Holy Roman Empire

"The strong man broke his wrist" did not have any losses in the short term, but all previous efforts were in vain.Moreover, with this lesson learned, it will not be so easy to make up stories in the future.

There is no way, the stock market crash came too fast, and as a major shareholder, he couldn't escape at all.What is even more tragic is that during this stock market crash, Franz missed his own property when he was shorting because of his conscience.

A momentary mistake created eternal hatred.Franz, who had missed hundreds of millions, suddenly found himself a poor man.

After hesitating again and again, Franz said helplessly: "Prince Palace, find someone to carefully screen and reorganize all enterprises that have suffered serious losses and failed to produce results.

The remaining enterprises should also reduce expenses, reduce research funding, and develop profitable sidelines as much as possible.

The royal consortium secretly gave these companies some help within its capacity.In principle, we give priority to helping our domestic companies, and overseas companies should abandon them as soon as they need to.

In addition, they sent people to buy the stocks of high-quality domestic companies from the secondary market one after another.It is not far from the bottom of the valley, and it is time to rebound later. "

The stock market that has squeezed out the bubble is just a chicken feather.Compared with the valuations of tens of times and hundreds of times before the stock market crash, the valuations of several times now seem much more pleasing to the eye.

The strong man broke his wrist and cut off some companies with serious deficits. Franz's heart is bleeding, and he urgently needs to buy some high-quality assets to replenish.

Palace Minister Mira Bellon persuaded: "Your Majesty, we have now reached the end of the economic crisis, and we will suffer huge losses due to large-scale bankruptcy and liquidation.

It's better to let these companies transform. When necessary, the consortium can help them create performance and increase the stock price, and find opportunities to throw it to the successor behind. "

In fact, this is why the consortium likes to play with finance.Not to mention the slowness of doing business by yourself, the key is to suffer heavy losses in the event of an economic crisis.

In contrast, playing finance is much easier. "Economic crisis" not only has "danger", but also "opportunity".

It is a catastrophic crisis for ordinary people and enterprises, but it is a great opportunity for financial consortiums.

When a crisis breaks out, you can go short; after the crisis breaks out, you can buy the bottom;

In the capitalist world, an economic crisis every ten years or so is not only the self-regulation of the market, but also the guys behind the scenes who see the fruit is ripe and want to harvest it.

Otherwise, how could everyone not be aware of such a major economic crisis with such obvious signs before the outbreak?

Franz shook his head: "I think you misunderstood, this economic crisis is not so easy to end. Although the bottom is approaching now, the end is still far away.

According to the most optimistic estimate, the empire will not be able to get out of the Great Depression until next year.As for other countries, it depends on their own circumstances.According to preliminary estimates, it will take at least two years to completely get rid of the crisis.

It will take longer for the market to restore confidence and find a new successor.If we don't shut down these loss-making enterprises, our losses will be even greater if we persist. "

Unlike in the past, this time the economic crisis has been artificially delayed.According to the normal economic development of the capitalist world, there were signs of an economic crisis as early as three years ago, but the initial location was in France.

If it wasn't for the outbreak of the European war, the French would be the first to explode.Perhaps aware of the seriousness of the crisis, the French chose to launch a war before the bubble burst.

While the war shifted the crisis, it also brewed a new crisis.If the European war had just ended and the crisis was allowed to erupt, then a year and a half might have passed.

Regrettably, for their respective interests, the British and Austrian governments took actions to delay the outbreak of the crisis. The bull market was artificially extended for more than a year, the market doubled again, and the bubble was blown to an unparalleled level.

The bigger the bubble, the greater the damage it will bring when it bursts. The Vienna stock market has evaporated by three-quarters directly, and other financial markets are similar, and the lethality brought by it is far beyond the comparison of the previous economic crises.

Hearing this bad news, Mirabegron's expression changed drastically.The Great Depression, which lasted for more than two years, was as destructive as the Great Revolution of 1848.

If the Holy Roman Empire can't take the lead and promote the recovery of the world economy, maybe the Great Revolution of 1848 will reappear in the European continent.

In a sense, the current European world has a better foundation for revolution than it did in 1848.

The wave of unemployment spreading to all countries, the deteriorating economic situation, complex international conflicts, and hatred among European countries are all hotbeds of revolutionary ideas.

