Holy Roman Empire

Chapter 392: Each Takes What They Need

Bernard was speechless. No potential danger could be greater than survival itself. Future problems could be dealt with in the future. For now, they needed to get through this present crisis first before considering other issues.

The threat from the Russians was felt firsthand by everyone. The loss of property was a minor issue; the key concern was that even personal safety was not guaranteed.

Knigsberg was in a state of desolation because of the poor discipline of the Russian army. People were anxious even when walking down the street. Who would dare to do business anymore?

A priest suggested, Why dont we discuss this with the nobles in the city?

Bishop Bernard quickly responded, No! Father Rennes, you should know the situation of the nobles in the city now. The Russians have them under close watch. If we go to them now, do you think they can leave?

The Junker nobles remain loyal to the Kingdom of Prussia. Many passionate young men among them lead guerrilla forces behind enemy lines and naturally draw close attention from the Russians.

It wasnt that Bishop Bernard didnt support the guerrillas, but East Prussia was just too small. With only over 30,000 square kilometers of land, there were 380,000 Russian troops gathered. How could they possibly resist?

The outcome was self-evident. The resistance was completely wiped out, and civilians supporting the guerrillas suffered immensely. The Russians taught them a brutal lesson with tens of thousands of corpses: do not cause trouble.

This was also the reason for the local nobles to gather together. They were simply terrified, fearing that if the Russians lost their patience, they might target them as well.

By banding together, even if someone went mad and wanted to take action, the noble officers in the Russian army would stop it, as it went against their shared class interests.

The nobles could barely protect themselves, let alone approach and risk burning themselves further. Under normal circumstances, the Russian army would not take the initiative against these religious figures, but one could not be sure once the latter actively approached them.

James feigned concern and urged, Sirs, we should make a decision soon. The Russians wont give us too much time. With so many elderly, weak, women and children in Knigsberg now, its almost impossible to sign normal employment contracts. Convincing Austrian companies to hire them wont be easy either.

Hearing James words, the crowds expressions changed drastically. Normally, colonial companies only hired young and able-bodied workers, not the elderly, weak, women, and children who could hardly find jobs.

Now, leaving through labor recruitment channels was not so simple either.

Father Bragg asked expectantly. Mr. James, you surely have a solution to this problem, dont you?

James hesitated slightly before saying, If the number is small, I can still ask my friends for help. Right now, in all of Knigsberg, at least tens of thousands need to be moved, and most of them are elderly and weak. Normally, colonial companies wouldnt hire them.

The only solution is for us to cover the transportation costs ourselves. Im reaching out to friends for help. These companies, in consideration to their compatriots, should be willing to provide false employment contracts.

This was James cleverness in play. The hesitant crowd was now involuntarily changing their stance, considering how to organize everyones departure.

Bishop Bernard frowned and said, This is very troublesome. There are too many people in Knigsberg who need to leave, and most of the residents cant afford the travel expenses. Our church also cant come up with this money.

Moreover, once they reach the African continent, without work, everyones livelihood will become an issue.

The required travel and resettlement expenses for tens of thousands of people would not be a small amount of money.

If it were before the war, the church could still raise this sum of money. Now, however, all the banks have been looted by the Russians, and the church is left only with the properties inside them.

The most important thing in religion is faith. As long as there are believers, the money can be earned back eventually. With empty pockets, Bernard could only give up this opportunity to strengthen faith.

James thought for a moment and said, Well have to borrow the travel expenses for now. Once we arrive, we can seek help from the local church and also from the German Nation Revival Society.

Although there are many elderly, women, and children, it doesnt mean everyone is incapable of working. At the very least, they can do laundry, cooking, or help plantation owners pick cotton.

I still have many friends there who can provide some job opportunities. If there are special circumstances where they really cannot find work, we can apply for aid from the colonial government!

In times of crisis, ones true nature is revealed. While James certainly wants to make money, after returning to Knigsberg, he genuinely wants to help his compatriots.

Rather than living in constant uncertainty here, its better to start a new life in Austrian Africa.

Like most people, James has lost hope in the Prussian government. He doesnt believe that the Kingdom of Prussia can win this war.

In his eyes, this campaign to relocate people was a sacred rescue mission, helping his compatriots escape the clutches of the Russians.

The assimilation of East Prussia has long been completed. Many Poles and Lithuanians have become Germans, and according to official documents from the Prussian government, the local Germans already account for more than 70%.

The rest have long been accustomed to speaking and writing German and have lifestyles similar to the Germans. Passing as ethnic Germans to seek aid in Austrian Africa would not be an issue no one would bother checking anyway.

Franz places great importance on population, which naturally influences the officials below him. Perhaps in the eyes of capitalists, the elderly, weak, women, and children have little value, but in the eyes of government officials, they still contribute to the population.

