Rise of the 1630s South America

Chapter 2389 The Jews

"Have you heard? The Morocco that happened a while ago is coming to an end." On September 1699, 9, it was almost four months since the Sixth Mixed Regiment ended its first battle with the Moroccans. Because of this, so be the first to get the news.According to the information their chamber of commerce received from Morocco, under the mediation of a heavyweight general in Algiers, the Moroccan sultan has agreed to negotiate with the people on the east coast. The scope of the negotiations includes land cession, compensation for war expenses, and freedom of trade.It is reported that the Moroccans failed miserably on the battlefield, so this time they may make a big step, so that there may be endless turmoil in the country.

"According to the information we gathered in the local community, the negotiations may continue for a while, because Moroccans still have doubts about ceding the land." A young man wearing a top hat said.He has just returned to Lisbon from Morocco, and the news is all first-hand, so it is naturally relatively authoritative.

"But it can't last too long. People on the east coast don't have that much patience. Not to mention, King Alfonso of Lisbon has mobilized the entire five infantry regiments and will go to the battlefield at any time. People on the east coast use this to act If they are pressed, the Moroccans are likely to succumb. Although the people on the east coast ask them to cede mostly the wet land near the coastline in the north, this is the reality." Another person shrugged and said.

"Gentlemen, I think you may have misunderstood the important point." A middle-aged man who looked very mature and steady stood up, and after attracting the attention of everyone in the room, he said calmly: "We should See if there is any opportunity among them, an opportunity unique to us Jews. Once the East Coast people succeed in seizing the land, it will become a hot spot for trade, and we must not miss this opportunity, gentlemen."

"But according to the previous situation, the people on the east coast are not friendly to us Jews. It may be a little difficult for us to squeeze in to do business." Someone said.

These words suddenly made the room fall into silence, Tian was so chatted to death, and the atmosphere became a little depressing.Yeah, Jews aren't looked down upon by East Coasters, they don't crave Jewish money, they don't crave its trade channels, so what else is there to attract East Coasters?It's a good thing they didn't raise the butcher's knife against the Jews.

Jews, living in Europe is really too hard!

Regardless of the distance, let’s talk about the past 100 years.In Spain, it can be safely said that there are hardly many settled Jews anymore.As early as 1595, the Spanish Jews disappeared under wave after wave of trials, expulsions, and massacres, and the rest were basically forced to convert.As one bishop put it at the time, "All the converted Jews, assimilated by intermarriage, are good Christians."

In Portugal, which is also a country on the Iberian Peninsula, the situation is slightly better. The persecution by the local Inquisition is not as severe as Spain.However, the situation took a turn for the worse after the merger of Spain and Portugal. The Portuguese carried out a total of 20 burning ceremonies within 50 years after the merger. Thousands of Jews were either burned to death, or forced to repent of their sins and convert to Catholicism.The rest either went into exile or converted to Brazil (there were more than [-] converted Jews "new Christians" in Brazil at one time), and the Jewish community in the entire Ilibian peninsula disappeared. It is worth mentioning Yes, most of the exiled Jews in the Iberian Peninsula went to the Green Christian countries and successfully settled down.

The Italian Jews were very popular at first.Except for Milan, Naples, Sicily, Parma and other places under Spanish rule, the Jews in other states were relatively free.Especially in Venice, many factories are run by Jews, and the prosperity of many port cities is also due to the presence of Jews. The largest Jewish community in Venice has more than 6000 people, and the entire community is designed by Jewish architects.

But the fate of the Italian Jews is obviously not smooth sailing. The greed or religious tendencies of the local nobles have more or less caused them great losses.For example, the Duke of Mantua often "borrowed" (extorted) from Jewish bankers.In Rome, there was a pope who opposed the Jews. They were once restricted to leave within three days because the pope believed that their usury had greatly hurt the citizens of Rome. In the end, the Jews were spared after contributing a lot of jewelry and money.

Among the Western European countries, only the Jews in Britain, France, and the Netherlands lived relatively comfortably.The deceased French ministers such as Richelieu and Colbert recognized the benefits of Jewish enterprises to the French economy. Bordeaux, a major trading city, was very friendly to Jews and believed that once they left, the economy of the whole city and even the province would suffer heavy losses.Louis XIV also took good care of the Jews, and in 1670 he ordered a revision of a sentence requiring the local government to release Jews who had been arrested on charges of "occult witchcraft."During the last war, a Jewish banker donated his property to Louis XIV to support his war, which shows the importance Jews attach to France.

