Time is a butcher's knife, and before its passage, both Prussia and Russia had to bow their heads, no matter how resolute they stood.
After negotiations lasting more than two months, on July 18, 1881, Prussia and Russia finally reached a reluctant agreement through the mediation of various parties.
It really was reluctant, for both the Tsarist Government and the Berlin Government were dissatisfied with the treaty.
It was only because their reserves were running low and in order to avoid starvation that they had to compromise.
The war had ended, but that did not mean there was no more money to be spent. Pensions for the dead and disabled soldiers, resettlement for veterans, and post-war economic reconstruction all required significant funds.
Neither Prussia nor Russia dared to deplete their coffers completely—government without emergency funds is not as simple as bankruptcy.
