Chapter 954: Downfall

After entering 1891, the people of Paris had no comfortable days. On the one hand, the material life is becoming increasingly impoverished, and on the other hand, the rising prices of goods have made ordinary people miserable.
If the frontline can continue to win and pass a few days of hardship in a short time, everyone will recognize it. It is a pity that the luck of the French army seemed to have run out in the previous year, and bad news has continued since the beginning of the year.
With the loss of air superiority, Paris has become insecure. Especially since the beginning of August, the Austrian Air Force will come and stroll around almost every day.
The high-altitude bombing hit rate depends entirely on luck. The direct loss caused by the enemy's air strikes is not large, and the military threat to France is limited, but the bad impact brought by the Paris government is miserable.
The more uncertain things are, the easier it is to cause panic. Regardless of how low the enemy air force's hit rate is, people will die once caught.
For the sake of their lives, apart from the politicians who couldn't run away, the Parisians with a little wealth all went to the country estate to take refuge.
The wealthy ran away, and Paris’s economy naturally depressed. If it were not for the war to occupy a large amount of labor, it is estimated that the French government would still worry about unemployment.
In the Palace of Versailles, Napoleon IV has moved out of the basement and resumed his normal office. There is no other reason, just not afraid of death.
Well, the truth is that after a long period of observation, Napoleon IV discovered that the enemy air force deliberately avoided bombing the palace. Even air raids on the palace are mostly threats.
It's also right to think about it, if there is no deep hatred in the European continent, generally few people will kill the monarch.
Although the Bonaparte dynasty had some grudges with the Habsburg dynasty, it was not to the point of death or death. Franz, who cherishes feathers, is naturally unwilling to bear the notoriety of killing kings.
Without instructions from above, the combat troops below would naturally not dare to mess around. Neither the officer nor the soldier can bear the charge of killing the king.
Under the shelter of Napoleon IV, the Palace of Versailles and the surrounding area were fortunate to become a safe zone. No one dared to drop bombs even if it was attacked by air.
This did not hear the air defense sirens of "Uuuuu...", Napoleon IV walked out leisurely, looking up at the sky.
Looking at the flyers falling from the sky, Napoleon IV sighed. Sometimes he even wanted the enemy to drop bombs and send him to see God in advance.
There is no way, the emperor is too tired. But family responsibilities made him unable to retreat, and no matter how much pressure he could only bear. If you really die in an enemy airstrike, it might be a relief.
Among other things, at least the Bonapartist dynasty retreated. The dead are the easiest to win sympathy points, especially those who die tragically and miserably.
No matter how the people below shake the pot, it is impossible for the few-year-old prince to take responsibility. Even out of political needs, Austria will support the Bonapartist dynasty to stabilize the situation.
I picked up a small piece of paper that fell from the sky, and the title was "A Letter to the People of France". Looking at the content of the accusation against capitalists and consortia, Napoleon IV was deeply moved.
Without the promotion of these interest groups, the European War would not break out at all, at least Napoleon IV himself opposed this war initially.
It was just that the individual could not go against the general trend, and France was forced to be tied to the chariot of capital and embarked on a road of no return.
It doesn't matter if you start a war, the key is that these guys lost the chain halfway. Doing everything to make huge profits has not only affected frontline operations, but also caused complaints among the domestic people.
If it weren't for these dragging guys, even if France were to lose, it wouldn't have been so fast.
"Your Majesty, the Prime Minister and they are here."
The voice of the maid pulled Napoleon IV back from the fantasy. The guy who pulls the hind legs exists in every country and is not an isolated case of France. Now it is only because France is about to lose that the problem has become apparent.
"Bring them here!"
Napoleon IV said lightly.
Since it was determined that the surrounding area of ​​the palace was a safe zone, the offices of the French government have moved over. It also facilitates the communication between various departments, and even the telephone bill can be saved.
...
Foreign Secretary Karel Cadlec: "Your Majesty, the British have rejected our loan application and also announced that payment must be made for future transactions."
Allies do not exist. If it were not for the need for France in the post-war international situation, it is estimated that the British would have fallen into trouble.
There hasn't been any trouble ahead, and it's not too late to start.
Since the war, France’s foreign exchange reserves have already bottomed out. Even the reserves of hair currency are mortgaged to the British, and they are already in London.
Severing the loan and demanding payment first and then delivery was clearly driving the rhythm of France.
"What do the British want?"
Napoleon IV asked coldly. As if all this was expected, it did not cause the slightest disturbance.
Foreign Secretary Karel Cadlec: "The British are eyeing our overseas colonies, mainly the Indochina Peninsula. They are worried that these areas will fall into Austrian hands after the war and threaten the security of India."
There is no love and hatred for no reason in politics, only eternal interests. Seeing France's defeat imminent, the British could not help taking advantage of the fire.
