He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 338

(338) The Prussian Alliance Aims for Anglo-American Conflict

Conquest sometimes demonstrates overwhelming power, technology, and civilization.

“We have initially organized the Seminole soldiers who will advance into the Great Plains, Your Highness.”

Already, half of 1803 had passed.

During that time, Eugene worked tirelessly, a veritable workaholic.

He spent an enormous amount of time traveling between Pensacola, New Orleans, Miami, and occasionally Alachua.

If Marie hadn’t been such a generous fiancée, he would have already been jilted.

Even so, he had only managed to organize a force equivalent to a militia, which highlights how underdeveloped the New World was.

Eugene, his eyes red from lack of sleep, drank coffee and examined Micanopy, who was giving the report.

Thanks to Dumas’s training, Micanopy looked every bit the soldier.

“There must have been resistance within Alachua. Was it suppressed?”

“It was easy. Most surrendered when we used the [Steam Automobile] you sent.”

“Good. Make sure to pick up coal on the way. It’s useless without coal.”

Micanopy bowed awkwardly, attempting the manner of a nobleman.

“We are familiar with white civilization, Your Highness.”

This was the Pensacola Vice-Royal Palace, a place newly under construction.

Eugene planned to make Miami the center of New France, but that was a plan that would take at least 10 years.

On the other hand, there was too much work to be done to build New France, and he was too busy.

Moreover, there was the problem of governing both Florida and Louisiana with equal focus.

In the end, Eugene chose Pensacola in West Florida, a more central location.

“Then, I will be on my way.”

As Eugene watched Micanopy leave the Pensacola [Vice-Royal Palace], a man sitting next to him spoke.

“According to information classified by the Americans, they are called the Five Civilized Tribes. Heh heh.”

“What is that, Duke of Chartres?”

“Seminole, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Muscogee, and Cherokee. The first four tribes are allies who lived along the Mississippi River, and the Cherokee are allies who came from the distant Great Lakes, right? But they have something in common.”

The Duke of Chartres, Philippe, smiled and explained.

“They are all tribes that have been [civilized] by the influence of Spain and England. Heh heh.”

Of course, in the original history, the Americans who called them the Five Civilized Tribes drove them out.

Beyond the Mississippi River to the west.

And then again during the Western Gold Rush era, forcing them to live in the current Indian reservations.

But there was one problem here.

The vast [Great Plains] area west of the Mississippi River in Louisiana was not empty.

Therefore, the expelled tribes had a lot of trouble adapting.

Furthermore, so did the Americans who were developing the West in the original history.

“On the other hand, the natives in the Louisiana territory will probably be completely different. They don’t speak the same language, they are hostile to Europeans, and they fight fiercely, right?”

“Apache, the Sioux of Dakota and Lakota, and the Comanche tribe, were they not? I have read the reports.”

“You can’t leave out the Osage tribe. They are the only tribe that trades with us to some extent, and they are also related to the new Border Count Shuto. Heh heh!”

Philippe smiled meaningfully.

“It will take decades just to bring all of this together, Vice-Royal Highness.”

Eugene stared at Philippe.

It would soon be a year since Philippe had come to him proposing an alliance.

However, he had only observed what Eugene was doing and had not actually done anything so far.

In fact, even in the original history, Philippe was a passive person, the type to wait leisurely until an opportunity came.

Thinking that he should start giving him work, Eugene opened his mouth.

“It’s a vast land, but how many people are we really talking about?”

“Yes? What do you mean?”

“Nomadic peoples are generally few in number. Tribes familiar with European civilization boast numbers in the tens of thousands, but those scattered on the plains are few.”

Eugene’s gaze turned to the map hanging on the wall of the Vice-Royal Palace’s temporary residence.

“Of course, if we were to deal with the scattered tribes one by one, it would take 100 years. But what if we fought a continent-scale war?”

Philippe, who was tilting his head, not understanding what he meant, widened his eyes.

Originally, neither England, France, nor Spain expanded their colonies all at once.

Initial development was done by explorers, but the rapid expansion of territory was thanks to war.

Not a war with the natives, but a war between European countries.

Recalling that history, Philippe asked in a slightly hurried tone.

“Again, a war between France and England?”

