Chapter 722

Vienna Palace. Franz was very interested in the Tsarist government's smuggling proposal.

It would be a waste not to take the money that was delivered to his doorstep. Although most of the money was borrowed from his own family, every additional Aegis he earned now meant one less Aegis he would lose in the future.

If he wanted the Russians to "honor their debt," the Tsarist government had to be rich. Not to mention the Russo-Japanese War, the key was the revolutionary wave brewing in the country.

Because of the decrease in population, the current social conflicts in the Russian Empire were slightly eased compared to the original time and space.

However, this easing was limited to the traditional ruling areas. For example, the newly occupied Poland, Bulgaria, Afghanistan, and several Khaganates in Central Asia were not peaceful for a day.

Nicholas II inherited a huge mess. For a long time, the rule of the Russians in these areas was based on the traditional feudal model, using pure force to suppress the resistance of the local people.

If it was a hundred years ago, this kind of rule would not be a problem. After a long time, people would gradually get used to it.

In this regard, the Tsarist government also had rich experience. The vast territory of the Russian Empire came from this way.

Unfortunately, now that it was the 20th century, nationalism was sweeping the world, and the traditional feudal model of governance was increasingly unable to keep up with the pace of the times.

If the Russians could win the Russo-Japanese War, then it would be fine. Victory could suppress the domestic social conflicts, but if they were defeated, then it would be hard to say.

Especially since there was a mastermind behind the scenes controlling the situation, constantly leading the Russian Empire into a pit, as if they were afraid that they could not fall into it.

Well, how deep the pit that he dug himself was, Franz knew best.

Even if the Tsarist government could escape, they would inevitably lose a layer of skin. Other sequelae were not certain for the time being, but the government would definitely go bankrupt.

If they were destined to lose money, then they had to find a way to reduce the losses. As for the "smuggling trade" that would offend the Japanese, it was not a problem at all.

It was not like they had never offended them before. As early as the Philippines War, Shinra had already offended the Japanese when they tried to side with Spain. Now, they just offended them even more.

In this regard, Franz had to admire the Meiji government. In the truest sense, they were able to "adapt to circumstances" to the fullest.

She was obviously gnashing her teeth in hatred, but she forced herself to endure it. Not only did they keep a low profile on the surface, but they also didn't retaliate in secret.

The Japanese government was very disciplined, so much so that Emperor Franz, who wanted to find trouble with them, was a little embarrassed to do so.

In fact, the Shinra Navy also had an actual combat training plan. The main reason was that everyone was unsure if they were to start a war with Britain. They wanted to find a weaker enemy to practice on and boost their confidence.

Unfortunately, Holy Empire just so happened to lack such an enemy.

Except for the time when they beat the Kingdom of Sardinia and later when they attacked the Ottoman Empire, the Marines were only there for the rest of the time.

The war on the European continent was a good opportunity for them. Shinra 'World Navy's Pacific Navy' strong. was. was to fight against them. Navy's. to.

Navy 'decision. Training was not the same as seeking death. The strength of the Fao Navy was very close, and the decisive battle would only benefit the British.

Then, there was no then. In recent years, the Holy Roman Empire fully fulfilled Franz's "peace-loving" diplomatic declaration.

Not only did they not start a war, but they also mediated international conflicts many times and made important contributions to maintaining world peace.

The Navy wanted to find an opportunity to prove themselves, and Franz also supported it. The problem was that except for the British Empire, no other country was willing to accept the challenge.

For example: Japan.

The European World War had just ended. Under Franz's instructions, the Government of Vienna immediately intervened in the Philippines Campaign and clearly took sides.

They even told the Government of Japan that they had just finished the European War and were now at their weakest. It was impossible to fight for Spain.

Unfortunately, the Government of Japan did not fall for it and understood the "slang." It was a fact that they could not fight for Spain, but it did not mean that Shinra had no ability to interfere.

If they did not give face, they could still beat them up in front of their home in Nanyang.

The smart Meiji Government not only gritted their teeth and accepted the conditions of the European Union, but even the retaliation was directed at Spain. It had nothing to do with Shinra.

The Vienna Peace Conference had just ended. Franz personally led the development of international rules. They could not slap themselves in the face!

Then the Anglo-Japanese Alliance was established. If they wanted to find trouble with the Japanese, there would be no chance.

Not only Japan, but other countries were also like this. All of them were slippery and did not give the Government of Vienna enough evidence to start a war.

Franz had always believed that face should be given to each other. Since other countries gave face to Shinra, then the Government of Vienna must also give face.

The only country that refused to give face was Britannia. The Shinra Navy could not win against them, so the actual combat training plan was naturally aborted.

In the end, the Shinra Navy could only choose to calm down and practice internal energy. It was not until the Navy's technological revolution broke out and the cards were reshuffled that they reached out to Britain's maritime hegemony.

