Section 592 Transfer of Mexican Crown
Moltke's attitude reassured Prince William, as long as he did not fall into a long war like Spain and Ferdinand II.
At the same time, he also had discussions with some economic groups, the Juncker forces.
The industrial and commercial community supported the German prince's rule in Mexico, and although Mexico could not be directly annexed to Germany, the German prince's rule here would at least allow Mexico to establish a more special relationship with Germany, and allow German industry and commerce to obtain some commercial privileges here.
Commercial forces believe that Mexico, a subtropical land rich in natural resources, is very valuable for commercial development, and Germany can make it a German cotton production base and a German shipping center in the Americas. Light industry needs raw materials, heavy industry can also get coal and iron resources here, and once the war starts, for heavy industry, the lucrative arms business can be opened, the economic crisis in the past two years, everyone is not having a good time, this kind of business is worth doing.
The Junckers are mainly engaged in agriculture and agro-processing, and they basically have a monopoly on German farms and pastures and wineries, and they believe that Mexico is rich in land resources and is worth investing in agriculture. Mexico has no less arable land than Germany as a whole, and it can be said that Mexico can double Germany's industrial potential. This is of great strategic security significance for Germany, which has already begun to import grain.
Prince Wilhelm also consulted with Germany's growing financial conglomerate to ask whether Mexico's huge debt would become a burden that could never be shaken off. The president of Deutsche Bank told William that although China and Britain have issued a lot of loans to different regimes in Mexico, especially the Chinese, and have lent the Mexican government up to 80 million pounds, the president of the bank believes that China has already earned enough principal and interest from this loan. Through loans, China has obtained the right to mine a large number of minerals in Mexico, the right to operate the railway, and can make millions of pounds in profits every year.
Mexico's debt may seem huge, but with Mexico's land area, population, and resource endowment, it is not difficult to repay as long as it can be reasonably developed. Moreover, both China and the United States have invested heavily in Mexico, and the railways, mines, and ports have a certain scale, and these infrastructures are enough to support the healthy development of Mexico, and only need a stable social order, and reasonable economic policies, which are already as efficient as Germany's, and Mexico will soon become a huge vassal country like Poland and Prussia.
Prince Wilhelm found that, with the exception of Bismarck, German interest groups that had begun to build a great power mentality were actively supporting expansion.
So Prince Wilhelm expressed his resolute attitude to Bismarck.
Bismarck, an old fritter, changed his attitude very quickly, and he quickly expressed his support for the king's attitude, which made Prince Wilhelm a little uncomfortable.
In fact, this kind of politician, where is the real iron blood. Historically, it was Bismarck who had suppressed Germany's foreign expansion, but it was still Bismarck who started Germany's foreign expansion, and when he found that he could not suppress Germany's ambitions for foreign expansion, he quickly established a colony for Germany in Africa, and received letters of thanks from many organizations, allowing him to successfully continue to govern the German regime.
Now supported by the parliament and supported by the king, the composition of power in the German Empire was now very complex. The constitution provided for the direct concurrent position of the Prussian Chancellor as the Reich Chancellor, and this was the characteristic feature of the Prussian-dominated German unity. However, the constitution of the Kingdom of Prussia stipulates that the prime minister is not accountable to the Prussian parliament, but directly to the king, and the parliament can approve the budget submitted by the prime minister, but the parliament has no power to appoint and dismiss the prime minister. Therefore, by deciding on the position of Prime Minister of Prussia, it was resolutely decided on the choice of Chancellor of the German Empire. In the end, it was the Prussian royal family that had the greatest influence on German politics.
Now the Prussian regent Wilhelm asked the German royal family to go to Mexico to be king, and Bismarck, unable to persuade him, immediately expressed his support, because he felt that if he wanted to expand, it would be better to let him do it, rather than let the king leave him to do it directly, he thought that if he did, it would be easier to control the situation and not get out of control.
Prince Wilhelm has always had a bad relationship with Bismarck, but he has always supported Bismarck as prime minister, because although he does not like Bismarck's governing philosophy, does not like Bismarck's character, and even looks down on Bismarck's character, he recognizes Bismarck's ability. Only Bismarck can help him balance the various factions in the parliament, and help him balance the various states in the country.
Now Bismarck was going to do it, and he was happy to let Bismarck do it.
So Bismarck took over the matter.
Bismarck first talked to the British, and the British had two attitudes, one was that Mexico could not be annexed to Germany, and the other was that Prince Leopold had to admit the British debt, Bismarck agreed, and at the same time hoped to get the support of the British navy, and Britain was willing to help the German army land in Mexico and provide escort later. But instead of agreeing to provide military aid, Britain could have borrowed a loan.
Bismarck thought about it and didn't ask for the loan, because the loan was also a business, and the principal and interest had to be repaid in the end. And the German banking industry has been stimulated by the war reparations gold, has greatly expanded, they need investment space, Germany is going through an economic crisis, the investment field is narrow, this good deal, of course, is limited to the domestic banking group.
The German financial industry provided capital, the German military-industrial complex provided weapons, and the German elite soldiers fought for everything, and everything did not depend on the British, and they would not be subject to the British in the future.
After negotiating with the British, Bismarck immediately approached Ferdinand II, who was in exile in Austria, nominally the legitimate king of Mexico, recognized by the European powers and China.
For a price of 300,000 pounds, Bismarck had Ferdinand II, who had lost everything, sign an agreement to transfer the succession to the Mexican throne to Prince Leopold.
When the news reached China, Zhou Lang couldn't help but sigh that Europeans really know how to play, and the throne can be transferred! However, this also provides Zhou Lang with a new idea, and he is also plotting against Peru. China has always recognized Peru as belonging to the Mexican regime, and while Carlos was in Mexico, Peru and Chile were nominally ruled by Carlos. Now that Juárez has become the ruler of Mexico, China has turned to recognize Juárez's dominion over Peru and Chile, and Zhou Lang has decided to annex Peru and Chile, which was originally intended to be operated through Juárez, and now the Germans have inspired him.
Ferdinand II is the legitimate ruler of Mexico and Peru and Chile recognized by Europe, and since Germany can buy the right to rule Mexico from Ferdinand, China can also buy the right to rule Peru and Chile from him, so that the mouths of European countries, especially the British, unless they do not recognize the way they support Germany, they must recognize China's imitation.