Since ancient times, it has been easy to find problems, but difficult to solve. Everyone can see that France is facing a development dilemma, and it is still a difficult problem to get out of it.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Allen: "Your Majesty, learn from the Austrians to develop colonies!" France has more than 10 million square colonies, and as long as it is developed, most of the industrial raw materials needed in the country can be solved. ”

This is not the first time that the term "development of the colony" has been proposed, as early as the time of Napoleon III, the French government had an ambitious plan for the development of the colony.

To this end, the French government has also launched a large-scale immigration program, which has successively filled North Africa with millions of immigrants from the Balkan Peninsula, Italy, and the mainland.

The influx of immigrants gave impetus to the development of French Africa to a certain extent, but unfortunately it ended in failure.

It's not that the French government doesn't work hard, it's that it's useless to work at all. Except for the development of some precious minerals, no other industries have developed.

This is completely different from Austria, Austrian Africa was able to develop because there was a group of aristocrats and people who liked to farm, and developed a plantation economy in the local area.

As the number of settlers increased, the income of the colonial government increased, the infrastructure gradually improved, and the surrounding minerals gradually developed after the transportation improved, forming a virtuous circle.

It was not the same in French Africa, where the French had no love for farming. People are only interested in precious metals such as gold and silver mines, and no one is willing to invest in industries such as farms and plantations with low returns.

The French are reluctant to invest, let alone other immigrants. Even if you want to set up your own farm or plantation, you have to have money in your pocket!

Private capital is reluctant to enter, and it depends entirely on the investment of the French government, so it naturally cannot last for a few years.

The local economy has not developed, and the mining industry is still cheaper to use indigenous people. Against this background, the French plans for the development of the colony soon went bankrupt.

Minister of Economy Elsa: "Your Excellency, it is so easy to restart the colonial development plan.

The biggest problem was that the people were reluctant to invest in the colonies, and even if they did, they were only interested in mineral resources, and too few were willing to invest in other areas.

The cost of developing a colony by the power of the government alone is too great. ”

Chancellor of the Exchequer Allen: "We can increase government investment and introduce policies to encourage people to go to the colonies to develop, as long as we keep going, we will succeed sooner or later."

No matter what the cost, it must be done. France does not lack technology, and domestic industrial development lags behind Britain and Austria, mainly because we lack sufficiently cheap industrial raw materials.

If we can't change the embarrassment of industrial raw materials being controlled by others, our industry will never be able to develop! ”

Minister of Economy Elsa shook her head: "Your Excellency Marquis, you should go and talk to the nationalists and idealists outside, it is estimated that they will support you."

In fact, we all know that the aristocrats, capitalists, and even ordinary people in China do not see it that way.

It's okay to shout a few slogans, but if you really let everyone use money to invest in colonial construction, the first thing that can't be avoided is the issue of income.

There is also a gap between colonies and colonies, and on the surface, we are the third largest colonial empire in the world; But I have to admit that the difference in value between our colonies and Britain and Austria is too great.

Your Excellency doesn't think that the vast desert is also valuable, right?

After the removal of these rotten lands, less than a third of the territory remains. A large part of this land is subject to geographical conditions and does not have development value.

Even if it is developed, it may not be able to meet the domestic demand. At least we have the largest shortfall in coal resources, which French Africa does not have. ”

This is a reality, as the French have most of their colonies on the African continent, and most of them are in desert areas.

The harsh natural conditions and climatic environment have become the biggest problem restricting the development of French Africa. Investments and returns are not proportional, and capital will naturally abandon them.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Allen said uncertainly: "Coal resources are only found temporarily, not that French Africa does not have them." We have developed these areas too little, and we can always find them as long as we continue to do so.

It is impossible for the African continent to be without coal resources, so if you are patient and send more prospecting teams out to find it, there will always be a harvest. ”

When he said this, Allen had no confidence, France had a long shortage of coal, and in order to solve the shortage of coal resources, a large number of prospecting teams were sent during the reign of Napoleon III.

It cannot be said that there is no harvest at all, but a lot of coal mines have been discovered, but unfortunately the reserves are too low, the development is difficult, and most of the coal mines have no economic value.

It would be too unjust to say that the prospecting team did not work hard. There is no one, and they can't be conjured into coal mines.

War Secretary Patrice McMahon retorted: "Your Excellency, this is only theoretical. In fact, the distribution of mineral resources is determined by God, and it is not that because the land area is large, there will be rich minerals.

