As the Arican Ambassador Jones watched the two n prepare to leave with the booklets, he suddenly rembered sothing from the French Prince's letter. He quickly called them back and said solemnly, "I'm sure you're aware of the current situation. Preserving Poland and countering Russian ambitions should be your top priority. That's why I hope you will support the king. After all, he has the authority to rally more Polish people to resist Russia.
"Oh, and you'll need to set aside your religious demands for the ti being... What I an is, you shouldn't stop spreading Catholicism, but that should wait until Poland's crisis is resolved. If the Bar Confederation can make significant contributions in resisting the Russian invasion, I believe the Polish people will embrace Catholicism even more."
When the two n heard the term "Bar Confederation," they instinctively shrank back and nervously looked around.
Yes, they were among the few remaining mbers of the Bar Confederation in Poland. Seven years ago, a group of patriotic Polish nobles ford the Bar Confederation to protect the country's political and diplomatic independence and to resist Russian influence in Poland.
At first, the Confederation raised an army and expelled Russian forces from various parts of Poland. They even expanded into Lithuania and Ukraine during the Kriiwsiena Uprising[note 1]. Additionally, the Confederation encouraged the Ottoman Empire to go to war with Russia, which led to the Fifth Russo-Turkish War.
However, as the Confederation grew stronger, its policies began to shift.
First, they declared opposition to the Polish king—Stanisław II Augustus—because they viewed him as a puppet of Catherine the Great, who had allegedly bribed the Polish parliant to get him elected[note 2]. The Confederation was so hostile to the king that they even briefly kidnapped him.
The Confederation then fell into religious fanaticism, zealously promoting Catholicism across Poland and persecuting Protestant and Orthodox Christians.
Catherine the Great of Russia, in response, allied with Prussia and Austria. They used the pretext of protecting the Polish king and Orthodox Christians to invade Poland.
The Bar Confederation couldn't hold out long against the Russian army and was eventually crushed. However, the Russian, Prussian, and Austrian armies didn't stop there; they went on to occupy and divide up Polish territories, leading to the first partition of Poland.
After the war, most of the leaders of the Bar Confederation and their families were imprisoned in concentration camps in Lithuania, with so being exiled to Siberia.
Although the Bar Confederation was defeated, Joseph knew that they were the most determined anti-Russian group in Poland. As long as they didn't revert to religious fanaticism, they still had considerable support among the common people and the army.
Having them promote Polish national consciousness was the best course of action.
If a sense of national identity could be fostered, it would greatly enhance Poland's internal cohesion and reduce the influence of pro-Russian collaborators. The ease with which Russia, Prussia, and Austria divided Poland was largely due to internal divisions—Poles, Lithuanians, Slavs, and Germans who spoke different languages and pursued independent policies, often undermined each other in the face of foreign invasion.
Given Poland's population and land size, if it could unite as one, Russia, Prussia, and Austria would find it much harder to conquer.
And if, in the future, Poland's situation beca untenable, the Bar Confederation's influence could be used to rally a resistance movent against Russia, Prussia, and Austria, potentially leading to years of guerrilla warfare.
The Next Day:
Prince Poniatowski's Residence, Warsaw, Poland
The Copper-Roof Palace, where Jones was strolling through the garden with several Polish nobles, looked like an ordinary afternoon chat.
"The main concern among the major families is that abolishing the liberum veto could limit the power of the parliant," said a nobleman in his sixties, looking at the Arican ambassador. "So it would be best to first pass a constitution that establishes the separation of powers and simultaneously address the liberum veto issue."
The "liberum veto" he referred to was Poland's infamous one-vote veto, which allowed any single parliantarian to veto a law, making reform and progress nearly impossible.
"Yes, I'm quite familiar with this kind of political deadlock," Jones nodded, responding in Polish. "Our Congress in Arica often deals with the sa headaches. At such tis, what we need is a leader with high political authority to unify different opinions."
Prince Poniatowski sighed helplessly. "The king, well, you know, he's always so agreeable…"
Jones turned to him and said, "Perhaps you could represent His Majesty in rallying those parliantarians."
The old nobleman imdiately shook his head. "The Potocki family would never listen to the prince, nor would the arrogant Czartoryski family."
He was a senior mber of the Poniatowski family, the sa family as the Polish king, but not the largest family in Poland.
Currently, Polish politics was dominated by fewer than ten noble families. It was impossible to pass anything in parliant without their approval.
Recalling the French Prince's letter, Jones said gravely, "Poland is on the brink of disaster. Perhaps it's ti to use less gentlemanly thods. Prince Poniatowski, you are in charge of recruiting and training the army; you should make good use of that."
"As for the Potocki family, perhaps they've done sothing disgraceful. If the other families knew about it, they would certainly be eager to divide their power."
The Poniatowski family mbers exchanged surprised glances. The old nobleman lowered his voice, "This could cause major upheaval!"
"That's why the prince must be ready to mobilize the army to stabilize the situation. Once the Potocki family is dealt with, the Czartoryski family will undoubtedly beco more cooperative."
Prince Poniatowski frowned, "Maybe we don't need to go to such extres. The Potocki family's demands aren't entirely unreasonable."
Jones sighed inwardly. As the French Prince's mouthpiece, this was all he could do: "The decision is yours, Your Highness, but I can assure you that within three months, you'll have evidence of the Potocki family's treason."
In truth, he had no such evidence, but the French assured him that it would surface.
Joseph understood very well that while the Poles were slow to act, they eventually passed the May 3rd Constitution three years later.
This constitution abolished the liberum veto, ended the election of kings in favor of hereditary monarchy, and established a separation of powers, paving the way for the country's developnt.
