Holy Roman Empire

Chapter 823 - 86, Chain Reaction

It was undeniable that Mao Xiong possessed a daunting deterrent power; even a minor action could trigger panic across the European world, causing many to fear another disruption in international relations.

Whether it was acquiring warships or expanding in Central Asia, it proclaimed to the world: the formidable Russian Empire had returned.

The Russians intended to make subtle moves in Central Asia, and Britain was the first to be impacted. Leading was no easy task, and it was necessary to step forward when needed.

Compared to before, Prime Minister Gladstone now had much more confidence, the reason being quite simple: his pockets were now full.

In this anti-Jewish movement, the British Government also reaped substantial benefits, managing to clear a third of its longstanding debts, which significantly relieved the government’s financial burdens.

With money available, it ought to be spent, for only then could it translate into political achievements.

Unless unexpected, any qualified British Prime Minister would leave debts to his successor.

Gladstone was no exception, hence he immediately approved the "Food Self-Sufficiency Plan" after prospering.

To enhance the competitiveness of domestic agricultural products, Prime Minister Gladstone also submitted the "Grain Farming Subsidy Bill" to Parliament.

This meant: by distributing cash, seeds, and fertilizers, the government encouraged people to invest in farms in the colonies.

The bill was still under discussion in Parliament, but once passed, the British Government could bypass the free trade system, support its agriculture to achieve food self-sufficiency, and reduce its dependency on grain-producing countries like Russia and Austria.

Gladstone dared to propose such a plan for good reasons.

The "food self-sufficiency" was just a smokescreen publicized; the real reason was the "Divine Shield—Gold System" undermining the "British Pound—Gold System."

The British mainland was small in area and, apart from coal and iron ore, mostly depended on imports for natural resources.

Consequently, Britain was mostly in a state of trade deficit. For a world leader, this was a minor issue solved simply by printing more money.

Unfortunately, Britain’s status as a world leader was not stable, facing challenges from the Russia, France, and Austria alliance, especially from Austria now, as the Divine Shield—Gold System had threatened their monetary supremacy.

In the past, there was no choice. The British Government had to hold a large amount of pounds due to insufficient gold reserves, and printing a little extra currency caused no significant harm.

Now, however, under the impact of the Divine Shield, to stabilize the value of the pound, the London Government dared not increase the money issuance lever.

With currency printing capabilities restricted, the trade deficit became particularly glaring. Without removing this "nail," British capital would flow outwards.

Of course, such minor issues were still manageable for a grand and prosperous Britain in the short term, as they were still in a state of capital surplus.

However, how could a far-sighted Prime Minister Gladstone allow such an issue to persist over time?

To quell the trade deficit, there were only two paths: either reduce imports or increase exports.

Clearly, Earth had been partitioned already; the so-called "international market" was merely a corner, with most areas becoming colonies of various nations.

To increase exports, one had to compete fiercely in this small remaining market with numerous competitors.

Regrettably, with European countries completing industrialization, market competition had become increasingly intense.

It wasn’t about expanding export markets anymore; even the market shares Britain currently held were being squeezed by competitors.

Of course, the economy was progressing, and although the market share was reducing, Britain’s total exports were still increasing.

However, the rate of import increase was far outpacing the growth of exports, causing the trade deficit to continually widen.

To prevent the continual outflow of wealth, under the advice of economists and influenced by domestic public opinion, Prime Minister Gladstone accepted the "Food Self-Sufficiency Plan."

"What exactly is this news about Russia expanding into Central Asia?"

Gladstone genuinely did not understand why the Russians were now expanding into Central Asia.

In his view, by doing this, the Tsarist Government was either irrational, or taking advantage of Britain’s dull blades, with a very small chance that Austria was stirring trouble.

Yet none of these reasons were satisfactory. Warfare was about money; the British Army might not win against the Russians in Central Asia, but the British Government could still bankrupt the Tsarist Government.

Even if Austria was willing to support the Russians, the Vienna Government wouldn’t possibly spend all their resources. A loss of one or two hundred million might be bearable, but eight or ten billion would definitely make Vienna falter.

In the end, it all came down to interests: the input must be proportional to the output. Constant expenditure without return was unsustainable for anyone.

Foreign Minister George: "At this moment, we cannot confirm the real intention of the Tsarist Government. Based on the collected data, the Foreign Office believes this is likely a probing move by the Russians.

It may be related to the recent anti-Jewish movement, the Tsarist Government’s purse is full, and they are restless again."

Colonial Minister Primrose disagreed, "I think it’s more than just a probe; it seems the Russians can’t hold back their ambitions again.

Remember, this is not the first time. After the Third Near East War, the Russians also reached into Central Asia.

Though our intervention made the Tsarist Government cease their subtle moves, their influence in Central Asia still expanded.

According to the data reported by the Governor of India, in recent years, the Russians have encroached on at least 50,000 square kilometers in Central Asia.

If we don’t pay attention and find a way to curb the Russian ambitions for expansion into Central Asia, there’s a real risk they might swallow the region entirely."

Now, the Nordic Federation, North Germany, and Austria have formed an impregnable barrier, blocking the Russians’ western advance.

The east is protected by the icy world of Siberia and the Far East; harsh climatic conditions limit their eastward movement.

If the Tsarist Government still wants to expand, their only strategic choice left is to move southwards to the Indian Ocean.

