I'm playing whack-a-mole in Siberia

Chapter 144 The Airplane of 1884
  George hopes that the Russian Empire, from top to bottom, will pay attention to Japan.

But at least for now, the effect is not obvious.

Today's Japan is too weak for the Russian Empire.

In 1868, Meiji defeated the Tokugawa Shogunate and began the Meiji Restoration.

Meiji was ambitious and sent large-scale missions to Europe and the United States, imitating European and American countries and establishing a number of state-owned enterprises focusing on military industry, mining, railways, and shipping.

The original intention of the Meiji period was good, but Japan was weak and most of the resources needed to develop modern industry needed to be imported, which the Japanese government could not afford. Therefore, in 1881, the Japanese government had to sell government-run enterprises to privileged businessmen at a low price, and began to on the path of capitalism with Japanese characteristics.

Currently in Japan, there are steel plants, but they have no output, and there are also arsenals. Also because of the lack of raw materials, they are actually just assembly plants. The ships needed by shipping companies are imported from abroad. Although the railway companies have them, they don’t even have sleepers. Unable to produce by oneself.

Meiji was very frustrated. After more than ten years of reform, Japan had made some achievements in the textile industry but had made no achievements in other areas.

Japan's textile industry is also based on the oppression of workers. The power of textile machines is not even steam engines, but human power or water power.

As we all know, most of the workers in textile factories are women.

The initial capital for the Meiji Restoration came from the Japanese government's organization of Japanese women's collective trips to Nanyang to sell whatever they could.

Therefore, Japan's reform was completely based on the oppression of women and had a difficult start.

Such Japan does not deserve the respect of the Russian Empire.

"George, you are too worried. Even in the next century, Japan is not worthy of becoming Russia's opponent." Korff looked down upon Japan at all and dismissed George's reminder.

"The biggest bottleneck limiting Japan's development is resources. Once Japan has resources, Japan's development speed will shock the world." Although George doesn't like Japan, he has to admit that looking at Japan's rise is a complete breakthrough. Super cool article from Skyrim.

Japan really took off after the Sino-Japanese War.

After the Russo-Japanese War, Japan already had the qualifications to be on an equal footing with Russia.

"So what, where should Japan get resources?" Korff didn't think Japan had a chance.

Theoretically, Japan really has no chance.

But who allowed Japan to have an even more unbearable Qing Empire next to it?

All the resources Japan needed to develop its industry could be obtained through the Qing Empire.

Even the funds needed to further improve the industrial level were provided by the Qing Empire.

What George can do now is extremely limited.

Although Japan's national power is weak, at least it has people in the country.

There are no people in Vladivostok, it is worse than Japan.

The Siberian fleet was so efficient that the first batch of workers arrived in Vladivostok before Christmas.

Mikhail didn't care where he got the people from, he would pay them per head, and he would first move them to the farm to recuperate, and then go into the mountains after spring.

Without recuperation, in Mikhail's words, these workers could be knocked down by a gust of wind. If they were to work now, they would all die of exhaustion within three days.

Although the unrest in Goryeo subsided, the aftermath intensified. The Japanese government forced Goryeo to pay compensation for the burning of the Japanese embassy and the killing of Japanese people.

Although no one was killed in Russia, the Russian embassy was also burned down and it also demanded compensation from the Goryeo government.

This matter cannot be decided in a day or two, and George has nothing to do with it. The end of the year is coming soon. Ekaterina took a year-end inventory and found that the funds lying in the account alone had reached 500 million rubles. This was really unexpected. happiness.

George earns more and spends more. In Vladivostok alone, he spent more than 500 million rubles this year.

Ekaterina also bought houses, machines, and ships all over the world. She was already spending money very hard, but she didn't expect that she still couldn't keep up with the speed of making money.

"The Tsar doesn't make money as fast as we do." Ekaterina said proudly, she knew the Tsar well.

Although the tsar owned a lot of land, he did not do business and could not compete with the people for profit. Naturally, he did not make money as fast as George.

George has more and more businesses now, from champagne at the beginning to cosmetics now, all of which are huge profit industries.

Even the timber and coal in Vladivostok began to help George make money, which George did not expect.

George originally thought that Vladivostok would have to wait ten or eight years before it could generate profits.

I didn't expect to see the money back now, it was a complete surprise.

I can only say that the money in this era is so good——

Of course, only George is qualified to say this.

"Wrap a big red envelope for each of the uncles!" George was generous and never stingy with his own people.

It can be said that all this money was earned by George's uncles. George only provided creative ideas. The uncles were like mules, driven around the world by Ekaterina. Third uncle Thierry is still helping George purchase machines in the United States. What about the equipment?

