In the era of the gold standard, it was impossible to not have enough reserves. Don't look at Britain, France and Austria as allies, once there is a problem with the French currency reform, it will be Britain and Austria who will be the first to take advantage of the fire.

This does not mean that other countries are friendly with France, the main thing is that they cannot afford to provoke France due to lack of strength. In this world where it is axiomatic within the range of a cannon, there are still many advantages to having a big fist.

Napoleon IV asked suspiciously: "The price of gold has been at a high level, will it also have an impact on Britain and Austria?" ”

The pound and the Aegis are both on the gold standard, and the price of gold has risen, and the price of the pound and the Aegis has also risen, and the increase in the value of the currency will also affect the export trade between Britain and Austria.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Allen replied helplessly: "Your Majesty, at present, the main international settlement currencies are the pound sterling and Aegis, and the impact of the rise in currency value on them has been minimized.

On the contrary, we suffered even more, affected by the change in the value of the currency, more and more capitalists chose to hold the pound sterling and the Aegis, and the market share of the franc continued to decline. ”

This is the power of monetary hegemony, and although Aegis and the British pound are rivals, the interests of the two countries are the same when it comes to maintaining the gold standard.

In addition to market share, Britain and Austria also occupy the vast majority of the international import and export trade market, and countries have to hold a large number of pounds sterling and Aegis.

The monetary hegemony of the United States in later generations is almost the same, knowing that holding a large number of dollars will be sheared, but there is no way, if you want to do international trade, you still have to hold it.

Unlike other countries, France can make concessions on currency issues and seek the support of Britain and Austria to complete the gold standard reform, and France can only bear it to the end.

It's not just a matter of face, it's about international status, and a lot of benefits. Once the Paris government relents, it will no longer be the three major powers that will dominate the world, but the British and Austrian divisions.

There is no doubt that the government of Paris must not compromise on this issue, otherwise the French people outside will condemn the country.

After wandering for a few steps, Napoleon IV said fiercely: "Since you can't buy enough gold from the international market, let's find a way to restore gold and silver from the countries that have the gold and silver standard."

Selling silver for gold, aren't they trying to raise the price of gold? Then we will also speculate together, and now the gold-silver exchange ratio in the market is only 1:23.5, so give me a speculation of 1:30, or even 1:40.

The price of gold has skyrocketed against silver, and the value of the British pound and the Aegis currency will also skyrocket, exceeding the limit of the market's tolerance, and I am not afraid that they will not sell gold to calm the value of the currency. ”

This is a lose-lose game, and the sudden surge in the value of the currency will inevitably affect export trade. Britain and Austria were not happy, and France was also having a hard time with the standard.

With the exception of a few financial capitalists who can make a profit, it can be said that there will be no winners. All countries involved in international trade are victims of currency instability.

I have to say that Napoleon IV was ruthless enough not to let me join the game, then I will overturn the table, and no one wants to have a good time.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Allen hurriedly dissuaded: "Your Majesty, by all means. We have not yet completed the currency reform, and the franc was the first to be hit by the sharp rise in the gold-silver exchange ratio.

If they don't compromise and let the market shock, the franc's credit system will end first, and countries that don't complete the gold standard will lose a lot as a result.

For Britain and Austria, it is also acceptable to trade short-term economic losses for the establishment of the gold standard. ”

It is not yet the era of free trade, as the two largest colonial empires in the world, Britain and Austria's largest trading partners are their own colonies.

No matter how much impact the currency value will bring, as long as the internal circulation system is not chaotic, Britain and Austria will be able to withstand it.

In addition, there are many countries that have completed the reform of the gold standard, and the value of their currencies changes in tandem, and after canceling each other, it does not affect trade.

On the contrary, the countries with the gold and silver double standard system are even worse, and the sharp changes in the exchange rate directly make many import and export enterprises unprofitable, and may even lose money and make money.

Foreign Secretary Montero chimed in: "Alan is right, if we follow the price of gold, we will fall for the enemy's tricks.

Gold reserves are insufficient, and we can also find solutions from other countries. There are also many countries that have not completed the reform of the gold standard, and we can fully exchange enough gold from them. ”

Napoleon IV nodded thoughtfully in approval. Dead Daoist friends don't die poor Dao, as long as they can solve the problem, he doesn't mind which method he uses.

