Holy Roman Empire

If the front line can continue to win and live a few days of hard work in a short period of time, everyone will recognize it.Unfortunately, the luck of the French army seems to have run out last year, and bad news has continued since the beginning of the year.

With the loss of air supremacy, Paris became less safe.Especially after entering August, the Austrian Air Force came here for a stroll almost every day.

The hit rate of the high-altitude bombing depends entirely on luck. The direct losses caused by the enemy's air strikes are not large, and the military threat to France is limited. However, the adverse effects brought by it have made the Paris government miserable.

The more uncertain something is, the easier it is to cause panic.No matter how low the enemy air force's hit rate is, once they are caught up, they will still die.

For the sake of their lives, apart from the politicians who couldn't run away, the Parisians with a little bit of wealth all ran to the country manor to take refuge.

The rich have all run away, and the economy of Paris has naturally become depressed.If it weren't for the war that took up a lot of labor, it is estimated that the French government would still have to worry about unemployment.

In the Palace of Versailles, Napoleon IV has moved out of the basement and resumed normal office.For no other reason than to be 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 if it is an air raid on the palace, there are mostly elements of intimidation.

It's true 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 grievances with the Habsburg Dynasty, it was not to the point of life and death. Franz, who cherished his feathers, was naturally unwilling to bear the notoriety of regicide for this.

Without the instructions from above, the combat troops below would not dare to act recklessly.Neither officers nor soldiers could bear the charge of regicide.

Under the patronage of Napoleon IV, the Palace of Versailles, together with the surrounding area, was fortunate to become a safe zone.Even if it was attacked by air, no one dared to drop bombs down.

He didn't hear the air defense siren of "Woooo..." and Napoleon IV came out leisurely and looked up at the sky.

Looking at the leaflets falling from the sky, Napoleon IV sighed.Sometimes he even wants the enemy to drop bombs and send him to God in advance.

There is no way, the emperor is too tired.However, the responsibility of the family made him unable to back down, no matter how great the pressure was, he could only bear it to death.It would be a relief if he died in the enemy's air strike.

Among other things, at least the Bonaparte dynasty retreated completely.The dead are the easiest to win sympathy points, especially those who died tragically and miserably.

No matter how the people below throw the pot away, it is impossible for the crown prince who is a few years old to take responsibility.Even out of political needs, Austria will support the Bonaparte dynasty to stabilize the situation.

He casually picked up a small piece of paper that fell from the sky, the title was "A Letter to the French People". Looking at the content of accusing capitalists and consortia on it, Napoleon IV was deeply moved.

Without the promotion of these interest groups, this European war would not have broken out at all. At least Napoleon IV himself opposed this war at first.

It's just that individuals cannot go against the general trend, and France is forced to be tied to the chariot of capital and embark on a road of no return.

It doesn't matter if you start a war, the key is that these guys lose the chain halfway.In order to make huge profits, they will do everything possible, which not only affects the frontline operations, but also causes complaints from the domestic people.

Without these laggards, even if France were to lose, it would not lose so quickly.

"Your Majesty, the Prime Minister and the others are here."

The voice of the maid pulled Napoleon IV back from his fantasy.The guy who drags his legs exists in every country, and it is not an isolated case in France.Now it is only because France is about to lose that the problem has become prominent.

"Bring them here!"

Napoleon IV said lightly.

Since it was determined that the surrounding area of ​​the Royal Palace is a safe area, the offices of the French government have been moved here.It also facilitates the communication between various departments, and even the phone bill can be saved.

……

Foreign Secretary Karel Kadlec: "Your Majesty, the British have rejected our loan application and announced that future transactions must be paid in advance."

Allies, nonexistent.If it weren't for the fact that France was still needed in the post-war international situation, it is estimated that the British would have fallen into trouble long ago.

It is not too late to start now.

Now that the war has progressed, France's foreign exchange reserves have already bottomed out.Even the reserves for issuing currency have been mortgaged to the British and are currently in London.

Cutting off the loan and requiring payment first before delivery is clearly the rhythm of killing France.

"What do the British want?"

Napoleon IV asked coldly.It seemed that all of this was expected, without causing the slightest disturbance.

Foreign Secretary Karel Kadlec: "The British are eyeing our overseas colonies, mainly the Indochina Peninsula. They worry that these areas will fall into the hands of Austria after the war, threatening the security of the Indian region."

There is no gratuitous love or hate in politics, only eternal interests.Seeing the imminent defeat of France, the British couldn't help but want to take advantage of the fire.

Although Austria's influence did not penetrate into the Indochina Peninsula, the German Confederation occupied the Malay Peninsula. After the war, Germany and Austria merged, and it was inevitable that the influence would extend to the Indochina Peninsula.

If the French Indochina Peninsula falls into the hands of Austria, the Nanyang region will become Austria's dominance.At that time, India will be strategically surrounded by the Russia-Austria alliance on three sides, and the military pressure it will face will be enormous.

Napoleon IV sneered: "Now that I know what to worry about, why did I go there earlier? If it weren't for the British, we would have broken through the Rhine River long ago, and this is not the current situation."

