I'm playing whack-a-mole in Siberia

Chapter 698 Capital has no borders

Following the eight-hour workday and the minimum wage guarantee system, nine-year compulsory education has once again sparked heated discussion among the French.

Clemenceau learned his lesson and strictly prohibited Paris newspapers from publishing any news about Russia, so the news was only spread in a small circle and was not known to everyone like the last time.

The old revolutionary areas are indeed aware of the situation. However, due to the French government's slow response, French railway workers have not yet returned to work, and traffic has been paralyzed, which has seriously affected France's reconstruction.

France does not attach as much importance to reconstruction as Russia.

Clemenceau's main task during this period was to accumulate enough political capital by punishing Germany so that he could participate in the presidential election at the end of the year.

Typically, the French president serves a five-year term.

The current French President Raymond Poincaré was elected President of France in 1913 and his term was originally due to end last year.

As the war had not ended last year, Poincaré's term of office has continued to this day.

Earlier this year, the French Parliament decided to hold presidential elections at the end of the year.

The World War won Clemenceau great honor, but there was also a potential crisis behind the honor. If the issue with Germany was not handled carefully, it would seriously affect the French people's trust in Clemenceau.

In fact, many French people do not agree with weakening Germany too much.

Especially French capitalists and bankers.

Even as the Paris Peace Conference was taking place, French capitalists and bankers were sharpening their knives, ready to rush into Germany after the war to buy up Germany's high-quality assets at low prices.

Russia is also a target of French capital.

Investing in Russia is a French tradition. During the Russian Empire era, France had large investments in Russia.

During the Russian Civil War, French-invested companies suffered heavy losses, but this did not affect the enthusiasm of French capital.

Today's Russia clearly offers better investment prospects than the Russia of the imperial era.

Although the eight-hour work system and minimum wage guarantee system that Russia is currently implementing will affect the returns on capital to a certain extent, it will also maximize the enthusiasm of workers for work, which is what capital values ​​most.

In France today, not only is the national transportation paralyzed due to the railway workers' strike, but metallurgical workers, miners, and textile workers are also on strike. Workers' movements have broken out in 83 of the country's 21 provinces, and even the Ruhr industrial area occupied by French troops has been completely paralyzed by the strike.

After the German army withdrew to the country, the French army took the opportunity to occupy the Ruhr industrial area and thoroughly plundered the area.

The French army not only demolished the factories in the Ruhr industrial area and shipped all the machines back to France, but also shipped the Ruhr's coal back to France, which aroused strong protests from German railway workers.

Clemenceau could do nothing about the striking French.

Clemenceau launched a brutal massacre against the striking Germans, and more than 200 Germans were executed.

As France itself was in constant trouble, Russia, which was actively rebuilding, became the best target for French capital.

However, before investing, French capital must also confirm George's attitude.

So Georgy came to Constantinople with his queen, Princess Marie Bonaparte.

Georgy was very dissatisfied with the domineering Clemenceau, who did not receive the respect he deserved in Paris.

"Clemenceau is more stubborn than us feudal princes. He is like a gravekeeper in a family cemetery, exuding a rotten smell all over his body."

Georgi commented on each one, leaving no one out.

"Lloyd George was a hypocrite. On the one hand, he promised the British that he would severely punish the Germans, and on the other hand, he joined Wilson to oppose excessive weakening of Germany."

"Wilson had no idea of ​​his own position. He thought he was very important, but in fact he was being manipulated by the British and the French, like a chamber pot in the toilet, which was only remembered when needed."

Georgi was full of praise for Alexander, who had almost no performance, showing his double standards to the fullest.

Georgi thought Alexander did an excellent job in his interviews with The Times and Le Figaro.

George thought it was mediocre at best.

"George, you are asking too much of the children. It will undermine their self-confidence."

Georgi was serious and discussed parenting tips with George.

“Confidence is important, but if you don’t know how to control it, it will turn into arrogance.”

George doesn't know anything about parenting, so Anne is basically responsible for educating children.

While the two men were discussing parenting tips, the two women who were actually responsible for taking care of their husbands and children were discussing how to utilize foreign capital.

The situation Greece faces is similar to that of Russia, both of which require post-war reconstruction.

Although no consensus had been reached on the punishment plan for the Ottoman Empire, the division of the Ottoman Empire was a foregone conclusion, and Greece would also gain part of the Anatolian Peninsula.

After the signing of the treaty between the Kingdom of Hungary and Russia, the Kingdom of Hungary was overthrown and the king went into exile and became homeless.

