The sun never sets in America

Chapter 246 European Diplomacy: Tsarist Russia

In Moscow in July, the sun is shining brightly, summer and spring are the only good times in Russia.

People were coming and going on the streets, nobles were out hunting in gorgeous clothes, and women were busy discussing a new fashionable garment in Paris.

When a woman wears a long dress and shows off the latest gemstone necklace on her swan-like neck, it arouses cheers and jealousy from a group of women.

The men, while hunting, talked about some secrets of the palace, such as the secrets of the current Tsar Nicholas and his mistresses.

Another example is to brag about the income of one's own farm and that the serfs there are more obedient.

Finally, let’s discuss the topics that belong to men. In the end, during a hunting trip, there may not be a few prey, but there are a lot of sex jokes.

But in Moscow, or rather Russia, such beautiful times are rare after all. There are only a few months in a year, and the time is very fixed.

In two or three months, the whole of Russia, or the whole of Eastern Europe, will enter a bitter and cold winter.

Winter has tempered the tough character of the Russian people. They eat the cheapest black bread, and the only requirement is a glass of vodka.

On the streets of Moscow, every night there are Russians holding wine bottles and drinking drowsily. It's not so bad now, but once winter comes, there will be a large number of Russians freezing to death on the streets of Moscow and even other Russian cities.

Russians' love for wine is difficult for other countries to understand. Russia is a bellicose but not warlike country, but the most heroic time for Russian soldiers is when they finish drinking vodka and shout "Ula" to charge.

Every time Russia launches a war abroad, vodka is the first-order military necessities, even more important than military pay. Front-line generals always order vodka to the logistics department.

Apart from vodka, they really can't think of any way to improve their combat effectiveness due to their poor command ability.

Russia is the country with the worst industrial level, educational level, and transportation level among the major European countries.

If you add in the bad corruption and inefficient command capabilities, you even doubt whether this is a normal country, but if you fight a war with the Russians, the Russian noble officers will let you know what a gray animal is and what It's a European roller.

When you think of Tsarist Russia’s army, what comes to mind: serfs, black bread with sawdust, vodka, or cheap gray military uniforms.

None, but the cold winter in Russia. The cold winter in Russia is like a ruthless God of War, blocking all powers trying to destroy Russia.

Napoleon was like this, and so were the later painters. They all lowered their proud heads in the severe cold of Russia.

Liu Peng’s evaluation of Russia in his theory of land is:

"Russia is located on the edge of Europe. Its territory spans almost the entire Eurasian continent. Unfortunately, it is in a wilderness area. But because of this, Russia's external expansion is difficult to stop, because any country can launch offensives from the east and west directions. , facing Russia’s huge population and cold winters in the west, and extremely cold and barren Siberia in the east, this country seems to be inherently indestructible..."

"But this is also Russia's most fatal weakness. From an industrial point of view, it is almost difficult to develop large industries in Siberia in the east and cities with cluster industries appear, while Eastern Europe in the west seems flat and rich in resources, but only a year The warm season of several months also limits the development of industry. Even if it is to develop industry, Russia can only choose heavy industry or light industry, one of which. If you want to pay equal attention to both, Russia's climate and time will not allow it, but if only If one kind of development develops, Russia is destined to be a lame country!!"

"It's just that even if this cripple only has one leg, he is thicker than many surrounding countries!!"

This is Liu Peng’s view of Russia from the perspective of later generations and the present, and at the end, he secretly wrote:

"If Russia wants to get out of its current predicament, the first way is to march into the Asia Minor Peninsula under the Black Sea and into the warm Mediterranean. The second way is to open up the channel from Central Asia to India and control the important trade channel of the Indian Ocean, even if Just by controlling one, the Russian Empire will become a global empire alongside the British Empire..."

This paragraph is actually very naked, almost suggesting that Russia, go ahead, what are you waiting for? ?

Not surprisingly, when the territorial theory spread to Russia, it caused an uproar.

