Chapter 1000: William Pitt Junior's Reforms
William Pitt Junior frowned instantly.
Ninety thousand pounds sterling a month might not seem like much on the surface, but he was acutely aware that Parliament had previously allocated three hundred and eighty thousand pounds for the construction of fortifications in Portugal. Of that, one hundred and sixty thousand pounds had been spent solely on the procurement of cannons. Furthermore, another two hundred and seventy thousand pounds was spent annually to train the Portuguese army and fund local guerrilla forces.
In other words, the Portuguese theater was devouring 1.73 million pounds of British funds every year!
He turned his gaze toward Lord Grenville and remarked, "It seems we must do something to ensure our balance of payments remains stable."
"That is precisely what I wish to discuss today." The latter nodded, then produced a report and gave it a slight wave. "Sir John Shore submitted a plan to me last month."
He was referring to John Shore, the current Governor-General of the British East India Company.
Grenville flipped open the document in his hand. "Sir John mentions that after their defeat, the Dutch recalled a massive portion of their forces to their mainland. Currently, the Cape is garrisoned by fewer than seven hundred soldiers, and their morale is abysmal.
"He believes that by merely dispatching a small contingent of Marines, we could seize the territory in short order."
The Cape was Cape Town, the core port of the Cape of Good Hope.
The Cape of Good Hope was a Dutch colony. It served as the primary transit hub for maritime trade between Europe and Asia; the revenue generated simply by selling supplies to passing merchant ships brought in a literal mountain of gold coins every year.
Furthermore, South Africa itself was incredibly rich in resources—its fertile soil produced an abundance of grapes, wheat, and wool. Meanwhile, African hunters provided a steady stream of hides and ivory.
Additionally, there were several small-scale gold mines. While their output was not massive, they still yielded between three hundred thousand and four hundred thousand pounds worth of gold annually.
If they occupied this region, the Imperial Treasury would see an increase in revenue of at least two to three million pounds per year.
However, the drawbacks were equally significant.
Doing so would mean completely alienating the Dutch.
Although the Netherlands had been forced to abolish the Anglo-Dutch Alliance following their defeat, they still maintained a policy of balancing between Britain and France. At the very least, British naval ports in the Netherlands were still operating normally.
If Britain sent troops to occupy the Cape of Good Hope, the Netherlands would likely throw themselves entirely into the arms of France.
And Britain had been doing everything in its power to prevent the ports of the western Netherlands from becoming a springboard for the French fleet to attack the British Isles—a warship departing from there could reach any point on the eastern coast of Britain in just a few days.
At the same time, the Netherlands still possessed a fleet of considerable size, likely second only to the navies of Britain, France, and Spain within Europe. The Russian Navy was rarely a factor in European waters, so it was usually excluded from the comparison.
William Pitt Junior felt the eyes of those around him drifting toward him once more. He let out a soft sigh and nodded.
"It is a fine opportunity. I believe we should secure control over the Cape of Good Hope."
With that single sentence, the future fate of South Africa was effectively sealed.
Indeed, while Grenville was a man of great capability, his strengths lay in diplomatic maneuvering, negotiation, and the exchange of interests. He knew perfectly well that when it came to major strategic decisions, Pitt was the sharpest mind in all of Britain.
Fox, who was accustomed to finding trouble for Pitt in Parliament, asked almost reflexively, "What if the Dutch seek retribution?"
Pitt replied instantly, "Use their unauthorized withdrawal from the Anglo-Dutch Alliance as a pretext. Seize their merchant ships and blockade the shipping lanes from Indonesia to Europe. Force them to relinquish the Cape of Good Hope and sign an agreement promising not to align with France."
Indonesia and the Moluccas were the most vital overseas colonies for the Netherlands; one could say they were the lifeblood of the Dutch economy.
If Britain severed the connection between those colonies and the Dutch mainland, the Dutch government would fall into an immediate panic.
Given the current state of the Netherlands, they lacked the strength to resist the British Navy. Ultimately, they would have no choice but to accept British terms.
Pitt continued, "In fact, once we control the Cape of Good Hope, the Dutch will most likely make a pragmatic choice."
The Cape of Good Hope sat right on the throat of the trade route between Europe and Asia. If the Dutch wanted to maintain their connection with Asia, they would not dare to be too aggressive toward Britain.
Lord Grenville looked around at the assembled men and nodded. "Then it is decided. Let us begin discussing the specific details."
Two hours later, the meeting concluded.
The British Cabinet decided that the East India Company would dispatch troops to occupy the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa, while Foreign Secretary Fox would travel to Amsterdam to negotiate with the Dutch government.
On another front, Wellesley's request was granted, increasing the strength of the Portuguese Expeditionary Force to thirty-five thousand men. The thirty thousand new troops he had trained would all be landed on the Iberian Peninsula.
As the other ministers departed one by one, Pitt returned to the room.
Grenville smiled and pulled out a chair for him. "It seems you still have something important on your mind."
"I do." Pitt nodded, pausing for a few seconds before saying in a low voice, "I am sorry that you inherited such a mess from me."
"Everyone knows it was not your fault. And the situation is not truly that dire..."
"No, you know as well as I do that it has become very dire indeed."
Grenville lowered his gaze and did not reply.
Pitt said solemnly, "We must admit that the French have done remarkably well.
"A few years ago, they were in total chaos. But their royal family quickly reined in the ambitions of the nobility, then initiated financial and tax reforms, and abolished internal market barriers. Their fiscal situation improved drastically.
"Then they abolished the land privileges of the aristocracy and poured massive amounts of capital into industrial development.
"Just a few years ago, their entire national textile industry combined couldn't match Manchester alone. Now, textiles from Lyon are competing fiercely with us in every market.
"Their steam engines are being sold to every country in Europe; even our own factories are using smuggled French steam engines.
"Their steamships have seized nearly half of all inland river transport in Europe.
"Their cosmetics are painted onto the faces of every noblewoman in London. Parliament is even considering a specific tariff exemption for those goods!
"There are now five French cities equipped with gas streetlights, while London lost over a million pounds trying to implement the same thing...
"And then there is the damned sugar. We are now spending millions of pounds every year at the Paris Futures Exchange..."
Lord Grenville caught the gap as Pitt took a breath and raised a hand. "I know you didn't come here just to complain. So, what is it you actually want to say?"
Pitt stared at him intently and declared, "We must undergo a transformation. Otherwise, we will eventually be defeated in our competition with France!"
"A transformation?" Grenville nodded instinctively. "Yes, we do need to make some changes."
Pitt's voice suddenly rose in volume. "No, you don't understand. What Britain needs now is not some superficial adjustment. I am talking about a transformation significant enough to surpass the French—a total revolution!"
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