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The Crown Prince of France - Chapter 275
🕑 Added 2025-06-21 19:05:01 +0000 UTCChapter 275: Open Conspiracy
Joseph calmly reviewed the report on the two British spies. Such antics from the British no longer fazed him—he might even feel unsettled if they weren’t scheming about something.
The spies had been captured under the direct leadership of Ishak Pasha.
Thanks to detailed intelligence, the agents were apprehended before they could resort to poison. Tunisian operatives had subdued them swiftly.
Ishak Pasha had also uncovered a trove of useful documents from their hidden quarters, leaving no doubt about their identities as spies, even without interrogation.
“Besides confirming they’re from the British Naval Intelligence Bureau, is there any other valuable information?” Joseph set the concise report aside and turned to Ishak Pasha.
Ishak Pasha shook his head with a touch of resignation. “Your Highness, those two only received orders but weren’t even privy to the officer who issued them. After that, they were smuggled aboard a merchant vessel and landed at Tunis Port disguised as Italian merchants.”
Joseph sighed and shook his head. “Send them to Paris. Have Talleyrand take them to Britain—squeeze as many concessions as possible. Oh, and it would be ideal to use them to negotiate the return of Jeanne. That would certainly please Her Majesty the Queen.”
He was well aware that the British government, shameless as ever, would deny the spies’ affiliation even with irrefutable evidence. If cornered, they might pay a ransom at best.
Jeanne, the central figure of the Diamond Necklace Affair, had been hiding in Britain, infuriating Queen Marie every time her name was mentioned. Trading two spies for his mother’s satisfaction, while salvaging some of France’s dignity, seemed far more worthwhile than a monetary exchange.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Ishak Pasha bowed and left to carry out the order. However, he returned less than ten minutes later, his expression grave. “Your Highness, intelligence has just arrived from Tripoli. Four days ago, over 10,000 Ottoman troops landed there, appointing Ali Benjiul as Pasha.”
Joseph’s brow furrowed deeply. Previously, Morocco’s troop reinforcements to Algiers had seemed insignificant. But now, with the sudden emergence of over 10,000 Ottoman soldiers east of Tunis—accompanied by British involvement—this was far from a coincidence.
His first instinct was to write to Paris, urging the General Staff to reinforce Tunis in anticipation of any contingency.
Yet, as he picked up his pen, he paused.
The British weren’t fools. They wouldn’t assume that a force of 20,000 North African soldiers, supplemented by 10,000 Ottomans, could destabilize France’s hold on Tunis. These armies, given their combat capabilities, could be thwarted by the mere dispatch of 20,000 additional French troops, rendering Tunis impregnable.
So, what was the British intent?
Joseph’s gaze drifted to the Mediterranean map on the wall, his eyes narrowing. Toulon Port was just over 400 nautical miles from Tunis, yet the sea separated the two shores of the Mediterranean.
Even if only 20,000 French troops were sent to Tunis, their logistics would demand the same resources as any overseas garrison. Given the current financial state of Tunis, it was already struggling with unpaid taxes from numerous tribal groups. Even if tax collection were smooth, maintaining such a garrison would heavily strain the local economy.
As for achieving a swift and decisive victory by crushing both Algiers and Tripoli, that was even less feasible.
France neither had the capacity nor the desire to ignite a large-scale conflict in North Africa.
The nation's finances had just begun to recover, and domestic reforms required substantial funding. Any military campaign in North Africa could plunge France’s finances back into turmoil.
Moreover, whether France attacked Algiers or Tripoli first, the other would undoubtedly strike at Tunis, leaving French forces overstretched. Only by deploying additional troops could France hold both fronts, which would exacerbate the fiscal burden.
Even if France spared no expense to defeat both adversaries, annexing them would pose immense challenges. While holding the relatively small Tunis might be tolerable to European powers, swallowing Algiers and Tripoli—most of North Africa—would mean controlling an area far larger than mainland France and dominating Mediterranean trade routes.
Such expansion would be intolerable to other European powers. Britain could easily form coalitions to pressure France into relinquishing its North African gains or even deploy fleets to intervene.
The British Parliament might not risk offending Russia and the United States over Tunis alone. But for most of North Africa? The British MPs would eagerly grant William Pitt the Younger war powers.
At present, France was no match for Britain in the Mediterranean. Historically, after silently building warships for over a decade and allying with Spain and the Netherlands, France still suffered a crushing defeat against Britain at the Battle of Trafalgar. How could it fare better now?
On the other hand, committing a large force to North Africa without annexing Algiers and Tripoli was equally untenable. The immense military expenditure would go unrecovered, severely straining France's finances and exacerbating domestic tensions.
For France, the optimal strategy was to maintain a sizable garrison in Tunis, draining its financial resources.
This effectively rendered Tunis unproductive for France over a prolonged period.
Joseph unconsciously drummed his fingers on the desk. “The British are playing an open conspiracy...”
...
On the western edge of Europe, Lisbon Harbor.
Aboard the British third-rate ship-of-the-line Colossus, which had just completed resupply and was preparing to set sail, there came a knock on the door of the officers’ quarters. Outside, a voice called: “Marquis, a message from Constantinople.”
“The door’s open. Come in,” replied the Marquis of Wellesley.
Lord Talmos, the newly appointed British envoy to the Maghreb, entered the cabin, handing a sealed report to the British Foreign Secretary. “Hamid I is critically ill. Their Prime Minister, Yusuf, seems uninterested in threatening Tunis.
“In fact, according to our informants, the Ottomans merely intend to use their garrison in Tripoli to intimidate the Mamluk officers in Egypt.”
...
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