Chapter 192 Establishing a Navy

Under Napoleon's leadership, the French army sailed through the storm, continuously defeating formidable enemies. They first vanquished the longstanding European power, Austria, and obtained the Netherlands from Austria's hands. Then, they engaged the foremost Western power, Britain, in combat without falling behind. These two wars showcased the formidable combat prowess of the French army. Napoleon continued to uphold his undefeated myth, and after this, no one in the entirety of Europe dared to underestimate this country that had just emerged from revolution.

After the signing of the "Anglo-French Conflict Memorandum," British Ambassador Edward Grey left. Following the end of the war, diplomatic relations between Britain and France normalized. After the treaty was signed, both the British and French governments coincidentally claimed victory. The British government asserted that they emerged victorious in naval battles, thus pressuring the French to step back from building military bases in the Netherlands, thereby safeguarding Britain's homeland security. On the other hand, the French government proclaimed that they thwarted British attempts to annex the Netherlands, successfully defending the fruits of victory.

The signing of the peace treaty was a significant triumph for France. Although it wasn't France's first victory in foreign wars, the significance of this battle was different, as their adversary was their long-standing nemesis, Britain. The animosity between the two sides could be traced back a hundred years. Therefore, after the victory, major cities in France held celebratory parades, and newspapers featured headlines praising the victories of French soldiers.

The Paris Daily even coined the term "French Renaissance." They believed that under the leadership of the great leader Napoleon, France had successfully avenged all its enemies. France had completely shaken off its previous chaos and once again become powerful.

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On April 30, 1804, to celebrate the victory, Napoleon, the First Consul of France, chaired a military and political conference. This meeting not only celebrated France's victory in the war and the substantial benefits gained but also served as a reminder from Napoleon to the generals and ministers of France not to become complacent because of this victory. It was crucial for them to recognize the urgency of the surrounding environment, and France must seize the time to develop.

"Gentlemen, I thank you for your efforts. Without your hard work, France would not have won this war. On behalf of the French government and the people of France, I thank you. You are all the pride of France," Napoleon sincerely addressed the officials at the meeting.

The lower-ranking military and political ministers, one by one, could barely muster words. However, the smiles on their faces were telling—they were quite satisfied with this victory. After all, the French Revolutionary government had transformed from "rebels" to the rulers of the nation, and they had played a crucial role in every step. Each person present could be considered a founding father of France.

"Rewards for merit are essential. However, I hope that as we celebrate this victory, we remain aware of the crisis. This is not a time to relax; we still have many enemies and our situation remains precarious," continued Napoleon. As his words settled, the expressions on the faces of all officials present turned serious.

"Napoleon is right. Although this battle has ended, we have not achieved victory. At best, it's a stalemate; our army merely gained an advantage. As for the navy, that's another story. After this battle, the British will certainly harbor resentment towards us and seek revenge. Therefore, we must prepare," said Parmaet, Napoleon's newly appointed Prime Minister.

"Indeed, England and France are old enemies, and with England's concern over France's rise, they will definitely try to cause trouble for us," added Taloran, the French Foreign Minister, understanding well the ill will coming from the British.

"Hmph! Whether it's the current England or the future England, I am confident we can defeat them. I will make them see just how great France's warriors truly are," snorted Muira, a renowned French general. How could he, of all people, fear the English?

Napoleon nodded in agreement. "Indeed, this time we did not defeat the English. At best, it was a draw. But I believe next time, we will truly defeat them. As France's internal policies gradually stabilize, our national strength will continue to grow. The gap between England and us will widen. So, while the English may wish to turn the tide, it is impossible. However, they are indeed a naval power, and with our current naval strength, it will take considerable effort to catch up to them."

"Yes, Prime Minister!" responded the senior generals and admirals of the French army and navy after hearing Napoleon's words.

"This time, we have received four million francs in reparations from the British, and with the domestic economy surpassing eighty million francs in annual revenue, our government is quite affluent now. So, everyone, how do you propose we spend this money?" Napoleon looked at the assembly, seeking their opinions.

To be honest, the rapid recovery of the French economy had exceeded Napoleon's expectations. However, this money undoubtedly resolved their urgent needs. Whether for industrial development at home or for the formation of armies, both required substantial funding.

"Prime Minister, this money could be allocated to the Cabinet for educational promotion. Furthermore, to stimulate the domestic economy, significant investment is needed," suggested Parmaet.

"Prime Minister Napoleon, the army also requires funds. Cavalry is crucial on the battlefield, yet compared to leading nations, our domestic cavalry forces are severely lacking. Therefore, I propose expanding our cavalry armed forces," Muira added. The military also hoped to receive a share of this money, considering the substantial costs incurred in achieving victory.

"Indeed, our country currently has only two cavalry divisions, which is far too few. However, this matter must proceed gradually; we cannot rush into it. Therefore, I propose allocating funds to expand two cavalry divisions first. After all, not only does the army need expansion, but the navy also needs to be re-equipped, and the navy constitutes the larger portion," Napoleon remarked.

Napoleon was dissatisfied with the poor performance of the French navy in this armed conflict. Therefore, he had resolved to reorganize the navy. Due to the restrictions of the peace treaty, France was unable to deploy troops in the Netherlands. The main naval base of the French navy was still in Dunkirk, so rebuilding the port of Dunkirk would become a priority.

Moreover, France was far behind the British navy in terms of the number of capital ships, and the quality of French sailors was also inferior to that of the British. Therefore, if Napoleon wanted to catch up, he had no choice but to build more warships to close the gap between the French and British navies.

To better catch up with the British navy, Napoleon decided to relegate all the remaining warships to the reserve fleet and have the French warship design bureau design a new class of warships.

Napoleon decided to name the new warships the "Dunkirk" class, in order to remind the French navy of the shame of Dunkirk naval port.