Chapter 2808 Ambition 4
"This matter is not difficult and can be handled by the people below. But I always feel that there is not much practical benefit from this operation. I need to expand my own strength instead of cheering for others." The crown prince said with some dissatisfaction.
"How could there be no interest? First of all, you are the governor-general of the Polish Viceroyalty of the Empire. The position of the Viceroyalty is between a province and a principality. You have certain independent rights. From this point of view, if you are interested in the United States If you erect trade barriers for your products, you can gain the support of a large number of German businessmen and factory owners. If you are willing to push the relevant trade restriction policies to pass in the Imperial Parliament, then I think you will benefit a lot, both economically and politically. Qian, do you know how much funding Krupp, Siemens, and Bayer Chemical provide for political lobbying every year?”
"Secondly, confrontation with the United States is not just an economic confrontation. Once the alliance between the United States and Germany breaks down, an arms race between each other will be inevitable! Well, as the crown prince, as you still have a military position, you can There are more things to do. You can use your influence to place trustworthy people in the Black Wing Knights into the army in the future expansion of the army. They will become the sword to safeguard your status and rights in the future, and armaments Development means orders, and this is something that can work. After all, you will be in Berlin for a few hours, while Prince Albert does not have much influence on the center. You can always appear in the center of the power stage. And play your own role, aren't these benefits enough?" Count Malwitz asked rhetorically.
"That sounds good?" The Crown Prince suddenly realized, "If this matter is entrusted to you, can you help me handle it?"
"That is my honor, Your Majesty. The future will prove that your decision is extremely wise." The old earl said.
"Okay, then the next question is Turkey!" the crown prince said: "Turkey is a very important country, not only because it was our ally, but more importantly because it is the second largest oil producer in the entire Allied system. , and the agricultural products and industrial and mining products of Asia Minor and Mesopotamia are also important resources. No one will think that their money is enough, even the emperor. Bavaria used to monopolize Turkey's oil production through various means, but now Bavaria still has I want to continue like this, but obviously, their idea has caused public outrage, and all aspects of the empire are boycotting Bavaria, and I want to do something about this matter!"
"Especially economically, if possible, I hope that after the civil strife in Turkey ends, we can have an oil field in the Mesopotamia, and then I will invest in the construction of a petrochemical plant. Well, that's it!" The crown prince's words were full of The vision for the future!
"It is still a bit difficult to do this, because although discussions have begun within the empire, it seems that they are not anxious about the situation in Turkey. It will not be good for us to enter the situation prematurely. We just need to wait, and then at the most critical moment Always side with the person most likely to win," the old count said.
"What if the most likely winner is Bavaria? Do we have to side with Ruprecht to deal with my father?" the Crown Prince said dissatisfied.
"Then it's best for you to remain silent, but this kind of thing should not happen. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince should be more concerned about Turkey's future political direction and the domestic situation. Some economic benefits can be transferred. For example, the original foreign relations with the Caucasus The allocation of oil fields. This matter can be taken slowly, you can do some preliminary work, and treat it as the first important matter you handle personally." The old count said.
“This matter is very challenging,” the crown prince said. "But I like it, and I want to try it too!"
"By the way, Marwitz, what do you think of Lieutenant General Esterov? Is this person reliable?" the Crown Prince said with a flash of his eyes.
"At least he is qualified for the current job. He can well communicate with the General Staff in Berlin, and at the same time he can maintain the security of a city like Warsaw." The old count spoke carefully.
"What if I want him to take on more important responsibilities? For example, training my guards?" the crown prince continued.
"He is a lieutenant general. Your Highness, do you want a lieutenant general to be in charge of your guard? This is a treatment that even His Majesty the Kaiser has never had. Your guard only has one regiment." The old count said.
"That's just my guard regiment. In today's Germany, if we don't have a strong enough military force, we simply can't maintain our power." The Crown Prince said. "I do not seek to have an independent army like other kingdoms, but I must have a certain degree of die-hard loyalty in the officer corps! I need people to train some capable people, and then I will use my identity and rights to send them to The top brass of the German military, and then they want my loyalty!"
"Lieutenant General Estroff is already older, and his status in the army has risen to the top. He will not be promoted higher. What awaits him is retirement in a few years, but after all, he is A staunch royalist, and has a lot of connections in the army, especially on the Eastern Front. If possible, we can make some choices from his juniors or subordinates. And him? He served for We offer our loyalty, and we will finally give him the rank of general and return home with honor." The old earl thought for a while and said.
"You seem to be more inclined to train an officer from a low-level position, rather than directly buying high-level officers?" the crown prince asked.
"Well, the officer corps is essentially the embodiment of high-level Junker nobles in the army. They have prominent status, complicated backgrounds and relationships. It takes a huge amount of money to bribe them. Moreover, these people are sometimes unreliable because they The power is so great that even if they join a new master, they can still gain a very high status. So sometimes they are emboldened! In fact, after the civil strife, I personally recommend weakening the officer corps, at least It is necessary to limit the control of the great nobles over the officer corps. Of course, if you can make progress in the military and become the same as Duke Albrecht, then it will naturally be the best." said the old count.
"Okay, we'll discuss this issue later," the Crown Prince said.
The conversation between the two lasted until dawn. During this conversation, the two talked about a lot of things, some of which were about venting their emotions, and some of which were plans for the outside world. But there is no doubt that from this day on, Crown Prince William officially decided To develop an independent political force, he made arrangements and was eager for the opportunity, and this opportunity did not make him wait too long!
Two updates today~~~! Please subscribe and reward~~~!