Flowers, Swords and France

While the government was busy mobilizing troops and generals, their opponents were also making urgent plans. It was impossible for them not to see the dark cloud approaching them step by step. .

As Thiers and others expected, it was impossible to keep such a large-scale troop mobilization and assembly completely secret, let alone when the opponent had a large number of people and was very familiar with the environment.

Their opponents, the workers who stood up and overthrew the July Dynasty in February, had already obtained relevant information when the army first began to mobilize and gather. Even the speed and number of the enemy's mobilization could roughly be determined. Find out.

In their view, the situation was already clear, and the political ax planned to send out a large army to eliminate all the rebels in Paris once and for all.

The most urgent time has come.

In a smoke-filled room, some of Paris' leading labor leaders gathered to discuss responses to the current situation.

"Everything has been revealed clearly, and we can only choose to fight! Those bastards canceled the committee and arrested so many of us, including Raspail, Blanc, and Albert! Gentlemen , I say it again, we can only choose to fight, otherwise we would rather die!”

Lacaron, editor-in-chief of the Labor Organization newspaper and a well-known left-wing propagandist, shouted out.

"At the moment we are talking, they are still mobilizing troops to Paris. Every minute and every second passes, our enemies will be stronger than the previous moment! If we don't unite to resist, everything will be over. , we can only surrender! Gentlemen, we have no other choice but to fight to the death with them. Stand up and pick up the sword in your hands!"

His eyes were bloodshot due to the long period of hard work recently, and his voice was trembling and hoarse, but because of this, the encouragement of a professional revolutionary became even more contagious.

[At the beginning of the founding of the Second Republic, it was decided to establish a committee on workers’ issues, with Louis Blanc and Albert as chairman and vice-chairmen. The temporary government also allocated the Luxembourg Palace as the venue, so it was also called the Luxembourg Committee. This committee has a standing committee composed of 10 workers, 10 business owners and some political commentators and economists, which serves as an arbitration institution to mediate disputes between labor and management. On May 16, this organization was officially announced to be dissolved by the interim government.

On May 15, 1848, shortly after the election, the Paris masses launched a massive demonstration and rushed into the Paris City Hall, demanding the establishment of a new provisional government headed by several labor leaders. However, the military and police in the government The coup failed, and labor movement leaders Blanqui, Raspail, Albert, Barbes and others were all arrested. This blind action caused the most important leaders of the workers to be imprisoned at the most critical moment, unable to lead the entire June uprising. 】

"You're right!" His words aroused the echo of several people nearby, "Either they die, or we die!"

Over the past few months, after being taught lessons one after another, today's insurgents have given up all illusions. The beautiful wishes they had at the beginning of the founding of the Republic have long been shattered by the increasingly harsh reality. They finally saw a truth clearly - even if the rule of the nobles has been overthrown, the poor and the rich are still antagonistic. In the eyes of those people, they are still a mob and a scourge that must be eliminated.

If they want to transform this country, they cannot rely on the kindness of others, but can only rely on the swords and guns in their hands.

Therefore, of course, having learned so many lessons, they no longer intend to fight with ** and declarations, but want to fight with the guns in their hands, intending to use weapons and uprising to defend their hard-won gains. The fruits of victory, and the republic itself. There is no other way to go.

"Gentlemen, we don't have much time to waste. We should pick up our guns and prepare now!"

The person who spoke was the chairman of the action committee of the workers' organization "** Society" and a former retired army officer, Gelsouzi.

"We must launch an uprising before everything is irreversible, smash the enemy's headquarters to pieces, and seize the country in our hands, so that we can have a chance!"

"That's right," another person also nodded, "we must take action and capture this city first. As long as we establish a new provisional government, we can call on all citizens to rise up and defend the country! We This is self-defense for the country, they betrayed the country first!”

"Yes! That bastard Cavaignac wants to crush us all into powder, and we will never let him do it."

"You must pick up a gun to defend the country!"

Without much debate, these labor leaders quickly made a decision - to launch another uprising in Paris, to annihilate all enemies of the revolution and seize the country by force. They have realized that only in this way can they truly realize their original ideals.

After reaching the most important consensus, these professional revolutionaries quickly discussed specific implementation strategies with a hundred times more energy than usual.

