Britain and France had both suffered financial collapses one after another, and the United States and Germany were hardly faring any better. After all, Britain and France were the biggest customers for American raw materials, and the drop in their imports had directly driven down the prices of American cotton, grain, and other raw materials.
The German regions had been hit by the financial capital of Britain and France. German Jewish bankers had poured vast sums of money into the two countries, directly bringing industry in the German regions to a standstill.
The German regions had suffered too, but with Austria still part of the system, life remained bearable in the other countries.
On top of that, their earlier victory in Switzerland had left the people and governments basking in a brief triumph.
But all of this came to an abrupt halt after the bankers' collective betrayal. No one had seen such a move coming. Though calling it betrayal wasn't entirely accurate—it would be more fitting to call it the pursuit of profit.
But betrayal or profit-seeking, either way, the German States were out of money—and could no longer borrow any.
As a result, countless projects were put on hold, and there was no money left for disaster relief. People with empty stomachs and nowhere to go could hardly feel the strength of their nation.
These displaced people wandered along the railways and raised havoc in the cities. Before long, the prisons in every state were packed with inmates.
Soon, word spread that prisoners could eat their fill. Countless poor people who couldn't afford food even began committing crimes in broad daylight, hoping to get thrown into prison.
The overcrowded prisons gave the governments of the various states a terrible headache. At first, they thought these people wanted to go