Napoleon in 1812 - Chapter 43

Chapter 43

8. Towards the Peninsula – 1

After leaving his guests from the United States, he was continuing his duties as Emperor of the Empire. Napoleon was sifting through a list of people who illegally collected taxes and deliberately omitted records, that should be handed over to the central government. Somehow a familiar name caught his eye.

Name: Lisarmont Victor Colin Age: 39 years old Birthplace: Old Town, Lyon City Position: Head of Finance at La Croix-Rousse (Paris National Bank). Circumstances of fraudulent collection: …omitted…

Looking at his personal information such as his age, where he came from, etc., he seemed to be the ‘one’ Napoleon used to know.

“Well, there probably aren’t two people in France with this unique name. It’s been a while.’

Lisarmont Victor Colin. He was now from a past relationship that was hard to see again, a relationship from another world. Napoleon, with curiosity and some anticipation, decided to meet him.

“Welcome, Your Majesty, the great Emperor of the French Empire! It-It’s an honor to welcome you here!”

The man bowing was shivering in fear, his voice trembling with flattery. Napoleon ordered him to raise his head and looked carefully at the man’s appearance. He was indeed the ‘one’ from Napoleon’s memory. But he seemed to have been through a lot of trouble.

His shiny golden hair, which used to be like honey in the past, had turned to dull gray, and the appearance of a noble man had changed to a normal French man who could not endure the passage of time. Having experienced both worlds, Napoleon realized something. There was no law that a person who had made a remarkable achievement in the other world must do the same here.

There was an exact example before his eyes.

“When I ascended to the throne, I emphasized the values of equality, freedom and the rule of law the most. Nevertheless, with this disastrous event, the authority of the Empire and the imperial family fell to the ground. There is no day to look up to for the people who supported me.”

“I have sinned to die, Your Majesty! But the little man that I am is nothing but a miscreant who did what his master told him to do! Please think about this!”

“Economic criminals who cut holes in the nation’s tax administration and made their own profits are miscreants… I don’t remember those words being inscribed in the law? Did you dream of taking the imperial throne and amending the new constitution?”

“…P-Please, be merciful! Your Majesty! If you forgive me this once, I will live with it as a sin for the rest of my life! I will never commit injustice or corruption again! I will live in praise of Your Majesty anytime, anywhere!…”

After a bit of a threat, Colin lowered his tail immediately. He was about to cry now.

As the Emperor thought, he made a little fuss in anticipation of something, but he acted like a typical small citizen with his head lowered and sweetened as the atmosphere became harsh. Come to think of it, Colin was originally such a man. Napoleon knew that Lisarmont Victor Colin was a genius at investing in securities, stocks and bonds.

In 1798, after seizing the presidency of the French Republic in a coup, Napoleon founded a state-led bank, the Banque de France. By the way, this central bank also existed in this world. There were differences in structure, equity, utility, and funding, but it was similar.

Colin had entered the banking industry since he was hired as a junior employee at the bank. He had a natural talent for reading through the stock market and the flow of funds. He made numerous contributions, broke his return on investment, and was promoted repeatedly.

By the time Napoleon retired, he eventually became the governor of the central bank. He became the perfect example of a successful story, starting at the bottom of the ladder and reaching the top with only his senses and abilities. Nevertheless, Colin was more famous for his timid, moody and capricious personality.

When competing with overseas financiers in the stock market, he was bolder and more aggressive than anyone else, but he was scared and worried enough to have 50 quards around him out of concern for his safety. Sometimes he took the initiative and led actions against the national policy, judging that ‘this road was more beneficial to the country and the bank’, when it was hard to decide.

In addition, when cornered, he would show his servile and self-reliant side without filtering. How was his life before? It was nothing but alcohol, women, and gambling. Nevertheless, when he entered the market, his eyes changed 180 degrees. He was truly a man of unpredictable tendencies, and no one could have bet on his achievements at first.

‘A man who was even considered to have revived the French financial industry, which was destroyed by the wave of the revolution, is now acting as a hound for ugly capitalists… It’s hard to believe even after seeing him.’

Anyway, there was only one thing Napoleon had to do, as long as he confirmed that this troublemaker with superior abilities was alive and breathing. Giving him a chance he had not received so far.

“You have ears to listen, right? I think you know how the Government and Parliament are now punishing tax fraud recipients. Sadly, however, unlike the other tax collectors, you are a shabby poor man who has squandered all the money he earned from fraud. In principle, the money should be paid back with labor.”

