Since ancient times, it has been easy to realize problems, but it is difficult to solve them. Everyone can see that the difficulties faced by France are still a difficult problem.

Minister of Finance Allen: "Your Majesty, learn from the Austrians to open a colony! France has more than 10 million square meters of colonies. As long as it is opened, most of the industrial raw materials needed in China can be solved."

This is not the first time that the "opening of a colony" has been proposed. As early as the era of Napoleon III, the French government formulated an ambitious colonial exhibition plan.

To this end, the French government also launched a large immigration plan, and has successively immigrated millions from the Balkans, Italy, and filled the North African region.

The influx of immigrants promoted the exhibition in French Africa to a certain extent, but unfortunately it ended in failure.

It’s not that the French government doesn’t work hard, but it’s useless to work hard. Apart from opening some precious minerals, no other industries have been developed.

This is completely different from Austria. It can be developed in Africa because a group of aristocrats and people who like to farm have developed plantation economy in the local area.

As more people settled, the income of the colonial government increased, the infrastructure gradually became perfect, and after the improvement of transportation, the surrounding minerals gradually opened up, forming a virtuous cycle.

French and Africa are different. The French have no love for farming. Everyone is only interested in precious metals such as gold and silver ore. No one is willing to invest in industries with low returns, such as farms and plantations.

The French are unwilling to invest, let alone other immigrants. Even if they want to build their own farms and plantations, they have to have money in their pockets!

Private capital refused to enter, and it was entirely up to the French government's investment, so naturally it could not last for a few years.

The local economy did not develop, and the mining industry was cheaper to use indigenous people. Against this background, the French colonial plan was soon bankrupt.

Minister of Economic Affairs Elsa: "His Marquis, it's so easy to restart the colony plan.

The biggest problem is that the people are unwilling to invest in colonies. Even if they invest, they are only interested in mineral resources. There are too few people willing to invest in other fields.

The cost of opening a colony is too high with the power of the government alone.”

Chancellor of the Finance Minister Alan: "We can increase government investment and introduce policies to encourage people to go to the colonial exhibition. As long as we persist, we will succeed sooner or later.

No matter how expensive it is, it must be done. France does not lack technology, and its domestic industrial exhibition lags behind Britain and Austria, mainly because we lack sufficient cheap industrial raw materials.

If industrial raw materials cannot be changed, our industry will never be able to develop!”

Minister of Economic Affairs Elsa shook her head: "Marquis, you should say this to the nationalists and idealists outside, and they probably will support you.

In fact, we all know that domestic aristocrats, capitalists, and even ordinary people will not think so.

It’s OK to shout a few slogans. If you really want everyone to invest in colonial construction with money, the first thing you can’t avoid is the issue of profit.

There is also a gap between colonies and colonies. On the surface, we are the third largest colonial empire in the world with unlimited glory; but we have to admit that the value gap between our colonies, Britain and Austria, is too big.

You will not think that the vast desert is valuable, right?

After deciding these rotten lands, the remaining territory is less than one-third. A large part of this land is subject to geographical conditions and does not have the value of opening up.

Even if it is opened, it may not be able to meet domestic demand. At least we have the largest coal resources in France and Africa."

This is a real problem. Like Austria, most of the French colonies were concentrated in Africa, and most of them were in desert areas.

Harsh natural conditions and climate have become the biggest problem that restricts the French African exhibition. Investment and returns are not proportional, so capital will naturally abandon them.

Secretary of the Finance Minister Alan said uncertainly: "There are only a small amount of coal resources temporarily, which does not mean that there is no such thing as French Africa. We have a low level of opening up these areas, and we can always find them as long as we continue.

The huge African Big 6 cannot have no coal resources. Be patient and send more prospecting teams to find them, and you will always get rewards.”

When Allen said this, he was no longer confident. France had a long history of coal shortage. In order to solve the lack of coal resources, Napoleon III sent a large number of prospecting teams during the III period.

It cannot be said that there is no harvest at all, and there are still many coal mines. Unfortunately, the reserves are too low and it is difficult to open. Most coal mines have no economic value.

It would be too unfair to say that the prospecting team did not work hard. There was no such thing as himself, so they could not be turned into a coal mine.

Patrice McMahon, Minister of the 6th Army, retorted: "Marquis, this only exists in theory. In fact, the distribution of mineral resources is determined by God. It is not that the land area is large, so there will be rich mines.

If you want to solve the lack of coal, it is better to find a solution directly from our neighbors than to not rely on unrealistic fantasies."

Patrice McMahon is a hawk in the French government, advocating the capture of territory west of the Rhine, and is incompatible with the doves led by the Chancellor of the Chancellor of the Exchequer Allen. (Belgium, Rhineland, and parts of Baden)

Now that coal resources are involved, Patrice McMahon immediately took advantage of the issue and advocated the strategy of expanding to the Central and European regions.

