Chapter 975: The Wind and the Clouds
Chapter 956 The Wind Rises
With the support of the golden father, the revolutionary movement in France was once again in high spirits. The life of misery provided the soil for the spread of revolutionary ideas to survive.
Without waiting for the French government to react, a powerful anti-war and anti-starvation movement started in Paris and quickly spread across the country.
If one looks closely, one will find an interesting thing: the people who were most in favor of this war at the beginning and those who are most against it now are actually the same wave of people.
The people were still the same, and the only thing that had changed was the many added years on everyone’s faces. It was obvious that everyone had not had a good time in the past year or so.
The war that was originally thought to be an autumn wind sweeping away the leaves, turned out to have evolved into a national war of attrition, with a large number of French boys going to the battlefield, which also included their loved ones.
It would have been fine if they had been victorious on the battlefield, but now the result was that the French army was constantly defeated. The misery of life, coupled with the fear of their loved ones, forced everyone to come out against the war.
If nothing happens, when the armistice treaty is signed, those who are dissatisfied with the terms of the cessation and jump out to demand punishment for the traitors will still be this wave of people.
It can only be said that the government of Napoleon IV. was unlucky to have stumbled upon the era of the greatest confusion in French thought.
On September 1, 1891, a large-scale uprising broke out in Rome just as the revolutionary movement was gaining momentum. Unlike any previous revolts against France, the leaders of this revolt became nobles and missionaries.
Seeing that the French were about to be finished, the local Italian powerhouses, who had long been dissatisfied with the French, finally took practical action.
At the beginning of the revolt, the Italian soldiers in the garrison were turned, and with the cover of the church, the rebels quickly captured the city of Rome.
After the success of the revolt, Pope Leo XIII, as a religious leader, issued the Declaration of Anti-Invasion in the Vatican, calling on all Italian people to rise up and expel the French.
Upon receiving the news, Franz’s first reaction was that the climax of the Italian independence movement had come, and without any hesitation he immediately ordered the division of his army to strike southward to support the Italian national liberation movement.
……
In Versailles, the deteriorating situation finally pushed Napoleon IV to the edge of the cliff, and it was time to make a choice.
Minister of War Luscinia: “With the fall of the Roman region, the situation in Italy is rotten has become a foregone conclusion, at the moment we do not have enough troops to invest in Italy to clean up the mess.
The Ministry of War suggests temporarily abandoning the Italian region, retreating to the Alps, and contracting troops to return home for the defense of the homeland. Including the defense of Turin, which is caught in a scorching battle, there is no need to continue.”
The facts were in front of us, Italy, once the infinite glory of the Great French Empire, had now become a quagmire. Continuing to be stuck in it was of no value except for the wasted national strength.
Militarily speaking, retreating to the Alps was undoubtedly the best option. France could use the least amount of troops to secure the southern front and then devote the saved troops to other battlefields.
What was best militarily was not the same as what was best politically. In a sense, there was not much difference between France giving up the Italian regions and admitting defeat outright.
After the loss of Italy, the weakness of France was completely exposed, and it was conceivable that the Anti-French League would not give up this opportunity to fall on the enemy.
Those countries that originally did not contribute to the war, but were just making up the numbers, would also compete to be the first to pounce and tear off a piece of meat from France.
Knowing that, but no one objected. It was clear to everyone that the question now was no longer whether or not to give up the Italian region, but rather how to carry out the aftermath.
Scanning the crowd, Napoleon IV slowly said: ”Well, let’s implement the plan as far as the War Ministry is concerned!
It looks like Austria is ready to reinstate those Italian states, what to do behind, you should know, right?”
“Your Majesty, please rest assured. We will handle it properly and won’t leave the enemy behind ……”
Seeing that Napoleon IV’s mood was not high and seemed to be a bit impatient, Luscinia’s words came to an abrupt end.
Needless to say, it was natural to wreak havoc. For a long time to come, the restored Italian states would be enemies of France. It was only natural to weaken these potential enemies while there was still a chance.
