Opening a South Asian front

When Joseph saw the supply list below, along with the cost of deploying the troops, his head immediately began to ache.

The deployment costs for this first contingent of ten thousand men alone exceeded five hundred thousand livres. That was merely the expense of getting the troops from France to Tunisia. Once there, they would require a constant supply of provisions and assorted consumables, costing at least another four hundred thousand livres a month.

If fighting broke out, the expense would become incalculable. Even a million livres a month might not be enough.

Joseph frowned. If he added the second contingent of ten thousand soldiers and the Moulins Legion, these troops would consume over ten million livres a year just sitting in Tunisia!

He slapped the document hard onto the little table. This British trick was just too fucking disgusting!

He had poured his heart and soul into taking Tunisia, only to have to pay out of his own pocket to maintain stability there.

He could steadily develop the territory, raise local Tunisian legions, and then hand defense duties over to them, but that would take at least three to five years.

Not to mention that, during this period, the French would be less willing to go there to reclaim land for fear that war might break out in Tunisia.

This would greatly slow his development of Tunisia.

So, was there any way to break the deadlock? Joseph frowned in thought.

Offer Morocco benefits to get them to withdraw their troops?

He immediately shook his head. That would only whet Morocco's appetite, and the British would very likely raise their bid as well. Would France match it then or not?

Urge Russia to pressure the Ottomans into giving up Tripoli?

That probably was not very realistic either...

Russia was currently