Mediterranean Hegemony Road

There is no free lunch in the world!

After the alliance between Bulgaria and Russia, Bulgaria's comprehensive national strength has achieved considerable development, which has at least tripled compared to the same period in history.

Now it has to be controlled by others. Once there is no such alliance, Bulgaria's national strength will be abolished by at least three layers!

Since he was about to be slaughtered, Ferdinand also decided that the lion would open his mouth. Anyway, no matter how much he paid, he could get it back from the Ottoman Empire.

Aren't the French rich and rich? Well, let's borrow a little more, it's no problem to have a mortgage, whether it's the right of way or the tax can be negotiated!

One billion francs, as long as you are willing to lend, Ferdinand said, even if you want the Royal Palace of Sofia as a mortgage!

What? You want to build the railway, yes! Do you see what other roads can be built in Bulgaria now? Go and fix it! Anyway, the main roads are almost repaired, and it is none of our business to lose money on other routes!

What? Want a tax mortgage? sure! Now Bulgaria's most important trading partner, the Russian Empire, is basically equal to zero tariffs.

As for trade with other countries? The biggest item is the export of agricultural products, which is directly tariff-free! The largest imported goods are mechanical products. Anything in urgent need in Bulgaria is also duty-free!

In fact, the proportion of Bulgaria's customs revenue in the fiscal is already very low! That's seven or eight million levs a year, whatever you do, the Bulgarian market is so big?

A typical dead pig is not afraid of boiling water!

This is the current state of Ferdinand. Anyway, Bulgaria's plate is so big now, and it is attached to the Russian Empire in international politics. If the French have too much appetite, it will inevitably affect the interests of the Russians!

It is obvious that this time the French-Russian joint group is formed, the Russian banking consortium has limited strength, and the French talents are the gold masters. The obvious purpose is to use the loan to control the Bulgarian economy.

France and Russia are likely to reach an agreement, the Russians will further expand their influence in Bulgaria, and the French will gain economic benefits!

In this regard, Ferdinand is under no pressure at all. Now the major industries in Bulgaria are already under their own control, and the railways are completely owned by the government.

Any foreign capital involved must abide by his rules, otherwise you can feel what it means to be unable to move!

Unless the French make a "French Concession", but this possibility is infinitely zero, the Russians will be the first to refuse!

After the alliance between Bulgaria and Russia, the industrial and commercial circles of the two countries were the first to move closer together, and the tariffs fell again and again. If France established a concession, wouldn’t it give French goods an opportunity to enter the Russian Empire and evade tariffs?

Unlike Bulgaria's small arms and calves, France at the end of the 19th century was an industrial powerhouse. If there was no tariff protection, it is estimated that the nascent national bourgeoisie in Russia would not be able to withstand the impact!

...

Nicholas II, who was far away in St. Petersburg, also had a headache for Bulgaria's loan request. It's actually quite funny to say that, apart from direct economic benefits, the Russian government doesn't know what to expect?

Talk about tariffs! I'm sorry, but the little tariffs between Bulgaria and Russia are still tariffs? Even the salaries of the customs staff are not enough. If it weren't for the purpose of checking illegal businessmen using this channel to smuggle goods from other countries, the customs would be too lazy to check!

In charge of the tariffs of other countries, it is to facilitate the export of its own goods, but it is completely unnecessary for Bulgaria!

As for opening a factory? Well, Bulgaria welcomes Russian businessmen to invest in the past. As long as you have money, you can invest in arsenals. As long as you can sell it, of course the Bulgarian military will not buy it!

mineral resources? Nicholas II expressed disdain. Is Bulgaria still the largest importer of Russian minerals?

As for other religious and cultural exports? Is this a condition? Now the folk cultural exchanges between the two countries,

Is it less? On the streets of Russia, Bulgarian novels are still being sung; on the streets of Bulgaria, the poetry of the Russian Empire is also indispensable!

The languages ​​of the two countries are similar, the characters are similar, and even the religious customs are similar. There is no problem in the communication between the two sides, not even translation is needed. There is no need for the government to intervene!

Can't blame Bulgaria for being too cooperative? Russia is exporting culture to Bulgaria, and Bulgaria is also exporting culture to the Russian Empire. Is the birthplace of ancient Russian still in Sofia?

Sometimes the younger brother is too cooperative, which is also a problem! At least now, the Russian Empire has to consider the feelings of Bulgaria, and cannot make excessive conditions and destroy the friendly relations between the two countries!

"Prime Minister, what additional demands do you think we can make now?" Nicholas II asked depressedly

The Prime Minister smiled and said: "Your Majesty, it seems that we don't need to mention any conditions now. As long as we continue to maintain friendly exchanges between the two countries, perhaps in thirty or fifty years' time, there will be a highly autonomous Bulgarian Grand Duchy under the Russian Empire!"

The crowd burst into laughter. That's right, in theory, the economies of the two countries are tied together. It is cultural export and immigration. After 30 to 50 years, a new generation has grown up. It is natural for the two sides to unite as one!

Since it is part of the Russian Empire sooner or later, it doesn't matter if you take advantage of the time for the Bulgarians, which also serves as a benchmark for the unification of the entire Slavic nation!

At this time, the Minister of the Navy suddenly said: "Your Majesty, we can actually strengthen the military ties between the two countries, and even support the Bulgarians to control the Black Sea Strait when the time is right!"

Nicholas II knew in his heart that the navy had always been fond of the Black Sea Strait, but after the strategic focus of the Russian Empire moved eastward, he no longer had the energy to compete for the Black Sea Strait.

After all, the European powers, with the exception of France, probably did not welcome the Russian navy into the Mediterranean!

Don't listen to what the British say, carve up the Ottomans, and the Russian Empire will gain the coast of the Black Sea Strait. Once the Russian Navy really rushes out of the Black Sea and enters the Mediterranean Sea, it will be another situation!

Whether it is the British, Italians, Spaniards, or Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, they will all become obstacles to the Russian Empire. Although the Mediterranean Sea is large, it cannot accommodate so many forces!

Before Nicholas II did not carve up the Ottomans with the British, he just knew that he would face too many enemies when he entered the Mediterranean! Once you're in it, it's hard to jump out!

If it doesn't work, the British will be besieged and beaten up again, and it will be a small matter to be beaten back. Let the British or any other powers control any part of the strait, and the life of the Russian Empire will not be easy!

The Turks could master the strait, and that was because the Ottoman Empire was weak and did not have the guts to cut off the major sea arteries of the Russian Empire! Try a British one? A bad one, cut off the connection of the Russian Empire to the world in minutes!