Holy Roman Empire

In order to promote the industrialization process of Greece, Ludwig I recently ordered a ban on cotton exports, which became the fuse of intensified conflicts.

……

On October 1883, 10, Greece gave up its territorial claims on the Asia Minor peninsula, and the four countries of the Anti-Turkish Alliance reached an agreement on the distribution of post-war benefits.

按照约定：希腊政府可以获得1艘一级战列舰（排水量8000~10000吨铁甲舰）、1艘二级战列舰的补偿。（排水量5000~7000吨铁甲舰）

Then there is no more, don't look at the Greek government sending much more troops than the Principality of Montenegro, it's a pity that their record is really not good.

If it hadn't been for the contribution to maintaining law and order after the war, it is estimated that a battleship would have sent them away.

As for the casualties?Unfortunately, the large number of casualties is Greece's own problem and cannot be counted as a contribution.

Of course, the Vienna government still has care.Promise to sell them 2 battleships and 5 destroyers at half price, valid for two years.

Not only Greece and Montenegro compensated with warships, but even the Russians were no exception.

According to the treaty, in addition to the economic compensation paid, the Vienna government will also deliver 3 first-class battleships, 2 second-class battleships, and 4 destroyers to the tsarist government within the next five years.

They are all sent from Austria, so naturally we can't be too picky.All the parameters can be omitted. If you want a good product, you need to pay extra.

From the bottom of his heart, Ludwig I did not want these warships.Given the choice, he would prefer to receive cash compensation.

It's a pity that the Vienna government didn't agree, so they just compensated the two ships, don't just give up the compensation automatically.

Putting down the treaty in his hand, Ludwig I asked with concern: "What about the Greek people in the Ottoman Empire? Didn't the Austrians give an answer?"

Foreign Minister Nislav replied bitterly: "The Vienna government has outsourced all the immigration work in the Ottoman territory to the Russians, including the Greeks.

This issue needs to be discussed with the Russians. I have already contacted Russian representatives in Constantinople, but the results are not optimistic.

The Russians asked us to take the people away by ourselves, or else they would arrange the migration uniformly after they had migrated other ethnic groups. "

Don't even think about the resettlement fee. It is impossible to take out the money that has entered the pocket of the tsarist government.

The Greek government was willing to get the people away, and the Russians saved a fortune, otherwise the tsarist government would not have kept the Greeks until the end.

Ludwig I hesitated, without any compensation, to resettle tens of 10 people, which has exceeded the capacity limit of the Greek government.

You know, the population of Greece is just over one million these days, so where can the government go to create hundreds of thousands of jobs?

Prime Minister Cariosio vetoed: "Our compatriots must not be handed over to the Russians. According to the style of the tsarist government, it is unknown whether half of them will reach their destination alive.

It is best to persuade the Vienna government to let them agree to let these compatriots stay in the Asia Minor peninsula. If it is not possible, they can also arrange to go to their overseas colonies. "

This is the impression left by the tsarist government to the outside world. Instead of going to the ice and snow of Siberia, it is better to go to a wild place overseas.

At least Austrian immigrants have rich experience, and the death rate of immigrants at sea is basically controlled within 1 point.

Compared with the Russian immigration method on foot, taking a boat is really comfortable.

There is no way, the Russian railway has not been repaired.The tsarist government was reluctant to take out so many animals to transport immigrants.

In addition to setting up a few necessary supply points along the way, the tsarist government was only responsible for sending troops to "protect" the safety of the immigrants.

It’s nothing more than walking on foot. Immigrants must also carry a week’s worth of food by themselves.

Many places in the Russian Empire are uninhabited. It is unknown whether there are people between the two supply points. Don't expect to get supplies halfway.

If you don't bring enough supplies, if something happens halfway, whether you can survive depends on the integrity of the escorting officials.

Foreign Minister Nislav shook his head: "We have tried to communicate with the Austrians, and they suggested that we divert.

Take some back to the country by yourself, communicate with the Kingdom of Armenia to resettle some, and find a way to let the American countries accept some immigrants.

Out of humanitarian considerations, the Austrians promised to admit some old and weak women and children, but not including diehards.

They suggested that the diehards loyal to the Ottoman Empire should be handed over to the Russians for probation. The tsarist government is professional in this regard. "

Ottoman is a multi-ethnic country, not all ethnic groups are enemies.In fact, in addition to not accepting the most hated part, Austria also accepts minorities.

It's just that the old and the weak, women and children are accepted, and they are not interested in the young and strong labor force that everyone likes.

Ludwig I nodded: "It is acceptable to just abandon some diehards.

pity……"

The conversation stops here, some things can only be done but not said.

