Chapter 179
< Dangerous Balkan gunpowder. (2) >
“My name is Kaitel of Krupp Steel Division.”
Negotiation for the sale of Krupp’s steel business division.
Kluge doubted his eyes. Originally, there should have been a high-ranking person from Junker, but Kaitel was sitting there as the general manager of the Krupp Steel Division.
Nice to see you, but obviously weird.
Kluge sent his gaze to the Ministry of Finance for clarification.
“You don’t have to be so surprised.”
Treasury Secretary Max shrugged.
“Just before the former Major General Moltke was forcibly retired, Lieutenant Keitel of the German Imperial Army transferred his affiliation to the steelmaking division…
“But he’s not part of the German Imperial Army.”
“I’ve been discharged.”
“Yes?”
Kluge rolled his eyes.
He felt like he was being picked up by Detroit when he was about to get fired from his job. However, Kaitel had just been commissioned as a second lieutenant and had a bad reputation among the Junkers, so I thought that his military life would go well.
But I never imagined that I would get kicked out with my own feet.
But I was a little different.
“With this, the acquisition of Krupp’s steel business has been concluded, right?”
I thought that was the most important thing.
Keitel was an important talent, but it wasn’t like Krupp’s steel division.
Treasury Secretary Max nodded.
“Except for minor procedures, the sale was concluded. You have worked hard.”
“This gives Krupp more bullets to load. Krupp’s goal of turning completely into a technology company. Hope you cruise.”
“You’re welcome.”
Krupp Steel Division.
It was the moment when all the Krupp Steelworks in the Industrial Zone of the Northern Rhineland, spanning the Ruhr Industrial Zone, were devoured.
As a result, Krupp Steel was added as one of the constituent steel companies of the German Steel Alliance.
“How are you going to deal with the trademark rights for Krupp? We don’t mind changing the name. I’d like to see Krupp’s name value as much as possible.”
“Haha! Detroit-sama, you can do whatever you want. The German Settlement Bank will thrive in the future, and we, Krupp, also want to see some benefits.”
Krupp trademark.
In fact, the brand name ‘Krupp’ overlapped as Krupp Steel was physically split from Krupp, and the German settlement bank, which controlled the German Steel Alliance, swallowed all of its shares.
Krupp and Krupp Steel are completely different corporations.
But how will the public take it?
This is the problem.
But the problem was just solved with a conversation.
Krupp will also want to benefit from us, an emerging steel force, and if we can acquire Krupp’s brand image, sales in Germany will be easier.
Considering that Samsung’s brand can be used in Korea, you can see how sweet this proposition is.
“Then, Detroit-sama, what do you plan to do with Krupp Steel?”
Kaitel, who was sitting silently, raised her hand.
Kaitel, who had removed the insignia, was now a de facto civilian.
Should I call this the god of tightrope walking?
he’s an awesome guy
“We plan to merge Thyssen Steel, Krupp Steel and the German Steel Alliance into one.”
It was already discussed with Chairman Thyssen.
The German Steel Alliance had a somewhat precarious position as a holding company, so it was necessary to put a powerful holding company on top and press down.
As Krupp capitulated, small and medium-sized German steel companies continued to be acquired by the German Steel Alliance.
Krupp Steel was simply amazing in its size.
Thyssen Steel was the largest among them.
The German Steel Alliance was a monster that devoured all other German steel companies.
In this way, it is effectively a three-headed system.
So, it was planned to merge into one neatly and put it under the German Settlement Bank.
Krupp, Thyssen and VST will move as one body.
Chairman Thyssen will become the head of the merged company, while Keitel and Kluge will oversee the former Thyssen Coal Mine and the former Krupp Steel Division, respectively.
In fact, the German steelworks had a structure that even owned a coal mine, or a coal mine owned the steelworks at all.
A coal mine and a steel mill are one.
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Of course, in the complex equity structure, the largest shareholder, the German Settlement Bank, was in the position of final approver of ThyssenKrupp.
I finally ate the German steel industry.
