Chapter 419: Immediate vs. Long-term Interests
Chapter 409: Immediate vs Long-Term Interests
St. Petersburg, a succession of bad news, Alexander II has been unable to bear. The decadence of the Russian empire is obvious, the Near East war to build up the prestige is being worn down.
The international situation was only a minor problem, the biggest trouble was internal. From the beginning, Alexander II was using the war to divert internal conflicts, attempting to expand by force to plunder profits and quell internal strife.
As the situation on the battlefield worsened, so did the domestic situation. This time it was not a fight between conservatives and reformers, but the lower classes were about to be unable to hold out.
With the blockade of the sea lanes, St. Petersburg’s supply of living goods was severely insufficient, and prices continued to climb. This was true of the capital, not to mention the neighboring cities.
In the Winter Palace, Alexander II said in a murderous voice: “I don’t care what methods you use, you must calm prices as soon as possible and ensure the supply of goods in St. Petersburg. If you can’t do it, I’ll replace those who can with those who can.
This is a critical time for the Russian Empire, no matter any individual or interest group that stands against the Empire, all of them will be severely punished!”
Alexander II was not one to be fooled, the lack of supplies was a fact, but the rising prices were definitely not normal.
At least the price of food, it could not be so perverse. As the capital of the Russian Empire, how could St. Petersburg not have stocks of food?
The capitalists are human beings, as early as the outbreak of the Polish uprising, everyone tacitly began to hoard food.
The Tsarist government was not completely unprepared, there was still a gap of more than two months between the Prussian-Danish War and the Russo-Prussian War, during which time they also stockpiled a lot of supplies.
Together with the original capital’s grain stocks, it was absolutely impossible to run out so quickly. What’s more, St. Petersburg itself was one of Russia’s grain-producing regions, and the self-sufficiency rate of grain was already very high.
If no one messed up, St. Petersburg would not run out of food. As long as the food supply was secured, all other problems would be fine.
For example: coal, which is available around St. Petersburg.
The Russian Empire in this era was basically self-sufficient, except for having to import some machinery and equipment, as evidenced by the trade surplus.
Interior Minister Mikhail said stiffly, ”Your Majesty, the ice and snow melted in many areas, and the roads were muddy, seriously affecting access. For a short period of time there was a shortage of supplies, just another month or two and it will be fine.”
What the cause of the price spike was, Mikhail knew all about it. But the interests involved were too powerful, and it was not a good idea to pierce this windowpaper.
Alexander II smiled coldly and said, “Really? Since that’s the case, it’s good that the government is unified in supplying the materials, I’m sure that anyone who is a patriot will support it!”
Support, how could that be! This is cutting everyone’s meat, I don’t know how many people want to make a profit out of this, now if the government takes over and co-ordinates the supply what else are they going to make?
Interior Minister Mikhail said in fear, “Your Majesty, this involves too much, I’m afraid that the government’s coordinated supply of goods will lead to a big mess.”
Cutting off people’s money is like killing their parents.
When something like this happened, the Tsar might not do anything, but they, the concrete implementers, would be dead.
Alexander II laughed and said: ”This is the last resort, if the prices do not calm down, we only have this road.
If someone dares to make trouble, it depends on whether our knife is sharp enough.
The 4th and 7th divisions will arrive in St. Petersburg in three days, and if prices don’t calm down within three days, the army will be responsible for coordinating supplies.”
Apparently, Alexander II was smart enough not to count on St. Petersburg’s city defenses, and simply drew back troops that had just been withdrawn from the battlefield to recuperate.
These border troops, obviously not something these capitalists and bureaucrats in St. Petersburg could influence, listened only to the Tsar’s orders.
If the capitalists knew what was good for them, then good for you and good for me, and Alexander II was not willing to break the rules of the game.
Instead, then I’m sorry. The Tsarist government couldn’t solve the problem of skyrocketing prices, so it had to go to the source and eliminate the price gougers.
Plundering the family is a must for almost every male lord. None of the notorious monarchs in history have had their homes copied less.
Usually such emperors also killed more people. Usually the people who created the problem were eliminated and the world was greatly ruled.
The situation in Europe is special in that no nobles are usually killed, which is not the same as not being able to kill nobles.
Alexander II is not a good bully of the Lord, reasoning can not speak fist, once torn face, he did not mind killing.
To a certain extent, this head or Franz opened. Changing the law has never been without bloodshed, the Austrian reform is also a mountain of blood poured out.
Only with the Revolution as a cover, a lot of stubborn people were revolutionized in the revolution, the latter reform can be successfully implemented.
Alexander II also realized this, and the reforms he pushed through in Russia were resisted by interest groups and went very poorly. Now Alexander II needed to make an example of a chicken, and it was up to him to see who would be the chicken.
Mikhail’s face changed drastically, his political mind was still very sharp, knowing that the Tsar was dissatisfied with his work. Hurriedly answered, “Yes, Your Majesty!”
Interior Minister Mikhail decided to die the death of a friend. Within the rules of the game, the capitalists seemed to have little problem playing like this, and with the cover of the noble bureaucrats, it was even safer.
