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Text Chapter 545 For Rome

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    There is something in Prince Constantine's words. What he said about "rioting for half a bottle of wine" is of course not referring to the officers going crazy drinking after getting the vodka he brought from Moscow, but referring to the anti-alcohol riots that broke out in Russia this year.

    The prohibition riots were an unprecedented impact on Tsarist Russia. The entire ruling class, including Prince Constantine, never thought that Russia's internal conflicts would evolve to such a serious extent.

    The Crimean War was a devastating disaster for Tsarist Russia. The domestic economy was in decline, and famine and hunger became the norm.  The wealth plundered by the tsarist government was consumed at an alarming rate.  From 1853 to 1856, the national fiscal deficit reached 796 million rubles, more than twice the normal annual treasury revenue.  In January 1861, in another time and space, the total national debt reached an astonishing 1.531 billion rubles. The governor of Courland described Russia's post-defeat state as "gold and jade on the outside, but defeat on the inside." Russia  The prestige of the past has now plummeted.

    You must know that the Crimean War greatly reduced the domestic labor force, production tools and farm animals. The recruitment of new soldiers caused the national economy to lose 10% of its labor force. Requisitions and plagues reduced the number of farm animals by 13%, and the import and export of commodities.  Rui Rui, the export of grain was reduced to one-third of the original, the export of flax was reduced to one-eighth, the import of oil was reduced to one-fourth, the import of machinery was reduced to one-tenth, and the import of cotton was also significantly reduced, which resulted in  Another round of violence in the domestic peasant movement.

    According to Russian statistics, there were an average of 19 peasant uprisings per year from 1826 to 1839, an average of 35 per year from 1845 to 1845 before the Crimean War, and an average of 63 from 1855 to 1857 during the Crimean War.  , increased to 86 in 1858, 90 in 1959, 126 in 1860, and in 1861, the year of serfdom reform, the number of peasant uprisings increased to an unprecedented 1,176.  So much so that a landowner in Simbirs Province reported: "My manor has been burned four times. Arson and burning incidents continue to happen here, and there are fires every day."

    In April 1854, the Tsarist government announced the recruitment of naval volunteers.  Farmers from Petersburg and other four provinces were designated to form a Baltic Sea rowing fleet for coastal defense. Anyone who voluntarily signed up could be hired with the landlord's permission.  However, there were widespread rumors among farmers that those who became volunteers would have permanent freedom and tax exemption for their whole family.  Farmers from all over the country took notice and rushed to sign up.  It soon became a big trend, with nearly 100,000 participants.  The tsarist government hurriedly dispatched military police to forcibly intercept the farmers, but the peasants refused to obey and even beat the police officers.

    By 1854, the order to summon the national militia caused even greater turmoil. Hundreds of thousands of peasants refused to serve and declared themselves to join the free Cossacks.  Farmers in Kiev Province have clashed with the military and police many times, and there are reports of the army shooting, killing and injuring farmers.  In the two counties, the army killed 36 farmers and injured 57 others.  Nearly 550 people were flogged.

    In the summer of 1856, another large number of farmers from the south rushed to Crimea. The cause of this incident was rumors that the serfs in Crimea would be freed, which led to several roads leading to Crimea.  Hundreds of kilometers of roads were blocked by fleeing farmers.

    After the Crimean War, serf uprisings continued one after another. In 1858, Gendarmerie Commander Dolgorov reported: "The turmoil in many villages requires the intervention of provincial governors or the help of the army." This year's anti-alcohol riots are a sign of this.  Historical portrayal.

    The direct trigger of the anti-alcohol movement was that liquor dealers passed off inferior wine as high-quality wine and sold it, arbitrarily raising the price, etc.  In 1859, farmers in Saratov Province took the lead in protesting against the liquor monopoly.  At the same time, in order to resist the illegal behavior of the package sellers, it was announced that it was prohibited to buy and drink alcohol. This action immediately aroused responses from all parties. The movement spread to 23 provinces and regions. Farmers voluntarily established an alcohol prohibition agreement and passed an alcohol prohibition resolution.  Those who violate the prohibition are stipulated to be fined or physically punished.