“Have you decided on a separate corporate name?”
“Thyssen Krupp.”
I smiled.
“It’s a German monopoly steel company, so we need to make a name for it.”
Merger of 1st place Krupp Steel, 2nd place Thyssen Steel, and 3rd place Germany Steel Alliance.
A monster that monopolized 90% of German steel.
It was the birth of Thyssen Krupp.
***
“The Baghdadvan division has been transferred to our jurisdiction by merging Krupp Steel.”
The German Ministry of Finance transferred Krupp Steel to us and took over the exclusive business rights in Baghdadvan.
Since I have been selected as the unofficial interim plenipotentiary of the Ottoman Empire, to motivate me at the Berlin Palace for smoother negotiations, and to leave me the exclusive right.
Well, since it was the Berlin Palace’s condescending disdain, I neatly ignored it.
However, the strategy itself was useful as a diplomatic policy for the German Empire and was quite surprising.
Restoring relations with the Ottoman Empire was as much a dream of the Berlin Palace as it was entrusted with the key to me as an outsider.
“Actually, the Berlin Palace is still the best, although the German Investment Corporation’s investment business rights are being held hostage.”
“Yes, Berlin Palace is not allowed to touch us. The Prussians are bone-chilling militarists, and if they don’t speak well, they are defeated by the military.”
“The moment the Prussian Senate is stamped, the legislative and administrative actions are taken care of in a single queue, so what is the German Investment Corporation? ThyssenKrupp may be decommissioned. Fortunately, the US is still watching.”
From the moment the US sovereign wealth fund entered Germany, the curtain of capital fell in West Germany.
The curtain of capital from the US acted as a shield for the German Settlement Bank, a West German economic alliance, and the German Investment Corporation and German Settlement Bank’s preferred stock purchases were also sweeping away dividends.
Theodore Roosevelt had the corners of his mouth flying away from his ascension, and the Treasury was screaming happily.
The widowed capital inflow was slowly transforming the United States from a debtor country to a creditor country.
During the pioneering era, the United States was a second-rate power that was in the debtor state with European loans.
The US capital market is closely related to the New York financial sector.
The U.S. Treasury Department was in a situation where it was completely integrated with the New York financial sector, and its foundation is long enough to continue to the present day.
In other words, most of the debts in the US were directly or indirectly interfered with by JP Morgan Bank.
Meaning like that.
ThyssenKrupp and the German Settlement Bank were the European fronts for capital that the United States had to defend even at the risk of their lives.
“The worst mistake of the German government would be the nationalization of Krupp. The national finances are shaken by the acquisition of a company overflowing with arrogance.”
“As President Thyssen said, nationalization is not always a good thing. On the contrary, Krupp’s weapon system will give the German Empire wings. It’s going to be a matter of time.”
For the German government, Krupp is a geek.
But now it has been resolved.
The German government has already devoured Krupp and vomited its season.
The route turned to technology development.
As long as the sane Ministry of Finance rushes in and does its best to nationalize it, Germany can take another leap forward as an army powerhouse.
The moment when you enter a certain level or higher as a technological powerhouse and an army powerhouse.
It will be Germany that opens the door to the war.
The German Empire could become more militant as its warfare capabilities increased. He wants to inflame his burning desire for war.
Germany in the early 20th century has always been like that.
A country that exists for war.
A country that exists to feed its military.
It’s not just memes like that.
‘Suicide of the Great Powers.’
It wasn’t too far from World War I.
“The German negotiating team will be set up for the Ottoman Empire soon. Although the Ottoman Empire was angry, we will never give up on the Baghdadvan business because it is an important business for each other. There is a possibility of renegotiation if we, ThyssenKrupp, dump with low-cost steel. This is high.”
“Actually, breaking a lease agreement with the German Empire in Baghdad is the same as saying that we are willing to go to war.”
“The Ottoman Empire is currently holding hands with both the Triple Alliance and the Anglo-French negotiations.
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Ottoman Empire.
It is truly a strange country.
