Vol 2 Chapter 88: , 5 years to overtake Belgium, 10 years to overtake Spain

The destructiveness of war is inherent. More than three months after the Balkan War ended, Ferdinand finally received a specific report of his losses.
Of course, this report only included the territory of Bulgaria. The area controlled by the Kingdom of Montenegro was just a rough guess. As for Greece, there is no result yet.
Even so, the losses caused by the war are still shocking. In just three months, the Balkans caused nearly 200,000 civilian casualties, and millions of people were displaced and homeless.
The direct economic loss caused is as high as 100 million lev. Especially in Istanbul, where the Ottomans resisted most, the losses were even more serious.
No matter who is responsible, Ferdinand needs to swallow this bitter pill now. The economic level of various places has regressed for at least 30 years.
This judgment is very objective. After all, during the Ottoman Empire, the economy of the Balkans has always been poor.
The data based on them are not indicative. According to the cabinet's estimate, the Ottoman army resists relatively weak Kosovo areas and suffers little economic damage, and can be restored within one or two years.
In the Istanbul area, due to the fierce resistance of the Ottomans, the economic damage caused was great, and it would take at least five years to recover.
As for Constantinople, it has been reduced to a ruin, and there is no such thing as a recovery in twenty or thirty years.
On the whole, in the next five years, most of the Bulgarian government’s energy will be spent on post-war reconstruction, and most of the government’s financial investment will also be spent on these new territories.
As for the displacement of nearly a million people, this issue does not require Ferdinand's headache. Anyway, they have already left Bulgaria, just to make room for immigrants.
After reading the report, Ferdinand thought for a while and said: "These situations are more serious than we previously estimated. What specific plans does the cabinet have to restore the local economy as soon as possible and stabilize people's livelihood?"
Constantine said with some embarrassment: "After comprehensive consideration, in the next few years, we will resettle millions of immigrants, so we must create a large number of jobs.
The Cabinet plans to continue to increase financial input in the new round of the'Three Five-Year Plan', with the focus on our new territory. Mainly concentrated in the railway, mining industry, municipal infrastructure, and vigorously building water conservancy projects in agriculture.
But in this way, the financial pressure will be great. In 1898, the government's fiscal revenue is expected to reach about 510 million levs, of which the original Bulgarian region can contribute 370 million levs, and 145 million levs are for sale of land and confiscated Lev’s real estate income from the nobility, the new territory only contributed less than 580,000 lev.
However, fiscal expenditures have risen sharply, reaching a staggering 680 million levs, and the fiscal deficit is as high as 170 million levs, which has passed the safety line.
The increase in expenditure is mainly due to the fact that administrative expenditure has tripled to 120 million lev; education expenditure has doubled to 80 million lev; medical and health expenditure has increased by 50% to 210,000 lev Phr.
The other part is mainly government investment, including: investment in railway construction, which is expected to be around 800,000 lev; municipal reconstruction and post-war reconstruction, this part of investment is expected to be around 750,000 lev; and the construction of water conservancy projects and the promotion of new agricultural technologies. , This part of the investment is around 60 million lev..."
After listening to Constantine's introduction, Ferdinand thought for a while, and now there is no problem. These expense ratios are determined based on actual conditions, and there is no blind pursuit of results.
Just like the fastest-growing administrative expenses, this is a top priority. The rule of new territories must be established, right? This cost can't be saved at all!
The second is education. This is obviously for the purpose of brainwashing. It is a long-term project that cannot be completed in the short term, and the urgency is slightly lower.
As for the subsequent construction investment, this figure is really small. Bulgaria's investment in the "2nd Five-Year Plan" exceeded this figure. But now the financial difficulties can only come slowly.
"I remember that this time there are still a lot of real estate, including land, if the government manages them, it will be a large amount of income. Can this cover most of the deficit?" Ferdinand asked doubtfully
Constantine said painfully: "Considering the complexity of the situation in the Balkans, our military expenditures in the future can only be increased, not reduced.
