The Shadow of Great Britain-Chapter 645 - 317 Napoleon, France, and the Russian Court_2

And this time, he focused his distraction efforts along the Nile River. He ordered Sebastiani, who had just returned from Egypt, to issue an exaggerated report on the Mediterranean coast. The report declared that whether it was the Muslims of Alexandria, the Christians in Damascus, or the Greeks on Rhode Island, all held a deep affection for France. They vehemently condemned General Stuart’s treachery and eagerly anticipated the French government’s conquest of the eastern Mediterranean, bringing with it the liberating winds of the Great Revolution to the coastal nations."

Upon hearing this, Arthur couldn’t help but hold his forehead, "So, the Parisians believed it?"

"Not just Paris," came the reply. "London believed it as well."

Talleyrand, with a complex expression, savored the aftertaste of his drink, "The reaction from Downing Street and Westminster Palace was particularly fiery. Whether it was your King, the Cabinet, or Parliament, they all saw this declaration as a severe provocation by France against Britain.

The Addington Cabinet in Britain, already under fierce attack from Grenville, Windham, and Fox’s camp, who strongly opposed military expansion and clamored, ’Establishing a large standing army is a dangerous tool in the hands of the King.’

As a result, when Sebastiani’s report was published in Paris, the domestic opposition against military expansion in Britain instantly fell silent. The military expansion bill quickly passed in Parliament, and the number of troops was raised from the initially discussed fifty thousand to one hundred thousand."

Your ambassador to France, Lord Whitworth, also sought me out immediately and lodged a stern protest. I went to great lengths to explain to him that Sebastiani’s mission to Egypt was purely commercial in nature. But to my absolute surprise, Napoleon not only failed to align with the Foreign Office’s stance but also claimed it was because Britain had breached the Treaty of Amiens that France had to act this way.

In front of Lord Whitworth, he said, ’The British garrison left at the port of Alexandria not only fails to protect Egypt but also provides France with a pretext to invade. However, as much as I would like to possess this colony, I would not do so because I do not think it worth the risk of war. In my view, the Ottoman Turkish Empire is bound to collapse sooner or later, and Egypt will inevitably belong to France.’"

Arthur, upon hearing this, couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows, "Today has indeed enlightened me with many secrets; now I finally understand how General Nelson’s defining battle at the Nile Delta came to be. In this aspect, Napoleon was indeed too confident, as you said, perhaps beyond his capabilities."

"But he did not realize that," Talleyrand said.

"The British protest against Sebastiani’s report infuriated him. He told your ambassador that the only way for Britain to secure peace was:

First, Britain must recognize France’s right to arbitrate in all neighboring countries’ affairs, whether it’s Switzerland or Piedmont."

Second, Britain should not seek compensation for its losses in the Mediterranean; there is no room for negotiation regarding Malta."

Third, Britain must tolerate an official declaration that it cannot struggle against France alone."

Arthur asked with a smile, "He surely doesn’t think Britain would agree to these demands, does he?"

Talleyrand shrugged, "Young man, you haven’t dealt with him, so naturally you don’t know what kind of person he is. The fact is, enormous success had clouded his judgment. From the moment he became First Consul until he entered his coffin, he felt himself to be invincible."

"He expected Britain to back down here, just as it had backed down on the Swiss issue a few months earlier. Therefore, when the news of Britain’s military expansion crossed from the other side of the Channel, Napoleon’s first reaction was to summon the British ambassador Lord Whitworth to question him: ’Are you preparing for war?’"

"When Lord Whitworth denied this, he threatened, ’Then why expand the military like this? Who are these precautionary measures against? I don’t have a single battleship in any French port, but if you want to expand your military, I will do the same. If you wish for war, I shall oblige. You may destroy France but will never intimidate it.’"

"Hold on,"

Arthur suddenly raised his hand and interrupted Talleyrand, "At university, I read through some historical records, and if I am not mistaken, France’s military expansion was ahead of Britain’s. Even the Cabinet’s discussion of military expansion was due to our envoys’ dispatch, indicating that under Napoleon’s leadership, the French active forces had been expanded to four hundred and eighty thousand men.

"If he really did not wish for war, he should have given orders to Sebastiani and spoken candidly with our ambassador about the issue. But from what you’ve said, it seems he has no intention of reconciliation. Moreover, this kind of behavior, using one’s own deeds to question others, indeed lacks grace."

"That’s true, but this is politics, this is diplomacy. I’ve been in this field for decades, and it’s never changed," Talleyrand said, laughing heartily, "Young man, you may be objective and wish to solve problems, well-reasoned in logic, but you don’t understand Napoleon, nor do you understand France. Napoleon always appears adamant in public but would privately apologize to Lord Whitworth for his rudeness, expressing regret for his impoliteness. However, in diplomatic terms, you’ll never hear a word of concession from him."