Life of Being a Crown Prince in France - Chapter 1104 - 1010: King of Egypt

Chapter 1104: Chapter 1010: King of Egypt

“Really? That’s great.”

Darsun quickly realized his mistake after speaking and coughed dryly, “Ahem, you are raising the prestige of the Imperial Guard, how can it be said that you are helping me?”

Muhammad Ali caressed his coffee cup and smiled, “I’ve heard that if Austria defeats the Prussians, they will soon become strong enough to pose a serious threat to France.

“And the latest war news shows that the Prussians are struggling on the battlefield.

“If at this time someone launched an attack on Southern Austria, it would significantly restrain the forces Austria could deploy to the northern front.”

Darsun was taken aback, about to deny it when he saw Muhammad Ali wave his hand again:

“Actually, I don’t quite understand these things. But Baron Meimark is my best friend, and he is your friend, so I want to offer you whatever help I can.”

“I thank you on behalf of Baron Meimark.” Darsun hesitated for a moment and added, “It’s just, do you have enough troops? I mean, enough to impact the armies of Vienna.”

Judging from Muhammad Ali’s attire, he seemed to be only a mid-level officer of the Imperial Guard, with presumably not much military command.

“There is a rebellion happening in Greece.” Muhammad Ali said, “And I am the commander of the suppression force. The Grand Vizier has entrusted me with an army of 8,000.”

Darsun was about to say, “That’s far from enough,” when the junior officer said, “However, I have lived in Albania for a long time, which is an important factor for me being sent to suppress the rebellion in Greece.”

Albania is just north of Greece, less than 100 kilometers away.

“I have connections with many tribes in Albania, as long as I can offer enough benefits, their soldiers can follow me on expeditions at any time.”

Darsun was overjoyed and quickly asked, “So, how can they be persuaded?”

“Roughly 90,000 Sultan gold coins would enable 1,000 soldiers to risk their lives for me. Oh, that’s 540,000 franc.”

Darsun immediately fell silent.

With the combat power of the Ottoman people, at least 50,000 troops are required to make Vienna uneasy, possibly more Albanian soldiers.

That is to say, it would require 2.3 million franc, whereas Talleyrand only provided him with 800,000 franc and some political benefits.

He sighed and said, “But I’m afraid I can’t come up with that kind of money…”

The junior officer spread his hands and said, “Only 1 million franc, maybe you could borrow some from Baron Meimark.”

“1 million? That’s only about 18,000 soldiers, plus your troops, that’s just 26,000 people.”

Muhammad Ali shook his head repeatedly, “No, no, not that many, only 20,000 in total, and I also need to save some money to purchase logistics supplies.”

Darsun also shook his head, “But such a small number of people are not enough to shake Bucharest…”

The junior officer confidently said, “That’s enough.”

“Last time Lord Mustafa took 110,000 troops but failed to win.”

Muhammad Ali eyes locked onto him, seriously saying, “That’s because I wasn’t commanding the battle. Please believe me, 20,000 men are enough to stir up Wallachia.

“Of course, if you could provide seven to eight thousand flintlock guns, I would be even more confident. You know, the Albanians are impoverished, most lack decent weapons.”

Darsun met his gaze for a few seconds before finally nodding, “I will try to prepare as many guns as I can, but it will take some time.”

“I’m leaving for Greece in three days, Baron, we can meet in Leish.”

…

Paris.

A wooden platform was set up in the square of the Tuileries Palace with a red banner hanging above it that read “Kerosene Refinery Equipment Bidding Meeting.”

Below the platform, dozens of people dressed in various attires were divided into four small groups, each whispering to one another.

At exactly ten in the morning, the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Industry and a few officials briskly walked onto the platform, and the crowd below immediately quieted down, all eyes on him.

Meanwhile, in a room on the second floor of the Tuileries Palace, Joseph was also looking out at the scene in the square through the window.

—————————–

Because I went to the hospital this afternoon, there’s still a little bit I haven’t finished writing. Please refresh and check back in half an hour. The author apologizes deeply.

Muhammad Ali (1769-1849) was born into an Albanian family in Kavala, Greece, and was originally an officer of the Ottoman Empire.

After Napoleon’s invasion of Egypt in 1798, he participated with the Ottoman army and gradually rose to prominence. In 1805, he was elected Governor of Egypt after taking advantage of the Egyptian people’s uprising against Mamluk rule, nominally subjecting to the Ottoman Empire while actually establishing an independent regime.

2. Consolidating Rule and Reform

(1) Political Reform

Eradicating Mamluk Power: In 1811, Ali lured and killed over 470 Mamluk leaders under the guise of a banquet (known in history as the “Saladin Castle Massacre”), completely eliminating this feudal military group. Centralization: Established a modern administrative system, set up central institutions and local-level governments, weakening religious influence on politics.

(2) Economic Reform

Land System: Abolished tax farming system, nationalized land, and distributed it to farmers, promoting cotton cultivation, making Egypt a major cotton-producing country. Industrial Development: Founded munitions factories, textile mills, and other modern industries, introduced European technologies and equipment, monopolized foreign trade to increase national revenue.

(3) Military Modernization

Formed new-style army and navy, hired European instructors for training, established military academies to cultivate officers. By 1839, Egyptian army reached 250,000, becoming the strongest armed force in the Middle East.

(4) Culture and Education

Sent students to study in Europe, founded secular schools and printing houses, published the Arabic newspaper “Egyptian Chronicles,” promoting the spread of knowledge. 3. Foreign Expansion and Empire Building

Ali launched multiple expansion wars centered on Egypt:

Arabian Peninsula (1811–1818): Suppressed the Wahhabis, controlled the Hijaz region. Sudan (1820–1822): Conquered Sudan, obtaining resources and military manpower. Syria and Ottoman War (1831–1840): Defeated Ottoman army, briefly controlled Palestine, Syria, and parts of Turkey, attempting to establish a trans-Asian-African Empire. 4. Failures and Legacy

In 1840, England joined the European powers to force Ali to withdraw his troops, retaining only hereditary rule over Egypt. His reforms failed due to over-expansion, heavy taxes on farmers, and interference from great powers

. However, his reforms laid the foundation for Egypt’s modernization:

Evaluation: Marx called him “the only living part of the Ottoman Empire,” and Stavrianos praised him as “the first Middle Eastern ruler to effectively utilize Western technology.” Legacy: Abolishing feudal fragmentation, promoting industrialization and education, he is hailed as the “Father of Modern Egypt,” with his family ruling Egypt until 1952.

Muhammad Ali’s reforms, although not entirely successful, initiated Egypt’s modern transformation, making it the most dynamic country in the Middle East in the 19th century.