Both Persia and Central Asia could become the next targets for the Russians’ expansion.

Compared to Central Asia, the Persian region still has the influence of Austria, so the best choice for the Russians, if they wish to exclude Austria, is Central Asia."

It must be admitted that the analysis of the Colonial Minister was highly reasonable.

After failing to dominate Europe by moving west, the most suitable direction for Russian expansion is now Central Asia, followed by Persia, and then the Far East.

There is no doubt about this; one only needs to open a map to see that it is God’s arrangement, and to go against God’s arrangement is to suffer from harsh natural conditions.

Something felt off, although Gladstone could not pinpoint what it was exactly, but this did not prevent him from making a decision.

"The Foreign Office issued a formal memorandum to the Tsarist Government, ordering the Russians to withdraw from Central Asia and warning the Tsarist Government not to play with fire.

Order the 11th Division stationed in India to immediately proceed to Central Asia and conduct joint military exercises with the countries there."

...

The British Government made its move, and the French government was not idle either. Of course, the French were not concerned with Central Asian affairs as France’s reach did not extend that far.

After launching the anti-Semitic movement, the French government’s finances had undergone a complete turnaround. With money now available, Napoleon IV started to take bold actions.

The city renovation plans from the era of Napoleon III were restarted, and this time the renovations covered not just Paris but several major cities throughout the country.

The large farm projects, which had been progressing slowly due to funding issues, were immediately funded to accelerate progress.

The ongoing reconstruction efforts in Egypt were also fully expanded, aiming not only to clear the waterways but also to restore farmlands affected by floods.

Even the towns, plantations, and bridges destroyed by the rebel army were included in the post-war reconstruction plans, causing an unusual boom in civil construction in the Egypt area.

As a result, many refugees created by the war found employment, securing their livelihoods, which stabilized the situation in Egypt almost immediately.

However, every advantage has its disadvantage. As the initial instigator of the anti-Semitic movement, Napoleon IV recently dared not leave his residence.

In the past month, he had been the target of assassination four times. If not for concerns about the repercussions, he would have already taken drastic measures.

It is known that while the French anti-Semitic movement was massive, the actual number of Jews killed was not large, and most of the victims were lower-class civilians.

Napoleon IV was only after the money of Jewish capitalists, not as ruthless as his neighboring counterparts who took lives as well.

Regrettably, this perceived leniency did not earn him forgiveness from Jewish capitalists; instead, it was met with repeated assassination attempts.

At his temporary palace, Napoleon IV shouted, "Adonis, is your police department useless?

It’s been such a long time, and yet you haven’t found the mastermind behind this. Are you planning to keep me indoors forever?"

The Minister of Police, Adonis, wore a bitter expression, unsure of how to respond. At some point, the role of Minister of Police had become a hot potato.

In the past ten years, the government of France had changed its Ministers of Police seventeen times, with an average term of 7 months.

This number was still decreasing, and Adonis had no confidence whatsoever that he could complete his term in this position.

"Your Majesty, we have rigorously interrogated the assassins, and just as we found the go-between based on the intelligence they provided, someone else had already silenced him.

The suspects identified by the police had fled the country before the assassinations were even known. The culprits are very cunning, so…"

Napoleon IV interrupted, "So you have achieved nothing, and now you are telling your emperor that it’s too dangerous outside and to stay indoors for the time being?"

Adonis was tight-lipped, aware of the complexities in Paris overwhelmed with various powers, most of which were enemies of the Bonaparte dynasty.

Perhaps these powers would not normally arrange for the assassination of an emperor, but they might still undermine Napoleon IV.

The police’s failure to resolve these cases was undoubtedly exacerbated by these disruptive forces.

If it weren’t for these restraining forces, the power of Jewish capitalists alone continually engaging in assassination attempts would have been exposed long ago.

After a fierce internal struggle, Minister of Police Adonis hesitantly said, "Your Majesty, although we have no concrete evidence, based on the motive and capability for the crime, the mastermind behind this is most likely a Jew. Perhaps, let’s arrest the Jews in the country first…"

This was the simplest solution: if no evidence could be found, then stop looking. Arrest those who have the motive and means to commit the crime.

Once arrested, they could continue the investigation slowly. A result would come eventually. Even if it was unclear who the real culprit was, it didn’t matter; eliminating all suspects would suffice.

Killing the wrong person didn’t matter either, as all those dead would be enemies. Think of it as a preventive measure, eliminating potential threats in advance.

Napoleon IV shook his head, "No! The government has already reached an agreement with the Jewish capitalists and promised their personal safety; we cannot go back on our word." Stay updated via empire

Cunning as a rabbit has three burrows, especially the Jews who are often "slaughtered".

Most Jewish capitalists would not put all their eggs in one basket; besides their assets in the open, they also secretly owned many properties.

Napoleon IV had not tasked anyone to monitor these major Jewish capitalists, and after decades of stability, only the obvious properties could be confiscated.

If faced with someone who preferred money over life, squeezing them dry, the government, in the interest of maintaining employment, would have to spend its funds to keep the confiscated factories and businesses running after taking them over.

In such a scenario, only ordinary Jews were truly unfortunate during the anti-Semitic movement.

The powerful Jewish capitalists already possessed the means to negotiate with the government, for example, by paying a ransom to secure the government’s protection of their personal safety.