As for the other major European powers, they likely wouldn't have much reaction to France sending troops to Tripoli.

Austria was being battered in Silesia and was practically begging France for reinforcements. Spain, being a close relative and having a secret pact with France to recapture Gibraltar and unify the Iberian Peninsula, could be easily placated with a few concessions and would stay out of the conflict.

Russia would actually welcome France's intervention in Tripoli, considering the 12,000 soldiers stationed there were Ottoman Janissaries. To control the Black Sea, Russia needed to completely crush the Ottomans. The more Ottoman troops France could eliminate in North Africa, the fewer Russia would have to face on the battlefield later.

Moreover, the Twins Trading Company operated mainly along Mediterranean routes. France gaining control of another trade port in the Mediterranean would also benefit Russia economically.

Poland was currently embroiled in a national awakening, with the elite classes giving speeches and organizing mass protests, leaving them too preoccupied to interfere in other countries' affairs.

The only major power likely to oppose France's attack on Tripoli would be Prussia. But Prussia's navy was practically nonexistent, so even if they had objections, there wasn't much they could do. After all, France and Prussia were already clashing in the Southern Netherlands, and if things escalated, Joseph's uncle could easily give them a hard time in Silesia!

As for the smaller nations, like Sardinia, Denmark, and Bavaria, none would dare meddle in France's affairs.

So Joseph was determined to take Tripoli!

It was ironic that he had the British to thank. If they hadn't manipulated Ben Juir into attacking Tunisia, he wouldn't have had such a solid reason to send troops.

In reality, at this time, Tripoli was seen by most European nations as a barren land with a population of less than 700,000. Although its territory was slightly smaller than Tunisia's[Note 1], its output and port locations were mediocre. Only the cities of Tripoli and Zawiya, along with the port of Tripoli, had any real value.

However, Joseph knew that Tripoli would be an important passage to Egypt. Without Tripoli, the idea of digging the Suez Canal in Egypt would be nothing more than a fantasy—once opened, the Suez Canal would cut the sea route between the Far East and Europe in half. Whoever controlled the Suez Canal would control the economic lifeline of Europe.

In such a scenario, the British would go to any lengths to prevent France from getting the canal. Until France could challenge Britain's naval dominance, maintaining a foothold in Egypt would require overland supplies through Tripoli.

Joseph needed to take control of Tripoli quickly, leveraging the favorable international situation before other countries could react.

Berthier stared at the Prince in surprise before finally speaking:

"Your Highness, our forces are heavily committed in the Southern Netherlands and Silesia. If we recklessly attack Tripoli and the Ottomans react strongly…"

After all, Tripoli was still nominally an Ottoman province, so his concerns weren't unfounded.

Joseph replied calmly, "Selim III is focused on domestic reforms and won't waste resources on distant Tripoli. If the Ottomans send large forces, the Russians will eagerly seize the opportunity to grab all of their Black Sea territories.

"And even if the Ottomans do come to fight, we have enough troops."

Berthier hesitated, then said, "Your Highness, with all due respect, I fear our forces may not be sufficient…"

Joseph smiled, "If I'm not mistaken, the conflicts in the Southern Netherlands and Algiers will be resolved by the end of the year, allowing us to deploy over 60,000 troops to Tripoli."

...

October 25, 1789.

Paris.

The rain was pouring down, with occasional flashes of lightning streaking across the sky, making the entire day feel gloomy.

Several inconspicuous black carriages were parked in the square of Versailles Palace. The door of the lead carriage was pushed open, and a male servant, huddled against the rain, stepped out to place a footstool in front of the door and hurriedly opened an umbrella.

The British Foreign Secretary, the Marquis of Wellesley, bent down to step out of the carriage and looked towards the entrance of Versailles Palace, seeing no one there to greet him, only a few guards staring coldly from the doorway.

Wellesley's expression was darker than the storm clouds above. Just that morning, he had received a secret letter from Governor Cornwallis in India.

The letter stated that the Maratha Confederacy was demanding £250,000 in military funds, 20 cannons, and 15,000 flintlock muskets to continue their support for Carnatic. Meanwhile, Hyderabad was making even steeper demands, asking for the return of the Kondavidu region and control over Nellore in Carnatic after Mysore was defeated.

Cornwallis had already agreed to the Maratha's demands on behalf of the East India Company. As for Hyderabad, he had stalled, claiming the decision needed to be made by the board, hoping to buy some time.

Wellesley took a deep breath of the cold air. He couldn't understand why Hyderabad, which had allied with Mysore decades ago, was suddenly holding the British hostage. And why was the Maratha Confederacy, which had long sided with the British, suddenly making things difficult?

What he didn't know was that the French consul in Mysore, Salah, had secretly contacted the Maratha Confederacy months earlier.

Salah remembered the Prince's words: "Indians feel cheated if they don't get something out of a deal." So, he and Mysore's representative, Shah, made extravagant promises to the Marathas, even offering to give them North Kanara and £200,000 in exchange for their support of Mysore.

The Marathas immediately turned these offers into demands on the British.

As for Hyderabad, they simply raised their demands by 30% on top of what Salah had offered.

Wellesley knew that the East India Company had no choice but to meet their demands—without the support of the Indian states, the British army, already stretched thin across 10,000 miles, would eventually be worn down.

Grinding his teeth, Wellesley trudged through the puddles, leading several diplomats towards the gates of Versailles Palace.

Whether it was because of the heavy rain or a poorly held umbrella, by the time Wellesley finally came face to face with Talleyrand's infuriatingly smug expression, half of his clothes were soaked, with water dripping from his sleeves, making him look utterly disheveled.

[Note 1]At the end of the 18th century, Tripoli had a dense population only along the coastal strip, with the southern inland areas almost uninhabited. Additionally, Benghazi and regions further east were not part of Tripoli at that time, so the territory was far smaller than 21st-century Libya.

(End of Chapter)

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