Given the financial situation of the tsarist government, they were simply unable to afford this expense, and they had no choice but to sell it to us.

In order to obtain resettlement fees and improve the distressed finances, the Tsarist government also aggressively accepted the Ottomans in our controlled area.

So far, we have paid 2386 million Aegis resettlement fees to the Russians, and these people are all resettled in the current Russian military-controlled areas.

If the territory deal is successful, we will inevitably have to relocate the Ottomans on the entire Asia Minor peninsula.

Russians can not only get land transfer fees, but also large resettlement fees.Even the resettlers they received earlier can charge another resettlement fee.

I very much doubt that the tsarist government will impose additional conditions and directly undertake the resettlement work.

For them, there is no difficulty.There are large tracts of land in Siberia and the Far East where immigrants can be resettled. Although the conditions are a little bit harsh, it is still harmless. "

Hearing this explanation, Franz admired the business acumen of the Tsarist government.According to the previous agreement, the Russians have completed a resettlement.

Although the people were still in the Asia Minor peninsula, the Vienna government only stipulated that people should be sent out of the sphere of influence of Austria. There was no such thing as a territorial transaction at that time, and the Russians had already fulfilled the contract.

Knowing that it has suffered a loss, the Vienna government can't say anything.International politics is like gambling. When you go to the poker table, you must have the attitude of being willing to gamble and admit defeat.

Franz smiled slightly: "If it's because of finances, then negotiate the price with the Russians.

Strengthening the strength of the Russians was originally within the scope of our plan, but now the plan is just a little ahead of schedule. "

The Asia Minor peninsula was a burden to the tsarist government, and the finances were unable to bear it, but it was different for Austria.

Although no economic benefits can be obtained in the short term, and a large amount of funds must be invested, the strategic significance is extraordinary.

To win here is not only to practice with the Middle East, but more importantly, to have a stable rear.

As long as millions of people immigrated from the mainland and completely controlled the area, Franz would no longer have to worry about being blocked.

"Enhancing strength" and "enhancing national power" are two concepts. Franz is only preparing to enhance the strength of the Tsarist government, not the national strength of the Russian Empire.

So this help will be a test of skill.It is naturally impossible to help the tsarist government complete industrialization.

Even if you want to help, it is to help them complete the industrialization similar to the Mexican model of later generations.

To put it simply, it looks beautiful on the surface and seems to have completed industrialization, but in essence it is a large assembly plant with all core components imported.

The Russians are not stupid. If they are not made to look powerful, how can they have the ambition to spy on the subcontinent?

Foreign Minister Weisenberg reminded: "Your Majesty, we have also started negotiations with the British. If news of the Asia Minor Peninsula transaction comes out at this time, I am afraid it will cause another disturbance."

British shit stirrers are annoying, but there's really nothing you can do about them these days.Maybe they can't do anything to Austria, but it's definitely a strong point to be disgusting.

Among other things, once the shit-stirring stick is involved, it will be difficult for this territorial transaction to proceed smoothly.Even if an agreement is reached, the Vienna government will increase additional costs.

After contemplating for a moment, Franz made a decision: "Directly authorize the minister in Russia to negotiate with the Tsarist government, the speed must be fast, and the deal must be reached before the British react.

In addition to cash compensation, we can also help the Russians rebuild their navy.

Tell the Russians that if the deal goes through within a week, we'll gift them five additional battleships.

Moreover, these warships do not need to be delivered immediately, they just need to notify us when they want it. "

Franz was not prepared to lower the price. From the beginning of the migration of the people on the Asia Minor peninsula, the Tsarist government knew how much the Vienna government attached importance to this area.

The tsarist government's sale of these areas was essentially to sell them at a good price to make up for the financial deficit, and it was impossible to suppress the price.

The gift of five battleships is actually a price increase in disguise.Deliberately setting a time limit is also a negotiating tactic.

The difference is that the former Austrian dreadnoughts are about to be launched, and these old battleships are about to be retired.

Five battleships that are behind the times and are about to be eliminated, and eight most advanced battleships are not the same concept at all.

Taking advantage of the unequal information between the two sides and taking advantage of the different prices in everyone's minds, they misled the Russians to overestimate the value of these warships in order to reduce the cost of land purchases.

You must know that the Austrian Navy now has a full 36 battleships. God knows where to find so many receivers.

No one took over, and after a new round of naval arms race broke out, most of these warships could only be dismantled and sold for scrap.

……

The Russian-Austrian territorial deal was just one of the episodes after the Near East War ended, and more aftermath issues needed to be resolved by the Vienna government.

Internationally, it is easy to handle. Ottoman is enough to attract people's hatred, no one is running around and shouting for them, and the pressure of public opinion basically does not exist.

The European people are celebrating this great victory, and even if some people are upset, it is only a small group.

The trouble is that after the reconstruction after the war, the locals moved out, and someone had to come over to replace them.Without enough population, post-war reconstruction is a joke.

Franz's desk is already full of plans, such as immigration relocation plan, Baghdad railway plan, Dardanelles bridge plan...

