He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 353

Napoleon’s Genius Son – Episode 353 (354/547)

(353) The British Atlantic Fleet Blockades America

Ultimately, the Prime Minister is the one who makes the final decisions for Great Britain.

“The United States of America has declared an all-out challenge to Britain, Prime Minister Pitt.”

June 1805, six months into the Second Pitt Ministry.

Pitt is facing a serious challenge.

From where, you ask?

Well, there are plenty of elements that threaten Pitt’s power.

Domestically, there’s Fox of the opposing Whig party, dissenters within the Tory party (who should be allies), Prince George, and even the East India Company, which once ousted Pitt.

However, a power-hungry person only looks inward, while a patriot worries about the country and looks abroad.

So, is the external environment favorable?

Right now, the most important agricultural trading partner, the United States of America, has started a war.

This could be a major blow to Britain’s food supply this year.

However, Pitt was thinking differently from Foreign Secretary Granville’s report.

“It’s suspicious.”

“Yes? Well, of course, it’s suspicious. The United States, having just gained independence, is trying to fall into the quagmire of war with us again.”

“It’s suspicious that France is staying still.”

In London, at 10 Downing Street, in the Prime Minister’s residence office, Pitt tapped his temple and countered.

“This golden opportunity, having just advanced into the New World again—they’re going to miss it?”

In the end, the entity that Pitt, who has been re-elected, is most concerned about is separate.

The French Empire.

A strange country that underwent a revolution, killed the king, and now has an emperor.

However, its national power has been increasing day by day, and it has firmly seized Italy and Egypt, so all Mediterranean trade routes are in French hands.

It hasn’t yet extended its reach to the Atlantic or Indian Ocean trade routes, but it is building a huge base in the New World.

Britain and the United States began to clash over the issue of the slave trade.

Could France miss such an opportunity?

Pitt told Granville, who was also his cousin and a close aide.

“That’s nonsense, Granville.”

“I think so too, but we don’t have many forces deployed in the New World right now. It seems we’re concentrating our forces in Europe and India.”

“Who’s in the New World right now, Wyndham?”

Then, Prime Minister’s Secretary William Wyndham rummaged through documents and replied.

“Edward Berry is in the Caribbean. However, Sidney Smith has also set out with a support fleet. Shall we dispatch a battleship fleet to the New World?”

Pitt quietly tapped the desk and closed his eyes.

The globe that was in front of him until just now comes to mind.

The British fleet is currently operating in the so-called [Five Oceans].

However, the most important operational area remains the Atlantic coast and the North Sea surrounding the British mainland.

Although the start of hostilities with the United States is a dangerous thing, from Britain’s point of view, it is actually something that happened across the Atlantic.

Also, the Canada region is not a place where Britain has a large economic stake.

Rather, the Central and South American areas, which are Spanish and Portuguese colonies, are more profitable for Britain.

So again, France is the concern.

“Eugene de Beauharnais.”

“Yes? Ah, are you talking about Emperor Napoleon’s adopted son?”

“Yes, that fellow whose position has become ambiguous since the birth of [biological son] Charles Napoleon.”

Pitt opened his eyes and asked Wyndham.

“That fellow is in New France as the viceroy. But why isn’t he moving?”

Officially, New France is limited to the so-called Florida region.

However, France took advantage of the assassination attempt on the Spanish heir to the throne to virtually swallow Louisiana, which is much larger than that.

It is a strategy using the former royal princess, Marie Therese.

But the key to this strategy is the engagement of Marie Therese de Capet and Eugene Bonaparte.

Pitt was concerned that the movement of Eugene, the core of France’s New World policy, was not being detected.

“He’s only 24 years old. Aren’t you overestimating him too much?”

“Am I overestimating the conqueror of Egypt? Are you serious, Wyndham?”

“Isn’t that what General Hoche, the current Governor of Egypt, did? General Marceau, the commander of the French garrison in Constantinople, handled the practical work. He’s just a figurehead.”

Just as Wyndham was coldly cutting down Eugene, Pitt shouted.

“You might as well say Nelson died fighting ghosts!”

