Chapter 171: The Alcohol and Tobacco Monopoly System
Chapter 168 The Alcohol and Tobacco Monopoly
After 1851, the situation in the Near East became more and more tense. Russia and Austria were eyeing the Ottoman Empire, and the Sultan’s government invited Britain and France to mediate the conflict.
What price the Ottoman Empire paid, let’s leave aside. The problem was that the French government was so busy with internal strife that the British alone could not intimidate the Russians and Austrians.
In the British view, the core of this Near East crisis was on the Russians, and as long as they didn’t get into trouble, it would be easy to convince Austria.
Under this judgment, the Anglo-Russian negotiations opened. Undoubtedly, the British did not think that the problem could be solved at the negotiating table, and the main purpose of initiating this negotiation was to stall for time.
The London government and Louis Napoleon Bonaparte had already hooked up, and in order to cope with the growing crisis in the Near East, the British decided to support Napoleon III’s seizure of power.
The British wanted to stall for time, the Russians were unprepared, and the negotiations were opened under these circumstances.
Vienna.
The Austrian government was discussing the Anglo-Russian negotiations, which affected the next step of Austrian strategy, in case the British fooled the Woolly Bear, and the westward strategy was lost.
Metternich analyzed: “Britain and Russia have a long history of conflict, the conflict of interests between the two sides is very serious, from the Near East to the Far East, everywhere is the focus of the conflict between the two countries.
Unless one of the parties can make substantial concessions, the conflict between the two countries is inevitable.
The current crisis in the Near East is mainly caused by the Russians’ core strategy, which has been prepared for so long, and it is now as difficult as heaven to make them stop.”
After the decline of the Ottoman Empire, a voice emerged within Russia to swallow the old empire and inherit their entire legacy.
Because the appetite was so great, the Russians’ plan was naturally resisted by all nations. Although they were not able to swallow the empire, the Russians still got enough benefits in the last two Russo-Turkish wars.
Perhaps feeling that it was too difficult to swallow the Ottoman Empire in one go, the Russians set two smaller goals to accomplish this plan in stages.
The first step was to take control of the Black Sea, go south to the Balkans, and occupy the two straits;
The second step, firmly grasp the protection of the Orthodox Christians in the Ottoman Empire, and then nibble away at the Ottoman Empire.
The core of the first step of the strategic plan is the occupation of the two straits, only by mastering this golden waterway, the strategic security of the Russian Empire can be guaranteed, without fear of being blockaded by the Ottoman Empire.
This was also the first step for the Russians to go to the sea, and it was a core part of his maritime strategy.
However, this most crucial step was pinched off for them by the British as early as 1841 when the London Straits Convention was signed.
The Russians lost what they had fought for for half a century, and the Czarist government refused to let go of the protection of the Orthodox Christians. The historical trigger for the Crimean War was religious conflict.
Now that Russia and Austria were allied, the diplomatic situation in which the European powers had joined forces to suppress Russia had changed, and the French were out of the picture, if they did not take advantage of this opportunity to occupy the Two Straits region, the Russians would never have another chance.
It so happened that the crisis in the Holy Land, in turn, gave the Russians ample excuse for war. The reason it hasn’t been launched yet is that they are preparing for war.
Is the Ottoman government unaware of these problems? Obviously not. As an old enemy, the Ottoman government has never let down its guard against the Russians.
The problem was that even if they knew everything, they could only expect international mediation in addition to passive response to the war.
The Russians were not ready for war, and neither was the Ottoman Empire.
Nominally, their armies are quite large and seem to be strong. But the family knows its own business, the surface of the powerful Ottoman army, in fact, just a flower frame.
Whether they fought the Russians or Austria, they all wimped out. This is not a sentence of government corruption and incompetence, can not be covered over. The gap in national strength cannot be bridged overnight.
Prime Minister Felix thought for a moment and said, “It’s inevitable that the Russians are going to strike, what we’re not sure of now is whether they’re going to do it in the second half of this year or whether they’re going to delay it until 1852.
Not only is the time of the outbreak of the war uncertain, but how long this war, which is destined to be very large, will last is likewise an unknown.
What is most worrying is whether Britain and France will enter the war, and even if they do, how much strength they will bring to bear.
Until these questions can be determined, any action we take is risky. Now we have to find a way to keep the risk within certain limits.”
This was the difference between a large country and a small country, a small country didn’t have to think about the aftermath when they made their strategy, everything was fine if they won, but if they lost, they were just finished.
Austria is not the same, as long as you do not blindly mess around, even if you fail once, there is the same opportunity to come back a second time, risk control in advance is essential.
