"Is there oil in Tripolitania and Cyrenaica?" Italian Prime Minister Giovanni Giolitti convened a gathering of oil experts and scholars to pose this inquiry.
"Your Excellency, how could there possibly be oil there? We have long conducted explorations, and there is simply no oil to be found!" the Italian experts responded to Giovanni Giolitti.
Though lingering doubts remained, Giovanni Giolitti chose not to dwell on the matter. Even if oil did exist in Tripolitania and Cyrenaica, leveraging this discovery to mend relations with the German Empire would be worthwhile. However, he also pondered how a North African desert could harbor oil.
Giovanni Giolitti instructed the Italian envoy to acquiesce to Qin Tian's request. Nonetheless, to safeguard against the possibility of Germans discovering oil in North Africa, he insisted that Italy secure a forty percent share of any future oil revenues.
After all, Italy was a nation severely lacking in oil. Should North Africa yield oil, it could be shipped home directly, proving far more economical than purchasing from other countries.
Qin Tian did not refuse Italy's demands.
Currently, Germany was amassing substantial oil reserves. With most naval vessels operating on fuel boilers and the army acquiring trucks in bulk, alongside a rising number of civilian automobiles, Germany's oil consumption had surged. To acquire the maximum oil at minimal cost, Qin Tian thoughtfully resolved to exploit North African oil. Despite the certainty that war would lead to Allied control of the oil fields, he believed that a year or two of extraction could yield sufficient reserves for Germany. This would adequately prepare them for future conflicts, and once victorious, the oil fields could naturally be reclaimed, providing further justification to extort additional wealth from the defeated nations.
With Germany's backing, Italy felt increasingly confident about the impending war.
Using the pretext of unfair treatment of Italians in Tripolitania and Cyrenaica, Italy launched a preemptive strike, issuing an ultimatum to Turkey on September 28, 1911, threatening invasion before Turkish forces could deploy to North Africa. Turkey called upon nations to thwart Italy's invasion, yet the major powers advised Turkey to acquiesce to Italy's demands. In this context, the Italo-Turkish War erupted.
Although the combat effectiveness of the Italian army was lacking, the ailing Ottoman Empire was not much stronger. Despite significant losses inflicted by local resistance, once Italy deployed an army of 100,000 troops, the Ottomans could no longer withstand the onslaught.
The conflict endured for nearly a year, culminating in a disastrous defeat for the Ottoman Empire. On October 18, 1912, Italy and the Ottomans signed a treaty near Ushi in Lausanne.
The treaty stipulated that the Ottoman Empire must withdraw all military personnel from Benghazi, in exchange for Italy returning Rhodes and twelve islands near Ottoman territories. Benghazi would hold a special status, with a regent and judges representing the Caliph. Prior to appointing these regents and judges, the Ottomans were required to consult the Italian government. The Ottoman government would bear the expenses related to the regent and judges.
Thus, while the Ottoman Empire retained nominal control over these territories, they had effectively become Italian colonies, under Italian dominion.
Italy's victory in this war was also immensely advantageous for Qin Tian. Before the treaty was even signed, the pre-prepared Deutsche Energie Company promptly dispatched a multitude of exploration experts and engineers to Cyrenaica, heading straight for the Sirte Basin. This basin was known to contain eighty percent of Libya's future oil reserves, which ranked ninth in the world and first in Africa.
Despite widespread skepticism regarding the presence of oil beneath the sands of North Africa, Moritz, the CEO of Deutsche Energie Company, remained steadfast in his conviction. He personally led the team to search for oil in the Sirte Basin.
Perhaps by divine favor, merely a month later, they struck the first high-yield oil well in the Sirte Basin.
Nearly everyone was astounded; none had anticipated such a wealth of oil hidden beneath the yellow sands.
As Moritz organized further explorations, he promptly reported back to Germany.
Upon receiving the news, Qin Tian finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Karl, from this moment forward, the Deutsche Industrie Gruppe will fully support the energy company's oil extraction efforts in Cyrenaica. We must expedite the construction of oil pipelines to transport the oil home. Additionally, we need to accelerate the development of domestic storage facilities. We must stockpile more oil in preparation for future warfare!" Qin Tian commanded.
Though oil prices were currently low, self-extracted oil would naturally be cheaper than purchases from abroad, alleviating concerns over potential supply constraints.
"Yes, Your Highness," Karl von Jonaleth eagerly nodded, fully aware of the significance of the oil fields discovered in Cyrenaica for Germany.
The discovery of oil in Cyrenaica by Deutsche Energie Company filled other nations with envy and jealousy, particularly the Ottoman Empire, which had just lost Cyrenaica, and the Italian government that had ceded oil extraction rights to Deutsche Energie Company, both left to lament their misfortunes. If only they had a chance to reconsider, they would never have made such decisions. Now, the Italian government could only watch as Deutsche Energie Company extracted oil from the region. Though they would receive forty percent, who would prefer a mere fraction when they could have it all?
Of course, faced with the formidable German Empire, the Italian government lacked the courage to retract its agreement, begrudgingly accepting the terms.
Countries like England and France were deeply concerned; Germany's acquisition of abundant oil would alleviate its energy shortages, posing a significant threat to them.