The French, who were unwilling to fail, Spain, which was mired in the war in the Philippines, Portugal, where the monarchists and republicans were about to show their brains, and the Italian states, which had just become independent and were not yet stable, all had the basis for revolution.

As the new boss, the Holy Roman Empire, seemingly majestic, has actually reached a crossroads.Once the wave of revolution breaks out on the European continent, the Vienna government will be in big trouble.

In particular, there is also a Britain that is watching secretly and wants to do things; and the tsarist government that seems to have restrained its edge, but is ambitious.

In this context, if the royal consortium doesn't hurry up and cut the flesh, it may not even have the chance to cut the flesh.

……

Chapter No.17 Early Misao Movement

The economic crisis broke out in an all-round way. Not only did Franz dare not make waves, but the British government also did not dare to mess around at this time.

Exporting revolutions to the Continent seemed like a blow to the nascent hegemony of the Holy Roman Empire. The problem was that revolutionary ideas were contagious.

The economy of Europe deteriorated, and Britain's economic situation was not much better.Although it didn't reach the point of a full-scale explosion with a single spark, lighting a fire would definitely make them unable to eat and walk around.

As the world's largest financial empire, Britain is also the world's largest bubble empire.The loss caused by the bursting of the bubble is naturally the biggest.

In this highly financially developed country, more than one-sixth of the British people have engaged in stocks, bonds, and futures investments.In London, aunts who talk about stocks sweeping the streets can tell you for a long time.

If it’s just an ordinary investment, it’s fine. As long as the company has no problems, it’s a big deal to wait for the next bull market to unravel. Anyway, there are many bull markets in London, and they will come every few years.

It's different for those who play with leverage. Many unlucky people have a wave of liquidation.In a stock market crash, sometimes it only takes a few minutes to go from millionaire to millionaire.

The bust of an artificially delayed bull market has been more damaging than ever.According to incomplete statistics, within three months after the stock market crash broke out, the number of suicides in London exceeded 2, and hundreds of thousands of families were on the verge of bankruptcy due to the stock market crash.

Direct wealth evaporation is only a small problem, and what is more serious is that corporate financing has become difficult.Businesses with insufficient cash flow are either struggling on the brink of bankruptcy or already bankrupt.

In order to survive the crisis, companies have laid off employees and cut wages one after another to reduce operating costs.Affected by this, the unemployment rate in Britain has also risen.

If you look at the crowds who march and demonstrate on the streets every day, you will know that the people are quite dissatisfied with the current economic environment.

How to restore the economy has become the biggest problem facing the British government.At such a critical moment, Prime Minister Robert Cecil was naturally in no mood to play with fire.

……

Prime Minister Robert Cecil asked suspiciously: "Vienna wants to mediate the Japanese-Western War with us. Are they going to abandon Spain?"

It's not that he made a fuss, it's really the reason why the Holy Roman Empire didn't give up Spain.

It is true that the Holy Roman Empire was the biggest victim of the economic crisis, but this only refers to the total economic volume.If you look at the corresponding proportion when apportioned to the size of the economy, the situation is completely different.

In this regard, those who play in the industry are definitely better than those who play in finance. No matter how the wealth on paper evaporates, the fixed assets are still the original assets.

Looking at the performance of the Vienna government, we can see that in the recent period, it has also issued a large amount of loans to European countries, and obviously there is still room to spare.

Even if you want to show your favor to Britain, you have other options.There is no need to give up Spain at all. After all, Spain's strategic position is very important and can directly threaten the Strait of Gibraltar.

Foreign Secretary Cameron shook his head: "On the contrary, the Vienna government not only did not abandon Spain, but asked us to stop supporting the Japanese.

According to that old fox of Wesenberg, we are all European countries, and we cannot watch Japanese monkeys stepping on the Spanish throne.This reason is so irrefutable that I almost believed it. "

Believe it or not depends on the interests. In the short term, the Japanese won the Battle of the Philippines, which is obviously more beneficial to Britain.

After a little thought, Robert Cecil said slowly: "No wonder the Spaniards have been so active recently, constantly visiting Liberal Party MPs.