The Imperial Russians took the Russian volume in "The Land of the Eurasian Continent" as if they were holding the Bible, wishing they could drink the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea right away. (The Imperial Russian faction is actually a group of radical expansionists. From the Tsarist Russia period to the later war between Mao Zedong and Mao Zedong, the Crimean crisis was all caused by Imperial Russia.)

The first thing they targeted was the declining Ottoman Turkish Empire.

He even shouted again:

"The double-headed eagle flag will eventually be re-installed on the dome of Sophia Cathedral. A new Roman era is about to come!!"

For Russia, which considers itself the defender of European civilization and the heir to Rome, Rome is a spiritual home.

Just like that famous saying:

“The capital of Russia is neither Moscow nor St. Petersburg, but Constantinople!!”

This also explains why Russia has been fighting the Ottomans for more than a century, even if it costs a lot every time, it must continue to fight, because the legal system of the Russian Empire, the legal system of the throne of the Tsar and the Emperor, all come from the so-called, what the Russians themselves claim Eastern Roman Empire.

Russia's internal propaganda has always been that the third Rome, the Russian Empire, is ranked behind.

The Russian Empire and the Ottoman Turkish Empire have fought eight times so far. Except for a few ties and defeats, most of them ended with the victory of the Russian Empire.

It can be seen from the changes in Russia's territory, from the first draw with the Ottomans, to the Dnieper River, to the last march into the Balkans.

It can be said that a history of the Russo-Turkish War is a history of Russia advancing and the Ottomans retreating.

Russia's influence extends to Crimea and Ukraine in the west, and even thrust its claws into the Balkans, which are very popular among Britain and France.

Marching into the Caucasus from the south, they acquired a large area of ​​Caucasus territory including Georgia, effectively defending the Black Sea, which had finally gained a foothold.

During this period, Russia was in a period of complete victory. During the Napoleonic Wars, the majesty of the European military police had not dissipated. Peter the Great's reforms were still blessing this huge cold empire.

Even if you consider Central Asia, which is still undergoing expansion and exploration, and the Far East, which is constantly sending people to reclaim, you will find that there is no difference between Tsarist Russia at this time and colonial empires such as Britain and France.

The only difference is that the land Russia grabbed was classified as its own territory, while Britain and France were very clearly distinguished. This can be seen from the British textbooks, which include a map of Great Britain and a map of the British Isles.

The British didn't treat the colonials as human beings! !

Tsarist Russia was different. Although it was still brutal, Tsarist Russia, which inherited Mongolian ancestry, was also very Mongolian in its rule.

It basically means conquest. If you can directly govern, do so. If you can't, then you can unite with local dignitaries to establish a tax farming system.

As for those who were disobedient, they were naturally exiled to Siberia to grow potatoes for the czar's father.

To describe the rule of the Russian Empire, the basic summary is that it is rough, barbaric, but effective! !

.............................................

Click click click...

A train is rushing through the plains of Eastern Europe, where summer has already entered.

This railway was built on the order of the Tsar a few years ago and runs directly from St. Petersburg to Moscow.

It is also the only railway in the currently huge Russian Empire, but it is said that the Tsar is already considering building a long-distance railway that leads directly to Ukraine, Crimea, and even the Black Sea.

The total plan may exceed 200 million rubles and more than 33 million pounds. (Because the exchange rate in the early nineteenth century was too complicated, and the later exchange rate between the ruble and the pound was six points, the time considered is currently set to six, which is about the same as the Chinese Yuan in Han Dynasty)

There is no doubt that 200 million rubles is a huge amount in any country, especially for Tsarist Russia, which has underdeveloped industry and a very chaotic economy.

In order to raise this amount of funds, Tsarist Russian officials packaged up taxes from many places and even issued a batch of railway bonds.

Only then could this expensive railway be launched.

