Chapter 1033: The Restless United States
Lavalette was still adjusting to the Crown Prince’s erratic leaps of logic. He paused for a moment, looking troubled. "Your Highness, the British investment funds have already completed the approval process. We won’t have another round for six months."
"Isn’t there still the parliamentary audit?" Joseph asked. "Have the MPs reject a few to free up 800,000 in capital."
"That... but their parliamentary audit is a mere formality. Once the management committee passes something, the parliament almost always signs off on it."
"Spread some money around. They’ll find a way."
Lavalette looked even more distressed. "Your Highness, this involves over a dozen people, and they are all prominent officials. Even if we offer money, I fear they won’t dare to take it."
With such a large sum and so many people involved, accepting bribes would almost certainly lead to leaks. Unless one had leverage over all dozen officials simultaneously—which was clearly impossible—it was a non-starter.
Joseph smiled. While the bureaucrats of this era had massive appetites and black hearts, their "technique" really couldn't compare to their counterparts in the future.
He immediately gave Lavalette a set of instructions. The latter’s eyes widened in shock, his mind racing with a single thought: 'Can you really do that?!'
Joseph glanced at him and remarked half-jokingly, "Don’t you go trying that method yourself. I mentioned it to Monsieur Marat years ago."
Joseph laughed and patted him on the shoulder. "Relax. Where is your sense of humor?"
As they spoke, they saw Berthier and Archbishop Talleyrand walking quickly toward them.
The two approached and bowed in turn before Talleyrand spoke first. "Your Highness, Madrid is facing some trouble."
The Chief of Staff followed up immediately. "The Count of Aranda is requesting to delay the reinforcement plan by at least three months."
Joseph’s brow furrowed. "What happened?"
According to the Franco-Spanish joint operational plan, reinforcements were supposed to be deployed gradually after this year’s spring planting. The goal was to reach a force of 75,000 Spanish troops and 8,000 French troops on the Coimbra front.
This was a countermeasure against the continuous arrival of British expeditionary forces in Portugal.
Currently, the British-Portuguese Allied Forces in Coimbra had reached 45,000 men and were expected to eventually exceed 60,000.
Once Wellesley finished building his network of bastions around Coimbra—just as he had done in Porto—he would have a secure base from which to launch raids everywhere.
Therefore, the Franco-Spanish forces had to maintain a sufficient numerical advantage before that happened. Otherwise, given the Spanish army’s combat effectiveness, localized collapses were a real possibility.
Talleyrand explained hurriedly, "Your Highness, approximately 2,000 American militia are massing on the lower Mississippi River and threatening to launch an attack on New Orleans.
"The Count of Aranda wants to divert the troops originally destined for Coimbra to North America instead."
Joseph’s gaze grew cold. The Americans were as restless as ever. And the timing was so precise that it was impossible to believe it wasn't intentional.
Then again, it was already 1795. It was indeed the time when the United States began accelerating its westward expansion.
Talleyrand then detailed the recent situation in North America. Joseph learned that just three months ago, 2,000 American troops under the command of Anthony Wayne had wiped out the Indian confederacy led by Little Turtle at the Maumee River in northwestern Ohio.
Subsequently, the American government pursued the fleeing Indian tribes along the Mississippi River, following them all the way down to the Spanish outposts.
The Spaniards, following a secret treaty with the Indians, had granted them sanctuary. Little Turtle’s Indian alliance had originally been established with Spanish financial support.
After the Americans failed to demand the surrender of the Indians from Spain, they decided to simply resolve the issue of navigation rights on the Mississippi once and for all.
The Mississippi was a massive river running north to south, with its mouth located at the Port of New Orleans on the western edge of Florida.
Because American infrastructure was extremely poor, this river was the economic lifeline for all of America’s western territories. It was also a major barrier on the path of westward expansion.
The American government had begun encroaching on Indian tribes along the Mississippi years ago, while simultaneously plotting to seize Louisiana on the west bank of the river.
At the moment, that land was a Spanish colony.
However, the Spanish Empire was in its twilight. In all of Louisiana, there were fewer than 14,000 colonists—and that wasn't just soldiers, but the entire population including men, women, and children.
In addition, there were 20,000 black slaves and about three to four thousand people of mixed descent.
The Spanish garrison in Louisiana rarely exceeded 1,000 soldiers. Facing the aggressive Americans, they could do little but hunker down in their outposts and defend.
To prevent the Americans from getting their hands on Louisiana, Spain maintained a tight grip on navigation rights for the Mississippi, restricting American merchant ships from using the Port of New Orleans to reach the sea.
While this slowed the development of American towns along the river, it left the Americans deeply resentful.
Thus, the Americans were using the recent conflict with the Indians as a pretext to move against New Orleans.
Joseph vaguely recalled that in history, it was around the end of this year that Spain succumbed to American pressure and signed the Treaty of San Lorenzo. They ceded northern Florida colonies to the United States and guaranteed free navigation of the Mississippi and the right of deposit at the Port of New Orleans.
From then on, American development along the Mississippi accelerated rapidly. Within a few years, neither Spain nor Napoleon would have the power to stop the United States from occupying Louisiana.
"We must stop American expansion on the Mississippi," Joseph said in a low voice.
He knew very well what kind of monster the United States would grow into if it weren't kept firmly in its cradle.
Furthermore, the Americans were constantly exchanging secret glances with the British, coordinating with Britain’s European strategy. Just as they were doing now, they had successfully hampered the Franco-Spanish deployment in Coimbra.
The children of North America seemed to have forgotten who their true founding father was. It was time to give them a reminder.
Talleyrand looked quite excited upon hearing this. "Your Highness, do you mean we should intervene in North America?
"This is indeed a fine opportunity to reclaim Louisiana."
Indeed, Louisiana had originally been a French colony. France had gifted it to Spain during the Seven Years' War to secure their alliance.
"It’s not about taking it back," Joseph corrected him. "It’s about waiting for Madrid to beg us to take it off their hands."
He turned back to Berthier. "Please inform the Count of Aranda to send the troops to Coimbra as scheduled. I will handle the matter in North America for him."
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