Everyone bowed their heads one after another, no one wanted to argue with the emperor on this issue.Even everyone knows that Napoleon IV's words are biased.

The British's hind legs did affect the French army's operations, but that was not the root cause of the French army's inability to win. In essence, there was a huge gap in strength between the two sides.

If it really crossed the Rhine River, maybe the French army would suffer even worse defeat.At least there are no guerrillas now, and the occupied area is stable.

After pausing for a while, Napoleon IV added: "Forget it, it's useless to talk too much. What price are the British going to offer?"

The European war was different from the Franco-Prussian war in the original time and space. Austria had a sufficiently powerful navy, which meant that France after the war was unable to keep its overseas colonies.

In this context, Napoleon IV didn't mind selling to the British, and what made him unhappy 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. After conversion, the total value is about 600 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 74 square kilometers. The local land is fertile and rich in products. It is a rare treasure land that can bring a lot of wealth to France every year.

Usually, this kind of high-quality asset, not to mention a mere 600 million pounds, even if it is 6000 million pounds, there are people rushing to take over.

The current situation is special, and few companies dare to steal food from Austria, but it will not be sold at a cheap price of 600 million pounds.You must know that the cost of the French government to open up French Indochina is not only 600 million pounds.

However, even for the 600 million pounds, the British are not prepared to pay in cash, but to deduct.

At the current price, 600 million pounds can buy up to 300 million pounds of supplies before the war, which can be described as a blood loss for France.

Prime Minister Terence Bulkin reminded: "Your Majesty, we have no choice now. Knowing that the British are blackmailing, we cannot refuse.

After all, it is better for these areas to fall into the hands of the British than to fall into the hands of Austria.Moreover, we still need the support of the British for the next aftermath negotiations. "

The saddest thing in the world is knowing that someone is robbing you, but you can only obediently deliver it.

Fortunately, after experiencing a series of social beatings, Napoleon IV's heart has been smoothed out. If it was left ten years ago, he could directly turn his face against 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 a hard time threatening his allies with enemies.Inheriting the huge French Empire from his father, in less than 20 years, it has fallen into such a field. This kind of psychological gap is not something ordinary people can bear.

Tracing back to the source is just because at the wrong point in time, the wrong war was launched.Generally speaking, Napoleon IV is still a qualified emperor, but it is a pity that he lost everything in one mistake.

The Italian region is doomed to fail; French Africa is also cold, and the defenders in the Algerian region alone cannot last long; seeing that French Indochina is about to change hands, the territory of France returned to 70 years ago overnight .

This is not all. Judging from the battle of the anti-French alliance, it is difficult for the French mainland to remain intact, and the final result may be even worse than in 1815.

Prime Minister Terrence Bulkin: "Your Majesty, there have been rumors in Paris in recent days, and those guys hiding underground are starting to be unwilling to be lonely again.

If the situation continues to deteriorate, there may even be a rebellion.The cabinet suggested strengthening the control of public opinion and cracking down on those who spread rumors. "

It is not the first time that the control of public opinion has been strengthened, but the government can control newspapers, but cannot control gossip; it can control the spread of news, but it cannot stop leaflets falling from the sky.

Without the slightest hesitation, Napoleon IV directly handed over the small piece of paper in his hand: "Look, this is a letter from the Austrians to persuade you to surrender. What are you going to do?

There is also a cartoon on the back, rich people have a lot of fish and meat, and ordinary people are bleeding and dying on the front line, and they still suffer from hunger.

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 just around the corner. "

The truth is often the most painful, and everyone can pretend to be confused until the cover is lifted. Once the matter is exposed to the sun, the situation will be completely different.

The patience of the people is limited, especially when they are hungry, a spark can cause a riot.

There are only two paths in front of everyone, either stand with the capital consortium and share the anger from the people; or follow the trend and decisively throw the pot away, take the opportunity to eradicate the power of the domestic consortium, and then use their wealth to appease the people.

Chapter 215 A Professional Black Hand

Since the defeat of the French army on the front line, the internal contradictions in the country have gradually been exposed.Rising commodity prices and meager income of ordinary people have become irreconcilable social contradictions.

Flattening prices is impossible.In addition to the hoarding of capitalists, the rise in international prices is also an important factor leading to price rises in France.

After the outbreak of the European Continental War, the industrial and agricultural production in France fell sharply, and it was necessary to import a large amount of materials to meet the basic living needs of the people.

Prices have gone up, but wages have not risen, and conflicts arise.No matter how good the reasons for the price increase are, the problem is that the people can't fill their stomachs.

According to incomplete statistics, in the first half of 1891 alone, the French working class launched 126 strikes, of which 3 strikes had more than [-] workers.Paris, as a holy land of revolution, has erupted in demonstrations almost every week.

Now that it has become a powder keg, revolution is inevitable.In the past month, the French government has extinguished four riots.

Anyone with a discerning eye knows that France will have problems if it continues like this.The French government also wanted to take action several times. Unfortunately, it is easy to see the problem, but it is difficult to solve it.