This novel was posted at https://readwn.com
One of the losers in the Middle East and the Balkans, and the loser in the Black Sea. At the same time, as a patient in Europe, the goalpost is a double-edged empire.
To make matters worse, the current situation in the Ottoman Empire is not serious.
“Pan-Slavism is prevailing in the Balkans. As the German Empire effectively brought North Qing into its sphere of influence and the Austro-Hungarian Empire put pressure on the Balkans, imperial Russia could not stand it.”
This is the part that is inconsistent with the original history.
The current situation in which imperial Russia has almost lost its hegemony in East Asia created a sense of crisis for them.
Although the Trans-Siberian Railway was connected to East Asia, it was still a single line, and the United Kingdom and the United States were holding on to it.
As long as the GHQ of the US forces in Japan was holding on to Tokyo, imperial Russia could not even salivate.
So, the foreign policy of imperial Russia was increasingly focused on Europe.
There was a need for countries to act as buffers for the Russian Empire right away.
profit…..
The gunpowder depots of Europe were heating up.
“Imperial Russia has been abandoned by both the Anglo-French negotiations and the Triple Alliance. It’s a little friendly with France, but it’s playing a great game with Britain. It’s an enemy of pan-Germanism.”
Pan-Germanism.
Pan-Slavism.
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Ottoman Empire.
If we look at the fundamentals of the Balkans, it was a struggle between these three powers.
three-way battle.
However, the nationalism of the constituent countries of the Balkans was wild beyond madness.
This is the area where ethnic cleansing and genocide are eaten.
It was a region where the hostility between ethnic groups had transcended the limits, and even the German Empire could not follow with a militant act.
How much of a war fanatic are you?
During the Balkan Wars in the original history, Russia reported to Bulgaria, which was an ally, ‘If you invade there, I will direct you.’ was about to warn.
They were enemies of each other.
The Balkan Peninsula is a region that is anxious because they cannot kill each other.
Ultimate Deathmatch.
There is no other way to explain this.
The independence movement was a kind of Balkan-style Warring States era that took place under the guise.
“Recently, the sense of crisis is heightening as steel begins to flow into the Balkans at a low price.”
“It’s a natural result of the crazy supply of steel to the international steel market.”
“That’s why the Balkans are about to start a fire. The war is escalating.”
Sit on the gunpowder and smoke a cigarette.
The moment a cigarette or embers goes out, there will be an explosion.
Although it is a secret from Chairman Thyssen, the weapons industry, a high value-added industry, was also frantically flowing into the Balkans.
Recently, the New York Ordnance Agency has become a nightmare, and it is said that the production plant has no time to stop.
“Well, maybe there will be a war.”
It might be a little ironic.
But I wasn’t aiming for World War I.
It was intended to threaten the arms industries of Britain and France by bringing the arms industry into the Balkans.
The basis of imperialism is weapons.
If the arms industry has no choice but to produce with expensive steel due to the tariff barriers between England and France, it will inevitably lose its price competitiveness to the New York Ordnance Bureau.
Is the arms industry at risk just by being in England?
Each country’s arms industry will raise Exodus to survive in the international market.
‘With this, the tariff walls of Britain and France are removed.’
The moment you accept American Steel.
They will have no choice but to choose.
An English-Business Steel Cooperative to survive.
era of imperialism.
There was no fool who gave up the arms industry to save steel.
“What if war breaks out?”
“What if it explodes?”
It was assumed that war broke out in the Balkans tomorrow.
But my ultimate goal is war anyway.
There wasn’t really any problem with it.
“Then it explodes.”
“…!!!”
President Thyssen widened his eyes.
But it soon subsided. He thought that the German Empire could not be swept away by that war. After all, the Balkans were a three-way war between the Ottoman Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Ottoman Empire.
Even if the German Empire intervenes, it will be resolved within the Balkans.
“okay.”
Chairman Thyssen was convinced.
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Of course, Kluge and Keitel, who had experience in the Prussian army, were not so negative about the war. Even though the German Imperial Army was demonstrative, they had pride that the German Imperial Army was a strong force.
