Holy Roman Empire

Take telephone research as an example. Hundreds of people participated in this key project.Including: voice quality, telephone switches, telephone lines, telephones... Divided into more than a dozen groups to conduct research at the same time.

The advancement of any technology is crucial to this project.Naturally, bonuses are indispensable, and Franz has always been very generous in this regard.

Scientific research cannot use love to generate electricity, and that little amount of electricity cannot support the entire industry.In recent years, Austria's scientific research field has developed very well, and the Royal Academy of Sciences has made great contributions.

The investment of millions of Aegis each year has become the driving force behind Austria's scientific and technological progress.

Compared with the telephone, the phonograph technology is more mature, and related patents have been fully registered.It is expected to be put on the market after Christmas this year.

Well, he stole Edison's patent again, and if he continued to play like this, Franz was very suspicious of what new tricks the inventor could come up with later.

These inventions made Franz no longer obsessed with celebrities.Facts have proved that as long as you are willing to invest, these technologies are already feasible, and scientific inventions and creations that are only short of ideas can be smashed out.

That being the case, the value of Edison is greatly reduced.It is easier to attract a scientist than to attract a businessman. Instead of spending a lot of money to chase a successful "businessman", it is better to use the same money to support hundreds of scientific researchers.

These are the things that can really strengthen the country.Behind any powerful country in modern times is a group of scientific researchers and engineers.

Without the backing of industry, the great ideas of scientists will always be just ideas. To become a reality, it depends on the basic industry.

Even the progress of science and technology is closely related. When people pay attention to the big names like Edison and Einstein, they often ignore the obscure basic scientific researchers behind them.

These people are not well-known and have no inventions and creations that affect people's lives, but all inventions and creations are inseparable from them.

Since the 19th century, most scientific inventions and creations have been concentrated in the European continent, and the problem can be seen.

It's not that there are no geniuses in other regions, but because of the lack of basic industries, these geniuses can't support their inventions and creations, so they have to take another path.

In a corner of the research institute, the internal combustion engine project team is still struggling.

The origin of this technology is also very early. In the 17th century, the Dutch physicist Huygens used gunpowder explosions to obtain power. However, because the gunpowder technology was immature and it was difficult to control the results, the research failed.

In 1794, the British Streeter proposed to obtain power from the combustion of fuel, and for the first time proposed the concept of mixing fuel and air.

In 1833, the British Wright proposed the design of directly using the combustion pressure to push the piston to do work.

In the mid-19th century, scientists perfected the theory of converting heat generated by burning coal gas, gasoline and diesel, etc. into mechanical power.This laid the foundation for the invention of the internal combustion engine.

Since the piston internal combustion engine came out in the 19s, it has been a relatively complete machine through continuous improvement and development.

In 1860, Lenoir of France imitated the structure of the steam engine and designed and manufactured the first practical gas engine.

These are all external factors that promote the approval of the internal combustion engine project.Now that the foundation has been laid, Franz will naturally not ignore this epoch-making invention.

Technically speaking, internal combustion engine technology was possible in the 18th century.Of course, scientific research is not so easy, and the original space-time has been delayed until the late 19th century to make a breakthrough.

Franz's push has only accelerated the process. As early as two years ago, the internal combustion engine was born in the laboratory.

It's just that because the power is too small, it has no practical value, so it can only be kept in the museum for people to watch. Now it is the second generation of internal combustion engine.

When it can be applied to life, this question can only depend on luck.After all, laboratory results and commercial application are two concepts.

There are still many black technologies in the Royal Academy of Sciences, but due to various reasons, they cannot be released.Among them, medicine and biology are the most common, and many medicines with good effects cannot be produced industrially at all.

Not only is the industrial technology not good enough, many of them are too few raw materials.Especially for medicines processed from hundreds of years of herbal plants, the laboratory lacks raw materials for its own research.

Needless to say, Franz is the behind-the-scenes supporter of these messy studies.

The research projects in Vienna are not bad, but some of the laboratories in Africa are scary.There was also a discharge of laboratory sewage, which led to the extermination of several African tribes.

It can be said to be the earliest biological and chemical weapon. Fortunately, Franz had the foresight to put the laboratory on the African continent, otherwise things would have exploded.

Franz has always believed that every outstanding scientist is a master of death.Many things that I don't understand at all dare to study directly, even if I don't admire them.

Many rotten studies have caused unimaginable consequences.If Franz wanted to, he could now make chemical and biological weapons.

Apparently, the peace-loving he didn't do that.No one knows how serious the by-products of scientific research will be if they are released, and Franz doesn't even want to try it.

The medical technology of this era is limited, if an unknown virus is released, it is not impossible to kill humans directly.

In this regard, scientists still know the importance. After each experiment collects data, they must carefully dispose of the garbage brought by the research.

If you want to deceive people, collecting these waste materials and sending them there for safekeeping will be very effective.Of course, Franz never did such immoral things.

In order to deal with the laboratory waste, he also paid a high price.Usually they are incinerated at high temperature first, and then transported to inaccessible places for burial. Anyway, they will not stay in the country.

