36) Double Jeopardy
The Ottoman Empire is already the greatest enemy of the Bulgarian and Russian capitalists! This point was felt most deeply by Ferdinand, who was called the biggest capitalist in Bulgaria.
It s okay to say that the industrial products of Bulgaria are not a big deal to sell to the Russian Empire. The Ottoman Empire also blocked the entry of Western European industrial goods, which is considered a mutual benefit!
But what about agricultural exports? The Russians don't need to import food, they can't even eat all their own food, and they need to export it?
Being scraped by the Ottomans gave the Bulgarian government tax exemptions for businesses to ensure their competitiveness. Even so, the profits from exports were minimal!
Ferdinand's Shuanghui Food Development pays more than 30 million Leva in import and export duties to the Ottoman Empire every year, a pain in the neck!
Cutting off people's money is like killing their parents!
Located on the Black Sea, this golden channel, the Ottoman Empire can ensure the Russian hatred to its full value! Of course, Romania's feelings it is estimated to be similar. The export of agricultural products is still to be hard to cut a good scrap!
If the Ottoman Empire was strong, it was just that everyone was no longer unhappy and also had to put up and tolerate. It is a pity that now he is in decline. It will pull the hatred!
Even if the Russian government can endure for the sake of the greater good, the aristocratic lords of the country, for the sake of profit, are absolutely intolerable!
Otherwise, the Russian government would not find the chance to send a fleet over instantly; Ferdinand would not be anxious to overthrow the Ottoman Empire. It is the interest that he has to force out!
This point is also obvious to the Bulgarian government. It knows that cooperation with the Russians is to seek help from the tiger, but there is no choice. The Ottoman Empire, he must take out the obstacle!
If not, Bulgaria would not want to be well, the old Ottoman Empire sucked blood through tariffs, and the benefits of industrialization were taken away by the Turks!
Of course, the Sultan's government will probably say they are wronged. The tariff they received in the Black Sea is already very low, lower than most countries' tariffs! Who dares to make trouble with this guy, who can't even hide from him?
Nobody is guilty of sin, but you are guilty of sin! 1)
The Turkish Straits is the throat of West Asia, North Africa, and Southern Europe to the Black Sea. It is the only way for the Russian Empire, Bulgaria, and Romania to enter the Mediterranean Sea, which has always been a place of struggle for soldiers.
It is a golden channel through which tens of thousands of ships pass every year, with a total tonnage of tens of millions of tons and tariff revenues of tens of millions of pounds!
With so many factors added together, the Ottoman Empire's relations with the Russian Empire, Romania, and Bulgaria were predictable.
If strategic issues can still be compromised, there is no way to talk about economic strife! No way. Who called these countries not rich?
Let the Ottoman Empire give up collecting tariffs. It is obvious that it is impossible. That is the same as killing his old life!
Other than state revenues, there is no shortage of benefits for the Turkish aristocrats; if they are cut off, the sultan's position will be unstable!
Not to mention Bulgaria. How can it gain further development without annexing the European part of the Ottoman Empire? Raw materials, markets, where to find them?
This aspect of the Romanian attitude can be ignored, not bordering with the Ottomans on land and the sea that can be similar to the Bulgarian 'sea police' fleet, but also the ability to go to the Turks to seek bad luck!
The Russian, no doubt, their appetite is the biggest, but people have the strength to back it up! If it were not for the mutual restraint of the Great Powers, it is estimated that the target would not just be Constantinople.
Asia Minor and Georgia are all good choices, which are very much in line with their operation of turning the Black Sea into an inland sea!
The Sultan wanted to compromise with them, but he couldn't! That is, the strategic focus of the Russian Empire is now in the Far East. Otherwise, if Ferdinand had the guts, he would not dare to seek a tiger's skin, right?
...
The Minister of Industry and Commerce Vladimir Ivanov went on to say: "Your Highness, judging from the situation in 1895, our import and export trade for the coming year, the main point of growth is still the Russian Empire.
Except for a few specialty products and other industrial and commercial goods in the global market, still difficult to make a breakthrough!
Taking into account the possibility of a war outbreak in the next two years, we have decided to temporarily restrict the export of many agricultural products and switch to unified government purchases as a strategic material reserve!
The economic growth rate in the coming year may drop sharply, and certain industries may even experience negative growth!
At the same time, the government is coordinating with the major domestic businesses so that they can be ready to implement a wartime economy if necessary. Since there has already been an experience in the previous Bulgarian-Serbian War, the problem should not be too big!"
...
After thinking about it, Ferdinand asked again, "How much of our loan, has been in place?"
"Your Highness, the loans we have made with the major European consortia have basically been put in place, and the first batch of loans promised by the French have been granted!"
Speaking of this, Minister of Finance Kennedy halted for a moment and said with some difficulty: "But regarding the naval loan of 300 million Leva, the French did not allocate all of it to us.
Except for 20 million Leva for the construction of naval ports, and 30 million Leva for the construction of shipyards, they allocated all other funds directly to the naval fleet!
The Ministry of Finance has negotiated with them several times, all to no avail. They gave because to ensure that the naval military expenditure could be used for specific purposes, they reduced the middle link and allocated it directly to the Navy!"
Ferdinand's face paled and then recovered, knowing that this was a joint French-Russian effort to trap Bulgaria, but 'when a man stands under eaves, he has to lower his head'2)!
He said coldly: "Forget it, this money is not so easy to take! It has already been in someone's pocket. If you want to take it out again, it's not that simple!
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs protested to the French and the Russians, and even if we suffer a loss, we must eat the loss in public."
Prime Minister Konstantin said worriedly: "Your Highness, now that the military expenses are directly allocated to the navy, it's bad for us!
I was already on this Russian fleet. There is no binding. Now the influence is even less, and the future war broke out. I'm afraid it will not be moving!"
Ferdinand sighed and said: "There is no need to worry about this aspect. The Turkish Straits is much more important to the Russians than we are, do not fear they will not cooperate!
After the war and gaining access to the Mediterranean Sea, the Turkish Straits' economic value has been reduced to a minimum; as for the military value, wait until our own navy grows up and then consider it!
It's still too early to say this. We don't dare to take it over without the Russians, even if the Turkish Straits is given to us!"
At this moment, Ferdinand had to envy those who traversed in previous times. Other people are quickly getting a big navy all the time, with three years to catch up with Britain and the United States and five years to fight the world.
Here he is, he has been tossing and turning for seven or eight years, and so far, he has just knocked over a Serbia. Not to mention to engage in storm clouds around the world, a Balkan has not been done, it is simply a disgrace to the traversers!
Translator:
1) It refers to the ability to make a disaster out of wealth and treasure. Later, it also refers to a person with talent and ideals but suffers.
2) It means one often has to concede when they are in a disadvantaged position