The Armaments King of the 20th Century

The Russian czar spent the early years of the 20th century signing loan after loan with the French government to pay for his military buildup. The fact that Russia accrues hundreds of millions of dollars in debt to France would prove really key to the start of the First World War. Basil Zaharoff's firms wound up winning the lion's share of the Tsarist business and training Basel as the most successful arms dealer on the planet.