Chapter 155 Baghdad Railway II

After returning from the manor in Costebru, I happened to meet the Greek ambassador to Constantinople, Rundhart, who returned to Greece to report on his work.

After hearing the news, in order to understand the current situation of the Ottoman Empire, Constantine specially invited Rundhart to the Tatoi Palace.

In the reception room, Constantine and Rundhart met.

"Your Excellency, Ambassador, I called you here because I want to learn some news about the Ottoman Empire from you," Constantine said.

"As far as I know, the Ottomans are repairing railways in their country with the help of the Germans."

Ambassador Rundhart put down the coffee in his hand and said; "Your Highness, the Ottomans can't afford the expensive cost of the railway. Their current finances are already bankrupt."

The core territory of the Ottoman Empire, Asia Minor, is a plateau with undulating mountains and ravines. If you want to build a railway in such a place, you have to build a road when you encounter a mountain and build a bridge when you encounter a water. The cost is several times that of the plain.

"But as far as I know, the German construction team is still building railways in the Ottoman Empire," Constantine said in surprise.

"Now the Ottoman Empire's finances are no longer sustainable. After hearing the news, the ambassadors of the European powers in Constantinople go in and out of the Gaomen (a nickname for the Ottoman government) every day, just to win the right to build the Asia Minor Railway in the Ottoman Empire," Hadlund said.

Britain, Russia, France, and Germany must be salivating over this road.

Once this main traffic artery of the Ottoman Empire is controlled, its influence on the Ottoman Empire will far exceed that of other countries, and the minerals and agricultural products in the inland of the Ottoman Empire will be at your fingertips.

Through such a railway, the goods of the controlled country can also be more conveniently sold in the Ottoman Empire, while the goods of other countries will be excluded.

"Your Highness, do you think that for an inland transportation line like this, which powerful country would not covet it?"

"Then, Ambassador, which country do you think is most likely to win in this competition?" Constantine asked curiously.

Although Nobel received news that Germany was interested in building the Triple B Railway, that was the Germans' own wish after all. The Ottoman Empire, the country concerned, disagreed, and the Germans were also wishful thinking.

"Germany," Hadlundt said without hesitation.

"Is there any special reason? Why is it Germany, and not other countries?" Constantine asked in confusion.

"Because Germany is a newly rising power, it is the most popular and powerful," Rundhardt explained to Constantine.

"First of all, Russia will definitely not build this railway."

"Firstly, Russia and the Ottoman Empire are sworn enemies. If Russia really builds this railway, the Sultan will not be able to sleep at night. Maybe one day, the Tsar's army will ride the railway all the way to Constantinople."

"Secondly, Russia is building the Trans-Siberian Railway. Moreover, the funds for the Russian railway construction are borrowed from abroad (mainly France). How can they have extra money to build an Ottoman railway in the Ottoman Empire, which may be as difficult to build as the Trans-Siberian Railway?"

Constantine thought about Rundhart's analysis and nodded repeatedly. It really made sense.

"So, although the Russians also participated in the fight for the right to build the West Asian Railway, it was more like disturbing other countries and muddying the waters. They could not do it themselves, nor did they have the intention to do so."

"France has always had intentions on Lebanon, and has been continuously infiltrating there economically and politically. The Ottoman Empire could see it, and letting the French build this railway was also inviting a wolf into the house."

"Then why is it impossible for the British to get the right to build this railway? The British have had a good relationship with the Ottomans for a long time," Constantine asked back.

The Ottoman Empire has been able to persist until now after the Russians suffered a disastrous defeat in several Russo-Turkish wars, and has not been devoured by Russia. The British have made a lot of efforts.

In order to maintain the political and military balance in Europe, it has always been the goal of the British (and possibly the French) to block Russia in the Black Sea and block its possibility of entering the Mediterranean. In the Crimean War, the two countries even personally participated in the battle, and nearly one million troops fought on the coast of the Black Sea, just to dispel Russia's idea of ​​the Ottoman Empire.

In this regard, Britain is really a very likely choice.

"If Germany hadn't participated, the British would have been the most likely to get the right to build the railway," said Rundhart.

"However, Britain has also recently taken action and divided up a lot of Ottoman territory."

Although Egypt was still nominally a vassal of the Ottoman Empire, Britain actually controlled Egypt.

At the same time, in the Russo-Turkish War of 1878, the British took Cyprus from the Ottomans while the Ottomans were in a panic.

"So now the Ottomans don't trust the British as much as they did before," Rundhart explained.

"Now the Ottoman foreign policy is to win over the various powers and let them check and balance each other so that the Ottoman Empire can benefit from the disputes among the powers."

Constantine pondered, isn't this using barbarians to control barbarians?

"From this point of view, Germany is the most advantageous."

"Germany has never seized territory from the Ottoman Empire. Unlike Britain, the Ottoman government will not resist Germany."

"Moreover, as a latecomer, Germany does not have a lot of interests in the Ottoman Empire like Britain, France and Russia."

"Introducing German forces can better balance the power of the great powers in the Ottoman Empire"

"And in order to quickly gain a foothold in the Ottoman Empire, Germany will naturally return the favor and offer a generous price, not as excessive as Britain and France"

"So, the right to build this railway in the Ottoman Empire is probably the most likely to be obtained by the Germans"

Lendhart's analysis is clear and logical, and it really makes sense.

After listening to Rundhart's analysis, Constantine also figured out the whole story.

The Ottoman Empire's original idea of ​​building the railway was to strengthen the empire's control over the territory under its rule, and it had nothing to do with the Germans.

It was just that the construction of the railway was too difficult, so the Ottoman Empire had to hire German personnel to help build the railway.

Then, the Ottoman Empire's finances were in deficit, and after 1896, it was no longer enough to support the continued construction of the railway, so countries came to promote it, wanting to take the opportunity to take over the right to build this railway.

The Germans also wanted to obtain the right to build this railway, and even wanted to go further on the basis of the Asia Minor railway line originally planned by the Ottoman Empire (the Ottoman Empire originally planned to build it only to Constantinople), and directly connect Berlin-Vienna-Constantinople-Baghdad to the Persian Gulf.

Germany's Triple B railway plan is not exactly the same as the Ottoman Empire's Asia Minor railway.