Colin made a face as if the sky were falling. But Napoleon’s words were not over.

“But anyway, giving physical labor to someone who works in finance is not an efficient method. Therefore, after much consideration, I have decided to propose a ‘special mission’ that could enhance the national interest while saving your health. If you accept this and successfully complete it, we will not only offset the guilt of your previous misbehavior, but also provide a reward for the work.”

What should he do? Colin’s answer to this was set. Napoleon’s eyes looking at him secretly glowed. Was Lisarmont Victor Colin of this world special as well?

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Spending a little over a month in Paris was very beneficial to both Napoleon and France.

In particular, he could see with his own eyes how precarious the national treasury of France was, and experience the limits of such a huge Empire and its national capabilities. Napoleon could measure how much time was left for France with his own watch.

The French Empire’s annual revenue in 1811 was about 665 million francs. However, 63 percent of the total was spent on defense. In 1812, when the war grew and prolonged due to the expedition to Russia, the proportion of defense spending increased. On the other hand, the production and the population shrank by the large conscription of soldiers, and revenue fell proportionately.

This was an abnormal state administration and budget execution. It was surprising that the administrative system of the nation and society was maintained in this financial state.

‘Of course it would be impossible to sell bonds for financial support. Those who are as sensitive to the flow of money as financiers cannot be unaware of France’s precarious financial situation. It’s not like the French failed to pay only once or twice in the past.”

Creditworthiness in international financial markets was determined by the government’s ability to reimburse and by past precedents.

Failing to repay the money loaned by financiers was nothing short of a French tradition from the time of the monarchy to the present day. Of course, France’s international financial credibility was at the bottom. This meant that France could no longer borrow money from foreign capitalists. Even if funds were urgently needed, international capitalists and financiers who would accept to lend money to France would be hard to find.

And France could not even ask for financial assistance from its loyal satellite states. The state of these countries, involved in the French war, was about the same. In order to increase its credibility in the international financial market, the government had no choice but to increase its economic weight and prove that it had sufficient ability to repay. Anyway, this was still far way.

If Napoleon had delayed time without seeking a quick end to the Russian expedition, or if he had not been preoccupied with urgent measures, various economic revival policies, and such ‘negotiations’ as soon as he arrived in Paris, it was possible that the state would have declared bankruptcy because it could not find resources anymore. The state of the French Empire was that serious.

‘In the end, all these problems lead to this war. Unless we cut out the cancerous mass that is the Iberian Peninsula, France will inevitably decline and collapse no matter what institutional innovations are achieved.’

It was a little better now, but there were still untreated wounds and illnesses accumulating inside France’s body. To get rid of all of them, a major surgery was required. To do so, he had to deal with the current war.

There was not much evidence needed to judge that the end of the Iberian War was a priority over the remaining reforms.

‘I have put a lot of focus on the urgent matters in France. Now it’s time for government officials and members of the Council to continue by themselves. If they can’t do this, there’s no reason for them to be here.’

From this point on, Napoleon only focused on the preparations for the war on the Iberian Peninsula. A futile war that had lasted for more than four years, an ulcer hanging from the side of the French Empire, a land of death that could not be brought back alive… That was what the war on the Iberian Peninsula was.

All these words were brutal and terrifying, but Napoleon did not even think of the possibility of failure or defeat. This was because he thought there could not be a commander there who could overcome his strategic and tactical abilities. At that time Napoleon did not know much about the Marquis of Wellington, Arthur Wellesley.

On September 13th, 1812, Talleyrand-Périgord, who had been sent as a diplomatic envoy to the Spanish Provisional Government, returned with a message from Fernando VII. The king of the provisional government was Jose I, but it was only a nominal title, and the actual power was in the hands of Crown Prince Fernando VII and the Cádiz Parliament.

Unfortunately, these people had a strong antipathy and hatred towards Napoleon and France. He had expected that it would be difficult to make peace with Spain… Reality, of course, was not much different from what he thought.

Fernando VII and the Cádiz Parliament demanded the Kingdom of Naples and Sicily as part of a peace treaty. And they rejected Napoleon’s call to sever ties with Britain and rejoin the Continental Blockade, dismissing it as absurd.

In fact, they expressed their willingness not to sign a peace treaty. There was nothing more to wait for. Napoleon raised his army on the same day.

“Unless this war is over, I will not return to Paris.”

About 70,000 soldiers in Napoleon’s army, along with marshals such as Berthier, Davout, Ney and Bessières, marched out of Paris.

It was on September 15th, 1812.