The Begum's Millions by Jules Verne

THE BEGUM'S MILLIONS is a little-known work by Jules Verne which follows the contest between two men, the inheritors of a vast fortune. The men, one French and the other German, believe in their innate superiority of their respective nations--and each man sets out to prove it. The Frenchman, Dr. Sarrasin, establishes a utopian city-state along the Oregon coast. With an emphasis on sanitation and quality of life, Sarrsin's city contrasts with that of Dr. Schultze, the German whose city in the interior of Oregon is built on heavy industry and mining. The German city (Stahlstad) soon prepares to war against the French using chemical weapons.