Chapter 354 Joseph's detours
Chapter 355 Joseph's detour
Although this section of railroad that spans most of Luxembourg is expensive, once it is connected to the wooden track in Verdun - although the material is different, the technical parameters such as the track gauge are exactly the same, and the carriages running on the track can pass directly.
In France, the wooden track in Lorraine will be connected to the Verdun part in a few months. At that time, Luxembourg's iron ingots can be transported to Nancy in large quantities for further refining, or used to manufacture steam engines, boring machines and other machinery.
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At the same time, French industrial products can also be transported from Nancy to Luxembourg, and then sold from here to the Southern Netherlands and even the Netherlands.
Although the transportation capacity of wooden tracks + horse-drawn carriages is far less than that of trains, it can instantly kill the horse-drawn carriage road transportation of this era, and its convenience is far superior to river transportation.
Moreover, Joseph was also going to set up a steam engine auxiliary dragging system on the steeper sections along the way to assist the horses to go uphill, thereby greatly reducing the consumption of horsepower.
Freight transportation is the foundation of commerce, and commerce is the basis for ensuring the virtuous cycle of industry.
It can be said that the large number of wooden tracks built in France has laid a solid foundation for the start of France's industrialization.
Compared with other European countries, with the same output, French factories can rely on wooden rail transportation to achieve higher sales and reach a more distant customer base. So as to recover funds faster and invest in the next round of production or research and development.
It can be foreseen that even without Joseph's help for French industry, France can gain a huge advantage in the industrial revolution with rail transportation alone.
And the construction of wooden tracks seems to have cost the French government a lot of money, but in fact, the money finally went into the pockets of French ironworks, lumberyards, craftsmen and even people of all classes who served craftsmen. Then the money will enter the French economic cycle through consumption and promote the country's economic development.
This was later called "GDP growth". More than a century later, the US President Roosevelt brought economic revival to the United States by building a large number of roads, bridges and other infrastructure.
As for the source of funds for the wooden track, the French Reserve Bank is still providing loans for the time being. However, Joseph has asked the Minister of Commerce to start planning to raise funds from the private sector in the form of local government debt + wooden track equity.
With these fundraising models that are very common in later generations, the French private sector can definitely provide a huge amount of funds when it comes to people's livelihood and infrastructure construction.
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Just as French steel manufacturers were expanding in Luxembourg, Joseph had led the Guards Corps to the border between Luxembourg and Liege.
According to the combat plan previously formulated by the General Staff, they will continue to go north, passing through JΓΌlich in Bavaria, taking the desolate mountain road at the junction of Aachen and Liege to bypass BlΓΌcher's army, and then turn west sharply and go straight to Antolf.
Antolf is a province north of Brussels, and it is an important birthplace of the Brabant Uprising.
Yes, Joseph's target is not Karl II's Hanover Army, but Antolf further north.
Berthier turned around and looked at the dark red rolling hills behind him, and then at the vaguely visible Ruhr River in front of him. After hesitating for a moment, he urged his horse to catch up with the horse of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.
"Your Highness," he organized his words, "Look, we are about to leave Luxembourg. I still think it is safer for you to stay in Luxembourg City.
"This battle is different from the previous ones. We have to go deep into the enemy's hinterland, and there is no sufficient logistical support. What if you..."
Joseph raised his hand and interrupted him with a smile: "Thank you very much for your concern, Mr. Chief of Staff.
"But no matter what danger I encounter, I must be with my army."
He gestured to the soldiers of the Guards who were quietly marching beside him: "With these bravest soldiers, I will not be in any danger."
Joseph knew very well that only by going through life and death with the soldiers, they will truly believe in you and support you.
If the army is bleeding on the front line, and you are sitting in the palace and spending money, don't blame the soldiers for being alienated from you.
Napoleon could become the eternal god in the hearts of the French because he fought battle after battle at the front.
And he went to war with the army as the supreme commander, so the victory of the army was his victory. If any officer wanted to dominate the army with his prestige, he would not be able to overcome him first.
In 18th century Europe, only the king who could lead the army to fight could control the situation and win the respect and support of all classes from nobles to peasants.
As for the danger mentioned by Berthier, Joseph also had a sense of measure in his heart.
Not to mention that he had enough confidence in the combat effectiveness of the Guards Corps, even if he encountered an accident, there was still the rule of ransom in this era.
Any nobleman of status who was captured would be entertained by the enemy with good food and drink and taken care of in every possible way. As long as the prisoner of war could pay a ransom, he could return to his home in a decent manner. The enemy would even send him several miles away before leaving.
So unless he was unlucky enough to be hit directly by a shell - he was usually in the position of the commander-in-chief, and it was impossible for a bullet to shoot so far - otherwise there was basically no possibility of being killed on the spot. The worst-case scenario is that they have to pay the ransom and go home.
When the soldiers nearby heard what Joseph said about "the bravest warrior", they immediately cheered in a low voice, "Long live His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"
"Always protect His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"
"Courage! Glory!"
Berthier looked at the excited soldiers and sighed helplessly: "Your Highness, I believe that this scene will appear in the stories told by people decades later."
At the front of the marching column, Napoleon confusedly distinguished on the map, and then looked at the colonel officer beside him: "Commander, we seem to be heading towards Bavaria?"
Although he was a little surprised since the morning why they were marching in silence today, it was not until this time that he realized that the Guards Corps was not going to intercept the Hanoverian army as rumored.
Colonel Dumont nodded and whispered: "Yes, the target is Antorf. In order to avoid the Prussians, we have to cross the barren mountains south of Aachen."
"Antorf?" Napoleon was a little surprised, "What about the Hanoverian army?"
The army of Karl II was already in the southeast of Brussels, while Antorf was north of Brussels, which meant that they had to go around behind the Hanoverian army.
Colonel Dumont smiled and said a few more words to the artillery major who had performed quite well recently: "Originally, the General Staff planned to meet Charles II west of Longen, but His Royal Highness the Crown Prince proposed to implement the 'circumvention' tactic to mobilize the enemy's defense line."