As for whether there is corruption in the 200 million rubles, it is unknown. After all, according to Russian and Korean practice, all nobles and lords have to share a little bit.

As for those who don't distinguish, either they are not qualified, or they don't want it even though they are qualified, that is rebellion.

.........

Yan Jun was sitting on the train departing from St. Petersburg, looking out at the vast plains of Eastern Europe. He just happened to see the best season of the year in Eastern Europe.

So much so that Yan Jun, who was not very familiar with Russia, regarded the situation in Eastern Europe as the norm.

It even gave rise to the illusion that Russia’s geographical environment was better than that of France. So when Yan Jun saw the dense coniferous forest and the endless grassland, he sighed to Secretary Ma beside him:

"Everyone in the world says that Tsarist Russia is bitterly cold. Once you see it today, you will know that everyone is lying!!"

"If I haven't seen it with my own eyes, I'm afraid I might have been deceived into the dark. Let me just say that Russia is a big country in Europe after all, with a land of more than ten thousand miles. Even if it is bitterly cold in some parts, there is still a good part of it!!"

After hearing this, Secretary Ma replied to Yan Jun with a wry smile: "Prime Minister Yan only knows one, but not the other. It is already summer, can Prime Minister Yan feel the heat??"

Hearing this, Yan Jun was really a little dumbfounded. After all, he really didn't feel hot. According to the current month, he must feel hot no matter what, but why did he feel like the warm feeling at the beginning of spring.

Secretary Ma seemed to know what Yan Jun was thinking, and immediately explained: "In the bitter cold land of Russia, this summer is like the spring of other countries, and the hottest time is the summer of other countries..."

After hearing this, Yan Jun reacted and then asked: "Isn't this the happiest time of the year for Russians? No wonder there were so many people on the platform when we got on the bus just now."

Yan Jun thought of the rich Russians waiting on the platform. Just now, he was wondering why so many people were rushing out. Now he realized that if he didn't go on a trip at this time, he might not even be able to leave in a few months. .

After thinking back, Yan Jun looked at the prosperous land and busy farmers outside the car window, and suddenly the appreciation he had just lost was gone, leaving only sadness.

At this time, Yan Jun truly felt empathy with the Russians. He suddenly understood why Russia wanted to expand in all directions. Even he himself would have to expand into such a hellish place.

.........

Four o'clock in the afternoon, Moscow train station.

At this time, the Moscow train station has been cleared. Of course, the so-called clearing refers to the platform, and most passengers are stranded in the waiting room.

On the platform, dozens of Tsarist Guards, wearing exquisite military uniforms, bearskin hats, and holding rifles, stood on the platform.

"Araf, why do you think the Han prime minister came to Russia?"

Tsarist Russian Foreign Minister Tizokov asked the young officer beside him about Yan Jun's visit to Russia.

"The first one is trade, and the second one, I'm sorry, I can't guess." When it came to the first one, Araf was still very confident, but when it came to the second one, he was very confused, because he felt There is too much speculation.

Tizokov, on the other hand, did not have any dissatisfaction. Instead, he said to Arav in a very appreciative tone: "It's already very good. At this age, I am still serving in the state, but I have no chance to come to Moscow!!"

The words are full of emphasis on Araf.

And what makes Tizokov, a close minister of Tsarist Russia, pay so much attention to a young man is that a new star has risen in the Tsarist Russian Army. He is only 27 years old, but he has already served as a brigadier general and was personally appointed by the tsar as deputy army staff officer responsible for reform. Long araf.

Speaking of this Araf, this man was originally from a small nobleman in St. Petersburg, and had lost his influence decades ago. He originally had no future.

Later, because of the outbreak of the Sino-American War, an ordinary officer like him with no background and no backing was thrown to the United States as a military observer in the US military.

In the US military, Arav felt the latest technology, rifled weapons, large-scale use of observation balloons, intensive artillery fire, tens of thousands of artillery shells every day, fired out as if for free, the firepower far exceeded what he had in Moscow. The Napoleonic Wars as taught in military schools.