Marshal Radetzky shook his head and said: “If we want to control the risk, then after the outbreak of the Russo-Turkish war, we can only wait for the war to escalate, and we can’t move until the French have sent troops.
What if the French don’t enter the war? Are we going to abandon this plan?”
Prime Minister Felix affirmed, “That depends on the determination of the British, as long as they are willing, they will surely have a way to pull the French along with them.”
This conclusion was the same as the one Franz came to, who told Louis Napoleon Bonaparte that he came to power through the British?
Historically, he himself was a severe Anglophobe and attached himself to the British much of the time. During his reign, it was almost impossible to see the French government hard up against the British.
Franz thought for a moment and said, “The key to the success of this strategy lies in secrecy, hitting the countries with a surprise attack, creating established facts and forcing the British and French to recognize it.
As long as the plan is not exposed, the initiative is in our hands, when to do it, to do it or not to do it, all by our own decision.
After the outbreak of the Russo-Turkish War, Britain and France will participate in the war, this issue is beyond our control, but I think the Ottomans are more anxious.
Pulling Britain and France into the war is their only option to get out of the crisis. If necessary, we can let the Ottomans know that our goal is only the Danube Valley.”
To deceive the Ottomans, Franz did not have any heart pressure, if he told them that the Austrian government did not have any interest in them this time, it was estimated that the Sultan’s government would not dare to believe what was said.
It was better to expose a false information so that the Ottomans would believe it, compared to the Russians who wanted to swallow them, the Austrian appetite was undoubtedly much smaller.
With the primary and secondary enemies clearly separated, the Ottoman government had few options. A bite from Austria was nothing more than a flesh wound, but if the Russians bit down, they would be half-crippled if not dead.
……
Minister of Finance Karl proposed, “Your Majesty, in order to deal with the next war, the Ministry of Finance proposes to implement a monopoly system for tobacco and alcohol in order to raise more money for the war.”
Austria did have a war fund, which was enough to unify the South German region, but it was not necessarily enough to face the intervention of various countries.
The Austrian Empire was also a large family and long past the stage of taking risks. Franz also didn’t like to take risks, and couldn’t have been stupid enough to run off and start a war with only a few months’ worth of war funds.
So from the very beginning, the strategic plan made was to take into account the intervention of the Great Powers, and the worst situation was to go to war with Britain, France and Prussia at the same time.
Of course, this is based on the case of Russia and Austria to join forces. If we go alone, Franz was not so reckless, and the Austrian government did not have that much confidence.
The side with more soldiers in a war will always have an advantage, especially if there may be a two-front war, or even a three-front war.
More soldiers, military expenditure is naturally large, as much as possible to raise war money, it is necessary.
The most direct way is to collect war tax, unless the war has already broken out, otherwise Franz will not do it, he is a man of rules.
“How much revenue can be raised with the implementation of the tobacco and alcohol monopoly system?” Franz asked with concern
Karl thought for a moment and then answered, “Judging by the current economic development in the country, after the implementation of the tobacco and alcohol monopoly system, the revenue can be increased by at least 35 million guilders or more per year.”
In the case of the original financial tax revenue, but also able to increase the income of 35 million guilders, tobacco and alcohol profits can be imagined.
“Prime Minister, what do you think?” Franz asked
35 million guilders is already enough to impress Franz, deep down he has already agreed, and now asking the Prime Minister’s opinion is the need for the Cabinet to be responsible for the implementation of this plan.
Prime Minister Felix replied without hesitation, “Your Majesty, special circumstances can be treated in a special way, the government will do the ideological work for the capitalists, I’m sure they will understand.”
Obviously, everyone’s bottom line is so high that they don’t mind sacrificing the interests of certain people in order to increase the financial revenue by 35 million guilders.
The question of whether or not the capitalists whose interests have been compromised will be able to think things through is no longer important, and they have no say in politics anyway.
Historically, the Austrian government implemented salt and tobacco monopolies. But the temperate Franz, as early as the previous bill on people’s livelihood, included salt in the necessities of life along with food.
In order to allow the people to fill their stomachs and not run off to revolt, the prices of these necessities of life were strictly controlled by the government.
Without being able to raise the price, the inclusion of salt in the monopoly would not increase revenue much, so the Ministry of Finance naturally chose another more profitable item, wine.
These two commodities, are not necessities of life, even if the price is a little higher does not matter, less smoking and drinking is also conducive to good health.
This was Franz’s true thinking, although he himself smoked and drank, but this did not prevent him from guiding the nation to cultivate a correct habit of life.
Franz thought about it and said, “In that case, then the government will legislate as soon as possible to implement the specialization of tobacco and alcohol.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!” Prime Minister Felix replied
(End of chapter)