Everyone in the conference hall had eyes that instantly burned with fervor.
It was as though they could already see that era belonging to the French Navy waiting just ahead.
Joseph had merely announced the total number of warships to be built. Once Toulon Shipyard calculated the budget for expanding its docks and the cost of constructing the ships, the Navy Department would sign a formal agreement with the shipyard accordingly.
Construction costs at Toulon might be slightly higher than at Brest, but in order to achieve strategic surprise, spending this little extra was entirely acceptable.
Joseph estimated that building twenty-five Fourth-rate Steam Warships would require a total investment of around 35 million francs. To reach forty ships, they would only need to invest another 13 million francs—the shipyard construction would already be complete, and building costs would fall accordingly.
Of course, that was only the construction cost. Future expenses for maintenance, operation, personnel training, and the like would be equally staggering.
Joseph intended to invest 85 million francs in the navy over two and a half years.
If they wanted to contend for mastery of the seas, there was no way around pouring in money.
Once they defeated the British Navy, they would earn all that money back tenfold, even a hundredfold!
As for where the funds would come from, that would depend on the implementation of the loans and war government bonds Joseph had arranged earlier.
After Joseph had roughly finished discussing the naval expansion, he looked toward the Minister of the Navy. "Marquis Leissard, how is the expansion of Le Havre Naval Academy progressing?"
Yes, more than half a year earlier, he had ordered the Navy Department to begin expanding France's only military academy capable of training naval officers.
Marquis Leissard hurriedly replied, "The expansion plan was