Sorry it took so long
1829:
In April, Malraux dies in his Paris home. King Louis XVII remains at his bedside throughout the weeklong ordeal, repeatedly promising his friend that he will not allow the reforms Malraux had brought to France to perish.
The Ottoman Empire, facing military defeat at the hands of the French-supported Greeks, finally recognizes the independence of the Greek kingdom in a peace deal brokered by the French. In exchange, the Turks gain a commitment from the French never to station troops in Greece and to diplomatically support them in any future conflicts with the Russians (the latter measure being kept secret).
King Henri I celebrates his eighteenth birthday and happily takes over direct control of the Kingdom of Spain. His father makes an extended trip to Madrid to join in the celebrations, while attempting to talk his son out of the more conservative measures he wishes to implement. To give his admonishments teeth, Louis mention to his son that the Treaty of Utrecht would prohibit him from inheriting the French throne upon his (Louis’) death. French power being what it is, Louis is obviously in a position to ignore it if he so wishes, but he does not have to.
After much soul-searching, King Louis chooses a replacement for Malraux as Prime Minister. Eugene Marceau, a conscientious civil servant who had worked his way up through the ranks and had recently served as finance minister. He is regarded as a man unlikely to make waves and so a good choice to help consolidate the Malraux reforms. In this, Louis maintains his meritocratic policy, promoting men based on their talent rather than their family connections.
1830:
The remaining Muslim tribes in Algeria surrender to the French army, thus securing French control over Algeria.
Construction begins on the Paris-to-Brussels Railway. With French engineers currently leading the world in rail technology, it is planned as the first step in building a railroad system that will link the entire nation. Specifically, this railroad is hoped to reduce travel time between Paris and the other main centers of Europe. Plans are also being laid for a more ambitious Paris-to-Marseilles Railroad.
An uprising by Italian nationalists takes place in Rome. They protest both against the control over secular affairs held by the Pope and the dominance of France over Italian affairs. The French garrison of Rome, technically fulfilling its mission of protecting the Pope, puts down the revolt, but there are heavy civilian casualties and much bad feeling is generated.
Greece signs a defensive alliance with France, with the understanding that the French will not station troops in Greece except in the event of war, as had been previously promised to the Turks.
A certain moderation in the behavior of King Henri of Spain is noticed this year.
1831:
With the Algerian conflict over, larger numbers of French troops are sent to Vietnam, where local kingdoms have begun pressuring the French to abandon their trading posts (which serve mainly to protest their trade route to China).
There has been a decided shift in relations between the French and the Indians in North America. East of the Mississippi, relations remain good. The less-nomadic nature of these tribes, the legal definition of the Indians as French subjects and the gradual acceptance of the idea of property ownership among the Indians keeps tensions low. A large number of people with mixed Indian and French ancestry are being born.
West of the Mississippi, however, relations have worsened as increasingly large numbers of French settlers are moving into the territory. Conflicts are fierce and increasingly common. The Teton Sioux, having suffered at the hands of several French punitive expeditions, become unlikely allies to the French, who begin recruiting them as scouts and shock troops in return for allowing them to take the land and possessions of many of their traditional enemies.
The Tory party retakes control of the British Parliament, thus squelching any discussion of changes in the constitutional relationship between Britain and the Dominion of America, at least for the time being. Many have pointed out that, as the trade links between the two sides are so closely intertwined, it might make more sense simply to combine the two Parliaments and make them into a single nation, similar to what happened between Scotland and England in 1707.
Political observers in Britain give the matter little thought, as an upsurge in violence in Ireland gains the most attention from the press. A new faction of Irish nationalists, called the Sons of Saint Patrick, seek complete Irish independence. Somewhat more worrisome is their insistence that they would have French support in any uprising and that Ireland would join the Holy Alliance once it gains independence. This raises tensions somewhat between France and Britain, although the French truthfully tell the British that they have nothing to do with the organization and think they are a bunch of troublemakers.
The financing of railroad lines has become a major issue in France. There are technicians and raw materials aplenty, but raising sufficient funds has become a matter of grave concern. In response, Prime Minister Marceau creates the Banque de France (Bank of France), a central bank to help finance such projects and regulate the French currency. Railroad construction immediately pick up, and numerous other benefits follow. Because the bank quickly establishes a reputation as the most stable financial institution in the world, numerous wealthy foreigners and foreign governments (including even the Pope) despot their wealth and open lines of credit through the bank.
1832:
French troops are involved in several punitive expeditions in Vietnam, punishing the small kingdoms there who have attempted to interfere with French trading interests. Consequently, larger areas of Vietnam come under French control.
A French regiment patrolling the border with the Sikhs becomes involved in a large-scale skirmish with a similar-sized Sikh unit. In a day-long battle, the French regiment is roughly handled and forced to retreat. A Muslim unit of the French Indian army arrives to reinforce the French but is also forced to retreat. On-the-spot negotiations quickly restore calm, as neither side wants hostilities to break out, but many observers note the surprising Sikh fighting ability. The flow of Russian weapons and military advisors to the Sikhs continues.
Construction is completed on the Paris-to-Brussels Railroad, and construction begins on a branching line to Calais and the other Channel ports. Work on the Paris-to-Marseilles Railroad gets under way. The press describes the construction as the “Railroad Craze.” Similar programs are getting under way in other countries, although Spain lags behind the rest due to the lack of training technicians.
It is noted that a large number of French artists and writers have begun traveling to India, many of them remaining for years. Much of the art produced in France has decidedly Indian themes and incorporate the stories of Hinduism. The Catholic Church disapproves of this, but few see it as a matter of concern. Even the artists themselves see it as nothing more than mythological source material, similar to that which had been provided by ancient Greece and Rome.
King Louis XVII holds a meeting with the Pope in the city of Genoa. With Italian nationalism on the rise, the idea is floated of uniting the entire Peninsula (with the exception of the Papal States, of course) into a single Kingdom of Italy, which will be tied to France by the Holy Alliance. The Pope stresses that the Church must remain in complete control of all religious and educational affairs in such a kingdom and must have influence in secular matters as well. The Pope also admonishes Louis for considering the idea of a state-supported public education system in France.
At the same time, King Louis sends letters to several heads-of-state in Germany, suggesting that they more closely align their policies and trading relationships as the first step in the creation of a German Confederation. Most reply politely but noncommittally.
1833:
Construction of the first railroad in India, from the French capital of Pondicherry to the Mysorean capital at Srirangapatna, is begun. In New France, a similar project seeks to link Quebec and Montreal. Throughout the French Empire, there are discussions of building large steamships to link the various ports of call.
When protests erupt in Mexico City calling for freer trade between New Spain and Europe, the Spanish Viceroy uses brutal force to break up the demonstration. Surprising many observers, King Henri responds by summoning the Viceroy home and stripping him of his noble rank, an act which gains him many supporters among the middle-class in New Spain. Working behind the scenes, King Louis had again threatened to cut him out of the inheritance of the French throne unless Henri acted with moderation in the matter.
More discussions are held regarding German unification. Within France, government and military officials regard the creation of some sort of German confederation as a potential buffer state between France and Russia. To a lesser degree, the same is true of the potential Kingdom of Italy vis-à-vis Austria. However, some in the French government fear the potential power of such united nations and insist that measures be enacted to ensure that they will remain under de facto French control.
