Even though both Britain and Germany expected a war to break out, they lacked sufficient estimates for the scale of the war. Both sides believed that it would be a war similar to the Battle of the Armada in the 16th century. The first battle would determine the maritime hegemony of both sides, but Germany had already
Anticipating that it would be difficult to defeat the British navy, in 1914 it reduced the navy's shipbuilding costs and transferred more funds to the army, hoping to defeat France through a quick victory.
This German strategy is actually pulling the entire world into World War I. The problem is that Germany itself lacks such understanding.
Bystanders know better.
Hua Huang, who was far away in East Asia, had an extremely clear judgment on this. Therefore, from 1912 to 1914, the expansion of production capacity and technological improvement of China's industrial industry was the most drastic in the world. From the declaration of the founding of the empire to
In March 1914, the whole of China
The total scale of investment in the * industry and related upstream and downstream industries is as high as 53 million pounds. Through the continuous introduction of equipment, technology, and various types of gunpowder from China from countries such as Britain, France, and Germany, the total output of * has also surged to an annual output of 330,000 tons.
, second only to Germany and France, and even higher than Britain and the United States.
In addition to the needs of the local market, the active preparations for war by various countries and the Second Balkan Campaign also provide a broad external market for the Far East Arms Corporation's operations.
It was under such circumstances that Emperor Song Biao of China went to inspect the three northeastern provinces in mid-February 1914. The goal of his trip was to confirm China's pre-war industrial readiness.
At this time, there were three railway lines from Beijing to the three eastern provinces. The first one was the Beijing-Fengtian Railway. After Fengtian Prefecture was changed to Shenyang Prefecture, this railway was also changed to the Beijing-Shenyang Railway; the second one was the Jingxing Railway.
From Beijing to Xing'an League via Chengde and Fuzhou, and then to Xing'an League
As a transfer point, you can reach Hulunbuir, Qiqihar, Harbin and Changchun, and you can reach Shenyang via Fuzhou; the third railway is the continuation of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway. After Zhangjiakou was renamed Xuanzhou, this railway was also renamed the Beijing-Xuanzhou Railway.
.And Xuanzhou is China Railway
It is one of the most important transfer points in the road system. From Xuanzhou to the north, it connects to Xilingol League via railway, and then connects to Chifeng via Xilingol. Then it enters Jinzhou and waits for the Xiku Railway to be connected, which can directly reach Kulun in Outer Mongolia. From Xuanzhou, go west
Then pass through Hulunhot all the way,
Baoketu, the westernmost side can reach Bayanzhuoer. In two years, this railway will be further built to Yinchuan, from Yinchuan to Lanzhou, from Xuanzhou to the south all the way to Taiyuan, and from Taiyuan they can be reached separately.
Yuncheng and Jincheng will be directly connected to Luoyang in the future.
The importance of Xuanzhou Railway Center lies in connecting China's vast raw material base with the industrial centers of the three eastern provinces. In terms of military industry, Xuanzhou is connected to six large-scale salt lakes and mirabilite ore raw material bases that have been developed in the country. Every year, this
Not only does it supply more than two million tons of Glauber's Salt to the country, it also exports purified Glauber's Salt to foreign countries on a large scale.
Song Biao's inspection of the industries in the three eastern provinces this time was to take the Xuanzhou line, detour through Xilin Gol, pass through Chifeng, Liaoxi Prefecture, enter Fuzhou, and then transfer from Fuzhou to Xing'an League, making a long circuit before reaching Shenyang, Liaoyang and other places.
After taking control of Inner Mongolia, the central cabinet government divided the north into four provinces: Chahar, Kulun, Ulyasutai, Altai, and Tangnu Ulianghai, collectively referred to as the four northern provinces. In the administrative division of the Chinese Empire, they belong to the central and northern provinces.
The region corresponds to the central-south region composed of Huguang and Guangxi. Among them, Chahar Province is the most closely controlled and is also the leader and governance center of the four northern provinces.
China can actually be called a steppe empire.
Looking at the world, which country has larger grasslands and pastures than China?
From the beginning of the establishment of the empire, the large-scale pastoral thinking inherited from the Three Eastern Provinces period naturally continued into the new imperial cabinet government. After using two cavalry divisions to quell the large-scale rebellion in Outer Mongolia, the empire took the opportunity to continue to implement the "
With the policy of "returning the land back to the locals", provincial-level governance was first implemented in Chahar and Altai provinces. First, a complete provincial and government-level governance was established. Local governments gradually changed flags and established counties, and further appointed county chiefs.
