Greece’s Roman Road

After returning from Costerbloom's manor, he happened to meet the Greek ambassador to Constantinople, Lundhardt, and returned to Greece to report on his duties.

After hearing the news, Constantine specially invited Lundhardt to Tatoi Palace in order to understand the current situation of the Ottoman Empire.

In the reception room, Constantine and Renthardt met.

"Your Excellency Ambassador, I called you here because I want to learn some news about the Ottoman Empire from you," Constantine said.

"As far as I know, the Ottomans, with the help of the Germans, are overhauling the railways in the country."

Ambassador Lundhardt put down the coffee in his hand and said, "Your Highness, the Ottomans simply cannot afford the high cost of the railway, and their finances are now bankrupt."

The core territory of the Ottoman Empire, Asia Minor, is a plateau terrain with rolling hills and ravines. If you want to build a railway in such a place, it will cost you several times as much as on the plain.

"But as far as I know, the German construction team is still building railways in the Ottoman territory." Constantine was surprised.

"The Ottoman Empire's finances are now unsustainable. After hearing the news, the ambassadors of the European powers in Constantinople are going in and out at the High Gate (the representative of the Ottoman government) every day, just to win the Ottoman Empire. The right to build the Asia Minor Railway," Hadrent said.

Britain, Russia, France, and Germany must covet this road.

Once the Ottoman traffic artery is controlled, its influence on the Ottomans will be far more than other countries, and the minerals and agricultural products in the Ottoman Empire are at your fingertips.

Through such a railway, it is easier for the goods of the controlling country to be sold within the Ottoman Empire, while the goods of other countries are excluded.

"Your Highness, what do you think, such an inland communication line, which of the powerful countries has no desire?"

"Then, Your Excellency Ambassador, which country do you think is most likely to win this competition?" Constantine asked curiously.

Although Little Nobel got the news that Germany intends to build the triple-B railway, it is the Germans' own will after all.

"Germany" Hadrent said without hesitation.

"Is there any special reason? Why is it Germany and not other countries?" Constantine wondered.

"Because Germany is a newly rising power, it is the most powerful and powerful," Lundhardt explained to Constantine.

"First of all, Russia will definitely not have the chance to build this railway"

"At first, Russia and the Ottomans are a feud. If Russia were to build this railway, the Sultan would not be able to sleep at night. Maybe one day, the tsar's army will ride the railway built all the way to the city of Constantinople. ”

"Secondly, the Trans-Siberian Railway is being built in Russia, and the funds for the Russians to build the railway are borrowed from abroad (mainly from France). Where do they have extra money, it is difficult to build a railway in the Ottoman territory. Probably not inferior to the Ottoman Railway of the Trans-Siberian Railway?"

Constantine pondered Lundhardt's analysis and nodded again and again, it really makes sense.

"So, although the Russians also participated in the scramble for the construction rights of the Minor Sicily Railway, it was more like disturbing other countries and muddying the water.

"France has always had plans for Lebanon, and continued to infiltrate it economically and politically. The Ottoman Empire couldn't see it. To let the French build this railway is also to lead wolves into the house."

"Then why can't the British get the right to build this railway? The British have had a good relationship with the Ottomans for a long time," Constantine asked rhetorically.

The Ottoman Empire was able to persevere until now after the Russians were defeated several times in the Russo-Turkish war, and was not swallowed alive by Russia. The British contributed a lot.

In order to maintain the political and military balance of power in Europe, blocking Russia in the Black Sea and blocking its access to the Mediterranean has always been the goal of the British (and possibly the French), and in the Crimean War, the two countries even ended up personally. , Nearly one million troops fought on the coast of the Black Sea, just to dispel Russia's idea of ​​​​the Ottoman Empire.

In this regard, the UK is really a very likely choice.

"Without Germany's participation, the right to build the railway would be the most likely to be won by the British," Lundhart said.

"However, recently, the United Kingdom has also personally stepped down and divided up a lot of Ottoman territory."

Although Egypt was still nominally a vassal of the Ottoman Empire, the British actually controlled Egypt.

At the same time, during the Russo-Turkish War in 1878, while the Ottomans were in panic, the British took the island of Cyprus from the Ottomans.

"So, now Ottoman doesn't trust the British as much as before," Lundhardt explained.

"Now the Ottoman foreign policy is to win over the various powers and let them restrain each other, so that the Ottoman Empire can benefit from the disputes between the powers"

Constantine pondered, isn't this using barbarians to control barbarians?

"In this respect, Germany is in the best position"

"Germany has not seized territory from the Ottoman Empire, which is not like Britain. The Ottoman government will not resist Germany."

"Moreover, as a latecomer, Germany already has a lot of interests in the Ottomans, unlike Britain, France and Russia."

"Introducing German power can better balance the power of foreign powers in the Ottoman Empire"

"And in order to quickly gain a firm foothold in the Ottomans~www.wuxiaspot.com~, Germany will naturally reciprocate and offer a generous price, not as excessive as Britain and France."

"So, the right to build this Ottoman railway is probably the best hope for the Germans."

Lundhardt's analysis is clear, and it really makes sense.

After listening to Lundhardt's analysis, Constantine also figured out the whole story.

The Ottoman railway was originally his own idea. He wanted to strengthen the empire's control over the territories under his control, and it had nothing to do with the Germans.

It was only because the construction of the railway was too difficult that Ottoman had to hire German personnel to help build the railway.

Then, the finances of the Ottoman Empire could not make ends meet. After 1896, it was no longer enough to support the continued construction of the railway, so various countries came to sell it, trying to take the opportunity to win the right to build the railway.

And the Germans also wanted to get the right to build this railway, and even on the basis of the Ottoman Empire's original planned Asia Minor railway line (the Ottomans originally planned to build it to Constantinople), they wanted to go further and directly connect Berlin-Vienna - Constantinople - Baghdad, to the Persian Gulf.

Germany's triple B railway plan is not exactly the same as the Ottoman Empire's Asia Minor railway.

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