Chapter 319: France's Response
On March 26, 1861, the Austrian Navy set out from Venice Port on a global goodwill tour, with the Ottoman Empire as its first stop.
Unfortunately, the Sultan Government had moved its capital inland; otherwise, they could have gotten a proper taste of what pressure meant. Even after relocating its capital, the Sultan Government was still profoundly shaken.
Seven ironclads, together with a dozen auxiliary warships, formed the most powerful fleet in the world, utterly beyond comparison with any sailing fleet.
It was called a visit, and it was only a visit. This time, Franz had no intention of stirring up extra trouble. After giving the Sultan Government a scare and paying visits to the Mediterranean nations, he headed straight for Asia.
Paris
Provoked by the sight, Napoleon III declared at a government meeting, "We must build an even larger ironclad fleet and let the world know the power of France."
Napoleon III could hardly have reacted mildly. Falling short of the United Kingdom's navy was one thing—he could console himself by saying that the British were purely a sea power, while France commanded both land and sea—but being inferior to the Austrians was intolerable.
At present, the French Navy's advantages over the Austrian Navy lay only in tonnage and combat experience.
Unfortunately, that experience remained rooted in the age of sailing warships. With the arrival of the ironclad era, much of it had become outdated, and tactical thinking had changed as well. Even with several times the tonnage, sailing warships could not defeat ironclads.
There was no helping it. The guns on sailing warships had been designed to deal with sailing warships; when the enemy suddenly became ironclads, they were no longer enough.
Navy Minister Dike replied confidently, "Your Majesty, please rest assured. We have