Holy Roman Empire

The smooth opening of the Suez Canal was also contributed by the people of the Balkans, which is also the main reason for the shortage of labor in the Balkans.

Due to Franz's butterfly effect, the number of projects has increased, and the demand for labor has naturally increased.Egypt is only a small country with a population of 350 million, and it simply cannot provide enough labor.

In the later period, the huge number of casualties exceeded the limit that Egypt could bear, and France and Austria had to find a way from the colonies.

Austrian Africa contributed 40 laborers, and the Balkan Peninsula also contributed 20 laborers. It is inevitable that large-scale projects will cause heavy casualties.

Moreover, just because the project is completed does not mean that they can go home.Especially after the French sold the Balkans to Austria, naturally they would not send ships to send people back, and Austria did not send ships to pick them up in time.

Immediately after the outbreak of the Franco-Egyptian War, the workers who were still alive were stranded in Egypt.Due to the loss of food managers, the whereabouts of these laborers are now unknown, and no one knows how many are left.

The Austrian garrison in the Sinai Peninsula is now only protecting the safety of the Suez Canal.If someone asks for help on the side of the canal, they will still arrange for a ship to bring them back along the way.

Tens of thousands of people were sent back one after another. Perhaps they were frightened by the cruelty of the war, or their edges and corners were smoothed on the construction site. These people are quite peaceful.

Of course, the grace of saving lives also played a role in making them agree with Austrian rule.After all, only those who have personally experienced the cruelty of the world can know the importance of a strong motherland.

Insufficient labor force has greatly increased the cost of developing the Balkan Peninsula.For the sake of long-term peace and stability, Franz did not dare to introduce foreigners.

There is also the rise of the Russian Empire in the future, and if it wants to enter the Mediterranean Sea, it is bound to win the Dardanelles.

In case the tsars you meet are easy to fool, if you exchange the Balkan Peninsula with them for the land in Ukraine, it will be a big profit.

After all, the Ukrainian region on the border between Russia and Austria is all black land, and it is a big profit to win a piece of it.Anyway, the Russians don't pay attention to these areas, and the possibility of fooling them is very high.

Since it is used for trading, investment in development is a waste, and maintaining local stability is enough.

Of course, there is a prerequisite for this, that is, in the next round of the Eastern European War, Russia won the two countries and regained the Ukrainian region occupied by Poland.

Otherwise, it would be difficult for the tsarist government to have the ambition to enter the Mediterranean.After experiencing a severe social beating, it is impossible for the Russians not to learn a lesson.

……

Chapter No.16 Development of Bosnia and Herzegovina

On April 1869, 4, the weather in Stockholm was exceptionally sunny. Amidst the laughter of the people, the Nordic Federation was established.

Following the collapse of the Kalmar Union, the three Nordic countries have once again completed their unification.The only regret is that Finland is missing, the Baltic region is gone, and there is no glory at its peak.

The emergence of the Nordic Federation also means that the three peripheral countries of Europe, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway, can make their voices heard in the world.

Franz did not go to watch the ceremony in person. It is really inconvenient to travel far in this age.Unless you are someone who loves to join in the fun, generally everyone is not very enthusiastic about going abroad.

The unification of Northern Europe has no effect on Austria, and the headache is for the Russians.Presumably Alexander II's expression at this time must be very exciting. With the emergence of the Nordic Federation, the defense pressure on Russia's northern borders has increased a lot.

With the example of Prussia, who can guarantee that the Nordic Federation will not follow suit?If it happens again and Finland is poached, then the Russian Empire will have to move its capital.

St. Petersburg is indeed a good place, but it's a pity that the pressure on national defense is a little bit higher.It doesn't matter when the Russian Empire is strong, once it falls into a state of decline, it is dangerous.

In contrast, Moscow is much better.Located in the center of Russia's Eastern European land, it is basically considered absolutely safe strategically. When the enemy hits here, they will be finished in winter.

There are granaries around the Moscow area, so you don't have to worry about food issues.There are also rivers to facilitate the transportation of materials, and the transportation is also convenient. A few more railways will be perfect.

Of course, Poland has not lost its way. With sea transportation, St. Petersburg has even more advantages.Moscow still needs to be developed, and at least the railway network must be built before moving the capital.