Now that they were helping the Russians smuggle, it was naturally not just to make money, and it was also not to help their ally.

If it was purely to help their ally, then the Government of Vienna would not support the Russians while selling arms to the Government of Japan.

Although the Government of Vienna had imposed an arms embargo on Japan, more than 90% of the international army weapons and ammunition trade came from the Holy Roman Empire.

Except for a few countries that had achieved domestication of weapons and equipment, the rest of the countries' army equipment was almost all occupied by "Arcane Equipment."

Even if it had not been occupied yet, it was halfway to being occupied. The proportion of Arcane Equipment in the Japanese Army was also getting higher and higher.

There was no other way. Their only competitor, France, was finished. The countries that originally purchased magical equipment all wanted to cry but had no tears.

The decree of the anti-French alliance directly destroyed all of France's military industry. The relevant machinery and equipment were all dismantled and smashed by the Allied Forces.

Not to mention the replacement of spare parts and after-sales service, even the ammunition was used less and less. There was no way to replenish it.

The weapons on hand had truly become fire sticks, and it was difficult not to replace them on a large scale.

As the army of various countries upgraded their equipment, the "Arcane" weapons and equipment, which were already mainstream in the market, quickly defeated many competitors and became the only mainstream equipment in the world.

Today, "Arcane Equipment" could be seen in the army of any country in the world. Even the British lobster soldiers were no exception.

The reason why "mainstream equipment" was called mainstream was not only because the weapons and equipment were cost-effective and had a wide range of applications, but more importantly, it was easy to maintain and purchase ammunition.

In any industry, once a large-scale integration effect was formed, it would be very difficult for latecomers to stand out.

Even if a country suddenly came up with a more advanced weapon, it wouldn't change the overall situation.

Weapons and equipment also had to be matched. Only the most suitable was the best, not the most advanced was the best.

The two countries sold firearms to make money together, and it was obvious that they wanted both Japan and Russia to suffer losses so that they could reap huge profits.

This was almost an open secret in the international community. The senior officials of various countries basically knew about it, including the Tsarist government.

Knowing was one thing, but when they needed support, the first thing the Russians thought of was their "good ally."

There were no simple creatures in politics. Everyone was a person who would do anything without benefits. The Russians wouldn't believe that the Government of Vienna didn't have a plan.

Compared to those hidden tricks, the Russians preferred this kind of "profiteering" in the light.

After all, the Tsarist government borrowed most of its money from Shinra. If the Government of Vienna wanted to collect the debt, it couldn't watch them lose.

Most of the time, there was no problem with this judgment. When the debt reached a certain level, it became "the one who owes the debt is the boss."

As long as the Government of Vienna didn't want the Russians to default on their debt and cause turbulence in the domestic financial market, or even a financial crisis, then they must help them.

Unfortunately, this time was an exception. The Russians met Franz, a freak from the "credit currency era," who didn't take the money they lent seriously.

Compared with the financial policies of the central banks of later generations, the debt of the Russians was really not a big deal.

As long as the British were defeated, the Shield's position as the international currency hegemon was established. Even if the Russians defaulted on their debt and caused a financial crisis, they could learn from the Americans and share the losses.

…

Looking at the price marked on the document, Franz said with satisfaction, "Tell the Russians that as a country that advocates free trade, the Holy Roman Empire opposes all actions that undermine free trade.

No individual, organization, or government has the right to interfere with the trade between the Empire and the Empire of the Far East. Naturally, the Japanese are no exception.

By the way, has the transportation channel been opened? Don't ruin our reputation if we can't carry out the transaction on time after the agreement is reached. "

"Smuggling" didn't exist. As the world's hegemon, the Government of Vienna had always been the most law-abiding.

Therefore, "arms trade" also didn't exist. There was only ordinary commercial trade between the Holy Roman Empire and the Empire of the Far East, which had nothing to do with the ongoing Russo-Japanese War.

As for why ordinary goods eventually became weapons and equipment, or various kinds of strategic materials, they would have to ask God.

If anyone was curious about this issue, they could ask God themselves. The Government of Vienna could even help reimburse the travel expenses.

Compared to the "curiosity" that might arise from the outside world, Franz was more concerned about the transportation. The consumption of strategic materials for hundreds of thousands of troops was not a small number.

If it was within the Holy Roman Empire, these materials could be easily transported by ship or train.

If they were in a hurry, the domestic cargo airships could also solve the urgent need.

But in the Empire of the Far East, it was completely different. It was obviously unrealistic to directly send the goods to the war zone.

The coastal areas were in the hands of the Japanese Army. Even if the Russian Army still controlled several fortresses, they didn't have the ability to break through the Japanese blockade and transport the materials back.

In order to ensure the safety of the materials, it was necessary to take a detour. The Empire of the Far East only had a small number of roads and railways. Most of them still relied on primitive human and animal power.

