Without jingling gold and silver, war cannot begin.

The old Duke of Lotel once said bluntly to his son-in-law, the Holy Mro Emperor Richard IV: "It takes three things to start a war, money! money! The third is money!"

With periodic financial bankruptcy, Richard IV lost his best general and all territory south of the Shade Mountains.

But in its essence, money cannot be used directly in war.

Gold cannot be used as gunpowder, and silver is cast into weapons and armor, and it is not worth the cost. War requires money because money can purchase war resources.

Friar Reed once told Winters: "The weapon that kills the most people in the world is not swords, but mobilization."

At that time, Winters didn't understand, and he just thought that this was an old charlatan making a fool of himself.

But after seeing the ordinary people waving war bonds in Matou Town, they listened to the old beggar monks analyzing how the Palathu Republic raised one war fund after another.

Although Lieutenant Winters Montagne still did not understand the term "mobilization", he felt a sense of fear from the bottom of his heart.

The military history course in the Luyuan Academy reveals a truth: war is a game for a few people, at least before the cake is divided.

The war between kingdoms is actually a war between kings and kings.

The common people had to pay taxes and serve for the king's war, but that was a forced one.

No one is willing to participate in the war free of charge. Some people don’t believe it, so they don’t pay military salaries, and their ends are miserable.

Paying taxes, serving, feudal obligations, etc. can still be regarded as a kind of property of the king. In essence, the king is still using his private property and his vault to support his war.

Therefore, too many taxes are imposed, too heavy labor service is too heavy, and too much exploitation of vassals lead to overthrow, which is also a form of bankruptcy.

Therefore, population, wealth and culture are all superior, but dynasties, empires, and overwhelming by barbarians who emerged in remote areas; it is not uncommon for wealthy countries and bankrupt royal families; in terms of population, land, and wealth, the Duke of Frèland is not worth mentioning in front of the sacred empire, but in the end it was the emperor's "traders and gangsters" that laughed to the end.

In the final analysis, war does not depend on how much gold, silver and population it governs, but on how much gold, silver and population it can mobilize for war.

Among the republics, Paratu had the second-last population and its wealth was far inferior to that of Venetta, the United Provinces and Vanne.

If she had been the Principality of Paratu, the great man would have moved his head after years of conquests - either the Heds or the Paratus would have taken action.

But her territory is the largest and is getting bigger and bigger.

Where did the Republic of Paratu get the money to fight?

Answer: Borrowed.

It is common for monarchs to borrow money for war, but their essence is still private lending. The borrowing targets are limited to merchants, churches, knights and bankers.

Most of the time, there are loans and repayments, and occasionally they are undone.

Thirty years ago, there were royalists who caused rebellion inside and Hed cavalry outside. The Republicans were trapped in the royal castle and were busy holding a public trial meeting and sent people to the guillotine.

Faced with the mess of shortage of people, food, and most of all, shortage of money, General Ned pioneered the use of another method of lending to raise military expenses: special war bonds.

[Note: Ned Smith was still a general at that time]

The denominations of these bonds are not large and are open to everyone to purchase.

There is no collateral and it is expected to be repaid with all the proceeds during the war, including the unpaid private property of the nobles, the seizure of future battles with the Heds, etc.

It sounds like a waste of money, but maybe because of this, bonds are sold very cheaply.

Four silver shields have a denomination bond sold for only one silver shield - even so there are very few buyers.

Then Ned Smith won a small victory and raided a Knight's home.

Valuable items, land, houses...all spoils are listed for sale at low prices, but only allowed to be purchased with bonds.

Because it can be replaced by physical goods by replacing the goods, people gradually began to buy bonds, but the price of bonds with the denomination of four silver shields rose to two silver shields.

Then Ned Smith won another big victory and confiscated the home of an earl.

The spoils were treated as before, and the price of bonds with the denomination of four silver shields on the market has risen to three silver shields.

The soldiers under Ned Smith gradually began to agree to pay military pay in the form of bonds - at market prices, of course.

Bond buyers become shareholders and the army becomes mates.

War turned into a business, or a gamble.

Every Palathu who bought the bonds prayed that Ned Smith would win more victories and plunder more spoils.

After the eighth victory, General Ned announced that all bonds would be repaid uniformly after the war ended.

There are two reasons: First, during the war, the largest real estate in the spoils cannot be sold at a price; secondly, he wants to continue to invest the movable property in the spoils into the war, which is equivalent to using profits to expand operations.

This decision was a major blow to bond confidence, but Ned Smith had a back-up.

"Open bonds to trade freely".

General Ned also announced that in order to enable the buyers of bond rolls to recover their investment, the "Bond Exchange" of Zhuwangbao was established.

