The Fox of France - Chapter 382: Economic Foundations and Superstructure

“Napoleon, I ask you, what’s the most crucial issue in the revolution?” Joseph suddenly inquired.

“Of course, it’s figuring out who our friends and enemies are, isn’t it? That’s one of your less foolish questions,” Napoleon replied. “The key to determining who stands with us and who opposes us lies in where their economic interests lie, right? When I was in Italy, who among the Italians supported me and who opposed me? Put simply, those who gained land and benefits during the war supported us. Those who suffered losses opposed us. To be more precise, those whose interests aligned with ours are our friends.”

“But the problem now is, where do our interests lie?” Joseph remarked before Napoleon and Lucien could react further, handing them a report. “These are the income statistics of the industries controlled by our family. Take a look.”

Both of them quickly took the report and began examining it.

“Have you noticed? The share of income from agriculture in our earnings has become quite small. Even though our family owns considerable land, not much of it is used for agriculture. Why is that?” Joseph asked.

“Because farming isn’t profitable,” Lucien replied. “Even the most profitable vineyards, how much can they make in a year? But our factories, once they start running, the efficiency in earning money is incomparable. And in today’s agriculture, wine is considered profitable.”

“Before the revolution, someone owning vast farmlands might have been one of the wealthiest and most esteemed individuals in a large area. Now, certainly, such individuals no longer exist in France, but in many countries, there are still quite a few of these folks. What do we call these folks? Old-fashioned landowners. Still expecting to make money by farming? Haha. These old-fashioned landowners surely hate us a lot,” Lucien remarked.

“Lucien, the peasants are better off now,” Napoleon said.

“That’s true, but how much can peasants make? A little more?” Lucien disdainfully shook his head.

Indeed, French peasants now lived decently, but this improvement was relative to their situation before the revolution. In reality, it was just enough to sustain their lives. Of course, compared to peasants in some neighboring countries who still had to pay taxes to nobles, French peasants were undoubtedly happier.

“So, without a doubt, our main interest now lies in industry and commerce. Once we understand where our interests lie, we’ll know who our enemies are,” Joseph continued.

“Who do you think are our enemies now?” Napoleon asked.

“First and foremost, it’s the land nobles,” Lucien said. “All the land nobility across Europe is certainly against us.”

Having said this, Lucien glanced at his two brothers. Seeing them silent, he nervously added, “What? Did I say something wrong?”

“A few years ago, you would have been right,” Napoleon said.

Lucien turned his gaze to Joseph.

“Napoleon’s right,” Joseph agreed.

“Don’t play coy now. How is it not right anymore?” Lucien questioned.

“There’s a fool sailing on the Seine River, and his revolver accidentally falls overboard. This revolver has an ivory handle, quite valuable. Someone shouts to him, ‘Hurry, go fetch it, the water’s not deep here!’ But this fool, calmly takes out a small knife from his pocket, marks a spot on the railing, and says, ‘Why rush? My gun fell from this spot; when the boat reaches the shore, I can still pick it up.’ Well, Lucien, you’re that kind of fool,” Napoleon said.

Lucien was taken aback and before he could recover, he heard Napoleon clapping his hands and laughing uproariously. “Joseph, this story is so fitting, so amusing, I have to write it in my journal. I’ll tell it to Lucien’s son in the future. Hahaha.”

At this moment, Lucien gradually understood and immediately retorted, “Napoleon, don’t forget, you have stories too, and I’ll tell them to your son in the future!”

“You’ll have a lot more stories,” Napoleon boldly replied, looking like he was ready for mutual teasing.

“But your reputation is more valuable than mine. Apart from Pauline, no one in the family cares less about their reputation than me! The pantless aren’t afraid of those wearing pants!” Lucien also assumed a “I’m a ruffian, who do I fear?” stance.

“Alright, let’s not stray from the main issue,” Joseph intervened.

So, the two brothers quieted down but continued playfully teasing each other with their eyes.

“Lucien, I’ve taught you before to see things from a developmental perspective. The world isn’t stagnant but constantly changing. ‘No man ever steps in the same river twice.’ In the past, those land nobles were indeed our primary enemies, but the world changes, not just the world but us as well!” Joseph seemed to slip back into his role as a teacher to his brothers.

“Hmm…” Lucien listened earnestly.

“Look, whether it’s Austria, Prussia, or even Italy, what’s the main source of wealth for their richest land nobles now? Still from collecting rents?” Joseph asked.

“Ah, Joseph, I get it! They’ve changed, they’ve become like us!” Lucien suddenly realized. “Indeed, now relying on the wheat from the land won’t make them rich. Their primary source of wealth has shifted to other things, like mining and trade. They’ve become just like us. But, this doesn’t change the conclusion because ‘those in the same trade are the most envious of each other.'”

“Wrong,” Joseph shook his head. “They’re not in our trade. What’s at the core of our industries? Manufacturing. Our steel plants, shipyards, cement factories, our electricity, and factories producing various other things. They’re merely a part of our production chain. For instance, the copper and coal mines in Austria and Prussia are mainly sold to us. These mining nobles sell ore to us and then resell industrial goods back to their lands. They’ve become a link in our chain. If they’re content with this, they’re our allies, or to put it clearer, they’re our servants. Only those who attempt to produce steel, electricity, ships, cement, and more, just like us, are our peers. Do you know who I’m referring to?”

“Understood, it’s England that’s our enemy,” Lucien stated.

“Just understanding that isn’t enough. Specifically, it’s the industrial capitalists of England who are our enemies,” Joseph added.

“You’re right, Joseph,” Lucien nodded.

“But that’s not the most dangerous enemy,” Joseph shook his head again. “Napoleon, you’re more politically sensitive than Lucien. Tell me, who do you think is the most dangerous enemy?”

Napoleon looked at Joseph, crossed his hands in front of his chest, leaned back in his chair, and smiled. “Are you talking about the workers in our factories?”

“What?” Lucien was surprised. “Our workers support us, they love us. They cheer for you.”

“The French people also genuinely cheered for the king numerous times. I’ve even seen them cheer ‘Long live the king!’ to Louis XVI. But in the blink of an eye, their cries turned

to ‘Behead the tyrant.’ They’re cheering for us now because they see how the British workers, as well as those in Austria, Prussia, and the Rhine Federation, are living. It’s mostly because someone is contrasting it well. And they have North America to escape to. They have an escape route, unlike the pantless rebels before the revolution, so they’re not rebelling yet, still cheering for us. But look at England; those workers have already started rebelling. There are even uprisings among the miners in Prussia and Austria, becoming commonplace. French workers haven’t done this yet, but if we mishandle things, one day, they’ll be waving their fists at us,” Napoleon explained scornfully.

“Right, Lucien, do you know why I say these workers are the most dangerous enemy?” Napoleon asked.

“I don’t know,” Lucien shook his head.

“Because we can easily eliminate the land nobles and ensure they won’t exist anymore. We can even strive to eliminate our British counterparts, but we can never truly erase the workers. Because without them, our interests cease to exist. It’s akin to before the revolution when the king and nobles faced the Third Estate; nearly identical. No matter how the king and nobles suppressed them, the Third Estate wouldn’t vanish. But if the Third Estate succeeded once, the king and nobles would be finished. Now, the lovely British are helping us deflect bullets, but we can’t waste the time the British bought for us; we have to prepare adequately before it starts raining. Understand?”

“So, how do we prepare?”

“Lucien, throughout history, successful reactionary rulers always relied on two things: the repression of force and the deceit of public opinion. We’re no exception. Understand?” Joseph concluded.

That’s all for today; this is the only update.