Duke Uvarov's words, "a total embargo," stunned everyone.
A total embargo was an extremely drastic measure, usually a double-edged sword that wounded the enemy a thousand times while inflicting eight hundred wounds on oneself.
The Continental System Napoleon had imposed on Britain was the best example. Napoleon had hoped to "use land to control the sea," but things had gone against him. Not only had he failed to master the oceans, he had also destroyed his own empire.
If Russia imposed a trade embargo on Britain now, no one would doubt that Russia would follow in the footsteps of the Napoleonic Empire.
As soon as Duke Uvarov finished speaking, someone immediately jumped up to object.
"Have you gone mad, Your Grace? Who are we supposed to sell our timber to if not the British? Do you want it to rot in our own homes?"
"Exactly! If we impose a total embargo, our fur trade will suffer too. Britain is the biggest buyer of our furs!"
"We also need to import machinery from Britain. Without British steam engines, the workers won't agree to work."
In fact, Russia could produce steam engines at the time. The principles behind them were not especially complicated. It was just that their quality control was poor, and unexpected problems occurred frequently.
The main issue was that production costs could not be brought down. Even after being shipped to Saint Petersburg, steam engines bought from Britain were still cheaper than those produced in Russia.
As for the workers refusing to work, that was complete nonsense. British factories were inhuman, but Russian factories were no better.
"If Britain stops trading with us, we'll be the ones to suffer. They can simply import from other countries and sell their goods elsewhere."
"Exactly! The British have plenty of colonies, while