Chapter 1247: Stuck on Daying's Neck (First Update, Please Subscribe)
Control at the source!
As long as we block and control it from the source, even if we cannot make some enemies surrender voluntarily, we can still help us win the final victory.
"During the hundreds of years when saltpeter was developing throughout Europe, it was more important and scarcer than coal, steel, and oil, so the market value of gunpowder was higher than gold. The pursuit of saltpeter was a national strategy for all European countries from the 15th to the 19th century. In England, the state hired private contractors to search for and obtain saltpeter. The royal family granted administrative privileges to government commissioners, also known as "excrement commissioners." They had the right to enter any private property and residence, and even use force when necessary to collect and take away the saltpeter resources they found - in fact, excrement, urine, and pigeon urine."
In the conference room of the Imperial Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce, Li Jiebai, director of the Ministry's Mining Department, explained to officials of the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce the scarcity of saltpeter in Europe and even around the world.
"Saltpeter, a white crystal, was regarded as an "incredible treasure" by the royal families of all countries. From the first Portuguese voyage to the success of Henry VII, the first Tudor king, to the English Civil War in the early 17th century, to the American War of Independence and Civil War, to the Napoleonic Wars in France, until the end of the 19th century, saltpeter was a special commodity vital to national security. Countries lacking saltpeter were doomed to fail in wars."
Then he raised his voice and said.
"During the Napoleonic Wars, although France had improved its saltpeter production under the guidance of the famous chemist Antoine Lavoisier as early as the end of the 18th century, and its output exceeded one thousand tons, thus gaining the capital to compete with Britain. This huge production capacity later met the needs of Napoleon's war against the British Empire after the French Revolution. But in essence, France's saltpeter is still not comparable to Britain's - Britain occupied Bengal as early as the 18th century and obtained the local saltpeter mine, which is the famous "Indian saltpeter". Its output once reached as much as 10,000 tons! It can not only meet the needs of Britain, but also meet the needs of its allies..."
Listening to Li Jiebai's explanation, Sun Siwei frowned and said.
"So, India's saltpeter mines can meet their needs?"
Since His Majesty decided on the war strategy of "using saltpeter as a weapon", all Sun Siwei, as the Minister of Agriculture and Commerce, needed to do was to fully cooperate.
The Shangshu's question made Li Jiebai shake his head and say.
"It depends on the period. During the Napoleonic Wars, the output of Indian saltpeter mines could certainly meet the needs of Britain and its allies. But that was during the Napoleonic Wars, Minister. After all, the demand at that time was limited."
Li Jiebai looked at Bu Tang and said.
"At that time, cannons only used two or three pounds, or at most a dozen pounds of gunpowder. But what about now? Cannons use a few kilograms of propellant at least, and dozens of kilograms at most. In addition, the raw materials have also changed. Now, propellant is produced with nitric acid extracted from saltpeter. Nitric acid is also indispensable for the production of explosives. The arms industry's demand for saltpeter far exceeds that of the Napoleonic Wars. Just one Indian saltpeter is far from enough to meet the needs of the arms industry. Currently, the annual production of nitric acid in the UK alone requires thousands of tons of saltpeter."
Li Jiebai then introduced the situation of saltpeter imports in Britain, France, Germany and other European countries.
"…In short, saltpeter is the crown of the arms industry, but it cannot be synthesized artificially and must rely heavily on manual collection and foreign imports. Without it, it is impossible to produce nitric acid, and without nitric acid, there is no arms industry. Britain relied on saltpeter to win the support of its allies. During the Napoleonic Wars, the British promised the Russians that they would be supplied with 1,200 tons of saltpeter every year, but Napoleon could not give Russia such a guarantee, which also determined Russia's final direction."
Then, Li Jiebai took a deep breath and said.
"Minister, as long as we control the source of saltpeter, the British arms industry will definitely suffer a severe blow!"
…
"Choke!"
Putting down the teacup, Emperor Zhu said with a smile.
"In fact, it's just a bottleneck,"
Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang is very familiar with this word. In another world, European and American countries have often strangled China.
This is an old tradition in Europe and America. Once upon a time, controlling saltpeter from the source was also Britain's trump card. After all, before sodium saltpeter was put into gunpowder production, Britain, which controlled Indian saltpeter, used saltpeter to bribe other countries and used the saltpeter embargo to strangle France and its allies.
Now, let them experience what it feels like to be choked.
"Your Majesty is wise. Just strangle them so that they can't breathe! Finally, suffocate them to death!"
Sun Siwei said,
"According to statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce, Britain imports 123,000 tons of saltpeter from my country and 15,000 tons from India each year, 90% of which is used in agriculture, and the rest is used in arms and chemical industries. If a war breaks out, their demand will increase several times. Without our supply, it will be difficult to meet Britain's demand with only India,"
Nodding slightly, Emperor Zhu said.
"Not just Britain, but also the United States, Germany and Italy! They all need saltpeter, nitric acid. The question is, where can they get enough saltpeter? Without saltpeter, how can they make explosives?"
Without saltpeter, there is no nitric acid, without nitric acid there is no dynamite, without dynamite...is it possible to win the war?
Even in the opinion of Emperor Zhu, those outsiders in the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce had no idea how great the demand for explosives and gunpowder was in war. Take the First World War in history for example. The participating countries produced and consumed tens of millions of tons of ammunition. To produce so much ammunition, how much propellant and explosives were needed, and their production was inseparable from nitric acid, also known as saltpeter.
Fortunately, synthetic ammonia has not been invented yet, otherwise Britain’s misjudgment during World War I would have been repeated. After the outbreak of World War I in 1914, many people estimated that the war would only last half a year at most because Germany lacked nitric acid. Germany also needed to import Chilean saltpeter. The maritime blockade caused by the outbreak of the war made it impossible for Germany to import saltpeter from Chile as it did before the war, and its gunpowder production was naturally restricted.
But what about now?
There is no synthetic ammonia in the world! This technology tree has not been lit up yet. Of course, Emperor Zhu will not take the initiative to light it up. Of course, the technology that can strangle others should be taken slowly.
After thinking about it, Emperor Zhu said.
"Then make a plan! Investigate their demand for saltpeter and prevent them from building up reserves..."
(End of this chapter)
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