The super coalfield
In reality, unless the France side said so, the Ottoman themselves didn't know whether the troops who didn't return were captured or killed in action; in the end, they were almost always treated as killed in action.
In addition, thanks to the enthusiastic assistance of the Maori people, the towns in New Zealand have been basically completed. Several thousand Tunisia Guard Corps who were sent to do hard labor are still alive and can be transferred to Donbas at any time if needed.
Generally speaking, the biggest obstacle to developing a barren land like Donbas is manpower, and Joseph happens to have a lot of free labor at his disposal.
There was no Geneva Convention in those days. Prisoners of war had no human rights whatsoever, and even if they died of exhaustion in Russia, nobody cared.
Moreover, Donbas is a godforsaken place where the area is a wasteland for hundreds of kilometers, surrounded by wild animals, with no food or water, and no way to escape. Even if a few laborers with "Bear Grylls" spirit managed to make it to a town, the Russia would immediately send them back as soon as they heard that you were speaking Turkic or Arabic.
This is also the source of Talleyrand's confidence in refusing Catherine II's request for labor.
Viscount Olivier was discussing supply shipments with several shareholders of the Development Group when a group of dirty-looking men came rushing towards them. One of them, a France scholar, was excitedly waving and shouting, "Coal Mine! I've found Coal Mine! There really is a big Coal Mine!"
Viscount Olivier and his entourage were overjoyed—His Highness the Crown Prince was right after all; the prospecting team had found Coal Mine, and a large Coal Mine at that, in less than a month. At least they wouldn't lose everything!
The geologist approached the group, dismounted, and gestured for his attendant to bring down a small basket of coal. His face beaming, he exclaimed, "Commander, we've conducted trial mining around the Jubene area, and we've unearthed very high-quality anthracite coal within a 40-kilometer radius! Look!"
Although Russia explorers found traces of coal and Iron Mine in the Donbas Region long ago, no one could guarantee the size of the reserves, let alone the specific quality. To attempt mining, Camp would first need to be established, followed by a large investment in detailed exploration.
Viscount Olivier excitedly picked up a lump of coal from the basket and examined it closely; indeed, it was of extremely high quality. He handed the Coal Mine to the shareholders beside him, and they all exchanged pleased glances and nodded in agreement.
If it's anthracite, then it's not just about recovering some costs; if the reserves are high enough, you can definitely make a fortune!
The geologist pulled out a map and said, "You see, this area is rich in Mining Area, with the burial depth generally not exceeding 2 meters. I had seven points dug, at depths exceeding 10 meters, and found that they were still all coal seams!"
Viscount Olivier and the others could no longer contain themselves, cheering loudly as they tossed their hats into the air or excitedly hugged and patted each other.
Long live His Highness the Crown Prince!
"Thanks for the guidance of the Child of Divine Grace! Thanks be to God for the blessings!"
"Listening to His Crown Prince was definitely the right thing to do! We're rich! Haha!"
"Yes, we've struck it rich! Such a huge Coal Mine could probably earn us several million Franc!"
If Joseph had heard this news, he would not have been surprised at all. He already knew that the Donbas Region had extremely rich Coal and Iron resources. The Donbas Coalfield even supported more than 70% of the industrial production of the later Red Empire!
In reality, what Viscount Olivier and his team discovered was only a drop in the ocean—the entire South Donbas Coalfield covers a total area of 15,000 square kilometers! Moreover, the vast majority of it consists of shallow Coal Mine that can be easily mined manually.
At that very moment, the exploration team sent by the Development Group to the Krivoy Rog region had already discovered a large Iron Mine deposit, but because it was a bit far away, they were still conducting trial mining.
Although the quality of the Iron Mine in Donbas is not high, its reserves are extremely abundant, with proven reserves exceeding 3.5 billion tons. Combined with the coal here, which costs about the same as stone, Iron Ingot can be smelted at a very low price, making its mining value very high.
Once the Coal and Iron Mine here are mined in large quantities, the high-quality coal can be shipped back to France, and the surplus can be sold to Russia on the spot, or distributed to countries along the Mediterranean Sea coast via the Crimea Port —the speed at which money can be made is even faster than robbery.
Most importantly, this Coal and Iron resource, which was historically controlled by the United Kingdom, will no longer have anything to do with the United Kingdom.
France, on the other hand, finally gained access to anthracite, a crucial source for the Industrial Revolution. Before this, France had to purchase all its anthracite from the United Kingdom, and its domestic Coal Mine produced low-quality coal with extremely high sulfur content. This was one of the key factors that historically prevented France from catching up with the United Kingdom in the early stages of industrial development.
Despite the apparent huge benefits France gained from Donbas, Russia will be very grateful to France. Aside from the contribution of developing Donbas to Russia's control of Crimea, Russia will soon enter the initial stage of industrial development, leading to a rapid increase in demand for Coal and Iron Mine. Without the Coal and Iron Mine Coal and Iron by the France, they would have to transport it to Moscow from the distant Uralsk region, increasing costs by at least 30%.
As for the claim that this would accelerate Russia's Industrialization process, Joseph had no concern whatsoever— Russia, from its social system to its technological capabilities, posed absolutely no threat to France's industrial position. If Russia's low-end industries were allowed to develop slightly faster, and France could reap substantial profits from it, that was perfectly acceptable.
Viscount Olivier suddenly seemed to remember something, gestured for everyone to be quiet, and then said very seriously, "The discovery of the large Coal Mine must be kept strictly confidential!"
"Yes, Regiment Commander."
After everyone had left, Viscount Olivier immediately took the money and headed to Kursk.
He's going to buy land.
Previously, Archbishop Talleyrand had told him that the Russia Tsar had promised the Development Group could purchase land in the Donbas Region at a price of one Ruble per acre. He had initially hesitated to invest too much, but now it seemed he should absolutely heed the Crown Prince's advice and buy up all the places where mineral deposits might be found!
Vienna.
Schönbrunn Palace.
At the grand ball welcoming the Crown Prince of France, the Austria Nobility danced to their hearts' content, but Joseph, the protagonist of the ball, had no interest in dancing whatsoever. Instead, he sat on a wooden platform next to the band, talking to Leopold II.
"You can completely trust the fighting strength of my army," Joseph said. "So, although my plan is somewhat risky, it will also lead us to victory."
Leopold II looked at him with considerable surprise. He had previously heard that the Crown Prince of France had commanded troops in North Africa and the Southern Netherlands, but he had dismissed it as mere boyish adventure.
After their detailed discussion of the battle, he realized that the boy had indeed participated in the fighting and was quite familiar with military matters.