If you don’t want your bonds, just sell them in the trading hall. Maybe it’s a loss or a profit, it all depends on your ability.

The world's first [bond exchange] was born three months after the birth of [war bonds].

Through this financing method, Ned Smith mobilized money from ordinary people such as craftsmen, merchants, and maids to turn it into war funds.

Through this financing method, Ned Smith turned a small group of people into a war between the Palathu Republic and another small group of people.

No one is willing to serve free of charge, but everyone who purchases war bonds is voluntarily working for this war.

...

"Wait, what if I lose the battle? Wouldn't there be nothing in the bond?" Winters frowned and asked the old charlatan.

"It's very simple, just don't lose." Friar Reed sneered: "Don't forget, that's Ned Smith! The invincible iron man!"

This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content later!...

The war ended in one year, the royalists were purged and the Huds fled in panic. The Republic of Paratu was officially established and became the third member of the Senas Alliance.

All bonds issued during the war were repaid in denominations, and Ned Smith took off the door sign of the "Special War Bond Exchange" and returned to the Union Province.

He received a news that Richard IV was about to lead the army in person.

This time, the emperor vowed to completely crush the rebel party.

...

"This is mobilization, the ability of a country to invest resources into war," said the old monk slowly: "War between countries is like two clumsy drunks falling. No matter how strong a man can only exert one hundred of his strength, he will be thrown down by a weak man who can exert half of his strength."

Winters pricked up his ears and listened.

"The clumsiest mobilization is to collect manpower, military service, corvee service, and this is the case for your militia; a more brilliant mobilization is to dispatch money, and there are money, and there are people, and so is Ned Smith, and taxation; further up? I don't know. I'm afraid it's all to devote all resources to war, and to cast the entire country into a weapon."

"How to cast?"

"If you want to forge the entire country into a weapon, you must be united. Humph, the heart of the people?" The old monk sneered: "The heart of the people is the most difficult thing in the world to guess. I really can't think of how to manipulate the heart of the people."

After hearing this, Winters couldn't help but sarcastic: "The people in the convoy are almost treating you as a living saint, and you don't know how to control people's hearts?"

"You can't learn anything before and after death." The old monk knocked Winters' head hard: "If you have the ability of Ned Smith, you will be invincible."

...

From the floating bridge, crossing the surging boundary river, there is no more road at your feet.

The world is vast, and there are only vague ruts marking the direction of the vast field.

He foamed at the mouth, walked hard, carried muskets and spears, and walked beside him, helping to lift the wheels trapped in the mud from time to time.

More than 200 large trucks were winding through the wasteland, and they unconsciously formed a long line of more than two kilometers.

People in front often simply climb over a slope or bypass a mound, and will disappear from the view of people behind.

Winters patrols back and forth to ensure the order of the march. Any malfunctioning carriage will be quickly dragged out of the queue, waiting for the rescue of Lieutenant Bud, who is responsible for the tail-sweeping.

Crossing the boundary river is equivalent to leaving the Republic of Paratu in the legal sense, and everyone is a little nervous.

Fortunately, there was no danger along the way, and nothing happened except that the rear wheel of a carriage fell off.

The tension quickly subsided and fatigue poured into the body.

Marching is an extremely boring labor, and it is actually a constant walk. Moreover, the lieutenant colonel strictly prohibits his subordinates from putting weapons and debris onto large trucks.

The militia carried thirty or forty kilograms on his back, one foot deep and one foot shallow, and only thought about rest in his heart.

Lieutenant Colonel Jeska strictly controls the marching rhythm, and every time the hourglass flips—about an hour—the team can rest for a short break.

It was not until noon that the lieutenant colonel ordered the long rest trumpet.

...

The "buffer zone" between the Hed tribes and Paratus has existed since ancient times.

For hundreds of years, the two sides were in war and harmony. Whenever they were suffering from disaster, the Heds would go to Paratu to beat Grass Valley. When Paratu was in great strength, they would also raise troops to conquer the Hed tribes, plunder livestock and slaves.

Historian Bonnie Sefire described it like this: "The Palatus are essentially farming and public education. Even in the eyes of Monta Mountain people who lack education, the Palatus are too barbaric."

The Hed tribes were unwilling to go to the pastures near Paratu, and the Palatus people did not dare to settle near the Hed tribes, and finally formed a three-independent area.

Thirty years ago, Marshal Ned signed a peace treaty with the three major departments of Hurd.

It even stipulated in writing that "there are two hundred miles here, and the Palathus do not cultivate them, and the Huds do not herd animals." From then on, the buffer zone has a formal legal basis.

According to Ned Smith's vision, keeping distance may prevent military conflicts to the greatest extent.
To be continued...