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Chapter 355: Joseph's Outflanking and Interpenetration

This stretch of iron rail that crosses most of Luxembourg, though expensive to build, once connected with the wooden tracks in Verdun—despite the difference in material, the track gauge and other technical parameters are identical—carriages running on the tracks will be able to pass directly through.

Within France, Lorraine's wooden tracks will partially connect with Verdun's in a few months. At that time, Luxembourg's iron ingots can be transported in large quantities to Nancy for further refinement, or used to manufacture steam engines, boring machines, and other machinery.

Concurrently, French industrial goods can be transported from Nancy to Luxembourg and then sold from there to the Southern Netherlands, and even to places like the Netherlands.

While the transport capacity of wooden tracks combined with carriages falls far short of trains, it far surpasses the horse-drawn carriage road transport of this era and offers much greater convenience than river transport.

Furthermore, Joseph plans to install steam engine-assisted towing systems on steeper sections of the route to help horses ascend slopes, thereby significantly reducing horsepower consumption.

Freight transport is the foundation of commerce, and commerce, in turn, is the basis for a healthy industrial cycle.

It can be said that the extensive construction of wooden tracks within France has laid a solid foundation for the launch of France's industrialization.

Compared to other European countries, with the same production output, French factories will be able to achieve higher sales volumes thanks to wooden track transport and reach a wider customer base. This will allow them to recoup funds faster and invest in the next round of production or research and development.

It is foreseeable that, even without Joseph giving French industry an artificial boost, simply through rail transport, France would gain a significant advantage in the Industrial Revolution.

Moreover, while building wooden tracks seemed to cost the French government a large sum, in reality, these funds ultimately went into the pockets of French iron foundries, logging companies, artisans, and even the various segments of the populace who served these artisans. Subsequently, this money would re-enter France's economic cycle through consumption, stimulating national economic development.

In later generations, this would be referred to as "GDP growth." Over a century later, American President Roosevelt used extensive construction of infrastructure like roads and bridges to bring about economic recovery in the United States.

As for the funding source for building the wooden tracks, it is currently temporarily provided by loans from the Bank of France. However, Joseph has already tasked the Minister of Commerce with planning to raise funds from the private sector through a model of local government debt combined with wooden track equity.

With these fundraising models, which are common in later eras, the French private sector will certainly be able to provide enormous amounts of capital when undertaking public welfare and infrastructure projects.

...

Even as French steel manufacturers were rapidly expanding in Luxembourg, Joseph had already led the Guards Corps to the border between Luxembourg and Liège.

According to the operational plan previously formulated by the General Staff, they would continue north, passing through Jülich in Bavaria, taking the desolate mountain paths at the border of Aachen and Liège to bypass Blücher's army, then sharply turn west, heading directly for Antwerp.

Antwerp is the province north of Brussels, and a significant birthplace of the Brabant uprising.

Indeed, Joseph's target was not Karl II's Hanoverian army, but Antwerp, further to the north.

Berthier turned, glancing at the sprawling dark red hills behind him, then looked towards the faintly visible Ruhr River ahead. After a moment of hesitation, he spurred his horse to catch up with the Crown Prince's.

"Your Highness," he began, carefully choosing his words, "Look, we are about to leave Luxembourg. I still believe it would be safer for you to remain in Luxembourg City.

"This battle is different from previous ones. We are venturing deep into enemy territory, and our logistical support is not ample. What if something were to happen to Your—"

Joseph raised a hand, cutting him off with a smile: "Thank you very much for your concern, Chief of the General Staff.

"But no matter what danger we encounter, I must be with my army."

He gestured towards the Guards Corps soldiers marching swiftly and silently beside him: "With these bravest warriors by my side, I will be in no danger."

Joseph knew very well that only by sharing life and death with the soldiers would they truly believe in him and support him.

If the army was shedding blood on the front lines, while he indulged in revelry in the palace, then he couldn't blame the soldiers for losing faith and loyalty.

Emperor Napoleon became an eternal deity in the hearts of the French because he personally fought battle after battle on the front lines.

Furthermore, by campaigning with the army as the supreme commander, the army's victories became his victories. If any officer sought to exert absolute control over the military through prestige, they would first have to contend with him.

In 18th-century Europe, only a king capable of leading troops into battle could command respect and earn the admiration and support of all social strata, from nobles to peasants.

As for the dangers Berthier spoke of, Joseph had a clear understanding of the risks.

Besides his ample confidence in the combat prowess of the Guards Corps, even in the unlikely event of capture, the custom of ransom still existed in this era.

Any captured noble of standing would be treated with excellent food and drink, and cared for meticulously. As long as the prisoner of war could produce a ransom, they could return home honorably. Before their departure, the enemy would even escort them for several kilometers.

Therefore, unless he was so unlucky as to be directly hit by a cannonball—he was typically in the position of supreme commander, where no rifle or pistol shot could reach that far—there was virtually no chance of being killed on the spot. The worst-case scenario would simply be paying a ransom and returning home.

Soldiers nearby, hearing Joseph's words about "the bravest warriors," immediately let out a subdued cheer, "Long live His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince!"

"We will forever protect His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince!"

"Courage! Glory!"

Berthier watched the excited soldiers and could only let out a helpless sigh. "Your Highness, I believe that decades from now, this very scene will appear in the stories people tell."

At the front of the marching column, Napoleon studied the map with a puzzled expression, then looked at the Colonel next to him: "Colonel, it seems we're heading towards Bavarian territory?"

Though he had been somewhat curious since morning as to why they were marching in silence today, only now did he realize that the Guards Corps was not, as rumored, going to intercept the Hanoverian army.

Colonel Dumont nodded, speaking in a low voice: "Yes, the target is Antwerp. To bypass the Prussians, we have to cross the desolate mountains south of Aachen."

"Antwerp?" Napoleon asked, a hint of surprise in his voice. "What about the Hanoverian army, then?"

Karl II's army was currently in the southeast area of Brussels, while Antwerp was north of Brussels. This meant they would be circling around behind the Hanoverian army.

Colonel Dumont smiled and couldn't help but offer a few more words to this recently outstanding artillery Major: "Originally, the General Staff intended to confront Karl II west of Louvain, but His Royal Highness the Crown Prince proposed implementing the 'Outflanking and Interpenetration' tactic to maneuver the enemy's defensive lines."