Chapter 1072 Panama Canal
The British government was engaged in internal reforms, and the Vienna government was also busy with internal affairs, but international conflicts did not stop because of this.
If you fail to do what the enemy wants to do, it is victory. The two big bosses started the mutual pit mode again.
The pit is not easy to dig. In the field of pitting people, both London and Vienna are master-level players. Generally, pits can't bury people at all.
Because of the reform, the British government is currently fighting fiercely, but this does not mean that the Vienna government can do anything.
Both Britain and Shinra have confronted each other for so many years, and the two countries have unified their thinking early on, labeling each other as "enemies".
To this day, there is no Anglophile in Vienna, nor any Austrian faction in the British government. The magic of traditional friendship has long been exhausted in conflicts of interest.
If the Vienna government really didn't know the so-called meddling, it might be threatened by foreign enemies, and the British government would reach a compromise in advance.
But by doing nothing and wasting this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Frederick was not reconciled.
You must know that the Vienna government has not taken action against the British; but the British government's small actions against Shinra have not stopped.
"Shinra Threat Theory", "Anti-dumping Theory", "Freedom and Security Theory"... A series of international hot topics are all created by the British.
Rumors and rumors are purely "three people become tigers", once more people talk about it, it will not be cleared up.
Frankly speaking, Frederick is not afraid of gossip, and international public opinion is the same for a big country.
The crux of the problem is that the British are not simply spreading rumors. Many things do exist, but they are slightly exaggerated.
For example, the "commodity dumping problem" is real. Under the free trade system, the industrially powerful Holy Roman Empire did take advantage and dumped in certain fields.
The earliest large-scale commodity dumping was led by the British, and it was even more extreme than Shinra.
At that time, the British used cotton cloth as a sharp weapon and dumped it all over the world, which destroyed the textile industry of various countries. They were not satisfied with making a lot of money, and then they started the opium trade.
In a sense, the glory of Britain is based on "colonization", "dumping" and "drugs".
Uncovering this cover now is naturally not the conscience of the British, mainly because they have changed from being dumpers to being dumped in the brutal market competition.
What kind of cause, what kind of fruit. Britain fell behind in the second industrial revolution, and the emerging industries were completely beaten by Shinra, and some subdivisions were simply blank.
The cotton textile industry, which was originally dominant, has also been impacted by the national capital of various countries, and its development has not been smooth in recent years.
There is no way, who made the textile industry the first step in the industrialization of all countries?
Rather than saying that Shinra is competing with Britain, it is better to say that all industrialized countries are competing with Britain.
In contrast, Shinra's situation is much better.
Whether it is electric power, internal combustion engine automobile industry, or petrochemical, pharmaceutical and biological, or various machinery and equipment manufacturing, they all need the support of science and technology, and the entry threshold is inherently higher than that of the textile industry.
Countries that have just begun to industrialize do not have the ability to develop in-depth in these fields, so naturally there is no impact.
Since the family can no longer eat this bowl of rice, the British, as a shit-stirring stick, naturally want to turn the table.
It seems that the British are "against commodity dumping", but they are actually laying the groundwork for "disintegrating the free trade system".
Things like smashing pots that harm others and benefit oneself are not only done by the British, but also by the Vienna government.
You know, Franz was the first emperor to publicly demand the prohibition of opium, and he brought countries all over the world to play against drugs.
Affected by this, it directly led to the early collapse of the British drug empire. Otherwise, Britain's foreign trade deficit would not be as serious as it is now.
According to the progress of the original time and space, the drug empire of the British gradually collapsed after the opium planting industry in various countries developed and diluted profits with drugs.
Feng Shui turns, and now it is the turn of the Vienna government to have a headache. As the world's largest industrial country, the demand for the commodity sales market is self-evident.
Once the free trade system collapses and the era of trade barriers comes, the import and export trade will definitely be greatly affected, which will definitely be a major blow to Shinra's economy.
In contrast, other rumors are not worth mentioning. In this age of the weak and the strong, the "Shinra Threat Theory" brings not only suspicion from all countries, but also deep fear.
I can't make you submit to me, and it's the same to make you fear me. In a sense, this kind of shameless spirit is also learned from the British.