The current situation of the Ottoman Empire is similar to that of the Kingdom of Hungary. Once the results of the Paris Peace Conference are reported back to the Ottoman Empire, the Ottoman Sultan will be driven away by the angry Ottomans.

At that time, the Kingdom of Greece will have to rely on Russia's help to preserve the fruits of its victory.

"Some time ago, Guchkov submitted a report about the fact that the resistance forces in Russia during the world war received financial assistance from foreign capital, so the Duma is more inclined to issue bonds rather than make direct investments."

Anne was unhappy with the French stance.

During the Russo-Japanese War, France, as Russia's ally, not only did not provide assistance to Russia, but also bought a large amount of Japanese bonds, showing no real position at all.

During the Russian civil unrest, both the Provisional Government and the Provisional Executive Committee received financial assistance from French capital.

Although Princess Mary explained these actions as investments of French capital, these financial aids played a key role in promoting the transformation of Russia's civil unrest into a civil war.

The Duma's response was simple and crude. It directly confiscated all foreign assets that provided financial assistance to the Provisional Government and the Provisional Executive Committee during the civil unrest.

The reason was rebellion.

One of the important purposes of Marie Bonaparte's visit was to test George's attitude.

Since it is an investment, there will definitely be losses and gains, and you will bear the consequences at your own risk.

The key lies in Russia's current attitude towards foreign capital.

"Building trust requires a long process. French bankers are worried about the safety of their funds, and the Duma is also worried about whether foreign capital investment will harm Russia's interests."

Anne is fearless.

Russia does not have capital injections from France, but it does have capital from the United States and the United Kingdom.

Russia also has its own capital, with Yuriev, Yusupov, Dolgorukov, and Romanov, who, although he has fallen, is still bigger than a horse. Russia is not short of money.

Last month, the Russian government issued 2 million ruble bonds to develop oil in Baku.

These bonds never left Russia and were snapped up as soon as they were put on the market.

French capital's covetousness for Russian resources is even more serious than Russia's dependence on French capital.

"There will be another batch of bonds issued next month, which will be related to natural gas pipelines."

Anne reveals an important message to Princess Mary.

Russia has always been Europe's most important supplier of oil and natural gas.

As car sales continue to rise, Europe's dependence on Russian oil will become more serious.

The same goes for natural gas.

As soon as France occupied the Ruhr area, it shipped all the Ruhr's coal to France, which fully demonstrated France's dependence on external resources.

"Directly to Paris?"

Mary's eyes lit up. This was an inexhaustible gold mine.

Anne smiled but said nothing. Whether it would lead directly to Paris or not would depend on the performance of the French.

If the French were sensible, there would be no problem building the pipeline all the way to Paris.

If the French were not sensible, they would have gone through the Kingdom of Romania and only reached Adrianople.

Since the Kingdom of Romania also needs to export natural gas, this also involves quotas. Witte is currently consulting with Romanian Interior Minister Alexandru Averescu on this issue.

Polis was now drawing circles in Adrianople.

Romania's oil and gas fields originally belonged to Bulgaria——

But this is not a problem. Although Bulgaria cannot get the lion's share, the tolls collected through the pipeline are also a considerable source of income.

When the news that Russia was going to build a pipeline reached Paris, the entire financial circle in Paris was in an uproar.

François came to the Alexandre Palace again to confirm with Alexander.

Alexandre did not give Francois an interview.

What was the point of accepting it? French newspapers didn't even dare to publish news about Russia, and Alexander was too lazy to waste his breath.

François was very angry. He really thought that we French media people were all lambs who allowed the "tiger" to have whatever it wanted.

The next day, Le Figaro published a report on Russia's implementation of nine years of compulsory education.

Although this news is no longer news but old news, it still caused a strong response.

First, there was the 8-hour work system and the minimum wage guarantee system, and now there is the 9-year compulsory education.

What does Grand Duke Yuriev want to do?
Do we want to build Russia into a welfare society?

Oh my god, come and see, the fairy tale utopia is about to become a reality in Russia!

Clemenceau was overwhelmed.

During the war, the French government had strong control over the media, and any news that was unfavorable to France was not allowed to be published.

The French media's patience with Clemenceau has reached its limit and they can no longer tolerate it.

Just being the prime minister is so arbitrary and domineering.

What would happen if you were allowed to be the president of France?

When the media was hotly discussing nine years of compulsory education, French capital flocked to Constantinople.

Issuing bonds, right?

Just tell me, we can issue as much as we want, underwrite the entire business, or even pay interest, as long as we can build a natural gas pipeline to Paris.

Oh, it would be better if Grand Duke Yuriev could make another promise not to build the natural gas pipeline to Berlin.

(End of this chapter)