Chapter 275: A Cunning Plot
Joseph looked over the report on the two British spies, remaining remarkably calm—if the British weren't causing trouble, he might actually feel a bit uneasy. The spies were captured under the personal direction of Ishaq.
The intelligence was so detailed that the two spies were knocked out by Tunisian agents before they had a chance to commit suicide by poison. Ishaq even found many useful documents in their secret residence, making it easy to confirm their identity as spies without much interrogation.
"Other than confirming they're from the British Naval Intelligence, did we get any other useful information?" Joseph asked, setting aside the brief report and turning to Ishaq.
Ishaq shook his head slightly, disappointed. "Your Highness, they only received orders and didn't even know the officer who issued them. They were smuggled onto a merchant ship and arrived in Tunis posing as Italian merchants."
Joseph sighed and shook his head. "Send them back to Paris. Let Talleyrand take them to Britain and squeeze whatever benefits he can out of it. Oh, and if we can trade them for Jeanne, that would probably make the Queen very happy."
Joseph knew that the British government would stubbornly deny these men were their spies, even if the evidence was undeniable. At most, they might pay a ransom to get them back. But trading them for Jeanne, the main culprit in the Diamond Necklace Affair, who had been hiding in Britain and was a constant source of anger for Queen Marie, would be a way to restore some of France's dignity and please his mother more than any amount of money could.
"Understood, Your Highness."
Ishaq took his leave but returned within ten minutes, his expression serious. "Your Highness, we've just received a report from Tripoli. Four days ago, over ten thousand Ottoman troops landed in Tripoli and declared Benjiur as the new Pasha."
Joseph immediately frowned. Earlier, when Morocco sent reinforcements to Algiers, it was hard to see the bigger picture. But now, with a force of over ten thousand Ottomans appearing in eastern Tunisia at almost the same time, and with British involvement in both places, something clearly wasn't right.
He instinctively reached for pen and paper to write a letter to Paris, requesting the General Staff to send more troops to Tunisia as a precaution.
But just as he was about to write, he hesitated.
The British weren't fools. They wouldn't think that just over twenty thousand North African troops, plus ten thousand Ottomans, could seriously threaten France's position in Tunisia. With the fighting capabilities of these forces, France would only need to send an additional twenty thousand soldiers to make Tunisia impenetrable.
So what were the British really trying to achieve?
Joseph stared at the map of the Mediterranean on the wall, narrowing his eyes. Although Toulon was only about 400 miles from Tunisia, it was still separated by the Mediterranean. Even sending twenty thousand French troops to Tunisia would result in logistics resembling those of an overseas military deployment. Given the current state of Tunisia, maintaining such a force would strain the economy, especially with many of the native tribes not paying taxes. Even if the tax revenue were normal, supporting such a large garrison would have a significant economic impact.
As for quickly defeating Algiers and Tripoli, that was unrealistic.
France was neither willing nor able to wage a large-scale war in North Africa right now. The country's finances had only just begun to recover, and various domestic reforms required substantial funding. Engaging in military action in North Africa at this time could potentially worsen the financial situation again.
Furthermore, if France attacked either Algiers or Tripoli, the other would likely strike Tunisia, leaving the French forces stretched too thin. Sending even more troops would only increase the financial burden.
Even if France did manage to defeat both, it would be hard to hold onto them. Occupying only the relatively small Tunisia didn't provoke much concern in Europe, but adding Algiers and Tripoli would mean controlling most of North Africa—territory far larger than mainland France and dominating much of Mediterranean trade.
This would be unacceptable to other European powers. Britain could then form coalitions and demand that France give up its North African gains, possibly even sending in their fleet to enforce this.
The British Parliament might not be willing to risk conflicts with Russia and America over Tunisia, but if it involved most of North Africa, those British MPs would not hesitate to give Pitt the Younger the green light for war.
France was not yet a match for Britain in the Mediterranean. Historically, even after France had spent over a decade building up its navy, and with the help of Spain and Holland, the combined fleets were annihilated by Britain at the Battle of Trafalgar. How could France hope to succeed now?
Investing heavily in North Africa without annexing Algiers and Tripoli would be even more unacceptable. The huge military expenses would strain the treasury, exacerbating domestic tensions.
For France, the best-case scenario was to maintain a significant military presence in Tunisia, draining the province's financial resources. This would mean Tunisia would contribute little to France for a long time.
Joseph absentmindedly tapped his fingers on the desk. "This is a clever plot by the British..."
...
On the western side of Europe, in the port of Lisbon, the British third-rate warship Goliath was preparing to set sail after completing its resupply. The door to the officers' quarters was knocked, followed by the voice of Lord Tarmos, the newly appointed British envoy to the Maghreb nations. "My Lord Marquis, news from Constantinople has just arrived."
"The door's open. Come in."
Lord Tarmos entered the cabin, handing a secret report to the British Foreign Secretary, the Marquis of Wellesley. "Hamid I is critically ill. Their Prime Minister, Yusuf, seems to have no intention of threatening Tunisia. In fact, according to information from our sources, the Ottomans only want to use their garrison in Tripoli to pressure the Mamluks in Egypt."
Note: The Diamond Necklace Affair (1784): Jeanne de la Motte, a woman from a fallen noble family, learned that Cardinal Rohan wanted to win favor with Queen Marie Antoinette. Jeanne posed as a maid of the Queen and used forged letters from the Queen to deceive the Cardinal into believing that the Queen was interested in him. Eventually, Jeanne arranged a meeting between Rohan and a prostitute who resembled the Queen, leading him to believe he had met with the Queen herself. Convinced of his relationship with the Queen, Rohan agreed to purchase an expensive diamond necklace on her behalf. Jeanne and her husband then sold the necklace after dismantling it. The Queen only found out when the jewelers asked her for the remaining payment. All those involved were arrested, but Jeanne later escaped from the Bastille in 1787, fled to London, where she was protected by the British, and wrote a book about the affair to embarrass the French royal family.
(End of Chapter)
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