Holy Roman Empire

Since the beginning of the European arms race, the British government has expressed close attention, and they are well aware of the movements of various countries.

Foreign Minister Palmerston said eloquently: "According to the information we have collected, the Austrian government's military expansion should be aimed at the Ottoman Empire, and our plan to divert disasters to the east has succeeded.

It's just that a little change has happened now, and the Austrian government may have made a compromise with the Russians.If you want to provoke a conflict between Russia and Austria, it will be impossible in a short time.

However, there are too many conflicts of interest, and even the best relationship will be shattered.From the moment Austria set foot on the Balkan Peninsula, the Russia-Austria alliance was doomed to disintegrate..."

Prime Minister John Russell frowned and questioned: "Mr. Palmerston, I believe in the judgment that the Russia-Austria alliance will be shattered sooner or later. But this time may be three or five years later, but it is definitely not now.

Before their common enemy, the Ottoman Empire, fell, Russia and Austria could still cooperate closely.

The seeds of hatred were planted hundreds of years ago. Neither the Russians nor the Austrians wanted the Ottoman Empire to fall.

In addition to hatred, there are more tantalizing interests.The Russians took a fancy to the Black Sea Strait, and the Austrians took a fancy to the Danube River Basin.

The Ottoman Empire was too weak and was targeted by two bandits.But we can't let them fall now.

It doesn't matter if the Austrians plot the Danube Basin, but once the Black Sea Strait falls into the hands of the Russians, we will lose a lot.

I don't think that a Constantinople can satisfy the appetite of the Tsarist government.The desire they have held back for so many years, to release it now, is absolutely earth-shattering.

Once the Ottoman Empire falls, the Austrians will annex at most half of the Balkan Peninsula, and the Russians will occupy the land along the Black Sea Strait.

At that time, not only our interests in the Ottoman Empire will not be guaranteed, but even our interests in the Mediterranean Sea will be greatly affected, and even South Africa and India will be threatened by the Russians. "

This is the crux of the matter, the British needed the Ottoman Empire to keep the Russians at bay.No one wants to be neighbors with Russians, and John Bull is no exception.

Let the Russians annex the Ottoman Empire and take control of this central location across Asia, Europe and Africa, and the situation will be completely out of control.

Palmerston explained with a gloomy face: "Your Excellency, the situation is not that bad. No European country wants to see the Russians grow bigger. This is the opportunity.

Whether Austria and the Russians have reached an agreement, and where the bottom line of the two parties are, is still unknown.

But one thing is certain, the Austrians also do not want the Russians to become bigger.As old neighbours, the Russian threat estimates their feelings more accurately.

Therefore, in this upcoming war, most of them will just take advantage of it, and then sit on the mountain and watch the tiger fight. It is not good for them to kill the Ottoman Empire with one stick.

The strength of the Ottoman Empire is not weak. As long as they can distinguish the enemy's priority and focus on defending against Russian attacks, they should be able to persist for a long time with our support.

During this period, we can join forces with France, Prussia, Spain and other European countries to intervene in this war together. "

This explanation is not satisfactory. Judging from the current situation, the previous foreign policy adopted by the London government has failed.

There is nothing wrong with leading Austria to the Balkans. The problem is that the unreasonable bear is going to break the situation violently?

Looking at the time when the Russians prepared for the war, everyone knows that this war is definitely not a small fight.Coupled with an Austria that wants to pick up cheap, if there is no external intervention, the chances of the Ottoman Empire being able to resist the past this time are infinitely small.

The British have known for a long time that the Russo-Turkish war is about to break out. Not only they know, but all European countries are mentally prepared for this.

There have been many friendly matches between the Russians and the Ottomans, and everyone has figured out the rules. Basically, a generation has grown up, and the two sides will have a match.

This kind of friendly match is not always a decisive battle with all the power of the country.In many cases, it is just a local war, which can be started with any excuse, and the war will be stopped when the fighting is almost done.

This can be seen from the preparation time. Generally speaking, the more adequate the preparation, the more intense the war will be.