Alexander II certainly didn't think so much. Under the double pressure of politics and military, he only now compressed the rebels in the Moscow area.

After all this tossing, the economy of the Moscow region has been devastated.The bourgeoisie who supported the revolutionary party shot themselves in the foot.

It is easy to start an uprising, but difficult to control it.Originally supporting the Revolutionary Party, it was only to fight for rights and interests, but now that the rights have not been obtained, I got involved first.

The civil war broke out. In the face of life and death, the Revolutionary Party did not treat them politely.

In short, they lost a lot.Unless the rebels win, these initial investments may be recovered.

If the rebels fail, whether they can escape the purge of the tsarist government is a question.Alexander II had a big heart, but he couldn't tolerate rebels.

This kind of negative example, Franz naturally wants to publicize it.Recently, there have been more reports on the Moscow rebels in the Vienna newspapers, and the position determines the point of view.

The stain of the rebels was naturally magnified, and by the way, it also beautified the tsarist government.Everyone is a monarchy country, and the buttocks cannot sit crookedly.

Otherwise, Alexander II lost the Russo-Prussian War, and he would have been the endorsement of the faint king. How could he be called the Lord of Reform?

Not only Austria, but most of the European media did not pin the blame for the failure of the war on Alexander II, but the bureaucrats he purged took the blame.

Including news reports on the Prussian War, the Kingdom of Prussia was intentionally or unintentionally downplayed, emphasizing that the corruption of the Russian bureaucracy led to the failure of the war. Obviously, everyone is still not willing to accept the fact that Prussia has risen.

Although the Kingdom of Prussia defeated the Russian Empire and became a member of the club of European powers, they did not replace the Russians.

Originally, the situation in Europe was dominated by the four major powers. Now that the Russians are out, the three major powers of Britain, France and Austria dominate Europe. The Kingdom of Prussia has not obtained the desired international status.

The international status of this era is not only status, but also the division of interests.As vested interests, Britain, France and Austria have no intention of giving Prussia the right to speak.

This hurt the Berlin government very much. The three countries of Britain, France and Austria can be regarded as world empires. Everyone has large colonies, and they have divided the world together with Spain, Portugal, and the Netherlands.

As a newly rising power, Prussia is embarrassed.Now is the last train of the colonial era. The old colonial empire has completed the staking, and even if it has not actually occupied it, it has sworn its sovereignty first.

What is left to the Prussians is not even the leftovers. Except for a small colony in Asia, there is no Prussian figure.

It is very unfavorable for the Kingdom of Prussia, which recovered its economy after the war, but the world is so big that there is really no one left.

In the original time and space, there was also a colonial meeting to carve up the African continent, which is unnecessary now.It is about to be divided up, and there is no need for an international conference.

At least in the coastal areas, most of the areas were occupied by Britain, France and Austria, Portugal and Spain also occupied some areas, and the Netherlands was squeezed out.

There is no need to say that the colonies are abandoned. There is not much land to colonize.Moreover, they do not have the strength to invest overseas, and it is not bad to be able to keep a small colony in the Indochina Peninsula.

In desperation, Prussia could only develop itself.The arrival of the Japanese delegation at this time was welcomed by the Berlin government.

No matter how small a mosquito is, it is still meat. Even if it adds an overseas trading partner, it may also promote the development of the domestic economy.

The Berlin government took the opportunity to sell a lot of products to the flattered Japanese delegation, and the best sellers were second-hand weapons and equipment.

A strong army is the first and most important step of the Meiji Restoration.The Japanese did nothing wrong in this regard. In this era of the jungle, there is not enough force, and no amount of wealth is prepared for others.

Prussia's efforts to expand the East Asian market did not attract the attention of the outside world.In everyone's impression, the Japanese government is very poor, including Franz, who have ignored the Japanese's madness in military development.

In 1869, the Japanese delegation and Prussia signed a large foreign trade order of 150 million Aegis.This number is not small. In a single foreign trade transaction contract, it can be ranked in the top [-] of the year.

The surprise in the newspapers just made the capitalists sigh and miss an opportunity to make money. Franz never read this kind of business news.

