On 26th of 1861, the Austrian Navy set out from the Port of Venice to start a global visit, and the first stop was the Ottoman Empire.

The Sudanese government can move its capital to the inland areas, otherwise they can feel what pressure is. Even so, the Sudanese government is still shocked.

Seven ironclad ships plus a dozen auxiliary warships are the most powerful fleet in the world, and they are completely incomparable to sail warships.

It was said that it was a visit or a visit. This time, Franz did not prepare for a stranger. After scaring the Sudanese government, he visited the Mediterranean countries and headed straight for Asia.

Paris

The stimulated Napoleon III announced at the government meeting: "We want to build a larger iron-clad fleet and let the world know the power of France."

Napoleon III had no way to react fiercely, and it would be fine if the navy was not as good as the British. He could also comfort himself that the British were purely maritime power countries, and France was amphibious.

It is one thing to hear, but it is another thing to see with your own eyes. The French Navy's advantage over the Austrian Navy is only in tonnage and combat experience.

Unfortunately, these experiences remained in the era of sail warships. Many things have fallen behind in the era of ironclad ships, and their tactical concepts have also changed. Even if they have several times the advantage in tonnage, sail warships cannot beat ironclad ships.

There is no way, the sail warship cannon is also used to deal with the sail warship. Suddenly the enemy turned into an ironclad ship, which was not enough.

Navy Minister Diko answered confidently: "Your Majesty, please rest assured. We have begun to build an ironclad fleet. There are currently two ironclad ships in service, and three ironclad ships in service by the end of the year.

The Admiralty plans to build ten ironclad ships, which can be completed in up to two years, so that the world can know our strength.”

The technical level has passed, and building ironclad ships is no longer a problem. This is still the speed of shipbuilding in peacetime. If you are willing to rush to work, it will only take several months to build a warship.

During this period, the tonnage of ironclad ships has not soared. The large ones are only 1,000 tons, while the small ones are only 2,000 tonnes. The docks docks do not need to be modified, and they can basically meet the needs of shipbuilding.

Napoleon III said with satisfaction: "Okay!"

The world's number one navy is not available, and the world's second is that it cannot be lost no matter what, and the French also want face.

Now, according to the ranking of international military forces, the French Army and Navy are second, and Austria is third, followed by both the Army and Navy. The two countries' military forces are very close on the surface.

Before the era of Iron-Crafted Ship, the Austrian navy was still roaming with six or seven or eight. As a result, at the moment when the Iron-Crafted Ship arrived, he overtook the car and jumped up and left Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, and the United States.

Nowadays, many people believe that the Austrian Navy can be comparable to the French Navy. This concept has a very market in the Mediterranean region, and Napoleon III is not sure.

Judging from the naval tonnage, the Austrian Navy is close to 70% of the French Navy. Considering the increase in combat effectiveness of ironclad ships, this statement is very marketable.

Therefore, the French Navy followed the big bomb iron armored ships, and when these warships were put into service, the naval strength of the two countries would be further expanded.

As for Spain, the Netherlands and Portugal, they were already behind at this time and were unable to participate in this naval feast.

After a pause, Navy Secretary Dico added: "Your Majesty, our navy is inadequate. To build so many ironclad ships, the government needs to increase the allocation."

Obviously, there is a reason for letting Napoleon III see the strength of the Austrian navy personally. On the surface, the French Navy was embarrassed, but in fact it was to make the ship fund.

Without time to pay attention to the little plot of the Admiralty, Napoleon III asked: "How much is it?"

Navy Secretary Dico replied seriously: "At least another 1.2 billion francs are required to complete the plan."

Simply building a ship will definitely not cost so much money, and you also need to consider basic training, staffing, and the research and development of new technologies...

The allocation of funds now is only the preliminary expenses. Once the construction is completed, the subsequent maintenance costs of the Navy will also increase in the future. In other words, the Navy's military expenses will increase.

Before Napoleon III answered, the Chancellor of the Finance Minister Monier couldn't wait to jump out and said, "No, you are talking big on the lion."

How much is the construction cost of an ironclad ship? How could it cost 1.2 billion francs, and at most it would not exceed 80 million francs. If you save some money, 70 million francs might be enough."

The French Empire's fiscal revenue has reached 17.2 billion francs (about 68.8 million pounds). The French have the confidence to be a bullshit, and the British's fiscal revenue during the same period was only 70 million pounds.

(Note: The statistical chronology I checked seems to only calculate the local area)

However, no matter how high the fiscal revenue is, the money will never be enough to spend. The Ministry of Finance still needs to save money and must decisively crack down on such lions' behavior.

Navy Minister Dico explained seriously: "His Earl, how can this be saved? Entering the era of ironclad ships, we were one step slower than the Austrians, and the main reason was the insufficient military expenditure.

If military spending is reduced now, how can we develop new technologies?

Iron armored ships are different from previous sail warships. After serving, our soldiers must be trained again before they can operate skillfully, which is another expense.

There are also ironclad ships with a tonnage larger than sailing warships. Many of our original military ports need to be renovated, and these cost money."

Chancellor Monier said, "Don't say this nonsense. In addition to R&D and the use of new technologies, other projects are allocated every year, so don't try to re-report the budget.

Even if the Ministry of Finance allocates funds to you, you will not be able to pass the future government audit. You should make a detailed budget again and we will discuss the issue of funding.”

This is very politically artistic. Warships must be built. This is the will of Napoleon III, but the funding for shipbuilding is still compressed. Otherwise, how can the Ministry of Finance be serious and responsible?

Even though they knew that the two had more quarrels and acts, Napoleon III still watched the fun as if nothing had happened. Obviously, he was still qualified in terms of power and conspiracy.

If the people below were allowed to join the group, the emperor would have a hard time. Even if this kind of small battle is known to be just a routine, the conflict will still be deeply rooted in people's hearts after a long time.

The Ministry of Finance has too much power, and all departments need them to allocate funds and cannot afford to offend the God of Wealth. If there are no conflicts and the Ministry of Finance sells it everywhere, the emperor will not be able to sleep.

...
Chapter completed!