Chapter 583: Caribbean Strategy
The group walked along the edge of the sugar beet experimental fields. Joseph continued:
"So, before October next year, can we ensure a sufficient supply of sugar beets for the refinery?"
Achard, who was aware of France's sugar industry plans, nodded confidently.
"Yes, Your Highness. The Church's people are already learning the cultivation techniques from me. As long as there are enough farmers planting, a monthly output of 5,000 tons of sugar is the absolute minimum."
Joseph nodded slightly upon hearing this.
'In that case, his sugar production strategy could be implemented.'
'This time, they absolutely had to strike a blow that would truly sting the British!'
He then visited the wheat and corn hybridization experimental fields before returning to Versailles.
He planned to depart for Brittany tomorrow to push forward the integration of steam engines onto naval vessels. He might have to stay there for a while, so he needed to have dinner with his parents today, lest his mother nag him again.
An hour later, the Minister of Foreign Affairs appeared in the Crown Prince's reception room.
He had come on his own initiative.
Talleyrand hastily bowed, then produced a report and spoke:
"Your Highness, I was just on my way to the Tuileries Palace to find you.
"This is an urgent dispatch sent a month and a half ago by Marquis Vidal de Labayelette from Saint-Domingue. Boukman Movement rebels are slaughtering plantation owners in the northern part of the island, their numbers already reaching over a thousand.
"Meanwhile, Vincent Ogé is in Port-au-Prince, rallying those sympathetic to the black slaves to pressure the assembly and hinder any suppression efforts against the rebels..."
Joseph took the report and listened as Talleyrand elaborated, finally gaining a general understanding of the situation on Saint-Domingue.
Currently, the biggest problem was a black slave rebel army known as the Boukman Movement.
These black slaves revered Voodoo and harbored extreme hatred for white people. Their flag even depicted the corpse of a white infant.
Everywhere the Boukman Movement went, they would kill all white people, often torturing them, sparing not even white individuals who supported abolition.
Of course, their hatred had its roots — the methods they used to torture white people were the same ones plantation owners had used to brutalize black slaves.
At the same time, Vincent Ogé, who led the island's Abolition Movement, opposed the Boukman Movement — as the latter wouldn't spare even him — but he deeply sympathized with the black rebels, often using his political influence to aid them.
This had led to the Governor of Saint-Domingue attempting to encircle and suppress the Boukman Movement multiple times, only to repeatedly fail.
This current black slave uprising was larger than any before it — hundreds of plantation owners and their families had already been killed in the island's north, causing widespread panic.
Talleyrand stated, his expression anxious:
"Your Highness, given the current situation in Saint-Domingue, I recommend immediately dispatching an expeditionary force to quell the rebellion!"
'It was no wonder he was so anxious; Saint-Domingue was simply too crucial for France.'
France had acquired this small island by trading millions of square kilometers of Canadian land, and it generated an annual trade revenue of up to 40 million francs, while also sustaining the sugar supply for all of France and parts of the German regions.
If the island's unrest wasn't quickly suppressed, France would not only lose tens of millions in revenue, but would also be forced to grudgingly pay exorbitant prices for British sugar from then on — the British would certainly dare to sell white sugar for 10 francs a pound!
Joseph, however, subtly shook his head.
'He vaguely recalled that this uprising was likely the trigger for the historical event known as the Haitian Revolution.'
'Just a few months later, Ogé himself would step in to lead the uprising, eventually bringing forth the true "monster" that was Toussaint L'Ouverture.'
L'Ouverture was born a black slave but was a formidable commander. After the rebellion broke out in Saint-Domingue, he led an army composed primarily of black slaves and some mixed-race individuals, defeating the French forces on the island.
Subsequently, he successively defeated the Spanish army, which attempted to seize Saint-Domingue amidst the chaos, as well as the British forces with the same objective.
Ultimately, Napoleon dispatched Charles Leclerc to lead 30,000 French troops to Saint-Domingue to quell the rebellion.
After a series of arduous battles that failed to secure a victory, Leclerc resorted to feigning peace negotiations to trick L'Ouverture, only then managing to capture him.
However, L'Ouverture's successor soon routed Leclerc's forces, resulting in as many as 30,000 French casualties.
'Therefore, military suppression was absolutely the worst option for dealing with the island's rebellion. The immense distance made troop deployment exceedingly costly, and even if they won, the cost of war would be a disaster for French finances.'
In the past, Joseph might have adopted a strategy of dividing black people and mixed-race individuals. Simultaneously, he would grant freedom to black slaves, creating internal divisions among them. He would also have the Catholic Church fund a 'Holy War' against Voodoo. This approach might have quelled the uprising within a year or two.
However, now that he had Achard's sugar beets, the available strategies were entirely different.
'Firstly, France's ability to be self-sufficient in sugar provided a strong foundation.'
'Secondly, France's sugarcane plantations in the Caribbean Sea brought in less than 40 million francs annually, while Britain raked in a massive 140 million!'
Furthermore, if Britain were to lose Trinidad and the West Indies, it would have no other source for sugar — and given the exaggerated domestic sugar consumption in Britain, an unsatisfied populace could even bring down the government!
Joseph looked at Talleyrand. "I don't want to send troops to Saint-Domingue. Instead, I hope you can make a trip there yourself."
"Me?" Talleyrand gasped in surprise. "Your Highness, if I may speak frankly, the people there aren't exactly known for their willingness to negotiate."
"That's because we've offered too little," Joseph replied with a faint smile. "If we handle it this way..."
A moment later, Talleyrand's earlier anxiety had vanished. He lowered his head in thought and declared, "Your Highness, while your plan is incredibly risky, there's no denying the astonishing potential returns."
He suddenly shook his head. "However, I am not the right person to execute this plan. In my current position, my mere presence on the island would immediately draw the attention of the British."
Joseph considered this for a moment and agreed. "Then, do you have anyone to recommend?"
"Jacques Pierre Brissot," Talleyrand stated. "A fervent abolitionist, very capable, profoundly knowledgeable, and particularly skilled at public speaking."
"Brissot?" Joseph quickly recalled the name. He was one of the Girondins leaders, who had drafted a petition demanding the king's deposition and, after coming to power, strongly advocated for France to declare war on Britain, the Netherlands, and Spain.
Talleyrand continued, "He previously served as the Duke of Orleans' secretary, which is why he never had the opportunity to hold public office. However, to my knowledge, his ties with the Duke of Orleans are not particularly deep."
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