Model T
"Now there is a new situation. Many people from our region are moving to Romania for work. They claim that Romania neither oppresses nor discriminates against them, but rather takes care of them. This has made many people long for Romania. Our party organizations have been found everywhere, which has increased the difficulty for us in striving for autonomy," Aureel Popol, a senior member of the National Party, expressed his concerns to Ion Raziu. As a minority advocate for negotiations with Austria-Hungary, Popol has always believed that relying on protests and strikes to fight for rights only results in further suppression of the Romanians in Lansivania. He hoped that through negotiation, the persecution of Hungarians could be reduced. Although most party members disagreed, Popol persisted.
"Poppol, what can we do? Tell our compatriots not to go to Romania? After all, Romania has helped us a lot over the years. The party has a good impression of Romania, which could cause confusion among everyone," Qi Wu approached Popper, looked out the window, and said soothingly.
"But..." Popol started.
"Well, Popol, actually strengthening our ties with Romania, when you think about it, might not be a pressure on Budapest," Qi Wu interrupted.
After Laziou escorted Popol out, he sat back in his chair, pondering a way forward for the National Party. At present, the party was rife with quarrels due to disputes about "cooperation" and "non-cooperation." Laziu was not a very adept leader. His position as the leader of the party was entirely a legacy from his leadership of the memorandum. He had no solution for this foundational problem of the party and could only attempt to ease the relationship between the factions. Now, this method was about to fail.
Just when Laziu was troubled by the internal disputes of the Romanian National Party, a decree from Budapest further inflamed the National Party. The decree stated that in order to better account to the Hungarian Parliament, members living outside Budapest would be reviewed, and if they failed to meet the standards, they would be prohibited from participating in proposals and voting in Parliament. Since most of the parliamentarians who lived outside Budapest were non-Hungarians, this was seen as a move to deprive other peoples of their political rights. It also sparked protests and dissatisfaction among other ethnic groups in the Kingdom of Hungary, and the National Party was blatantly opposed to this.
Two days later, Laziu and senior leaders of the National Party, including Varisi Gerdish and Urel Popol, discussed this bill aimed entirely at limiting the political participation of other ethnic groups. "We should sue Vienna over their unreasonable bills," Urel Popol first expressed his stance, hoping for a benevolent intervention from the Habsburgs, which sparked a rebuttal from Varisi Gerdish.
"Aren't our lessons from the memorandum enough?" Gerdish challenged.
"Crown Prince Ferdinand will support us," Urel Popol stated his reasoning.
The Austro-Hungarian Crown Prince had made a statement about national autonomy, which had caused dissatisfaction among the Germans and Hungarians of the ruling nation, viewing it as a statement that undermined the foundation of the empire. For other minorities under rule, however, there was indeed hope. Popol's hope in Crown Prince Ferdinand was not without reason.
"I think we still need to organize workers' strikes and farmers' refusal to pay taxes to mobilize the Romanians to oppose this proposal," Varisi Gerdish stated his own opinion. "If Hungary's suppression continues like this, we alone cannot resolve it."
Popol was entirely unhappy with Gerdish's proposal. "Can the problem be solved by begging the Habsburgs?"
"Well, it's all for finding a way out for the Romanians. Now let's think about what to do, and don't be too angry," Laziu tried to mediate.
Gerdish and Popol turned their heads away in anger upon hearing the party leader's attempt at mediation, refusing to look at each other. Both factions believed they were correct and did not consider the other's feelings at all. Laziu felt a headache watching the two groups argue again. They were so insistent that persuading them seemed impossible, leaving Laziu quite helpless.
Meanwhile, at the middle and lower levels of the National Party, discussions about the bill were also taking place. Sirianu, the head of the Cluj region, invited many who were dissatisfied with the leadership's weakness to discuss this issue. They were sitting in a small villa on the outskirts of Cluj.
"Now these high-level people have too many opinions, and they have no idea of being responsible for the suffering people who support us," Sirianu, as the host, was the first to speak, "They are a betrayal to the people."
