Chapter 1124: The Beast of Eastern Europe
Amschel stayed his younger brother's hand as he reached for the teapot, staring intently at him. "If Britain's military fortunes wane—as they did a few years ago—the paper currency they pay us will be worth no more than the leaves scattered on the ground, and our family will face ruin!"
Salomon used his other hand to pick up the teapot, filling a cup before handing the freshly brewed tea to his elder brother. "My dear brother, you must have faith in the British.
"They possess vast colonies in India and North America, and they command the lion's share of maritime trade. Even if they suffer a setback or two, they can recover their strength in an instant.
"Trust me, the ultimate outcome will be a British victory.
"Even if their armies find it difficult to crush the French on the battlefield, they can grind their opponents down through a war of attrition."
Amschel took the teacup but continued to shake his head. "I fear you are being far too optimistic. The British are in a very precarious position right now..."
Salomon poured a cup for himself and smiled. "Precarious? No. According to the information I have gathered, they are already preparing to strike back."
"Oh? Is that so?"
Salomon leaned forward, lowering his voice. "You perhaps haven't realized that the entire European continent is seething with resentment toward France.
"That is true," Amschel conceded with a nod. "And then there is the Netherlands; they lost a third of their territory."
Salomon took a sip of his tea and continued. "Even in the Italian regions, which seemingly joined the French common market, the people do not actually like the French.
"I was in Turin just two months ago. French goods are everywhere—from clothing to ironware, furniture to wine—while local workshops are collapsing, unable to compete with French imports.
"People are complaining that the French are taking all their money. If war breaks out between Britain and France, they will likely refuse to stand with the French.
"In my estimation, as long as British diplomacy is handled skillfully, France will likely find itself besieged by the rest of Europe once again."
"You are forgetting Russia," Amschel reminded him. "They have formed an alliance through marriage."
Salomon wore a disdainful smile. "Their new Tsar is a fool—he inexplicably gave up vast tracts of land in Transcaucasia, spent hundreds of thousands of rubles supporting a pack of charlatans from Malta, and even forced his army to equip themselves with halberds. Can you imagine? Those medieval relics used in ancient wars.
"Do you really expect such a Russia to provide any meaningful support to France?"
By the time the carriage pulled up before the villa Salomon had purchased north of St James's Palace, Amschel was finally savoring his black tea. "This is a massive gamble for the family. I hope you are right. Oh, how much sugar did you add? This stuff is incredibly expensive these days..."
At 10 Downing Street.
Henry Petty, the Second Financial Minister, was reporting on recent financing efforts to the Prime Minister.
"The interest rates demanded by Baring Brothers are simply too high, so I ultimately decided to borrow only 4.5 million pounds from them."
Lord Grenville frowned immediately. "Even with the 3 million pounds from the Bank of England, we will only have 7.5 million pounds in additional funds for the next two years. That is nowhere near enough..."
According to Britain's established strategy, they intended to seize the opportunity to launch a war against France within the next two years.
However, the British treasury was currently under immense strain—over 700,000 pounds had been spent just to save the Boulton-Watt Company and the Chatham Dockyard. Frequent riots across the country only added to their financial woes.
Of course, the greatest drain on their resources remained the exorbitant price of sugar.
Grenville estimated that it would require another two or three million pounds just to stabilize the British economy this year. Courting and arming allies would cost over a million more, and preparing for war would be a massive expenditure.
Seven million pounds over two years was simply insufficient.
Petty spoke up quickly. "Prime Minister, the reason I reduced the amount borrowed from the banks is that there is a better option.
"The Rothschild Syndicate is willing to provide us with 8 million pounds, at an interest rate significantly lower than the banks..."
Once he finished explaining the loan agreement with the Rothschild family, Grenville finally let out a breath of relief. He nodded. "Excellent. I believe we can grant them the title of 'Royal Agents' if they are willing to provide further funding."
"Yes, Prime Minister. I will enter negotiations with them as soon as possible."
As they were speaking, the Prime Minister's attendant knocked and entered, accompanied by William Pitt Junior and the Foreign Secretary.
Fox gave a hurried bow to Grenville, his face alight with joy. "Good news. Severe unrest broke out in Poland last month, and a large number of Orthodox Christians have been purged."
He placed a report on the desk. "It is said that over a thousand people have already been thrown into prison. The Warsaw Third Guards Infantry Division is currently marching toward the eastern provinces to regain control."
Grenville was surprised. "What are the Poles trying to do?"
"It seems that representatives from the eastern provinces demanded a restoration of trade with Russia."
Grenville knit his brows in confusion. "Is Saint Petersburg intending to interfere in the Polish parliament?"
"That is not yet clear," Fox replied. "However, there are also reports that the Russians are seeking to restore relations with Persia. It appears this new Tsar is a pacifist."
"A pacifist? Those Tatars?"
Grenville and Petty laughed together.
As the laughter subsided, Pitt Junior immediately looked toward the Prime Minister. "This is a perfect opportunity for us."
The latter paused, frowning. "You mean, bringing Russia into the war?"
"Precisely." Pitt Junior nodded. "We must exploit the chaos in Poland to support a Russian military occupation of the country.
"And, of course, Prussia and Austria. Their finances are struggling, and they desperately need expansion to alleviate domestic pressures. They will certainly not refuse this chance.
"We can use this to forge an alliance between Prussia and Austria while simultaneously fanning the flames of Russia's ambition to dominate the continent."
Grenville's eyes lit up.
If Russia quickly defeated Poland, their confidence would inevitably soar. If Britain then loudly proclaimed the Tsar as the "Hegemon of Europe," the Russians would find such a temptation impossible to resist.
And for Russia to prove its status as a hegemon, it would have to defeat the most powerful nation on the continent—France.
With some diplomatic maneuvering and financial aid, there was a high probability they could draw Russia into the Anti-French Coalition.
However, he soon expressed some concern. "But I have heard that Paul I is a somewhat... eccentric monarch."
Pitt Junior, however, appeared brimming with confidence. "As long as he accepts our strategic proposals, we can formulate the specific operational plans ourselves. It won't be long before a steady stream of Russian soldiers crosses the Rhine River."
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