If these restless guys are persuaded by the Spaniard, then we will be in big trouble next.The Ministry of Finance will balance the accounts as soon as possible, and from now on we cannot directly provide funds to the Japanese government. "

The feelings of great Europeanism are not lethal, but the big hat of "wasting taxpayers' money" is full of lethality.Especially in an economic crisis, it is even more powerful.

Don't think too smartly about congressmen. In their eyes, unity of the same party and the fight against differences are always more important than national strategy.

Not to mention the folks, most British people don't know where Japan and the Philippines are. Talking about strategic significance with them is no different from "playing the piano with a cow".

If you switch to confronting the Holy Roman Empire, it is estimated that everyone can barely accept it.But politics often requires subtlety.

However great the threat of the Holy Roman Empire was, and no matter how violent the conflict was secretly between the two countries, Robert Cecil was unwilling to bring the conflict to the surface.

"Showdown" also means "showdown". Unless there is a certainty of victory, or the conflict between the two countries is really unstoppable, no one will choose "showdown".

The reason is very simple. "Showdown" is often accompanied by war synchronization.One can't get to the shore, and the other can't cross the strait. If you do it, it will be a lose-lose ending.

Unable to show their cards, ordinary people are naturally unconvinced by taking the two countries of Japan and the West to top the tank in front.If we guide public opinion a little bit, the situation will be completely different if we put it another way.

For example: the high-level government received bribes from the Japanese before providing funds to the Japanese government.

Not to mention ordinary people, even if Robert Cecil was not in power, he would believe it.For no other reason than it was very British.

Corruption is normal, non-corruption is a problem.Corruption in Britain has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, and it is correct to quote it.No matter where you start to check, you can dig up a large wave of moths.

In order not to stumble on this, Robert Cecil decisively chose Congxin. As for the Japanese, they could only ask for luck.

There seems to be only one word difference between direct support and indirect support, but there is a huge difference in strength.The former can borrow tens of millions of pounds to the Japanese government, but the latter can hardly get it out even if it uses millions of pounds.

Cameron said noncommittally: "Prime Minister, we don't need to be so pessimistic at all. Since the enemy can find a way to start from our country and cut off the source of funding for the Japanese, we can naturally counterattack accordingly.

The Holy Roman Empire is not active, but Spain is full of flaws.The economic crisis and the war came at the same time, and the Spanish people were already overwhelmed by life, and only one spark was needed to detonate it.

Of course, the risk of directly igniting the flames of revolution in Europe is too great, and it may be burned.

But it doesn't matter, the Spanish colony is not peaceful.The leaders of the Cuban Independence Organization are in London. As long as they are sent back to support a batch of weapons and equipment, the Spaniards will be exhausted.

Whether the Japanese persisted longer, or the Spanish were more resilient, depends on who God favors more. "

Politics is so cruel. Britain can give up the Japanese, and Vienna can also give up Spain. Everything is in the interest.

Due to the special geographical location of the Philippine Islands, it has affected the peace and stability of the Southeast Asia region, so the Vienna government will support Spain.

Cuba is different.As good as Cuban sugar and cigars are, it has nothing to do with the Holy Roman Empire.Whether Spain can hold on is their own problem.

……

It will take time for the British to draw their salaries from the bottom of the pot, but the crisis for the Japanese is just around the corner.Without financial support from London, the Tokyo government felt the pressure instantly.

Since the outbreak of the war, the Tokyo government has been living on debt.Although they have tried their best, the government's self-raised funds can still only cover two-thirds of the expenses on the battlefield.

Received the sad news that the British suddenly cut off their loans, although he had been prepared for it, Emperor Meiji still felt restless.

There is no way, being prepared does not mean that you are also financially prepared.The Japanese have never fully believed in the integrity of the British.

As early as the beginning of the economic crisis, the Japanese government was aware of the danger, but the chariot had already started, and it could not be stopped at all if it wanted to.

A chess piece is a chess piece, and from the moment it became a chess piece in the Anglo-Austrian game, the initiative was no longer in the hands of the Japanese government.

Emperor Meiji asked: "What do the British say, can't we cut off our loans for no reason?"

Ito Hirobumi: "The British explained that the risk was too high and did not meet the bank's lending assessment criteria. Unless we can come up with more collateral, the bank syndicate will stop lending.