    As the movement developed, farmers directly destroyed taverns and hotels, destroyed wine cellars, and beat local officials. According to statistics from 12 provinces, a total of 220 hotels were destroyed. This year, a total of 636 prohibition riots were launched throughout the year, said Gendarmerie Commander  Dolgorukov reported to the Tsar: "The events that occurred in the country in 1859 were completely unexpected. The lower-class residents who had previously believed that they could not survive without alcohol actually began to refuse to drink spirits." Among the ruling class,  The reformists directly said: "If our country breaks out in riots over half a bottle of wine, then what will happen if we cut an acre of land from farmers?"

    The anti-alcohol riots have not yet entered the mainstream, but Prince Constantine, who is inclined to reform, never expected that the situation in the country would be so bad. He expressed a certain degree of dissatisfaction with the government investing so many resources in the expansion of the East.  .

    "Yes!" Muravyov directly admitted that Prince Constantine's statement made sense: "The government has invested too many resources in the Far East, and you should promote the reform of our serfdom system in Moscow, but if Russia wants to survive,  You can only go east!"

    For the Russian Empire, he has reached a limit and is heading westward.There is no room for expansion, and Turkey¡¯s expansion to the south will directly bring about the devastating Crimean War. The only choice is to expand to the east. Muravyov continued: "Your Highness, you know better than me.  Do you know what kind of person His Majesty the Tsar is!"

    Of course he knew what kind of person his brother who was the tsar was. It is true that compared to Nicholas II who died in the Crimean War, Alexander II was a much more progressive tsar. He had both reforms and  willing and willing to put this will into action, but Alexander II was a tsar who lacked determination and courage.

    This is related to His Majesty the Tsar's youth experience and growth. You must know that Alexander II served as the heir to the throne for twenty-one years. He even participated in the country's decision-making for fifteen years, but in the end  Major decisions were all made by Nicholas II himself, which developed the current Tsar's cautious attitude.

    His Majesty the Tsar was not a pioneering figure, and there was never a shortage of compromises and concessions in his dictionary. Although the Tsar was determined to carry out drastic reforms as soon as the Crimean War ended, it was not until 1861 that the reforms  The plan was only officially launched, and the final reform plan could not even be called a qualified reform plan. It was a complete compromise with the landlord class. In fact, it did not harm any interests of the landlord class at all. It was considered by Russian progressives to be a complete scam.  The land redemption price that landlords received from serfs even greatly exceeded the market price, triggering serf riots that were several times higher than before the reform.

    "Governor, what do you think?"

    "I support Russia's progress and reform!" Muravyov's voice became passionate: "But Russia's reform requires our courage, dedication and sacrifice. If we fail, Russia will return to the Middle Ages, and we  If we win, there won¡¯t be much applause, but Russia will move into a new era.¡±

    Even Prince Constantine, the most trusted figure of the Tsar, understood for the first time: "You are saying that only if we win can we lead Russia to a new era and completely liberate the Russian serfs!"

    "That's right!" Muravyov looked south again: "Treasure land. This is the best gift God has given to Russia. It has a territory as vast as the entire Europe, and the climate is as warm as Crimea.  Moreover, it has fertile soil like Ukraine, with naturally occurring rare ores and special products, and even a series of ice-free ports. But now there is a fierce civil war in China, and our enemies are getting weaker and weaker. We can easily annex it.  The whole of Yellow Russia, and millions of people immigrated here!¡±

    He didn¡¯t say it out loud, but it was something Prince Constantine could easily think of.  Such a territory as vast as the whole of Europe can easily resolve disputes between domestic reformers and conservatives over reform plans.

    In this time and space, even the most stubborn landlord class has to admit that Russia has reached a time when reform is necessary. But the problem is that the interests of the landlord class cannot be violated. They not only have groups of serfs, but also a large amount of fertile land.

    Merely converting serfs into free slaves is not enough to complete the entire reform process. Land ownership is the core of the reform. This is why the Russian reform of 1861 was incomplete.  It is even a scam, because serfs are forced to redeem their land from landlords at a price higher than the market price, but if Russia gets the entire Yellow Russia.