It can only be said that times change people, and they can also change a country. As the overlord of an era, there is always something worth learning from.
No matter how deep the conflict between Shinra and Britain is, it cannot affect the Vienna government to learn from the British how to be a hegemon.
To be exact, Crown Prince Frederick wants to learn from the British. As for Emperor Franz, who is already in a semi-retired state, he is now past the age of learning.
When the Holy Roman Empire has fully achieved hegemony, Franz will officially retire. How to be a good overlord is a question that Frederick needs to consider.
"When you encounter something that you don't know where to start, hold back first."
Frederick had been instilled with this truth since he was a child, so he had no shortage of patience. In fact, any guy who has been a prince for more than forty years will not lack patience.
If you read the history books, you will know that princes with bad mentality usually die young. Compared with many of his peers, Frederick was considered lucky, at least he took power ahead of schedule.
You must know that Edward VII, who is also the prince, was not allowed to touch politics until he was fifty years old.
As for the future Prince Charles, who is known as the lifetime series, and the queen who can survive the super long standby time, it is still unknown.
Of course, what's even more tragic is that this prince didn't even have the chance to take power, and what he was waiting for was just a rubber stamp crown.
...
vienna palace
Foreign Secretary Frankel: "Your Highness, the United States of America has sent a diplomatic note, hoping to obtain the right to dig the Panama Canal."
The "Panama Canal" was excavated by the French decades ago. Unfortunately, when Napoleon III was busy expanding to Italy, the Panama region fell into the hands of Austria.
Encountering an uncooperative colonial government, the excavation of the Panama Canal will naturally not go smoothly. It went on and on for several years, and finally ended with the bankruptcy of the canal company.
The fact that the French are gone does not mean that the Panama Canal is over. In fact, many people in the Holy Roman Empire also wanted to dig this golden waterway.
Unfortunately, no matter what kind of excavation plan was in the hands of the Vienna government, it was finally rejected.
Anyone with a discerning eye knows that this is a political issue. The capitalists in Shinra have all experienced social beatings, and they don't have the courage to confront the government.
In the days that followed, the Panama Canal seemed to be forgotten, and no one mentioned it again.
This situation has continued until recent years. With the vigorous development of the capitalist world economy, transportation has become an important factor restricting the development of the western states of the United States.
Railway transportation cannot meet the demand, and sea transportation has to circle half a circle around the earth. The United States urgently needs to dig a canal to shorten the distance between the east and west coasts.
Hearing this unsurprising news, Frederick said with a smile: "What conditions have the Americans given, you can't have nothing, just want to come here empty-handed, white wolf?"
Negotiating conditions is necessary. Pressing the Panama Canal not to develop is itself a means for Shinra to suppress the development of the Americans.
Now that the U.S. government has opened its mouth, even if it is only a test, it is impossible not to open any conditions.
It is enough for a white wolf to bully a small country with empty gloves, but to play with a hegemony is to seek abuse. Not only will it not work, but it will also deteriorate the diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Foreign Secretary Frankel smiled slightly: "The Americans did not give clear conditions, but during the contact process, their Secretary of State made hints.
As long as we give up the Panama Canal Zone, they will support us in the next battle for supremacy.
Of course, this should be part of the conditions, and they should want more.
After all, it is not common for great powers to compete for hegemony. Americans probably think they are important and want to take the opportunity to tear off a piece of meat. "
To put forward such a condition, the United States is naturally not aimless.
Purely in terms of economic aggregate, the United States of America is already the fourth most powerful country in the world after Shinra, Britain, and the Russian Empire.
The total amount of industry is even higher than that of the Russians, second only to Shinra and Britain. Because of its rivalry with the Confederate States, the United States also maintains a Continental Army.
According to the current internationally accepted view, the United States of America is the fifth largest country in the world after Spain, and many people even think that the United States is stronger than Spain.
With such a strong family background, in the next battle between Shinra and Britain, the United States will naturally have the confidence to stand in line.
At least in the Americas, whichever one the United States supports will have an advantage in the competition in the Americas.
Especially in recent years, the continuous wooing of the London government has made Americans realize their importance and want to take advantage of the opportunity.