The Greek government's involvement in resettlement is not purely for the sake of compatriots, but more because it wants to centralize the resettlement of Greeks in Ottoman territory to enhance their influence.

However, everyone can see this kind of thing, and the Vienna government will naturally not accept this kind of hill and cause trouble for itself.

Chapter 39 Armenia

The internal problems of the anti-Turkish alliance have been resolved, and now there is only the last link left, which is to find a king for the newly independent Armenians.

The Kingdom of Armenia has been destroyed for thousands of years, the former royal family has long since disappeared in the long river of history, and the legal heir does not exist at all.

The sandwich biscuit located between Russia and Austria is doomed to not be too comfortable for this newborn country in the future.

Russia-Austria relations have always been friendly. Once the relationship between the two countries deteriorates, Armenia will be forced to stand in line.

Franz has no interest in such a difficult position.The abandonment of the Habsburg dynasty does not mean that other royal families also gave up.

The most indispensable thing in Europe is the declining royal family, and that’s all for the core members. The prominent status can still enter and leave the upper class. With these resources, you can be a rich man at the end.

The collateral line is miserable. The declining royal family has no extra resources to provide them, so they have to fend for themselves.

If you are lucky, you can still live with an empty title; if you are unlucky, you will directly become a commoner.

These people who have nothing will not give up any opportunity. The successful example of Napoleon III inspires everyone to work hard.

Hot potato?

There is nothing to be afraid of, when one day you are a king, you are also a king.As long as it is recognized by European society, it is a class transition, and it is the kind that reaches the sky in one step.

Since the Habsburg dynasty announced its abandonment, the sequelae of many relatives have been exposed. The Palace of Vienna has become extremely lively, and there are countless people who come to build relationships.

Foreign Minister Weisenberg: "Your Majesty, the Russians want to support Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich as King of Armenia.

The tsarist government has begun to lobby the top Armenians, and they have offered conditions that the Armenians cannot refuse.As long as we do not object, the outcome of the subsequent elections will be doomed. "

Franz smiled slightly and said, "Oh, are the Russians willing to give up the Batumi region?"

(Remarks: Batumi, a port city in southern Georgia today)

The Kingdom of Armenia exists as a buffer between Russia and Austria, and its territory and original time and space have also changed. The current land is like a banana.

It connects Persia to the east and the Black Sea to the west.The territory covers an area of ​​about 3 square kilometers, and the capital is Yerevan.

If this is the case, the Armenians should be considered to have made a lot of money.It's a pity that the Russians are holding on to the sea, and the newly established Kingdom of Armenia is still a landlocked country.

Batumi, a small city in the Caucasus region, is the nearest sea estuary to Armenia, and it is also the area that Armenians most want to obtain.

Weisenberg shook his head: "No, the tsarist government is still reluctant to give up, but Alexander III turned Batumi into the fiefdom of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich.

If the Armenians accept this king, their import and export trade will not be subject to any restrictions, otherwise they will..."

This is a normal operation. With such a good bargaining chip, how could the Russians give up so easily?

Perhaps the Armenians can still borrow from Austria, but unfortunately even to go to the nearest Hopa port, they need to walk a hundred miles more.

From the perspective of later generations, this matter of a few hours away is naturally nothing.But in this era, it means an increase of two days of transportation time.

It doesn't matter once or twice, the loss will be huge if the number is too many.From the beginning, the Russians dug the hole well.

After figuring out the ins and outs, Franz replied indifferently: "Since the Russians are so well prepared, let them be fulfilled."

Armenia's value is not high, and it's not worth too much Austria's effort.The special terrain in the Caucasus region has already been determined innately—it cannot be the main battlefield for Russia and Austria.

It is not impossible to win over the Armenians, the main reason is that the pay and benefits are not proportional. It is better to give it to the Russians and lure the Russians to go south to Persia.

Prime Minister Felix reminded: "Your Majesty, the Russians may not really want to control the Kingdom of Armenia.

Although we have determined the territory of the Kingdom of Armenia, population migration not only takes time, but also requires a lot of money.

From relocation and resettlement to subsequent reconstruction, without tens of millions of Aegis, the Kingdom of Armenia would not have been established at all.

Although the tsarist government has just reached a deal with us, most of the funds have been deducted from debts, and the tsarist government can only get 2000 million Aegis.

For the sake of an Armenian kingdom, half of the proceeds are thrown away. I am afraid that the Russians are not so generous. "

There is nothing wrong with it. The Kingdom of Armenia currently exists only in theory, and the interim government is still on its way to the capital. In essence, the country still has nothing.

