Reincarnated as Nikolai II

Chapter 109 Unmasked (3)

as with otto von bismarck's three emperors' alliance and later the dual alliance, franco-russian alliance, anglo-french entente, and anglo-russian agreement.

european diplomacy can be summarized in a single word: 'balance'.

if one stands out, others rush in to smash their head with a hammer.

if word spreads that someone struck gold, others immediately jump into competition.

perhaps this european diplomatic history has continued since medieval times when popes excommunicated overbearing kings.

unlike east asia, there seems to be more of this tendency since ethnicities and languages weren't historically clearly distinguished.

anyway, in this era where everyone acts like they're the guardian of balance, peering here and there, increasing military expenditure is in a way logical.

european countries' military spending has increased 50-80% from five years ago to this year.

the military industry hasn't just developed some rifles and increased types of military supplies - the scale itself is different.

the navy has become incomparably more expensive since the 1906 advent of hms dreadnought changed the paradigm.

it's no wonder germany's state shakes every time they revise the naval law after the dreadnought's appearance.

the army too has passed the era of simply putting rifles in standing army hands.

europe, having tasted mobilization of the three countries - france, germany, and russia - learned that 'ah, mobilizing the army also costs tremendous money.'

before the morocco crisis, no country in the world normally maintained weapons to equip these conscripts.

they just kept outdated pre-discharge equipment or lower quality items for show.

improvement of cast iron and pig iron cannons, iron-clad steam warships, more expensive gunpowder infused with sulfuric acid, technology-intensive engines switching from steam to oil, growing caliber guns, steam turbine ships, submarines, airships, airplanes, automobiles.

all these changes accelerated entering the 20th century, so we can't think in terms of late 19th century military spending.

truly a one-time revolution in military affairs (rma) in history.

your next chapter is on empire

diplomatic changes followed as well.

german military spending, less than 30 million pounds in my early reign, has now exceeded 100 million pounds. britain must be similar with 80 million pounds defense spending plus bonds.

if asked whether we're different, not much.

[your majesty, when i first became finance minister, military spending was exactly 60 million rubles. but now that it's exceeded 1 billion rubles, i must express concern about whether this is clearly excessive budget-]

even witte, having served minimum two years as senator, picked up his pen at home, so we're certainly also at the forefront of this arms race.

an era when everyone uses the gold standard as common sense.

inflation doesn't reduce spending and deficit burdens.

rather, enormous interest follows behind the military spending item.

"by kaiser's order! increase service period from 2 to 3 years to fill 810,000 troops!"

"what? you increased? we're increasing too! expand conscription targets! increase exactly 40% to fill 850,000!"

"introducing 104 155mm heavy field guns!"

"introducing 400 150mm artillery!"

news making each country's command's eyes increasingly bloodshot pours in monthly.

though not everything appears in civilian newspapers, this competition was clearly intensifying.

to the extent that, led by germany, all considered 'preventive war' as an option at some point.

unable to continue competition at this rate, they talk of making an immediate judgment.

'...is theobald von bethmann-hollweg's preventive war theory really the only answer?'

'chancellor heinrich recently argued we must give up military competition with russia...'

'as an island nation we only built up navy. we absolutely can't afford to build up army too now.'

the great war is often called an unprepared war.

however, what was unprepared was only the five-year long war - everyone had long prepared for war itself, squeezing national coffers.