Now he is reviewing the development strategy plan of the province of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As one of the poorest provinces in Austria, this provincial government of Bosnia and Herzegovina does not intend to continue to be salty.

This is also forced out. The previous provincial governments only needed to do a job well, and their political achievements came out. Their predecessors had already done it.

The province of Bosnia and Herzegovina has a small population and has been thoroughly cleaned up. After more than ten years of persistence, the assimilation work has come to an initial conclusion.

The language and characters have been unified, and the process of changing customs is almost done.By the time of this term of government, this fixed performance can no longer be achieved.

Years make people old, and time flies by. Many people in the Austrian cabinet are old, and the change of office is just a matter of these few years.

Candidates who are eligible to fill the seat are all outstanding in governing the local government.This does not mean that local officials have no chance, as long as they have outstanding political achievements, they can also counterattack the superiors.

Even taking a step back and becoming a minister of a certain department is still a step forward.Ambitious people will naturally not miss this opportunity.

Franz is not afraid of the ambitions of his subordinates, and ambition also represents motivation.It would be a disaster if they were all a bunch of salted fish waiting to die.

Austria's bureaucratic system model is all climbing up step by step. Without the achievements of local governance, it is impossible to enter the cabinet at all.

Even if you want to form a party for personal gain, you must have that opportunity.If you don't have political achievements, you can't climb up at all. No matter how extensive your connections are, it's useless to stay at the bottom.

It is far easier to split a faction than to create one.The bureaucrats themselves are also competing with each other. Once the main figures within the faction become political enemies, they will fight themselves.

This often just needs a location and it will do the trick.If the bureaucrats have become a group, then it can only show that the emperor is hopelessly stupid.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is not completely without advantages, at least there are mines here.Including: coal, iron, copper, manganese, lead, mercury, silver, lignite, bauxite, lead-zinc ore, asbestos, rock salt, barite and other minerals.

These are the gifts of nature and the foundation of economic development in Bosnia and Herzegovina.The government of Bosnia and Herzegovina is ready to mine, not only mining but also developing heavy industry.

Simply put, it is steelmaking, copper smelting, and selling salt by the way.Of course, other minerals will also be developed, but these three have more "money prospects" at the moment.

Franz remembers that the heavy industry in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the original time and space developed well, but later it declined due to the war.

Although Bosnia and Herzegovina is mountainous, there are rivers here, which can develop water transportation.If the railway branch line is extended, there is also potential for the development of heavy industry.

Austria's heavy industry is too concentrated in the Bohemia region, which does not matter in peacetime, but in wartime, Bohemia region is too close to the front line.

The conditions in Bosnia and Herzegovina are naturally not as good as those in Bohemia, but it is not a big problem to build a smaller heavy industry base.

Not only Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also many areas in the Balkan Peninsula have the potential to develop heavy industry.Compared with continental Europe, the mineral resources of the Balkan Peninsula are relatively rich.

Not to mention long-term development, at least at the beginning of the industrial age, the required resources can still be met.However, in terms of development costs, the Balkan Peninsula is still relatively high.

After all, the Bosnia and Herzegovina region has been assimilated, and Franz is still willing to invest some resources.If it can develop, it will make money. If the economy cannot develop, a few more heavy industries will also be a good result.

Without hesitating for a long time, Franz put a "√" on the document, which means he approved the plan.He doesn't need to worry about the rest of the matter. After giving the policy, it's up to the bureaucrats to play freely.

As long as it is not a crazy plan, he rarely rejects the development plan submitted by the general local government.

No one can guarantee the success of any big strategic plan, but it will not succeed if you don't try.

For a country, the error tolerance rate is still very high.Especially for a poor province like Bosnia and Herzegovina, a strategic plan for economic development can fail several times without shaking its foundation.

The central government needs to subsidize administrative funds, so how bad can it be?

But as long as you succeed once, you will make a lot of money.Not to mention becoming a developed province of Austria, as long as it can achieve financial self-sufficiency, it is a great victory.

Chapter No.17 The Controversy of Ideas

After the news spread that the province of Bosnia and Herzegovina was going to establish a strong province of heavy industry, it immediately caused a sensation in the capital circle.

The layman looks at the excitement and the insider looks at the doorway.