There is no way, the interests are touching.If the government wants to force prices down, it will inevitably cut the flesh of interest groups.

Don't look at the Austrian leaflets blaming the capitalists and consortiums, and think that it is all the responsibility of the bourgeoisie.If there were no aristocrats and bureaucrats involved, the capitalists would have been dragged out to shoot targets if they only relied on their own power to play like this.

No one knows how many people are involved in this.In short, the interest groups colluding with government and businessmen have become a persistent disease in France.

In order to solve these stubborn diseases, the French government has also made a lot of efforts.During the period of Napoleon III, the power of the bourgeois consortium was limited, and by the way, it also won the title of "Socialist Emperor".

It is a pity that the previous great revolution ruined the government's efforts.While making concessions to the consortium, it also allowed the consortium's tentacles to penetrate into every corner of France.

Today, all walks of life in France are full of shadows of consortiums. France has surpassed all European countries and entered the era of monopoly first.

No monarch likes such uncontrolled power, and Napoleon IV was no exception.The seeds of contradictions have been planted from the beginning, just waiting to take root and germinate.

The leaflets that fell from the sky only highlighted the various contradictions within France, and by the way gave a bad idea to solve the problem.

In the evening, Fürth Manor was brightly lit, and under the cover of a banquet, the financial emperors of France were having a secret gathering.

As the number one figure in the financial world, Maxim Sidorov did his part to become the moderator of the meeting.There is no long story, it is just dry goods.

"Presumably everyone has felt that since the outbreak of the war, the domestic economic situation has deteriorated sharply, and business has become increasingly difficult.

War bonds are not being sold, and the British are refusing to lend us money, and the government is clinking poor.

Even the most lucrative arms trade has become tasteless now.No one can guarantee that the franc in hand will be a currency in the future, or it will still be a mass of waste paper.

As it stands, the chances of us winning the war are slim to none.Once France is defeated, it is difficult for us to be alone.

Everyone is invited here today to discuss countermeasures.Find a way for France, and a way for ourselves. "

People have no money in their pockets, and it is inevitable that business will be difficult.Behind the hoarding, there is also the purpose of capital preservation. After all, the depreciation of the franc is a fast one.

There is no way, in order to raise enough war funds, the French government had to issue more currency.

In fact, not only France is over-issuing currency, but Austria, the enemy, is also over-issuing currency.

The capital market is the most sensitive and has its own judgment.

Austria has sufficient gold reserves and is itself the largest gold producer in the world. After the war broke out, there was no large-scale foreign purchase of materials, and the money spent by the government was still recycled at home.

Coupled with the continuous victories in the military, it is about to become the hegemony of the European continent, and the Vienna government is preparing to annex French Africa and the German Confederation. This series of good news is enough to offset the negative effects of over-issued currency.

Wealth has not been lost in a large amount, the market for Aegis has increased again, and the current currency surplus is only temporary. Once the nascent market is integrated, these problems will no longer exist.

With confidence in the market, the value of Aegis' currency will naturally not fall much.In contrast, Franc is a complete tragedy.

Everyone knows that once France is defeated, the Italian region will become independent, the overseas colonies will change hands, and the franc will naturally withdraw from these regions.

The market has shrunk sharply, and the francs issued have not decreased. At that time, these currencies will return to the mainland of France, which will cause greater inflation.

International capital is not optimistic, so it is not necessary to hold francs, but as domestic capital, it cannot be avoided, and everyone present cannot be alone.

In order to fight against greater inflation, everyone has to hold more real assets. The original financial masters are now almost becoming industrial tycoons.

Everyone has a sense of crisis. After holding a large number of real properties, the paper wealth has increased, but the corresponding risks have also increased.

Among other things, the difficulty of running alone has increased by n times.People can leave, but property cannot be taken away.Even cashing out at a discount is useless. There is no way to exchange them when you go out with a bunch of francs.

Even if someone has already prepared and left a way out in advance, who would think that there is too much money?

What's more, everyone thought that France would win before, and it was only in the last few months that they started preparing for the back road. There was no time to transfer a large amount of assets out.

In a sense, everyone present has been passively tied to France.Once the coalition forces come in, everyone will suffer heavy losses.

A middle-aged man sighed and said: "Mr. Maxim, at this point, even if we lend all the money to the government, we will not be able to win this war.

Since it is doomed not to win the war, in order to reduce unnecessary losses, we can only stop losses in time.

There is a gossip. I don’t know if you have heard it. Some people in the anti-French alliance proposed that all our assets should be confiscated after the war as war reparations.

Coupled with the leaflets thrown by the Austrians, combined with the consistent style of the Vienna government, I think the chances of this happening are very high.

If we don't want the worst to happen, we can only end this war through negotiations before we lose all our chips. "

My family knows their own affairs, and the more they know, the more desperate they feel about this war.The French government is naturally short of money, but it is not the franc that is short.

Foreign exchange, gold, everyone must have it, but these things are the most precious wealth at the moment, and no one can contribute.

It is a European practice to negotiate if you can't win. Everyone has no psychological pressure. The only thing that bothers everyone is the rumor of "asset confiscation".