I'm the Dauphin in France

Chapter 1119 Paul I: A Man of Daring Ideas and Actions

As soon as Russian troops appear in Afghanistan, the British will immediately drop everything and send troops to surround and block them, just like a cat whose tail has been stepped on.

If Russia could bleed Britain for a few more years in Afghanistan, France's chances of winning the final battle against Britain would increase.

The Russian Foreign Minister was overjoyed. He had thought the French would reject the plan without hesitation, since even he himself found it too absurd. To his surprise, the French Crown Prince agreed immediately.

This is a major diplomatic achievement for him!

Count Osterman immediately nodded repeatedly: "You have made this plan even more perfect, Your Highness the Crown Prince. I believe His Majesty the Emperor will also agree with your point of view."

Joseph smiled and nodded in agreement: "I will have Archbishop Talleyrand go to the Ottomans as soon as possible to negotiate and obtain the right for the fleet to pass through the Bosphorus Strait."

Osterman replied somewhat mysteriously, "Your Highness, perhaps in the future your fleet will be able to pass through there at will, oh, including the Dardanelles Strait."

Joseph narrowed his eyes: "You mean?"

“The kingdom of the infidels will be destroyed!” Osterman said. “His Majesty the Emperor has proposed that our two countries each occupy the Ottoman territories in the Balkans and Anatolia.”

"This is a goal that the Christian world has strived for for thousands of years!"
"When future generations recite the name of God, they will remember the great achievements we made in spreading the Holy Light!"

Joseph sighed inwardly, thinking that Paul I was just as daring and decisive as history had been!

Seeing that he did not object, Osterman continued, "After your troops land in Syria, our country will also launch an attack from the Black Sea direction at the same time."

"The Ottomans were absolutely incapable of fighting on two fronts simultaneously and would soon surrender."

"Of course, Austrians may have a different opinion."

"But they can't change anything in the face of our powerful combined forces."

"In fact, if you need, our country can launch an attack on Austria from the direction of Wallachia."

Joseph thought to himself that if Russia really attacked Austria, France would probably have to send troops to aid Vienna.

No European country would want to share a border with Russia. If Russia were to gain territory in Austria, who knows if the next Tsar might have a moment of madness and cross the Rhine to wage war against France.

However, he still appeared quite interested: "His Majesty the Emperor is truly a strategist of unparalleled caliber!"
"In this way, our country will gain the Mediterranean, and you will gain the entire Black Sea. This will be a truly great crusade."

After exchanging pleasantries, he immediately changed the subject: "However, considering that we will have to commit a large number of troops to India, the war against the Ottomans may be delayed for a few years before it can begin."

Well, if Russia were to jump into Afghanistan, it would be impossible for it to have the national strength to fight a war in the Balkans.

As for Russia, more than a decade later, when it regrouped and brought up the idea of ​​attacking the Ottomans from both sides again?

First, let's see if Paul I lives to that point. Historically, four years later, Russian nobles would stage a coup and kill this tsar who liked to make rash decisions.

By the time Count Osterman finished explaining the Tsar's grand strategy, the ball was drawing to a close. He then brought up a lighter topic: "Your Highness, His Majesty the Emperor has also decided to invest one million rubles and tens of thousands of people to fully develop the Alaskan colony."

More than a decade ago, Russia sent an expedition to explore Alaska, but due to its extreme desolation, large-scale colonization was never undertaken. Only an eccentric Tsar like Paul I could make such a decision—Alaska was too far from Russia's core territory to be effectively governed; by the time Russia had invested heavily in its development, it would either be swallowed up by Canada or the United States.

Count Osterman's next words piqued Joseph's interest: "His Majesty the Emperor has granted Count Boblinsky full exclusive trading privileges over Alaska."

Joseph took a glass of wine from his servant and gestured to the Russian: "To His Majesty the Generous Emperor!"

Count Bobulinsky was a partner in the Twin Trading Company. His acquisition of trading privileges in Alaska essentially meant the company had them.

Putting aside everything else, the fur trade in Alaska alone generates tens of millions of francs annually.

Moreover, this has another advantage: if French interests enter Alaska, they will no longer be able to sit idly by and watch the Americans buy this 170 million square kilometer territory for a small amount of money.

As the last dance music began, Count Osterman said very carefully to Joseph, “Your Highness, you may have heard that His Majesty the Emperor is regarded as the protector of the Knights of Malta. His Majesty intends to send officials to manage the Knights’ garrison and hopes to station a fleet there.”

"You see, this fleet can also provide you with support when we go to war against the Ottomans. It can even join the Combined Fleet to resist the British threat together."

This time, however, a chill flashed in Joseph's eyes.

This Tsar really dared to dream big, extending his reach all the way to the Mediterranean.

He simply forgot who truly controlled the Mediterranean. Even the British fleet had to obediently leave, yet the Russian fleet thought it could easily come and grab a share?

Joseph smiled and nodded, saying, "I personally hope that there will be more of our own warships in the Mediterranean."

"However, I don't seem to have heard anything about the Sovereigns of Malta having a new patron."

Talleyrand immediately chimed in, "If I remember correctly, this requires the Pope's personal signature on the appointment, and it would be best if a cardinal could officiate at the ceremony."

Osterman was taken aback.

The protectors of the Knights were not actually religious officials; they were often held by high-ranking nobles—primarily responsible for providing funding—but strictly speaking, papal approval was indeed required.

However, His Majesty the Tsar was an Orthodox Christian, so how could the Pope of the Catholic Church possibly agree to let him serve as the patron saint of the Knights?

We can't expect the Tsar to convert to Christianity over something so trivial, can we?

Joseph thoughtfully suggested, "How about this, His Majesty the Emperor can send some officials first, and I'll have Archbishop Brian write to the Pope to see if there's any way to resolve this."

"As for the warships, it's best to wait for confirmation from the Vatican before making any decisions, to avoid unnecessary trouble."

Talleyrand added, “As you know, Malta is surrounded by Catholic countries. His Highness is worried that they might cause trouble because of this.”

"Ah, thank you for reminding me, this is indeed the best option at the moment."

Joseph couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "Religion can be really useful sometimes."

(End of this chapter)