C2446 The Golden France

In the history of mankind, the weak countries have always challenged the strong ones, and the military miracles they created were often accompanied by their own arrogance and prejudice.

Just like the France right now, it was difficult for the later generations to understand just how arrogant the France was before the Franco-Prussian War.

In history, the biggest challenger in Britain was France. No matter whether it was the war for the independence of the United States or Napoleon's victory over Europa, France's strength had almost toppled the top position in the entire world.

First of all, the France was the second largest colony in the world, after Britain. Secondly, the technical level of the France was not worse than that of the British, and both sides were basically running at the same starting line.

Both sides had superior and inferior military strength. Although France was not as good as Great Britain in terms of naval strength, France's naval strength had challenged the Royal Navy several times in the past.

As for the army, that Frenchman looked down on the British with his eyes half-closed. This was the pride left behind by the Napoleon the Great, the French army was so strong that they were not pulled down the altar until the rise of the Germany.

In this era, even the British admitted that the French army was the best in the world.

In terms of economics, Britain's industrial production and financial capabilities were indeed superior to the masses, but the France was not weaker. The entire French civil finance industry was extremely huge, and the scale of the empire's lending to the whole world had exceeded that of the Unending Sun.

Even Big Beard was impressed to say that France was a usury imperialist, and that the French preferred a strong army to an expanded colony in the occupied territories to ensure the sustainability of their usury business.

The wars between the different countries in Europe would usually go to the French and British financial markets to raise money. For example, Sha Russia's slave abolitionist program and his industrialization process would go through countless loans from the France. Every year, the French would eat a huge amount of interest.

No one dared to not pay their debt, the powerful army maintained by the France was the umbrella for this kind of loan business. Any country that dared to renege on their debt would definitely take extremely cruel revenge.

As the high interest loan business of the France was a large business invested by the people, the rich and middle class people seldom took the money to sleep in the banks. They all liked to put their money into this financial game of lending and borrowing.

As a result, it was very difficult to calculate how much wealth the commoners had earned from usury, even the Government of France found it hard to estimate this number.

But after the Franco-Prussian War, the wealth of the French people stunned all of Europe.

That year, Bismark had directly asked for 5 billion in war reparations from the big mouth of the Gold franc. Actually, this was the biggest mistake Bismark made in his life.

He thought that the compensation of 5 billion Gold franc would crush the France's economy and cause them to be unable to pay it back within 50 years, thereby completing the Prussian military occupation of the France for a continuous generation.

But they never would have thought that the French would raise money from the public by issuing government bonds. In just two years, all 5 billion Gold franc had been completely repaid.

Germany no longer had any excuses to garrison troops in France's territory, he could only leave with his money in a dejected manner.

When the five billion Gold franc s were compared to the exchange rate at that time, it was close to 720 million silver, which was equivalent to the Great Qing's gross national income of 14 years.

What was even more alarming to the entire world was that the Government of France's national treasury had sold for a total of 5 billion Gold franc, but the amount that the citizens had subscribed for was not just 5 billion.

After paying three bills, the total amount that the citizens had to pay was a terrifying 45 billion, which meant that the citizens of France had already prepared to pay 450 Gold franc s to buy the bills.

With a total of 6.5 billion silver flowing through the citizens of France, the wealth of this country could be easily imagined.

There was another important point that could not be ignored when talking about the wealth of the France s. That was the dual addition of the European court culture and the influence of the Pope s.

As the France believed in Catholicism as a religion, and because they had done their best to promote Catholicism around the world, all the previous generations of French Emperor were very supportive of the Vatican, even providing strong military protection.

Napoleon III was currently stationed at the Vatican with over 30,000 troops, which was what the Pope needed to rely on in order to suppress the unification process of the various Italian States s.

As France was such a country, the Holy See naturally paid a debt of gratitude. Not only did they recognize the orthodoxy of the French royal family, they also used the influence of the Catholics to give power to the France.

In addition, all the emperors of France loved the court etiquette of the rich and trivial. They loved the banquet, the celebration of the ball, and the refurbishment of their food and clothing.

In just a few hundred years, France had become a synonym for court culture in the eyes of the entire European people. In terms of court etiquette and all sorts of entertainment, even the British Empire did not dare to show off in front of the French.

However, one should not underestimate these extravagant individuals. This was because everyone in Europe had to admit that these popinjays from Paris were the best at having fun and having fun. Gradually, this had become a kind of culture.

Because of this culture, a culture that the world recognizes, the French have the right to set standards.

What standard? That was the standard of luxury goods and aristocratic life!

[What do I mean 'the best wine is the best in the world'? That means he is the best in the world!]

I said what fashion style is popular this year, then this style can be popular around the world!

The various standards of food that I define, the whole world must believe in the Bible!

All kinds of daily necessities we use in our lives, what is luxury? That has to be defined by the French!

With the right to set standards for luxury goods and the lives of nobles, there was naturally a good opportunity to make money. In fact, the world's wine industry chain is very wide, many regions are no worse than France's fine wine production, and even better quality.

But why is it that all the best wineries are located in France? To put it bluntly, this was the power that a standard-setter held in his hands. After all, the masses blindly believed in authority.

If I say that the wine here is good, then I can sell it for the highest price in the world. If I say that the oysters on the French coast are the sweetest, then you have to stand aside in other countries.

After seizing the power to set global standards for luxury goods, the France now possessed the eternal motive to make money. Even after the second world war, they were still the big bosses of the fashion industry.

The deeper one studied the France, the more one could feel the pride of this nation from its very bones. Even though they recognized the position of the strongest country in Britain, there were many ways where French looked down on the Englishman.

They laughed at London's rustic costumes, its tedious diet, and even the love between men and women, which the French teased, as they saw it, as a synonym for amorous sentiments.

The proud empire had a group of proud people, and naturally, proud people would give birth to proud emperors. Napoleon III could no longer be described as proud.

In front of Montauban, he could only be described as arrogant and crazy.