Holy Roman Empire

If you can't afford it, you can't afford it, and if you go bankrupt, you go bankrupt. There are so many bankruptcies of local governments in continental Europe these days.No matter how much you play football, you will not be able to hit the central government.

……

The Prussian debt crisis was just a small episode. The economic crisis swept across the world. The European people are now very anxious.

Even if there are newspapers published, it can't stand that everyone has no money in their pockets to order newspapers.In the overwhelming wave of unemployment, people are now most concerned about the job advertisements.

Take the Holy Roman Empire as an example. After the economic crisis broke out, the unemployment rate in the country directly increased by five times, and there are signs of further expansion.

This is still a good situation, after all, the Shenluo Empire has an African continent where it can vent its pressure.Before the economic crisis broke out, the unemployment rate in the country was already very low.

Like previous economies, after the outbreak of the economic crisis this time, the colonial government and aristocratic lords still came to the mainland to attract people.

Just look at the newspapers and you will know that there are overwhelming job advertisements, all of whom are going to work in the colonies.

That's right, it means "going to work". After so many years of immigration, people who want to immigrate and leave have long gone. The rest are those who don't want to leave their hometown, or cannot leave their hometown for some reason.

In order to keep pace with the times, the current solicitation advertisements do not directly ask for immigration.It is only required to sign a long-term labor contract, and it is enough to work for 5 or 10 years in the past.

After all, time is the best catalyst.After five or ten years in the colony, even if you want to leave, you have to think twice.

No way - treatment.The aristocratic lords these days are all "good people". Not only do they offer high salaries, but the key is that they are also very "loving" and willing to help their subordinates when they encounter problems.

I especially like the fact that my subordinates bring their families with them. Not only are they willing to provide free housing, but they can also guarantee resettlement work, and even the education of children is also solved.

They are really "loving". You can see from the Imperial Orphanage that most of them have been abandoned, and the few remaining ones have only some children with disabilities. All orphans with healthy limbs are adopted by these "caring" people. up.

Even some time ago, the problem of orphans and refugees on the border that troubled the Vienna government was solved by these "caring" people.

After the outbreak of the economic crisis, the scope of activities of "caring" people has expanded from the empire to the entire European continent.With them, we no longer have to worry about having too many children and not being able to support them.

In a sense, this is also one of the bright spots in this economic crisis. Fewer people starved to death than before.If you are hungry, you can go to these "loving" people.

Of course, not everyone wants it. "Caring" people are very tolerant to children, but the review of adults is still very strict.

Don't want street gangsters, don't have a criminal record, don't want people with evil intentions, don't want people who have a lot of resentment towards the society, hate...

None of these requirements have anything to do with Ives. As a good-natured young man, if he is willing to work in the colonies, there are at least hundreds of employers to choose from.

That's right, choose your employer.Almost all the feudal nobles of the Holy Roman Empire are short of people. In order to increase the labor force, everyone has tried their best.

If it weren't for worrying about the language barrier, which is not conducive to the management of the territory, it is estimated that everyone would go abroad to snatch people.

In fact, intermediary companies specializing in providing immigration for feudal nobles have been born long ago.If you can't attract people locally, go abroad to find a way.

It doesn't matter if you don't understand the language, they can provide training; the eating habits are different, and you are all hungry, so why are you picky?

Even labor skills and obedience can be trained.Immigrants trained by some intermediary companies can even do what they are asked to do.

The only problem is that the cost of immigration from this kind of training is too high.Most of the nobles can't afford this kind of high-standard service. In order to save costs, everyone would rather recruit people by themselves.

An honest local young man like Ives happens to be the most popular talent, so naturally he doesn't have to worry about work.

The problem is that Ives doesn't want to leave his hometown, he just wants to find a job locally that can support his family.Unfortunately, not really.

If it was before the economic crisis broke out, it would be no problem to find an ordinary job in the local area.

It's a pity that it's a time of economic crisis, and it's too late for most companies and factories to lay off workers. Who would not figure out how to recruit people at this time?

After searching through today's newspapers, Ives finally found a job offer from a local company in a small corner.

Before he had time to be happy, Ives' face suddenly collapsed.No way, the above recruitment requirements are too high.

Not only did he require a high school education, but he also required professional work experience, which happened to be something he didn't have.

