For continental Europe, the most densely populated and resource-rich regions were Belgium and Lombardy.
Through the Treaty of Campo Formio, France gained control of Belgium.
Under France's old regime, there had been a compulsory purchase right, used during famines. Lords would force peasants to buy certain goods at fixed prices, usually food. Like Georgiana's canned horse meat: the peasants did not want to eat horse meat, but the lord forced them to buy it. Whether they wanted it or not, they had to eat it.
Belgium was squeezed dry by France like a juicer. Not only was the port of Antwerp forbidden from trading abroad, but the locals were also forced to buy France's exorbitantly priced goods and endure its persistently high taxes, reducing a prosperous place to misery.
"Damn the French king." She cursed on behalf of the Belgians.
Waterloo lay within Belgium, not far from Antwerp, less than a hundred kilometers away in a straight line. It was an excellent supply point. If for no other reason than that, she would not allow Antwerp to continue being exploited like this.
She planned to move the lace business here from Venice and have some Jews buy land in Belgium. Compared with Israel, which was desert everywhere, muddy Belgium should be much better. They only needed to build more windmills, like the Netherlands, to pump away the water.
Montesquieu's understanding of taxation was this: pay part of one's money in order to protect the rest.
The French, having gone through the French Revolution, understood this. Those who had not could be taught. Most people should come to their senses after seeing what had happened in September 1792.
Business tax, milling tax, toll tax, customs duty...
She listed the taxes one by one according to the categories the current French government