Since the second half of 1849, the Russians have been preparing, and there is no sign of launching it yet. The scale of this war can already be imagined.

In this context, the introduction of Austria into the Balkans naturally exacerbated the confusion.If the confrontation between Russia and Austria is okay, if Russia and Austria join forces, God will not be able to save the Ottoman Empire.

Naturally, Palmerston had a headache. If he had known this would happen, he would not have bothered to take care of the Kingdom of Sardinia, leaving Austria in the quagmire of Italy and unable to extricate himself.

Then the current situation is much better. Austria, which has no energy to expand abroad, is definitely the vanguard against Russian expansion.

This is an inevitable result. If the benefits cannot be obtained, Franz will also oppose the Russians' continued expansion of power.

Not because of jealousy, but because of national strategic needs.Everyone understands the principle of ebb and flow. The strength of the Russians naturally means that Austria has relatively declined.

John Russell thought for a while and said: "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs can start to act now. If Russia and Austria join hands to attack the Ottoman Empire, they will not last long."

At this time, the British are not ready to go into battle shirtless.As far as their pocket army is concerned, it won't be long before they are sent out to be swallowed up by war.

The point is that the gold medalist Frenchman has not returned to his throne, Napoleon III has not yet been restored, and the parliament and the president are still fighting.

The French government, which has serious internal strife, has no weight in speaking internationally.It is extremely difficult to fulfill the promises made by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

……

Paris

The international change is a disaster for many people, but for Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, it is an opportunity.

The British need a stable French government in order to play a role in the ensuing Russo-Turkish war and suppress the Russian ambitions.

At this time, besides supporting him, is there a better choice?

You can't support the parliamentary faction, can you?Their efficiency is not comparable to that of a dictator.

The restoration plan has already been born among the Napoleonic faction, and it is only a matter of a suitable opportunity before it can be launched.

As for the current issue of Austria's military expansion and war preparations, like the British, Louis Napoleon Bonaparte also believed that Austria was heading for the Balkans.

In order to induce strategic misjudgments of various countries, the Austrian government is not just talking but not practicing.

Sending spies to the Balkans and being caught by the Ottoman Empire is just a trick.It is only a routine operation to station troops at the junction of Austria and the Ottoman Empire.

Austrian public opinion also brought up the old accounts of the Ottoman Empire.The Balkan strategy formulated by the military is discussed every now and then.

If you don't know that Austria is preparing to take revenge on the Ottomans, you must not be an Austrian.

There are also various strategic materials, which are also being transported to Transylvania for storage. It seems that there is only one excuse left, and Austria is about to send troops to the Danube River Basin.

Franz still understands the truth that you should lie to others first. If your own people believe it, why are you afraid that the enemy will not believe it?

Except for the members of the Austrian cabinet, only a few senior generals in the military knew the real purpose of the government. Most Austrians believed that the government was going to war with the Ottoman Empire.

A lot of official media have analyzed in every way that the Russo-Turkish war is about to break out, and Austria can just follow suit, and it can occupy the Danube River Basin without paying too much at all.

After this series of actions, Britain and France naturally believed that Austria was going to attack the Balkan Peninsula.

The westward plan was completely covered up.The only movement is probably the sudden acceleration of domestic railway construction.

Even the railway built by Bavaria has many enthusiastic people in the society to provide them with convenience.

Many people are still urging the Royal Bavarian Railway Company to speed up, so as not to delay their money.

Austria's strategic deception plan not only fooled Britain and France, but also confused the Prussians.When it was determined that Austria's goal was the Balkan Peninsula, Frederick William IV should do what he should do besides showing envious and jealous eyes.

There is no way, Russia and Austria attack the Ottoman Empire, no matter how envious they are, they can't run over to get a share of the pie.

Geopolitics determined the interests of the Ottoman Empire, not the Kingdom of Prussia.That being the case, let the Austrians let them expand their army.Anyway, without their own interests, the Kingdom of Prussia naturally has no need to follow up.

Not only were a few great powers fooled, but even the Swiss, who had been on tenterhooks for a long time, breathed a sigh of relief, as long as they confirmed that the Austrians were not targeting them, the life and death of the Ottomans had nothing to do with them.