However, the May 3rd Constitution limited the power of the nobility, which threatened families like the Potockis. They quickly allied with Prince Potemkin of Russia to form the Targowica Confederation, requesting Russian intervention.
The Confederation's army, along with Russian forces, defeated the Polish governnt forces, and Prussia and Austria, following secret agreents with Russia, invaded Poland from the west, leading to the second partition of Poland.
The Potocki family had long been colluding with Russia, and evidence of their treachery would surely be found if one looked hard enough.
If, by chance, no evidence was found, Joseph was prepared to "create" so. Once the Potocki family was toppled, others would inevitably confess.
With Russia embroiled in a war with Sweden, it was currently unable to intervene.
If the May 3rd Constitution could be implented for a few years, Poland's national strength would significantly increase. Without the Potocki family aiding Russia, Moscow would lose its pretext for intervention, making it much harder to partition Poland.
If Prussia and Austria—especially Austria—feared that invading Poland would drain their resources, they might reconsider joining the conflict.
Both Prussia and Austria had ambitions to unify Germany. Without the shared interest of partitioning Poland, they would likely start competing for dominance in Germany.
This would significantly reduce the strategic pressure on France and buy the country a few more years to develop.
Prince Poniatowski hesitated for a long ti before bowing to Jones, "Thank you for your assistance to Poland, Mr. Ambassador. I will carefully consider your suggestions. Oh, the banquet is about to start. Let's head inside."
United States, New York
"The votes have been counted!" A middle-aged man in a black vest excitedly burst into the room. Under the anxious gaze of everyone present, he paused for two seconds before bowing to George Washington. "Congratulations, Mr. President!"
The dozen or so people in the room imdiately erupted in cheers, crowding around Washington with their congratulations.
Washington's face, already red, flushed even more deeply. He took a deep breath and looked at the ssenger. "Mr. Thomas, can you tell the exact results?"
"You received 50 votes, a landslide victory!"
Washington felt a wave of relief. Securing 50 out of 69 electoral votes was indeed a decisive win.
He also felt a sense of gratitude. Without the French Prince's help, Alexander Hamilton's remarkable popularity could have made him the one celebrating victory today.
Even with French support, Hamilton still garnered 33 votes![note 3]
Previously, Joseph had bolstered Hamilton's reputation with the success of the diterranean pirate suppression and the subsequent trials of those pirates in Arica, which briefly eclipsed the fa of Washington, the Continental Army commander during the Revolutionary War.
But Joseph quickly realized that Hamilton, an extrely aggressive hawk with a particular fondness for the military, would likely re-establish a standing army if elected President—a move that could accelerate Arica's westward expansion and the extermination of Native Aricans.
A United States confined to thirteen states was not a concern, but a United States dominating half of the Aricas would beco a nightmare for all of Europe.
Joseph was determined to prevent that.
So, he sent representatives to the United States to support the more moderate Washington. At least during his presidency, the U.S. would continue relying on militias.
Joseph's strategy was simple: provide Washington with campaign funds and launch a newspaper in the U.S. called The Arican News, sold at a very low price. With French wood pulp and printing technology, the newspaper was 60% cheaper than its Arican competitors while still turning a 10% profit.
Additionally, The Arican News held exclusive rights to publish popular novels like Breaking the Sky, Mistress of Friends, and Ladies, Please Stop, making it the dominant newspaper in the U.S. market in a very short ti.
From then on, the newspaper continuously published stories about the Revolutionary War, repeatedly highlighting Washington's great contributions, while crediting the Barbary pirate campaign to Congress. As a result, mbers of Congress praised The Arican News for its objectivity and fairness.
Under the guidance of his French campaign team, Washington traveled across the U.S., giving speeches and making public appearances, quickly surpassing Hamilton in public support.
Of course, Washington reciprocated. He sent his trusted aide, Jones, as the ambassador to Poland, where he was doing his utmost to fulfill his duties.
While Washington celebrated his election as President, the manager's office at The Arican News was holding a eting to discuss opening branch offices.
As directed by the Prince, The Arican News would not be enough to reach all Aricans on its own. A new entertainnt-focused newspaper would be needed to attract the lower classes.
In the upcoming congressional elections, the newspaper was tasked with "sponsoring" at least ten congressn—a daunting challenge.
Riding in a carriage through Baden, Talleyrand watched the Prince across from him and smiled. He cautiously asked, "Your Highness, have you received good news?"
Joseph slid the report he had just received from Nancy across the border over to him. "Take a look. It's last month's sales report from the United Steam Engine Company. Our high-pressure steam engines are selling in Britain, and orders keep coming in."
The Foreign Minister, not fully grasping the significance of steam engines, smiled politely. "Oh, selling one for 11,000 livres—it's quite a profitable business."
"Yes, probably the best business there is," Joseph smiled and nodded.
After all, the low-pressure steam engines produced by Watt's company sold for 480 pounds (12,000 livres) and had only 60% of the power of the French product.
If it weren't for the fact that the United Steam Engine Company had to et the majority of France's dostic demand, Watt's company might already be out of business...
Notes:
Ukraine in the Late 18th Century: At this ti, Ukraine was still a geographical term, with much of it under Lithuanian control. Polish Election of Kings: In the late 18th century, Poland's kings were elected by a parliant composed of nobles. This system allowed foreign powers to influence Polish politics by bribing parliant mbers to elect their preferred candidates. Catherine the Great of Russia used this thod to place her lover, Stanisław II Augustus, on the throne. First U.S. Presidential Election: In this election, each elector could vote for more than one candidate.
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