I want to be emperor

Chapter 1004 Economic Colonization
Naturally, the empire will not stop its corresponding military deployment just because of the panic of several indigenous kingdoms in the British region.

Adjusting the strategic deployment between the foreign legions and the regular army is a military decision decided by the highest level of the Dachu Empire. The Military Council directly issues various strategic orders. It will not stop its actions just because of the panic of the indigenous countries, and it will not even bother to do so. To explain something.

The Chu Empire did not need to explain anything to the natives, especially the natives of the vassal states that were the agents it supported.

Therefore, several indigenous countries in the British region spent several months in panic. During this period, the war between the Kingdom of Wales and the Kingdom of England even came to a standstill.

After all, the large-scale mobilization of the Chu army nearby is too scary...

In particular, the military mobilization in several nearby Chu army administrative territories was very large-scale, such as the Liverpool area. A mixed battalion of foreign legions previously deployed here was transferred, but what followed was an entire regiment of foreign troops. Legion strength.

According to the strategic arrangements of the European Command, the British region will be the first region to undergo strategic changes. The mobilization in the British region is actually not an increase in troop strength as the natives see it on the surface, but a reduction in troop strength...

The main mobilization of troops in the British region was to increase the number of foreign legions and reduce the strength of the regular army.

This is because the British region is separated from the European continent by the English Channel. Even if there is any large-scale turmoil in the European continent in the future, the indigenous countries that lack sea power will not be able to cross the English Channel, posing any actual threat to the British region. , at the same time, the five indigenous kingdoms in the British region are not very powerful... After all, the total population of the entire British region is only about [-] million people these days.

These tens of millions of people are still scattered in five kingdoms, each with no more than a million people and no more than 300 to [-] million people.

It is basically impossible for an indigenous country with this small population base to pose any practical threat to the Chu Empire.

Therefore, the colonial rule of the Chu Empire in the British area is very stable, and it is unlikely that any major problems will arise.

Unlike the European continent... The European continent is more complex and has a large population. Several large indigenous countries, such as Austria, France, Poland, Lithuania, and the Kingdom of Sweden, have relatively strong overall strength. Once something happens, If there is turmoil, it is possible to cause large-scale unrest.

Although the Chu army relies on its own strong military strength, it is absolutely sure to suppress it... But this is only now, what about the future?

It's hard to say what the future holds.

At the same time, even if military suppression can be carried out, the military expenditure is not a small amount... The Chu people came to Europe not to fight, but to make money.

If military suppression is carried out due to frequent turmoil, resulting in excessive military expenditure, then in the end the gains will outweigh the losses... This is also the reason why many colonial countries in the original time and space finally gave up their colonies.

It's not that the colonists can't defeat the rebels... but that the cost of maintaining colonial rule has exceeded the benefits obtained from the colonies. Continuing to maintain colonial rule is not worth the gain, and may even become a huge burden on the mother country.

This is also an important reason why the Chu people did not adopt large-scale direct colonial rule in Europe, but adopted the support agent model.

If you rule directly by yourself, the costs will expand rapidly and you will have more worries.

But if you support the agent and let the local natives fight the natives, the Chu people only need to do strategic deterrence without incurring too much additional military cost... This model is a typical one who only wants benefits without paying.

This strategic model is also in line with the new overseas deployment phalanx proposed by the Great Chu Empire's Military Administration: agents are responsible for daily suppression, the foreign legions are responsible for daily military deterrence and routine counter-insurgency, and the regular army is only responsible for the top-level strategy deterrence!
In order to implement this phalanx, in addition to increasing the number of foreign legions dispatched, the Chu army also concentrated regular troops and deployed them to several strategic locations to perform strategic deterrence tasks.

In the European region, after consultations with the European Army Command and the European Fleet of the Navy, several coastal port cities were drafted as strategic military bases. They planned to deploy heavy troops in these places and hoard a large amount of logistical supplies as a deterrent to the entire Europe. strategic support point for the region.

Such strategic support points are all directly administered territories, mainly the Spanish Peninsula. At present, the empire's most important strategic support point in Europe is Cadiz, a trading port and material transfer station. This place can radiate to the entire Spanish Peninsula and North Africa. and the Mediterranean coastal areas.

There is also the Le Havre region in France... This place is also the terminal station of the European railway under construction. This area can radiate to the entire French region, northern Spain, the Netherlands and other low-lying regions.

The Jutland region in Denmark is mainly located where the North Sea enters and exits the Baltic Sea. It has a relatively important strategic position. At the same time, there is not much indigenous population in the area, so it is relatively convenient to move. It is suitable for use as a direct-administered territory. This place can Radiating the entire Danish region, the Nordic region and the chaotic German region, and controlling the entire Baltic Sea coast.

Finally, there is Crete in the Mediterranean... This place was occupied by the Ottoman Empire a few years ago. However, after the Chu people arrived in Europe, under the threat and inducement of the Chu people, the Ottomans priced this place at 25 Chu yuan. The island was sold to the Chu people.