Undoubtedly, for sellers, the more buyers the better. The bid from the British alone is obviously not as good as the bid from Shinra and Britain.
Frederick nodded: "The Americans don't have a big appetite, and they didn't ask us to support them in annexing the Confederate States. It should be regarded as restraint.
It's a pity that we don't need them now, let alone help them carry their sedan chairs, and get benefits from their British masters for them. "
It can be seen that Frederick doesn't have any affection for this kind of boy. The closer he was to the world hegemon, the deeper Frederick studied.
On the issue of choosing allies, Frederick still prefers countries that can form alliances for a long time, rather than two or five boys who are destined to jump back.
The Vienna government has never wooed the United States, not because the United States has no strength, but mainly because there are serious conflicts of interest between the two countries.
The reason is very simple. Once the Holy Roman Empire becomes the world hegemon, it will have far stronger control over the world than the British.
After all, the British are only a country with sea power, while Shinra develops together with sea power and land power. Not only is the military strength stronger, but Shinra's overall national strength is stronger.
For small and weak countries, this is not a bad thing. At least the Vienna government's food is much better than that of the British, and they don't like to make troubles. Everyone's small life will be better.
Things are less rosy for a regional hegemon like the United States of America
.
"American America", go back to sleep first, you will have everything when you fall asleep.
If nothing else, at least unification is hopeless.
If the British want to prevent the reunification of the United States, at most they will support the South with economic sanctions and weapons and equipment; if it is the Holy Roman Empire, they will send troops to go on their own.
Facing an opponent with low potential like Britain, you can slowly catch up by farming; if you encounter a giant like Shinra, you will always be suppressed.
The facts are before our eyes, so when it comes to winning over overseas allies, the Vienna government is quite Buddhist.
In general, when the British government finishes pulling people, the Vienna government will directly accept their enemies.
For example, before the United States was wooed by the British government, the Allies went to Shinra by themselves, saving even the cost of wooing allies.
Although it is slightly weaker in strength, the Vienna government itself is not prepared to use the power of its allies in this hegemony struggle, as long as someone follows the flag and shouts.
Prime Minister Chandler reminded: "Your Highness, we should contact the United States. At least we must act as if we are very sincere, so as to put pressure on the Confederate States.
As far as I know, the Confederacy has not been very peaceful recently, and has extended its hand to northern Mexico. Don't beat it, maybe someday they're going to invade Mexico again. "
"Ambition" is something that every country has, it's nothing more than a matter of size.
The United States wanted to reunite, and the Confederacy also wanted to strengthen itself. Especially in recent years, the land of the Confederacy has almost been developed, and the farmers have set their sights overseas.
When you open the map, you can see that there are only a few neighbors in the Confederate States, and they have no choice at all.
Frankly speaking, farmers have a much stronger desire for land than capitalists. For farmers, land is wealth.
In contrast, capitalists have little demand for land, and they are more interested in economic interests.
Of course, this is also directly related to the force value. Generally speaking, capitalists are usually more afraid of death, and it is too embarrassing for them to go to the battlefield with guns.
After contemplating for a moment, Frederick said slowly: "If that's the case, then we should simply grant the right to dig the Panama Canal to the Americans.
Anyway, the canal cannot be dug out in a day or two. We can also impose some restrictive conditions to delay the progress of the project.
It is estimated that before the canal is opened to navigation, the game between us and the British will come to an end.
If the United States really falls to us, that's all. If they flirt with the British, then as a punishment for standing on the wrong team, it is logical for us to take back the Panama Canal. "
The premise of all this is that Shinra wins this hegemony struggle, and the winner has the right to speak. But if you really lose in the game, the Panama region will not be able to keep it.
It is not the first time that the Vienna government has done something about the ownership of the canal. The Suez Canal was originally shared by France and Austria. After a European war, the canal had nothing to do with the French.
In the long run, the Panama Canal will be opened sooner or later. Once the hegemony of the Holy Roman Empire is stable, the Vienna government will also dig canals.
This is determined by interests. The golden waterway is not only gold, but also the lifeline of the American economy.
Holding this lifeline, coupled with Shinra's powerful strength, the Americans can't help being disobedient.