When the gold standard of the European countries was reformed in the original time and space, due to the lack of sufficient reserves, it was finally solved by foreign plunder.

Now that history is back on its track, the French Empire, which has been dormant for many years, is about to show its fangs again.

……

The French do not have a very large gold shortage, and they can solve the problem by plundering them abroad, but not the rest of Europe.

Not every country had the strength to rely on colonial plunder to solve the problem, and many more had to choose to compromise with Britain and Austria in exchange for the support of both countries in currency reform.

At the Vienna Palace, looking at the great situation in front of him, Franz felt a little unreal. Isn't it a joke that the British are willing to share monetary hegemony with Austria?

The inaction of John Bull was even more of a headache for Franz, who believed that the British must have planned some kind of conspiracy, but it was not discovered.

Victim paranoia, perhaps! It's always right to be vigilant, and it's better to work in vain than to be unprepared for the consequences.

……

Winter turns to spring, and the earth exudes vitality. Every year at this time of year, Franz takes his family out on an outing.

This year is no exception, but this time the destination is a little special. Jerusalem, an ancient and legendary city, was the final stop of the event.

Because the destination is so special, there are a little more participants than usual. For example: the elderly Archduke Karl, the Queen Sufi, and the abdicated uncle Ferdinand I.

This made Franz very stressed, these old guys are not young, and if there is a slight accident on the road, he will go home for funeral.

It is impossible to persuade, and people are the true believers. As my uncle Ferdinand I said, "My greatest wish is to plant the Habsburg flag in Jerusalem."

Well, many generations of Habsburg emperors said the same thing, only they were unlucky and did not succeed in encountering the Ottoman Empire in its heyday.

Now that the opportunity has come, they can't bear it anymore. Even the honest father, who had always had little thought, said that if he died in Jerusalem, he would be with God.

If Franz hadn't stopped it, they would have run over as soon as the armistice was signed. Franz was also helpless in the face of a group of religious maniacs.

Since the Austrian reconquest of Jerusalem, there have been many pilgrims to Jerusalem from all over Europe, not to mention inside the city, but even outside the city.

In order to solve the problem of accommodation for the pilgrims, the Jerusalem City Management Committee was forced to change the original plan of demolition and reconstruction, and repaired and rebuilt the buildings in the city.

Most of the buildings were converted into inns and hotels, renovated in the shortest possible time, and then opened to the public.

Before Franz could react, Jerusalem became Austria's most famous tourist city, and any publicity, planning, and advertising were all superfluous.

This time I went to Jerusalem to be crowned, mainly for show + pretending, so the pomp and circumstance are naturally not trivial.

In order to prepare for this grand event, the Vienna government also made a bloody investment. A lot of manpower and material resources were invested in it at any cost, and Franz estimated that the final cost could be as high as tens of millions of Aegis.

Don't feel expensive, it's worth the investment. Among other things, after the reconquest of Jerusalem, Austrian rule became more secure. In the face of this good news, there is no market for messiness and ideas.

And that's just at home, but internationally, Austria's prestige has skyrocketed. Growth in soft power cannot be measured in monetary terms.

On April 3, 1875, Franz and his family set out from Vienna on a pilgrimage.

As soon as I got on the train, there were frequent accidents. First of all, his uncle Ferdinand I fell ill, well, this can only be regarded as a minor problem, he has to get sick every day, everyone is used to it.

Then her mother, Queen Sophie, fainted again, and after a period of chaos, the doctor gave the answer: the train was too fast - motion sickness.

I don't have to say, so let's slow down! Franz's special train was the fastest train of the era, theoretically capable of running at a speed of 80 yards.

Of course, this is only theoretical, the railway is not a flat river, and when it encounters a mountain road bend, it must not be able to run so fast. The average speed is only about forty or fifty yards, which is considered fast in this era.

After the deceleration, things are much better. It was supposed to arrive in the morning and evening, but it was delayed until the next day to arrive in Venice, and even the transportation was affected.

This is only a small problem, it is nothing more than an extra day of closure of the railway from Venice to Vienna, and the damage is not too big. When it came to Venice, the test really began, in addition to Franz, the seasick emperor, there was also a family of old and weak women and children.