“You have to be precise. It’s a war between the French-Russian alliance and England. However, we will not directly participate this time.”

“What does that mean?”

Eugene smiled strangely and asked back.

“Well, before making a plan, I’m curious how prepared Russia is. Can they come down from Alaska?”

In fact, Eugene didn’t expect much from Russia.

Russia was much farther from the center of the New World than France.

Moreover, in the original history, France became a colonial power anyway, but Russia only ended up developing Siberia.

Therefore, what Eugene was trying to use was not the Russian power, but the talented Louis Philippe.

But Philippe, who had been rolling his eyes, opened his mouth as if he had made up his mind.

“To be honest, they are already coming down south.”

“Wait, what did you say?”

“Of course, I have never been to Alaska myself, so I don’t know the current situation, but one thing is certain.”

Philippe said as if telling a very big secret.

“They are exploring the empty land that Spain nominally claims as its territory.”

The name of that land is called California in later original history.

***

The man who should have been in charge of Alaska, Rezanov, wiped his sweat and asked.

“How on earth did a Frenchman get here?”

Of course, that was what Rochejacquelein, who had rushed over as a [special envoy], wanted to ask.

This was [Fort Ross], a fortress in the central part of what would later be California.

It was a place prepared on high ground with a distant view of the Pacific horizon, equipped with palisades to defend against the surrounding natives.

Russians were in a place where even the Spanish only claimed nominal control.

Rochejacquelein paused for a moment, then shrugged his shoulders.

“I don’t think I can compare to someone who came all the way here from Saint Petersburg.”

“Hmm, I just came, the actual work is being handled in Alaska by my adjutant, Alexander Andreyevich Baranov.”

“Even so, I heard that you are the de facto governor who rules Russian Alaska, Monsieur Rezanov. It doesn’t seem like it here.”

Nikolai Petrovich Rezanov.

A nobleman who would later be named as the pioneer of Alaska in the original history.

Furthermore, he was the first Russian Pacific traveler to visit Japan, Hawaii, and California.

However, he waved his hand and said as if it was nothing.

“Unfortunately, that’s not the case. The development of eastern Russia is led by the Selikhov-Golikov Company of Irkutsk. I am only here as the son-in-law of the founder, Grigory Selikhov.”

Rochejacquelein couldn’t stand it and said directly.

“Aren’t you too far away to say that? You’re practically in the center of western North America.”

In fact, it was a story that surprised not only Rochejacquelein but also Eugene.

Because originally, Fort Ross, the Russian fortress, was only built in 1812.

Furthermore, Rezanov first arrived around 1806.

But in 1803, he arrived three years earlier, so he couldn’t help but be surprised.

When you think about it, it was because Pavel lived longer and more resources were concentrated in Alaska.

“Well, I even went to [Zipangu – historical name for Japan]. Haha! Now, tell me. Frenchman, how did you get here?”

“I received help from the Spanish.”

“I knew it! They have been rooted in this land for 300 years, so they knew the way!”

Rezanov, who had traveled south from Alaska to California, sparkled his eyes.

“Then, you know the way to the southern [Alta California – Upper California], right?”

South, a warmer place where the sea doesn’t freeze.

Occupying a so-called [ice-free port] was what the Russian Empire desired.

To achieve what the high-ranking officials of Saint Petersburg wanted, Rezanov had come all the way to California.

However, for the port to be completed, it needed to be connected to other places.

In particular, [Nueva España – New Spain], which had a considerable level of pre-national power, was an important trading partner.

But Rezanov still didn’t know the way to [Alta California], the territory of Nueva España.

Of course, it was a bit funny for Rochejacquelein, who had traveled north through Nueva España with the help of Vice-King Marquis.

In fact, this was the [Alta California] area that the Spanish claimed as their land.

“Do you know?”

“How do I get there?”

“But going south is something that not only Spain but also our France dislikes. This is also the will of Louis Philippe de Bourbon, the son-in-law of the Russian Emperor Pavel.”

Instantly, Rezanov screamed.

“Damn it! Then, is it the end of getting an ice-free port here!”

Rochejacquelein tilted his head.

“Why not? You can install it where you are now.”

