The Fox of France

Chapter 227: Soft Power and Steamboats

Napoleon was preoccupied with his civil code, which now included the additional task of preparing his family to control affairs from behind the scenes in the future. Meanwhile, Lucien was busy with the affairs of the Church and various forms of entertainment beloved by the masses. The provisional government had just passed the "French Cultural Advancement Plan." According to this plan, many properties and buildings that once belonged to the monarchy were to be transformed into various public entertainment facilities to meet the growing cultural and spiritual needs of the people.

"The importance of entertainment cannot be overemphasized," Lucien stressed to his subordinates at the Ministry of Truth. "There are always many things in this world that don't go as planned. Even those who seem to be living well have their share of dissatisfaction. This accumulates like floodwaters, and simply suppressing it with force can only hold it back temporarily. Once it breaks free, disaster strikes. So, one of our responsibilities is to prevent the accumulation of such emotions. We need to provide a harmless outlet for them, and that's where art and entertainment come in. We must view our work not merely as a facade for maintaining peace but from a political perspective that ensures the long-term stability of our nation."

The creators of the Roman Empire understood this well, Lucien explained. That's why you can find numerous such facilities, like theaters and amphitheaters, among the ruins of Rome. They performed tragedies and comedies in theaters, and battles in the amphitheaters, effectively guiding and releasing the emotions of the people. As a result, people were satisfied, wore more smiles, became more united, and the Roman Empire grew stronger. Therefore, we need to construct more stadiums and opera houses! It is a national and people's need, an ordained mandate inherited from the Roman Empire.

In addition, our propaganda should not only target domestic audiences but also the international community. This propaganda must be intelligent, not mindlessly chanting, 'France is great, France is great,' but portraying the beauty of France, its thoughts, and its art in a more refined manner.

We want the people of the entire Europe to admire France, speak French, savor French cuisine, watch French theater, and take pride in French goods. We want people across Europe to believe that France is the Rome of civilization. Beyond Rome lies the land of barbarians. We want people throughout Europe to feel that only by aligning with France, learning from France, and following the path of France, can they achieve civilization. Anyone who opposes France is embracing barbarism. France must not only dominate with its invincible military power but also influence Europe with our culture and soft power.

Ladies and gentlemen, our military power is immensely strong, and it can force our enemies to obey our will. However, if we rely solely on hard power, it is not enough. In the history of the world, in terms of military achievements alone, no one surpasses the formidable Mongol conqueror Genghis Khan and his descendants. But their empire was short-lived because it was a cripple that had nothing but brute force.

We must not follow the Mongol path. Our hard power should make them dare not disobey us, and our soft power should make all of Europe willingly submit to us, recognizing our interests as the highest. Therefore, we must become messengers of civilization, cooperate with the great universities of Europe, and, ultimately, we must nurture many French-minded individuals in Europe. We must nurture a revolutionary party that is willing to lead the European people on the path of France—of course, by 'the path of France,' I mean the path we make them believe is the path of France."

To achieve these goals, Lucien was incredibly busy. In fact, some journalists noted that Mr. Lucien Bonaparte had slowed down in terms of changing his girlfriends, as he was overwhelmed with his responsibilities.

As for Joseph, there wasn't much going on at the moment. Most of the research projects were on track, and he didn't need to oversee them personally anymore. Joseph had appointed himself a professor at the University of Paris and managed to recruit over twenty doctoral students. He handed over many of the practical aspects of the projects he was responsible for to them. Later, Monsieur Ampère, a dual academician of the French Academy of Sciences and the Roman Empire's Academy of Sciences, recalled his time as Joseph's student:

"Professor Bonaparte is an extraordinary man, and what is most admirable about him is his keen insight and peculiar intuition. Back then, we, his students, spent day and night by the experimental apparatus, recording a plethora of chaotic data without knowing what it meant. But Professor Bonaparte's wife, his secretary, would come in, take our data, and often within a day or even less, Professor Bonaparte would identify issues and promptly set new research directions. Sometimes, during our research, we would encounter various disagreements and crossroads, unsure of which path to follow. In these moments, the professor's intuition would swiftly guide us in a particular direction, and his intuition's accuracy was astonishing.