To correct the shortcomings of the land return movement, military control was directly adopted. By establishing the Military and Animal Husbandry Bureau and other government-level jurisdictions, the Xilingol League had already established the Military and Animal Husbandry Bureau at this time, and was becoming the central base of Chahar Province's animal husbandry industry and a larger-scale army and horse
Training base.
Xilin Gol Prairie is known as the most beautiful grassland in the world.
Arriving at Xilingol League by special train, what Song Biao saw was a new city in the grassland. Along the road, there was a power generation windmill that seemed extremely sci-fi in this era. This was a new type of power generation equipment developed by the Northeast Electric Power Research Institute.
Although powerful, there are thousands of them widely distributed in the Xilingol League area. Currently, the only purchaser in the entire world is the Xilingol Military and Animal Husbandry Bureau.
The scale of Xilin Gol City is not large. At this time, Lu Ronggui, who could barely be regarded as China's first-generation architect, was personally responsible for the planning and construction of the city. He basically referred to the square city planning thinking of the Russians when building Dalian. Although the new city,
The functions are very complete, and a sand forest is established around the perimeter.
In the plan of the central cabinet, Chahar Province will gradually develop four large-scale industrial cities in the next thirty years, namely Baoketu, Hohhot, Xilingol and Hulunbuir, especially Xilingol and Hulunbuir.
We must build the dairy, leather, woolen and oil industry leaders in the four northern provinces around animal husbandry.
Only with the development of cities can the Han population increase and expand rapidly, accounting for the majority of the four northern provinces in terms of population proportion. Only then can real long-term peace and stability be achieved in the four northern provinces.
During this period, the central government had issued the "Prohibition on Reclamation in the Four Northern Provinces" and the "Anti-Husbandry Protection Law", which strictly prohibited illegal reclamation in the four northern provinces. All development was centered on animal husbandry, and the scale of mechanized planting could not be expanded.
Although it is difficult to expand, animal husbandry will play a vital role in the improvement of China's agriculture. Each year, one million draft horses must be cultivated and sold to North China and the Central Plains, effectively supplementing the shortage of cattle in various places.
And it is conducive to transportation between towns and villages.
If everything serves to expand the war potential, the value of animal husbandry to the Imperial Army is much higher than that of agriculture. The consumption of two million troops on military boots, woolen uniforms, blankets, and tents is staggering. Relying on traditional farming is
Can't stand it.
At this time, Xilin Gol City was the Xing'an League a few years ago. New cities were being built, industrial land and factories were being expanded, a large number of new livestock species were introduced from Xing'an League, Hulunbuir, and the Liaoxi Military and Animal Husbandry Bureau, and grassland areas with suitable conditions were changed to
Artificial pastures, as a supplement to natural pastures, import feed and chemical fertilizers from the three northeastern provinces. Sand prevention and irrigation measures are built locally.
The Xilin Gol Military and Animal Husbandry Bureau plays a vital role in maintaining the stability of the entire Chahar and the four northern provinces. From Xilin Gol, take the railway and continue north to Kulun, Outer Mongolia. Qi Hao, who originally served as deputy director of the General Administration of Military Reclamation of the Ministry of War, was promoted from the rank of brigadier general.
Retired. He was appointed as the governor of Chahar Province by the cabinet government. As the best animal husbandry expert in the army system, he is naturally the best candidate for the post of governor of Chahar Province.
Song Biao was accompanied by Minister of Agriculture Wang Yongjiang and Director of the Animal Husbandry Industry Bureau Tan Jiwu during his inspection in Xilingol. Qi Hao also arrived at Xuanzhou Prefecture to pick him up first, and together with Wang Yongjiang accompanied Song Biao during his inspection of Xilingol.
Song Biao's mind was obviously still on the military. After getting off the train, he inspected several tanneries, milk powder factories and woolen mills in Xilin Gol, and then immediately rode horses to the Military and Animal Husbandry Bureau's Horse Breeding Center on the west side of the Xilin Reservoir to inspect.
Because it was a shortcut, the Liaoxi horse at this time had basically taken shape after ten years of training.
When Song Biao left the city, he specially rode a black Liaoxi horse. The body height was about 1.55 meters. This is also the most basic data of the Liaoxi horse. After all, it is a medium-sized military horse that can be used as both a draft and a rider. It is too tall and not suitable. It is too low.
Even less suitable.
The ten-kilometer journey from the city to Yuma took only about 12 to 13 minutes, and Song Biao and others galloped all the way. Moreover, the horses' steps were very steady and their steps were very coordinated. Even someone like Song Biao who had not been riding a horse for a long time could not do it.
No discomfort.
You will know if a horse is good or not by riding it for a spin.