George did not want to reach the sky in one step. Industrial production must be gradual. Cannons will not grow in the field overnight. George's current abilities are limited, so he should start from the civilian field to complete primitive accumulation.

The most important task next year is undoubtedly the steel plant.

But the shotgun cannot be ignored. Thierry is helping George purchase the machinery needed to produce shotguns and bullets in the United States. Gunpowder is also very important. It is used in mining and road construction. Smokeless gunpowder can be put away, but it is still too sensitive. Civilian shotguns don’t have to pay much attention to it. It doesn’t matter if the bullets are paper shells, as long as they can be used.

The production of shotguns is also not difficult.

The Obukhov Steel Plant was built in 1864 and began producing 1872 mm large-caliber naval guns for the navy in 305. In 1886, the Obukhov Steel Plant also received an order for two aircraft engines.

When it comes to airplanes, people only remember the Wright brothers.

Who knows that Russian Navy Rear Admiral Alexander Fedorovich Mozaisky began researching aircraft in 1856?

Mozajsky's research did not go well, and his first public performance in 1876 ended in failure.

In 1882, an aircraft developed by Mozhaisky with a wingspan of 12.2 meters, equipped with two 2 kilowatt (21.1 horsepower) British steam engines, and a total weight of 30 kilograms, was driven by Golubev on the outskirts of Petersburg. On the training ground, people slide down along a guide rail set on a slope and try to fly.

The aircraft only jumped a few times along the way and did not continue to leave the ground, so the test flight was not recognized.

Mozajsky made a mistake. His plane was too heavy. With the current power, it would be difficult to fly.

The Wright brothers' first airplane only weighed 275 kilograms and flew only 36 meters.

If Mozajsky had focused on reducing weight, the Wright brothers would not be known as the fathers of flight.

George spent most of the past few years either in the Oak Corps or in the Oak Park, living in seclusion, so he didn't know that someone in Russia was actually researching aircraft.

It was Korff who told George this news.

"Aircraft? Plane?" George's first reaction was disbelief.

The United States in the 21st century is so powerful that everything in modern life was invented by Americans. Before the emergence of the United States, human beings lived in the barbaric era, and clothes were made of tree leaves.

Not to mention the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union was promoted by Americans as a typical example of a full-time polar circle, completely unworthy of existing in human society.

Now George has made a new discovery.

At least before the Wright brothers, people had already started researching airplanes.

And it’s not even a day or two in advance.

The Wright brothers' plane took off in 1903. Now the elder brother of the Wright brothers is only 17 years old and has not yet reached adulthood.

"I don't know what the name of what Alexander is studying should be called, but he does seem to be able to fly. Alexander is very confident -" Korff told George about Mozhaisky's research on airplanes as an anecdote.

At the end of the year, dividends had to be paid to the uncles, and the relationship needed to be consolidated. George gave Korf a dog, and Korf was very happy.

Not a guard dog, but a dog made of gold, weighing 10 kilograms.

There is a gold mine in Vladivostok. 10 kilograms of gold sounds like a lot, but in fact it is not much money. It is only Korf's year's salary.

This is not a bribe, just a gift between friends.

What Korff can give back to George is of course friendship.

"It doesn't look like he can fly, but he can actually fly. Does Alexander live in St. Petersburg?" George wished he could go back to St. Petersburg now.

Speaking of airplanes.

It seems that Karl Benz invented the automobile just a few years ago.

George suddenly realized a problem. He seemed to have wasted a lot of time in St. Petersburg in the past few years.

Compared with the military, George values ​​​​the progress of human technology more.

Although the power of Mozhaisky's steam engine was not powerful enough, it still reached 30 horsepower. In addition to being used to power aircraft, it could also do many things.

Karl Benz only invented the automobile. George did not know who invented the internal combustion engine used in the automobile.

But that's okay too.

Most inventors in this era work alone and start research in a certain area purely because of their hobbies.

Research supported only by hobbies cannot last for too long, and funding is the biggest problem.

When George was researching heavy machine guns, due to lack of reference, he could only let Igor's master and apprentice rub it by hand. Each heavy machine gun was expensive and beyond the reach of ordinary people.

The same goes for airplanes. In addition to financial support, Mozhayski also needs someone to point him in the direction and tell him what a real airplane looks like, so that Mozhayski will not take detours and will not be ignored by the outside world. Know.

George didn't know how airplanes were made.

But George knew that in the era of insufficient power, the lighter the aircraft, the better. Let the aircraft fly first, and then talk about other things.

"Here, Alexander is a naval officer. Where can he live if he doesn't live in St. Petersburg?" Korv's inference is too reluctant. Russian naval officers may also live in Odessa, where the Black Sea Fleet is based.

George went to Mikhail and asked Mikhail to send people to Germany to find Karl Benz and send money to Karl Benz.

(End of this chapter)