Life of Being a Crown Prince in France-Chapter 721 - 629: Trade War and Deterrence
Chapter 721: Chapter 629: Trade War and Deterrence
(Sorry for the incomplete ending. Please wait 10 more minutes for the rest. Apologies in advance.)
The day after Talleyrand attended Potemkin’s funeral in Russia.
The second floor of the Tuileries Palace.
Joseph frowned as he looked at the solemn expressions of Brienne and Mirabeau, finally fixing his gaze on Trade Minister Bailly. “So, which countries support Salzburg’s proposal?”
Bailly took a deep breath and said, “Currently, aside from Baden, which has sent envoys to consult us and has yet to take a position, all other treaty nations agree to hold a vote on England’s inclusion in the Rhine-Saone Treaty.”
Brienne immediately added, “England has absolutely no need to join the trade agreements between France and Germany. Clearly, this is someone manipulating things behind the scenes.”
*Given England’s vast colonies and industrial capacity, why would they willingly open their markets to these small Southern German states? Out of goodwill? Out of altruism?*
Bailly nodded. “I judge that the Southern German nations intend to negotiate other conditions during the talks. In truth, Bavaria and Salzburg have requested multiple times to renegotiate tariff rates, only for us to reject them each time.”
Mirabeau said, “Your Highness, recently, Southern German states have witnessed massive protests from factory owners. Most of the protests are targeted against our competition.
“Over the past two years, under the pressure of our products, they’ve been losing their markets at an alarming rate.”
Bailly expressed his concerns. “At the current trend, if a vote is held, the nations in favor of England joining will likely make up an overwhelming majority.”
The room fell silent for a moment. Brienne hesitated before suggesting, “Your Highness, perhaps we might consider negotiating in advance with Austria and Bavaria, agreeing to let them slightly increase tariffs.
“If both these nations oppose, England’s attempt to join the trade agreement will certainly fail.”
After all, the Southern German states essentially follow Austria’s lead, and Bavaria is the second-largest power in the region.
Joseph shook his head as he contemplated. “Archbishop Brienne, what tariff increase do you think would suffice to achieve their desired trade framework?”
Brienne turned his gaze toward Bailly.
The latter hurriedly replied, “Your Highness, I’ve estimated that Austria would need to raise tariffs by at least 40% in our dominant industries and about 15% in others just to feel marginally satisfied. As for other countries, they would require even higher rates.”
Joseph chuckled. “That would be higher than the tariffs we had before signing the Rhine-Saone Treaty.
“Currently, our industries are in a rapid development phase. If we were to suddenly lose access to the Southern German market, it would lead to waves of factory bankruptcies, potentially taking three to five years before regaining upward momentum.”
*This is the natural progression of economic development. The faster the growth, the greater the confidence of investors, driving large-scale loans to expand production.*
*If the market absorbs the output, profits can multiply several times; but if issues arise, goods will pile up, and the substantial investments will transform into staggering debts.*
Brienne sighed. “Your Highness, but it’s exceedingly difficult for us to…”
Joseph narrowed his eyes and said firmly, “When we signed the agreement, we offered them generous concessions.
“Through our dedicated development efforts, we gained a competitive edge in our products. Therefore, we absolutely should not compromise due to their lack of progress!”
*He had brought with him an abundance of advanced techniques from later centuries, along with concepts like standardized production.*
*Subsequent reforms in finance and taxation, the removal of domestic market barriers, and the construction of extensive rail networks contributed to this victory.*
*With such a comprehensive approach, how could Southern German states reliant on ‘natural evolution’ possibly compete with France?*
*Forget them—England itself had been surpassed by France in many aspects of industrial technology and domestic systems. Only its vast colonial markets allowed it to maintain an industrial advantage.*
Bailly gently reminded, “Your Highness, even if our nation resists, as long as the majority of treaty nations vote in favor, the British will still join the Rhine-Saone Treaty.”
Brienne exhaled heavily and remarked, “If that’s the case, then there’s only one option left—to use war to push them toward making the right decision.”
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Joseph immediately shook his head.
*France’s current development trajectory was strong, and engaging in war would undoubtedly disrupt this momentum.*
*Moreover, England’s eagerness to meddle in the trade disputes between France and Germany clearly indicated their desire to see France clash with Southern German states.*
The ministers exchanged bewildered glances.
Brienne hesitated and said, “Your Highness, at this moment we must choose between compromise and war…”
*Joseph, recalling the era of the 21st century when major nations avoided rushing into conflict, pondered how similar situations were dealt with.*
After a pause, he suddenly smiled. “Between compromise and war, there is indeed another approach. That is deterrence.”
“Deterrence?”
Joseph nodded and turned to Bailly. “Mr. Bailly, when is Salzburg proposing the vote?”
“Two months from now, Your Highness, in Munich,” Bailly replied.
Joseph thought for a moment and ordered, “Notify other nations that the vote will be held 20 days from now in Karlsruhe instead.”
Karlsruhe was the largest city in northern Baden, as well as the critical passage from eastern France to Southern Germany.
Although Bailly didn’t understand the Crown Prince’s intentions, he upheld his absolute trust in his ruler and promptly bowed, saying, “Understood, Your Highness. I must set out immediately to notify so many nations in time.”
Joseph added, “You must also conduct secret negotiations with Baden, Wurttemberg, Augsburg, and Hesse, offering them low-interest loans in exchange for their opposing votes on England’s proposal.”
————
In 1805, when the new war with Napoleon compelled Alexander to summon the talents of Kutuzov, the Tsar never truly held much fondness for his greatest general. Though he nominally granted Kutuzov command of the Russian Army, the Emperor insisted on making critical decisions personally—most notably the ill-fated battle against France at Austerlitz (near present-day Brno, Czech Republic) in December. Alexander was obsessed with matching Napoleon’s reputation as a military leader, which resulted in the death or injury of 10,000 Russian soldiers, with some regiments nearly wiped out entirely. This marked the most catastrophic defeat suffered by the Russian Army in decades, shattering its honor and prompting Alexander to quell the panic by ordering Kutuzov to fabricate a false report exaggerating French casualties by 9,000 while downplaying Russian losses.
The Russian Emperor had no intentions of accepting responsibility for the debacle—technically, it was Kutuzov who held command—but the punishment for the general, if any, was relatively mild: a demotion to the military governorship of Kyiv. Many among Russia’s elite viewed this appointment as a remarkable promotion.
