Chapter 132 Crisis

Wilhelm, who was discussing matters with several senior executives, received news that the resource exploration department had found a tungsten mine in the Alps.

"That's great!" Everyone present was extremely excited. After all, everyone knows the importance of tungsten ore. But after seeing the location of the tungsten mine marked on the map, everyone's excitement was instantly reduced by half. "This place is too remote, and infrastructure construction alone will cost a lot of manpower and material resources."

"It's simple." Wilhelm said easily. "Reinhard, send a group of people from the concentration camp to work in the mountains." Ordinary workers need to be paid, and pensions must be paid if there are casualties in accidents; but in these concentration camps, the prisoners only need to take care of food. And so far, Germany's various imports are still unimpeded. This important strategic secret must of course be kept. Once the import channels are blocked during wartime, tungsten ore production there can be started immediately. Just like Libyan oil, it is hidden as a backup and can be used immediately when you want to use it. "I don't want to know the process, just the result. All facilities will be built in one year." This sentence decided the tragic fate of those people.

Reinhard stood up and saluted. "Please rest assured, Your Highness, and promise to complete the mission."

After talking for a while, Wilhelm ended the meeting and stopped Economic Minister Walther Funk and Reinhard. "Mr. Walther, it's okay to say whatever you want." Just now, Wilhelm noticed that the minister was hesitant to speak several times. "Is there something wrong with the empire's economy?"

Minister Walther said with a look of shame. "Your Highness, the economic situation of the empire is somewhat pessimistic, and the fiscal deficit is approaching a dangerous level. Moreover, this year's unemployment rate may exceed 5%."

Wilhelm adopted drastic reforms and launched countless large-scale projects to give every citizen something to do. This not only solved the employment problem, but also enabled the country to develop rapidly. Unfortunately, with the improvement of domestic infrastructure and the crazy development of industry, it is no longer possible to solve employment and stimulate economic growth through normal commodity production and infrastructure investment.

Then we can only expand armaments and prepare for war, and solve the problem of affluent labor force and industrial overcapacity by developing military power and military industry. In this way, domestic funds, resources, and labor are tilted crazily towards the military field. This militaristic approach to military expansion and war preparations has stimulated the growth of the German economy. This year, Germany's military expenditure has accounted for half of its fiscal revenue.

Crazy military investment led to a sharp expansion of military power, allowing Germany to quickly emerge as a military power. But when military production capacity reaches a certain level, it reaches a bottleneck again.

In fact, Germany is not alone in encountering this dilemma. Even the United States on the other side of the Atlantic cannot escape this pattern.

Roosevelt's New Deal was to prevent the country's economic collapse and alleviate social conflicts, but it did not fundamentally solve the problems of large-scale unemployment and underemployment. Because the national fiscal investment of Roosevelt's New Deal was infrastructure, it did not contribute much to improving the industrial structure and generating new economic growth points. Without new growth points, the economy will develop according to its original model, and of course it will be difficult to get out of the trough. Relying on the market economy to find new growth points on your own will take more time, and it will be faster than the government-led development of new economic growth points. The Second World War that happened to break out at this time forced the governments of developed capitalist countries to take the initiative in developing new economic growth points.

Because the war is related to the honor and disgrace of the participating countries, the life and death of the people of the participating countries, and the personal political future and life safety of the leaders of the participating countries. Therefore, as the governments of the United States, Germany, and Britain, which were leading the world's scientific and technological trends at that time, they all tried their best to apply the most advanced scientific results at that time to the military field.

These scientific achievements that have passed the test in the military field have come into full play after the war and have become emerging growth points in various civilian economic fields.

For example, internal combustion engines and gas turbine technologies have replaced steam engines and become the power source for various mechanical devices. Radar has become an indispensable tool for civil aviation navigation and air control. Penicillin prompted the entire antibiotic family to enter the medical industry and promoted the development of the pharmaceutical industry. The birth of electronic computers made various types of automatic control possible, which promoted the progress of all industries in the world and gave birth to the information industry. In this way, the entire world's macroeconomics is back on the road to prosperity.

It can be said that Roosevelt's greatest contribution was to allow the United States to survive until the outbreak of World War II.

If Germany's area (370,000 square kilometers) was even one-tenth that of the United States (9.37 million square kilometers), or if it had one or two colonies that could be used for blood transfusions, he would have wanted to compete with the United States to see who would collapse first. Unfortunately, The reality is so cruel. "How long can the empire's economy last?"

Minister Walther sighed. "It may take a year, but after a year and a half there will be nothing we could do."

"..." Wilhelm nodded slightly. In fact, the German economy in this time and space is much better than that in the original time and space, at least he hasn't come up with things like Mefo bills yet. (The so-called Mefo bills are not currency or valuable things. They are simple printed matter. To put it simply, they are white slips. For businessmen, the Mefo bills are government credit bonds that support the construction of Germany. They are patriotic. Investors use this method to support the rise of their own countries, and speculators use this method to earn unlimited benefits.)

Do you want to get Mefo bills now? After thinking for a while, Wilhelm slowly spoke. "Transfer 10 billion from the account of Zeus Company to the treasury. Reinhard, send someone to Bloom later and ask them to come up with 20 billion. Tsk, it sounds like robbery, so just treat it as such. Sell them a piece of news. Tell them that in one year we will sweep across Europe." He prefers the steady flow of water over killing the goose that lays the eggs.

After speaking, he picked up the phone and dialed a number. "Uncle Bowen, here's Wilhelm, how is your health lately?" Wilhelm still respects the old Bowen who has fully supported him from the beginning. After chatting for a while, we got down to business. "I am going to sell 5% of the equity in Zeus, divided into 100 shares, and sold at auction. Please help me spread the news. Of course, I have reserved 0.5% of the share for you."

After talking to Old Bowen, Wilhelm called the Ministry of Defense. "Your Excellency, General Rundstedt, continue to expand the army and recruit... half a million more. How many Jews have joined the army so far? More than 80,000? Are they obedient? That's good." Wilhelm thought to himself about those Judahs. The elders are so charismatic that they can actually get the young men of Judah to put aside all the rules and regulations in the army and train seriously.

Wilhelm put down the phone and looked at Minister Walther. "This money should be enough to last for a while, right?"

Minister Walther showed sincere admiration. "Your Highness, Hail Hohenzollern!"

Holy shit. Wilhelm complained in his heart, the empire is his, if the empire collapses, will he be the sole commander alone?