Relocation is easy, but resettlement is difficult.Even if all of them are going to farm, the rations, seeds, basic tools, and houses for daily living in the first year must be needed, right?

The war lasted for more than a year, and there was no income for such a long time, and the Armenians' wealth had long been exhausted in the war.

The Armenian uprising army was able to survive in the middle and late stages, relying on Austria to drop supplies to them, otherwise they would have been cold for a long time.

If the Russians want to accept this little brother, they must pay to help establish the Kingdom of Armenia.

It is a pity that not only the tsarist government has no money, but Russian financial institutions also have no money now.

This involved the Russo-Prussian War and the reforms of Alexander II. The old financial institutions stood on the wrong side and were wiped out. The new financial institutions were still in the stage of primitive capital accumulation and did not have extra funds to engage in international loans.

As the saying goes, "take people softly", the tsarist government, which relies on Austrian loans to live, is itself influenced by the Vienna government, let alone small Armenia?

Once the Austrian loan is accepted, the Kingdom of Armenia can only follow the Vienna government, or the financial collapse will happen in minutes.

Franz shook his head: "This is not certain. The funds needed by the Kingdom of Armenia will not be spent immediately.

The Russians can invest in batches, first give 80 million Aegis for emergency, and spend the rest of 40 million Aegis every month.

After this debt reduction, the tsarist government can reduce the debt expenditure of 95 Aegis per month, and three to 40 Aegis per month will be squeezed out.

We'd better encourage the Russians to do it. If it doesn't work, British and French capital can also be introduced. We don't invest unless it is absolutely necessary. "

Not only was the money bag of the Tsarist government dry, but even the money bag of the Vienna government was not rich now. Franz really didn't want to take this kind of loan with uncertain returns.

War is a gold-swallowing beast. For this war, the Austrian government has successively spent nearly 2.6 million Aegis military expenditures. This is still based on the joint dispatch of troops.

Otherwise, there will be hundreds of thousands more military expenditures for the army, and tens of thousands of casualties. Without 4 million Aegis, it is absolutely not enough.

In order to fully occupy the Ottoman Empire, the Vienna government also paid a price, resettlement costs, compensation to allies, if all converted into cash, it would be almost 3 million Aegis.

This is not over yet, what really cost money is the post-war reconstruction.

Because of population migration, the Asia Minor peninsula will be completely uninhabited for a long time to come.

When the Austrian immigrants are in place, the grass will grow and the warbler will fly, and the city will become ruins, the roads will become jungles, and the farmland will become...

According to the plan of the Vienna government, within the next ten years, the government will invest 12 billion Aegis to rebuild the Asia Minor peninsula.

Even on average, that's 1.2 million Aegis per year.

With so much money spent in a short period of time, the purse strings of the Vienna government will naturally dry up.

If it weren't for the fact that Austria's domestic financial market has grown up and has sufficient financing capabilities, Franz would not be able to laugh now.

Of course, compared to other countries, the Vienna government's finances are still loose.

Austria has enough gold production to be able to print money as long as the domestic economy grows.

Sufficient gold reserves + huge economic volume, Aegis is already a world currency, and the Vienna government's annual seigniorage revenue is an astronomical figure.

Let's put it this way, Austria's annual seigniorage revenue is already approaching the Russian fiscal revenue.

Simply calculating the size of the economy, the Russian Empire is one-third of the Austrian mainland, but the difference in funds that the two governments can mobilize is already tens of times.

The advantages of industrial countries over agricultural countries are vividly reflected here. Only Britain in the world can compete with Austria in financial resources.

The amount of money that can be mobilized does not mean that it can be squandered at will.The British with their small land area may be able to, but Austria cannot.

To develop the newly acquired territory, it is bound to squeeze out a lot of funds.With just one billion Aegis invested by the government, it is a dream to develop millions of square kilometers of land.

Government investment is just an introduction. More private capital is needed to develop the Near East.

Of course, the first step is to immigrate.Otherwise, after the railway is completed, there will be no people along the way, and there will be no need to open the train at all, which would be embarrassing.

Domestic capital has gone somewhere, and tasteless Armenia will naturally be thrown out.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Foreign Minister Weisenberg replied

……

Chapter 40 Near East Development 1.0

Undoubtedly, with the support of the government of Vienna, the Armenian throne fell to Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich.

After the news spread, the melon-eating people in Europe started their daily mode, and experts and scholars jumped out to give advice.Before everyone's dispute comes out, the British government is in a hurry.

The political significance behind the seemingly inconspicuous battle for the Armenian throne cannot be ignored.