However, Foreign Secretary Granville, Prime Minister’s Secretary Wyndham, and even War Secretary Dundas, who was listening, only looked at each other.

From an external point of view, Eugene has not actually done much independently.

The Italian campaign was led by Napoleon, the Egyptian campaign was commanded by Hoche, and Marceau was involved in the seizure of power in the Ottoman Empire.

Even the acquisition of New France is thanks to his marriage to his prospective wife, Marie.

So, it’s easy to dismiss him as a lucky young man.

But even without knowing about the East India Company or the Beauharnais Cartel, Pitt was intuitively aware.

Perhaps Eugene is a more difficult opponent to deal with than Napoleon.

In addition, another report from the New World makes Pitt’s head ache even more.

“Besides, Russia? What nonsense. When did Russia come to the New World!”

“It’s been a while. Do you remember Nootka Island, where there was a dispute with Spain in the past?”

“Was it an island in the Pacific? I think I’ve heard the name.”

Wyndham calmly explained, as if to appease the angry Pitt.

“If you go north from that island, there is a fortress where Russians have advanced. Recently, there has been friction with the Hudson’s Bay Company over fur issues. That’s why the skirmish broke out this time.”

Pitt frowned and looked back at Granville.

“Call the Russian ambassador.”

“What shall I say?”

“Tell them that if they don’t withdraw their troops from our territory, we will completely suspend Russian trade!”

Currently, imports of American agricultural products have been suspended, so this is not an easy decision to make.

But Pitt chose the prestige of the nation first, even if agricultural imports were completely suspended.

In fact, if a hegemonic country loses its prestige, the hegemony itself is likely to be shaken, so it is not a wrong choice.

However, it is natural that difficult diplomatic warfare will be involved.

Granville, who was swallowing a sigh, asked, as if he thought his work would increase.

“Then, how shall we deal with the United States of America?”

Pitt tapped the desk and looked back at War Secretary Dundas.

“I heard that Emperor Napoleon is trying to impose tariffs on our goods these days?”

“Yes? Ah, well, we also started imposing high tariffs on French goods.”

“We can do that, but France shouldn’t dare to do that. This can only be seen as a prelude to war.”

To others, it’s too reckless.

But if Eugene were here, he would have applauded with admiration.

A sensitive politician who senses what will happen in the future, Pitt made a decision.

“Then, the American problem must be ended in the shortest possible time. Send instructions to Sidney. A complete naval blockade.”

In other words, a continental blockade order for the New World has been issued.

***

After reviewing the instructions that had arrived in 6 weeks, a high-speed breakthrough by this era’s standards, Sidney asked.

“Are these instructions real?”

Alexander Ball snorted and retorted.

“Or did you think this Alexander Ball came all the way to Bermuda to make jokes? Don’t you know that this area is called the Sea of Death?”

“Ah, I think I’ve heard of it. What was it called? The Bermuda Triangle?”

“That’s the first time I’ve heard of it. It must be the Sargasso Sea of Death!” [A region in the Atlantic Ocean known for its calm waters and seaweed]

In this era, the famous Bermuda Triangle has not yet been defined.

However, it is famous for being windless, so it is called the [Sea of Death].

It was also an area that had to be passed precariously to get to the Caribbean directly from England.

It is inevitable because the British base in the Caribbean is Bermuda.

Suddenly, Sidney Smith, commander of the Bermuda-based support fleet, grinned.

“Anyway, the Prime Minister’s instructions are to turn the entire western Atlantic coast into a sea of death, right?”

Hearing Sidney’s sarcastic words, Captain Hardy, who had followed Ball, asked.

“Does he always talk like that? Admiral Ball?”

“That’s why he’s an outcast in the navy, even though he’s achieved great feats, Thomas Hardy.”

“But he’ll do the job properly, right? I don’t really trust him.”

Ball and Hardy, who once roamed the Caribbean, the Atlantic, and the Mediterranean with Nelson.

They are so-called members of the [Band of Brothers] [A close-knit group of naval officers who served with Admiral Nelson].

