In human history, when weak countries challenge powerful countries, the military miracles they create are often inseparable from the powerful countries' own arrogance and prejudice.
Just like France now, it is basically difficult for future generations to understand how proud France was before the Franco-Prussian War. The nickname Blast Furnace Rooster did not come from nothing.
The biggest challenger to Britain in history is actually France. Whether it was funding the American War of Independence or Napoleon dominating Europe, France's strong strength almost overturned Britain's world number one position several times.
France does have the strength to challenge the United Kingdom. First of all, France has the second largest colony in the world after the United Kingdom. Secondly, France's technological level is no worse than that of the British. Both sides are basically racing on the same starting line.
Both sides have their own advantages and disadvantages in terms of military strength. France is indeed not as good as Britain in terms of navy. However, in history, France's naval strength has challenged the Royal Navy several times and almost succeeded.
As for the army, the French looked down upon the British with half-closed eyes. This was the pride left by Emperor Napoleon. The strength of the French army was not brought down from the altar until the rise of Germany.
In this era, even the British recognized that the French army was the strongest in the world.
Looking at the economy, Britain's industrial output and financial strength are indeed the best, but France is not inferior to it. The entire French private financial industry is extremely large, and the scale of the entire empire's global lending even exceeds that of the sun that never sets.
Even Ma Dabeard described France with emotion as usurious imperialism. Rather than occupying territory and expanding colonies, the French preferred to use a strong military to ensure that their usury business could continue.
Wars between European countries will basically be financed in the financial markets of France and Britain. For example, Tsarist Russia's abolition plan and its industrialization process both borrowed countless amounts from France, and the French ate a lot of the interest every year. The bowl is full.
No one dares not to repay the money. The powerful army raised by France is the umbrella for this kind of loan business. Any country that dares to default on its debts will definitely be facing extremely cruel revenge.
Since the loan sharking business in France is a big industry that everyone is invested in, wealthy people and the middle class rarely have the habit of depositing money in banks and sleeping there. They all like to invest their money in this kind of financial game of lending and borrowing. go.
Therefore, it is difficult to calculate how much wealth private individuals have earned through loan sharking. Even the French government has difficulty estimating this figure.
But after the Franco-Prussian War, the wealth of French people shocked the whole of Europe.
Back then, the Lion of Bismarck opened his mouth and directly demanded 5 billion gold francs in war compensation. In fact, this was the biggest mistake in Bismarck's life.
He thought that the 5 billion gold francs indemnity would crush the French economy and would prevent them from being able to repay it for fifty years, thereby completing Prussia's military occupation of France that would last for a generation.
But they never expected that the French raised funds from the private sector through the issuance of national bonds. In just two years, all 5 billion gold francs were repaid with interest.
Germany no longer had an excuse to station troops on French soil, and could only take the money and leave in despair.
Compared with the exchange rate at that time, five billion gold francs were nearly 720 million taels of silver, which was equivalent to France's total treasury revenue for 14 years. This comparison shows how terrifying France's comprehensive national strength is.
What frightens the whole world even more is that the French government's national debt was sold for a total of 5 billion gold francs, but the total private subscription was not just 5 billion.
For the three national debts, the total amount subscribed by the public was actually as high as a terrifying 45 billion, which means that the French people had already prepared 450 gold francs to purchase national debts.
With a full 6.5 billion taels of silver flowing among the French people, one can easily imagine the country's wealth.
When talking about the wealth of France, there is another important point that cannot be ignored, and that is the double addition of European court culture and the influence of the Pope.
Because France believes in Catholicism as its state religion and has spared no effort to promote Catholicism around the world, all the French emperors have been very supportive of the Vatican and even provided strong military protection.
Napoleon III now has more than 30,000 troops stationed in the Vatican, and the Pope relies on these foreign aids to suppress the unification process of the Italian states.
France is so kind, and the Holy See naturally reciprocates. They not only recognize the legitimacy of the French royal family, but also use the influence of Catholicism to build momentum for France.
In addition, the French emperors of all dynasties were very fond of the redundant court etiquette, extremely exquisite cocktail parties, dances and various celebrations, as well as the renovation of food and clothing.
Over the past few hundred years, France has become synonymous with court culture in the minds of people all over Europe. When it comes to court etiquette and all kinds of eating, drinking and having fun, even the empire that the sun never sets would not dare to show it in front of the French. chant.
Don't underestimate the behavior of these prodigal sons who are well-dressed and well-fed. Precisely because people all over Europe admit that these dandies in Paris are the best at eating, drinking and having fun, this has gradually become a culture.
It is precisely because of this culture, which is recognized by the whole world, that the French also have the right to set standards.
What standard? That is the standard of luxury and aristocratic life!
If I say the wine is the best in the world, then he is the best in the world!
If I tell you what kind of clothing style is popular this year, then this style will become popular all over the world!
The various food standards I define must be believed in by the whole world as a bible!
What is luxury among the various daily necessities we use in our lives? Let the French define it!
With the right to set standards for luxury goods and aristocratic life, there will naturally be good opportunities to make money. In fact, the global wine industry chain is very large and extensive. Many regions produce high-quality wines that are not inferior to France, or even better.
But why are all the top wineries in France? To put it bluntly, this is the power in the hands of standard setters. After all, people follow the herd and they blindly believe in authority.
If I say the wine here is good, it will sell for the highest price in the world. If I say the oysters along the coast of France are the freshest and sweetest, then you have to step aside from other countries.
By seizing the power to set global luxury standards, France has a perpetual motion machine that makes money. Even after World War II, they are still the leader in the fashion industry.
The deeper you study France, the more you realize the pride this nation has in its bones. Even though they recognize Britain’s status as the world’s most powerful nation, the French also look down on the British in many ways.
They laugh at London's tacky clothes, boring diet, and even the love between British men and women is the object of ridicule by the French. In their eyes, the British are synonymous with incomprehensible amorous feelings.
A proud empire has a group of proud people, and proud people naturally breed proud emperors. Napoleon III can no longer be described as proud.
In front of Montauban, he can only be described as arrogant and crazy.
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