Under the propaganda of the media, it is already well known that Russia and Austria are planning to find bad news for the Ottoman Empire.

It's none of your business, hang on high.The European people have turned into melon-eating people one after another, waiting for the good show to begin.

Chapter 50 Development

In the turmoil of 1850, it passed quietly.This seemingly ordinary year has had a profound impact on Austria.

A large amount of foreign capital has poured into Austria, driving the development of the domestic economy, and various factories have sprung up like mushrooms after rain.

The most intuitive impact of economic growth is the increase in government revenue.Although many industries have given preferential treatment for tax reduction and exemption, the government has also received a large amount of tax revenue in the upstream and downstream links.

In 1850, industrial and commercial taxation increased by 1849% compared with 400, which was more than [-] million dong.It seems that this number is not large, but Franz is very satisfied.

This is just the beginning. When the tax holiday ends, tax growth will explode.

The benefits brought by the development of industry and commerce are obviously not limited to this, and the supporting industrial chain of enterprises will also develop accordingly.

This is reflected in raw material production, product sales, transportation, catering and entertainment industries, and it can be seen in finance.

In 1850, the Austrian economy grew by 18.00% and the government's tax revenue increased by [-]%.

This number is not high. After any country opens its market, it will usher in rapid economic growth, and there are examples of a [-]-[-]% surge.

However, in Europe at the same time, the speed of Austria's economic development can be regarded as the best.

There is no doubt that the dividends brought about by economic growth have been directly invested in the military, and have not been able to continue to be invested in reproduction.

Of course, Franz did not dare to devote himself to reproduction.If it weren't for the limitations of communication and transportation conditions in this era, the fiery economic growth in Austria would have been even faster.

Not to say that fast economic growth is necessarily a good thing.For a country, the most important thing is sustainable development. In the short term, the economy will skyrocket. If the market does not keep up, then overcapacity will be unavoidable.

Overcapacity means that a large number of goods cannot be sold and will rot in the warehouse.Enterprises with deep pockets can also reduce production capacity for transformation, and naturally weak enterprises have only one way to go bankrupt.

Businesses went bankrupt, the number of unemployed people increased, and the purchasing power of the market continued to decline. The feedback came back again. The capitalists had to continue to cut production capacity and lay off employees. A vicious circle began, and the economic crisis broke out.

To some extent, this arms race also prolongs the period of rapid economic growth in Austria.The military itself is a consumer group, and military expansion is also expanding the consumer market.

Now the fastest growing thing in Austria is the railway. Construction started in 1849, and up to now hundreds of tenders have started construction.

The annual increase of the railway mileage is 265 kilometers. Don't get me wrong that this is not a railway that was built just now, but a railway that started construction in a few years, and it happened to be completed in 1850.

The railway that started construction in 1849 has not been seen in Mao even now. This is different from railways.In road construction, you can pour a section of road surface after repairing a section, but the railway is different. Unless a section of road is completed, even if the track is laid, you dare not run the train?

However, by 1852, it is estimated that some road sections in the plain area will be open to traffic. Whether it will be put into operation in advance is a question that only the railway company knows.

The Austrian government will not get involved in such a small matter. These private railway operations are all responsible for their own profits and losses, and have nothing to do with the government.

In order to encourage everyone to build railways, the Austrian government also announced a tax exemption policy.Starting from the establishment of the railway project, no railway operation tax will be levied in the next ten years.

If you want to make money, you should repair the road ahead of time and operate it. Delaying the construction period is a problem with your wallet.

Taking advantage of the booming railway environment, the Austrian government has packaged a large number of railway lines to private railway companies, and the government can pay for the demolition costs. To open to traffic.

As far as Franz knows, so far, the Austrian government has sold more than [-] kilometers of railway routes through coaxing and deception.

God knows how many unfinished projects will be left in the end, anyway, the government will not lose money.Even if you take over the unfinished project later, it's cheaper than building from scratch, isn't it?

The railway company is also aware of these problems, but the fiery market can deceive people's eyes, and Austria's economic growth has also deceived many people.