Chapter 14 A World in Chaos

It was another day of returning in vain, and Ives's heart became more and more heavy.With no income for more than five months, his poor wallet is about to bottom out.

Reaching out to his parents, not to mention whether he can let go of his poor self-esteem, the problem is that Ives' parents are just ordinary people. The grandparents above need to help, and there are younger siblings to support.

Now that we are catching up with the wave of layoffs and salary cuts, everyone wants to spend one dollar in half. The savings in the past are the last guarantee to survive the crisis.No one will use it until the end of the mountain.

The old Ives, who couldn't eat it, returned to the rental house and stared blankly at the world map on the wall in a daze.

The map was left by the landlord. It is said that it was given by the merchant to celebrate the victory of the European War.Frankly speaking, judging from the map, the Holy Roman Empire is indeed domineering.

Excluding the areas where humans cannot live, the Holy Roman Empire has occupied nearly a quarter of the land and one-twentieth of the ocean. It is one of the only world empires in the world today.

Ives was also passionate, fantasizing about fighting on the battlefield with gold and iron horses, and finally returning home to become a distinguished nobleman.

Unfortunately, he was born at the wrong time.When Yves enlisted in the army to serve in the army, just in time for the end of the European War, the French surrendered before the training of recruits was completed.

Not to mention military exploits, he didn't even have a chance to go to the battlefield.I completed the last few months of military service smoothly, and then I was discharged and went home to find a job.

It doesn't matter if the aristocratic dream is broken.The probability of ordinary people becoming aristocrats is not high, and those who can stand out are "possessed by the European Emperor". Even if the vast majority of people encounter opportunities, they end up with a farm.

Ives wasn't envious at all, really really wasn't.As long as he worked hard, he would have a chance to buy a farm in his lifetime.

Under the beatings of the society, Ives felt that it would be good to be a great engineer. After all, he got full marks in the mechanical operation class when he was in school.With a dream in mind, he came to this strange city with his retirement fee.

I originally thought that a talent like him could easily enter a large company with good remuneration, and then quickly be appreciated by "Bole", and then get the key training of the company, and finally become a great engineer.

Facts have proved that this is entirely his own overthinking.The job hunting career has just begun, and the economic crisis has already arrived.

Under the background of companies laying off employees one after another, not to mention entering a large company with good treatment, Ives didn't even get the job of washing dishes in a street restaurant.

Overseas, what a distant place that is.Although airplanes have appeared, they are only used in the military, and most of the civilians are flying clubs.

If you want to fly between Africa and the mainland, there is no problem in theory, but it is not realistic at all in practice.Regardless of safety, the high operating costs alone make airlines daunting.

At present, all airlines in the Holy Roman Empire are based on airships, mainly undertaking short- and medium-distance express freight.Passenger transportation is also available, but the price is not affordable by ordinary people.

According to the normal rhythm, it takes a month at the fastest to go back and forth from the mainland to the African continent by boat, and it may take half a year for a single trip in some remote areas.

Needless to say, the Southeast Asia and the Americas are farther away.It can be as fast as a few months, or as slow as a year and a half.

With such a long journey, the cost is naturally expensive.After many people left their hometowns, they did not return to their hometowns for more than ten years.It's not that they don't want to go home and have a look, the problem is that the cost of a round trip is a year's income.

Ordinary people can't afford such a toss, especially if they have a small family. In order to let the family live a better life, everyone has to let go of their homesickness.

After many immigrants leave the country, they will only take their whole family back to their hometown in their later years.There is no way, only at that time will it be possible to make up for free family leave.

The five-year family leave promised by the colonial government or the employer is only for the employee himself, and is limited to one person.If you want to bring family members, you must either accumulate the number of family visits or pay for them yourself.

It's not that you can't give better conditions, the problem is that you leave with the whole family, and people are worried that you will never return!

Except for the outstanding ones who can return several times, when ordinary people return to their hometowns, it is already "children who don't know each other, laughing and asking where they come from".The childhood hometown, the good memories are no longer there.

Looking at his nearly dry wallet, Ives knew that if he couldn't find a job again, he would have to compromise with his life.

Maybe there is a better life overseas, but the taste of home is never found again.Once you step out, your relatives and friends will become passers-by in your life.

That night, Ives suffered from insomnia.Along with him, there are tens of thousands of unemployed troops who suffer from insomnia. Whether to go out to make a living has become another choice in their life.

