Chapter 39 Ruhr Area
Sheffield's route was actually very similar to the German army's main force entering Belgium and attacking France during World War I. However, it was the other way around. Along the way, Sheffield seemed to be able to vaguely feel the millions of troops on both sides fighting against each other, and the blood invading every inch of land.
As for whether a world war will break out, it is almost certain. No matter how big Sheffield becomes in the business field, it is just a personal will, but there is a national will between countries.
This kind of national will exists in all the European powers, but it is only in its infancy in the United States. The current federal government of the United States can only think about whether it can prevent the European powers from always treating the Monroe Doctrine as bullshit and take care of the face of the United States.
These old imperialist countries in Europe are not concerned about face issues, nor are they prepared to just talk big like the United States and strongly protest against the enemy countries that oppress them.
From the election situation of the French Republic, we can see that even the romantic French are turning right collectively. What about the imperial governments of Germany and Russia? If this kind of sentiment brews for ten or twenty years, war is almost inevitable. It is much easier for these imperial governments to gather national will than the federal government of the United States.
This is really a systemic problem. It is not easy for the United States to form a unified national will to fight against the enemy. It became simpler when the United States ranked first in the world in later generations. The United States of America these days is just a small fish. If it were not for the upcoming election, the Republican Party would always come out to show what would happen if we came to power. President Cleveland would not give up the isolationism that he had adhered to for many years and turn to toughness. After all, the Democratic Party is responsible for the election. What if it continues to govern?
On the fourth day after leaving Paris, John Connor came to tell Sheffield that he had successfully traced the Secretary of State's footsteps and entered the German Empire.
"Oh?" Sheffield looked out the window. The scenery was no different. He looked at Anne and said, "I heard that the relationship between France and Germany is not very good. You can try to pretend to be British when you get there."
Sheffield's destination is the Ruhr area, the heart of German industry. The Ruhr Industrial Area is one of the most important industrial areas in Germany and Europe. It is so important that the industry in the Ruhr area is the material basis for Germany to launch two world wars.
The Ruhr area supplied the German army that swept across Europe, as well as world-famous companies such as Krupp, Rheinmetall, and Farben. As a senior German fan, Sheffield was well aware of the Ruhr area.
He is no longer a primary German fan and will not make the same mistake on the illiteracy identification question of which is stronger, the Second Reich or the Third Reich. The Second Reich of William II fought on two fronts against the Allied Powers for several years despite the outbreak of a food crisis in the country in the second year. This is more convincing than the Third Reich's integration of the whole of Europe but failure to defeat the Soviet Union.
When we arrived at the Ruhr area, the sky here was obviously nothing like the singing of birds and the fragrance of flowers. At a glance, there were chimneys towering into the sky everywhere, and the all-encompassing smoke and dust reflected the common characteristics of this era.
Sheffield put on a black mask after getting off the train, which was better than nothing.
"What about me?" Anne pulled Sheffield's sleeve and pointed at her face, "Didn't you prepare anything for me?"
Before getting on the carriage, the scene turned into Anne wearing a black mask and Sheffield covering his nose with his hand. "Go to Bayer Company!" Sheffield ordered with a heavy nasal voice.
"The environment here is so bad, why come here?" Anne, wearing a mask, complained in a muffled voice. She was obviously extremely dissatisfied with the environment in the Ruhr area, which was a world of difference compared to Paris.
"Of course I have my reasons!" Sheffield leaned back and closed his eyes. There were not many cities these days that could be compared with Paris. Besides, Paris was a city that had been planned. It was rare in this era. Even in the United States, there were not many cities that had been planned.
Don't compare the environment of the industrial zone with that of the garden city. Take a deep breath, and your nose will be filled with the pungent smell of imperialism. This is the norm for cities in this era. The industrial zones around the five largest lakes in the United States are similar to the environment of the Ruhr area.
Sheffield had to come here, although in terms of scale, many people believed that the United States had long been as big as Britain, with Germany and France under its feet, especially the northern Yankee people in the United States, who firmly believed this. But he did not think so.
The current situation of the United States is actually very similar to the situation of the Republic in the first decade of the 21st century. In terms of scale, it is naturally the best in the world, just like the Republic ranks first in steel production, Hebei ranks second, and Tangshan ranks third.
However, when it comes to technological content, the gap between the United States and European countries is still visible. A large scale can only mean that internal needs are large. The United States has a population of 70 to 80 million who need housing, and such a large territory needs railway connections. What will happen if the scale cannot be increased?
If we really talk about the strength of domestic industry, the United States may not necessarily have an advantage over European countries, especially when facing the German Empire, the strongest industrial country in Europe. If anyone says that the United States is stronger than the German Empire, Sheffield will think he is crazy.
The value of companies like Krupp, Siemens, and Bayer is much higher than that of the railroad tycoons and oil tycoons in the United States. From a technical point of view, a company like DuPont was already considered a very aspiring high-end enterprise in the United States at that time.
"Are you the wheat king of America?" At Bayer, the company's founder Friedrich Bayer looked at the visiting child with great interest. He did not understand what the other party's purpose was, so he asked this question.
"Hmm?" Sheffield looked at John Connor with an inquiring look, and the latter whispered, "It seems that some small newspapers have called our home that. But some newspapers call it the Beef King."
Oh! Sheffield nodded in understanding, "That's all exaggeration. My family is a farmer. We used to grow cotton."
"That's right. The cotton king of the southern United States had a very good relationship with London." Friedrich Bayer nodded and confirmed Sheffield's statement. It was obvious that he had a very detailed grasp of the news from the roadside agency.
I remember someone said that Germans are rigorous? Sheffield rolled his eyes, not wanting to dwell on the question of whether he was a great king or not, and said modestly, "Farming depends on the weather, there is no such thing as a great king. I came to Germany with respect for German technology to discuss cooperation."
"That's strange. Isn't the industrial scale of the United States very large? Why come to Germany?" Friedrich Bayer thought about it and didn't understand why Sheffield chose a faraway place instead of a nearby one.
"I am not an arrogant person. I know the gap between the United States and Europe very well." Sheffield certainly couldn't tell the truth. His family was the leader of the Dixie people, and there had to be a limit to cooperation with the Yankees. Otherwise, wouldn't the prestige of the southern states be lost?
I was coughing yesterday and even typed the name of the Earl's daughter wrong.
(End of this chapter)
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