Coupled with the fueling of the financial consortium, it has fueled the ambitions of investors.Many speculators think, wait until the highest point to sell the stock, and then make a lot of money.

If you want to raise the stock price, you will naturally have to make a beautiful report.If a railway company only has a few hundred kilometers of railways in its hands, no matter how much you brag about it, it will not attract many people.

If there are thousands of kilometers or even tens of thousands of kilometers of railways, then there is no need to brag, someone will give you a blueprint for development.

Making money from railways is only one aspect. After controlling the railway network in certain areas, even if you invest in other industries, you can also use the transportation network in your hand to squeeze your peers to death. A conceptual business empire has emerged.

In the hottest era of European railways, four or five railways operated by different companies may appear between two cities to directly compete in the market.

The Austrian government is quite virtuous, at least it did not authorize the same section of the railway to different railway companies, which made many people see opportunities.

Is there any more profitable business in the world than "monopoly"?Even if it is a railway line with low economic value, once a market monopoly is formed, it will be a huge profit!

Franz would not admit that he used everyone's mentality to fool capitalists into investing in railways.Monopoly operation is possible, which avoids the waste of resources brought about by market competition. As long as it does not affect the development of the domestic economy, Franz does not mind the emergence of monopoly enterprises.

If the domestic economic development is affected due to high freight costs, then those who make the rules can also modify the rules, for example: Price Bureau, railway state-owned...

The Austrian government will never tell investors about these disharmonious topics, otherwise how could the British consortium be fooled?

The Americans have done things before, and Franz doesn't mind emulating it once.No matter so much, let's fool you to repair the railway first. After the railway is completed and has no use value, then you can consider the issue of turning your face.

In Franz's opinion, it is a good policy that the maximum profit of public facilities projects in Hong Kong in his previous life should not exceed 15.00%.

If the Austrian government copied it, the people should be very supportive, right?As for the railway company, the 15.00% profit can also make them live well.

When will the investors be able to recover the construction cost, this question is not known.Anyway, the investors in front have made money, and the receivers in the back have always been unlucky.

The development of the railway has naturally stimulated the steel industry, and steel companies have expanded their production capacity one after another, preparing to get a share of the next feast.

In order to effectively integrate resources and enhance the competitiveness of enterprises, in March 1850, the Austrian Ministry of Industry ordered that seven state-owned iron and steel enterprises be merged into the Austrian Iron and Steel Group.

Austria's first giant steel company with an annual output of 20 tons of raw steel and [-] tons of iron was born.After artistic processing, the annual output of steel is [-] tons, and the world's No. [-] steel group was born.

Whether it is really the world's No. [-] steel group remains to be verified, but it is an indisputable fact that it has become the No. [-] steel company in Austria. Half of the steel production capacity of the entire Austrian Empire is in this group.

In this era, the number of countries in the world whose steel output exceeds [-] tons is only in the single digits, and the country with more than one million tons of steel is the British.

If not everyone stayed at this level, the Austrian media would not dare to brag about it. Generally speaking, journalists in this era still have integrity.

After the merger, these steel plants began to divide their labor. According to the geographical location of each place, they gave full play to their resource advantages and integrated production capacity.

To put it simply, according to the quality of iron ore, all those suitable for steelmaking should be used for steelmaking, and those suitable for ironmaking should be used for ironmaking, and no mixed production mode should be adopted.

The most important thing is to bring together the core technologies of several companies, and use their strengths in industrial production.At the same time, a smelting technology research and development department was established to promote technological innovation.

按照计划，1851年奥地利钢铁集团的产能会提高到24万吨，1852年就要提高到32万吨，1853年将突破45万吨……

These plans are not random, they are completely formulated according to the needs of the market. How can we grab orders without expanding production capacity?

Austria's railway network construction is a big piece of meat, and there is no related company that does not want to take a bite.

Based on the calculation that 60 kilograms of steel is used for one meter of railway, 60000 kilograms of steel will be consumed for one kilometer. That is to say, the Austrian railway network plan alone will consume more than 200 million tons of steel.