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Chapter 201: The Race for North Africa
🕑 Added 2025-01-24 23:05:28 +0000 UTCChapter 201: The Race for North Africa
On the eastern edge of the hall, a British reporter named Alvin noticed Lavoisier approaching the stage. He nudged the young man beside him, who appeared bored, and whispered, "Clark, the big shots are here. Make sure you record every word—don't miss anything!"
Yes, this was the same Alvin who had come to Paris to cover Fashion Week. After returning to England, he sold all his assets and took a huge risk by buying the rights to The Paris Gazette. He translated Battle Through the Heavens and Ladies, Please Stop into English, and within just a few months, he made a fortune. Then, he bought a small newspaper and became its owner. This time, he was back in Paris to negotiate the rights to other novels and happened to catch wind of France's announcement of the new measurement standards. He brought his reporters along to cover the event.
"Oh, yes, boss!" Clark snapped to attention, quickly straightening up and preparing to take notes. He watched as the Frenchman named Lavoisier raised both hands and passionately proclaimed, "First, let us thank His Highness the Prince! It was he who pushed for the standardization of measurements in France..."
Clark jotted down the words, though he couldn't help but feel a bit disdainful. "These people sure know how to flatter the royal family," he thought. He glanced around the grand, elaborately decorated hall and muttered under his breath in English, "The French really know how to overdo things. It's just a few measurement units, and they're making such a big deal out of it."
Alvin shot him a stern look and said, "Put aside your ignorant attitude. This is far more than just a few measurement units—it's a monumental achievement in scientific progress!"
On stage, Lavoisier had an assistant push out a glass case containing a copper rod. He announced excitedly, "Ladies and gentlemen, behold the prototype of the 'meter,' the standard unit of length. Its definition is 'one ten-millionth of the distance from the equator to the North Pole along the meridian passing through Paris'..."
Clark scribbled down notes quickly but couldn't resist muttering, "Oh, great. Now the French lords will have an easier time collecting taxes, without having to convert between different units all the time."
As the applause thundered through the hall, Alvin, his patience worn thin, began to explain to his employee, "Do you know why they made the unit's definition so complicated?"
"Um..." Clark scratched his head. "To make themselves look smart?"
Alvin cut him off, "The point is that this definition can be reproduced anywhere in the world, giving the same result. Whether you're British, French, or American, even if you're thousands of miles apart, you can use the same units for measurement and calculation. Do you realize what that means? It means that all scientific theories around the world can be described using the same 'technical language.' From this moment on, human science and technology will move toward perfection and unity!"
Alvin, an idealist, focused on the global scientific impact of the new standards. But in truth, standardized measurements would have an even more significant impact on national industry and commerce.
For example, in the past, baskets made in northern France couldn't be sold in the south because southerners wanted to fill them with three monnes of grain, while the northern baskets were sized for whole ounces. At that time, over 800 different measurement units were commonly used across France, and even more obscure units numbered in the tens of thousands. This created significant barriers to the flow of goods between regions.
It was even worse in industrial production. Even in workshops separated by just a street, screws made in one might not fit in products made in the other. How could you build a coherent industrial chain under such conditions?
A unified system of measurements was the foundation needed to connect the commercial and industrial networks.
Clark's eyes widened as he finally understood why the French were making such a big deal out of standardizing measurements.
Next, Lavoisier presented a glass-enclosed, pure platinum weight and announced it as the prototype of the "kilogram," the standard unit of mass...
A week later, almost every newspaper in Europe was reporting on France's new measurement standards. The academic community across the continent was stunned, and governments everywhere were hotly debating whether to adopt the French standards or develop their own.
At this point, Europe hadn't yet realized that since the start of the Paris Fashion Week earlier this year, through King Louis XVI's birthday celebrations, and now with the announcement of the measurement standards, France had been at the center of international news.