Last night, I personally went to communicate with the British Minister.The London government has not given up its support for us, but due to political changes, the London government cannot continue to provide us with debt guarantees.

However, the British envoy also brought good news that the good days of the Spaniards will soon come to an end.The situation in Cuba is unstable, and independent organizations are planning an uprising.As long as we get through the most difficult months now, the situation will improve later.

The British suggested that we use the mediation of the Vienna government to make a fuss, strive for a truce with the Spaniards first, and wait for the situation to develop further. "

Regardless of the money from the British government, why it became a bank loan in Japan, these are the characteristics of the times.

Normally, your international loans these days are not usury, and they are hovering on the verge of usury.

Interest-free loans or low-interest loans, even if there are political conditions attached, the beneficiary is not a private commercial bank, why should they be allowed to bear the risk alone and make profit concessions?

The only way to allow commercial banks to undertake this seemingly unreturnable loan is for the government to pay for it, and the government will repay the cost through other income.

The situation is not right now, the London government cannot continue to pay for this, and the bankers will naturally not buy it.

In order to strengthen the determination of the Japanese government to continue the war, the British decisively resorted to the method of painting cakes.Before the Cuban independence movement even started, the British sent it to the Japanese government as good news.

Emperor Meiji frowned and said: "The Cuban independence movement, the British are sure they are not joking? In recent decades, have you heard of any places that have achieved independence?"

It's not that Emperor Meiji looked down on the Cubans. The point is that this is the peak period of the colonial empire, and there is no sign of the wave of colonial independence movements.

The Cuban independence movement has lasted for decades. At first, the Americans supported it. After the division of the United States, the Cuban independence movement lost its supporters and entered a trough.Now that the British suddenly throw out the Cuban independence movement, it is really not very convincing.

Kuroda Kiyotaka replied: "Your Majesty, the success of the Cuban independence movement has little to do with us for the time being. Whether they succeed or fail, it will not affect the Philippine campaign in a short time.

In fact, it is no longer the Spanish army that is fighting us on the Philippine Islands, otherwise we would not be so passive.

Even if the Cuban uprising breaks out, it is impossible for the Spaniards to transfer Filipino mercenaries to quell the chaos, and the enemies we need to face will not be weakened because of this.

The only effect of the Cuban uprising was to consume the financial resources of the Spaniards.As an old-fashioned colonial empire, no one knows how strong the family is. Anyway, it must beat us in terms of financial resources.

Rather than counting on the Cuban independence movement, it is better to expect a more severe economic crisis, and it is best to let a revolution break out in Spain.

It's a pity that a compromise has been reached within the Spanish royal family. The Carlos faction who inherited the French throne cannot continue to fight for the Spanish throne.

Expecting Spain to have problems is only a small probability event. As the British said, the only thing we can use in a short period of time is the mediation proposed by Vienna.

The problem was that the government in Vienna had always supported the Spaniards, and probably would have supported them even with mediation.If you want to use mediation to delay time and wait for the situation to improve, I'm afraid..."

Originally wanted to say "truce", but after considering the domestic political situation, Kuroda Kiyotaka had to swallow it back.

It wasn't Kiyotaka Kuroda's counsel, but the sudden retreat of the British made him lose confidence in winning the war.

Looking at the situation on the battlefield, we can see that the expeditionary fleet that severely damaged Spain was supplemented by the Vienna government in a short time; the Spanish army was defeated, and a group of French mercenaries came soon after.

If it continues like this, maybe at some point the Vienna government will tear off its disguise and come to help in person.

The support given by the enemy's backstage was beyond imagination, and besides selling arms and providing loans, their own backstage only had to cheer.

Even the cheering is not enough. Only the British family supports the Japanese government politically, while Spain has the support of more than a dozen European countries, which is not at the same level at all.

Now even the loan is not given, which makes Kiyotaka Kuroda, who was originally opposed to going south, completely wiped out the hope of winning the war.

……

The imperial meeting is still going on, but the situation in Tokyo has changed one step ahead.No matter how many "victory news" the government announces, the continuous war cannot deceive people.

Although the Tokyo government has tried its best to block the news from the front line, it is still not covered in paper.The embassies of various countries are not obliged to keep them secret, and the ships traveling to and from Japan are also not obliged to keep them secret.