The atmosphere in the room subsided again.
“By the way, Chairman Thyssen. Where did all Krupp’s nationalization funds go? At least the majority of the shares were taken from the German government.”
“Oh, didn’t you know?”
Chairman Thyssen looked at me with a surprised face.
“You don’t know?”
“All of them are asleep in the account of Miss Bertha, the youngest girl of the Krupp family. She is probably the richest man in the current German Empire.”
“……!!!”
“Perhaps she knows that she is using the Berlin financial system. The Berlin Palace paid her for the acquisition through Deutsche Bank.”
“Is the purchase price supposed to be cash?”
“no.”
President Thyssen shook his head.
“The German government used a trick.”
“A trick?”
“Yes, part of it was paid in cash marks, but most of the rest was paid by printing bonds. As long as they are issued by Reichsbank, they are bonds.”
“Wait a moment…..”
for a moment. for a moment.
It was a bit of a shock to me to hear that the German government had withdrawn most of Krupp’s purchase price from bonds.
In a word, Bertha was no less than the greatest creditor of the German Empire.
If that’s the case, it’s not a trick, it’s a self-inflicted trick.
But on the other hand, it seems that it may not have been the case. Because there is no other way than to withdraw money or print bonds when the finances are insufficient.
I guess he was worried about inflation to get money out. It’s not like Krupp does a penny or two.
‘…Then, isn’t it that Bertha is the eldest son of the German Ministry of Finance? Are the Germans crazy?’
German government bonds.
Although she may not be able to use it properly, she held the strongest key to pressure the German government.
‘And she… comes to my palace every day.’
I twisted my lips.
My heart started racing to figure out how to use it.
***
US Department of State.
“It’s a big deal!”
bang-!
The door swung open and the deputy secretary of state rushed in with a serious face. Secretary of State John Hay shook his head.
“What-“
“Aleksandar I was assassinated in the Kingdom of Serbia! Pan-Slavic terrorism!”
“What!!!”
Secretary John Hay jumped up.
King of the present Kingdom of Serbia.
Aleksandar Obrenovich had pro-Austrian tendencies.
Pan-Slavism and Pan-Germanism.
A stopper in the Balkans that was making the tightrope between them narrow.
It was the moment when the war deterrents in the Balkans were released.
“With this, the Kingdom of Serbia has been completely incorporated into the Fiscal Russian Pan-Slavism!”
Austria-Hungary and the Kingdom of Serbia.
Pan-Germanism and Pan-Slavism.
The moment when two nationalist ideologies collide.
No one can predict what will happen.
“Right now, mobilize all State Department personnel to monitor the Balkans! Do not leave out any information that is collected and post it in a report! Report the personnel dispatched to Europe and tell them to keep an eye on the situation in the Balkans!”
“But we’re short of staff right now! There’s a lot of vacancy, especially for counter-espionage and espionage personnel!”
“The world situation is moving so urgently, is this a situation that makes sense?”
State Department diplomacy is another bullet-free battlefield.
Also, the international situation is like a ball that doesn’t know where it will go.
No one knew when, where, and what kind of problem would arise, and they might not even know that the problem occurred. However, the main task of the State Department is to respond immediately at each time.
Failure to respond to the urgent flow of international diplomacy only exposes the incompetence of the State Department.
bum bum bum.
The Secretary of State felt his throat burn and drank a glass of water.
widely-!
“…I’ll have a meeting with the White House right now. I’ll have you negotiate with the president myself.”
I can’t stand it like this
The Secretary of State remembered the plan he had always had in his arms. In fact, it was a plan I had been thinking about since the US could not catch up with Detroit Morgan.
It is not the military, money, or politics that move the world.
The most important value was hidden in its essential part.
“Now, the United States also needs an intelligence agency dedicated to intelligence.”
and….
To prepare for an unexpected war.
If the information war has to dominate, the United States must come first.
< The precarious Balkan powder store. (2) > end