Chapter 316: The French Response
On March 26, 1861, the Austrian navy set sail from the Port of Venice to embark on a global voyage, with its first stop being the Ottoman Empire.
Unfortunately, the Ottoman government had relocated to an inland region, otherwise they could have experienced some pressure. Nonetheless, even with the capital moved, the Ottoman government was greatly shaken.
Seven ironclad warships plus a dozen auxiliary naval vessels formed the worlds most powerful fleet, which wind-powered sailing ships could not compare to.
This time, Franz had no intention of overdoing it; having frightened the Ottoman government, they made a brief visit to the Mediterranean countries before heading straight for Asia.
Paris
Stimulated by the situation, Napoleon III announced at a government meeting, We must build a larger ironclad fleet to show the world the power of France.
Napoleon III could not help but react strongly. It was fine that the French navy was inferior to the British because he could console himself with the fact that Britain was purely a naval power, while France was both a naval and land power. But he could not tolerate being weaker than the Austrians.
Currently, the advantage of the French navy over the Austrian navy was only in terms of tonnage and combat experience.
Unfortunately, much of this experience was stuck in the era of sailing ships, and many things became obsolete with the advent of ironclads, including changes in tactical concepts. Even with several times the tonnage, sailing ships couldnt defeat ironclads.
There was no way around it; the cannons on sailing ships were designed to deal with other sailing ships, and suddenly facing ironclad ships rendered them insufficient.
The Minister of the Navy, Ducos, confidently replied, Your Majesty, please rest assured. We have already begun building an ironclad fleet. Currently, two ironclad ships are in service, and by the end of the year, three more will be in service.
The Navy Department plans to construct ten ironclad ships, and they can all be completed within two years at most, letting the world know of our strength.
The technical hurdles had been overcome, and building ironclads was no longer an issue. This was the speed of shipbuilding in peacetime if rushed, a single warship could be built in a matter of months.
During this period, the tonnage of ironclad ships had not yet skyrocketed. The largest were only 8,000-9,000 tons, while the smallest were only 2,000-3,000 tons. No major changes to the docks were needed; they could basically handle the shipbuilding demand as is.
Napoleon III expressed his satisfaction, saying, Excellent!
While they couldnt claim the title of the worlds greatest navy, they couldnt afford to lose their status as the worlds second-greatest navy. The French still had to save some face.
Currently, both the French Army and Navy rank second in international military power rankings, with Austria closely following in third place for both land and sea forces. The apparent military strength of the two countries appears to be very close.
Before the era of ironclads, Austrias naval power hovered around sixth, seventh, or eighth place. With the advent of ironclads, however, Austria suddenly surged ahead, surpassing Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, and even the United States.
Today, many people believe that the Austrian navy can rival the French navy. This idea has gained considerable ground, especially in the Mediterranean. Napoleon III also felt uncertain in his heart.
In terms of naval tonnage, the Austrian Navy is nearly seventy percent the size of the French Navy. Considering the combat effectiveness of ironclad ships, this argument is quite convincing.
As a result, the French Navy Ministry has announced its long-planned shipbuilding program. Once these warships are commissioned, the naval strengths of the two countries will once again diverge.
As for Spain, the Netherlands, and Portugal, they have fallen behind at this point and lack the capacity to participate in this naval competition.
After a brief pause, Minister of the Navy Ducos added, Your Majesty, our navy budget is insufficient. To build so many ironclad ships, the government needs to allocate additional funds.
Obviously, the French Navys intention to have Napoleon III personally inspect the Austrian Navys fleet was not without purpose. While it may seem that the French navy has lost face, its actually about securing funds for shipbuilding.
Ignoring the Navy Ministrys machinations, Napoleon III inquired, How much more is needed?
Navy Minister Ducos solemnly replied, We need at least another 120 million francs to complete the plan.
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The cost of shipbuilding alone is certainly not that high. It also includes basic training, personnel allocation, research and development of new technologies...
The funds allocated are primarily for initial costs, and once construction is complete, the Navys future maintenance costs will also increase. In other words, naval expenditures will increase.
Before Napoleon III could respond, Finance Minister Monnier eagerly interjected, No, this wont do. Youre asking for an exorbitant sum. How much does it cost to build a single ironclad ship? It couldnt possibly require 120 million francs. At most, it wouldnt exceed 80 million francs, and with careful spending, 70 million francs might even suffice.
The fiscal revenue of the French Empire now stood at a staggering 172 million francs (equivalent to about 68.8 million pounds), giving the French a sense of confidence. By comparison, the British fiscal revenue for the same period was only 70 million pounds.
(Authors Note: I checked the statistical tables, it seems they only counted domestic revenue)
However, no matter how high the fiscal revenue, there never seems to be enough money. The Ministry of Finance still needs to cut costs and decisively combat such excessive demands.
