Hi Albert, I have a new theory. Tsar Ferdinand cancelled a contract with DWM because of the incident described below (thank you Wikipedia). DWM, stuck with several hundred partially finished Bulgarian Lugers, applied the now famous Mosin-Nagant chamber decoration, and offered them for sale on the Russian civilian market. Rather a neat theory, don't you think? Best regards, Norm
Ferdinand was known for being quite a character. On a visit to German Emperor Wilhelm II, his second cousin once removed, in 1909, Ferdinand was leaning out of a window of the New Palace in Potsdam when the Emperor came up behind him and slapped him on the bottom. Ferdinand was affronted by the gesture and the Emperor apologised. Ferdinand however exacted his revenge by awarding a valuable arms contract he had intended to give to the Krupp's factory in Essen to French arms manufacturer Schneider-Cruseot.[9]
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