Editing The House of Rothschild (section)

==Plot==
In 1780 in [[Frankfurt]] youngster [[Nathan Mayer Rothschild|Nathan Rothschild]] warns his parents [[Mayer Amschel Rothschild|Mayer]] and Guttle that the taxman is coming. They hurriedly hide their wealth. The taxman demands 20,000 [[South German gulden|gulden]], an exorbitant sum, but accepts a bribe of 5,000 in exchange for assessing them 2,000 in taxes. Mayer's satisfaction is short-lived, however; a courier bringing him 10,000 guldens is intercepted and the money confiscated by the taxmen. Mayer tells his sons that he tries to be as honest as possible, but the authorities will not let him; he admonishes his children to acquire money, for "money is power" and can protect their people.

Later, as Mayer is lying on his deathbed, he instructs his five sons to start banks in different countries across Europe: [[Amschel Mayer Rothschild|Amschel]] in [[Frankfurt am Main]], [[Salomon Mayer von Rothschild|Salomon]] in Vienna, Nathan in London, [[Carl Mayer von Rothschild|Carl]] in Naples, and [[James Mayer de Rothschild|James]] in Paris. That way, they can avoid having to send gold back and forth when the need arises, for in war they are in danger of being robbed by the enemy and in peace by their own countrymen. Instead, they can draw on each other's banks.

Thirty-two years later, the sons have established banking houses. Then France overruns Europe in the [[Napoleonic Wars]]. Austrian Prince [[Klemens von Metternich|Metternich]] asks Salomon to raise 15 million [[florin]]s to help defeat [[Napoleon]]. The other brothers are approached with similar requests. Even in France itself, [[Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord|Talleyrand]] asks for 50 million [[franc]]s. Nathan refuses to loan the British Government five million pounds (on top of previous loans) to hold off the enemy, but offers the [[Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington|Duke of Wellington]] twice that amount to smash him.

After the war is won, Wellington is disappointed to find that Nathan Rothschild has not even been invited to a party in the duke's honour. He insists on going to see Nathan. His aide, Captain Fitzroy, knows the address, as he and Nathan's daughter Julie are in love. While there, Wellington tells Nathan that the victorious powers are going to make a very large loan to France to help it recover from the war. The winning underwriter will become the most powerful and prestigious bank in Europe.

Nathan's bid is the best, but is rejected primarily in favor of [[Barings Bank]]. When Nathan demands to know the reason, Prussian Count Ledrantz (despite having himself sought a war loan from the Rothschilds) explains it was discarded on a "technicality", because Nathan is a Jew. Nathan learns that the quarter of the loan not awarded to Barings will fall to Ledrantz, Metternich and Talleyrand, who stand to make enormous profits. Nathan outmanoeuvres them financially, bringing them to the brink of ruin and dishonour; they capitulate and surrender to him the entire loan. However, this has somewhat embittered him. Where once he accepted Julie's choice, he now tells the non-Jewish Fitzroy to stay away from her.

Anti-Jewish riots break out all over Germany, instigated by Ledrantz. Nathan returns to Frankfurt and, under pressure from his own people, agrees to submit to Ledrantz. However, before he can, he receives word that [[Hundred Days|Napoleon has escaped from exile]]. Nathan's brothers, fearful of their positions, want to support the restored French Emperor. However, Nathan refuses to do so. With Ledrantz and others once again desperately in need of financial support, he extracts a treaty from them granting Jews rights, freedoms and dignity long denied them. He also tells Fitzroy that he can once again see Julie. With Napoleon seemingly invincible, Nathan determines to risk all in support of the allies. Just before he is bankrupted, he receives word that Wellington has won the [[Battle of Waterloo]], and he is not only saved, he becomes the richest man in the world and a baron.