"Conflict with Britain? You mean war?" Bismarck shook his head. "Are you too pessimistic? As long as I am here, I will not be so unwise as to go to war with Britain!"
Haha... Xiao Letian smiled and said, "Prime Minister, things are changing. Society has different conflicts in different historical periods!"
"The biggest contradiction in Germany now is that the divided structure limits the concentration of national power. The suppression of foreign enemies prevents the rise of the German Empire. This is the point of hatred in the hearts of the people!"
"This is the biggest point of hatred. In order to resolve this contradiction, the German people can endure a life of poverty and hardship, and they also place their hopes on future reunification!"
"The people long for reunification because they feel that after reunification, life will be much better. Their pursuit of reunification is actually the pursuit of an ideal happy life!"
Xiao Letian shrugged, "This is not difficult to understand. Just like the Irish people demand independence, they also believe that their lives will be happy only after independence. This is how human nature is, always pursuing imaginary happiness!"
"But after the victory of the Franco-Prussian War, will the happiness that the people dream of really appear?" Xiao Letian's eyes were filled with flames.
"I am pessimistic about this! Once the Franco-Prussian War is won, the whole nation will be in ecstasy at the beginning. The country will be unified, various resources can be integrated together, and the French can still blackmail a lot of people. An indemnity or land..."
"The spoils of war can make the German nation happy for a long time, but you must also remember that happiness only lasts for a while. As time goes by, new social contradictions will definitely form again!"
Bismarck was stunned after hearing this. He stared at Xiao Letian intently, "I would like to hear the details, please continue..."
"What is the new contradiction?" Xiao Letian pretended to think, "I can only make a general inference. The first point is that the loss of arms orders will definitely affect the domestic heavy industry!"
"Prussia's economy has basically been serving the war in recent years. These consecutive wars, coupled with the upgrade of weapons and equipment, have brought huge benefits to the heavy industry, especially the military industry!"
"But after the Franco-Prussian War is over, are you really ready to fight again? Who else do you want to fight? France has come to fight, are you ready to fight Britain?"
"No, no, no, you will never do it. You will not do anything stupid that offends the British... So after the Franco-Prussian War, there was a long period of relative peace and development!"
"If arms orders are lost, the profit margin of heavy industry will be reduced. Less money will definitely lead to a series of factors such as increased unemployment and reduced worker welfare..."
"What's even more terrible is that Germany has no overseas market! Domestic production of goods is increasing, but domestic and European digestion alone is not enough! Without overseas markets, who will these goods be sold to?"
"Without a market, capitalists will have no money to make. Without money, the final result will be an increase in the unemployment rate and a decrease in workers' income... Isn't this a social contradiction?"
"At that time, I am afraid that the main headache for you, Prime Minister, will be domestic pressure. Those workers who loved you in the past may turn around and hate you because of the dwindling bread and sausages on the table!"
"This is a new contradiction in social transformation! You must not be careful!"
With a hiss, the Prime Minister sat up straight. "God, you think about the problem so deeply and far? You make me a little jealous!"
Xiao Letian smiled and poured some wine for Bismarck. "So, the key to solving the problem is development. You must develop domestic industry and commerce. Everyone will make money, and naturally the people can also eat some broth." Got it!"
"But if Germany wants to develop, it must rely on China's resources and market. Anyway, now that I have given you a path of peaceful development, I think you have no choice..."
"The stronger our Chinese race is, the bigger your market size will be in Asia, and the more resources you can get!"
"So, let's go back to the topic just now. Other European countries may be reluctant to give up more technology and other things to our Chinese people, but you can't be reluctant. Not only can't you be reluctant, but you have to take the initiative to give us more. Only in this way can we ensure that our Chinese people A transcendent position in Asia!”
"I, Xiao Letian, am very pragmatic. I don't want to dominate the world. What I want is just Asia... No, no, no, what I want is just the number one position in East Asia!"
"Everyone is prosperous, but everyone suffers! Cheers!"
Bismarck smiled helplessly and drank a drink. "It seems that I can only accept your university town plan unconditionally. Will I have to provide you with some discounts then?"
"That's right, if you want our Chinese people to be good, then you really have to do this..."
"What about the Baghdad railway plan? Is your purpose really just for the movement of supplies and goods?"
When talking about the Baghdad Railway Plan, Xiao Letian's expression became serious, "Prime Minister, this railway leads from Berlin to Baghdad in the Mesopotamia... This is not just a trade route, it is a lifeline of the German Empire!"
"You must know that the ocean is controlled by the British. It is easy to say anything during peacetime. What if one day... I mean, if one day, war breaks out, how will you use the trade routes on the sea?"
"One day, you will find that domestic goods cannot be sent out, and foreign resources cannot be transported in! The war can only be sustained by your own meager domestic savings!"
"Once we fail to win a quick victory and fall into a hard battle that consumes resources, the heroic German warriors may not be defeated by the enemy, but by bread and sausages!"
"Prime Minister! There will come a day when I, Xiao Letian, can't help you even if I want to, and even the supplies I have mobilized in Asia will not be able to be transported. Think about how terrifying that scene would be?"
But once the Baghdad Railway is built, what do you have to fear? Does the German army have any concerns about fighting along its own railways?
Really fighting against the British for army, are they their rivals? As long as Germany's resource curse is broken, who will you be afraid of on the battlefield?
The railway was built starting from Berlin, crossing the entire Central Europe, entering Austria and then the Balkans, and finally entered the Ottoman Empire and then entered the Mesopotamia.
Such a route can completely avoid the British navy. By then you will have truly created a safe lifeline!
"While building this railway, you must also share railway technology with us. By then, China will have two railway arteries, one horizontal and one vertical, and the horizontal one will go through the entire Xinjiang!"
"The railway entered Central Asia and was connected in the Ottoman Empire. By that time, the whole world structure would really change!"
