Chapter 301 Digestion of the Newly Occupied Area
Thinking of the risk of paying the deposit in advance, Yakov, who has rich business experience, hesitated. After all, this was a commission from Crown Prince Constantine, and it must be treated with caution. In case the sales of the cigarette factory's products were not smooth, the remaining balance would have to be paid. With a deposit, a newly established cigarette factory may be in trouble immediately. read
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If you pay the deposit in advance, hundreds of thousands of drachmas will have to be paid first. Although the cigarette factory construction funds approved by the Crown Prince are 6 million, which is very sufficient, such a move will increase the pressure on your own funds. After all, you still need to retain sufficient funds. Funding and coping with the riskiest marketing are the most difficult steps in building a cigarette factory.
Whether it is factory construction or the source of raw materials, as long as it is superficial, it can always be done. Promoting the cigarette factory's new cigarettes to the market cannot be done by simply throwing money, and the uncertainty is the greatest.
However, if these newly formed agricultural cooperatives are not given some sweeteners, they may be less willing to grow tobacco and their scale will be limited.
After all, the people in these areas have been war-torn for a long time, and now that they are suddenly granted land by the Greek government, they will be more inclined to be conservative and plant crops that can directly satisfy their hunger, such as wheat, potatoes, etc., to give priority to meeting their own food needs.
As a cash crop, tobacco has a price advantage, but if it cannot find a suitable market, it will be worthless.
The worst outcome for crops such as wheat and potatoes is that they can be eaten by themselves.
If the cigarette factory fails to fulfill Crown Prince Constantine's request and try its best to use tobacco grown in Greece, it will be criticized by the Crown Prince.
After thinking about it for a moment, he noticed the large number of eyes on Lundhardt and realized that he couldn't be timid in front of this local snake and appear too hesitant.
If his performance is too poor, it may affect Lundhart's confidence and shake his trust in himself.
Lundhart is so active because he wants to use his own thread to expand his influence locally by taking advantage of the opportunity of promoting tobacco cultivation in Kavala.
Yakov still admires Lundhardt's shrewdness and ability.
After he explained that he would invest in building a cigarette factory in Thessaloniki on behalf of the Purple Robe Foundation and the Royal Greek Educational Foundation, he immediately realized that this was an opportunity and volunteered to help him try to get in touch with local agriculture. Cooperative, find out information.
The Royal Educational Foundation is well-known in Greece. Almost most Greek students have received academic support from the foundation. The foundation is personally managed by the royal family and has the nature of a national sovereign fund. On the one hand, it sponsors compulsory education in Greece, and on the other hand, it sponsors compulsory education in Greece. On the one hand, the industries involved in investment are very wide and the returns are huge. Almost all Greeks know that this is a foundation with strong funds.
Although the Purple Robe Foundation is not as well-known in society as the National Education Foundation, it is very influential in the Greek army, and this foundation, whose shareholders are all nobles, is not a secret in the middle and upper classes of Greece. You'll know just by asking.
With two well-funded and powerful foundations jointly investing in a cigarette factory, Lundhardt knew after a moment's thought that it made sense, and that's why he was so active.
"Let's do this, Mr. Lundhart, you will take the lead. We will organize a meeting. You invite agricultural cooperatives interested in growing tobacco to participate. We can gather together and discuss the conditions together," Yakov said with a smile.
In order to enhance Lundhart's confidence, he continued: "If the agricultural cooperative must pay a deposit in advance before the agricultural cooperative is willing to grow tobacco, then we will have no problem. Although the Thessaloniki Cigarette Factory is newly established, our funds are very limited. Sufficient and a strong enterprise.”
After the meeting, Yakov immediately went to the telegraph office to report information to Crown Prince Constantine and asked Constantine about his plans for the cigarette factory.
In the office of Tatoi Palace, Constantine and Prime Minister Venizelos sat across from each other and were talking about how to speed up the digestion of the newly occupied territories of the Ankan Peninsula and actually incorporate them into the rule of the Kingdom of Greece.
After all, occupying these territories and gaining control here is only the first step. There is still a lot of tedious work to do next.
