Time is a pig-killing knife, no matter how much the two countries insist, they have to bow their heads in the face of time.

After more than two months of negotiations, on July 18, 1881, the two countries finally reached an agreement with the mediation of the parties.

Really reluctantly, neither the tsarist government nor the Berlin government were satisfied with this peace treaty.

It's just that there is not much food left at home, so in order to avoid starvation, they have to compromise.

Just because the war is over doesn't mean you don't have to spend money. Pensions for dead and disabled soldiers, resettlement of retired officers and soldiers, and post-war economic reconstruction all require a large amount of money.

Prussia and Russia do not dare to spend all their money bags, and the government has no emergency funds, which is not as simple as financial bankruptcy.

If you don't place the GIs properly, there will be a big mess. Mutinies are trivial, and what I am most afraid of is that someone will come as soon as they raise their arms and shout "revolution".

Britain, France and Austria have made it clear that the international community will consider helping only if an armistice treaty is signed.

In recent years, Britain, France and Austria have been the international community, and the positions of the three countries are the same, and the rest of the countries together are not at the top of the matter.

Post-war reconstruction can be postponed, but disarmament and resettlement are imperative, and without the financial support of the international community, even the Russian Empire, which won the war, cannot withstand it.

Both Prussia and Russia made concessions, or the three countries helped them make concessions, and the treaty reads:

1. The Kingdom of Prussia admits defeat and takes responsibility for the war;

2. Cession of the regions of East Prussia, West Prussia, and Poznan to the Russian Empire;

3. The Kingdom of Prussia paid 360 million Aegis to the Russian Empire as war reparations, to be paid in 30 years at an annual interest rate of 6%;

(Note: The first batch of 60 million Aegis will be paid, and the principal and interest and 1798652 Aegis will be paid every month thereafter, totaling 707.51 million Aegis)

4. After the Berlin government pays the first reparations, the Russian army must withdraw from the territory of the Kingdom of Prussia within a month;

5. The two sides complete the exchange of captives within one month, and no ransom will be charged;

……

The apology and the like are not the point, the real core is just a few, especially the land cutting and compensation.

The land has already been occupied by the Russians, there is no need to hand it over, and now there is only money left. That's when it was Hannover's turn.

To everyone's astonishment, on July 19, 1881, the governments of Hanover and Berlin jointly published the Agreement between the Kingdom of Prussia and the Kingdom of Hanover on Land Transactions, which stipulated:

The Kingdom of Prussia sold the Duchy of Schleswig-Holstein and the territory west of the Elbe to the Kingdom of Hanover for a whopping 210 million pounds.

On July 20, 1881, the Hanover government signed a £150 million loan agreement with the British financial community. (about 300 million Aegis)

With the borrowed 150 million and the 60 million they had raised, at the end of July 1881, the Hanover and Berlin governments completed the most expensive territorial deal in history.

The money was received, which should have been a comforting thing, but unfortunately the money was only passed through the hands of the Berlin government.

The 150 million pounds provided by the British were to be used to pay off the debts owed to them by the Berlin government on a priority basis, which was obviously not enough, so it was simply gone.

Obvious overlord clause, unfortunately there is no place to complain, the Berlin government can only admit it.

The remaining £60 million was in hand, and when the first war reparations were paid to the Russians, that figure was immediately cut in half.

The last 30 million pounds, the Berlin government still can't keep it, the disarmament resettlement, casualty compensation is almost spent, and the funds for post-war reconstruction are not known.

A two-loan loan, while reducing the risk of funds, and earning two interest, the British let everyone understand what is the operation of the financial gods.

……

In the Vienna Palace, looking at the operation of the British gods, Franz couldn't help but want to follow suit, and finally helplessly found that there was no object to perform.

Putting down the papers in his hand, Franz lamented: "The Hanover government was able to raise 60 million pounds of its own, and it seems that we have always underestimated their financial strength, and these small states in Germany may be much richer than we thought." ”

Prime Minister Felix replied: "The performance of the Hannover government has been somewhat surprising, but it is understandable.

After entering the modern era, the economy of North Germany developed rapidly, especially after the acquisition of the Rhineland, the overall economy of the German Federal Empire has risen to a higher level.

Hanover controlled the central government, and although it was not politically able to control the small states in the country, it still influenced each other economically.

The government in Hanover raised £60 million, which can also be considered the German federal government raised £60 million.

This was the result of insufficient local control by the central government, otherwise there would be no problem in doubling this figure in the economic situation of the Federal German Empire.

However, the price of this territorial transaction is still too high, and it has greatly exceeded the actual value, and it may not be possible to recover the cost of these new territories for a hundred years.

For a long time to come, the Hannover government will be saddled with huge debts, which will greatly affect their economy. ”

The Federal Empire of Germany occupies the most elite area of the German region, and the natural conditions are very superior, and more than seventy percent of the industry of the Second German Empire in the original time and space is located here.

