It had to be admitted that the Russian Bear’s deterrent power was truly formidable. Even the slightest move sparked panic across Europe, with many fearing that the international order might once again be disrupted. Whether it was taking delivery of the warships or expanding in Central Asia, it was all a clear message to the world that the mighty Russian Empire was back. With Russia stirring up trouble in Central Asia, Britain naturally became the first to feel the pressure. Being the top power came with responsibilities. When it was time to step forward, there was no avoiding it. Compared to before, Prime Minister Gladstone was now much more confident. The reason was simple: they finally had money. In this anti-Jewish movement, the British government had also profited greatly, clearing out a third of its long-standing debts and significantly strengthening the national finances. Having money meant it needed to be spent, because only money that was spent could be turned into political achievements. Unless something unexpected happened, every competent British Prime Minister would always leave debts to their successor. Gladstone was no exception. After striking it rich, he immediately approved the “Food Self-Sufficiency Plan.” To boost the competitiveness of British agricultural products, Prime Minister Gladstone also submitted a “Crop Subsidy Bill” to Parliament. The bill proposed offering subsidies to farmers in the form of cash, seeds, fertilizers, and other support, encouraging citizens to invest in farms across the colonies. Parliament was still debating the matter, but once the bill passed, the British government would be able to bypass the free trade system, support domestic agriculture, achieve food self-sufficiency, and end reliance on grain-producing countries like Russia and Austria. Gladstone naturally had his reasons for proposing such a plan. “Food self-sufficiency” was just a public excuse. The real motivation was the impact of the “Guilder-Gold System” on the “Pound-Gold System.” Britain, with its small territory, relied heavily on imports for most natural resources except for coal and iron ore. As a result, Britain had spent most of its time running a trade deficit. For a world hegemon, this had always been a minor issue that could easily be solved by printing more money. Unfortunately, Britain’s world dominance was no longer secure, having been challenged successively by Russia, France, and Austria. Austria in particular, with its “Guilder-Gold System,” had seriously threatened Britain’s monetary supremacy. In the past, there had been no alternatives. With limited gold reserves, everyone had little choice but to hold large amounts of pounds, so even if the British government printed a bit more money, it did not matter much. That was no longer possible. Under the impact of the Guilder system, the British government no longer dared to raise its money printing leverage in order to maintain the value of the pound. With the ability to print money restricted, the trade deficit became a glaring issue. If this thorn was not pulled out, capital would start flowing out of Britain. Of course, for Britain, with its vast wealth and resources, this was still a problem it could endure for a while, since it was currently enjoying a surplus of capital. However, Prime Minister Gladstone, with his long-term vision, could not allow this situation to develop unchecked. There were only two ways to resolve the trade deficit: either reduce imports or increase exports. Clearly, the world had already been divided up, and what remained of the so-called “international market” was only a tiny portion. Most regions had already become colonies of various powers. If Britain wanted to increase its exports, it would have to fight fiercely with numerous competitors within that tiny remaining market. Unfortunately, as the European countries successively completed their industrialization, market competition grew increasingly intense. It was no longer about expanding export markets. Even Britain’s existing share of the market was being squeezed out by competitors. Of course, the global economy was still growing. Although Britain’s market share was shrinking, its total export volume continued to rise. However, the growth rate of imports far outpaced that of exports, and the trade deficit continued to widen. In order to stop the continuous outflow of wealth, Prime Minister Gladstone, under the advice of economists and the influence of domestic public opinion, accepted the “Food Self-Sufficiency Plan.” “The news that Russia is expanding into Central Asia, what exactly is going on?” Without exaggeration, Gladstone truly had no idea why the Russians were choosing to expand into Central Asia at this time. In his view, if the Russian government was doing this, it was either because they had lost their minds, were taking advantage of Britain’s dull sword, or, with a very slim possibility, Austria was stirring up trouble. However, none of these reasons seemed convincing. War was ultimately a matter of money. The British army might not win against the Russians in Central Asia, but the British government could definitely drag the Russian government into bankruptcy. Even if Austria was willing to support the Russians, the Austrian government could not possibly pour all its resources into it. Losing a hundred or two hundred million might be manageable, but if it came to a billion or more, Austria would definitely back down. In the end, it was still about interests. Effort had to be proportional to the rewards. Endless sacrifices without returns would wear down anyone. Foreign Secretary George said, “We still cannot determine the true intentions of the Russian government. Based on the information collected, the Foreign Office believes this is likely just a probe by the Russians. It might be related to the recent anti-Jewish movement. The Russian government has probably filled its coffers and is beginning to grow restless again.” Colonial Secretary Primrose disagreed, saying, “I believe this is more than just a probe. I fear the Russians’ ambitions can no longer be restrained. You must know, this is not the first time something like this has happened. After the end of the Third Near East War, the Russians also reached out toward Central Asia. Although we intervened and forced the Russian government to stop their small maneuvers, their sphere of influence in Central Asia still expanded. According to the information reported by the Governor-General of India, in recent years, the Russians have already encroached on at least fifty thousand square kilometers in Central Asia. If we do not take this seriously and find ways to cut off Russia’s ambitions toward Central Asia, I fear the Russians will annex the region. Right now, the Nordic Federation, North Germany, and Austria have formed an iron wall, completely blocking Russia’s westward path. To the east, there is the frozen world of Siberia and the Far East. However, the harsh climate conditions have limited the Russians’ ability to expand eastward. If the Russian government still wishes to expand, their only remaining strategic choice is to move south toward the Indian Ocean. Both Persia and Central Asia could become