Minister of the Navy, Ducos, solemnly explained, Count, how can we possibly cut costs? The reason we lagged behind the Austrians in entering the era of ironclad ships is primarily due to insufficient military funding.
If we cut the budget now, how can we develop new technologies? Ironclad ships are different from traditional sailing warships. After they enter service, our sailors need to undergo retraining to operate them proficiently, which incurs additional expenses.
Moreover, ironclad ships have much larger tonnages than sailing warships. Many of our existing military ports need to be renovated, which also requires funds.
Count Monnier, the Finance Minister, remained unconvinced: Dont speak nonsense. Apart from research and application of new technologies, other projects receive annual allocations. Dont expect to duplicate budget requests.
Even if the Ministry of Finance allocates funds to you, you wont pass the governments future audits. Its better to redo a detailed budget, and then we can discuss the issue of funding again.
This statement showed great political cunning. While it was certain that ships would be built as Napoleon III had willed, the shipbuilding funds would still be squeezed, otherwise how could the Finance Ministry show its diligence and responsibility?
Although it was clear that the argument between the two was more for show than anything else, Napoleon III watched the spectacle nonchalantly. Clearly, this Emperor was still skilled in the art of political maneuvering.
If the subordinates were to band together, the emperors days would not be easy. Even if he knew this kind of minor conflict was just routine, over time the contradictions would still deepen in peoples hearts.
The Ministry of Finance wields considerable power, as all departments need their funding allocations. Offending the god of wealth is not an option. If there were no conflicts and the Ministry of Finance was allowed to offer everyone favors, the Emperor would lose sleep.
As if seeing the right timing, Napoleon III interrupted the two mens argument: Enough, if you want to quarrel, go back to your own offices and quarrel slowly, dont affect my mood. I recall that the United States seems to be on the brink of division. How did the Foreign Ministry respond?
Foreign Minister Auvergne replied, Your Majesty, our envoy in Washington has reported that we have reached an agreement with Great Britain, Spain, and Austria to maintain unity in our approach to American affairs.
We have convinced the Southern government to agree to abolish slavery, and the four nations have officially recognized the legitimacy of the Southern government. We are currently lobbying for more slave states to join the Southern government.
If all goes well, the United States should split this time. If we are lucky, it may present an opportunity for us to return to North America.
Napoleon III asked, puzzled, If the Southern government is willing to abolish slavery, then why are they seeking independence? Havent the Northern government made any concessions?
Foreign Minister Auvergne explained, Your Majesty, the main conflict between the North and the South is still tariffs. In recent years, the population of the Northern states has grown rapidly, while the population growth in the South has been slow, widening the gap in strength between the two sides.
The current Northern government in the United States represents the interests of the capitalists, and their promises are fundamentally unreliable. If the Southern states do not take action, their interests will gradually be encroached upon.
After the Southern states declared independence, the neutral faction proposed adding another slave state to balance the difference in strength, but this was rejected by the Northern government.
Some have also proposed a dual tariff system, with trade barriers and higher tariff rates in the Northern states, while the Southern states implement free trade and lower tariff rates.
The person who made this proposal now has grass growing on their grave. The capitalists refused to compromise on this issue, as they wanted to gain cheap industrial raw materials and markets.
Napoleon III nodded, this explanation made more sense. There is no love or hate in the world without cause. If there were no interests involved, could capitalists be expected to fight an internal war for the benefit of black slaves?
If they were so saintly, why wouldnt they treat workers better? They treated their own kind like this, let alone slaves.
So, you mean, the Austrian navys global voyage this time is also aimed at the Americans?
Clearly, Napoleon IIIs political insight was astute; he immediately discerned Franzs true intentions.
Under normal circumstances, even if they wanted to conduct exchange visits, they would not dispatch such a large force. Naval voyages were also very expensive.
There should be factors like that. Theres also the fact that the Austrian government is preparing to establish prestige. In recent years, Austrians have been frequently establishing colonies overseas and have encountered many troubles; they may aim to resolve some of them during this visit, Foreign Minister Auvergne replied.
After a moment of contemplation, Napoleon III made a decision: We cannot remain idle either. In recent years, our overseas expansion has been somewhat slow. This American Civil War is an opportunity, even the Austrians want to fish in troubled waters.
If we miss the chance again, we will truly fall behind. Quickly come up with a plan. France must have a stake in the interests of the Americas.
In reality, the pace of French overseas expansion was not slow at all. It was just that in the past two years, the strategic focus had been on the Kingdom of Sardinia, which had slowed down the pace.
This slowness was only relative. Apart from Austria, currently, the French were expanding most rapidly on the African continent.
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