On June 12, 1852, the British Parliament passed the Army Expansion Act.
The proposal by Maxim to expand the army by 120,000 was discounted, and the savvy parliamentarians finally limited the expansion to 80,000. The reason, of course, was to arm according to actual needs and not to waste the taxpayers' money.
This thrifty sense of ownership directly led to the British Army dragging the feet of allies in the Near East War.
Compared to the slow-moving British, the French were much more efficient. Once the increase in troops was confirmed, Napoleon III embarked on a rapid expansion of the army, and the total strength of the French Army leapt to 620,000.
It was as if the all-conquering France of old had returned. In Europe, apart from the 'Mao Xiong,' they now had the largest standing army.
In order to expand France's international influence, Napoleon III was very proactive this time, with French reinforcements already en route from the domestic front while the army expanded.
