Reincarnated as Nikolai II

Chapter 247 Maria Theresa's Wig is Heavy (1)

Since I can't decide who will lead the next military with just a few words here, I'll need to watch longer, but.

"...You've got one direction right."

"Does it please you?"@@@@

"The title of expert isn't wasted on you. I like your vision that isn't confined by engineering's limitations."

Having the world's largest military means spending that much on military expenses.

The budget is always tight and insufficient regardless of the Empire's economic growth or tax revenue.

"Particularly, not a few people both internally and externally think this Empire rose through war. This too is something to be wary of."

"It's not wrong, is it? The Empire has always shown great growth after wars."

"We could end up with those advocating military statehood or militarism spreading."

Why did Sparta, which swept the Greek world in the past, fall?

Though they raised their state through the military and even subjugated Athens, after Messenia's independence, they fell due to excessive control and dictatorship leading to extreme economic polarization.

The military has ranks divided more strictly than water temperature. What if these are released into the civilian realm?

'With Tsarism already prevalent, adding militarism would be hard to handle.'

So the Imperial Army must remain limited to roles like internal political ethnic unity and patriotism promotion.

Nevertheless.

"Kokovtsov, it's undeniable that Roman is too valuable a talent to just send home like this. He will surely strengthen the Imperial Army by learning from the Great War."

Sharing just a bit of insight makes it impossible not to acknowledge.

Roman, whatever his intentions for becoming Chief of Staff, is a born genius.

"Have you judged the benefits gained through him outweigh the harmful effects?"

"Why, are you worried?"

"Not at all. As long as Your Majesty lives, the military cannot become an interest group."

"...I must not take my eyes off him."

Is it my imagination that Kokovtsov's face seems somewhat pleased now that I've acknowledged Roman?

Kokovtsov expressed no further objections or questions about military personnel.

This law restricts visa issuance and citizenship by region, race, and country, which directly leads to population growth restrictions.

Possible backlash from existing immigrants?

[Remember the Indians!]

[Indian Citizenship Act, Passed.]

[Comprehensive Citizenship is Acceptance, Not Discrimination.]

They can offset that backlash by embracing the fewer native Indians.

Eventually, America's population growth in the 1920s began staying within 2%.

Though Mexican refugees are crossing over ignoring laws due to civil war, statistically combining natural increase and immigration won't exceed this 2%.

Meanwhile, our Empire was different.

"Though Finland's population of 3 million broke away, it's not decreasing."

"The Population Survey Committee is conducting surveys annually instead of every two years so we're getting more accurate figures, but... the graph's rising slope is ominous."

I'm reminded of when the Empire first conducted a population census in '98.

A book reaching 120 volumes in final length.

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Detailed data processing took 3 more years, and after classifying into tribes, principalities, kingdoms, khanates, and empires, plus organizing by religion, age, occupation, gender, and household, it was truly vast information beyond measure.

What I felt then was that this country was very young. Russia had its historically largest population of teens and twenties at that time.

More than 25 years have passed since then.

The Empire is still young, territory has increased, and after Poland's annexation, population has grown even more.

According to nationwide censuses that America and Russia conducted simultaneously in 1920.

America's population was about 106 million.

Russia's population was 210 million.

"Since Poland's population is nearly 30 million, they should be calculated separately in growth rates."

"Prime Minister, even so, Imperial citizens exceed 180 million."

Of course, though population is national power, economically speaking there's need to look from various perspectives like per capita labor productivity, household income, household asset holdings.