Chapter 45 Financial Crisis 4

[As usual, several chapters about the East are omitted in the middle. The main content is that the protagonist went to Ming to repay the money he borrowed last time, and discussed matters such as cooperation in building aircraft carriers and other trivial matters. ]

The economic crisis quickly spread from the United States to other industrial countries. For millions of people, life became a struggle for food, clothing, and shelter.

As Yannick expected, the incompetent Wei government had no effective policy to deal with this economic crisis.

After taking office, the newly appointed government cabinet prime minister Brüning took measures such as expanding exports, raising taxes, cutting public spending, and cutting wages and relief to overcome the worsening economic crisis, but these measures failed to reverse the declining economic trend, but instead led to a further deterioration of the situation.

First, Brüning's austerity policy did not stimulate production, but aggravated the sales crisis of German products and the mass unemployment of working people. In order to expand exports, Brüning significantly lowered the prices of export commodities to make them more competitive in the international market, but other capitalist countries were troubled by the economic crisis and were also using the same method to dump products overseas.

In addition, in order to overcome the crisis, countries adopted the method of increasing tariffs to prevent the influx of foreign goods. Therefore, the German products with depreciated prices are still stranded in the country and cannot enter the markets of other countries. The sluggish sales of products led to an overall decline in German industrial production, serious under-operation of factories, and business owners laid off workers one after another. On the eve of Brüning's resignation in 1932, the number of unemployed people in the country had reached more than 6 million, accounting for 43.8% of the total number of employed people.

Secondly, Brüning's tax policy led to a sharp deterioration in people's living standards. When Miller was in power, the new tax revenue had reached 1.254 billion marks. After Brüning came to power, it was even worse, and new taxes were everywhere. The newly added beer tax and retail tax alone increased the tax amount of the masses by 750 million marks. The new head tax in June 1930 and the tobacco tax implemented in December of the same year added 800 million marks to the people's taxes. In addition, there are crisis taxes, single taxes, employment taxes, etc., and there are many names that are too numerous to mention.

Again, while taxes were increasing, Brüning drastically cut wages and relief, which plunged the masses into the abyss of hardship. During the crisis, the wages of German workers, employees and civil servants fell by 50%. In 1932, the average monthly salary of an employee or civil servant was only 150 marks, less than the 170 marks of industrial workers in 1929. In the same year, the unemployed and their families had an average of only 15 marks per month to survive. "Some families only survive on potatoes, and people's faces are almost desperate."

Brüning's anti-crisis measures not only failed to alleviate the material difficulties of the masses, but also increased their burden, plunging millions of Germans into a painful and desperate situation. The people in the country were living in poverty and complaints were everywhere. Brüning became a veritable "hunger prime minister".

In just over two years, more than 1,000 strikes broke out in Germany. The German masses, especially the petty bourgeoisie, were completely disappointed with the Wei government. In order to find a way out, they began to call for Germany to return to the monarchy.

Finally, as Yannick wished, under tremendous pressure, the government was forced to resign collectively, the parliament was dissolved, and William II not only got back the lost power as he wished, but also became more centralized than more than a decade ago.

But he couldn't be happy.

Because he had no way to get Germany out of the current predicament. After several meetings, the solutions proposed by the so-called think tanks were absurd even to William II.

If he couldn't solve the current predicament, he might be the next King Louis XVI. It's just that King Louis XVI was pushed to the barbaric guillotine, while he might be hit by a more civilized bullet.

Or just run away?

The absurd idea flashed through William II's mind, and he soon found that this idea was simply poisonous. The more he thought about it, the more he thought he could give it a try. After collecting the gold and silver treasures in the treasury, run away to another country to live a carefree life?

He slapped his face hard. If that was the case, how could he face Frederick the Great after his death.

Just as William II sighed, the secretary reported that Yannick had come. "Let him in."

Until Yannick came in, William II barely perked up and smiled. "Yannick, you're here? Sit down. I want to ask you something."

Yannick knew what he was going to ask. I remember that when he first crossed over, William II's hair was only half white, but now it is all white. "Grandpa, you haven't seen Ms. Susan for a long time, right?"

William II leaned back in his chair and sighed. "It's been a while, I really miss her."

Yannick nodded. "Then go and meet her."

"..." William II looked at him in confusion, not knowing what it meant to bring up this matter at this time.

Yannick scratched his forehead and said helplessly. "The plan was originally going to be implemented in a few years, but it seems that it has to be advanced. You should go to Daming to recuperate for a while." As mentioned earlier, many of Yannick's best friends are Junker nobles. Over the years, Yannick has been secretly contacting other middle and low-level Junker nobles through their families to gain their support.

Although the expected goal has not been fully achieved, the execution of the plan will not cause any major disturbances.

"You..." Is this grandson forcing the emperor to abdicate? ! However, William II was not angry at all. Instead, he felt a little relieved and asked calmly. "Do you really have a way?"

Yannick was also surprised by William II's reaction, thinking that he would at least slam the table and scold him for treason. "Don't worry, Grandpa."

After a long silence, William II nodded slowly. "Okay, I will announce my abdication tomorrow."

Yannick shook his head and said firmly. "No need, Grandpa, I will let you wash away the shame of the past in the position of emperor. Poland, France, and Britain will submit surrender agreements to you."

"..."

Perhaps relieved, William II couldn't wait to arrange a cruise ship to Ming Dynasty that afternoon.

Watching the cruise ship gradually sailing away, Yannick turned his head and asked the royal butler. "How many rooms are there in the palace?"

The royal butler replied respectfully. "There are 1,210 rooms in total, Your Highness."

"Is every room cleaned every day?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

"How many servants are there?"

"442 in total, not counting temporary workers, Your Highness."

Damn, how much salary do they have to pay every month? What's the point of having so many rooms? It's not like we're running a hotel. "Leave grandpa, mom and dad, and my own bedroom. Add my office, and three or four reception rooms, and seal off the outside of the conference room. Check every one or two months to see if there are any damaged places. Leave the least number of servants and then fire them all. Don't leave more than 30 people, understand?"

The royal butler's eyes flashed with surprise, but he still responded. "As you wish, Your Highness."

Yannick thought for a moment and added. "Well, if we fire them now, they will be unemployed, and it's not easy to find a job. Let Speer arrange a job for them."