When he arrived at the stud, Song Biao was very happy and praised Qi Hao who was accompanying him: "Your work over the years is very meaningful. We used to mostly rely on Don horses and Mongolian horses to expand our cavalry. Although Don horses are good
, but there are some shortcomings, and you have to buy them from Russia. The price is definitely not cost-effective. Although Mongolian horses are cheap, they have more shortcomings. Now, after ten years of hard work, at least we have solved our military horse problem first."
Qi Hao sighed with a smile: "The emperor is still a sage and has a far-sighted vision. Otherwise, how would we be today?"
Song Biao raised his riding whip and pointed at the big stable at the stud and said, "Let's go and have a look!"
The Xilin Reservoir is a large-scale construction project. It is also one of the 20 key projects of the National Agricultural Water Conservancy Project in the Central Government's First Five-Year Plan. It was just completed at the end of last year. There are more than ten horse breeding stations in this area, and a number of local horse breeding stations are cultivated.
More than 10,000 Liaoxi horses.
Because the Xilin Gol grassland has the local excellent horse breed Xilin Gol horse, the Liaoxi horse has to give in to the Xilin Gol horse for the time being in terms of racecourse competition. After all, the Liaoxi horse has larger horse farms in Liaoxi, Hulunbuir, and the Xing'an League's three military and animal husbandry bureaus.
, so in the entire Xilin Gol Army and Animal Husbandry Bureau, the total number of stallions retained by the Liaoxi Horse Breeding Station does not exceed 40,000.
China's horse breeding industry has been working hard for ten years. Although it is not a long time, the two main new horse breeds, Liaoxi horse and Northeast draft horse, have taken shape. Walking along the way, looking at the thousands of Liaoxi horses kept separately in the racecourse, Song Dynasty
Biao's mood couldn't be better.
Qi Hao took this opportunity to introduce to Song Biao: "Your Majesty, Liaoxi Horse currently has a relatively stable group of 600,000 horses. According to current estimates, after about 1915, it will be able to supply adult horses to the army every year.
Fifty thousand army horses,1
After 920, the size of the horse herd can be expanded to roughly two million, and the new supply of military horses every year can reach 200,000, and it begins to expand in the direction of civilian horses. From our current observation, Liaoxi
Horses on the Mongolian plateau and far away
East China, Ningxia, and North China all have excellent adaptability. Last year, when Xikang Province was established, the military headquarters sent cavalry north to Kangding. Among them, there were more than a thousand Liaoxi horses. It seems that they can basically adapt to the environment of Xikang Province. From
Looking at this situation,
I think the Liaoxi horse is generally capable of fighting in Gansu, Ningxia and Qinghai, especially in Qinghai, where the situation is a bit special, and the adaptability of the Don horse is already slightly insufficient. But considering that we will continue to go to the plateau in the future, I am afraid that the Qinghai horse should be specially assigned to it."
Song Biao nodded slightly. His plan was basically to take advantage of Russia and Britain during the First World War when they were unable to take care of Xinjiang, Japan, Nepal and other places, to cover the administrative jurisdiction of the central government to Japan and expand its sphere of influence to West Asia.
.If you want to achieve this, the Ma Jiajun, which is dominant in Qinghai, Gansu, Ningxia, and Xinjiang, is an obstacle that cannot be bypassed.
Therefore, as soon as the First World War begins, the central government will suddenly send troops to eradicate the Ma Jiajun as soon as possible. The sooner the better, otherwise, there is no need for the central government to build the railway to Tianshui and Bayanzhuoer in such a hurry. Of course, the Ma Jiajun also knows the central government's plans.
As soon as the railway arrived, they were bound to die. On the one hand, they actively expressed their loyalty to Hua Huang. On the other hand, they strictly prohibited the railway company from further exploring the terrain in the northwest and frantically blocked the westward expansion of the railway.
The Ma Jiajun cannot understand the empire's ambitions, and their self-interests have already threatened the empire's control of Xinjiang. If things go on like this, China's territory may be carved up by Britain and Russia. Xinjiang.
These people in the Ma family have the blood of Han people in their bodies, but they are doing things that harm the interests of the country, just for their own selfish interests. But in the end, they are also the troubles left by Zuo Zongtang.
After visiting the animal husbandry factory and horse breeding center in Xilin Gol, Song Biao stayed at the Military Animal Husbandry Bureau at night. According to his wishes, the Military Animal Husbandry Bureau did not dare to make special arrangements. They just prepared a room with a heated kang.
he.
