Make France Great Again-Chapter 795 - 786 Establishing the Colonial Department
After the signing ceremony ended, Count Algou once again expressed gratitude to the representatives of all the countries present, while collecting all the agreements signed by various countries and placing them back on the tray.
As the attendant carried the tray with the agreements away, Jerome Bonaparte stood up and announced: The first European Currency Union agreement concluded at 2:35 p.m., history will forever remember this moment, and every representative who signed the currency union.
The representatives of the various nations also expressed that all of this was due to the excellent leadership of the French Empire.
With mutual praises, the event concluded completely. Jerome Bonaparte, according to custom, shook hands with each country’s representative present, offering them some encouraging words.
When Jerome Bonaparte’s hand grasped the hand of the Kingdom of Belgium’s representative, Jerome Bonaparte smiled and asked the Belgian representative: "Mister Field, how is Leopold lately?"
The Belgian representative, who was also soon to be the Belgian ambassador to France, was momentarily stunned upon hearing Jerome Bonaparte’s inquiry, then immediately understood Jerome Bonaparte’s meaning. He promptly replied: "Your Majesty, before I left, Crown Prince Leopold told me he missed the scenery of Paris greatly, hence he will arrive in Paris soon!" (Subtext: Crown Prince Leopold will soon visit Paris to discuss coal and steel issues with him.)
"That’s good!" Jerome Bonaparte nodded with satisfaction, "Please convey to Leopold that my wife and I warmly welcome his arrival!"
"I will definitely relay your words to him verbatim!" Field’s representative responded in kind.
Having received a satisfactory answer, Jerome Bonaparte released Field’s hand and turned to shake hands with the Sardinian Kingdom’s representative.
During the handshake, Jerome Bonaparte also inquired about Prime Minister Cavour’s recent state.
The representative of the Sardinian Kingdom, unaware of Jerome Bonaparte’s subtext, honestly replied: "Prime Minister Cavour has been well lately!"
Jerome Bonaparte’s originally smiling face immediately turned indifferent. He released the Sardinian Kingdom representative’s hand and responded faintly: "I hope your Prime Minister continues to do well!"
Subsequently, with a puzzled look from the Sardinian Kingdom, he shook hands with the next representative.
After completing his round of handshakes with all the representatives, the currency union meeting officially dissolved.
The various country representatives left the Louvre under the guidance of General Vayan, while Jerome Bonaparte walked alone along the corridor back to the Tuileries Palace.
By the way, the path between the Louvre and the Tuileries Palace has already been connected via a corridor thanks to the frugal Jerome Bonaparte.
Upon returning to his study, Jerome Bonaparte suddenly remembered that he hadn’t addressed the issue of the Colonial Affairs Department’s allocation.
Thus, he immediately ordered Mokar to summon Minister of Montoban.
Before long, Minister of Montoban arrived at the study.
"Your Majesty?" Upon entering the study, Minister of Montoban bowed in response to Jerome Bonaparte.
"Sit down, Minister Montoban!" Jerome Bonaparte gestured invitingly for him to take a seat.
Minister of Montoban slowly sat opposite Jerome Bonaparte, who immediately inquired about the Ministry of War’s current situation.
Minister of Montoban responded to Jerome Bonaparte’s queries, especially when discussing Algeria, lavishly praising Jerome Bonaparte’s appeasement strategy.
"According to the Colonial Affairs Department’s statistics, from the policy’s announcement until now, nearly ten rebel forces in Algeria have surrendered to our army, including the largest force with nearly 1,000 people and the smallest with over 100!
Some are located in the border region between Morocco and Algeria, while others are inland in Algeria!
Although our soldiers can defeat them, they cannot effectively capture them!
Your policy, Your Majesty, allows us to round them all up without effort!" Minister of Montoban praised Jerome Bonaparte.
"What arrangements have you made for those surrendering forces?" Jerome Bonaparte further inquired of Minister Montoban.
"We followed your instructions and pardoned them, dispersing these surrendered forces by mixing members from different groups into the foreign construction corps, granting each of them a piece of land along with a legal identity!" Minister of Montoban explained to Jerome Bonaparte.
"I recall Algeria seems to have no excess land. From which tribes or areas are the land allocated?" Jerome Bonaparte asked Minister Montoban.
"Correct! The land we allocated to them belongs to the tribal lands inland. If they wish to establish themselves on the allocated lands, they’ll need our support to succeed!" Minister of Montoban explained to Jerome Bonaparte.
After hearing Montoban’s explanation, Jerome Bonaparte couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe.
Who says the Ministry of War is all brute force! Their skill in stirring up the natives is already at an expert level.