…
In the Barbary Sea, two British armed merchant ships, escorted by two frigates, sailed with their sails half-lowered toward Mitidja, near Algiers.
In the bow of the frigate Robinson, the Duke of Leeds was peering through a porthole with a telescope, gazing at the grayish-yellow coastline shimmering under the blazing sun. There was a fortress there, bustling with tiny figures hard at work.
He knew those were British engineers supervising the construction of the fortifications. As they drew closer, the Duke could clearly see that the fort was nearly complete. A 24-pound British cannon was being hauled up the fortress by hundreds of Algerian slaves, tied to thick ropes.
"Heh, I'd love to see the French faces when they're suddenly bombarded by these heavy guns," he chuckled, lowering the telescope. He turned to the new British consul in Algiers, Stuart, and said, "The French, under the guise of fighting piracy, are trying to extend their influence over North Africa. Even Russia has sent us multiple notes, claiming that France's actions are also helping to protect Russian maritime trade."
Stuart nodded with a smile, "Indeed, Your Grace. But the French seem to have forgotten about our close trade relations with the Ottomans. These Frenchmen may be good at making fashion and jewelry, but when it comes to strategy, they still have much to learn."
As the ship slowly came to a stop, the Duke of Leeds followed the captain onto the deck, his mind drifting back to a meeting three months ago at 10 Downing Street.
That day had also been bright and sunny…
"At last, Mr. Fox has kept his mouth shut," said the 29-year-old British Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger, looking pleased as he gestured toward the sofa. "Please have a seat, Duke of Leeds, General Jervis."
Parliament had just approved his special funding request for the North African situation, so Pitt was in high spirits. He signaled the servants to bring tea and pastries, then, pointing around his modest office, complained, "Getting Parliament to release funds is no easy task, wouldn't you agree? Look at this place—we still don't have a proper meeting room. We have to discuss matters in this cramped space."
After sitting down, General Jervis immediately asked, "Mr. Pitt, this morning you presented a report to Parliament about the rising cost of grain. Is it really related to the French? I haven't heard any news about that."
Pitt smiled and replied, "It's very likely. But those Frenchmen are very cunning, leaving no traces behind. I stumbled upon a report from the Dublin Intelligence Office, stating that earlier this year, two grain merchants had purchased a large amount of grain, worth tens of thousands of pounds, with the help of some Irishmen."
The Dublin Intelligence Office was primarily responsible for countering Irish rebellion forces, making it one of the most capable intelligence agencies under the British government. At this time, the British Empire was far from the world intelligence leader it would later become. Organizations like MI6 and Scotland Yard didn't exist yet, and the British, having embraced liberal ideas early on, were highly resistant to government intelligence agencies. This led to Britain's intelligence capabilities being relatively mediocre among the great powers.
Pitt continued, "You know, those Irish have always had ties with the French, so I became suspicious and asked Lloyd's of London to investigate further . Sure enough, they found some clues. For instance, British grain merchants reported that the buyers often spoke French in private and paid in livres. Moreover, France had suffered a serious crop failure and was in desperate need of grain. In short, the investigation suggests that the French are likely behind the disruptions in our grain market."
Britain had also suffered from a severe drought this year, leading to a significant reduction in grain production. However, Britain had been a grain exporter for decades, and the country had large reserves of grain, supported by an efficient river transport system, so the situation hadn't reached the point of famine.
But when Pitt tried to mobilize grain supplies to the hardest-hit areas, he was shocked to discover that someone had been buying up vast quantities of grain since the beginning of the year, even emptying the reserves of many cities!
Once this news broke, grain prices in the British market skyrocketed. Although the government imposed strict price controls, they couldn't prevent a black market from emerging—similar to what had previously happened in Paris.
With some of Britain's worst-hit regions on the brink of unrest due to food shortages, Pitt had no choice but to subsidize grain prices to stabilize the market. While this ultimately prevented riots, it cost the government fifty to sixty thousand pounds—a loss equivalent to 1.4 million livres.