The situation of Jews in Britain is somewhat worse than in France, but it has been improving for decades.For example, in 1657, Cromwell allowed Jews to have their own cemetery in London in order to raise military expenses.When Charles II was in exile, he also received great support from Jewish businessmen, so after his restoration, the Jews gained many economic benefits.Not to mention the current King William III, who had a close relationship with the Jews when he was in the Netherlands. After he came to London, the Jews collectively donated money to him to help him pay for mercenaries, so now the Jews in London can enter the banking industry And the bill trading industry, the development momentum is very prosperous.

Of course, the life of the Jews in the Netherlands is still the most comfortable.The bankers and wholesalers in Amsterdam are roughly three pillars of Dutch, Italian, and Jewish descent.These Jews who settled in the United Provinces were very rich. In 1675, a Jewish lady got married and spent a total of astonishing 4000 million guilders. In 1688, Suso, a Jewish businessman, took out 200 million guilders to support William III, and said: "If you are lucky, you will repay it. If you are not lucky, then I am unlucky."

With such a generous shot and no political and religious suppression, it is natural for the Jews to feel like a fish in water in the Netherlands.The Jewish community in Amsterdam is so large that it has been nicknamed the "Jerusalem of the Netherlands".Many of the Dutch wholesalers that people from the East Coast used to deal with are Jewish merchants in Amsterdam, which can be seen.

But Jewish money is not very easy to use on the East Coast, which is the consensus of all Jews in Europe.So far, Judaism has not yet obtained a legal status in the East Bank. Although there are many Jewish businessmen living there, they have not been able to form a stable community.According to gossip among European Jews, hundreds of Jewish businessmen on the east bank and their children once planned to form a community in Qingdao Port. Arrested on suspicion of bribing officials, the court sentenced him to exile in Rabaul.So far, the Jewish community on the east bank has disappeared before it has formed, which is very regrettable.

However, the Jews never gave up their efforts to enter the East Bank.Just like the army on the east bank smashed the Moroccan army, and it was about to crack the ground and establish a direct territory. The Jews who returned to Lisbon only more than [-] years ago started thinking again.They feel that if they cannot enter the mainland of the east coast, it seems a good way to infiltrate its overseas territories first, obtain legal status a little bit, and then enter the mainland of the east coast.They had failed in Haji County on the Black Sea before, and the people on the east coast did not allow them to establish churches and communities there (later, this group went to the territory of the Oirat Mongols and successfully took root), but they did not Discouraged, intending to try again, into Ceuta and Tangier.

Don't think it's a bit outrageous for the Jews to act like a dog. It's really that the East Coast Republic's current momentum is too amazing.Their industry is very strong, the financial industry is also very developed, and their military strength is obvious to all - the negligible casualties hit the Moroccan army hard, making it almost powerless to fight back, which has already explained everything - and they also occupy trade routes Many key nodes on the .If such a country does not work hard to squeeze in, why not go to such backward countries as Russia, Sweden, and Poland?Jews are not stupid, of course they know what to do.

"Europe is not peaceful now. King Carlos of Madrid may die at any time, his relatives are sharpening their knives, and the war is on the verge of breaking out. And once the war breaks out, we will definitely be taxed heavily. If the war goes to a difficult stage , the lives of many people cannot even be guaranteed. At this time, where is there a safer place than the east coast of the powerful country in the New World? Gentlemen, it is time to buy the government bonds issued by the east coast government, and then send a few smart, capable and eloquent people With the help of our friend the Dutch, it is still possible to achieve this goal." In the end, the middle-aged man who seemed to have a high status made the final decision, and he continued: "Also, prepare sufficient funds. There are many opportunities during the war, whether it is bonds, stocks or other things. Of course, if someone is interested in real businesses, this is also a good opportunity to start at a low price, don't blame me for not reminding you. Hmm Don't forget to hoard supplies in advance, this can help me make a lot of money. During the war, food and other daily necessities are always in short supply, don't worry about hoarding, you will make a lot of money, when people are hungry and waiting to be fed. Dong There are not so many ships to transport food to the people on the coast."

(End of this chapter)