Ogo, the head of Sibiu Jia, also expressed his dissatisfaction. "I think Transylvania needs to unite with the Kingdom of Romania so that our people can live a life free of oppression and discrimination," said Lukachu, a senior officer in the Deva region, presenting a somewhat radical view at the time. Most of the National Party had never considered uniting with the Kingdom of Romania, focusing instead on autonomy.
"This is also a way out, at least better than negotiating with Budapest," Isaac, who was in charge of propaganda in Bistrica, supported the idea. Clearly, those gathered were bold thinkers.
"Now that the cultural and economic ties between us and the Kingdom of Romania are strengthening, it will be inseparable sooner or later. This is also our best choice, but also the most difficult choice," Sirianu shared his views.
Everyone pondered Sirianu's opinion, and when they thought of the difference in national power between Austria-Hungary and Romania, everyone in the room fell silent. They had no idea that Austria-Hungary would disintegrate in ten years.
While the Romanian National Party was discussing the Kingdom, there were people in the Romanian Kingdom observing them. "Your Highness, the National Party has recently been troubled because of Hungary's plan to prohibit other ethnic groups from participating in politics. The high-level officials have been unable to come up with measures, and the middle and lower levels are also very disgusted with the incompetence of the high-level. I am afraid they will split," Carust reported the recent events in Transylvania to Edel.
Edel stood up and turned to look at the map of Romania hanging behind him. The usual habit of having the map behind him was a bit jarring now, but no one dared to comment on the Crown Prince's preferences.
Every time he looked at the current map, Edel felt a sense of urgency. Transylvania was too important for Romania. With the Kingdom of Transylvania, Romania would gain a significant increase in national power, and the population and resources would be an important supplement to Romania. Additionally, the national defense pressure on the borders with China and Europe would be greatly reduced.
"Now the National Party cannot be divided; we must help them. We can increase the intensity of assistance and send personnel to convey that we hope the Romanians in Transylvania can unite so that they will be less humiliated by the Hungarians," Edel instructed the chief guard standing behind him.
Soon, Edel's opinions and assistance were relayed to the headquarters of the National Party. Although there were no countermeasures against the Hungarian bill, at least the serious differences within the National Party were suppressed, and the two factions also understood the huge damage caused by a split. At least for a few years, the National Party was unlikely to cause internal disturbances again. This was sufficient for Edel, and the party would not be needed in the last ten years.
As Edel had just dealt with the Romanian National Party issue, good news from the United States made the crown prince very happy: Ford had built the Model T.
On May 19th, Henry Ford stood in the Detroit Corporation Headquarters Test Yard, observing a group of engineers as they fine-tuned a new car prototype featuring two rows of seats at the front. Beside him was his son, Edsel Ford, and their conversation turned towards a significant business proposition from none other than Rockefeller, who expressed a desire to buy a stake in the Ford Motor Company.
Since Ford had introduced its truck model, the vehicle had become immensely popular, effectively replacing horse-drawn carriages across major cities and ports in the United States. This success had not gone unnoticed by major conglomerates who envied Ford's burgeoning dominance in the automotive industry. Of these, Rockefeller was particularly keen to secure a part of Ford, the largest automobile company in the nation.
"Rockefeller has upped his offer to $1.2 million for a 20% stake in the company. If it weren't for our exclusive agreement, I bet a lot of the minority shareholders would be jumping at the offer," Edsel informed his father, detailing the recent developments within the company.
Henry Ford, a man who maintained a firm grip on his desires and understood the motives of these conglomerates all too well, responded dismissively, "Ignore them. We have ample funds, and there's no need to let these consortiums profit off our hard work. They're not in this with good intentions."
In the early days, these entities would start by purchasing shares, gradually increasing their stake, and eventually aiming to absorb the company into their fold. Fortunately, Henry Ford had previously converted the profits from Ford truck sales into additional company shares. Now, holding 61.2% of the company, he was effectively safeguarded against hostile takeovers by the consortiums.