If we want to solve the coal shortage, it is better to find a solution directly from our neighbors than not to hope for unrealistic fantasies. ”

Patrice McMahon was a hawk in the French government, advocating the seizure of territory west of the Rhine, which was at odds with the doves led by Chancellor of the Exchequer Allen. (Belgium, Rhineland, and parts of Baden)

Now that coal resources are involved, Patrice McMahon immediately took advantage of the problem and advocated a strategy of expansion into Central Europe.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Allen unceremoniously accused: "Your Excellency, if you can neutralize Britain and Austria, I don't mind developing in Central Europe."

If that doesn't work, it's better to dispel this unrealistic illusion, unless you want to experience another Europe-wide war against France. ”

War Secretary Patrice McMahon smiled coldly and said disdainfully, "Coward! ”

"Now the international situation is very obvious, the enmity between Prussia and Russia is as deep as the sea, and the second Russo-Prussian war may break out at any time, and there is no power to interfere in our actions at all.

Without the participation of Prussia and Prussia, the Spanish government was under our influence, the Italian region was annexed by us, Switzerland declared its eternal neutrality, and the Nordic Confederation was alone and beyond the reach of the northern whip, where was there any anti-French alliance?

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

The strength of the British Army is limited, and the only one with the strength to intervene is Austria, so what is there to be afraid of one-on-one? ”

Having not experienced defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, the French were still proud. After the fall of the Russian Empire, for political purposes, the French government regarded itself as the world's first army.

After a long time, I heard a lot of praise, and the French military floated. Patrice McMahon was also inevitably affected, gradually dismissing other countries.

Foreign Secretary Montero reminded: "Your Excellency, one-on-one does not exist. Britain and Austria will definitely join forces, and perhaps the army can ignore their threat, but the navy cannot.

If we can't win the war in the short term, we will face a protracted blockade, and food alone will be a big problem, among other things. ”

The French are now very confident in their own strength, the newspapers brag about it every day, and after listening to it for a long time, the Paris government is also unprecedentedly confident in its own strength.

Of course, the top of the government is not completely lost, and at most they have confidence in the army. As for the navy, forget it, the Royal Navy is too powerful, and the French have not yet had the confidence to challenge.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Allen waved his hand: "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 like an understatement, but it is actually a warning to Patrice McMahon that he has overstepped. Economic meetings are the job of the government, and it is not the turn of the military to intervene.

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

……

Napoleon IV rubbed his forehead, I don't know since when, the French government has become accustomed to quarrels.

If there is a dispute in the cabinet, it is quite harmonious, and if it is an enlarged meeting, it may even be staged in hand-to-hand combat.

If the relationship between the people below is not good, it is naturally beneficial to the emperor as the arbiter, but it is a great harm to the efficiency of the government.

By the time everyone comes up with a result, it's too late. In order to improve the efficiency of the government, many times Napoleon IV had to play the game himself.

This practice is very harmful to the imperial power. But there was no way, arrange for his subordinates to go up, everyone didn't buy it at all, Napoleon IV could only go up by himself.

Now, for example, the Chancellor's proposal to revive colonial development is clearly unpopular.

If Napoleon IV wanted to restart the development of the colony, he would have to give him a platform himself.

Seeing that the quarrel was inconclusive, Napoleon IV interrupted: "Don't discuss the plan for the time being, let's list all the plans first, and see how many options we have."

If you don't have a choice, even the worst solution is better than no solution. In any case, we can't sit still, that's chronic suicide! ”

Obviously, they don't have much choice. As long as you join the free trade system, you have to solve the problem of raw materials.

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

Sorry, this is idealism. There is no shortage of capital in France, which does not mean that there is no shortage of capital in French industry.

Originally, everyone disliked the low rate of return of the real industry and was unwilling to invest in the real industry. If they join the free trade system, increase their competitors, and further dilute their profits, can they still expect the capitalists to fail to invest?

Restarting the colony development program may not be the best option, but it is the only viable option at the moment.

Moreover, this plan will not pay off in a short period of time, and it will take 10 or 20 years to see the real benefits.

Not to mention that it can completely solve the problem of insufficient raw materials in France, but most of the industrial raw materials are self-sufficient, and it can be done.

The premise is that the French plan can succeed and really develop the colony, otherwise it should be done.

Forced by reality, with the support of Napoleon IV, the French government narrowly approved the "plan for the resumption of colonial development" proposed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

……