Chapter 284: A New Curtain Opens

Chapter 285: A New Curtain Opens

It's not because they are cowardly, but because the French Navy is really no match for the British.

In order to support the independence of the United States, the French fleet fought with the British in the Caribbean, but was beaten like a dog, resulting in the loss of a large amount of control over the Caribbean. In the end, in order to keep the sugar production base of Saint-Domingue, which later became Haiti, it had to exchange more than ten times the area of ​​North American land with the British.

Joseph will not make such a mistake again to support Mysore.

The purpose of exerting strength in India is to consume the British, not to consume itself.

The most important thing for France at the moment is to develop industry. The start-up funds for a large number of industries such as steel, coal, textiles, and steam engines have been invested. It is precisely when massive investment is needed for industrial expansion, and the industry must not be stagnant because of wasting money on war.

In the final analysis, France's finances are too bad. If he could be as rich as the British, Joseph would not mind going all-in in India.

Berthier suggested: "Your Highness, if only limited assistance is provided, then the Mysore people should be in most need of an excellent commander. Perhaps, Major Lefebvre or Lieutenant Colonel Davout can go to India."

The Lieutenant Colonel Davout he mentioned was Andre Davout, the commander of the Moulins Corps.

Joseph thought and shook his head. These two people were indeed qualified commanders, and they should be more than enough to fight against Cornwallis of Britain, but the Mysore War would almost involve most of India, and the remote location made it extremely dangerous.

He didn't want his confidants and direct descendants to get into trouble in India.

But who else could he send? There were not many old aristocratic officers who could really fight, and he didn't know them well enough.

He suddenly thought of a name and immediately looked at Berthier: "Do you think it is possible to let Marquis Lafayette go to Mysore?"

Lafayette, a French officer, sneaked to the United States in 1777 to participate in the War of Independence and became a major general of the Continental Army. Even George Washington was respectful to him. In 1780, he played an important role in the Battle of Yorktown and helped the Americans defeat the British.

After returning to France, he was awarded the rank of brigadier general, but because he was a liberal, he was not favored by the French military aristocracy and was not reused. Until the outbreak of the Great Revolution, he served as the commander of the National Guard and was considered the highest military commander in France at the time. However, in the end, because of his greed for power and his insistence on protecting the king, he eventually fell out with the Jacobins and fled abroad.

Coincidentally, Lafayette had fought with Cornwallis, the current Governor-General of India, in the United States. The latter never got the upper hand in front of him, which gave him a considerable psychological advantage when fighting the British.

Berthier and other staff officers whispered for a while, then turned to the crown prince and said, "Your Highness, there is no doubt that Marquis Lafayette is capable of commanding operations, but he is likely unwilling to take risks in the Far East..."

He said it more tactfully. Lafayette was reprimanded by the royal family for going to the United States privately, and he had a bad relationship with the military, so he would probably not listen to the dispatch of the General Staff.

Joseph smiled slightly: "You can tell him that as long as he can help Mysore win, just like he did in the United States, he can be promoted to assistant minister of war or governor of a province after he returns. I believe he will definitely accept this task."

Joseph knew that Lafayette was a man with great desire for power and ambition. He fought in the United States for several years, and after returning to France, he did not receive any actual rewards except the rank of brigadier general.

So as long as he was given a chance to rise, he would definitely not refuse.

And what Joseph gave him was actually a blank check-although the Kingdom of Mysore was quite strong in India, Britain was a powerful empire that was heading towards an empire on which the sun never set. It was not easy for Tipu Sultan of Mysore to deal with the British for a few more years, and there was almost no possibility of winning.

Of course, if Lafayette really exploded and defeated the British in the Far East, it would be fine to let him be an assistant to the Minister of War. You know, that would be equivalent to destroying the biggest rice bowl of the British!

Berthier quickly wrote down the order of the crown prince in the notebook and nodded, "Yes, Your Highness. I will try my best to persuade Marquis Lafayette."

After that, Joseph discussed the military deployment of Tunisia with the staff until the sky was dark, and then ended the meeting.

Back to his bedroom, Joseph was too tired to even take off his clothes, and fell asleep on the bed. After returning from Tunisia, he had been bumpy on the road for eight or nine days, and finally he could have a good rest.

Perna looked at Emman, stepped forward and carefully touched the prince's forehead and wrist to make sure he was not sick. Then she and the maid gently put him on the bed, covered him with a quilt, and then slowly left.

The candle went out. Joseph, who was sleeping soundly, had a dream. In the dream, the European continent turned into an endless theater. The huge curtain that stretched to the skyline was slowly opened under the gaze of the gods...

Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

The second floor of the temporary parliament building.

British Foreign Secretary Marquis Wellesley looked at this simple building and said to the Dutch Speaker Campelen beside him: "I still prefer the Earl's Castle in The Hague, where people can feel the majesty and solemnity at any time."

The "Count's Castle" he mentioned is the former Dutch Parliament Building. After the Patriot Party gained power in the Netherlands, it moved the parliament to Amsterdam. Due to the haste of the work, the new parliament building had not yet been built, so this building was used as the temporary office of the parliament.

Campbellen frowned slightly. The British obviously meant that Amsterdam was not "dignified and solemn" enough, but he immediately put on a smile: "The Hague is a thing of the past, Marquis. And we will soon have a new parliament building. Look, it's just two streets away, and it's no worse than the Earl's Castle."

Marquis Wellesley smiled indifferently, followed Campbellen into the reception room, and sat down on the sofa: "Well, maybe you and your parliament don't have to rush to propose a parliament building in Amsterdam."

Campbellen immediately thought of William V who was deprived of power: "What do you mean by this?"

"Oh, don't get me wrong." Marquis Wellesley waved his hand and said, "I mean, maybe the Dutch Parliament will soon renegotiate the parliament address with the voters in the Southern Netherlands. You see, Brussels is actually a good place."

A strange color flashed in Campbellen's eyes: "Marquis, I don't quite understand what you mean."

"Brabant is so fierce, doesn't the Dutch Parliament have any plans?"