Providing shelter to the elderly and weak can win hearts, and the Austrian government isnt short of food for this purpose. As for women, they are also a labor force, and children will grow up so they all have value.

Being young means they would be easier to control, and immigrants with families are the best immigrants. Once they settle down locally, these people wont be able to leave.

By lending money for travel expenses, a threshold for departure is set, extending their time working in the colony.

Three to five years later, whether its the Russians occupying East Prussia or the Kingdom of Prussia reclaiming its lost territories, new residents will inhabit these areas, making it difficult for the immigrants to survive if they return.

The only way out cannot be refused. Not all church members are evil villains. The troublemakers are a minority, and most ordinary people are just a bit greedy and have questionable private lives.

Faced with the life and death of tens of thousands, everyone knows what choices to make.

This was the nature of European society. To organize the masses to leave, only two groups had such influence: the nobles and the church.

James doesnt believe he can persuade the local nobility to leave. The treatment that the Kingdom of Prussia can offer them is something Austria could never match.

So from the beginning, the local nobility were put under house arrest. The outside world believed it was the work of the Russians, but it actually happened after James bribed Russian officers.

The Russian government isnt short of population. Keeping a group that could easily turn into a guerrilla force is just asking for trouble. They might as well recycle the waste and sell it to Austria.

With the deliberate cooperation of the Russians, James immigrant recruitment went very smoothly. The Russian army seemed to turn a blind eye, allowing them to organize and gather.

Colonel Nikolai, stationed in Knigsberg, glanced at the employment contracts submitted by James. He didnt even bother to read the densely packed names and casually tossed them aside.

Mr. James, according to the laws of the Russian Empire, you need to pay a hiring tax of five rubles for each laborer employed, totaling 448,000 rubles.

James was taken aback but maintained his smile, saying, Colonel, weve only hired 12,000 people. The rest are accompanying family members.

Colonel Nikolai replied with a cold smile, Unfortunately, were in wartime now, and the situation is special. We still need to investigate spies, so these family members cannot leave for the time being.

Realizing the situation, James immediately handed over a check for 5,000 guilders. This check was issued by the Royal Bank and could be cashed in major European cities.

After verifying the amount and authenticity, Colonel Nikolais expression softened slightly as he casually pocketed the check.

He tore up the original tax receipt and issued a new one for 60,000 rubles, which he handed to James.

This was the benefit of wartime. Most of what could be looted in Knigsberg had already been taken. There was hardly any tax to speak of, and the Russian government naturally wouldnt dispatch tax officials.

The only reason Colonel Nikolai made things difficult for James was clearly for personal gain. Even though James had organized so many immigrants, the actual number of young and able-bodied men was fewer than 6,000.

The hiring of 12,000 people was mainly to ensure that each household employed at least one person, allowing them to legally bring their families with them. To avoid future complications, James dared not skimp on this payment.

After obtaining the permit, James breathed a sigh of relief. The Austrian Foreign Ministry also had offices in East Prussia. With these legitimate documents, he could now involve the Foreign Ministry.

After seeing off James, a young officer asked with confusion, Uncle, didnt we agree to extort some money from him? Why did we let him go?

Collecting taxes, have you ever seen a military unit collecting taxes? Moreover, this is a newly occupied area, and theres simply no concept of taxes.

From start to finish, it was Colonel Nikolai and others wanting to extort some money, and they took the opportunity to set up a makeshift tax bureau.

Boris, youre still too green. If I really kept pushing to extort more from him, I probably wouldnt even get the last ruble and would have to retire early. Do you remember the telegram we received last night?

Boris caught on and said, Are you saying the Austrian Foreign Ministry has already intervened?

Colonel Nikolai nodded. The money from this trade in population had already been collected by the Russian government and included in the Austro-Russian loan.

Now, it was the civilian businessman James coming forward. They dared not extort more. If it were the Austrian Foreign Ministry involved, the situation would be different.

Most of the logistical supplies for the Russian army were provided by Austria. If a dispute were sparked between the two countries at this time, affecting the war, the perpetrators would definitely face severe consequences.

The Russian government was indeed corrupt, but that didnt mean Alexander II wanted to see corruption. If they were to come forward now, they might be made an example of to deter others.

Knigsberg was merely the tip of the iceberg. The entire region of East Prussia was teeming with immigrant businessmen. Everyone was working to evacuate people from East Prussia.

No, it should be said everyone was working to rescue their compatriots. Rescuing their fellow countrymen from the clutches of the Russians was the official response from Austria.

Whether others believe it or not, those involved did. The East Prussian populace choosing to leave also believed it.

The coordination by the Russian army was excellent. Their authentic performance completely terrified the local people.

Living in constant uncertainty and dread was something no one desired. Being conscripted as able-bodied soldiers to fight against their own country on the battlefield was even more difficult for them to accept emotionally.