However, the Prime Minister chose an unexpected card instead of them or Berry, who had already been dispatched.

A man who is an [outcast] in the British Royal Navy, Sidney.

Sidney, who had sharp ears, raised his eyebrows and chuckled.

“Hahaha! You don’t have to worry, Captain Hardy. I’m the number two in the Royal Navy of the British Empire. No, am I number one now?”

“Surely, you’re not boasting that you’re the next person after Admiral Nelson?”

“Of course.”

As Sidney answered very arrogantly, Ball snorted and clicked his tongue.

“Tsk! How arrogant. But when it comes to naval blockade, there’s no one better than that fellow. He has experience blockading the Baltic Sea against Russia in the past. Of course, it was something he did *to* our British naval officers.”

This is about the Russo-Swedish War in 1788.

At that time, British naval officers who had nothing to do mainly joined Russia on their vacations to fight.

However, only Sidney participated in the Swedish side and achieved great results.

Of course, the opponents were British naval officers, and Ball was among them.

Sidney patted Ball on the shoulder and said.

“Ah, let’s not take old grudges too deeply, Admiral Ball.”

“Thanks to you, I almost had to retire in disgrace.”

“But now you’re in a situation where you’ll soon become the Minister of the Navy, right? Hehe.”

Ball brushed off the hand on his shoulder and conveyed the instructions bluntly.

“You don’t have to worry about the means or methods. Blockade the Atlantic coast and prevent American merchant ships from going out, so that America will surrender on its own.”

When he heard the specific plan, Sidney just laughed excitedly rather than being embarrassed.

“Heh heh heh, this is a tactic that only our British Empire can do.”

Because the coastal blockade is originally a strategy that would be possible in the 20th century.

As Napoleon eventually failed, as you can see.

***

So how can a coastal blockade be achieved in the 19th century?

First of all, it is difficult for ships of this era to continue to float on the open sea.

Also, there is no radar.

The sails, ropes, and crew also need to be replaced continuously.

But all of this can be sufficiently achieved with high-speed maneuvering and the use of bases.

-쾅! 쾅! 쾅!

Now the battleship fleet that has advanced with high-speed maneuvering has begun shelling.

The target is Charleston, a port in South Carolina.

It is so far away that they have to sortie from the Bermuda base and return immediately.

But those who are attacked could not think so simply.

The captains of the merchant ships coming out of the port were surprised and began to return.

“Aaaagh, it’s a battleship! Avoid it!”

“Oh my god, no, we’re a merchant ship! And we’re flying the Spanish flag?”

“They don’t seem to care at all!”

Hardy, who became a rear admiral on the flagship Theseus, asked as he watched the ship returning to Charleston.

“Isn’t that a Spanish merchant ship, Admiral?”

Sidney glanced at Hardy and twisted his lips.

“Mr. Hardy, you’ve mainly been active in the Indian Ocean, right?”

“That’s right. Until recently, I have been protecting the Indian Ocean route in cooperation with the East India Company.”

“Then you wouldn’t have had many opportunities to see the Spanish guys.”

Sidney shook his head arrogantly, pointing to the port.

“Those fellows don’t ride those ships. Unless it’s a warship, they ride ships close to the old galleons. Is it a tradition? Heh heh!”

Of course, Sidney’s words are a bluff.

In this era, the Spanish merchant fleet also rides on the latest brigantines.

However, if it is a ship coming out of an American port, it does not matter whether it is flying the flag of Spain or any other country.

The instructions from the home country are a coastal blockade, not simply destroying American merchant ships.

Sidney simply gave the order.

“From now on, sink all ships flying the French flag or drive them into port.”

“Is that okay? France and the home country are still in a state of peace treaty.”

“Do you really think Russia is invading Canada, Mr. Hardy?”

Suddenly, Sidney’s eyes shone unusually.

“Eugene de Beauharnais is behind it. We have to drag him out!”

The next moment, a cannon fired from the Theseus struck an American merchant ship.

-Wheek, bang!

In effect, the British continental blockade, which blockades the entire American coast, has begun.