The Rise of the European Emperor

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For Marin, the biggest threat is France. France was the first centralised country in western Europe. Since the gradual completion of centralisation in the late 15th century, France has always been one of the best countries in Western Europe.

Only when the Holy Roman Empire and the Spanish Empire were unified because of the Habsburgs would France be hanged. Unfortunately, due to the struggle for power and profit within the Habsburg family, the strongest alliance in Europe was torn apart. Since this alliance was broken up by the Habsburgs themselves, there has been no state in Europe capable of suppressing France.

By the time of Louis XIV, all Europe was trembling under the iron shoes of France. So Louis XIV got the title of "Sun King".

Therefore, the more centralized a country is, the stronger the combat power it can exert. Because national resources can be well mobilized and utilized by the central government.

Whether it was the Bourbon dynasty of Louis XIV, the Napoleon Empire that swept Europe later, the Tsarist Empire of Maozi, and the German Empire that almost singled out the world later, they all have a very important feature-that is, centralized power...

Only a centralized state can use the largest resources and exert the strongest power of the state. Some may say that Britain is strong, but in fact, the British Army has never been stronger. The United Kingdom only relied on the huge benefits of maritime trade to give birth to a huge navy. But, that's all. The army is not profitable, and the UK is not centralized enough. Therefore, the British Army has never been an opponent of France and Germany. Even if it is to win the war, the United Kingdom can only act as a shit stick, and provide military funds to Maozi, Prussia and Austria, so that they can act as the vanguard. If it weren't for the blocking of the English Channel and the powerful navy that Britain had built up because of maritime trade, Britain would have been ravaged by Napoleon and Hitler at least twice.

Does the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth look strong enough? Such a large area, there are millions of square kilometers and tens of millions of people. At the beginning, he had beaten Maozi. But why did it decline later? Not because of internal friction? The Polish king didn't have much power at all, not much better than the Emperor Shinra. Therefore, such a powerful country, because resources could not be integrated, was eventually suppressed by the dictatorial and backward barbaric Maozi. The three countries that divided Poland - Maozi, Prussia and Austria-Hungary, were all centralized countries.

France has now initially completed the centralization of power, and it is only short of a universal tax system to fly. It is precisely because of the inability to levy taxes nationwide that even if the King of the Dharma can recruit an army of hundreds of thousands, he cannot afford to support them. Otherwise, France would have gone to heaven long ago...

It is precisely in view of this that Marin did not vigorously promote a comprehensive taxation system in China, but tried his best to gather fields and develop colonies in order to obtain sufficient financial revenue.

If Marin dares to promote comprehensive taxation, with its strong military strength, it will not be a problem at home. The problem abroad is big. If the French learn from Marin and levy land tax and poll tax in the whole country, they will get amazing financial income. With the money and the large population of France, it is difficult for France not to fly. At that time, Germany may be fully invaded by France. Or, Italy would fall into the hands of France.

It is based on such concerns that Marin did not promote a comprehensive tax. Otherwise, it would be a disaster to learn from France. Moreover, relying on the sale of grain and salt, as well as the development of colonies, and in the future, Marin will open up trade with the Ming Dynasty.

Europeans have a bad habit of imitating. And, shameless enough. Don't look at the pretence of later Europeans, accusing the situation of China's cottages as serious, but in fact, when Germany was engaged in the industrial revolution, it was a complete copy of the British.

In the 19th century, German products represented garbage and low-end, and only British products represented high-end. Relying on the copycat British products, the Germans first started the industry, and then kept improving, and then achieved the German manufacturing of later generations.

But in the beginning, the Germans also shamelessly copied British products. Even industrial products made in Germany will be deliberately labelled in English to fool customers. Otherwise, it can't be sold...

When it comes to shamelessness, the French are not vague either. At that time, the Venetians invented the glass mirror, and a mirror sold for 150,000 francs, shocking the world. Because it is an exclusive technology, the Venetian has made huge profits.

In order to keep it secret, the Venetians moved all the craftsmen who knew how to make glass mirrors to Murano, so that foreigners would not come into contact with those craftsmen and steal the secrets of glass mirrors.

But the French were better - they indirectly bought the artisans and acquired the skills to make glass mirrors by finding the families of artisans who knew how to make glass. Then, the secret of the Venetian glass mirror was stolen by the French, and the price of the glass mirror plummeted.