In a sense, the harder France destroys now, the more money will be needed for reconstruction after the war. The Italian states naturally had no money, and the trouble fell back on Austria.
As for France being retaliated against after the war, just kidding, as if the enemy would be merciful if they didn’t do it now.
Since the outbreak of the war, France and Austria secretly contacted several times, have not been able to reach agreement, otherwise the war would have ended.
Really think that France is head iron, do not see the coffin will not shed tears. In fact, it is not Austria’s conditions are too harsh, so that the Paris government can not accept, only hard to the present.
Then, everyone helplessly found that the war this thing really can not be delayed. With the French army in the battlefield continued to lose, Austria’s conditions have become more and more harsh, the gap between the two sides of the bottom line that is a big one.
If the Vienna government is willing to give in and use the armistice conditions of half a year ago, no, even if it is to use the stopping conditions of three months ago, Napoleon IV will agree in one breath.
No way, half a year ago to stop the conditions, Austria will require France to give up French Africa, Central Europe to return to the pre-war border line, and pay a certain amount of war reparations.
The French were not even defeated, and most of French Africa was still in the hands of the French, so the Paris government naturally could not accept such conditions.
Three months ago it was different, French Africa could no longer satisfy Austria’s appetite, not only increased the huge war reparations, but also asked France to give up the Italian region.
This kind of humiliating conditions, the Paris government naturally did not dare to agree. As a result, before reacting, the French army ushered in two meeting defeats on the front line, followed by Russia, West and Switzerland were also pulled into the chariot by Austria.
Re-contact Austria’s conditions are even more excessive, not only the previous conditions, but also to the territory of France’s mainland demands.
And, it’s not just a star. Not only Austria wants to recover the Shen Luo homeland, the surrounding neighbors also want to follow a share.
Needless to say, this kind of let France a small circle of conditions, Napoleon IV, if you dare to agree, Versailles will change the owner.
Prime Minister Terence Bourgoin: “Your Majesty, those guys seem to have sensed what’s going on, and one by one, they’re all living in deep secrecy, and some of them have even left Paris.
There’s also the Revolutionary Party, which has suddenly become active, and has been involved in a number of strikes and violent incidents recently.
The Revolutionary Party alone is not capable of planning so many actions, and there must be other forces behind it.
They are the only ones who have the ability and motivation to do such things. If we don’t take action, I’m afraid they’re going to do it.”
It could be seen that Terrence Burgin was so scornful of the consortium that he used pronouns even when deliberating.
There was no way around it, the last politician who openly advocated suppressing the consortium had grass growing in his grave by now.
There is also the responsibility of Napoleon IV, who was busy seizing power when he was pro-government, and was taken advantage of by the consortium, and the faction in the government that advocated suppressing the consortium was marginalized.
By the time Napoleon IV reacted, the political forces advocating the suppression of the consortium had already crumbled under the consortium’s gold dollar offensive.
There was no way around it, politicians are just so knuckle-dragging. In the era of Napoleon III, there was a strong emperor who pressed on, and the politicians who dared to lean on the consortiums went home to farm, and if they wanted to hang around in officialdom they had to hate the consortiums.
The saying “once a king, always a king” may be a bit exaggerated in continental Europe. But Napoleon IV is not a normal change of power, the middle of a period of time is the minister regent, Bonaparte family and no one to control the overall situation, after the pro-government power change is inevitable.
Young and vigorous Napoleon IV, political skill is far from mature, the Bonaparte dynasty and no powerful figures to assist, inevitably be drilled.
This is somewhat similar to Chongzhen, just busy grabbing power, forget to maintain a balance between political factions.
However, Napoleon IV political wrist or some strong, late political struggle, and immovable support out of the first line of political power.
If not for the outbreak of the Revolution, it is possible that the consortium will be slowly played by him to waste. After all, the consortium is only capitalists because of the interests of the formation of the group, the same can also be divided because of the interests, the cohesion is very poor.
After hesitating for a moment, Napoleon IV nodded: “Prepare to launch! At this point, we can only gamble.”
(End of chapter)