"You’ve done very well!" Jerome Bonaparte nodded with satisfaction and then bluntly said, "To those stubborn individuals who are unwilling to submit to French enlightenment, we must implement decisive dictatorship and not allow them a single moment to catch their breath!
As for those who are willing to submit to French leadership, we should appropriately encourage them."
"Yes, Your Majesty!" The Minister of Montauban replied to Jerome Bonaparte.
Subsequently, Jerome Bonaparte subtly inquired the Minister of Montauban about his views on the Colonial Affairs Department.
The Minister of Montauban clearly understood Jerome Bonaparte’s implication; whenever His Majesty the Emperor asked about views on a certain department, it meant that the department would either take off from there or meet its demise.
Judging from His Majesty’s attitude towards colonization, the Colonial Affairs Department likely wouldn’t be in the ranks of demise.
Having roughly gauged His Majesty’s attitude, the Minister of Montauban righteously responded to Jerome Bonaparte, "Your Majesty, I believe that with the expansion of French colonies, the Colonial Affairs Department should not remain a subsidiary of the Ministry of War, but should become a department on par with the Ministry of War!"
"I didn’t expect you to think the same way!" Jerome Bonaparte intentionally acted surprised and said to the Minister of Montauban, "I also believe that the Colonial Affairs Department should not be subordinated to the Ministry of War, because colonization itself is not only about using violence against those backward peoples; we must also use enlightenment to mobilize those peoples, enabling them to truly acknowledge our culture and even consider themselves French."
Although France became a mixed mess of green and black in later generations, it is undeniable that France’s enlightenment in West Africa far surpassed any region of Britain.
Many political figures in West Africa take pride in France, the school curricula in West Africa are still maintained in French, and even the currency issued in West Africa is the African franc. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎
If we were to use the Eastern concept, France is akin to the Celestial Empire for West Africa, and they are akin to French vassal states.
This "tribute-paying country" relationship is exactly why, even though like the United Kingdom, France was forcibly dissected by the US and USSR, it did not completely fall into oblivion like the United Kingdom, becoming a country that can only exist by relying on the United States.
Even if later generations of France fall behind, it is still a nation beneath China and the United States. (Due to the Russo-Ukrainian War, the Russian Empire has to be downgraded a notch.)
And all of this depends on France’s comprehensive ruling and governance policy towards its colonies.
Merely implementing a stringent military administration policy in the colonies, or simply adopting a laissez-faire attitude, only caring about revenue, is unsuitable for France.
Therefore, the Colonial Affairs Department cannot remain permanently under the Ministry of War; it must become a department of France.
"Your Majesty, you are absolutely right!" The Minister of Montauban nodded in agreement.
Anyway, he was already destined to go to Algeria to serve as Governor, so whether the Colonial Affairs Department became independent or not did not really matter to him.
Rather than opposing the Emperor on this matter, it was better to follow the Emperor’s wishes.
Moreover, even if he continued to serve as Minister of War, how could he possibly obstruct His Majesty the Emperor?
As long as His Majesty the Emperor wishes, no one and no department could obstruct him.
"Since we’ve established that the Colonial Affairs Department should be independent, it will surely require a minister after its independence. Do you have any recommendations?" Jerome Bonaparte asked Montauban.
"Your Majesty, I’m not sure if it’s appropriate for me to make such a decision!" Montauban tactfully refused.
"What’s inappropriate?" Jerome Bonaparte waved his hand and replied to Montauban, "You’re still the Minister of War, and the Colonial Affairs Department is still under your jurisdiction!"
"Well..." Montauban hesitated for a moment before responding to Jerome Bonaparte, "How about General de Castelane?"
"What? Are you afraid of people resenting you for taking his position as Governor of Algiers, so you brought it up?" Jerome Bonaparte asked the Minister of Montauban half-jokingly.
"That is one reason!" The Minister of Montauban honestly replied, "However, I also believe that General de Castelane is capable of being a good Colonial Minister!"
"Alright! I’ve got it!" Jerome Bonaparte nodded to the Minister of Montauban.
Originally, Jerome Bonaparte planned to calm General de Castelane’s resentment over losing the position of Governor of Algiers by promoting him to Imperial Marshal and appointing him to the Senate.
Since Montauban recommended General de Castelane as the Minister of the Colonial Department, Jerome Bonaparte decided to go along with the arrangement.
After all, an Imperial Marshal position is far more precious than that of a Colonial Minister.
Jerome Bonaparte believed that, if General de Castelane knew that Montauban "lost" him the Marshal position, he would surely resent Montauban even more.
