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Chapter 1175: Technical Breakthrough

"Afterward, the enemy might choose to cross the Rhine at Strasbourg," Berthier continued. "Or they could simultaneously dispatch troops into Switzerland, threatening our eastern borders."

The Chief of Staff maintained his report. "Another option for the enemy is a full-scale invasion of Northern Italy. Venice possesses almost no combat effectiveness. Our forces would likely engage in a decisive battle with the Anglo-Austrian coalition near Mantua. This would be highly disadvantageous for our logistical supply lines.

"Meanwhile, Prussia will threaten the Lower Rhine region, potentially attacking Cologne and the Flemish Republic.

"The General Staff has formulated corresponding countermeasures for these potential enemy operations.

"Should the enemy concentrate their attack on Switzerland, the First and Second Armies will defend the western side of the Alps, while the Third Army will be stationed at Strasbourg. Mobile forces will then be used in the Low Countries to create a diversion...

"If the enemy's objective is Italy, we can choose to hold the Mantua Fortress with the First Army and an additional division. As you know, that location is exceptionally easy to defend. We would then commit our main force to Central Germany, near Bavaria, to threaten Austria directly..."

Joseph listened to the Chief of Staff's professional assessment, but his brow gradually furrowed. Seizing a moment when Berthier paused for breath, he raised a hand to interrupt.

"Wait. What does the General Staff believe our objective is for this war?"

The latter blinked, momentarily stunned. "It should be to repel the enemy's encirclement, Your Highness."

"It is no wonder you made such strategic deployments." Joseph stood up and swept his gaze across the gathered high-ranking generals, his voice ringing with authority. "We must seize this opportunity to utterly dismantle the military threat posed by Britain, Prussia, and Austria!

"Otherwise, there will be a next time, and a time after that, for yet another Anti-French Coalition. Our nation will be forever condemned to live in the shadow of war!"

He gestured forcefully. "Therefore, our goal is not defense.

"We are to push the battlefield all the way into the heart of Germany! We shall annihilate the enemy on the banks of the Danube and in the fields of Hanover!

"After this battle, no nation will ever dare to lightly make an enemy of France again!"

The officers in the room stared with wide eyes, their hearts pounding fiercely.

Faced with a coalition that possessed absolute numerical superiority, they had subconsciously assumed this could only be a defensive war.

But now, the Crown Prince told them clearly that they should fear no enemy.

For those who made themselves enemies of France, the battlefield would never be permitted to remain within the borders of France or her allies!

This was exactly the kind of war they craved!

This was truly their Crown Prince!

Berthier took a deep breath and snapped to attention. "Yes, Your Highness! The General Staff will immediately revise the operational plans. We shall conclude this war on the line stretching from Hanover to the Danube!"

Lunchtime arrived shortly thereafter. As Joseph prepared to head to the banquet hall with the officers, he saw Mirabeau approaching in high spirits, his pace hurried.

The Minister of Industry glanced at the high-ranking officials from the General Staff before bowing to Joseph. "Your Highness, I have very important news!"

Joseph signaled for the other officers to go ahead. Only then did Mirabeau speak excitedly. "Your Highness, news just arrived from the United Steam Engine Company. The latest high-pressure steam engine has completed all its tests. It reached an output of 98 horsepower and operated continuously for forty hours."

Joseph’s eyes lit up instantly.

The impact of the high-precision milling machines was indeed significant. Murdoch and his team had finally achieved a breakthrough.

Ninety-eight horsepower meant that with just two units running in parallel, they could drive a standard fourth-rate battleship.

Though it was the smallest classification of battleship, its significance far surpassed that of a fifth-rate cruiser. This was a ship of the line, possessing two gun decks and capable of mounting nearly fifty cannons!

This was a weapon that could carry nearly twenty 32-pounder heavy guns, posing a genuine threat to third-rate battleships and above.

Once they began mass-producing fourth-rate steam warships, the French Navy would no longer be confined to maneuvering against the British fleet in the "bathtub" of the Mediterranean. They could head out into the Atlantic for the real slaughter!

Mirabeau wasn't finished with the good news. "Baron Murdoch also mentioned that, for the sake of safety and stability, they haven't fully unleashed the potential of the new steam engine. After further testing and optimization, the power of this machine could potentially reach 115 horsepower."

Joseph smiled.

Two 115-horsepower steam engines could push a fourth-rate ship to high speeds of over 13 knots.

As long as they had sufficient numbers, they could even engage the British North Sea Fleet in a decisive battle.

More importantly, this level of power was finally enough to drive a train.

While the speed certainly wouldn't be breakneck—perhaps pulling twenty wagons at forty kilometers per hour—it was still a revolutionary leap.

Even the crudest train would leave every horse-drawn carriage in the dust!

Pulling eighty tons of cargo with twenty wagons would be effortless. A single trip could satisfy the entire logistical needs of an army corps.

In this era, a speed of forty kilometers per hour was a sensation akin to flying.

It wasn't just the speed; the most terrifying aspect of a train was its endurance.

A horse-drawn carriage pushed to its absolute limit might cover forty kilometers in a day, and even then, the horses would be driven to exhaustion.

A train, however, as long as it had coal, could run twenty-four hours a day without stopping, covering over eight hundred kilometers daily.

Of course, this transport capacity would be a massive stimulant for the civilian sector as well.

With the enormous boost in logistics, France's economic growth rate would surely increase by several or even ten-fold.

France would truly enter the era of the Industrial Revolution!

Joseph forced himself to pull his thoughts back to the present. For now, they had the steam engine, but they were still a long way from a finished train.

The transmissions, brakes, chassis structures, and even the wagons had to be developed from scratch.

Fortunately, he had already secured Trevithick—a man who possessed deep insights into the development of steam locomotives.

With this in mind, Joseph turned to Mirabeau. "Please notify Mr. Trevithick and have him come to Paris immediately. Tell him to bring his necessary tools and assistants."

While Joseph wasn't intimately familiar with the intricate structure of a locomotive, he could at least provide Trevithick with suggestions on the appearance of the wheels and wagons, as well as the placement of the boiler and the driver's cab.

He then reconsidered, realizing the steam warships were a more pressing matter. He changed his instructions to Mirabeau.

"Actually, have Mr. Trevithick go directly to the Brest Shipyard. He is very familiar with steam engine technology and can guide the shipyard technicians through the calibration process."

As he spoke, Eman cleared his throat softly at the door, offering a reminder.

"Your Highness, General Berthier and the others are still waiting for you to dine."

The poor generals of the General Staff had been staring at the food, hungry, for over forty minutes.