Looking at the intricate plan, Franz's head became dizzy for a while.He was soaked in documents every day, and his hairline receded a bit. If this continues, he will be bald in his youth.

There is no way, and it is not easy to be an emperor.It's not that Franz is greedy for power, it's just that he has to personally ask some questions.

People of different ages look at problems completely differently. A plan that looks good at this time may be a huge hidden danger in the future.

For example: Dardanelle Bridge, if it follows the plan of the Ministry of Railways, this bridge will only serve the railway, and only a carriageway will be added.

In the short term, it is enough. After the popularity of cars, it will be scrapped and restarted immediately.

Chapter 36 Finding an Opponent

Some people are proud while others are frustrated. Russia and Austria are celebrating their victories, and the atmosphere inside the London government is particularly strange.

It's not easy to be a politician. No matter how bad the mood is, Prime Minister Gladstone still resisted and sent a congratulatory message.

No way, the British people are still watching?It's one thing to support the Ottoman Empire secretly, but you still can't sit crookedly on the bright side.

The influence of the butterfly effect is getting bigger and bigger, the international conflicts are far less intense than the original time and space, and everyone's morals have also become a little bit higher accordingly.

It's really only a little bit, and it's decent for face. Those who should and shouldn't be stabbed secretly are stabbing each other.

In the Prime Minister's residence in Downing Street, Foreign Secretary George took out a document and said: "This is the agreement we have just reached with the Austrians, which redraws the spheres of influence between the two countries in the Middle East.

We support Austria's annexation of the Ottoman Empire on the condition that they stop expanding into Persia. "

Does this agreement make sense?

Can a contract really bind Austria?

That depends on what angle you start from.Austria's annexation of the Ottoman Empire has become a foregone conclusion. This is not something that the British government's opposition can work.

However, some British people admit that this expansion can be made more legal.In this respect, the Vienna government had an incentive to compromise.

On the other hand, this is all based on the premise that the Vienna government pays attention to eating.

If the Vienna government suddenly let go of its integrity one day and no longer cares about the pressure of the international community, these agreements will be waste paper.

Gladstone took a puff of the cigar in his hand, and said slowly: "It seems that we still have a few years of stable life. It will take time for the Austrians to digest the Asia Minor peninsula. This agreement is effective in the short term."

Foreign Secretary George added: "According to the information collected by the embassy, ​​Russia and Austria are conducting secret negotiations. The specific content is unknown, but it is certainly not just the post-war spoils.

Not long ago, the Vienna government was also engaged in the relocation of immigrants in the Asia Minor peninsula. At present, millions of people have been deported, and they still have not stopped. They have great intentions to evacuate the Ottoman Empire.

The real purpose is still unknown, anyway, the relocation was definitely not for the safety of the Ottomans.

We have sent people to verify that there is no large-scale plague in the Asia Minor peninsula, let alone the Black Death.

After spending such a high price to relocate the population, the Austrians attached more importance to the Asia Minor peninsula than ordinary people imagined.

It is worth mentioning that the war was over, and the tsarist government did not send administrative officials to the Asia Minor peninsula, and did not even intend to establish an administrative agency.

This is very abnormal, and it may have something to do with the Tsarist government's finances, which were unable to undertake post-war reconstruction and restoration work.

Based on the analysis of these signs, the Foreign Ministry believed that the Russians might give up the Ottoman heritage in exchange for financial compensation from the Austrians. "

No matter how passive the British Foreign Office appeared in the previous handling, they are still at the pinnacle of this era in terms of diplomatic professionalism.

Being able to connect several unrelated things together and analyze the purpose behind them through clues on the surface is enough to prove their professional ability.

After hearing this explanation, Gladstone stood up directly, walked to the map behind him, and stared at the Asia Minor peninsula.

After a long while, he said helplessly: "Our future is in big trouble, and if we don't pay attention, Austria will become bigger and cannot be restricted.

The relocation of the Ottomans, I am afraid that the Vienna government is trying to incorporate the Asia Minor peninsula into the mainland.At that time, from Vienna to Jerusalem, it will be connected.

Look at the map. After taking down the Ottoman Empire, apart from the absence of Constantinople, what is the difference between Austria's current sphere of influence and the Eastern Roman Empire? "

Is there a difference, for sure.The Italian heel is gone, as are Bulgaria and Crimea.

However, Austria's territory has penetrated into Central Europe and colonized more than half of Africa, controlling the scope of power far beyond the Eastern Roman Empire.

On the whole, it is stronger.Before the demise of the Ottoman Empire, everyone's feelings were not obvious, but now anyone who opens the map will know what it means.

Secretary of the Navy Astley Cooper Key blurted out: "They want to rebuild the Roman Empire!"

Then he denied it: "This is impossible, and no European country will agree to it. Doing so is asking for death."

Foreign Minister George said indifferently: "It is naturally impossible to rebuild Rome, but the current Austrian Empire is no less inferior to the Roman Empire.