Although the Austrian power did not penetrate the Indochina Peninsula, the German Confederation occupied the Malay Peninsula. After the war, Germany would merge, and it was inevitable that the power would extend to the Indochina Peninsula.
If the French Indochina peninsula falls into the hands of Austria, the Southeast Asia will become Austria's dominance. At that time, India will be strategically surrounded by the Russian-Austrian alliance on three sides, and the military pressure it will face is too great.
Napoleon IV sneered: "Now that I know the worry, why did you go? If it weren't for the British, we would have broken through the Rhine a long time ago, and it would not be the current situation.
Everyone bowed their heads, no one wanted to argue with the emperor on this issue. Even everyone knows that Napoleon IV's words are biased.
The British hindered the French army's operations, but that was not the root cause of the French army's failure to win. In essence, the difference in strength between the two sides was huge.
If you really crossed the Rhine, the French army might be defeated even worse. At least there are no guerrillas now, and the occupied area is stable.
After a pause, Napoleon IV added: "It's nothing, it's useless to say more about it. What price are the British going to pay?"
The European War is different from the Franco-Prussian War in the original time and space. Austria has a sufficiently powerful navy, which is doomed to France's inability to keep its overseas colonies after the war.
Against this background, Napoleon IV didn't mind selling to the British. What made him upset was that the British fell into trouble at this time.
Foreign Secretary Karel Kadlec: "Deduct part of our previous debts, plus a batch of material assistance. When converted, the total value is about 6 million pounds."
Hearing this number, Napoleon IV immediately slapped the table and asked: "Why don't they grab it?"
The French Indochina Peninsula covers an area of ​​nearly 740,000 square kilometers. The local land is fertile and rich in products. It is a rare treasure and can bring a lot of wealth to France every year.
This kind of high-quality asset usually costs 6 million pounds, even if it is 60 million pounds, people are rushing to take it.
Now the situation is special. Few companies dare to grab food from Austria, but they are not low enough to sell for 6 million pounds. We must know that the cost of the French government to open up French Indochina is more than 6 million pounds.
However, even the 6 million pounds, the British are not prepared to pay cash, but to deduct.
At current prices, 6 million pounds can buy up to 3 million pounds of pre-war supplies, which is a blood loss for France.
Prime Minister Terence Burkin reminded: "Your Majesty, we have no choice now. Knowing that the British are blackmailing, we cannot refuse.
After all, these areas fall into the hands of the British, better than fall into the hands of Austria. Moreover, we need the support of the British in the subsequent negotiations. "
The saddest thing in the world is that you can only send it up obediently when you know that someone is robbing it.
Fortunately, after a series of severe social beatings, Napoleon IV's heart has been flattened. If it was left ten years ago, he could directly turn his face with the British.
"Tell the British that if you want to get these areas, you have to show enough sincerity. Otherwise, we would rather leave Indochina to Austria than let them succeed."
Napoleon IV also had misery to threaten allies with enemies. The French empire, which inherited the great promise from his father, has fallen into such a field in less than two decades. This kind of mental gap is not something ordinary people can bear.
Tracing back to the source is just because a wrong war was launched at the wrong time. On the whole, Napoleon IV was still a qualified emperor, but it was a pity that he lost everything in one mistake.
The Italian region is destined to be unable to keep it; French Africa is also cool, and the defenders of Algeria alone will not last long; watching French Indochina also change hands, the French territory has returned to 70 years ago overnight. .
This is not all. From the perspective of the anti-French alliance, it is difficult to maintain the integrity of the French mainland, and the final result may be even worse than in 1815.
Prime Minister Terence Burkin: "Your Majesty, there have been rumors in Paris in the last few days, and the guys hiding in the ground are beginning to be unwilling to be lonely again.
If the situation continues to deteriorate, there may even be a rebellion. The cabinet suggested strengthening public opinion control and cracking down on those who spread rumors. "
It is not the first time that the control of public opinion has been strengthened. However, the government can control newspapers but cannot control gossip; when it controls the spread of news, it cannot stop leaflets falling from the sky.
Without any hesitation, Napoleon IV passed the small piece of paper in his hand directly: "Look, this is a letter of persuasion from the Austrians. What are you going to do?
There is also a cartoon on the back, rich people have big fish and meat, ordinary people shed blood and sacrifices on the front line, and even suffer from starvation.
The above contents are basically facts, which can easily resonate with ordinary people. Once it is used by someone with a heart, a turmoil is at hand. "
The truth is often the most heartbreaking. You can still pretend to be confused without opening the lid. Once you expose the matter to the sun, the situation is completely different.
The patience of the people is limited, especially when they are hungry, a Martian text can cause a disturbance.
There are only two paths before everyone. Either stand with the capital consortium and share the anger from the people; or take the opportunity to get rid of the domestic consortium and use their wealth to appease the people.
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