Chapter 21 The Poorest Tsar

Time flies like an arrow, and the sun and the moon fly like a shuttle.After so many years of hard work, Austria has become the second colonial empire in the world, with footprints all over six continents and seven oceans.

I have to be thankful that there are no satellite maps in this era, otherwise someone will see Austria's strategic layout, and I am afraid that it will immediately cause an uproar.

Austria in the American region occupies Central America and divides North and South America into two. The Panama Canal, which was famous in time and space, has become far away.

Unless one day, Austria is strong enough to meet all challenges, or the United States is divided again and is not a threat at all, otherwise this canal will not be considered.

The African continent is even more terrifying. If someone pays attention, they will find that Austria has divided the colonies of various countries so that they cannot be connected together.

Of course, the area of ​​North Africa of the French is still very large, but after seeing the area of ​​​​the desert, this statement must be changed.

A large area is a good thing, but the situation has changed when the desert area is large.In addition to the coastal areas where people can live, there are only a few oases in this vast desert that are valuable.

Mineral resources may exist, but they are worthless on the African continent, and even less so if they are under the sand.

The British South African region is actually in jeopardy.It didn't win here, it's just that Franz didn't want to face the British so early.

Another French colony, Egypt, looks good, but it is actually in crisis.If you can't take the Sudan area as soon as possible and connect the two places together, you will be surrounded by Britain and Austria.

From a purely military analysis, this is simply trying to monopolize the African continent.

In fact, this is just an idealistic fantasy. Now that the forces of the five countries of Britain, France, Oxi and Portugal have gathered on the African continent, how can they be easily expelled?

Moreover, Austria does not have such a population to fill this huge hole, and Franz is still very afraid of the European emperor becoming a non-chieftain.

In the original time and space, there are many Africans who claim to be French, but they only became African chieftains after getting tanned in Africa.

Regardless of whether it is true or not, just this possibility made Franz dare not mess around.

In the context of the localization policy, if the population of the African continent exceeds that of the mainland, and they cry and cry to move their capital, it will be a headache.

Well, these are all small problems, and it is impossible for Franz to encounter them anyway.The main reason is that the strength is not enough, too much waves will cause accidents.

Not to mention the European continent. If it hadn't been for decisively creating conflicts and provoking the Russo-Prussian War behind the scenes, the pressure on Austria's national defense would be enough to collapse.

There is no way, the geographical location has made Austria, but also restricted Austria.

If it hadn't been for Franz's flexible diplomatic measures to divide the relationship between the great powers, Austria would have become a target of public criticism.

The current situation in Europe can be said to have been created by Franz.There are some accidents, but generally speaking, it is still within the scope of the plan.

Occupying Russia in the east, blocking France in the west, and suppressing Prussia in the middle, this seemingly cool strategy, in fact, as long as it is implemented, it will be more thoroughly preserved than the Second German Empire.

Although the "Austrian threat theory" has not become the mainstream of public opinion, it has appeared in the minds of many politicians.There is no outbreak now, because the French are too active.

After all, the ancestors of the Habsburg dynasty used to be more glorious than they are now, but they failed to unify the German region. Now Franz has not unified the German region, which is still within everyone's acceptance.

It is estimated that many people are thinking that another melee in Germany can bring down the Habsburg dynasty.

Perhaps it was the prestige of the Napoleon era that created the arrogant French, who thought they were the number one army in the world. They even refused to accept the Russian Empire in its heyday, let alone Austria.

Although France has a lot of hatred, they are lucky!Spain has fallen by itself, and now a civil war is about to break out because of the battle for the throne.

There was no threat in the rear, and they would not hesitate to face any country alone. Napoleon III naturally had the confidence to toss.

Of course, this is both an advantage and a disadvantage.That is, the road to expansion of France is difficult to follow, and the dream of a great country of the French people is difficult to satisfy.

Napoleon III is not young anymore, but his son is still young. Now that he is accelerating the pace of expansion, Napoleon III is in a hurry.

If it is not that he cannot support his son to take power, then he must first create a large French empire, otherwise France will be in danger, or the throne of the Bonaparte family will be in danger.

This is also the reason why France and Austria can form an alliance. With Franz, the pusher who is hyping up public opinion, the spirit of the French people has always been very excited.

The desire for a great power has already been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. Napoleon III can still suppress it, but the next generation may not.

In this case, either achieve this goal; or suppress it and change everyone's ideas.

There is no doubt that the second is impossible.Even if Napoleon III wanted to do it, the capitalists would not agree to the loss of interests in his reforms.

If the expansion is successful, the increased market can satisfy the capitalists; if the expansion fails, it is time to trigger political changes, and a government of its own can also gain a lot of benefits.

This is where Yangmou is more terrifying than conspiracy. The internal conflicts in France are also very serious now. The best way to alleviate internal conflicts is to expand.

Use the plundered wealth to make up for the losses of those who lost their interests in the reform.All successful reforms in modern times have basically followed the same method.

After the Great British Revolution, they carried out colonial expansion and used the colonies to resolve internal conflicts;

When Austria reformed, it also relied on external expansion to resolve internal conflicts;

The same is true of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was not until after the end of the Prussian War that the conflict between the capitalists and the Junker nobles was eased.