Han people who come to live in the four northern provinces must face many unaccustomed things in life, especially the problem of the large temperature difference between morning and evening. In winter, it is even colder and uncomfortable. A heated kang is definitely a must-have, but it is different from the Northeast. Here
Ondol heating generally uses coal and horse dung. Three pounds of coal and seven pounds of horse dung can ensure heating conditions for one night.
It was still freezing outside, so Song Biao sat on the big kang in the room. He called Wang Yongjiang, Qi Hao, and Tan Jiwu from the Animal Husbandry Industry Bureau. They sat on the kang, peeled peanuts, drank rice wine, and talked about China together.
The future and development path of animal husbandry.
Tan Jiwu just returned from inspecting the animal husbandry industry in the United States and Britain last year. He had many ideas, and he talked the most at this time. Song Biao and Wang Yongjiang were sitting nearby and listening.
The more powerful European and American countries are, the higher the proportion of animal husbandry in the total agricultural output value. In the United States, the proportion is about 55%, and in the United Kingdom, it is as high as 70%. Therefore, when the United Kingdom was engaged in the industrial revolution, there was a land enclosure movement.
, in fact, the enclosure movement broke out throughout Europe. The enclosure movement in Germany, Russia, and Denmark really reached its climax in the 19th century, while the enclosure movement in the Czech Republic only began to develop in the past few years.
With the development of China's woolen textile industry, especially the rapid development of the woolen textile industry and the textile industry in the three northeastern provinces, during this period, China also began to enter a wave of land enclosures. Its most significant features were the "Prohibition of Reclamation in the Four Northern Provinces" and the "
With the introduction of the Animal Husbandry Protection Law, the four northern provinces are strictly prohibited from converting livestock to farming. Most of the cultivated land that has been reclaimed has been restored to artificial pasture. A small amount of reserved cultivated land can only be planted with food crops related to animal husbandry.
Including sericulture, which is also a part of animal husbandry and is also within the scope of the Animal Husbandry Protection Law. However, in order to ensure the food production in Jiangnan at the same time, mulberry tree varieties are also being improved to find use in mountainous and hilly areas.
The cultivation of mulberry trees is the main focus, which is the difference between the so-called forest mulberry trees and lake mulberry trees. The raw silk industry continues to advance to Zhejiang.
In this regard, the central cabinet government also promoted the passage of the Forestry Protection Law by Congress to strengthen the development of forestry in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi and Guizhou and the three eastern provinces, focusing on the development of fruit trees, timber, tea trees and medicinal materials.
All of this ultimately serves industry and is actually a new enclosure movement.
The impact of industry on agriculture is huge. For example, during the rapid development of China's textile industry, the demand for wool, cashmere, cotton, raw silk, and flax has increased sharply. In the three provinces of North China, Shandong, Henan, Northern Jiangsu, and Liaodong Bay,
In the region, the Ministry of Agriculture has been actively promoting new cotton varieties, promoting new technologies and chemical fertilizers, improving water conservancy conditions, and continuously increasing the total cotton supply.
The oil industry has a demand for soybeans and rapeseed, the sugar industry has a demand for sugar beets and sugar cane, the wine industry has a demand for sorghum and grapes, the food industry has a demand for flour, and the feed industry has a demand for corn and soybean meal. If you want to avoid cash crops,
To weaken grain output during the development process and prevent the increase in grain prices, we can only continue to promote the development of water conservancy, chemical fertilizers and new farming technologies while the grain cultivated land continues to decrease.
This is also the reason why the central government borrows large-scale debt to develop water conservancy. It must increase water conservancy, promote chemical fertilizers and new technologies, and promote the scope of horse farming, ox farming and mechanical farming. Only in this way can we effectively ensure the increase in grain yield per mu and further ensure the impact of industry on the economy.
Huge demand for crops.
With the large-scale construction of fertilizer factories in the three northeastern provinces, Shanghai, Wuhan and other places, ammonia chemical industry was introduced from Germany at all costs. China's total fertilizer output has reached 1.3 million tons.
No matter how the name changes, behind it is the phenomenon of enclosure movement, which is actually for industrial services.
Listening to Tan Jiwu talking about the gap in animal husbandry between China and the United States that he knows, Song Biao peeled peanuts slowly and listened silently, and Wang Yongjiang seemed very silent.
When Tan Jiwu was almost finished, Wang Yongjiang and Song Biao said: "Your Majesty, the empire has made great efforts in agricultural development in recent years, but compared with the United States, our gap is still very obvious. Policy Bureau some time ago
I came back from investigation and research in the United States and France. The current per capita grain in the United States is 1,232 kilograms, while ours only has 230 kilograms. After hearing this, I could only sigh. Especially the transportation of agricultural machinery in the United States.