In order to ensure a stable supply of military expenditures, the government decided to allocate all proceeds from the confiscated land to the army, except for those already rewarded and sold for meritorious officers and soldiers.
The Ministry of Finance has done detailed calculations in this regard. In 1897, due to the Balkan War, our military expenditure actually exceeded 700 million lev.
In 1895, our six military expenditures totaled 147 million lev; in 1896, this figure expanded to 280 million lev. Of course, this was mainly due to war preparedness!
In the coming year, the military will still need to carry out large-scale suppression of bandits and suppress local stubborn forces. In addition, our national boundaries have greatly increased, and the pressure on national defense has increased.
Therefore, military expenditure will also be high, and it is expected to increase to 360 million levs, of which six armies account for 94%, and the navy accounts for 6%.
In addition to the 120 million levs of financial allocation, most of this part of the expenditure is borne by land income and the profits turned over by supporting state-owned enterprises.
As for the confiscated other real estate, the income from this part of the industry must be used to cover the cost of the immigration, otherwise the 40 million levs allocated by the government will not be enough! "
Ferdinand nodded in satisfaction. The Bulgarian government still followed his usual style, first listing the most important part, giving priority to satisfaction, and then doing other things.
There is no doubt that the most important thing for Bulgaria at the moment is to maintain a strong army, which is the root of everything!
The second is to stabilize the place, digest the fruits of victory, and exchange the main nation with the Ottoman Empire.
Only after finishing all these can I have the energy to consider the issue of construction and exhibition!
"So, our fiscal deficit in the next few years will not shrink, but will increase further?" Ferdinand asked concerned.
Constantine said embarrassingly: "Yes! We can't sell real estate every year. In 1899, our fiscal revenue will return to normal. Compared with 1898, fiscal revenue may be slightly lower!
The government's various investments will continue to increase. The most likely reduction in the next few years is probably only military spending. After the locality is stabilized, military spending can be reduced by about 30-50 million lev.
However, when there is no real estate for sale, the government will be responsible for all immigration expenses. Our financial pressure will not be reduced, but will be more serious! "
Ferdinand said with emotion: "It seems that we will have a few years of hardship! However, from another aspect, our total economic output has increased by 80% compared to before the war!
If we can open up this newly added territory, we will have a leapfrog development. In the next five years, the total amount of industry is expected to catch up with Belgium, and it is expected to catch up with Spain within ten years! "
Well, one of Ferdinand’s emotions will undoubtedly become the goal of the Bulgarian government’s exhibition in the next ten years:
Catch up with Belgium in five years and catch up with Spain in ten years
!
It's not difficult to catch Belgium in five years! After all, the total industrial volume of Belgium is not much higher than that of Bulgaria, and the gap between the two sides is less than one-fifth.
However, Spain is different. Where is the size? It is also a second-class power. Its comprehensive national strength is equal to that of Italy. Europe ranks only in Britain, France, Germany, Austria-Hungary and Russia!
As soon as the Bulgarian government shouted out the slogan, it caused a lot of ridicule. Of course, when the Spanish-American War broke out, the result was different. The kingdom of Spain, which was at the bottom of the powers, was knocked out of the dust and became a stepping stone!
In any case, the Bulgarians of this era are still confident, especially under the leadership of Ferdinand, who have achieved a series of victories.
The Bulgarian government has more confidence in whether this goal can be achieved than Ferdinand, and directly blew the cows!
They have reasons for self-confidence. The biggest shortcoming of Bulgaria is that its industrial system is imperfect, but it is still at the forefront of the world in some areas.
For example, steel production exceeds the sum of Italy + Japan. No way, the steel output of Italians has always been the lower limit of the powers, and the steel industry in Japan is only now starting.
It also has the world's largest 6-army arsenal. For the Balkan war, the Bulgarian arsenal has grown like a snowball, and it can indeed stand out from the crowd in terms of production capacity!
Even if it is the strongest, this will be shameful. At most, it can be called the strongest "cottage factory". Only Ferdinand can do the arsenal developed with the core idea of ​​"cottage"!
