Canal, but they are handled differently.

Napoleon III was hesitating whether to send troops to occupy Egypt immediately to ensure control of the canal.

After so many years of infiltration, France has become the largest power in Egypt, and has cultivated a large number of pro-French faction leading parties.

In a few more years, he might be able to control Egypt without bloodshed.Now if troops are sent to occupy Egypt, a war is still indispensable.

The Minister of War, Edmund Leboeuf, suggested: "Your Majesty, with only one hundred thousand troops, we can occupy Egypt within a year.

If it is only to control the Suez Canal, then [-] troops can also achieve the goal.

Egypt's strategic location is very important and it is the most important part of our African strategy.If it drags on, it will be troublesome for Britain and Austria to start first. "

Egypt can be regarded as at the gate of France. It is not a problem to win or occupy Egypt. The only thing to think about is whether it is worth it.

This also involves France's strategic choice, whether to give priority to the Mediterranean strategy or the Central European strategy.

Once the move is made against Egypt, the next step of the French government's strategy is the Italian region. All Italian states are among the French's goals, and Sicily is the first to bear the brunt.

To give up attacking Egypt is to draw the attention of Prussia, Belgium, and the German Federal Government. The territories west of the Rhineland River are all in the French Central European strategy.

This time the French military is very harmonious, and they all chose to prioritize the Mediterranean strategy.Persimmons look for soft ones, and the enemies facing the Central European strategy and the Mediterranean strategy are all soft persimmons.

This is not enough to make Napoleon III make up his mind. Once France attacks Egypt, it will inevitably make the relationship between Britain and France tense, which makes "Britishphobia" patients very disturbed.

Foreign Secretary Abraham added: "Your Majesty, we have no choice now. We can not occupy Egypt, but we cannot prevent the British and Austrian occupation of Egypt.

Even if there are allies, Austria will be restricted for ten years at most, and we cannot restrict the British at all.

Once Egypt fell into their hands, our Mediterranean strategy fell through.The future of France may be difficult. "

It is true that the whole world is about to be divided up.Now is the last train to carve up the world. If we don't work hard to grab the last cake, we will have a hard time in the future.

The British didn't seize Egypt, and it wasn't just the London government who didn't want to.There are mainly two factors: on the one hand, they are worried about triggering a backlash from France and Austria, and on the other hand, they are not sure that they will put the Egyptians down.

The Egyptian government has a new army, and it is not weak.This is also a big challenge for the British pocket version of the overland route.

What's more, they are still fighting Ethiopia, and they don't have enough troops to enter the Egyptian battlefield.If you lose again, it would be a shame.

After entering the 19th century, the performance of the British Army was not very good.Losing several wars in a row, although there were special reasons, this also discredited the British Army.

I won’t mention the anti-French war. Losing to Napoleon is a normal operation, and there is no need for explanation.

In 1814, when they attacked the Kingdom of Nepal, 1 British troops were pushed back by more than [-] Gurkhas. In the end, they fought a war of attrition relying on national strength and barely won the war.

In 1839, the British invaded Afghanistan. Tens of thousands of British troops fought hard for three years, and finally ended in failure.

In the following Near East War, the British lost; later they invaded Persia, but ended in failure and were forced to reach a compromise.

Now attacking Ethiopia is still in a bitter battle, and the final result is still unknown.

After successive failures, the politicians in London have not collapsed. Even if the spiritual world is strong, how dare they place high hopes on the army?

reason?Sorry, you don't need this stuff.If you lose, you lose, and no amount of explanation is worth it.Politicians in London had become accustomed to having little faith in the Army.

The French, by contrast, are different.After the Russians fell from the altar, they will claim to be the world's number one army power, so naturally they don't lack confidence.

Chapter 5 It's all the canal's fault

War is not a child's play, and looking for excuses for war can be ignored, but mobilizing troops and raising strategic materials are still indispensable.

Don't look at the weak chickens in Egypt, it also depends on who you compare with, at least they are still in charge in the African continent, known as the number one power in Africa.

Their biggest competitor is Ethiopia, but the British helped weaken this opponent, and when they finish fighting Ethiopia, they will be finished.

There is no doubt that the great powers still want to save face.Unless it is a little strong like Afghanistan, otherwise, for the sake of face, the British will also beat Ethiopia.

Hegemony needs to be maintained by force. It is okay to lose to the same European powers, but not to lose to African natives.

The Paris government is still very pragmatic. In order not to make jokes, they made careful preparations.Napoleon III decided that politics and military should go hand in hand, defeating the Egyptian government first and then wooing the pro-French.

This is also a common method used by European countries in overseas colonial expansion, including Austria, which has also been used in Central America, with the special exception of the African continent.

In London, the news of the opening of the Suez Canal caused an uproar in the financial market.Many people pessimistically believe that the era of great exploration is coming to an end.

This is based on the fact that after the opening of the Suez Canal, Austria’s voyage to the Indian Ocean was shortened by more than 1 kilometers, and the voyages of France and Spain to the Indian Ocean were also shortened by more than 1 kilometers.

The British have the least shortened voyage and are at an absolute disadvantage in this respect.The capital market is pessimistic about local British companies, and the stocks of export companies engaged in the Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia, Southeast Asia and other regions have fallen off a cliff.

This drop affected the entire London market, and the upstream and downstream related industries naturally couldn't be immune to it, and they plummeted together, and the stock market crash broke out.

One hair of the capitalist world economy affects the whole body. When the stock market crash breaks out, other industries should not be immune to it. The financial industry is the first to be affected.

Since the beginning of 1868, there have been long queues in the streets of London.The stock market crash led to the bankruptcy of speculative financial institutions and banks, causing panic among the public, and a run crisis broke out.

This is just the beginning, if a problem occurs in one link of the circular economy chain, other links will inevitably be implicated.

Undoubtedly, the bank run crisis broke out, banks stopped lending externally in order to protect themselves, and the financial crisis spread to enterprises.

The opening of the Suez Canal is only the fuse that detonated the economic crisis. The British economy has long had problems. As early as a few years ago, there was overcapacity in the UK.

This is also related to the rise of Fao. The global market is so big, and there are more competitors robbing the market, which has led to a continuous decline in the share of British industrial and commercial products in the international market.

The market is small, and the production capacity has not been cut, so there will be a surplus.It's just that the American Civil War followed by the Russo-Prussian War delayed the outbreak of the crisis.

Now that the war is over, there is no market for the products produced, and an economic crisis is already brewing.At this time, it happened that the opening of the Suez Canal detonated the crisis in advance.

The original time and space began in 1864, and the economic crisis broke out from Britain.Now the time has been delayed by three or four years, and the overcapacity has naturally become more serious.

This is caused by inconvenient communication and poor market information.The capitalists did not keep up with the rhythm of the market to adjust production, resulting in serious overcapacity.

Without any new tricks, the outbreak of the economic crisis will naturally find a way to survive the winter.Enterprises without strength went bankrupt directly, and industries with strong strength also began to lay off employees and reduce production capacity.

In the summer of 1868, the Great Depression hit London.The scale of British railway construction has been reduced by 78%. More than a dozen large and small railway companies have declared bankruptcy, and more than [-] railways under construction have announced an indefinite suspension of work.

The shipbuilding industry also reached its peak of production in 1867 and then began to shrink. By the end of 1868, the industry had shrunk by 34%.