With a New Year beginning, the young Emperor was looking forward towards another year of speculation on where France as a nation would be. In the going on eighth year as Emperor of the French, the nation had grown to vast new heights in military, economy and power; though the power was far cry from the previous heights. Unknown to most people outside of the highest circles of the military and the inner circle was the deep plan to unify Italy into two or three nations, divided between preferably Sardinia-Piedmont, the Papal States and a Kingdom of Naples. Though this game of diplomacy involving the former proving grounds of his father would be one of the only many ventures of the nation during 1838.
Though festivities were occurring throughout Paris, the soldiers of France in Sicily were busy capturing the key port city of Messenia. With the capture of Messenia, the government of Two Sicilies came to the realization that the possibility of a victory or even a return to the status quo via a white peace were possibilities nil. The peace treaty that followed was light, Sicily would annexed to Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont; whose ruler Alfred was dismayed by the lack of demands towards additional control of southern Italy. After the war, a month long journey followed with French soldiers returning to port, and an eventual victorious parade under the Arc de Triumph in Paris; which occurred on February 4th, 1838.
Peace with the Kingdom of Naples (Two Sicilies).
Turning to the home front, the administration began focusing on further improving the quality and type of goods that were produced within France. In late February, the state-fun paper factory in Il de France was shut down, due to its continuous low performance in production and lack of turning a profit. Workers were to be retrained towards additional factories within the region. In early March, the state announced the expansion of factories in Rhone, focusing on the winery and liquor distillery.
Lastly, the affairs of the state and the world would come to the attention of the administration. On April 14th, relations with Copenhagen were established to a more friendly status, with talks of Denmark, a former Napoleonic ally joining within the sphere of France. Later in April, it was mentioned that the Netherlands went bankrupt, setting off an eruption of activity. Before Paris could intervene, Belgium declared war against Luxembourg, which had been under the protection of Amsterdam. Rumors were spreading that Prussia was interested in a piece of the Netherlands, but the threat of French intervention kept Berlin in line.