However, perhaps due to the numerous tasks he was responsible for, we rarely saw him in person. We usually only met him during monthly progress reports. Even so, in a month, we'd accumulate a multitude of challenging problems. Many times, Professor Bonaparte would resolve them all in just a few minutes."

Since he delegated most of these responsibilities to his students, Joseph had found himself with plenty of leisure time. This period of respite continued for almost half a month until he was notified by Fulton, the American engineer he had recruited, that the new steamboat was ready for its maiden voyage.

In the original historical timeline, Fulton was considered a key figure in the development of steamboats. Just as in history, Fulton had come to Paris in 1793 with the intention of finding someone to sponsor his steamboat research. However, his luck wasn't favorable, and the steamboat he was constructing hadn't been completed when it sank in the Seine River due to strong winds. This unfortunate incident not only resulted in the loss of the ship but also led to a hefty fine imposed on him by the revolutionary government.

Eventually, the destitute Fulton was brought into the fold by Joseph at a modest cost. He was initially appointed at the Military Technical Research Institute and later relocated to Toulon, where he joined the Naval Research Institute.

In both the Military Technical Research Institute and the Naval Research Institute in Toulon, Fulton didn't stand out much due to the limited investment in projects related to his expertise. However, when the military-industrial complex initiated a research project on steamboats, this American, initially considered more suited to be a technical worker than an engineer due to his weak theoretical knowledge, demonstrated his hands-on capability, strong initiative, and excellent decision-making skills. He became the deputy head of the steamboat project. The official head of the project? Well, it was Joseph, who held the title but wasn't deeply involved in the practical aspects.

Since they were ready for the "official maiden voyage," it implied that the ship had essentially passed all the "unofficial trial runs" and was a success.

The location for this trial run was on the Seine River. Early in the morning, Joseph arrived at a shipyard belonging to the military-industrial complex on the western edge of Paris. He was accompanied by his female secretary, who also happened to be his wife, and the female secretary's own secretary.

As they approached the shipyard's dock, they could see a ship billowing with smoke from a distance.

"Joseph, is this the British ship you've been trying to replicate?" Pauline, the female secretary's secretary, asked. The British steamboat, captured by the French, had been brought to Paris for further research and then displayed to showcase the French victory. For this purpose, Lucien had even arranged for Morel and others' story to be dramatized and performed in Paris.

Pauline had already seen the partially restored British steamboat. Unlike most people, who considered it outrageously ugly, she believed that the steamboat, with its two large wheels and tall black smokestack, possessed a "unique beauty, a sense of power lurking within its awkwardness." She even compared it to the fire god standing by the goddess of beauty. So, Pauline was genuinely hoping the French could successfully replicate this ship.

"How is that possible? How could we build something so outdated?" Pauline's words immediately reminded Joseph of the 50,000 francs he had bet with his brother, Lucien.

The carriage came to a halt directly at the dock. Several people disembarked, and a ship with an elongated shape, featuring two masts, two chimneys, stood before them.

Fulton had been waiting for Joseph and the others here. As they got off the carriage, he quickly approached.

"Professor, everything is ready, and we're just waiting for you to board," Fulton said.

"Very well. Are the lifeboats in place on this ship?" Joseph asked.

"They're all in place," Fulton assured.

"And are the life jackets ready as well? You must understand that every person on this ship is an invaluable asset to the consortium, and we must ensure their safety. Safety is of utmost importance."

"Professor, you can rest assured. We take safety precautions very seriously. There are enough lifeboats on board, double the number of crew members. Lifebuoys and life jackets are within easy reach. See, there's a row of them right over there."

Joseph looked in that direction and indeed saw a row of lifebuoys. He nodded and then turned to the others. "Alright, let's board the ship."

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