As the engineers completed their adjustments, Martin, the chief test driver, was ready to begin. Henry, standing nearby, called out encouragingly, "Hey, Martin, show us what you've got!" Martin responded with a confident thumbs up before climbing into the prototype.
The engineer fired up the engine, and as it roared to life with a series of booming sounds, everyone at the test yard focused their attention on the vehicle. Martin hit the accelerator, and the prototype surged forward, swiftly moving across the field.
"It's incredibly fast, must be hitting 60km/h," one engineer remarked from the sidelines. Another, equipped with a speed-measuring device, confirmed, "63km/h. It's unbelievable that we've managed to build the best car at the lowest price."
From the edge of the field, Henry, cupping his hands around his mouth to amplify his voice, shouted, "Martin, push it to the limit!" Inspired by Henry's enthusiasm, Martin expertly manipulated the accelerator, further showcasing the car's capabilities.
A moment later, the speed measurer approached Henry, excitement evident in his voice as he reported, "Mr. Ford, it reached a speed of 72km/h!" This was a remarkable achievement — the prototype was now the fastest family car on record, rivaling professional race cars in speed, which greatly pleased Henry Ford.
As the car came to a halt, a crowd gathered around, and Henry inquired, "Martin, how was it?" Martin, stepping out of the car, replied, "It's very good. It handles much like other cars, though the comfort level is a bit different."
Considering the vehicle was designed to be affordable for the average person, some reduction in comfort was expected. Nonetheless, the prototype had demonstrated impressive capabilities, leaving everyone in awe.
"I intend to name it Model T," Henry announced to Edsel and the assembled assistants. There was a general nod of agreement; after all, Henry was the boss. Thus, the new Ford car, equipped with a four-cylinder gasoline engine and 20 horsepower, was christened the "Model T."
Back in the office, Edsel, curious about the pricing strategy, asked, "How much do we plan to sell it for?" After a moment of contemplation and some calculations considering cost, labor, and transportation, Henry replied, "I plan to sell it for $800 each. That way, a worker can afford a Ford by saving for just one year."
Edsel was taken aback by the proposed price, which was significantly lower than that of other cars, representing just two-fifths of their cost. This aggressive pricing strategy was set to revolutionize the automotive industry, setting a precedent that would likely be emulated by other American manufacturers. Although Edsel had previously introduced his father to the concept of the assembly line, which was already in use at Ford for truck production, other automakers had only partially adopted this innovation and had not significantly reduced their prices due to different market positioning.
Seeing his son's surprised expression, Henry continued, "According to our agreement with Volkswagen, we'll have to cede the European market to them for now." Ford's current production capacity was limited, and without established sales channels in Europe, Henry felt compelled to honor the agreement, despite Europe's lucrative market potential.
Edsel understood the implications well. The backing of a European royal family behind Volkswagen meant that any breach of contract could severely damage Ford's reputation. Upholding integrity was paramount, even if it meant missing out on substantial profits.
"Father, let's announce the launch of the new Model T in Romania," Edsel suggested, knowing full well the strategic importance of maintaining a good reputation. Henry nodded in agreement, "Go ahead and send a telegram. And make sure to get the newspapers involved too."
Following the telegram to Romania, the news reached Edel, the crown prince, who empathized with Ford's predicament. The next day, Edsel received a response; Volkswagen was highly interested in the Model T.
Half a month later, the Ford Model T was officially launched in the United States to overwhelming public acclaim. Priced at $800, the vehicle was irresistibly affordable, and the initial batch of 5,000 units quickly sold out. This success thrilled Henry, prompting him to expand the factory and hire more workers to increase Model T production. Other automakers were left with no choice but to focus on high-end vehicles or to follow Ford's lead by adopting mass production techniques.
News of the Ford Model T spread rapidly across the United States, with reports consistently highlighting Ford's commitment to integrity by licensing the European market to Volkswagen as per their agreement.
Meanwhile, in Europe, Edel received the updates and recognized Ford's strategy to bolster its reputation. With the first European-produced Model T rolling off the assembly line, it was clear that the impact of this innovative vehicle would soon be felt by automakers across the continent.