After hearing that Crown Prince Constantine summoned him and once again talked about digesting the newly occupied territory, Venizelos was a little helpless and did not understand why Constantine was so impatient.
Digesting newly occupied territories does not happen overnight. The scars of war will take time to heal, so there is no point in rushing.
Constantine also learned lessons from his previous experience in Greece.
In its previous life, Greece was defeated in the war with the Ottoman Empire in 1897. As a result, there was no victory. Instead, it ceded territory and paid compensation. This greatly frustrated the "glorious ideals" of the Greeks. It was not until 1912, after signing an alliance with Bulgaria and Serbia, that they dared to War again with the Ottoman Empire.
After the First Balkan War in 1912 and the Second Balkan War in 1913, which successively defeated the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria, the Kingdom of Greece more than doubled its territory and occupied Macedonia and Western Thrace in the Aegean Sea.
But then in 1914, World War I broke out, and soon the Ottoman Empire entered the war. Greece had no chance to absorb more than half of the territory north of Thessaly.
In 1916, Bulgaria joined the Allies after the Battle of the Dardanelles. Austria-Hungary, with the help of Germany, occupied Serbia, and the war spread to the Greek border.
After that, Greece joined the war in 1917. Until 1921, when Greece was defeated in Asia Minor by the Turkish army led by Kemal, the Greek army had no time to spare.
In fact, in the original time and space, from the first Balkan War in 1912 to the defeat by Turkey in 1921, during the nearly ten years, either Greece was fighting or the countries around Greece were fighting. After being called up, hundreds of thousands of Greek troops were in a state of general mobilization.
In other words, in the ten years before and after World War I, Greece had maintained a state of war with hundreds of thousands of troops, without a moment of relaxation.
The Greek government had no time to worry about the Aegean Macedonia and Western Thrace that Greece obtained in 1912 and 1913, let alone digest and absorb them.
The overall impression of the world on Greece during this period was that it was a weak chicken, and it could not even beat Turkey, whose army was ordered to disband by the Allies.
In fact, the Greek army performed very well in the battle against the Turkish army led by Kemal. The Greek soldiers were brave and tenacious, with strong will and strong fighting power. In the early and middle stages of the Greco-Turkish War, they defeated the Turkish army many times.
It was just that Kemal was indeed wise. He noticed the weakness of the Greek economy and learned the Russian tactics to deal with Napoleon. He retreated and delayed, but did not fight a decisive battle. It was not until the Greek economy collapsed in 1921 that he began to counterattack the Greek army.
The nationalist movement led by Kemal had its political center in Ankara, the center of Asia Minor. The roads on the Asia Minor plateau were rugged and difficult to travel, the mountain roads were winding, and the transportation was backward. The Greek army did not have such long-distance delivery capabilities at all.
As a small country in southern Europe, Greece had weak industrial capacity or almost no industry before and after World War I. With a population of about six million, it took nearly ten years to support an army of three or four hundred thousand. Only Thessaly and the territories south of Thessaly were developed and mature, and the rest were just occupied. By 1921, it had indeed reached its limit and could not hold on.
In fact, before the Greco-Turkish War in 1920, Greece was already at the end of its strength, and the army had long been exhausted.
With a little analysis of this war, it can be seen that the Greeks have lost their minds and were stunned by the pie in the sky.
In the original time and space, after the end of World War I in 1918, Greece did not think so much, but went to Asia Minor to receive its own war results in the Izmir region according to the terms of the Treaty of Sèvres.
The Treaty of Sèvres stipulated that Izmir was occupied by Greece.
After all, according to European rules, the Ottoman Empire failed in the war and the treaty was signed (in fact, it was signed by the Sudanese government), so the rest was execution.
As a result, the Turks refused to admit their mistake, and the army was disbanded, and they all wanted to fight the Greeks.
The national movement led by Kemal did not recognize the Treaty of Sevres. The British, French and Italian troops entered the occupied areas in accordance with the treaty and clashed with the Turks.
At that time, in order to implement the Treaty of Sevres, it was unrealistic to march into Asia Minor again. After World War I, anti-war sentiment was high in Britain, France and Italy, and the three countries suffered heavy losses and had no intention of continuing the war.