With such a foundation, as long as the ruling class is not stupid, the economy will not be much worse.

It is precisely because of the developed economy that so many people in the Austrian government will never forget this place.

If it was really a poor rural area, with European cultural traditions, it is estimated that everyone would have forgotten this place long ago.

The most typical is the Swiss region, which is still the ancestral land of the Habsburgs, but because the mountains are so poor, everyone selectively does not see them.

Foreign Secretary Wessenberg: "Although the bid is a little higher and there is a huge debt, the Kingdom of Hanover is not at a loss.

They paid such a big price financially, and the Berlin government must have made concessions elsewhere.

If nothing else, the two countries have reached an agreement in secret, and only a suitable time is left to announce the news to the public.

Theoretically, after the Prussian-Han confluence, they would have a chance to truly control the Federal German Empire and establish the envisioned North German Empire.

With the integration of the North German region, these debts are nothing. ”

Everyone said it was expensive, and Franz was embarrassed to say it was cheap. Reality tells him that when he disagrees with most people, it's best to remain silent unless necessary.

It is normal for everyone to have different experiences, look at problems differently, and draw different conclusions.

Franz waved his hand: "Okay, it doesn't matter whether Hanover lost or earned.

Their so-called big plan will take a long time to implement, and we have time to think about it.

Now let's talk about the application for a 50 million Aegis loan from the tsarist government. ”

The war is really terrible, and the Russians, who have received war reparations, are still making money shortages.

It was really not that the tsarist government spent money indiscriminately, although the amount of reparations that Prussia had to pay was not small, but the first indemnity was only 60 million Aegis.

This figure seems very large, but it is only insignificant compared to the millions of troops mobilized by the tsarist government, and the number of dead and disabled in the war.

Most of the soldiers of the Russian army are paid very low, almost negligible, and only a small amount of subsidies are paid during the war.

Now that the battle has been won, if everyone is to be disarmed and returned to the field, a severance pay is indispensable.

Based on the disarmament of 3 million, each person will pay me 20 Aegis, and all of a sudden 60 million will be gone. Even if it's a discount, you have to pay 3,000 Aegis.

In fact, 30 million Aegis is definitely not enough, the treatment of officers is not comparable to that of ordinary soldiers, and the standard of dismissal is naturally different.

Cutting standards?

This is already a very low estimate, and in Austria this is only two months' wages for the average worker. People have sold their lives on the battlefield, and the price is very low.

Those who survived were solved, and the dead and disabled could not be so hasty, otherwise no one would have given their lives to the tsar.

1.433 million were killed in battle, 671,000 were disabled, and without hundreds of millions of Aegis, it would not have been possible at all. Fortunately, it can be paid in installments, otherwise the tsarist government will not be able to make up for the bankruptcy.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Karl proposed: "Your Majesty, the Russians are in a very bad financial situation, and even with the Prussian war reparations, they are still not out of the crisis.

There are still huge risks in granting them loans. Unless the tsarist government can offer conditions that we cannot refuse, it is not advisable to undertake loans to Russia. ”

Not only is the risk huge, it is a huge pit. The end of the war is not the end of the crisis.

Without the orders brought by the war, the excess capacity in the market is consumed, the number of inventories of enterprises is rising, and the economic crisis is already brewing.

Once the crisis broke out, the Kingdom of Prussia, which was in ruins, would certainly not be able to bear it, and the Berlin government declared bankruptcy, and the Russians could not collect war reparations.

No one knows whether the tsarist government will be able to hold on to this income.

Foreign Secretary Wesenberg objected: "It is very unwise to lend money to the Russians now, purely economically.

But from the side, it's also an opportunity. We can put forward higher conditions for the greater good.

If the Tsar is willing to fully support our annexation of the Ottoman Empire, I think this loan can still be released. ”

The phrase "rob while the fire is hot" came to Franz's mind, and it never lingered again.

The Ottoman Empire was Austria's next strategic target, and it was easy to defeat the Ottomans, but it was difficult to annex them.

Britain, France and Russia are the biggest obstacles, and because of geopolitical relations, the Russians still have a say in this issue above Britain and France.

Prior to this, Franz's plan was to divide the Ottoman Empire with the Russians, but how could it be compared to monopolity?

The exclusive annexation of the Ottoman Empire not only connects the mainland and the Middle East, but also extends Austria's influence to Central Asia, which is of great strategic significance.

Soon Franz came to his senses, such a big benefit, it is certainly not so easy to eat in the stomach.

The Russians are not stupid either, having the British as an opponent is enough for them to stand it, and with Austria in it, it will be even more difficult for them to recapture Central Asia.

Franz shook his head: "You can test the Russians, but don't get your hopes up, the tsarist government has not yet reached the point of exhaustion." ”

……