Of course, the Ottomans didn't actually get a single copper, because the 25 Chu yuan were all used to offset the Chu people's compensation.

Just like when the peninsula and Suez were ceded.

Before the Ottomans evacuated the island, according to the requirements of the Chu people, they packed up and took away all the people on the island, leaving no natives behind... So the Crete island that the Chu people got was empty!

The reason why the Chu people are interested in this place is not only that this place is located in the center of the Mediterranean. If a large number of troops are stationed here, it can deter the Ottomans, North Africa, Italy and other regions, but also for the subsequent escort of the Suez Canal!
In addition, this is also related to the Chu people's fancy for the excellent natural conditions on the island.

The climate of this island is quite unique. It belongs to a mild Mediterranean climate with four distinct seasons. Winters are mild and rainy; summers are hot and dry. In spring and summer, the climate is very good, with wild flowers everywhere...

The first time the Chu people came here was in April at the turn of spring and summer. The first thing they saw after landing on the island was the wild flowers all over the mountains and plains... Then a major of the Chu army who led the team did not hesitate. He asked his men to carve a stone tablet and set it up on the island. The words on the stone tablet were very simple, with only one line: "Crete, territory of the Da Chu Empire, April 41, 26 AD."

Of course, later the Chu people discovered that the summer here was hot and dry, which was different from other Mediterranean coastal areas in Europe...

In terms of pure climate, there are actually many places along the Mediterranean coast that exceed this place.

However, a place with such good climatic conditions and a relatively advantageous geographical location can just provide military support for the Suez Canal and is suitable for a large number of troops. At the same time, there is no interference from the indigenous people. There is no need to worry about the indigenous people sneaking over the wall and establishing a directly administered territory. This is the place.

One of the major considerations for the Chu people in building directly-administered territories in Europe is to separate them from the indigenous gathering areas... It is best to use islands. If not islands, it is best to have rivers to separate them... If this is not possible, then the Chu army All we can do is build walls and pull out barbed wire, and then establish isolation zones in no-man's land.

This is all to prevent indigenous people from sneaking in... No matter whether they are spies or illegal immigrants, we must prevent them from getting in.

The above-mentioned four regions of Cadiz, Le Havre, Jutland, and Crete are currently the most important directly administered territories of the Chu Empire in Europe. They are also important military bases, commercial and trade bases, and even industrial bases. .

Some Chu capital has begun to invest and build factories in these directly-administered territories to conduct preliminary processing of raw materials or produce some daily industrial products for sale in the European market.

However, affected by multiple shortages of supply chains, talent and capital, etc., the industrial development of directly-administered territories throughout Europe is actually not very good...even the most basic steel industry has not developed.

The main reason is that the local demand for steel is too small... None of the four major steel-demanding industries such as rail rails, shipbuilding, construction, and machinery are found in Europe... For railway construction in Europe, the rails required are rounded by several large domestic steel plants. , but not as much as some small steel plants in Europe.

The Isle of Man Steel Works has been in operation for several years, but it is still half-dead... The steel produced can only be used for farm tools, kitchen utensils and other daily necessities. Furthermore, some industries with relatively high technical content in the processing industry also need talents...but not many talents will go to Europe, a place where birds can't shit.

Technical talents are also very popular in the local area. Their income is not low and their life is decent. A young person from his hometown can live a very good life in a big city like Songjiang City. There is no need to follow you to hang out in barbarian lands unless you pay a sky-high salary!
Not only technical talents are like this, but ordinary workers are also difficult to recruit... These factories can only be set up in directly-administered territories and can only recruit Chu people. But ordinary Chu people who have come all the way to Europe, regardless of whether they were in The mainland is poor, but after arriving in Europe, the per capita landowners are big... It is not impossible to find them as ordinary workers, but the wages will be sky-high!

And as the wages are higher, the labor costs will also rise... In the end, the cost of the product is estimated to be higher than if someone shipped it all the way from China.

This is also the reason why in many overseas territories directly under the Central Government, markets are nearby and raw materials are everywhere. As long as the investment can make money, people will invest, but they cannot develop industries.

Even in today's America, the empire does not restrict the development of any industry in the Americas except the defense industry... You can do whatever you like, but you still can't develop...

This is because to develop industry, you don't just need a market and raw materials, you also need people... a large number of highly skilled personnel and industrial workers, and you also need a supporting supply chain.

The factory you build in the end is not meant to compete with local factories... it actually competes with local companies...

Although local companies seem to have higher raw material costs and product transportation costs, they are very complete in all aspects. Technical personnel are everywhere, not to mention industrial workers, and various supporting equipment, semi-finished raw materials, etc. are readily available. get.

In the end, the cost of the products they produce is much lower than that produced by overseas factories. Even after adding shipping costs to this low cost, the final cost is still lower than that of overseas factories.