Then the Allies (mainly Britain, France and Italy acquiesced) supported, or instigated, Greece to attack Asia Minor.
As mentioned above, all Greeks were stunned by this huge pie.
The Greeks suddenly found that an opportunity to rebuild the empire and restore glory appeared in front of them.
This bait was so tempting that six million Greeks collectively climaxed and fell into a fanatical atmosphere.
As for the heavy pressure of the protracted war on the Greek economy, it was ignored.
In this situation, even rational Greeks would not dare to say no.
Even if we notice that Greece is overwhelmed by the economy, we may still be willing to take a gamble, because the benefits of success are too great.
If such a precious opportunity is given up, will there be another one?
This is an opportunity to rebuild the Eastern Roman Empire.
In fact, in the Greco-Turkish War of 1920, the Greek army performed very well, but the Greek economy could not hold on. After the economic collapse, the Greek army fighting in Asia Minor also began to collapse.
The combat effectiveness of the army is only one aspect of determining the outcome of a war. The most fundamental and decisive factor is the comprehensive strength of the country.
Therefore, taking advantage of the short period of peace now, there is no threat of war in the surrounding areas for the time being, and the Greek government can concentrate on handling internal affairs. Constantine is now eager to incorporate Greece's newly occupied territories in the Balkans into the domestic economic system to enhance Greece's comprehensive strength.
Investing in the establishment of a cigarette factory in Thessaloniki, promoting tobacco planting in Macedonia, and promoting commercial exchanges and trade circulation in Macedonia are also based on this consideration.
According to Constantine's memory, after the First World War, the Aegean Macedonia region of Greece was finally effectively developed, and the tobacco planting industry developed rapidly.
Tobacco is a thermophilic crop and is sensitive to temperature. Different temperature conditions have a great impact on the quality and yield of tobacco.
Due to the Mediterranean climate, northern Greece is particularly suitable for growing tobacco.
Before the Second World War, tobacco was already Greece's most important export commodity.
After Germany occupied Greece, Greek tobacco was imported to Germany at a low price by the German authorities and made into cigarettes to supply the German army.
Although the refugees in Kavala had no experience in growing tobacco, tobacco was not a mysterious thing for the Greeks around Thessaloniki.
There are many farmers around Thessaloniki who grow a small amount of tobacco on their own land, mainly to meet the needs of family and friends.
Since Greek cigarettes are completely imported, tobacco planting has never developed, and the planting areas are also very scattered.
Since the Macedonia region in northern Greece is suitable for growing tobacco, and tobacco is also a mature economic crop with high economic value, once a war breaks out in Europe, the price of tobacco as a strategic material will naturally rise. Greece can not only allow its own tobacco to occupy the domestic market, but also export it to make a fortune.
At present, the population of Greece is only about 10 million, but the cigarette market is very hot, and the total market volume is considerable.
The smoking rate of Greeks is extremely high. According to Constantine's observation, Greeks may be one of the countries with the highest per capita smoking in the world. Not only men like it, but women can also often be seen smoking.
A considerable part of Greeks' income is spent on smoking.
According to the information collected by Constantine, the current annual expenditure of Greeks on cigarettes has reached more than 60 million drachmas.
Therefore, Constantine naturally wants the Greek government to introduce some supporting measures to encourage the public to participate in tobacco planting and start supporting the country's cigarette manufacturing industry.
"Your Highness, the railways and roads invested and built by the government in Macedonia are now working overtime. As long as this project is completed, the railway and road network with Thessaloniki as the transportation center will be built. The economically developed and mature southern region of Greece will have a further improvement in personnel exchanges and commodity transactions with Macedonia. The government is already doing it," said Venizelos.
"The completion of the construction of transportation facilities only plays an indirect role. Can we build some characteristic industries in Macedonia to directly and effectively help the economic recovery there?" Constantine handed a piece of information in his hand to Prime Minister Venizelos.
Venizelos looked down and saw the words "Prospects of Tobacco Planting Industry in Macedonia" on the cover, so he opened it and read the contents roughly.
Venizelos was actually not unfamiliar with tobacco planting. After all, as the prime minister, he was not completely without opinion on the current situation that the domestic cigarette market in Greece was completely occupied by foreign brands.