“How? This place has weak supplies. Especially if the British come, there is no way to defend it! The reason we were able to come here was because the British drove Spain out of Nootka.”

“I heard. While Europe was in chaos, the British did something quite cute.”

This was the story of the Nootka Sound Incident.

Nootka is an island next to modern Vancouver in the original history.

Originally, Spain claimed this place as its territory.

However, England sent a navy and drove Spain out of this place.

This happened in 1789.

After that, the European home countries were caught up in the First Coalition War after the French Revolution, so the British and Spanish colonial authorities could not fight.

Instead, a situation arose where Spain yielded through negotiations between the home countries in Europe.

This was the problem that Rezanov was worried about.

Originally, the Russian Empire could hardly stand against the British Navy.

Moreover, the scale of military equipment dispatched to the New World was incomparable.

Nevertheless, Rochejacquelein, who had received instructions from Eugene, still wore a relaxed smile on his tanned skin.

“So, that’s why I came. To check the British with Russia.”

Rezanov licked his lips and asked.

“Surely not war? We don’t have the troops for that. The people of [Sitka – a Russian settlement in Alaska] are dying of scurvy. It’s hard enough dealing with the Tlingit tribe.”

“I don’t know who that is or where Sitka is, but I know one thing. The British forces that Russia will face are not the British government, but the [Hudson’s Bay Company – a British fur trading company].”

“No, there’s also the Northwest Company these days. Anyway, those guys are stronger than us. France can’t send troops all the way here, can they?”

Hudson’s Bay Company, Northwest Company, both are colonial companies developing Canada on behalf of the British government.

It was a New World version of the East India Company, with strong military power and carrying out the Canadian version of the Wild West development.

Rezanov was always worried that it would one day clash with the Russian Alaskan colony, [Sitka].

Of course, in the original history, Russia sold Alaska to the United States.

But even if he didn’t know history, Rochejacquelein, who had been instructed by Eugene, still smiled leisurely.

“But we can make those companies busy. If a war breaks out in the south.”

In the end, the fate of Canada was decided in the south.

***

In the Pensacola Vice-Royal Palace, in the still under construction [War Department] office, Eugene ordered.

“Jomini, redraw the operational map.”

Now Jomini also looked quite old.

Of course, it hadn’t been that long since he came to the New World, so it meant he had suffered that much.

Originally, it was natural for Jomini to handle the work that several operational staff would do in the home country alone.

Rubbing his red eyes again, Jomini asked back.

“Weren’t you planning to attack the Great Plains Indians? Then, the priority is to establish a supply route along the Mississippi River.”

“The Mississippi River can also be traveled upstream. But, the strategic target will not be the natives.”

“Then who is it, the opponent? The United States?”

Eugene replied to Jomini, who asked with a slight expectation.

“Our enemy is always England.”

At that moment, Desaix, Junot, and Hippolyte turned to Eugene.

Taking England as an enemy?

What would happen to the peace treaty signed in the home country of France?

Desaix asked cautiously.

“You are thinking of breaking the Treaty of Amiens in the home country.”

“We will not break it.”

“Then what are you going to do?”

Eugene stared at the map and shrugged his shoulders.

“We will make the British fight with the United States and break it themselves.”

This was Eugene’s true intention that he had not revealed to Philippe.

It was difficult for France to fight and win in the New World.

It was the same even if he received help from Russia.

But if France dragged in Russia and even Spain, he could bet on a diplomatic victory.

By alienating England and the United States.

“Before that, the third immigrant fleet must come. When is the second immigrant fleet coming?”

Currently, France’s immigrant fleet is entirely dependent on England.

If England and France were to conflict in any form, the immigrant fleet would be completely suspended.

Therefore, he would not fight directly until the third immigrant fleet, with at least 300,000 people, arrived.

This was Eugene’s grand strategic premise.

The Marquis of Lescure, in charge of internal affairs, asked, counting the schedule.

“Yes, it will come early next month. Why do you ask?”

Eugene chuckled at the Marquis of Lescure’s words, still mixed with reggae.

“A friend who will make a steamboat is coming with him. I’m looking forward to seeing if it can be used in this war.”

That was the man who failed to make a submarine in the original history.

The father of the American steamboat.

Robert Fulton was on Lucien’s second immigrant fleet.