The current stability of France is also based on external expansion.If the government hadn't opened up so many colonies, the capitalists whose interests have been damaged would have rebelled long ago.

Alexander II, who is undergoing reform, is now encountering the same problem.There is no shortage of land in the Russian Empire, but those who lost their interests in the reform still need to be compensated.

Alexander II couldn't afford the money.In the original time and space, many people criticized Alexander II for his incomplete reforms, which led to the demise of the Russian Empire. In fact, there was no way, he really tried his best.

As a spokesperson for the interests of the aristocratic class, he had to attack his own class. If the reform was complete, he did not need to think about the future. The tsar would be replaced before the reform was completed.

Even so, the Russians also expanded in Central Asia, the Far East, and the Near East, relying on foreign plunder to ease internal conflicts.

Now that the Russian Empire has lost the opportunity to expand, internal conflicts have become more intense.Alexander II's reforms would not have been possible had it not been for a major purge.

In St. Petersburg, Alexander II changed the top of the government again.There is no way, three ministers have been assassinated and killed, and the rest have become cowards, so he can only choose to replace them.

There are always hot-blooded men in any country, and the reformers who are in power now are a bunch of people who are willing to shed their blood for the Russian Empire.

Alexander II knew the art of compromise. His reforms were not radical, and many policies took care of the interests of the nobility.

On land distribution, he again made concessions.Nobles who refused to buy land did not force it, and the government paid to organize farmers to open up wasteland.

The Russian Empire had plenty of land, it just wasn't developed.Not to mention that the land in Europe has not been fully developed, even the Siberian Plain can actually accommodate tens of millions of people, and farms have been developed in the Far East in later generations.

Anyway, the peasants at the bottom don't mind being remote, as long as the government is willing to pay for them to open up wasteland, everyone doesn't mind suffering.

With this policy change, the resistance of the nobles suddenly weakened a lot.In the era of mechanized agriculture, the demand for labor is not so great.

As a price, the Tsarist government's wallet quickly dried up.Government funding and support requires real money, at least to provide farm tools and seeds, and by the way, be responsible for food management.

The peasants who had just been freed were clinking poor, and the cost of land reclamation could only be borne by the government.The money is regarded as an interest-free loan from the government to the people, and it will be repaid in the future, but that is a matter of the future.

Now there are tens of millions of people, pointing to the tsarist government to eat?Financial problems have become the biggest problem for Alexander II's government.

……

Chapter 22 Bankruptcy

Having no money is always the most painful thing, especially when there are a large group of people pointing to food, and the financial crisis is imminent.

St. Petersburg Hermitage

The new Minister of Finance Yevgenkis reported with a sad face: "Your Majesty, this is the latest month's expenditure report. If no measures are taken, we will go bankrupt in at most three months."

Financial bankruptcy, not the first time the tsarist government has happened.If it is a normal period, the bankrupt will be bankrupt, and the big deal will be a repudiation.

The problem now is that the land reclamation movement that has just been organized cannot be stopped, otherwise tens of millions of people will go hungry.At that time, not only the reforms will be destroyed, but even the Tsarist Empire may collapse as a result.

After taking the report and glanced at it, Alexander II left it aside, got up and wandered around the room.

The plan never changed quickly, and the number of people actually participating in land reclamation was far greater than the tsarist government expected.More people have more power and more expenses.

After hesitating for a long time, Alexander II asked, "If we suspend international debt payments from now on, will we be able to survive this crisis?"

Bad debts are not an option, but the problem is that the Tsarist government really has no money.Whether it is continuing international loans or issuing bonds, the Tsarist government has tried.

No one is willing to lend money to the poor. Even if the Russians can put up collateral, everyone is worried that they will not be able to fulfill their promises.

Because of the war, part of the fertile land in Eastern Europe was lost, and the fiscal revenue of the Tsarist government also shrank significantly.

If it hadn't been for a sum of money sent in the house raid, the tsarist government would have gone bankrupt long ago.Wars are costly, and reforms are also gold-swallowing beasts, leaving little room for Alexander II to choose.

After thinking for a while, Minister of Finance Yevgenkis replied: "If you suspend some projects and fully guarantee the land reclamation campaign, it should not be a big problem."

It's time to do multiple-choice questions. After suffering from inconvenient transportation, Alexander II formulated an ambitious Russian railway plan.

The entire line is as high as 15 kilometers. Once this plan is completed, Russian Eastern Europe will be connected in series, and it can almost be declared that Prussia and Poland are finished.

Alexander II made a decisive decision: "Okay, then do this!"

The problem of development lags behind first, and it is important to solve the immediate problem.On the surface, it seems that the large-scale land reclamation has increased the amount of land, allowing farmers to have land, which is a good thing.

In fact, there are still great hidden dangers here.The biggest problem is that there will inevitably be too much grain production in the future, and everyone knows the truth that cheap grain will hurt farmers.

Perhaps increased food production is a good thing for a capitalist economy, reducing the cost of feeding workers.

Then, for peasants and nobles, it was a disaster.Many nobles are holding back, the main reason is that they are worried that their interests will be damaged in the future.