NOVPUB```
The invention of the telegraph accelerated the spread of news, and the news that the Prussian Government intended to sell the Rhineland region quickly spread throughout the European Continent.
In the Berlin Palace, Wilhelm I wiped his sweat and said, "Send someone to ask the Prime Minister, didn’t he send someone to explain? Why hasn’t the crowd outside dispersed yet?"
This is a characteristic of the era of nationalism, where people began to attach importance to territory. Land trades, which monarchs could once decide freely, now required consideration of public reaction.
Despite the abundant resources in the Rhineland region, it was not actually the core territory of the Kingdom of Prussia, and it was threatened by the French, diminishing its significance in the eyes of the government even further.
In the original timeline, Bismarck dared to promise the Rhineland region to the French, essentially preparing for the worst. For instance, if the French took advantage of the Prussia-Austria war, Prussia would have had to painfully let go.
Fortunately, they won their bet, and the French chose to wait and see, not taking advantage of the situation. Otherwise, the subsequent history of Europe would have been rewritten.
Having gained the benefits they wanted, Napoleon III had no motivation to start a conflict. After a relative increase and decrease in strengths, the chances of the Kingdom of Prussia’s victory were even slimmer.
Moreover, with an additional land acting as a buffer, even if the Kingdom of Prussia dared to take risks, the French would have more time to mobilize more troops, and Prussia’s hope for a war victory would rest only on God’s blessing.
Bismarck dared to risk the Rhineland region, but if it were regions concentrated with Junker aristocracy, he wouldn’t dare promise them, even if he had the courage.
Even writing a blank check needed to be kept highly confidential. It could be known at the governmental upper levels, but it was impossible for those below to be aware. Should the news spread, a military coup could happen within minutes given the domestic situation of the Kingdom of Prussia.
In a nation where the military was in charge, any actions harming the interests of the Junker Nobility had to be very carefully considered.
Wilhelm I was only annoyed by the commotion outside; he was not worried it would turn into a major upheaval. The idea of ignoring matters unrelated to oneself applies in the Kingdom of Prussia as well.
The Rhineland region was an exclave and less tightly connected domestically; aside from the capitalists who felt a deep loss, most people did not suffer a direct loss of interests.
Without personal interests at stake, people joined in the commotion simply to vent their frustration, and the matter would then be over.
The Kingdom of Prussia was not yet ruled by capitalists. There were protests when Silesia was given up, but in the end, everyone had to compromise obediently.
Even without the Rhineland region, where steel production plummeted by sixty percent, and industrial output was cut by nearly forty percent, Wilhelm I remained unperturbed.
The domestic market of the Kingdom of Prussia was limited, and its industrial products lacked competitiveness on the international market, leading to signs of industrial overcapacity in just a few years.
This is the trait of the era. Influenced by various factors, the capitalist world would face an economic crisis every ten or so years.
Since 1847, three economic crises have occurred, and the fourth is not far off. If we count the agricultural crisis, it is on the verge of the fifth.
Excessive industry is not beneficial; overcapacity is indeed a disaster. A glance at the history books reveals that after every crisis, war has erupted, as if it became customary to overcome crises through war.
The economic crisis of 1847 led to the great revolution of 1848; the one of 1857 precipitated the American Civil War; the crisis of 1867 resulted in the outbreak of the Prusso-Russian War; the agricultural crisis two years ago sparked the Near East War and the Russian-Polish War.
Now, giving up the Rhineland might seem like a heavy loss, but in reality, it was buying time for the Kingdom of Prussia to integrate the Kingdom of Poland.
Otherwise, when the new round of crisis broke out, if they did not want to initiate the Prusso-Russian War, someone would still send them to the battlefield.
Any decision inevitably damages some interests, and Wilhelm I did not mind sacrificing the interests of some capitalists first. After all, the bourgeoisie is a complex group, and as long as the ruler is not foolish, they cannot unite.
Without the Rhineland region, many people stood to profit. With one less competitor, they could divide the abandoned market, and these beneficiaries would not give up their own interests for "class interests."
...
In the Ruhr District, the news of the Berlin Government selling the Rhineland region had already spread, and the local government was preparing to evacuate.
The people took to the streets spontaneously, starting a large-scale protest march. This time, there really was no organization; being suddenly abandoned left everyone feeling aggrieved.
As an administrator of the Ruhr District, Andrea felt extremely upset, tearing the documents from the higher-ups into pieces.
Under normal circumstances, he would never dare to do such a thing, as deliberately destroying official documents could cost him his job, but now, blinded by anger, he no longer cared.
