8 Chapter 08

The journey to Berlin hasn't changed much, the infrastructure in Russia remains extremely precarious, and this is a problem that continues to plague the country to this day, i have constructed some concrete factories in the Moscow region to alleviate this issue. However, my uncle, the Tsar, like all his predecessors and future successors, sees no reason to improve the country's roads.

They are still stuck with the outdated notion that improving infrastructure would make it easier for enemies to invade and march on the capital. What they fail to realize is that this idea strangles the country's development.

My factories are growing every day, but a problem I have identified is the lack of workforce. To remedy this issue, I have started acquiring the serfs of the poorer nobles. Russia is a populous country, being the most populous power of the time, with around 67 million inhabitants under control and belonging to the same cultural and religious group. This is something that the British do not enjoy, as they have India as a colony.

Despite having this immense population, the majority consists of serfs owned by the nobles, who live as if they were slaves. They cannot leave their lords' lands, as they are under their jurisdiction and control.

The nobles are profiting less due to the lack of major wars around the world, and the growth of Americans in the grain market is causing significant financial problems for these nobles who depend solely on agriculture.

Through my father's intervention, I convinced some small nobles with financial troubles to sell me their serfs in order to alleviate their debts, I also managed to persuade some middle-class nobles to invest in my factories or purchase mining rights to sell them to me.

The prices of iron and coal are increasing every day, which made them greedily excited about the opportunity to make money while others suffer from the decline in grain production.

With the idea of selling small shares of my companies, a rudimentary prototype of a stock exchange was opened in Moscow. My father invited some students and professors from the University of St. Petersburg and the University of Moscow to assist in the creation of the Moscow Stock Exchange, which would greatly aid in my power expansion.

By utilizing the capital of the nobles to drive industrialization, I aim to not only promote economic growth but also weaken the nobles' desire to maintain serfdom, the success and profitability of the industrial ventures will demonstrate the potential for wealth and prosperity outside of the traditional feudal system.

As the nobles see the benefits of investing in industrial enterprises and witness the social and economic progress that can be achieved, their resistance to the abolition of serfdom may gradually diminish, the shift towards industrialization and the rise of a new class of wealthy industrialists may create a new power dynamic that favors the advancement of society and the eventual dismantling of serfdom.