Heavy industry has always been a big investment, and it is a long-term investment.It is a normal operation if the cost of an investment cannot be recovered for several years or more than ten years.

Similarly, once the industry becomes bigger, the profits will be much higher.This threshold alone eliminates most competitors, and heavy industry companies have far fewer competitors than other industries.

At present, the Austrian economy has just emerged from the crisis and is in a period of rapid development. The demand for steel and copper has greatly increased, and the supply is in short supply.

In theory, as long as they are produced, these two products will not worry about selling at all.However, this is only modern times. To join this industry, it is not possible to achieve results in a day or two.

According to past experience, it takes at least two or three years from the search for a suitable factory to the launch of the product.

In fact, it takes longer, not to mention internal preparations in advance, this kind of large investment requires the organization of professional prospecting, a comprehensive cost assessment, transportation, and market analysis are also indispensable.

In this era, there are not so many professional institutions to do it for you, and investors have to organize and judge everything by themselves.These alone are not enough, even if it is to invest with a bank loan, the initial investment cost is at least hundreds of thousands of Aegis.

It can be said that most people were eliminated from the beginning.Don't come if you don't have money. This industry is reserved for capital predators, and small workshops have no room for survival.

It is impossible to be a white wolf with empty gloves. The banks are all privately owned, and each bank is more strictly reviewed than the other. There is no collateral, and no one wants to lend huge amounts of money.

And in this era, heavy industry investment has already climbed to millions of Aegis, even if it costs tens of millions of Aegis, it is not impossible.

The most valuable thing is not the machinery and equipment, but the mines that produce raw materials.There is no shortage of cheap mines in Austria, but since they are cheap, it means that the difficulty of mining has increased significantly, or it is a lean mine with a certain mining value.

Experienced practitioners know that this is a bargain.If production costs cannot be controlled, once an economic crisis occurs, it will be cool.

As for the separate operation of mines and smelters, that does not exist. Now the most popular ones are collectivization and industrial chaining, which generally provide one-stop services from upstream raw material production to downstream product sales.

Industrial division is based on the fact that local raw materials are exhausted and must be purchased from outside.This would drastically increase costs, which capitalists don't like.

At present, the biggest problem for the French industry is to import coal from the outside world, which increases the cost of the industry. This is why Napoleon III is staring at the Rhineland region.

Vienna Starbucks Club, just looking at the name, you can tell that this is Franz's bad taste. Most of the well-known companies in his memory have been established in advance.

Of course, many things may have changed, too much time has passed, and memory errors will also occur.Sometimes with a vague memory, companies with the same name have very different business scopes.

Michelin can become an ice cream brand, and Country Garden can become a certain park. There are many company names that have been spoiled. If there is another time traveler, it will definitely be confused.

These changes are destined to be known to no one, and several middle-aged men in the box are chatting while playing bowling.

A middle-aged man threw the ball in his hand and asked with a smile, "Thor, are you really going to Bosnia and Herzegovina to invest in heavy industry?"

Thor smiled slightly and said, "All hits, Wells, your technique has improved again."

Going forward, he threw the ball in his hand, sighed, and added:

"That's right, I have a plan in this regard. At present, most domestic industries are saturated, and emerging industries seem to be very profitable, but we can't play it.

The Austrian new energy power company has too many advantages. Even if we join in now, we can only live with them.

It is not reliable to be in the financial industry all the time, the investment is too concentrated, and the ability to resist risks is too low.Although heavy industry has a large initial investment, it also has great development potential.

Compared with emerging industries, these technologies have matured.As you know, I still have a half-dead steel factory in my hands. It is not completely without foundation to enter this industry. "

Several people present are shareholders of the Austrian Savings Bank, and they are also the behind-the-scenes bosses of several securities companies. They even completed the transition of status and obtained the title of nobility.

However, these bigwigs also have a sense of crisis. With the standardization of the financial order, the risk of manipulating the stock market is getting higher and higher.

As a member of the emerging nobles, they also cherish feathers.No one wants to work so hard to get into high society only to be ruined immediately.

You must know that their life-long nobles have another name: quasi-nobles, or nobles during the inspection period.

Usually at this stage, the old aristocrats are looking at them with a magnifying glass.Once a crime is committed, it is easy to be knocked out of the dust.