Coupled with the trench application, Araf felt for the first time that the war could still be fought like this.

Later, Han's bicycle blitzkrieg and large interludes shocked Araf, who was used to Ula's charges.

Even because of the defeat of the US military, he was captured by the Han people, but because he was a Russian and a diplomat, he received preferential treatment from the Han people.

At that time, all diplomats like him were treated according to the standards of school-level officers.

If coupled with the supply of candies, chocolates, and cigarettes, Araf still likes such a life. At least the Russian Empire's poor logistics supply will definitely not be able to live such a good life.

If coming back from the Americas was just the first step in Araf's rise, then the exercise in the past few years was the time for Araf's real rise.

In that exercise, Arav used the tactics he learned from the Sino-American War to defeat an enemy force twice his own size. He caused a sensation in the Tsarist Russian army and successfully attracted the attention of Tsar Nicholas.

Then he received an order to serve as a guard officer in the palace.

At that time, he just regarded this as a simple transfer and didn't think much about it at all.

Then he met the current Tsar Nicholas, who was very concerned about the changes taking place in Europe, especially in the military field.

At that time, Europe was engaged in rifle weaponization and exploring new tactics. This was definitely something that Nikolai, who was committed to building a strong Russia, must follow up.

But at that time, Russia really lacked talents in this area, weapons were still in the era of flintlock guns, and there was a fatal generation gap between the tactical system and Europe and America at that time.

This was something Nicholas could not tolerate, especially after learning that his old enemy Osman was training new troops with the help of Han, which made Nicholas feel an unprecedented threat.

The so-called short man can win the general! !

Because of this, this army major and guard officer rose to the top and entered the Tsar's sight.

At that time, he was only appointed as Lieutenant Colonel Army Reform Auxiliary Officer. With just one word, Araf's status at that time can be seen.

But later, Araf's ability was recognized by the Tsar, and he slowly rose level by level.

Until last year, I married the daughter of a marquis in Moscow.

Coupled with the operation of his father-in-law, he became the deputy chief of staff of the army and a brigadier general.

He is responsible for the reform of the army, including the construction of arsenals, and is extremely powerful.

A Sino-American war completely changed the fate of a little man like Araf.

Such is the wonder of the world! !

.........

Click...

A train stopped at the south side of the Moscow Railway Station, where it exits the station.

bump……

The door of carriage No. 3 was opened, and some Tsarist Russian soldiers came down first. These people were the guards responsible for protecting Yan Jun. They were not many in number, but they showed the importance and respect that Tsarist Russia attached to Han.

Yan Jun was wearing a black coat and a top hat, holding a sandalwood handcuff purchased from London. When he got off the car, he was full of power and grandeur.

"Welcome to Moscow, Your Excellency the Prime Minister!!"

"Welcome……"

As soon as Yan Jun came down, Arav and Tizokov immediately came forward to shake hands.

"Hello, Your Excellency, Minister, hello, General!!"

After some pleasantries, Yan Jun got on the carriage heading to the Russian Imperial Palace.

On the carriage, Yan Jun opened the curtain and looked at Moscow, which was full of European-style buildings, as well as the pubs that appeared from time to time, with things he didn't recognize written in Russian and French. (At this time, the upper class in Russia basically spoke French and Russian. No one except serfs could speak French and Russian.)

The street scenes of Moscow kept flashing through Yan Jun's eyes, like movie clips frame by frame. When he saw the onions of the Orthodox church, Yan Jun expressed his feelings:

"British and French believe in Protestantism, Southern Europe believes in God, and Slavs believe in Eastern Orthodoxy. Little Christianity is so evil. If God knows his followers, even if they believe in him, they will be classified into three, six, or nine grades. The sects and sects will be angry to death!!"

　Please give me a reward, please give me a monthly ticket

　　

　

(End of this chapter)