Members of the opposition, led by Fox, seized upon this issue to launch a ferocious attack on Pitt, leaving him thoroughly embarrassed.
The Duke of Leeds chuckled upon hearing this. "It's as if the French knew they were going to have a bad harvest this year. But it doesn't really matter what the truth is; we can use this incident to gain Parliament's support for your special funding request."
Pitt shot him an approving glance. "Indeed. Once Parliament learned that the French were behind the grain price surge, no one objected to the funding."
The Duke of Leeds nodded. "Those in Parliament have no idea how serious it would be if the French, under the pretext of 'eradicating piracy,' managed to seize control of North Africa. They could significantly offset the colonial losses they suffered in the Americas. We've sacrificed so many soldiers and so much money during the Seven Years' War for those colonies. Yet Fox and his followers are willing to let the French get away with North Africa over a bit of funding."
Pitt said, "Fortunately, we now have the funds. Fifty thousand pounds is no small sum."
"Unfortunately, we have to consider the Russians' stance," General Jervis frowned and shook his head. "We can't directly send troops to North Africa."
"Send troops?" The Duke of Leeds discreetly rolled his eyes. "No, North Africa isn't within our sphere of influence; it's too close to Spain and France. Supporting the local powers is the best option."
Pitt nodded, then looked at Jervis. "General, in your professional opinion, where are the French most likely to strike?"
Though the British had gathered information about France's North African strategy through their intelligence network in France and the Duke of Orléans, they could only speculate on the specifics.
Admiral Jervis thought for a moment and said, "I believe their target is likely Algiers."
"Can you explain your reasoning?" asked Pitt.
Jervis nodded. "First, Morocco is too far from France and within Spain's sphere of influence, so it's unlikely the French will go there. Second, the Bey of Tunis has consolidated his power over more than twenty years and is now well-established. Additionally, Tunis is wealthy, so the French would find it difficult to secure a quick victory there. Tripoli is similar. Although it's not as wealthy as Tunis, its Pasha has a strong military, especially its navy. Therefore, whether it's Tunis or Tripoli, as long as they can hold out against the French for a few months, the Ottomans are likely to intervene. The French know that we won't stand idly by while they expand, so they'd be forced to retreat back to the northern Mediterranean."
Pitt nodded thoughtfully. "It seems Algiers is indeed the most likely target."
Jervis rubbed his temple. "The Janissaries in Algiers are at odds with the navy, and the local factions are no less formidable. The three groups are constantly at each other's throats, creating significant internal strife. If the French manage to win a couple of battles there, the local factions might easily switch sides. Moreover, I've heard that the French and American fleets recently sank two ships belonging to the Algerian navy."
Pitt then looked at the two high-ranking officials before him. "So, what strategies do you propose for dealing with this situation?"
The Duke of Leeds took a sip of his tea before replying, "It would be very difficult to intervene directly in North Africa, given that it's not traditionally within our sphere of influence. So, our first priority should be establishing ties with the local powers."
Pitt nodded. "As Foreign Secretary, that's your area of expertise."
"The Ottomans will be key," the Duke of Leeds continued. "We have strong trade relations with the Ottomans, which we can leverage to influence them. While the Ottomans no longer have much control over North Africa, they certainly don't want the French to become the dominant power there. Therefore, we could use the Ottomans as a conduit for providing support to Algiers. We might even have them grant our representatives some official advisory roles."
Jervis added, "To prevent the local powers in Algiers from siding with the French, it would be best to keep the French fleet at bay in the Mediterranean."
"What do you mean?" asked Pitt.
"We should help Algiers strengthen its coastal fortifications."
*[Footnote:] At that time, Lloyd's of London was the largest insurance service company in Britain. To investigate policyholders and potential insurance fraud, they employed a large number of intelligence agents, making the company's domestic intelligence capabilities surpass those of the British government.
(End of Chapter)
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