……

The economic crisis is raging, not only is life difficult for the people, but also for the governments of various countries.

The bankruptcy of the Prussian government was just the beginning. In May, the governments of Modena, Parma, and the Two Sicilies also went bankrupt. In June, the governments of Sardinia, Lucca, and Tuscany couldn't hold on anymore and joined the bankruptcy in the tide.

In the entire Italian region, only the Pope's family is struggling to support it.After all, it is a religious country, with donations from believers, the situation of the Papal State is still better than that of its neighbors.

But that is only better. If the economic crisis continues and the believers have no money to donate, the Papal State may also join the wave of bankruptcy.

The collapse of the Italian region is just the beginning.As far as Franz knows, the four governments of Belgium, Spain, Portugal, and Switzerland that are still insisting are also struggling.

Because Belgium suffered heavy losses in the war, the reconstruction work was only halfway through, and it encountered an economic crisis. It is not bad to be able to persist until now.

Switzerland is struggling to survive. In order to build up the newly acquired territory, the poor Swiss government borrowed heavily in the financial market.

Now that it's raining, the banks have suddenly taken away their umbrellas, and the financial problems are suddenly exposed, and the Swiss government is also in a dilemma.If the project is unfinished, the initial investment will be wasted; if it continues, the government's finances will not be able to support it.

As for Portugal, it's the huskies who got in by mistake.The republicans and monarchists in the country are having so much fun that no one cares about economic construction.

Unlike other colonial countries, Portugal's colonies were losing money, and they were losing money for many years in a row.

Don't ask why they lost money, they lost money anyway.And it still loses more and more. Interestingly, the more loss-making colonies, the more reluctant the Portuguese are to give up.

Even if someone pays a high price for this "inferior" asset, they still insist on holding it.As long as you know the reason, there is no need to say it.

In short, in the face of rising colonial expenses, Portugal has become more and more weak.In order to maintain the colonial empire, the Portuguese owed huge foreign debts, and the high debts had already weighed down this small European country.

Spain was originally the wealthiest of these countries. Unfortunately, a Philippine war not only emptied the treasury of the Spaniards, but also tore through their "great powers" disguise.

Although the Philippine war is still going on, Spain has not been defeated, but the strength they have shown is really difficult to hook up with the great powers.

If it hadn't been for Vienna's repeated side-tracking, Spain would have collapsed long ago.Now it is not so much that Spain is at war with the Japanese, it is better to say that Shinra is adding to the Japanese.

Looking at the situation on the battlefield, we can see that the Spanish fleet, which suffered heavy losses, not only completed the replenishment, but even added a capital ship.

Needless to say the army, now the main force on the battlefield has become mercenaries, and the ones who are fighting the Japanese are the former elite of the French army.

You can tell by looking at the record. Originally, the exchange ratio between the two countries was 1:1.4, but now it has directly risen to 1:2.7, which is a qualitative breakthrough.

The Spanish Expeditionary Force, which had been beaten to shame by the Japanese army, has now gradually taken the initiative.Although victory is still nowhere in sight, at least it is developing on the favorable side.

In contrast, the Japanese, who are also impoverished from the empire, are now much miserable.With the support of the British, the navy is naturally not a problem, but the army has nothing to do!

The British can find a way to solve the gap in weapons and equipment, but it will take a long time to wait; the problem of soldier training can only be solved by the Japanese themselves.

Originally they learned from the French, and now there is a master-apprentice battle happening in the Philippines.Originally, the Japanese army would not suffer such a big loss. The key is the trouble caused by the expansion of the army.

Not every country has the ability to maintain hundreds of thousands of standing troops in peacetime. Japan has only a few army standing divisions, which add up to 10,000+ people.

After the outbreak of the Philippine War, it quickly expanded to more than 80, a five-fold increase.Whether it is officers or veterans, they are all in short supply.

Even if it is made up for by bushido thinking, the professional quality has not been improved.You can tell by looking at the hit rate of the soldiers. Even the Spanish Army beat them when they were shooting each other on the battlefield, let alone the French elite.

Their only advantage lies in their courage, and they are unambiguous in their lives.It's a pity that Japan is so poor these days. The environment in which soldiers lived since they were young limits their growth. Many soldiers are sallow and thin, and they can't keep up with nutrition at a glance.

