Vol 2 Chapter 24: Panslavism

The Minister of the Navy defended: "I think their navy is just right now! The influence of the Russian Empire in Bulgaria is increasing day by day, but the influence on their army is extremely limited!
Now that the Bulgarian Army is self-contained, we cannot penetrate it at all, so it is vital to master their navy! "
The Prime Minister asked in confusion: "What do you mean, we have complete control over the Bulgarian navy? But is this necessary? We must know that the navy cannot be built in a short time, does it take so much effort?"
The Minister of the Navy said firmly, "No, Mr. Prime Minister, you understand me wrong! We have no plans to train a navy for Bulgaria. Even if we give him a navy, they cannot afford it!
Whenever necessary. Just have a navy with a Bulgarian flag on it! Capture of the Bosphorus and even the Aegean Sea still needs us to complete! "
Everyone understood and came to talk about it, or the navy wanted to master the sea route to the Mediterranean, Bulgaria was just a target pushed to the bright side, so as not to stimulate the allergic nerves of the British!
Nicholas II was tempted. Even if the strategic goal is now the Far East, it is still good to master the main road to the Mediterranean. In the future, the strategic focus of the Russian Empire will still return to Europe!
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, who advocated Europe and Asia, took the opportunity to say: "His Majesty, the British are now busy with the Boer war, and all Europe is stumbling them for a while, and it is difficult to get out. Now is a good opportunity for us to act! "
The Minister of the Interior objected: "No! Supporting Bulgarians is okay, but we can end in person, which will likely trigger a new round of war in Europe!
The British are not stupid, it is impossible to lie to them! And the three-nation alliance will not look at us! "
Uh ...
In the end, Nicholas II rejected the proposal to start the Bosphorus now. After all, the Turks will not be strong in a short while, and the weakened Ottoman Empire has no courage to bump into Russia!
However, the proposal to support Bulgaria was passed, and weakening the Ottoman Empire is a long-term national policy of the Russian Empire!
The Ottoman Empire with a territory of several million square kilometers and a population of more than 30 million. At its peak, it was terribly undermined by the existence of Europe. Now it is declining. How could Nicholas II not shoot down the water dog painfully?
As for whether Bulgaria will be bigger, this is not within his consideration. Anyway, now that Bulgaria has been tied to a Russian tank, it cannot go down!
Backlash does not exist. Political economy and culture have been linked to each other. The Russian Empire will be hurting after leaving Bulgaria. Bulgaria must consider the issue of survival after leaving Russia!
Minister of Finance: "Then what can we gain from it now? Who can tell clearly in the future, if we help Bulgarians without any reason, now we are at a loss!"
Speaking of interests, the Prime Minister said coldly, "But now that we are allies, and to maintain good civil relations between Russia and Russia, it is hard to come by. This is important for the future strategy of the Empire.
When we raise conditions, we must take care of folk emotions. Many requirements cannot be mentioned at all! In addition, although we are still two countries, we are already economically together! "
The Prime Minister's words won unanimous approval from everyone. This is related to a trend of thought at that time-Pan-Slavism!
At the beginning of the 19th century, Slavs living in Austria, Hungary, and the Balkans were affected by the development of capitalist production relations and the French bourgeois revolution. As a result, the liberation movement of the Slavic nations began, and pan-Slavism was born.
The Slavic intellectuals first advocated studying the history, folk songs and folk tales of the people of all Slavic ethnic groups, enhancing cultural ties, achieving political solidarity, cooperating against alien rule, and changing the Slavs' position of being oppressed by bullying.
In June 1848, a Slavic congress convened in Prague, demanding that all Slavs be committed to unity and cooperation to achieve equality among all peoples. Due to the divergent views of representatives from various countries, no agreement was reached.
Similarly, there are also Slavic factions in Russia. They praise the Tsar and praise the social system of Russia. Many of them have established letters or exchange visits with pan-Slavists in Austria and the Balkans.
In the 19th century, the crisis of Russian serfdom deepened, and capitalist relations gradually developed. The Tsarist government was anxious to expand externally in order to ease domestic class contradictions.
Russian Pan-Slavists took advantage of the early Pan-Slavist ideas that appeared in Austria and tampered with them to serve the Tsar. Their basic claims are:
1. It is claimed that the Slavs and the Russians have a common history and blood relationship, similar languages ​​and cultures, same religions, adjacent areas of residence, shared common fate and interests, and the Russian nation is the leader of the Slavs;
2. Promoting Russia as a "protector of Slavic nations ~ EbookFREE.me ~ relying on the Tsar can guarantee the future of Slavs;
3. Establishing the Great Slavic Empire with Russia as the "Leader" will enable the Slavs to escape from the rule of Austria and the Ottoman Empire, and finally achieve the purpose of advancing Russia's European borders to the west and south.
These propositions are in line with the interests and needs of the Russian rulers, and have become the ideological weapon of the Tsarist Russian government's external aggression and expansion. Therefore, from Alexander I to Nicholas II, they will support Pan-Slavism and its movements and become the basic national policy of the Russian Empire !!
Due to the butterfly effect of Ferdinand, the relations between Bulgaria and Russia are now showing a good development trend, the exchanges between the people are increasing day by day, and the pan-Slavism has begun to grow, especially among the younger generation.
This situation happens to be what the Tsarist government needs! Everyone at the scene knew that it would continue. After two or three decades, no one could prevent the establishment of the two countries: the "Great Slavic Empire" with the Russian Empire at its core!
In this context, any action that would destroy the relationship between the two countries is not tolerated by Nicholas II!
This is why the Minister of the Navy will support Bulgaria's expansion into the Ottoman Empire, and it will be its own anyway!
Will Bulgaria become bigger? No one in the Russian government will worry, the weight difference is too big!
One is a large empire with a territory of more than 20 million square kilometers and a population of more than 150 million. Compared with a small country with a population of only 4 million and a territory of less than 100,000, the gap is too wide!
Even if Bulgaria grows two or three times, what can it do? Can it also change the strength of the two sides?
Uh ...