At this time, the role of the former retired officer Gersozzi was revealed. As an old officer, he had the highest military quality among all the people present, and as a close friend of Raspail, one of the revolutionary leaders, he was also very prestigious. Therefore, others also entrusted the work of the staff to him with confidence. \u003cRaspail, 1794-1878), a radical social revolutionary, later became a worker leader, participated in the February Revolution, was arrested on May 15, 1848, and was later released. In December 1848, he participated in the presidential election, but failed. He was later arrested and exiled by Louis-Bonaparte. 】

In front of the map of the entire city of Paris on the table, he planned the next uprising according to his military quality, and assigned tasks to others.

"I think our people are not regular troops, and their training level and weapons and equipment are not good enough, so we'd better assemble in different directions, and then attack from multiple directions to take the whole city as quickly as possible!" He was the first to express his thoughts.

Others also agreed.

"In addition, I suggest that our people build barricades in every block that belongs to us from today, from now on, and use the most stubborn resistance to delay the army's advance and buy time for the people in front." He made another proposal.

"Okay, no problem!" Everyone answered at the same time.

Finally, after discussing for a long time, these leaders finally came up with the final uprising plan.

They decided to divide all the insurgents into four columns, and then attack the city hall from different routes. After meeting there, they will take down the city hall in one fell swoop, and then immediately announce the establishment of a new temporary government and call on the people of the country to defend the motherland.

The first column uses Montmartre, La Chapelle, La Villette and other suburbs as combat bases, advances southward from Bausonnier, Rochechouart, Saint-Denis, La Villette and other checkpoints, occupies the boulevard, and approaches the city hall through Montorrehaye Street, Saint-Denis Street and Saint-Martin Street;

The original text is in the six # 9 @book/bar!

The second column, based in the Faubourg Saint-Martin and Faubourg Saint-Antoine, which are almost entirely inhabited by workers and protected by the Saint-Martin Canal, advances along the Rue Saint-Antoine and the streets along the north bank of the Seine, and along all the parallel streets between the two districts to the Hotel de Ville.

The third column, based in the Faubourg Saint-Marceau, advances along the Rue Saint-Victor and the streets along the south bank of the Seine to the Isle of the Cite.

The fourth column, based in the Faubourg Saint-Jacques and the School of Medicine, advances along the Rue Saint-Jacques and also reaches the Isle of the Cite. After the two columns meet, they advance along the right bank of the Seine, surround the Paris Hotel de Ville from the rear and flank, and then announce the establishment of a new government there.

Thus, the plan provides for the base in that part of the city where the workers live exclusively (that is, those areas where revolutionary ideas and revolutionary consciousness are the strongest), and then intends to expand outward from these neighborhoods and finally take over the entire city. These districts are in a semicircle, including the entire eastern half of Paris, and continue to expand to the eastern suburbs.

If all goes well, it is expected that the enemy in the east of Paris will be completely eliminated first, and then the west and its center - the Tuileries Palace and the National Assembly - will be advanced along both sides of the Seine.

In addition, in order to increase the possibility of success, these four main columns will be supported by many active guerrillas.

These guerrillas will actively operate on the flanks and between the columns, build and defend barricades, occupy small streets and maintain communication between columns, and are also responsible for delaying and delaying the speed of the government's advance.

In those workers' settlements, those combat bases, there are strong fortifications, and according to all the existing experience, they are intended to be made into strong fortresses for use in attack or retreat. Such fortifications will be built in Clos-Saint-Lazare, in the suburbs of Saint-Antoine and Saint-Jacques, and many areas in the city.

"Everything must be done in a hurry, we must go all out! Starting today, we must start preparing, we must be ready within a few days, and then we will start directly!" After formulating the preliminary battle plan, Gelsozi loudly exhorted his comrades, ""

"I have been in the army, I know how powerful the regular army is when dealing with civilians. If we can't win at the beginning, we will be defeated." As if remembering something, Gelsozi exhorted his comrades.

"We are facing the most vicious enemy and the most terrifying danger. They have a large army and we only have blood. I can't give you any guarantee of victory..." At this point, he suddenly closed his eyes in pain, "Gentlemen, we are likely to die under the muzzle of the gun."

"It's okay, my friend." Lakalon suddenly smiled, and then patted him on the shoulder, "If we must be crushed to dust, let us be crushed to dust gloriously!" (To be continued.)