MINISTERIAL APPROVAL ALLOWS CONSTRUCTION TO BEGIN:
The last 30 years of the 19th century was the greatest period of railway construction in Russia and the building of the Trans-Siberian can be considered the peak of this period. Four factors influenced the decision to construct the railway: furs, mineral riches, competing interests with Japan for expanding [L3 202 / spheres of interest] in Korea and Manchuria, and British resistance to Russian expansion southwards from Central Asia.
The natural choice for the Trans-Siberian route was the Great Siberian Post Road. With the immensity of the construction project, it was decided to divide the route into several sections and commence work on them simultaneously. Fundamental to the exploitation of Siberia's resources, the railway was an [L3 203 / economic boon]. West Siberia had great economic potential which paid for the railway's construction, but the eastern section was rugged, unproductive terrain. Nevertheless, the strategic importance of Eastern Siberia was considered worth the cost of the railway's construction.