After destroying things in his office, Andrea calmed himself down. As a nobleman loyal to his country, he understood the importance of the bigger picture.
The Rhineland region was destined to be given up, but it was not possible to give up so many people and industries entirely. The Berlin Government had already given orders to organize as many evacuations as possible.
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Indeed, priority must be given to organizing an evacuation. After the battle with the Tsarist Government, the Berlin Government had come to recognize the importance of the population.
Without sufficient populace, there are not enough soldiers, and facing the Tsarist Government that excels at manpower tactics, a shortage of troops is unacceptable.
As long as there are people, there will be land, and factories too. The Berlin Government had experienced an evacuation before, only the circumstances then were completely different.
When giving up the Silesia area, the Kingdom of Prussia had just won the Prusso-Russian War and had acquired a vast amount of land, while the East Prussia region was a blank slate, continuing the population replenishment through immigration presented no problem at all.
The situation now is much more complex; the Rhineland region has a considerably higher population than Silesia, and settling so many people is no simple task.
The Kingdom of Prussia does indeed still have some undeveloped lands, but much of these territories are geographically challenging, with very few high-quality undeveloped lands remaining.
To resettle the people of the Rhineland region is clearly insufficient. Prussian domestic industry, too, is unable to absorb such a large population, guaranteeing difficult choices in this evacuation.
Andrea’s task was to organize the departure of those who could make a greater contribution to the country, primarily the wealthy and the middle class, including capitalists, doctors, teachers, engineers, skilled workers...
Only after these people had evacuated would it be the turn of ordinary workers and farmers. The final buyers were either Belgium or the German Federation Empire; the Berlin Government wasn’t afraid of offending them and could take its time with the evacuation.
Before the evacuation began, the first order of business was to disperse the protestors demonstrating outside; otherwise, with so many people clogging the streets, much work would have been impossible to carry out.
After hesitating for a moment, Andrea convinced himself and walked out bravely. There was something about the situation that echoed the solemn departure of a hero who would never return.
Well, in reality, things were not so grave; the angry mob did not come up to beat Andrea but instead chanted slogans demanding an explanation.
On the one hand, the success of education taught the Prussian people to follow order; on the other, the troops had already mobilized, with fully armed soldiers surrounding the area, making anyone think twice before causing trouble.
In those days, suppressing workers’ movements wasn’t anything new. Seeing the military prepared as if for a serious confrontation, people couldn’t help but behave themselves.
Reaching the front of the government building, Andrea instructed the staff to bring a table, bit his lip and climbed on top, waving a Prussian flag in his hand to signal everyone to quiet down.
One could only rely on shouting with primitive equipment; Andrea used all his strength, "I know why you all have come, and I share your grief right now.
Because we all love this country, we love the land that raised us. But there is no choice, and now, I must announce this bad news.
The rumors you’ve heard are true, the government does indeed intend to give up the Rhineland region."
Upon receiving an official response, the uproar resumed, with incensed citizens beginning to lose control of their emotions, who, were it not for the military blockade, might have charged forward.
"Quiet," "Quiet"...
Andrea’s heart-wrenching cries were in vain, and he was forced to have the soldiers fire warning shots into the air.
"Bang, bang, bang..."
After the gunfire, order was barely restored. It was undeniable that bullets were more deterrent.
"Everyone calm down, give me two minutes. Any questions you may have can wait until I’m done speaking, and don’t forget that discipline is the basic moral cultivation of every citizen."
The murmuring subsided, everyone looked at Andrea, waiting for his explanation.
"The Berlin Government does not want to give up the Rhineland region either, but there is no choice, the Kingdom of Prussia is too weak. Faced with the threats of the great powers, the government has to consider the safety of everyone’s lives and property.
Some might say they are not afraid of death and are willing to fight for the Kingdom of Prussia; I feel the same. If possible, I’d rather pick up a gun and fight on the battlefield than live in humiliation here.
But one cannot only consider oneself; we must be responsible for our parents, spouses, and children, and for the Kingdom of Prussia. If we indulge ourselves for a moment, what would become of them, and this country?
Don’t talk to me about any nonsense that victory belongs to Prussia; first, understand who we are up against and think carefully with your own brains about whether we have any chance of victory.
The Kingdom of Prussia has not been without defeat; during the Anti-French Wars, we were nearly annihilated, but in the end, we rose again.
As long as hope exists, we can reclaim today’s humiliations tomorrow. Temporarily abandoning the Rhineland region does not mean giving it up forever.
One day, the Kingdom of Prussia will truly become strong and fearless, and then we will come back here. History will remember all this..."