If the nutrition is not up to date, the physical fitness will naturally not be able to keep up.Originally, in terms of physical fitness, Asians were inherently slightly inferior to Europeans, but now the gap is even more obvious.

If there were no jungles to use, no matter how brave the Japanese army was, they would not be able to survive now.However, the jungle is not a panacea, and if the enemy does not come in, they will not break.

Unlike the Spanish army, mercenaries came to fight for money.Everyone's morale is bursting when they see the city, and they push back when they encounter the jungle.

Then, an interesting scene appeared.With the help of 10,000+ mercenaries, the Spanish expeditionary force successfully captured many cities in the Philippine Islands, but the jungle became their forbidden area.

Mercenaries were unwilling to fight where there was no oil and water, and the Spanish army was taught a lesson, and they were also unwilling to enter the jungle to suffer.

The Japanese army who made an ambush ahead of time was feeding mosquitoes in the jungle in vain.As a last resort, the Japanese army could only play guerrilla warfare, emerging from the jungle from time to time to carry out attacks and obtain supplies from the enemy.

If the situation does not change, it is estimated that after another year or so, the expeditionary force will be able to take down all the important towns in the Philippine Islands, and the Japanese troops occupying the vast jungle will really become guerrillas.

Obviously, this is not something the Japanese government can tolerate.In order to win the war, they have wooed the locals and formed a solid "anti-white alliance".

It's just that during the Spanish rule, conflicts among the indigenous tribes were deliberately provoked, and now there are many hidden dangers within the big alliance.Many people suffer from deep white phobia, and it is okay to help wave the flag, but it is still far away to expect them to contribute to the war.

For the Japanese government, the military troubles are just a small problem, as long as they are willing to die, everything is not a problem. The loss now is just that they do not understand the rules of the game in Europe.

I didn't know that the Spaniards would use mercenaries as the main force, and they were caught off guard.As long as you let this breath go, the situation will improve later.

Financial troubles, by contrast, are the real troubles.The Japanese government, which has never been rich, has long exceeded its financial limits by maintaining a large navy and a large army.

Although the Japanese army made a lot of money in the Philippine Islands, most of the wealth went into the pockets of individuals, and the government got only a small part.This part of the spoils alone is obviously not enough for war funds.

You can still borrow foreign debts in normal times, but you don't have to think about it now.During the economic crisis, cash is king, and banking consortiums are tightening their monetary policy, so they will not lend money easily.

There is no need to think about issuing bonds. Unemployment is rolling in. Ordinary people rely on the funds on hand to survive the crisis. Who has spare money to buy bonds?

"British support", just listen to it.Not everyone is the stubborn Louis XVI. The matter of selling blood to aid the United States only happened once in history.It is impossible to want the support of the British at any cost.

What's more, the London government is now overwhelmed.Economic crises are breaking out all over the world, and Britain, the world's second largest economy, is no exception.

Perhaps because the financial industry is too developed, along with the economic crisis, Britain also experienced a financial crisis.

Of course, war is not all bad.At least this war allowed the Japanese government to survive the economic crisis. Compared with the Great Depression in the European world, Japan's domestic economy is still "thriving" except that the smell of gunpowder is a bit heavier.

……

Chapter 15 Losing Money Trading

If Europe is in trouble, America will naturally not be able to escape.With the vigorous development of international trade, the economic ties between countries are becoming increasingly close.

After the economic crisis broke out, not only the downstream manufacturing and retail industries suffered heavy losses, but also the intermediate wholesalers and upstream raw material suppliers could not escape.

Then, Argentina's beef and soybeans were hard to sell, Chile's copper mines and saltpeter were unsalable, and the cotton fields in the Confederate States were rotten. Naturally, the United States of America, which had gone the farthest on the road to industrialization, suffered the most.

No way, as soon as the economic crisis broke out, big dumping came.In this regard, the interests of Britain and Austria are consistent, and it can also be regarded as the common will of European countries. After the split, the Americans have no confidence to refuse.

Not only was the market hit, but the most tragic thing was that British capital withdrew its investment in the United States at a critical time in order to cope with the domestic crisis.

Strikes, unemployment and a surge of populism spread like wildfire.In particular, the "Free Silver" movement in 1892 exacerbated the crisis.