The result of being overly aggressive is already written in German history. If you lack the strength but refuse to bow your head, Germany's fate has been painful enough. After World War I, they still refused to yield and continued into World War II. In the end, what happened? They were thoroughly defeated.
Before completing his affairs in Germany, a satirical cartoon had already successfully landed in London. It depicted a Prussian soldier posing alongside an obvious Uncle Sam figure. However, the two images were completely different. Compared to the American image, the German soldier appeared tall and mighty, making the American figure look weak and frail.
This was naturally Sheffield's intention. Although this move bordered on insulting America, its main purpose was to highlight the greatness of Germany. Since Germany was portrayed as so great, the image of the United States naturally couldn't be too positive. Sheffield almost explicitly instructed them to portray America as the "sick man of the Americas."
Although Sheffield hadn't personally experienced the mindset of a declining empire, he could simulate it fairly well. The psychology of the citizens of the world's strongest nation must be arrogant. Even if they didn't say it, they certainly looked down on other countries. This was very normal. The atmosphere in the Republic during the early years of the century and after securing the second place in the world was completely different. Many people became arrogant before reaching the top spot; achieving the number one position would only inflate their egos further.
This psychological inflation existed even in the current United States. How could the British Empire, which once ruled the world, not have it? Playing this trick on the rigid and hypocritical British served two purposes: highlighting Germany's strength and deepening the disdain for the United States. After all, if the United States really went head-to-head with Britain, the outcome was entirely predictable.
A single British squadron could annihilate the U.S. Navy. We, the United States, are weak, incapable of even reaching Britain's knees when we jump. So don't take us seriously. Germany is your ultimate enemy.
As Sheffield emerged from drying his wet hair, Annie saw him drinking alone, lost in thought. Though she hadn't yet seen what a real emperor looked like, she was captivated by Sheffield's impassioned speech. When this man spoke, he seemed like a politician.
"I'm done washing!" Annie softly announced, unsurprised by the lack of response. She then changed the topic to flatter him, "Your speeches in front of both nations were so charming. Will you run for president in a few years?"
Sheffield glanced at the girl, his gaze lingering on her body for a moment. He licked his lips and shook his head, "My background is too good. Even if I ran for election, I wouldn't win. Voters would feel resistant."
Although materialism was rampant among the populace of the United States, electing a true elite as president was nearly impossible. First, they needed a century of happy education to properly brainwash the masses.
Sheffield understood this from the Rockefeller family's experience. Among the Rockefellers, there was a member who vied for the presidency—Nelson Rockefeller, who spent his entire life striving for the presidential seat. However, his identity as a Rockefeller made it impossible for him to succeed.
After all, in the minds of ordinary people, why would a billionaire want to be president? Most people would feel some resistance. And Rockefeller wasn't just any wealthy man; his family stood at the pinnacle of the United States, incomparable to mere real estate tycoons. Electing him would be like letting a player double as a referee. Only someone incredibly foolish would vote for him.
Therefore, Sheffield couldn't step into the political arena directly. Moreover, in the United States, the ultra-rich should play the role of behind-the-scenes manipulators. During elections, it was about investing money into power stocks. Among many candidates, they would pick the one they deemed promising, someone who could rise in value, and fund their campaign activities.
If he took your money to run, he would naturally repay you once in power. For example, if you dealt in arms, once he was in office, he would develop armaments or even wage war to reward you.
Sheffield didn't particularly like war, but he knew that wars were profitable. Otherwise, he could recall the stories in *Currency Wars* about the Rothschilds. As for guaranteed wars, they were even better. The biggest advantage was destroying others' industries. The best environment for merchants was monopoly. Eliminating another country's industrial potential reduced global competition significantly. So, even if he might benefit from this European trip, or gain nothing at all, selling a kidney to support Europe wouldn't matter as long as World War came as expected.
Of course, mergers and acquisitions could achieve similar results without war, but the range of choices would be much smaller. The target company's country mustn't be too strong, ideally without any resistance.
Within the bounds of commercial rules, if Sheffield targeted a company for acquisition, he could deliberately drive it to bankruptcy and replace its market with his own products. This tactic was exemplified by the Germans. After the Cold War, Germans wielded their cash to acquire assets in Eastern European countries. Predictably, most of these companies went bankrupt. This was normal since they didn't hesitate to undermine their East German compatriots, let alone Eastern European nations.
Germany's economic power was firmly established within the EU. However, if someone interfered, such operations would become more challenging. After all, the world had more than one player. The Republic often meddled in Eastern Europe, reacquiring and revitalizing assets that Germany had nearly driven to bankruptcy in places like the Balkans and Greece.
This created new competitors for Germany, frustrating their ambitions as an industrial power while relegating others to mere markets. This was utterly detestable to someone like Sheffield, who believed every breath you took should earn him money. He sympathized deeply with Germany.
Before entering the final leg of his European journey in Britain, the trade cooperation between the United States and the German Empire had already been finalized. From this perspective, the imperial model was indeed more efficient than democratic nations. Compare the German Empire with the neighboring French Republic, and the difference was immediately apparent.
Amidst the unanimous praise from representatives of both Germany and the U.S., Sheffield successfully obtained patent authorizations and agricultural import quotas. He had practiced for the first time the principle of not asking what I can do for the country, but what the country can do for me.
"The vast domestic market awaits you!" Sheffield congratulated Thyssen, Krupp, and other representatives of the Ruhr Cartel.
"The empire's agricultural needs and adjustments will make the Sheffield family the biggest beneficiaries." The latter also congratulated Sheffield, "As you said, no one understands agriculture better than you."
With your authorization, in a few years, no one will understand industry better than me. Sheffield raised his glass and said, "Pleasant cooperation."
(End of Chapter)