I am the Crown Prince of France

Chapter 355: Joseph's Flanking Maneuver

This stretch of iron track, spanning most of Luxembourg, was expensive to build. However, once it connects with the wooden tracks at Verdun—despite the difference in materials, the gauge and other technical specifications are the same—carriages can pass directly over it.

In France, the wooden tracks from Lorraine will connect with the Verdun section within a few months. At that point, Luxembourg's iron ingots can be transported en masse to Nancy for further refining or used in the manufacture of steam engines, lathes, and other machinery. French industrial goods can also be transported from Nancy to Luxembourg and then sold in the Southern Netherlands and even as far as the Netherlands.

While the transportation capacity of wooden tracks with horse-drawn carriages is far less than that of trains, it easily outmatches the road transport of this era and is far more convenient than river transport.

Additionally, Joseph plans to install steam-powered traction systems on the steeper sections of the route to assist horses in pulling the carriages uphill, significantly reducing the need for horsepower.

Freight transport is the backbone of commerce, and commerce is the foundation of a healthy industrial cycle. The extensive construction of wooden tracks within France has laid a solid foundation for the country's industrialization. Compared to other European nations, French factories can rely on track transportation to achieve higher sales volumes and reach more distant customers, allowing for quicker capital turnover, which can then be reinvested into the next production cycle or research and development.

Even without Joseph's direct interventions to boost France's industry, the country would still gain a significant advantage in the Industrial Revolution solely due to its track-based transportation system.

Though constructing the wooden tracks seems to have cost the French government a great deal, in reality, much of that money ended up in the pockets of French ironworks, lumber mills, craftsmen, and the various other sectors supporting these workers. This money would then flow back into the French economy through consumption, promoting national economic growth.

This phenomenon is known in modern terms as "GDP growth." Over a century later, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt would use a similar approach—massive infrastructure projects like road and bridge construction—to bring about an economic revival in America.

As for funding the construction of wooden tracks, for now, it's being covered by loans from the French Treasury. However, Joseph has already instructed the Minister of Commerce to begin planning a model that combines local government debt with shares in the wooden tracks to raise funds from the private sector.

With these modern fundraising methods, France's private sector will be able to contribute enormous amounts of capital to public welfare and infrastructure projects.

Meanwhile, as French steel manufacturers aggressively expand in Luxembourg, Joseph has led the Imperial Guard Corps to the border between Luxembourg and Liège.

According to the battle plan previously devised by the General Staff, they will continue northward, passing through Bavaria's Jülich, then taking the desolate mountain roads at the Aachen-Liège border to bypass Blücher's forces. From there, they will make a sharp turn westward, heading straight for Antwerp.

Antwerp is a province north of Brussels and one of the key centers of the Brabant Revolution.

Yes, Joseph's target is not Carl II's Hanoverian army but the more northern region of Antwerp.

Bertier, turning back to look at the dark red rolling hills behind them and then at the faintly visible Ruhr River ahead, hesitated before urging his horse forward to catch up with the Prince.

"Your Highness," he began, choosing his words carefully, "we're about to leave Luxembourg. I still believe it would be safer if you remained in Luxembourg City. This operation is different from previous battles. We'll be deep in enemy territory, with no reliable supply lines. If something were to happen to you..."

Joseph raised a hand, smiling as he interrupted. "Thank you for your concern, Chief of Staff. But no matter what dangers lie ahead, I must be with my troops."

He gestured toward the soldiers of the Imperial Guard Corps, marching steadily alongside them. "With these brave soldiers by my side, I have nothing to fear."

Joseph understood that only by fighting alongside his men would they truly respect and support him. If the army was shedding blood on the front lines while he enjoyed luxury in the palace, he couldn't blame the soldiers for becoming disillusioned with him.

Napoleon became a god in the hearts of the French people because he earned it by personally leading troops in battle after battle.

Moreover, by serving as the supreme commander in the field, any victory would be credited to him, making it difficult for any officer to overshadow him. In 18th-century Europe, only a king who could lead troops into battle commanded true authority and the respect and loyalty of all social classes, from nobles to peasants.

As for the dangers Bertier mentioned, Joseph had considered those too. He trusted the combat prowess of the Imperial Guard Corps. Even in the worst-case scenario, the custom of ransoms in this era offered a safety net. Any captured noble of standing would be well-treated and cared for. As long as a ransom was paid, they could return home in dignity. The enemy might even escort them a few miles on their way.

So, unless he was extremely unlucky and struck directly by a cannonball—unlikely, given that he would be positioned with the high command, far from the line of fire—there was little chance of fatal danger. The worst outcome would be paying a ransom and going home.

Nearby soldiers, overhearing Joseph's reference to them as "the bravest warriors," quietly cheered, "Long live the Prince!"

"We'll protect the Prince forever!"

"Courage! Honor!"

Bertier, seeing the soldiers' excitement, sighed and said, "Your Highness, I believe that in decades to come, people will recall today as a defining moment."

At the front of the marching column, Napoleon scrutinized the map in confusion before turning to the colonel beside him. "Colonel, it seems we're heading toward Bavarian territory?"

Since morning, he had been puzzled by the silent march and only now realized that the Imperial Guard Corps wasn't going to intercept the Hanoverian army, as the rumors had suggested.

Colonel Dumont nodded and whispered, "Yes, the target is Antwerp. We're taking the desolate mountains south of Aachen to avoid the Prussians."

"Antwerp?" Napoleon was surprised. "What about the Hanoverian army?"

Carl II's forces were now in the southeastern Brussels area, while Antwerp was north of Brussels, meaning they would be maneuvering behind the Hanoverian army.

Colonel Dumont smiled at the rising star in the artillery ranks and explained a bit more. "The original plan was to intercept Carl II west of Louvain, but the Prince proposed using a 'flanking maneuver' to destabilize the enemy's defenses."

(End of Chapter)

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