I am the Crown Prince of France

Chapter 354: Luxembourg's Steel Hub

Catherine II's grand strategy was not just a fleeting idea; it was based on the capabilities France had demonstrated over the past couple of years. The French monarchy's firm grip on power, coupled with their strategic maneuvers in North Africa and the Low Countries, convinced her that France was the best ally for Russia.

Meanwhile, Austria, once Russia's ally, had been weakened by internal reforms and was in decline. The failure to suppress the Brabant Revolution and the ongoing struggle in Silesia left Catherine deeply disappointed in Austria.

Prussia, another major German power, had signed a secret pact with Russia to partition Poland, but that alliance was limited to Poland. Prussia was closely aligned with Britain, and on significant matters concerning European order, Prussia would likely prioritize British interests. Besides, Prussian forces were currently tied up in Silesia, with no clear end in sight.

Catherine II's interest in aligning with France was also driven by a key consideration. Compared to Russia's goals—Sweden, Poland, and the Black Sea coast—the European powers were more concerned with France's ambitions in the Low Countries and the Rhine region. The Low Countries were Britain's prized possession, and the Rhine was a traditional German stronghold. If France made moves on these areas, all of Europe's attention would immediately be focused on them. This would allow Russia to expand without much interference from the other European powers.

Of course, if France could withstand the pressure from the rest of Europe and successfully take control of the Rhine, Catherine II wouldn't hesitate to lend military support. Under a combined attack from the east and west, even Austria might fall.

The next morning, Russian ambassador Count Stroganov submitted a proposal to further develop trade between Russia and France, which was promptly placed on Queen Marie Antoinette's desk.

Marie sighed as she began reading the document. After a few pages, she started to frown—trade wasn't exactly her forte. She was about to call in Archbishop Brienne when she remembered that the Prince seemed quite skilled in these matters. Hadn't Joseph co-founded a trading company with Russian Count Bobrinsky? Word was that their business was flourishing, with trade between France and Russia multiplying several times over.

With that in mind, she summoned a maid and instructed her to send the trade proposal to the Prince for him to handle.

Meanwhile, in Luxembourg, not far from the massive open-pit iron mine known as the "Iron Sea," several towering blast furnaces were being constructed at a feverish pace.

Viscount Olivier, owner of the Hilke Steel Company, stood on a nearby hillside, watching his new ironworks take shape with a satisfied smile. For less than 40,000 livres, he had purchased a large ironworks in Luxembourg, acquiring over 700 skilled workers in the process.

He immediately began expanding and modernizing the facility. Next to the old blast furnaces, craftsmen were constructing two square buildings the size of small houses with fireproof bricks. These structures were almost completely sealed, with only two large pipes, reaching up to an adult's waist, connecting them to the blast furnace. Each building had a high-pressure steam engine nearby, which powered the bellows that fed air into the pipes.

This was the "hot blast" ironmaking technology that Joseph had introduced to French ironworks. The principle was simple: traditional blast furnaces drew in air at room temperature, which cooled the furnace when it entered the high-temperature environment. Since the furnace's temperature was just enough to melt the iron ore, the iron often came out as a viscous liquid, resulting in low-quality iron due to incomplete melting and uneven slag separation.

Joseph's innovation was to preheat the air in "hot blast stoves" before blowing it into the furnace under pressure. This prevented the furnace from cooling down, and the pressurized air increased the oxygen levels, raising the furnace temperature by nearly 200 degrees. Combined with the use of high-energy coke, this allowed the furnace to fully melt the iron ore.

The resulting molten iron was of much higher quality, with fewer impurities like silicon and sulfur, and more uniform slag separation. The iron produced was nearly as good as low-grade steel, requiring minimal refining to meet most production needs. After trial production in the industrial district of Nancy, the iron ingots from Viscount Olivier's furnace were selling for three-quarters the price of refined steel and were in high demand.

Olivier estimated that once his Luxembourg facility was fully operational, it could produce 20,000,000 pounds of iron annually. This single plant would exceed France's total steel production from the previous year!

Thanks to the Seine-Rhine trade agreement, his iron ingots and steel could be easily sold in southern Germany without the hassle of border tariffs and customs checks. His Luxembourg plant alone could earn him at least 800,000 livres next year, propelling him into the ranks of France's wealthiest men.

All of this stemmed from his decision to invest in the Nancy industrial district, a choice he often cited as the best he'd ever made.

Not far away, his old rival, Mr. Grigaut, approached and bowed. "You don't think the war will reach here, do you?" Mr. Grigaut glanced toward his own investment in an ironworks, visibly worried. "I've invested most of my fortune in Luxembourg."

Viscount Olivier chuckled. "You've heard, haven't you? The government has already started building a wooden railway from Luxembourg to Verdun. If they didn't have confidence in this area, they wouldn't be making such a significant investment."

"You're right. Oh, Mr. Grigaut, you're here too," said the manager of the Wilhouri Steel Mill, appearing seemingly out of nowhere. He bowed to the two men and continued, "I've heard that they're not building a wooden railway, but an iron one."

"God, that would cost a fortune!" Viscount Olivier started to speak, then stopped, realization dawning on him. This was Luxembourg, after all, where iron was abundant and cheap. The cost wouldn't be as high as elsewhere.

His eyes lit up. If the government was planning to build an iron railway, they would need to purchase large quantities of iron ingots from his ironworks! Perhaps he should mortgage his holdings in Nancy to fund the expansion of more blast furnaces in Luxembourg...

This was precisely the outcome Joseph had intended. By leveraging Luxembourg's cheap iron to build prototype iron railways and train track-laying workers, he could also boost sales for the ironworks, further driving down their production costs.

(End of Chapter)

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