All the way to the destination, the distance was probably no shorter than from Moscow to the Far East. The only advantage was that the climate and environment were relatively good, unlike Siberia, which would take a year and a half to travel.

Frederick The Great smiled and said, "Don't worry, father. The arms dealers are much more active than us. As soon as the Russo-Japanese War broke out, they began to mobilize strategic materials to the Empire of the Far East.

The government is just mediating and helping to get through the official links, which is not difficult to do.

Both Japan and Russia are the main forces invading the Empire of the Far East. There are many people who hate the two countries, including senior government officials.

They don't dare to do anything on the surface, but they are willing to cause trouble for Japan and Russia in secret.

At present, we have already established a relationship with the local power, and with our high freight, the local people are very cooperative.

The earliest materials have already entered the prairie. It is estimated that in another month or so, they can be handed over to the Russian people.

Although these materials are not much, they can solve the urgent needs of the Russian Army. We will transfer the part of the order from the nearby Nanyang region, and it can be delivered in half a year at most. "

Interests move people's hearts. Where there is war, there will be arms dealers. There is no need for the government to specially organize, just the huge profits of the arms trade will have a continuous stream of people joining.

In the judgment and estimation of the war, arms dealers are the most sensitive group of people. Franz even suspected that when the Russian Embassy incident happened, arms dealers have already begun to prepare.

Of course, early preparation can seize the opportunity and seize the biggest cake, but risks and benefits coexist. If the judgment is wrong and the war doesn't break out, it will be a tragedy.

In every era, there are arms dealers who make a lot of money, and there are also arms dealers who lose money. If there is a ranking of the top ten high-risk industries, arms dealers are definitely on the list.

Although the agreement was reached by the Government of Vienna and the Russians, the government is concerned about their reputation, and it is impossible for them to do the smuggling themselves.

The specific transaction operation is naturally done by the "scapegoat" arms dealers. Anyway, the reputation of arms dealers is stinking, and it doesn't matter if they add more to it.

After nodding with satisfaction, Franz suddenly added, "I heard that the military discipline of the Russian Army is very bad, and the relationship with the local residents is very bad. This is very dangerous.

Let the Ministry of Foreign Affairs come out and warn the Tsarist government that if they want to win the war and need the cooperation of the local people, then they must properly restrain the military discipline.

If they can't do it, this agreement can be nullified now. We also have no way to send the supplies to the local people when they resist.

This is what I said, there is no need to avoid it, just directly convey it. "

As for the specific effect, Franz wasn't sure. Anyway, it is better to have restrictions than no restrictions.

What's more, he as the emperor personally came out to warn, no matter how big the Tsarist government is, they can't ignore it.

He didn't understand why Franz was so cautious, but Frederick The Great still chose to listen. After being a regent for a long time, he is no longer the teenager who asks why when something happens.

Countless experiences told him that if you don't understand why, it is very likely that the "why" is the literal meaning.

Frederick The Great also experienced it personally. Many times, an ordinary government decree can be interpreted by a group of people under the government into a series of meanings.

If you want to criticize, they are leading in a positive direction. Not only is it not harmful, but it also has a positive social significance.

At first, Frederick The Great was a little uncomfortable, but slowly, as time passed, he got used to it.

In his view, Franz's warning to the Tsarist government now either means that the Russian Army has really gone too far and has affected the war, or he simply can't stand it and wants to change the situation.

Both results are possible, and neither is reliable. If you really want to help the Russians win the war, the simplest and most effective way is to pull the European Union together and impose a material embargo on Japan.

Just like during the Philippine War, in order to force the Government of Japan to withdraw from the Southeast Asia region, the Government of Vienna led the European countries to impose a material embargo on Japan.

Needless to say, those who are full of compassion can't become the emperor.

For specific examples, you can refer to his uncle, who was too compassionate and idealistic, so he was driven back from Mexico.

This is also because the family is powerful, the intervention army appeared, and deterred the local power. Otherwise, he might not even be able to walk out of Mexico alive.

The entire House of Habsburg does not have a good impression of this unlucky uncle who lost the throne, and Frederick The Great is no exception.

It is not because of "flattering the strong and trampling on the weak." He is already at the top of the food chain, and there is no need to do these meaningless things.

The main reason is that in order to raise funds for the restoration of Mexico, Maximilian I Of Castile has been "asking for alms" from them over the years.

When he was young, after hearing about his uncle's tragic experience, Frederick had also been generous with his uncle's money.

Not only did he donate all the pocket money he saved over the years, but he also volunteered to help raise funds.

For the glory of the family, Frederick The Great will not be stingy with his pocket money.

He does not expect anything in return, the key is to see the actual results after spending the money!

Anyone would feel resentful after investing for so many years without any results. After a long time, everyone's good impression of Maximilian I Of Castile naturally disappeared.