    Including the entire northern China, Mongolia, North Korea and Japan, and even the Central Asia region that is already within the clutches of the Tsar, such problems will be easily solved.  You must know that there are countless fertile fields, mines, ports, forests, and grasslands here, and the population is sparse. Not only will the original residents become naturalized quickly, but Russian immigrants will sweep through these areas like locusts.

    Prince Constantine has completely understood: "This is not an ordinary war, and its significance may be comparable to the Patriotic War of 1812, or"

    Muravyov said straightforwardly: "This is a battle for living space, the only chance for the survival of two established empires"

    Prince Constantine looked at the mountains and rivers in the south for a long time, and finally said: "This is ours, it belongs only to us, let us announce the arrival of war to the generals."¡ª¡ª

    Many people regard vodka as an extremely strong liquor, but in fact it is far from this Indian.

    The alcohol content of vodka is not particularly high. The alcohol content of most vodka is between 35% and 50%, which is lower than the alcohol content of many Chinese liquors. The most common and standard vodka is  The alcohol content is 40%.

    The message brought by Prince ConstantineThe difference is this standard vodka. The generals present thanked the prince for his kindness with cheers and applause. Although the vodka brewed in Siberia also has its own style, these Russian generals still like the flavor of Moscow, and sometimes it is not a wine.  The difference between good and bad is just an overly romantic feeling, not to mention that this is a gift from the royal family. Even if they are already outstanding among a group of soldiers, they don't have many such opportunities in their lives.

    Therefore, in front of two rows of silver candlesticks, the applause of the generals and colonels did not stop. Prince Constantine was also paying attention to the officers under his command. Among them were solid white-haired old men.  , there are also aristocratic children who have been captains of the Guards since birth, including mountain peoples from the Caucasus, and generals of German descent. Among them are old colonels who have never experienced a war, and some who have fought in the Crimean War for hundreds of years.  There are young major generals who have spent the rest of their lives in the war, who have the extraordinary experience of climbing up from the lowest level of the army, there are also generals who sit in offices with mixed qualifications, and there are even generals of the defeated Crimean army who were exiled to Siberia. This is the reality of Russia, an old empire.

    But no matter what nationality, bloodline, experience, or class they are, now they all stand under the tricolor flag and the double-headed eagle flag. They are all outstanding generals of the Tsar, and they will all contribute to the cause of God, the Tsar, and Russia.  His life, youth, blood, courage and everything.

    With a burst of passion, he filled a whole glass of vodka, then raised it and sprinkled it to the ground: "Please remember who we are, we are the blood descendants of Rome, and we will rebuild Rome!"

    ¡°For Rome!¡±

    ¡°For Rome!¡±

    ¡°For Rome!¡±

    The unique national passion of the Russians was instantly ignited by Prince Constantine's words. The Russian officers cheered and drank a whole glass of vodka in one gulp.

    Constantine also thought of Russia, the Orthodox Church, and the Byzantine Empire of New Rome. Although Western Europeans regarded the Russians as a group of Slavic barbarians, the Russians clearly knew that the Orthodox Church, the double-headed eagle national emblem, and the entire Russian Empire came from the self-proclaimed  The Byzantium of the Romans began when Romulus killed his brother in 753 BC and established his own city. It evolved from the royal period to the Roman Republic, and then evolved from the Roman Republic to the Roman Empire. From Old Rome to  Byzantine New Rome, from New Rome to Ivan III, this kind of civilization inheritance has never been cut off.

    The Romans once established their country by plundering women, and the Russians also struggled, cried, and struggled in the wilderness, but we will eventually rebuild Rome, recapture Constantinople, and change back to Byzantium's old name, Constantinople.  Ding was burning with his own blood, and he filled another glass of vodka: "Descendants of Rome, I have the honor to lead you to rebuild our Rome. Our Russia will be the center of the universe. I hereby declare to you that it is great and sacred.  This is the most important order given by His Majesty the Tsar since his coronation!"

    The whole place was silent.

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