The Chancellor of the Finance Minister Alan bluntly accused: "Marson Marshal, if you can make Britain and Austria neutral, I don't mind the exhibition to China and Europe.

If you can't do it, it's better to dispel this unrealistic fantasy unless you want to experience another war against France throughout Europe."

The 6th Army Minister Patrice McMahon smiled coldly and said disdainfully: "Coward!"

"The international situation is very obvious now. The feud between Pratt and Russia is as deep as the sea. The Second Pratt-Russia War may break out at any time and is simply powerless to interfere in our actions.

Without the participation of Prats and Russia, the Spanish government was influenced by us, the Italian region was annexed by us, Switzerland declared eternal neutrality, and the Nordic Federation was out of reach in the north, where could there be an anti-French alliance?

As long as we are fast enough to create a certain fact, small countries such as the Netherlands and Portugal will not dare to send troops at all.

The British 6th Army has limited strength, and the only strength to interfere is Austria. What's there to be afraid of one-on-one?"

The French were still very arrogant without experiencing the failure of the French-Prussian War. When the Russian Empire was in decline and lagging behind, the French government regarded itself as the world's No. 6 Army for political needs.

As time goes by and listen to the praises, the French military has become more and more popular. Patrice McMahon is inevitably affected and gradually disdainful of other countries.

Foreign Minister Montero reminded: "Marson, one-on-one does not exist. Britain and Austria will definitely join forces. Perhaps the 6th Army can ignore their threat, but the navy cannot.

If we cannot win the war in the short term, we will face a protracted blockade. Not to mention anything else, food alone is a big problem.”

Nowadays, French people are very confident in their own strength. They brag every day in newspapers. After listening for a long time, the Paris government is also unprecedentedly confident in their own strength.

Of course, the top government officials have not been completely lost, and at most they have confidence in the 6th Army. As for the navy, let’s forget it. The Royal Navy has too strong power and the French have no confidence to challenge it.

The Chancellor of the Finance Minister Allen waved his hand: "It's off topic. Today we are holding an economic meeting to discuss how to solve the problem of Austria's accession to the free trade system, not a military meeting."

It seems to be an understatement, but it is actually a warning to Patrice McMahon to pass. Economic meetings are the government's job, and it is not the military's turn to intervene.

Although the 6th Army Minister is also a member of the government, his powers have been limited to the military field in actual work, and the government's economic policies have nothing to do with them.

...

Napoleon IV rubbed his forehead. I don’t know when the French government was used to quarrels.

Cabinet controversy is still harmonious. If it is an enlarged meeting, it may even be possible to stage a hand-to-hand combat.

The people below have bad relationships, which is naturally beneficial to the emperor as the arbitrator, but it is a great harm to the efficiency of the government.

It would be too late to make a comeback when everyone argued. In order to improve government efficiency, Napoleon IV had to play in person.

This approach has a great harm to the imperial power. But there is no way to arrange for his subordinates to join him, and everyone will not buy it at all. Napoleon IV can only join him.

For example, now, the plan to restart the colony and start a new colony proposed by the Chancellor is obviously unpopular.

If Napoleon IV wanted to restart the colony and start a plan, he had to stand up for him personally.

Seeing that the quarrel could not come to an end, Napoleon IV interrupted: "Don't discuss the plan for the time being, list all the plans first and see how many options we have.

If there is no choice, even the worst plan is better than no plan. We cannot sit still and wait for death, it is chronic suicide!”

Obviously, they have little choice. As long as they join the free trade system, the problem of raw materials must be solved.

As for relying on the power of capital, we can promote industrial technological innovation, reduce production costs, maintain market competitiveness, and thus maintain current market share.

Sorry, this is idealism. France’s lack of capital does not mean that the French industry does not lack of capital.

Originally, everyone disliked the low return rate of real industries and was unwilling to invest in real industries. If they joined the free trade system, increased competitors and further divided profits, could they still expect capitalists to invest?

Restarting the colony plan may not be the best choice, but it is the only viable option right now.

Moreover, this plan cannot get rewards in a short period of time, and it will take ten years to see the profits in real time, and twenty years later.

Not to mention that it can completely solve the problem of insufficient raw materials in France, but it is still possible to achieve self-sufficiency in most industrial raw materials.

The prerequisite is that the French plan can be successful and the colony is really opened, otherwise it should be done whatever it takes.

Forced by reality, with the support of Napoleon IV, the French government narrowly passed the "Restart Colonial Opening Plan" proposed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer with a slight advantage.

...
Chapter completed!