When Ferdinand ambitiously shouted "Five years to dare Belgium, ten years to catch up with Spain", the tug of war between the Greeks and the Ottoman Empire ended.
The Greek government lost most of its homeland, and over time, the government was under increasing pressure. The Ottoman Empire was not doing well. Under the influence of the Balkan War, domestic revolutionism prevailed and continued to deploy troops to suppress it.
Since both sides are not having a good time, the Greek government and the Ottoman Empire naturally compromised and each gave in.
The Ottoman Empire gave up its claim for land reparation and withdrew directly from the Greek peninsula, while the Greek government paid the Ottoman Empire the cost of purchasing Crete, a total of 10 million pounds.
Everyone knows that the Greeks have no money now, not to mention ten million pounds, even if it is one million pounds, they can't get it out!
Moreover, even if they wanted to borrow money, they couldn't provide enough collateral, so the two sides compromised and let the Greek government pay in installments.
At the strong request of George I, the Greeks symbolically paid 10,000 pounds to the Ottomans in the first year, and then it was gone!
No way, everyone knows the financial situation of Greece. Their currency, drachma, is now almost the same as waste paper. There is really no money, and the Sudanese government can only recognize disasters.
We can only take a step back. The two parties agree to repay 500,000 pounds a year, including the principal and interest in Fuqing for 30 years, and the first year is fine.
After reaching an agreement. Before George I had time to be happy, he discovered what kind of mess he had taken over again!
This time it really sucks! In the Greek-Turkish War, the 200,000 troops of the Greek army were almost annihilated, and the direct death toll was over 60,000.
At the same time, the hundreds of thousands of prisoners who fell into the hands of the Ottomans would naturally not have any good results. Especially the wounded, after a few months, nearly 20,000 people were reduced, and those who survived became skin and bones. Without a year and a half of recuperation, don't want to recover!
In addition, the Ottoman army was aggressively conquering the Greek peninsula, and now the Greek peninsula is hungry and wailing.
The loss of civilians alone is no less than 200,000. The number of Greeks has dropped to less than 2 million again, but the population of Greece has increased by 600,000!
King George I said that Greece is short of people, but he is definitely not short of people. From the defeat to the present, he has been assassinated twice and suppressed five rebellions!
So when the locals and outsiders were in conflict, George I keenly saw the opportunity to get rid of the political crisis. UU Reading www. uukanshu.com decisively sided with the locals.
Using ethnic conflicts, George I was once again recognized by the Greek people and successfully retained the throne. At the same time, it has further caused chaos in the Greek peninsula!
The foreign population entering Greece lost its restraint after the Ottoman army withdrew. Before leaving, Edkh Pasha, who hated Greece, did not forget to bury the nails for the Greeks.
A large number of weapons and equipment were deliberately left in the refugee camp. When the refugees took up the weapons, it was often not a revolution, but a mob!
In order to survive, they set the target on the locals. At first they tried to food from each other. Later, some people started snatching property. When they encountered resistance, they raised their butcher knife.
In order to keep his throne, after the incident, King George I not only did not stop the situation from deteriorating immediately, but instead guided public opinion and expanded the incident.
Then, when the Greeks were worried about the safety of their lives, King George I stepped forward and organized the army to counter the rebellion, and aimed his guns at all foreign nations.
This cannot be blamed on George I for being so cruel. It is the fact that the actual situation forced him to do so. With the current poor finances of the Greek government, there is simply no way to relocate these uninvited guests!
Not to mention now, even before the Greek-Turkish war, there was no way to provide hundreds of thousands of jobs in Greece.
Since there is no way to digest it, of course it can only be eliminated. This time, George I decided to learn from Nicholas I’s successful experience and throw all the foreign nations caught into the prisoner-of-war camp to contribute to the construction of the Greek government.
However, when George I started, these refugees had long been scattered on the Greek peninsula. Since they couldn't catch them all in one go, the other side would naturally resist.
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