After all, products from local factories require shipping costs when sold overseas, but some semi-finished raw materials from overseas factories also need to be purchased locally, which also requires shipping costs.

In addition, the whole world is one... America is also part of the empire, but there are no tariffs and goods can circulate freely.

Under such circumstances, it is actually very difficult for overseas regions to develop industry...it will take a long time to lay the groundwork and gradually form the supply chain of the entire industrial system. Only when there are sufficient local technical talents and industrial workers can we start to talk about it. to compete industrially with the local market.

As for now, it's too far away.

Therefore, many overseas territories under the direct jurisdiction of the Chu Empire seemed to have a large amount of high-quality raw materials, but it was difficult to develop industries.

This is still talking about the territories directly under the Central Government, not to mention the administrative territories... Investment in many industries is prohibited, and the purchase and use of many equipments are prohibited. Only some approved industries can be engaged in a limited way.

The territory of the vassal state is even more restricted. So far, only investment in the three major fields of transportation, mining, and agriculture has been approved, and it is only limited to wholly-owned enterprises owned by Chu people.

Under such circumstances, although the Chu people seem to have established a lot of factories in the four direct territories in Europe, they are all simple light industrial factories, and most of them do some raw material processing. The entire industrial model still remains. Various raw materials are purchased from indigenous areas, then preliminary processed, and then sold back to the local area.

For example, the wool spinning industry in Cadiz is developing well. Merchants purchase wool from European regions, process it into wool thread in Cadiz, and then spin it into woolen materials for sale locally in Europe.

But even so, the scale of the entire wool spinning industry is not large, and the wool spinning merchants who invest do not make much. The main reason is that the local labor cost is too high... and the technology is not very good.

Although the wool spinning industry is only a light industry, it has developed into an industry with very high technical content. Starting from the initial processing of wool, even if it is just simple washing, degreasing and other preliminary processing, if you want to achieve low cost and good quality, it is The technical content is very high, and there is no comparison between small factories and large factories.

The technology of your overseas factories is not good, the processed products are not good, and the labor cost is very high... Even if the cost of raw materials is low and the freight is low, in the end it will not be able to compete with local wool products...

Therefore, regardless of the wool produced in Europe, a certain wool spinning industry has also developed, but it is extremely limited... Most of the wool produced in Europe is shipped back to the mainland for processing, and is used to meet the needs of the local people. Some of the wool products were sold back to the indigenous Europeans.

Due to various practical difficulties, it is difficult to establish processing industries in overseas areas... However, the imperial officials do not care about this. Anyway, Europe is positioned as a raw material supply place and a dumping place for industrial products, not an industrial base.

Directly administered territories in Europe are positioned as centers of colonial rule, military strategic support points, and material transfer stations... they are not industrial centers.

However, the development of the processing industry in Europe is not very good, but the development of agriculture, mining and transportation industries is very good.

These three major industries are all key industries deployed by the empire in Europe. They are designed to provide the empire with more agricultural, livestock and mineral products, and to provide more resources for the empire's industrial development and people's livelihood.

Against this background, Antongxuan's Anwei Mining Company is developing rapidly and making more and more money... And the European Railway Company makes more money than the mining company.

The first railway built by European Railways and put into commercial operation in Europe: the Bale Railway, that is, the railway line from Paris to Le Havre, has been full every day since it was put into operation. Making money can be described as making money every day.

This also allows the indigenous people who were still stuck in the medieval feudal era not long ago to enjoy the travel convenience of the industrial era... But it is not cheap to take the train. They have to work hard to farm and mine to make money. Enjoy the travel convenience of the industrial age.

Railways were actually an industrial product dumped by the Chu Empire in the vassal states... except that the dumping was not specific physical products, but transportation services.

The money earned by these indigenous people who worked hard to farm and mine, traveled several times by train or ship, and bought some cloth and other daily products exported by Chu State, the money returned to the hands of the people of Chu State.

This also formed an economic cycle...an economic cycle in which the Chu Empire economically controlled each colony and obtained a large amount of materials from them.

The Chu people only need to pay a small amount of high value-added industrial products to obtain a large amount of agricultural livestock and mineral products from the indigenous people, thus improving the overall living standards of the Chu people.

Or to use a simpler and more direct example, the people of Chu purchased a batch of wool from the indigenous people. This wool can be woven into a hundred pieces of clothing, but only one will be sold to the indigenous people at a high price to offset the cost of the purchased wool. cost, the remaining 99 woolen clothes can be supplied to the people of Chu.

What is economic colonization? This is economic colonization.

The Chu people are very skilled in doing this kind of thing, and have already formed a complete set of perfect systems... Otherwise, how do you think the Chu people's per capita annual grain consumption of [-] kilograms comes from?

How does the Engel coefficient (the proportion of food expenditures in total expenditures) get lower and lower?

How did living standards get higher and higher?

That's how it came!

(End of this chapter)