Several senior Prussian ministers immediately began discussing it in hushed voices. "I think it's worth considering."
"The biggest problem is that it would provoke British retaliation..."
"Yes, they'd blockade the Baltic Sea, but that wouldn't affect us much."
"Clearly, the additional revenue from the cane sugar trade would far exceed the little aid Britain gives us..."
"Perhaps this is a good opportunity to use France to keep Austria in check. And as long as the French don't cross the Rhine River, we can gradually bring the North German Confederation together. Britain can't offer us that."
The men suddenly found that once the thought of siding with France took root, the whole world seemed to open up.
Joining forces with France would transform everything from the economy and markets to their geopolitical position. It promised far more than they could gain by serving as Britain's hired muscle.
What they failed to realize was that while planting sugar beets on a massive scale could bring Prussia enormous profits, it would also put the lifeblood of its economy in French hands.
First, France controlled the sugar beet seeds and fertilizer. Joseph would certainly sign supply agreements to ease Prussian concerns, but if a crisis threatening the nation's survival ever arose, those agreements would be nothing but toilet paper.
Even in ordinary times, France would only have to claim a "fertilizer shortage" to send a cold sweat down Prussia's back.
Second, France held the power to set prices in Europe's cane sugar market. Whether Prussia got the carrot or the stick would depend entirely on the sugar prices at the Paris Futures Exchange.
Finally, as Prussian finances grew dependent on sugar beet cultivation, the planted area would inevitably keep expanding.
Joseph, meanwhile, would send a steady stream of cheap grain from North Africa into