The Crown Prince of France - Chapter 20

Chapter 20: The Budget Proposal

Castries’s face turned green as he glared, exclaiming, “Your Highness, how can you say such a thing? The fleet is France’s sharpest spear and absolutely cannot be—”

Joseph calmly looked at him. “Marquis Castries, may I ask, while we construct one warship, how many can the British build?”

“Well…” Castries faltered, “About one and a half…”

Seeing the Crown Prince’s silent smile, he grew more irritated. “Two ships. The British indeed launch new vessels at an alarming pace, even more than two at times!”

Joseph nodded. “So, no matter how hard we try, we cannot outpace the British Navy.”

He had voiced what everyone in the room already knew but dared not openly admit. The room fell into dead silence.

Joseph continued, “If that is the case, why waste vast resources on shipbuilding? For escorting merchant ships, the current fleet suffices.”

He was well aware of the fleet’s importance and did not oppose naval expansion. What he objected to was continuing to pour funds into large but obsolete sailing warships.

Britain’s advantages in shipbuilding were immense: abundant shipyards, skilled craftsmen, and ample funding. Moreover, as an island nation, Britain could redirect resources from the army to the navy—a luxury France could not afford.

In a pure numbers game, France was destined to lose. The Battle of Trafalgar over a decade later would prove this point. Despite France exhausting its resources to build warships and allying with Spain and the Netherlands, the British Navy still crushed them beneath the waves.

The defeat led to Britain fully blockading France’s maritime trade routes, marking the beginning of Napoleon’s decline, while Britain emerged as the “Empire on which the sun never sets.”

Thus, there was only one way out: abandon the popular multi-decked sailing warships and leverage advanced knowledge from his mind to directly develop ironclad ships, equipped with steam engines and superior artillery, delivering a decisive blow to British ships.

However, such plans could not be revealed at a cabinet meeting—especially with the Duke of Orléans likely to leak the information.

“But…” Castries knew the Crown Prince was resorting to sophistry, yet he couldn’t find a counterargument. He only worried that the Queen might actually heed Joseph’s advice and cut funding for all new ships.

Bishop Brienne cast Joseph an approving glance. This young man knew how to negotiate! Moreover, he had just assumed his position and was already helping to advance the fiscal reduction agenda. Perhaps he could become a valuable ally.

Clearing his throat, Brienne pretended to deliberate. “Your Highness, while our finances are indeed strained, we cannot abandon naval development entirely. Cutting one battleship is already the limit.”

Count Morneau also added his advice. “Our overseas colonies require ships for oversight. Without them, the rebels there will undoubtedly cause frequent disturbances.”

Finally, Queen Marie Antoinette made the decision. “Joseph, while reducing expenditures is necessary, we cannot go too far. Marquis Castries, for now, follow Bishop Brienne’s plan: cut one battleship and two second-rate ships. However, I expect you to scrutinize the construction of all other new ships to eliminate waste.”

Castries, whose new fleet plans had narrowly escaped complete eradication, weakly nodded. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

Inwardly, he sighed: the Crown Prince is still too young to grasp the navy’s significance to the nation. He only focuses on reducing expenses. I must engage with him more in the future to shift his perspective.

Brienne, having resolved the naval impasse, felt considerably relieved and proceeded to announce the next budget reduction proposal. “Regarding the situation in the Netherlands, I believe you are all aware that the Patriot Party resisted for less than a month before being utterly defeated by the Prussians. Given this, I propose halting our aid to the Dutch Patriots, saving the treasury 250,000 livres per month.”

Joseph frowned slightly, recalling the details of the Dutch Patriot movement.

This rebellion, initiated by Dutch bourgeoisie and citizens, aimed to overthrow William V. With French assistance, they succeeded in driving him out of the Netherlands and establishing the States General.

Later, through the machinations of William V’s wife, Princess Wilhelmina of Prussia, the Prussians intervened militarily, crushing the Patriots and restoring William V. France’s earlier investments had gone entirely to waste.

The cabinet ministers largely agreed to abandon the Dutch insurgents. After all, with 20,000 Prussian regulars already in the Netherlands, the Patriots’ meager forces stood no chance. It was best to cut losses early.

Queen Marie surveyed the room. “Does anyone have any other opinions?”

“I believe…” Joseph rose to his feet.

The Minister of War, Saint-Priest, had hoped to argue further, given the significant investment in the Netherlands. Seeing the Crown Prince rise, his heart sank. Judging by Joseph’s earlier proposal to cut all new warships, he likely leaned toward an anti-war stance. With the Queen’s favoritism, Dutch support was as good as dead.

Joseph declared boldly, “Your Majesty, I believe we should not only continue aiding the Patriots but increase our support. We must even signal our willingness to confront Prussia militarily. We cannot let the Patriots collapse!”

“Oh?” The Queen was visibly surprised. “Explain your reasoning.”

“First, the Netherlands controls the Rhine River’s outlet. If we can secure it, we gain significant leverage against Prussia.

“Second, the Netherlands is commercially prosperous. By incorporating it into our sphere of influence, trade alone will recoup our investment.

“Finally, in the inevitable future war with Prussia, the Netherlands can tie down significant Prussian forces on the western front.”

“If we allow Prussia to dominate the Netherlands, all these advantages will turn to their favor!”

Joseph omitted two additional considerations.

First, the Netherlands had substantial coal and iron reserves. With the Industrial Revolution underway, controlling these resources would offer a critical edge.

Second, the Patriot Party was adept at inciting unrest. If expelled from the Netherlands, they would inevitably flood into France. Historically, they played a significant role in fueling chaos during the French Revolution.

As Joseph finished, the cabinet ministers exchanged uneasy glances.

The Crown Prince’s arguments were undeniably logical, but his earlier opposition to shipbuilding contrasted sharply with his support for aiding the Dutch. His remark about an inevitable war with Prussia unsettled them further, stirring fears of a far more dire possibility.

Brienne broke the silence. “Your Highness, our finances simply cannot accommodate additional aid to the Dutch.”

Joseph responded, “Didn’t we just save funds by cutting warships? Allocate some of that to the Patriots.”

The Navy Minister Castries nearly burst into tears. Thank you so much, Your Highness.

The Minister of War, however, was overjoyed, overwhelmed with gratitude for the Crown Prince.

“This…” Brienne hesitated, inwardly relieved that financial decisions still rested in his hands.

Queen Marie intervened to ease the tension. “Joseph, your arguments are compelling. However, even with increased aid, the Patriots are unlikely to withstand the Prussian army.”

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