January 16th, 1801 Palace of Versailles. Inside Napoleon's office, the Minister of War, Berthier, handed Napoleon an official document detailing the situation in Northern Italy.
"Everything is written there, Your Excellency," Berthier said, "General Brune signed the Armistice of Treviso with Austrian General Heinrich von Bellegarde, effectively ending the war in Northern Italy."
Napoleon took the document from Berthier and quickly scanned through its contents. His face remained composed, but his eyes flickered with satisfaction at the news.
"Good work, Berthier," Napoleon said, nodding approvingly. "With this, the Austrians have no means of continuing the war against us."
"Not only that, Your Excellency," Berthier interjected, "but with the defeat of the Austrian Empire, only the Kingdom of Naples and the Portuguese Empire remain as threats to France. However, neither of them offered much of a fight."
"I couldn't care less about them," Napoleon said dismissively. "They were never contenders in the first place. I'm sure they'll be quick to sue for peace the moment the Austrians sign a treaty with us."
Napoleon leaned back in his chair, contemplating the situation. "It seems like our dominance in the region is solidifying," he said with confidence. "We have dealt with the Austrians, and the other remaining kingdoms will fall in line soon enough."
"Don't forget the United Kingdom, Your Excellency," Berthier reminded. "Their naval blockade in the Bay of Biscay, the English Channel, and the Strait of Gibraltar is hurting our economy. We can't trade with the United States, the territories in South America, and Asia. So far we are making up the losses by trading with our colonies in Africa and the Middle East, but it's not enough to sustain our economic needs in the long term."
"I know," Napoleon acknowledged the threat. "That's why I already drafted a new bill that would allow us to counter the United Kingdom's dominance of the waves."
Napoleon pulled a document out of a drawer and handed it to Berthier.
"What is this, Your Excellency?" Berthier asked.
"This is a bill for modernizing our navy," Napoleon explained. "It aims to upgrade the naval infrastructure of the major shipyards and ports of the French Republic. With these upgrades, we can accommodate new types of warships that will soon replace the traditional warships powered by sails."
"Replace?" Berthier repeated, interjecting at Napoleon's explanation. "What do you mean by that, Your Excellency?"
"Well, Berthier, during the Exhibition of Products of French Industry, there was a new type of ship introduced by French naval engineer, Jacques-No?l Sané, called a steamship. Unlike our current ships, it doesn't rely on sails but rather on the reciprocating steam engine."
Berthier examined the document, his curiosity piqued. "So, Your Excellency, this bill aims to prepare our shipyards to construct these steam-powered warships?"
"Exactly," Napoleon confirmed. "We need to modernize our shipbuilding facilities to accommodate the construction and maintenance of these new vessels. The steam engines will require specialized workshops and skilled engineers to assemble and maintain them."
Berthier nodded, starting to grasp the implications of the modernization effort. "It's a significant investment," he remarked.
"It's necessary for the future of our navy. Steamships will revolutionize naval warfare, and we must be at the forefront of this technological advancement. What's more, I'm pretty sure the British had already caught on to the potential of steamships, which all the more reasons to act swiftly," Napoleon said with a determined expression. "You know what happened when a nation lagged behind in terms of technology, right?"
Memories of their previous campaign in Egypt, Syria, and the Middle East flitted across Berthier's mind—a complete decimation of the enemy forces, facing modern infantry troops armed with advanced weaponry.
From that, he immediately grasped the situation and the urgency.
"How about our weapons that we used in Egypt, has the United Kingdom acquired one rifle?" Berthier inquired.
Napoleon shook his head. "I don't know but we cannot deny the possibility of the United Kingdom trying to get one. I'm sure they are doing everything it takes to get a copy of our rifles, machine guns, and artillery pieces. We cannot afford to underestimate their intelligence operations."
"Hmm…what would happen if they were to acquire one, Your Excellency?"
"If they were to acquire one of our advanced rifles or artillery pieces, it could be disastrous," Napoleon replied, a serious expression on his face. "Our military technology is one of our greatest advantages, and if the United Kingdom gains access to it, they could reverse-engineer or replicate our weaponry. It would level the playing field and pose a significant threat to our national security. Not only the United Kingdom but their allies. The Austrian Empire, the Russian Empire, Kingdom of Prussia…" he trailed off.
"Well, the good thing is that they don't have them yet, but that doesn't mean we can afford to be complacent. We need to be proactive in preventing those weapons from falling into the enemy's hands. The best way to achieve that is by increasing security measures and enforcing strict control over our military arsenals, something I have yet to do."
"In that case, Your Excellency, good luck and I'll leave you on that," Berthier bowed his head. "I will be on my way now, should you need something from me, you can send a telegraph to the headquarters."
"Thank you, Berthier," Napoleon replied. "You may leave now, as I will have to prepare myself to discuss the peace treaty we are going to sign with the Austrians with the Minister of Foreign Affairs."
Berthier nodded in acknowledgment before handing back the bill that Napoleon had given him.
When Berthier left, Napoleon stretched his arms and let out a sigh. There is a lot of work ahead of him, so he immediately turned his attention back to the document waiting for him on the desk.
As he was about to resume his duties, Beaumont entered his office, a sign that there was someone coming.
"Your Excellency, there is a lady waiting outside with your invitation. I believe she is the applicant for the position of personal maid for your children."
"Ahh!" Napoleon let out a short gasp. He almost forgot that he had an appointment today with the candidate. "Show her in."
"As you wish, Your Excellency," Beaumont said with a slight bow and promptly went to fetch the applicant.
Napoleon tidied up his desk so as to not make a bad impression on the potential personal maid candidate. It wasn't often that he had to personally interview household staff, but he knew the importance of choosing the right person to care for his children.
"I'm going to finish this quickly and move on with my work," Napoleon muttered under his breath.
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