The Fox of France

Chapter 302: Unexpected Encounters

It began with the deployment of technical personnel, dispatched to both countries for fundamental assessments and selecting factories. Naturally, this wasn't a swift affair—whether in the East or the West, administrative efficiency wasn't exactly their strong suit. The bureaucratic pace, especially in the Western sphere, moved slower than a sloth in a hurry.

But these two contracts signaled something bigger—a European-wide arms upgrade. When news broke about the "Bonaparte Armaments" transferring technology to Russia and Turkey, assisting in establishing brand-new armament factories, the entire continent stirred.

Joseph and Napoleon initially assumed Austria would be the first to make moves. Considering the immense tensions among Gaul, East Gaul, and the Green Vines in the Balkans, Austria couldn't possibly stand by while these two disrupted the balance of power.

Surprisingly, the first visitor knocking on their door wasn't Austrian—it was the Americans.

Initially, the Americans weren't there to discuss factory matters; they were concerned about their "special interests" in "New Orleans."

The American envoy was Robert Livingston, their Secretary of State, also their first in history. His selection alone underscored the importance the Americans placed on this mission.

New Orleans sat at the mouth of the Mississippi River, the world's third-largest basin. Much of America's territory bordered this river or its tributaries.

The fertile lands along the Mississippi made it a prime agricultural region. At that time, America's industry hadn't fully blossomed; it was predominantly an agrarian economy. And the Mississippi River basin was critical for their agriculture.

Unlike the agrarian focus of a certain Eastern giant, American agriculture was profit-driven from the start. The expansive and fertile lands allowed America to produce more food than it needed. Exporting this surplus became a cornerstone of their economy.

In an era without trains, goods traversed inland through two main avenues: river transport or heavy-loaded carts. The latter was mostly suitable for smaller quantities of high-value items. Shipping grains primarily relied on river transportation.

The Mississippi River was exceptionally suited for navigation, with its main channel stretching from the mouth to Minneapolis, covering a span of 3400 kilometers. Including tributaries, over 50 navigable streams existed. With depths exceeding 2.7 meters, utilizing this river system meant convenient and cost-effective transport of agricultural produce to the coast, loading onto ships, and profitable sales in Europe.

However, the Americans didn't entirely control the Mississippi. Significant stretches of the river, especially the crucial entry point, were in Louisiana. The entry point? New Orleans.

During the Spanish rule in Louisiana, the Americans, taking advantage of Spain's decline, signed the Pinckney Treaty, securing navigation rights on the entire Mississippi and access to New Orleans' port facilities.

Frankly, the Pinckney Treaty was hardly fair to Spain; the passage fee the Americans paid was symbolic, almost obtaining these rights for free.

Now, with the Pinckney Treaty nearing expiration and Louisiana falling into French hands, the situation changed. The French were far more assertive than the Spanish. With control over the Mississippi and New Orleans, the French had something crucial in their hands—a piece America relied on.

Initially, the Americans hoped to unsettle and support the independence of Saint-Domingue, making it a weak point for the French in the Americas, then address the issue later.

In historical accounts, Robert Livingston proposed the purchase of New Orleans from France after Napoleon's expedition to Saint-Domingue suffered a decisive defeat. Facing the loss of Saint-Domingue and looming European tensions, Napoleon had to accept the American proposal, ultimately selling all of Louisiana to the Americans at a low price (actually, without New Orleans, maintaining control over the entry point was impossible).

However, things were different now. The French had negotiated with Dussan Lucidur, essentially resolving the issue. Besides, during the battles involving the "Freedom Trader," their ship had showcased astonishing prowess, eliminating a third of the American navy in two encounters. So, the suggestion of buying New Orleans wasn't even on the table. The Americans were there to discuss continued use of the Mississippi for navigation and access to New Orleans' port.

This negotiation wasn't too tricky. Although France had initiated migration activities to North America and sent Europeans there, it wasn't time for a fallout yet. North America was a crucial market for European industrial goods, particularly French products. They couldn't afford to fall out with their major source of income.

Conversely, the Americans also wished to maintain relations with France. It was partly due to British pressure and partly because offending France could hinder American agricultural products' access to European markets.

So, despite historical tensions where American and French navies nearly tore each other apart in the Caribbean, they never declared war. Their merchant ships still peacefully traversed each other's ports, even while observing naval battles from the sidelines.

In this timeline, even after the "Freedom Trader" obliterated the "America" super cruiser near New Orleans, inhabitants, be they French, Spanish, or American, witnessed it all. Yet, life went on as usual—American merchant vessels continued to dock at New Orleans.

Thus, while the Americans aimed to maintain access to waterways and ports, it wasn't a difficult feat. However, achieving the unrestricted access they had during the Spanish rule would likely prove challenging. With the Saint-Domingue plan at least temporarily failing and the maritime results unfavorable for America, even after the "Freedom Trader" departed from the Americas, the shadow it cast on the fledgling American navy lingered. So, it boiled down to straightforward negotiations.

Apart from navigation rights on the Mississippi and access to New Orleans' port, Robert Livingston had another task: purchasing steel cannons from France.

Initially, when the French showcased steel muzzle-loading cannons at the Baja Expo, the Americans did consider them. However, due to the high cost and having their own artillery industry, mass acquisition of these cannons would've harmed their domestic manufacturers' interests. Thus, they bought a few, similar to the British, for testing and trial in their own armament factories, attempting to replicate them.

However, reverse engineering, usually problematic in terms of craftsmanship and materials, posed major hurdles. While the British mainly encountered the second issue while replicating French steel cannons, the Americans faced both. And as of now, they hadn't found solutions.

Fortunately, until then, there weren't many steel cannons in North America. No one had much of an upper hand, so the pressure on Americans to swiftly replace their bronze cannons with steel wasn't high. Even though various tests proved steel cannons far superior in terms of accuracy and firepower.

However, this situation changed swiftly. First, the "Freedom Trader" using steel cannons thrashed both the "America" and the "Congress" at a safe distance. One of the conclusions drawn from this battle by the Americans was: without steel cannons, they were essentially powerless in naval battles from then on.

Following that, the French forces in Louisiana started equipping themselves with steel cannons. And that wasn't the worst part. Even the Canadians began arming themselves with steel cannons. In fact, not long ago, during a skirmish with the Dakota Indians, the Americans confiscated a 1.5-inch caliber lightweight steel cannon—possibly developed by the British (since the French avoided making such caliber weapons after adopting the metric system). This cannon could be carried by two people and towed by two horses, yet its firing range and power far surpassed American 6-pound and 8-pound cannons.

So, Robert Livingston

's visit to France also included the purpose of ordering more steel cannons—despite the discontent brewing among the domestic armament factories, the situation left no choice.

Upon arriving in America, Robert Livingston discovered that the French were willing to sell enterprises capable of manufacturing these cannons. This was... Robert calculated for a moment—while the material issue remained unsolved, at least the craftsmanship problem wasn't an issue anymore!

Of course, that wasn't the most crucial aspect. Importing this technology would keep the domestic armament factories afloat, garnering him more support.