However, the problem changes when the Tsar has to flip the table. Would a bureaucrat like Mikhail go against the Tsar for a bribe?
Obviously, this is impossible. They derive their power from the Tsar, so why risk it when the money can be made slowly as long as they remain in their positions?
Perhaps many people, at the same time, have the triple identity of nobles, bureaucrats and capitalists, however, for them, the most important thing is also to keep the position first.
Money can be made slowly, but there is only one life! The Tsar who raised the butcher’s knife, that is absolutely not to be messed with, a bad one will be cut down.
Foreign Minister Clarence Ivanov opened his mouth and said, “Your Majesty, the Franco-Austrian conflict is over, and the two countries are currently engaged in secret negotiations.
The intelligence that came in at all, the preliminary analysis, this negotiation may involve the two countries’ deep strategy, and may even affect our war with the Kingdom of Prussia.
Austrian Foreign Minister Weissenberg has arrived in Milan, supposedly to strengthen communication with the Kingdom of Lombardy, which should smokescreen.
At the same time, the French Foreign Minister Abraham has also arrived in the Kingdom of Sardinia, officially on vacation.
Yesterday, Wessenberg and Abraham met once in the border area between Sardinia and Lombardy, and the two had a five-hour meeting.
The content of their conversation was highly confidential, dismissing all attendants, and known only to the two parties.”
This information was obtained by Clarence Ivanov at great expense, mainly to prove that the Foreign Office was not really incompetent.
Recently, the Tsar’s government had suffered frequent diplomatic losses, and although there were special reasons why they couldn’t be blamed for it, the voices within the Tsar’s government were still growing higher and higher in their naysaying.
It was natural for Clarence Ivanov to make a mark, and the Franco-Austrian conflict was the opportunity he saw. The fact that the two countries did not really fight made him disappointed and surprised at the same time.
This complex mood was not only shared by Clarence Ivanov, but by most of the people in the Tsar’s government.
On the one hand, they wanted France and Austria to break out into war and drain each other’s strength in order to preserve the Russian Empire’s position as the hegemon of the European continent.
On the other hand, they did not want to see France and Austria go to war. Once Austria was involved in the war, their logistical supply system was going to collapse.
With the outbreak of the Franco-Austrian war, Austria would naturally not be able to continue exporting strategic materials to them. This gap, then, needs to be filled.
Unfortunately, this gap simply cannot be filled. The world’s industrial powers, just a few, France and Austria began to fight left the British have the ability to fill the gap.
This is an unrealistic fantasy that the Tsarist government could not even dream of. Expecting the British to provide them with logistics is a dream, isn’t it?
Alexander II thought for a moment and said: “First contact with the Austrians, test their position has not changed, if necessary, you can make appropriate concessions.
We can promise not to seek land in the German region, and limit our cuts to the Kingdom of Prussia to the Polish region.”
Despite the blood dripping from his heart, Alexander II gritted his teeth and made this decision. With the war at this point, it was out of place to think about expanding into central Europe.
This world speaks with strength, how much strength you have is how much cake you share, if you eat too much you will choke to death.
“Strength” is comprehensive strength, not just military strength. Whether one admits it or not, the Russian Empire’s comprehensive strength has already fallen behind the four major powers.
Foreign Minister Clarence Ivanov replied, “Yes, Your Majesty!”
After a pause, he added, “Now that both the Prussians and the British are pulling Sweden’s strings, in order to avoid the worst case scenario, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs suggests making appropriate concessions to Sweden.
We can support Carl XV’s plan to unify the three Nordic countries, and once Denmark merges with Sweden and Norway, they are going to be dragged into the Prussian-Danish War.”
This was a brilliant breakthrough; the Kingdom of Denmark could support the unification of the three Nordic countries in exchange for Sweden sending troops.
As early as before the outbreak of the war, the three countries had been negotiating for a joint state, Sweden and Norway were now co-rulers, and the two countries basically agreed, except that the Kingdom of Denmark had not made up its mind.
This hesitation allowed the Prussian-Danish war to break out. Junker nobles to start this war last year, not without reason.
In case the three Nordic countries really merged, and then want to take back the two duchies of Schleswig and Holstein will be difficult.
Alexander II hesitated, allowing the unification of the three Nordic countries was indeed beneficial to the Russian Empire for a short period of time, but the emergence of a united Northern Europe would be a threat to the Russian Empire in the future.
Denmark+Norway+Sweden added up to another Prussian kingdom. Perhaps the Nordic region is limited by climatic conditions, the population growth rate is too slow, will be inferior to the Kingdom of Prussia, this gap is definitely not too big.
Ambition is always stimulated by strength, after the unification of the three Nordic countries they will still be so peaceful? For example: hit Finland’s attention, or hit the idea of the three Baltic countries.
There is no doubt that this scenario is very likely to happen. The Nordic barbarians have been bullish in history, and once the chauvinism has been stimulated, the northern frontier of the Russian Empire will be lively in the future.
……
(End of chapter)