It was also a Venetian mistake—they moved their craftsmen to Murano without moving their families there with them. Craftsmen are not prisoners. They always have to go home for important festivals such as Christmas and New Years, right? As long as you buy the artisan's family, and then pass their family, won't you get those artisans?

Therefore, after learning this lesson, China's secret military units in later generations, although they built factories in the mountains, built complete infrastructure and brought their families there... Those military bases are basically independent small towns... …In such a situation, how do you go about bribing the employees of those military-industrial units? Before entering the town, he was killed by the guards...

Later, although many units moved out. However, those who were brought out were all factories with a very low level of secrecy, such as the production of guns and ammunition. But those factories that produce nuclear weapons are still rooted in mountains and deserts, and will never move to big cities...

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The French are good at learning, or in other words, the whole European country is good at learning. As long as you have a new technology, others will try their best to learn it.

Marin's Spanish phalanx, for example, proved to be very effective after several major battles. As a result, many countries in Europe are now learning from Marin and forming large-scale musket teams. However, due to the shortage of saltpeter, the size of the musket teams in various countries is limited.

For example, France, because of the shortage of saltpeter, only formed a team of 4,000 musketeers. After all, the French do not have access to saltpeter from India like Marin. They don't even set up a nitrate collection officer now, and there are not many sources of saltpeter. Moreover, France has a large-scale artillery force, and the number of bronze cannons in the French army is as many as one hundred and dozens. Therefore, although France is big, there is not enough saltpeter.

However, Marin heard that Louis XII seemed to be aware of the problem of the lack of saltpeter after he formed the musket team, and planned to set up the post of nitrate collector to collect a large amount of saltpeter all over France.

Of course, even that would be useless. Therefore, in later generations, the French also went to India and established the French Indian colony in Pondicherry in India. From 1674 until 1954. One of the meanings of its existence is to buy saltpeter from India. Otherwise, France would not be able to have so many musketeers lining up to be shot in the battle. Just looking for it in the cesspool is definitely not enough for Napoleon's artillery...

Marin was worried that the French would send a ship to India in advance, so when he helped Edward capture England this time, he also cheated on the French. As long as the French merchant ships are ditched, the French will not be able to recover for a long time. In sailing, at least, it will be difficult to achieve anything.

As long as the French did not have enough sources of saltpeter, it would be difficult for the French to form a large team of musketeers. Without enough firepower, the French were not so scary.

In the future, after the annexation of England by Marin, the French must be furious. Because, their efforts made Marin a wedding dress. How can France, the first brother in Europe, endure such a thing? So, after the annexation of England, Marin and France will certainly have a battle, not at sea, but certainly on land. Because the French army is their strength.

Just beyond the Netherlands, the French army can attack East Frisian mainland. Therefore, Marin needs to prepare in advance to suppress France's ability to sail and obtain saltpeter from overseas. When a land war broke out between the two countries, it was difficult for France to defeat Marin's army due to lack of sufficient firepower. On the other hand, Marin can rely on the sufficient advantage of saltpeter to have unlimited firing rights, and rely on this to defeat the French army.

Not only that, Marin even planned to unite Spain and the Habsburg family to weaken France, or even dismember France. For example, after defeating the French army, they joined Spain and Austria, marched into France together, and forced France to cede territory and seek peace.

In the end, Marin's plan was to occupy the land on the southern coast of the English Channel in northern France by himself. Spain and Austria, on the other hand, occupy land on the Mediterranean coast of southern France, including the important port of Marseille. In this way, France's seafaring potential could be further weakened, forcing it into a land state. On the other hand, Marin has achieved the goal of completely controlling the north and south sides of the English Channel, and the safety of his merchant ships going out of the Atlantic is even higher.

Also, if France can be defeated, it would be best for the dukes and earls of France to become a separatist force with armed forces, just like the vassal states of Germany.

In that case, France would become the second Holy Roman Empire, and the French king would lose control of the country. Just like before France began to centralize power, the French king can only control the area around Paris, and the decree cannot be made around Paris... At that time, the threat of France will be further reduced...

Once the French King wanted to centralize power again, Marin and Marin's descendants immediately joined Spain and Austria to send troops to support the French princes... In this way, with the intervention of powerful external forces, the French wanted to become stronger again, then it will be difficult...

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