Life of Being a Crown Prince in France - Chapter 1231 - 1136: Fox’s Disaster
Chapter 1231: Chapter 1136: Fox’s Disaster
April 2, 1797.
Count Florida Blanca and Archbishop Brienne signed the supplementary clauses of the Treaty of Fez after brief negotiations.
France obtained ownership of Ceuta Port and granted Spain the right to supply their ships there.
France and Spain would form a combined fleet (each providing at least five battleships of third level or above, and ten warships of fifth level or above. France would additionally provide twenty-five steam battleships, while Spain would supply the fleet) to jointly cut off the British Navy’s supply to Gibraltar from the sea.
Well, they said they would cut it off, but in reality, it was hardly achievable.
In such a narrow area as the Strait of Gibraltar, the mobility advantage of France’s steam battleships could not be utilized, while the British Navy could rely on their numerical superiority in battleships to engage in positional warfare.
At most, they might take the opportunity to harass transport ships.
However, Joseph knew that historically, the French and Spanish navies did not cooperate well in the Battle of Trafalgar. So, he intended to use the hostilities at Gibraltar to allow the combined fleet to undergo prolonged integration, laying the groundwork for a decisive Atlantic battle in the future.
Additionally, France and Spain would jointly dispatch 14,000 troops to besiege Gibraltar from the land — the place was really too narrow, and so many forces could hardly be deployed — including 6,000 French troops and 8,000 Spanish troops.
The Mediterranean Sea would once again be shrouded in the smoke of war.
…
Saint Petersburg.
In the hall of Gatchina Palace, British Foreign Minister Fox was experiencing the greatest setback of his diplomatic career.
“Do you really understand what I mean?” Fox stared at Count Audittman with incredulous eyes, “I assure you that I can persuade Austria and Prussia to intervene, each sending at least 50,000 troops. Last time’s incident will not happen again.
“And your country will receive all parts east of Warsaw after the war, I also guarantee that the Prussian-Austrian side will accept this condition.”
The Russian Foreign Minister sighed somewhat helplessly: “Hmm, you must have misunderstood. His Majesty the Emperor’s intention is quite clear, our country will implement a friendly policy towards Poland…”
Fox was clearly in a state of agitation, his voice raised a few decibels: “There’s no one else here, stop joking around!
“You and Poland, what word did you use? ’Friendly’? The whole world knows that’s impossible.
“All right, if you accept my proposal, my country can further offer you a low-interest loan of 300,000 British pounds.”
Count Audittman just kept shaking his head: “I have not misspoken, it’s ’friendly,’ or let me use English, ’friendly.’ In fact, we have already sent a state letter to Warsaw.”
“They refused it, and twice at that!” Fox almost howled.
“Hmm, calm down.” Count Audittman stood up, “It’s almost time for the dinner party, we can continue this discussion tomorrow.”
He gestured toward the door, though inwardly he cursed Paul I for the thousandth time.
The British were right, how could Russia be friendly with Poland?
It is the land gateway to Central Europe and contains the vast Eastern European plains, along with millions of Eastern Orthodox followers!
But the Tsar’s attitude was extremely resolute.
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Alfonso V, coveting the territory of Italy, invaded Corsica in 1420. However, upon receiving a call for aid from Queen Giovanna II of Naples, he immediately marched his troops to Naples. Giovanna II’s nation had been successively attacked by Duke Louis II of Anjou of France and his son Louis III, while also facing the disloyalty of mercenaries. In such circumstances, she sought Alfonso V’s help by offering to make him her heir. Alfonso V happily accepted the invitation and became Giovanna II’s adopted son in 1420. But after the danger to Naples was temporarily resolved, the Queen suddenly changed her mind, and her former enemy, Louis III of Anjou, began to gain favor. Louis was adopted as the heir to the Neapolitan throne by the Queen in 1423 but died before the Queen; his brother, Rene of Anjou, claimed his father’s rights. Giovanna II died in 1435. Both Alfonso V and Rene claimed the throne of Naples, leading to a protracted war. In the war, the Pope and major Italian city-states, including the Genoa Republic, declared support for Rene, making Alfonso V’s situation difficult. Particularly in the naval battle of 1435, Alfonso himself was captured. The Genoese handed him over to Duke Filippo Maria Visconti of Milan. Surprisingly, Visconti released Alfonso and allied with him. With the aid of the Duke, Alfonso V achieved several victories, ultimately capturing Naples in 1442, forcing Rene of Anjou to relinquish the throne. Alfonso V moved the entire Aragon court to Naples and settled there. He gathered many intellectuals, scholars, and artists, many of whom were refugees after the fall of Constantinople in 1453. Alfonso V is considered the founder of Spanish stronghold in Italy.
In 1397, Giovanni Medici founded the family bank, accumulating vast wealth by managing the finances for the Pope. In 1434, Cosimo Medici established a “tyranny system” by manipulating politics and exiling opponents, ostensibly maintaining a republic while monopolizing power.
The peak and crisis of Lorenzo’s era:
“The Magnificent” Lorenzo (1469–1492) pursued a policy of balance of power, maintaining peace among Italian city-states and sponsoring Renaissance masters such as Botticelli and Michelangelo. However, the family’s economy declined due to bank bankruptcies and the costs of war, and in 1494, the French invasion resulted in the expulsion of the Medici family.
The brief restoration and end of the Republic:
From 1494–1512, Florence restored the Republic, but under the influence of Savonarola’s religious reforms and external interventions, the political situation remained turbulent. In 1532, Pope Clement VII (a member of the Medici family) appointed Alessandro de’ Medici as the hereditary Duke, officially turning the Republic into the Florence Duchy.
4. The Grand Duchy of Tuscany and modern transformation (16th–19th century)
Cosimo I’s centralization reforms:
In 1569, Cosimo I was bestowed with the title of Grand Duke of Tuscany by the Pope, establishing a centralized government and relocating the capital to Florence. He promoted agricultural reforms, expanded the Uffizi Palace, and centralized the administrative structure, laying the foundation for a modern bureaucratic system.
Economic decline and Italian unification:
The opening of new trade routes led to the decline of Mediterranean trade, and Florence’s woolen textile industry and financial sector weakened. In 1860, the Grand Duchy of Tuscany joined the Kingdom of Italy via a referendum, and Florence, once the center of the Renaissance, where humanists like Bruni and Machiavelli advocated civic virtue and the republican ideal. Machiavelli’s The Prince and The History of Florence analyzed the essence of power, becoming foundational works in modern political science, briefly became the capital of Italy (1865–1871), ultimately ceding this role to Rome.