Russia’s next expansion targets. Compared to Central Asia, Persia still has Austrian influence. If the Russians want to avoid Austria’s involvement, their best choice would be Central Asia.” It had to be admitted that the Colonial Secretary’s analysis was very reasonable. After failing to dominate Europe through westward expansion, the most suitable direction for Russian expansion was now Central Asia, followed by Persia, and then the Far East. There was no room for doubt. A simple look at the map showed that this was the path laid out by God. To go against this natural arrangement was to face the punishment of harsh natural conditions. Although he sensed that something felt off, Gladstone could not quite pinpoint what it was. Still, this did not stop him from making a decision. “The Foreign Office is to issue an official note to the Russian government, demanding that the Russians withdraw from Central Asia and warning them not to play with fire. Order the Eleventh Division stationed in India to immediately move toward Central Asia and conduct joint military exercises with the local Central Asian states.” … While the British government was taking action, the French government was not standing still either. Of course, the French were not concerned with Central Asia, as French influence did not reach that far. After launching the anti-Jewish campaign, the French government’s finances had turned around. With new funds at their disposal, Napoleon IV began taking bold steps. The urban renovation plan from the era of Napoleon III was relaunched, this time not only covering Paris but also several other major cities across the country. Freed from funding constraints, the long-stalled Large-Scale Agricultural Development Plan also received immediate allocations to speed up its progress. The ongoing reconstruction work in Egypt also expanded comprehensively. Not only were river channels being cleared, but farmland damaged by floods was being restored as well. Even towns, plantations, roads, and bridges destroyed by the rebels were included in the postwar reconstruction plans. For a time, Egypt saw a surge in construction activity and an unusual kind of prosperity. As a result, refugees displaced by the war found employment and a means of livelihood, leading to a rapid stabilization of the situation in Egypt. There were naturally both benefits and drawbacks. As the initiator of the anti-Jewish campaign, Napoleon IV had recently been afraid to step outside. Over the past month alone, he had survived four assassination attempts. If it were not for concerns about public opinion, he would have already launched a bloody crackdown. It should be noted that although France’s anti-Jewish movement had made a great show of force, in reality, few Jews were actually killed, and most of the victims were lower-class civilians. Napoleon IV only wanted the wealth of the Jewish capitalists. He was not as ruthless as his neighbors, who had taken both their money and their lives. Unfortunately, his so-called tolerance did not win any forgiveness from the Jewish capitalists. Instead, it brought wave after wave of assassination attempts. “Adonis! Is your police department full of shit-eating imbeciles?! After all this time, you still haven’t uncovered the mastermind behind this! Do you intend to make me a prisoner in my own palace?!” Minister of Police Adonis wore a bitter expression, unsure how to respond. He did not know when exactly it happened, but the position of Minister of Police had become a hot potato. Over the past ten years, the French government had already changed Police Ministers seventeen times, with an average term of just seven months. That number was still decreasing. Adonis had no confidence at all that he could even complete a full term in this position. “Your Majesty, we have rigorously interrogated the captured assassins. Based on the intelligence they provided, when we tried to locate their contacts, we found they had already been silenced. The suspects identified by the police had all fled the country even before the assassination attempts took place. The perpetrators were extremely cunning, so…” Napoleon IV cut him off: “So you achieved nothing, and now you are telling your Emperor that the outside world is too dangerous, and I had better stay indoors?” Adonis immediately fell silent. The situation in Paris was extremely complicated, filled with various factions, most of which were enemies of the House of Bonaparte. These groups might not actively send assassins after the Emperor, but they were certainly willing to trip Napoleon IV up whenever they could. The police’s failure to get results was naturally due in no small part to the interference of these factions. If it were only the Jewish capitalists acting alone, without the influence of these opposing forces, repeated assassination attempts would have already exposed them long ago. After a fierce internal struggle, Minister of Police Adonis slowly said, “Your Majesty, although we lack concrete evidence, based on the motive and resources behind the attacks, it is highly likely that the masterminds are the Jews. Perhaps we should arrest the Jews within the country first…” This was the simplest approach. If evidence could not be found, then skip the evidence altogether. Whoever had the motive and the means would be arrested first. Once the suspects were in custody, they could slowly investigate. Sooner or later, they would get results. Even if it was impossible to distinguish who was truly responsible, it did not matter as they could just eliminate all the suspects. Even if a few innocent ones were killed, it would not be a problem. After all, it would still be enemies who were dying. They could chalk it up to “nipping the problem in the bud” and “removing hidden dangers ahead of time.” Napoleon IV shook his head and said, “No. The government has already reached an agreement with the Jewish capitalists and made a commitment to guarantee their personal safety. We cannot go back on our word.” Even a crafty rabbit has three burrows to hide in, how much more so for Jews, who were so accustomed to being “hunted”? Most Jewish capitalists would never put all their assets in one basket. Besides their public businesses, they secretly owned many hidden ventures as well. Since Napoleon IV had not stationed people to monitor these Jewish tycoons for decades without interruption, any attempt to seize their assets would only capture what was visible on the surface. If they encountered someone ruthless who valued money over their own life, they might squeeze nothing more out of them. Moreover, to stabilize employment, the government would even have to spend money to keep confiscated factories and enterprises running after the takeover. Under such circumstances, the real victims of the anti-Jewish movement were mostly ordinary Jews. The powerful Jewish capitalists had already gained enough leverage to negotiate with the government. For instance, by offering a hefty “ransom” payment in exchange for protection of their personal safety. *** https://postimg.cc/gallery/PwXsBkC (Maps of the current territories of the countries in this novel made by ScH)
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