Albert I did not get one thing right.
The reason Shire appeared distant was because he considered one point:
It was important not to push the Allies into a corner too early; otherwise, once the war ended, Shire would have no leverage against the domestic capitalists and legislators.
The extinction of Romania served as a good buffer. Her oil fields, grain, and their similar rifles and ammunition to Austria-Hungary could provide the Allies with some respite.
Now.
Another interest lay before Shire: the Ploiesti Oil Field, a 50% stake.
If it were merely a matter of wealth, Shire would not be tempted.
But he knew that oil was more than just oil.
Europe had two major oil-producing regions, the first being Russia, the second Romania.
Russian oil had little relevance to other European countries; the only oil worth seizing was Romania's.
In other words, if Shire could control Romania's oil fields, he could strangle the future.
