Vienna remained cool even in the height of summer.
Schönbrunn Palace.
Metternich said, "Your Majesty, the Russians have asked to purchase weapons production lines. From pistols to artillery, they want practically everything."
Franz knew Austria had snatched away the interests of Russia's arms conglomerates. Those people were bound to make a move, but he had not expected their solution to be buying weapons production lines.
On reflection, it made sense. In this age, the British led the world in machinery and equipment technology, with Austria and France close behind. Belgium and Prussia, whose industrial systems were incomplete, came next.
The machinery produced by the Russians themselves not only cost a great deal to maintain, but also performed poorly. It could only be called barely usable, and its production efficiency was no match for that of its foreign counterparts. They had been forced into buying foreign production lines.
Britain and France were at war with Russia. Even if the Russians could buy production lines from them, they would not dare use them. Weapons manufacturing equipment was highly sensitive, not civilian merchandise. Smuggling was still smuggling.
They could also buy from Prussia or Belgium. But if they did, they would be unable to handle the future maintenance of the Austrian-made weapons equipped by the expeditionary forces at the front.
Given the Tsarist Government's financial resources, no one should expect it to discard weapons and equipment worth tens of millions of rubles. The annual maintenance of that equipment alone was a business worth millions of rubles.
Capitalists would not turn against money. For the sake of maximizing profits, it was perfectly normal for them to buy Austrian weapons production lines.
Franz said indifferently, "Sell them the lines. Even with the same equipment, the weapons and equipment produced in Russian hands will still be