"Me Chinese?" Xiao Letian spread his hands helplessly, "To be honest, I can't help it. This kind of problem must be faced by the development of the times. If you want the benefits of the industrial revolution, you cannot avoid this burden. Both sides!”
"The same goes for militarism. Once you enjoy the glory of opening up new territories and being crowned in the enemy's palace, you have to accept the privileges of this huge military group!"
"Nothing in the world has only advantages and no disadvantages. Managing a big country is like cooking small dishes. This is the truth. We politicians are just balancers who are good at balancing yin and yang..."
"Conflicts exist in society. Mediation is the only way to deal with them and let them be released in a non-violent way. That's all!"
"However, the Chinese nation has some advantages over you, because the Chinese civilization has experienced a very long era of civilian politics in the history, and Confucianism is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, so the Chinese nation itself is less violent than other nations..."
"These founding military generals who single-handedly created the Chinese nation are more or less reasonable. Let's talk to them about the topics we just talked about. These people can understand and are willing to think..."
"This is a matter of national identity, and you Prussians can't learn from it!"
Bismarck was silent for a long time and finally sighed, "History is really the greatest precious heritage of your nation, and you have taken too great advantage from it!"
Xiao Letian also sighed, "But history is also a heavy burden for our nation. The power of habit is too strong. I can foresee that the focus of my future governance will be to fight against this powerful force of habit!"
"Let's encourage each other, the road ahead will be difficult!" The two miserable people held their hands tightly together.
History has proven Xiao Letian's judgment that the time traveler is not omnipotent. He has no way to fight against regular things. He can only make subtle adjustments in line with the trend of the times.
It's like if you rely on force to build a country, then in the end you must tolerate the proliferation of militarism!
You need the strong productivity provided by industrialization, then the rise of the working class cannot be avoided!
If the great powers compete with each other to climb the technology tree, they will have to engage in a desperate arms race. You may even have to take the last copper plate from the pockets of ordinary people to build the deep blue giant ship!
What you want, you have to pay something in advance, nothing comes for free!
After the coronation ceremony, Bismarck and Xiao Letian never discussed any issues regarding future governance. However, during Bismarck's later period in power, every step he took had the shadow of Xiao Letian's words today.
After the Franco-Prussian War, Bismarck changed his imposing manner as an iron-blooded prime minister and became a modest politician. He was obsessed with diplomacy and always maintained friendly relations with the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Not only do they have the same culture and race, but they also allow the empire to expand its sphere of influence to the east!
Perhaps the picture of world war painted by Xiao Letian was too cruel, and Bismarck also believed that this possibility was very likely, so Bismarck opposed the expansion of the German Empire's navy throughout his life.
This was almost the breaking point of all the conflicts between him and William II. What William II wanted was a great empire as glorious as the Empire on which the sun never sets!
Then a large navy is an inevitable choice, but Bismarck has always been strongly opposed!
After Wilhelm II came to power, he immediately tried every means to squeeze out Bimarck and let the empire begin to operate along his baton.
When William II came to the throne, Xiao Letian still controlled Chinese politics. He was much younger than Bismarck. He watched his old comrades retreating lonely behind the scenes of the historical stage, and he had mixed feelings in his heart.
Facts have proved that the course of history cannot be reversed by one or two people, nor can William II alone decide what he did!
Behind him, there is a huge militarist group supporting him, and it is the dreams in the hearts of tens of millions of Germans that drive him!
Nothing Bismarck did could change the ambitions and desires of this group. He just spent his whole life's time and energy trying to mediate, suppress, and channel as much as possible... He imagined that he could use time to dissolve the military state bit by bit. The violent force of doctrine.
But in the end he failed, and a war inevitably broke out!
Diplomatic efforts failed. Bismarck's alliance did not free the German Empire from the fate of war, and the old man was even more exhausted in domestic affairs.
As Xiao Letian said, because the German Empire took the lead in implementing compulsory education for all, the entire society has accumulated a large number of elite scientific and technological talents, and many technologies are on the verge of breakthroughs.
What Germany needed at this time was start-up funds, and the reparations from the Franco-Prussian War suddenly became the catalyst for the explosion of science and technology!
After the Franco-Prussian War, Germany's battlefield was like running amok. During the second industrial revolution, Germany became the biggest winner!
A large number of industrial areas have begun to be built, and brand-new factories produce better products with higher technological content!
The British were completely dumbfounded. They discovered that the textile industry they were proud of in the past was no longer the most profitable industry!
Germany's heavy industrial products are the most powerful. At that time, industrial products made in Germany represented the highest technology, the highest quality, and of course the most expensive price!
In Germany, where heavy industry is developing crazily, the profit of one military factory can exceed that of twenty British spinning mills!
To export a steam locomotive, the British don't know how much cloth they have to sell to make the same money!
At that time, German Heavy Industries was just like Intel, Microsoft, Apple, and other companies in the United States. It was a cutting-edge, cutting-edge industry with terrifyingly high profits, and its products never had to worry about sales!
But in Bismarck's eyes, such a scene of burning oil and flowers, there was no trace of joy at all!
The world's largest industrial area also had the most powerful working class in the world at that time. During the entire later period of Bismarck's rule, two-thirds of his energy was focused on how to adjust the contradiction between workers and capital.
Capitalists are not philanthropists. No matter how much money they make, they will not take the initiative to improve the treatment of workers. On the contrary, cutting costs is their instinctive choice.
On the one hand, workers demand improved benefits and benefits; on the other hand, capital is uncompromising! The conflict escalated when the two sides butted heads.
Workers began to network, and those who had made trouble in Paris began to penetrate into Prussia. New ideas quickly penetrated into the bottom of society. There were countless newspapers, leaflets, and secret meetings.
Organized strikes, destruction of production machinery, demonstrations on the streets... These German rulers suddenly discovered that the group of people that Napoleon III could not afford to offend all came to Germany.
The police raid and arrest, the army takes to the streets to suppress, how come everything is so familiar?
Fortunately, Bismarck was there, and fortunately he was able to suppress the situation!
The determined old man began a policy of peace and harmony. On the one hand, he vigorously suppressed any violence, and on the other hand, he vigorously promoted the labor protection law!
Reducing working hours, increasing disability pensions, and increasing hourly wages... Although these measures address the symptoms rather than the root cause, they at least alleviated social conflicts during his time in power.
Bismarck was not a god. He could only use the methods he could think of to govern the country. It was a pity that after he stepped down, William I did not continue his governance, and the social conflicts in the German Empire intensified.
At the end of his life, Bismarck said to his nephew in a weak voice, "Give me the latest...the latest news from the East...let me see...see what Xiao...is doing..."
"I want to know... how he broke through... I failed... I hope he doesn't fail..."
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