Chapter 441: The Super Coal Field
In reality, as long as France kept quiet, the Ottomans wouldn't know if their missing troops had been captured or killed. In the end, they would most likely assume them dead.
Meanwhile, thanks to the enthusiastic support of the Māori people, the town in New Zealand was mostly complete. Of the Tunisian Guards who were sent as laborers, thousands had survived and could be sent to Donbas if needed.
The biggest obstacle to developing a desolate place like Donbas was manpower, but Joseph happened to have plenty of free labor at his disposal. In this era, there was no such thing as the Geneva Conventions. Prisoners of war had no rights, and if they were worked to death in Russia, no one would care.
Moreover, the Donbas region was a barren wasteland for hundreds of kilometers, with wild animals all around. With no food or water, escaping was impossible. Even if some "Bear Grylls" type managed to survive and reach a town, speaking Turkish or Arabic would get them promptly sent back by the Russians.
This was why Talleyrand had the confidence to refuse Catherine the Great's offer of additional labor.
Viscount Olivier was discussing the transportation of supplies with a few shareholders of the development group when a group of dirty men came rushing towards them. One of them, a French scholar, was excitedly waving and shouting, "A coal mine! I found a coal mine! It's a huge one!"
Viscount Olivier and the others were overjoyed. The Crown Prince had been right—less than a month into their exploration, they had discovered a coal mine, and a large one at that. At least now, they wouldn't lose everything!
The geologist jumped off his horse and gestured for his assistant to bring down a small basket of coal. His face was flushed with excitement. "Sir, we conducted test mining around the area of Zhubene and found high-quality anthracite coal over an area of at least 40 kilometers! Look for yourself!"
Although Russian explorers had previously found traces of coal and iron in Donbas, no one could guarantee the quantity or quality of the deposits. Serious mining would require first establishing a base camp and then investing a significant amount of money in detailed exploration.
Viscount Olivier eagerly picked up a piece of coal from the basket. The quality was indeed excellent. He passed the coal around to the other shareholders, who nodded at each other in delight.
If this was anthracite coal, they wouldn't just recoup some costs; if the reserves were large enough, they stood to make a fortune!
The geologist pulled out a map. "Look, from here to here is the rich mining area, with the coal seams buried at depths of less than 2 meters. We dug seven test points to over 10 meters deep and found that the coal seam continues!"
Viscount Olivier and the others couldn't contain their excitement any longer. They threw their hats into the air, hugged each other, and cheered loudly.
"Long live the Crown Prince!"
"Thank God for the guidance of the Son of Heaven! Thank the Lord for this blessing!"
"Following the Crown Prince's advice was indeed the right choice. We're going to be rich, haha!"
"Yes, rich! A coal mine this large could bring in millions of francs!"
Had Joseph been there to hear this news, he wouldn't have been the least bit surprised. He already knew that the Donbas region was rich in coal and iron resources. The Donbas coal field alone would later support over seventy percent of the industrial output of the Red Empire!
In reality, Viscount Olivier and his team had only scratched the surface—Southern Donbas's coal field covered an area of 15,000 square kilometers! And most of it was shallow, open-pit coal that could be easily mined by hand.
In fact, the exploration team sent to the Krivoy Rog area had already discovered high-yield iron ore deposits. However, due to the distance, they were still conducting test mining.
Although the quality of the iron ore in Donbas wasn't the best, the reserves were massive, with over 3.5 billion tons confirmed in later years. Combined with the virtually dirt-cheap coal, the iron could be smelted at a very low cost, making it highly valuable for extraction.
Once the vast coal and iron resources were mined in large quantities, the high-quality coal could be shipped back to France, and any surplus could be sold on-site to Russia or exported from Crimean ports to Mediterranean countries. The profits would roll in faster than looting!
Most importantly, these coal and iron resources, historically controlled by Britain, would no longer have anything to do with the British.
France had finally secured a crucial source of anthracite coal, vital for the industrial revolution. Before this, France had to rely on Britain for all its anthracite, as its own coal mines were low-quality, sulfur-rich coal. This was one of the key reasons why France lagged behind Britain in the early stages of industrial development.
While it might seem that France had gained significantly in Donbas, Russia would be very grateful. Not only would the development of Donbas help Russia control Crimea, but Russia was also on the brink of entering its own industrialization phase, with skyrocketing demand for coal and iron. Without the coal and iron mined by the French, Russia would have had to transport these materials from the distant Urals to Moscow, at a cost at least thirty percent higher.
As for accelerating Russia's industrialization, Joseph had no concerns—Russia's social system and technological capabilities were far from being a threat to France's industrial dominance. If Russia's low-end industries developed a bit faster and France could profit from it, that was entirely acceptable.
Suddenly, Viscount Olivier had a thought and signaled everyone to be quiet. He then spoke very seriously: "We must keep the discovery of this large coal field strictly confidential!"
"Yes, sir," the others agreed.
Once the others had dispersed, Viscount Olivier quickly gathered his money and headed for Kursk.
He was going to buy land.
Talleyrand had informed him earlier that the Russian Tsar had promised that the development group could purchase land in Donbas for 1 ruble per Russian acre. At first, he had hesitated to invest too much, but now it was clear that he should follow the Crown Prince's advice and buy up all the land where minerals might be found!
...
Vienna.
At a grand ball in Schönbrunn Palace held in honor of the French Crown Prince, Austrian nobles danced with abandon. Meanwhile, the guest of honor, Joseph, had no interest in dancing and was instead engaged in a serious discussion with Leopold II on a wooden platform next to the orchestra.
"You can absolutely trust the combat capabilities of my army," Joseph said. "So, while my plan may be risky, it also offers us the chance for victory."
Leopold II looked at him in surprise. He had heard that the French Crown Prince had commanded troops in North Africa and the Southern Netherlands, but he had dismissed it as a young man playing at adventure games.
However, after their detailed discussion of the campaign, Leopold realized that this young man had actually participated in combat and had a deep understanding of military strategy.
(End of Chapter)
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