Currently, the total amount is about 12 billion horsepower, with an average of 133 horsepower per person. This does not include the horsepower of livestock. Even if we add livestock, the average per capita horsepower is no more than 3, and the gap is even greater. So.
, Jin Dingxun from the Policy Bureau and I are causing trouble for me. As soon as these data came out, our Ministry of Agriculture has been working hard in the past few years. It means that nothing has been done. It is a thousand miles away and I don’t know how many years it will take to complete it.
"
Song Biao was not in a hurry and said: "Take your time, you are the Minister of Agriculture. You have important responsibilities. Before leaving Beijing, Premier Tang and I went to the cabinet. Now I am the most important cabinet minister, agriculture, finance
, industry, transportation, water conservancy. Your Ministry of Agriculture is well-deserved as the first cabinet department of the empire. The task is arduous, and all the first-class talents we can select have been sent to you. Your Ministry of Agriculture’s foreign ministers
The National Bureau of Experts has hired as many foreign consultants as the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Land and Resources. In fact, if we look at the problem from another angle, it is precisely because we are far behind the United States and we are now looking at the United States to learn from them. We will do what they do.
We will promulgate whatever laws they have. As long as we continue to learn, our development will be faster and our room for progress will be greater."
Tan Jiwu said: "Now only the three northeastern provinces are qualified to compete with the United States in industry and agriculture. The conditions are good. According to the current development speed of the three northeastern provinces, it is expected that in ten years they will be able to reach the level of industry and agriculture in the United States. By then, our Chinese
But it’s the first step towards revival.”
Song Biao said: "That's true, but it won't work if the gap inside and outside the customs is too big. When we formulated the "Cultivated Land Protection Act", our goal was to control land annexation and ensure that every household has a part of the land, so each province has the right to enact
A cap on production increment tax, held by each household
If the land exceeds a certain number of acres, the production tax will be increased. Generally, the upper limit of the land in the customs is 60 acres. The minimum land in the three northeastern provinces is ten acres, which is 150 acres. By the way, each household in the three northeastern provinces holds ten acres of land.
It’s a normal thing. In previous years, you had 100 people in the three northeastern provinces.
Even the landowners are embarrassed to call themselves landlords. Our situation is special, with too many agricultural people and a low average arable land area, so we can only do this, try our best to make the land of each household more even, and gradually eliminate the big landlord class.
Let the capital accumulated in agriculture flow to industry
, to curb land annexation. Looking back now, the gap in agriculture and industry between the inside and outside the customs is rapidly widening. For the cabinet, this situation is not good. The three northeastern provinces must continue to accelerate development. The same
, Guan Nei must also seize the time to catch up."
Wang Yongjiang and Tan Jiwu heard this as nothing. It sounded easy, but it was just a touch of the upper and lower lips. In practice, it was too difficult to do.
In order to curb land annexation and the relative equalization of land, the Ministry of Agriculture has borrowed money to establish the Agricultural Bank of China, set up rural credit offices across the country, issue loans to agricultural households, and help farmers gradually repurchase land from the large landlord class.
In general, if China wants to develop its economy and expand its industry, agriculture must develop first. However, the development of China's agriculture is the most difficult and has a huge space. It is both difficult and promising.
Song Biao was not the Prime Minister, so he did not think much about this aspect. At this time, he only had a casual conversation with Wang Yongjiang and Tan Jiwu. Qi Hao, the growth director of Chahar Province, was listening on the sidelines and did not say much.
.
During the period of the Northeast New Deal, the development of the Northeast was based on learning from the United States and Germany. After the emperor took over the world from the Northeast, the Imperial New Deal or the Shenwu New Deal promoted now are actually the continuation of the Northeast New Deal.
Regarding the Shenwu New Deal, Song Biao made a simple definition of the strategic direction, which is to "learn from the United States in a flexible and changeable way". It is impossible to completely learn from the United States. There are many similarities between China and the United States, and there are also many differences.
, so we must be flexible and continue to learn from countries such as Germany, France, Britain, and Japan.
In the past few years, many inspection groups have been sent to the United States, Germany, France, Britain, Japan and other countries. Basically, provincial governors have arranged an inspection trip to Europe and the United States. The central government and provincial governments have adopted a strong New Deal accountability system, and all goals are
Mainly learn from Europe and the United States, and use this to force China to move forward.
As the governor of Chahar Province, Qi Hao's work pressure is easier than in other provinces, because the agricultural and industrial development of Chahar Province revolve around animal husbandry, and animal husbandry is his strength. However,
His biggest pressure is to take on the future of the entire four northern provinces, as well as the issues of appeasing the Mongolian people and cleverly increasing the number of Han people.
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