From Central Europe to the Middle East, it is Austria's territory. Once these areas are digested, the size of Austria's mainland has doubled.

If you add the Arabian Peninsula, the land that is connected to their mainland is as high as more than 500 million square kilometers, and the Roman Empire at its peak was no more than that.

However, this is only part of the story.If their overseas colonies are counted, Austria now has actually surpassed the Habsburg Dynasty at its peak.

Unlike any previous empire, the internal troubles of the Austrian Empire were very small.The unswerving population migration policy of the Vienna government has made the newly expanded territory no hidden danger of governance.

The stability of this empire far exceeds that of the Habsburg dynasty in history, and it is impossible to expect their internal collapse.

If the Austrians continue to develop and digest these areas, all our previous plans will be a joke. "

Regardless of the harsh natural conditions in the Middle East and the Arab region, they are relatively speaking, at least better than Russian Siberia for human survival.

If it is really developed in Austria, nothing else can be guaranteed. Based on the productivity of this era, it is still very easy to feed a population of [-] million.

If Austrian Africa is included, the population carrying capacity is at least over [-] million, and its development potential is comparable to that of the entire European continent.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Hugh Childers, said with a smile: "Sir, you are too pessimistic. The larger the territory of a country, the stronger its strength. Otherwise, the most powerful country in the world is the Russians.

However, the Russians, who have the largest land area in the world, have the fourth overall strength in Europe, and do not have the strength to match their territory.

This is not only the corruption of the tsarist government, but more determined by geographical conditions. The harsh environment of the ice and snow country inherently hinders Russia's economic development.

The situation facing Austria is similar now. It seems that a large area of ​​territory has been obtained through expansion, but most of these lands are deserts, which cannot be developed and utilized at all.

The Asia Minor peninsula with slightly better conditions has also been reduced to white land due to the war, and cannot produce benefits in the short term.

If you want to develop the economy, you must first improve the environment yourself.Otherwise, the Vienna government would not implement the "Land Fallow Law" in the Middle East and the Arabian Peninsula.

Nature is not so easy to change. After so many years, there are still no results. The plan of the Vienna government should have failed. "

Foreign Minister George shook his head: "No, the Austrians still achieved results. I don't know about other areas, but a large forest has indeed increased outside Jerusalem.

Now the sandstorm can no longer threaten Jerusalem, and London newspapers even published it, which is unanimously believed by the religious circles that this is a gift from God.

From the implementation of the land fallow law to the present, Austria's control area has increased by at least 30 million square kilometers of woodland and grassland. "

It's not surprising, people have left, and now the grass grows in the place where the farm used to be, and the greening rate naturally goes up.

This is a virtuous circle. Without agriculture that consumes water resources, vegetation has the inherent functions of windbreak, sand fixation, and soil erosion. The gradual enrichment of water resources has promoted the expansion of the oasis area, and the local ecology is slowly recovering.

Of course, this kind of recovery is mainly due to the obvious effect in the early stage. Farmland can be transformed into grassland and woodland naturally very quickly, and it will not be easy to increase the area of ​​oasis later.

Relying on nature to restore the ecology is not a matter of overnight.Jerusalem is just an exception, mainly driven by political and religious interests.

The declining religion needs miracles to strengthen the declining beliefs; the Vienna government needs a beautiful Jerusalem to demonstrate its contribution to the Christian world, improve its international reputation, and increase the support of the people for the government. The two sides hit it off and started afforestation outside the city.

Jerusalem is 24 kilometers away from the Dead Sea and 56 kilometers away from the Mediterranean Sea. After relocating hundreds of thousands of people, the local water shortage problem has been solved.

After a large amount of capital is invested, the effect is naturally leveraged.If one were to choose an environmental ambassador this year, both Franz and Leo XIII would be the number one contestants.

Seeing that the topic was getting farther and farther, Gladstone interrupted: "Okay, two. It doesn't matter whether the Austrians have achieved results. They want to turn the desert into an oasis, which is not what humans can do now.

The top priority right now is how to limit the growth of Austria's strength, or destroy the possible Russia-Austria deal.

You must know that after the annexation of the Ottoman Empire, there is only one Egyptian barrier between Vienna and Austrian Africa.

The French only look strong now, in fact they have not yet come out of the civil strife.In the future competition, they may fall into a disadvantage.

As time goes by, the gap in national strength between France and Austria continues to widen, and maybe they will compromise someday.

I can't even imagine that horrible scene. "

No matter what age, there is no shortage of talking experts. The topic of turning a desert into an oasis has long been raised.

It's just that they are still shouting in the corner, and they haven't won the recognition of the mainstream society, so they can't talk about influence.

Including the desert oasis plan of the Vienna government, only the Jerusalem area has a specific plan, and other areas only have a land fallow law, waiting for nature to slowly recover.

In contrast, the consequences of Fao's compromise are more serious.

You must know that France and Austria still maintain a superficial ally relationship. As long as the gap in strength between the two sides continues to widen, and one side thinks that it has lost the strength to fight for hegemony, compromise will come naturally.

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