Holy Roman Empire

Chapter 736 - 309, The Law Does Not Punish the Multitude



Sparks can start a prairie fire, and revolution can be contagious, especially in France, a land dense with revolutionary thought.

Napoleon IV had swallowed the bitter fruit of concessions to the consortium, having originally thought that with the support of the consortium, his rule would become more consolidated, yet reality developed in the opposite direction.

It was proved that capital needs to be restrained. Once unshackled, capital becomes voracious.

In accordance with the agreement with the consortium, the French government surrendered the economy to the market, no longer intervening in commodity prices.

Undoubtedly, this was the culprit behind the surge in the cost of living in France.

Against a global backdrop of overcapacity, the fact that prices were still able to skyrocket spoke volumes.

In the Palace of Versailles, Napoleon IV sat there with a somber expression, motionless. The successive domestic rebellions plunged him into self-doubt.

"Your Majesty, the ministers have arrived. When shall we commence the meeting?"

The voice of the maid jolted Napoleon IV back to reality.

"Let them in, today’s meeting will be held here," Napoleon IV responded offhandedly.

According to protocol, there was a fixed venue for discussions. However, as France did not have censors, when the Emperor was in a bad mood, no one would quibble over such trifles.

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

...

Army Minister Luskinia Hafez: "Your Majesty, after two days of bloody combat by the Seventh Division, we finally breached Lyon yesterday afternoon. We expect to quell the rebel forces within Lyon in the next two days.

The Fifth Division arrived in Toulouse last night, and they have already started to suppress the rebellion. It won’t be long before we receive good news."

Without any surprises, the French Revolution perfectly exemplified what is meant by, "a hurried arrival and a speedy departure."

Lyon, as the epicenter of this revolution, was also the first to be quelled. The so-called bloody battles were essentially about claiming credit.

It could be said that as long as the Parisian revolution did not succeed, no amount of commotion in other regions would yield a successful outcome.

Napoleon IV nodded in satisfaction, pleased with the performance of the military. Given the current situation, it wouldn’t take long for the rebellion to be suppressed.

Security Minister Ansochie: "Your Majesty, last night we uncovered another conspiracy in Paris, arresting 36 members of the Revolutionary Party.

This is the fourth conspiracy case we’ve cracked this month. Various signs suggest that there’s a hidden hand manipulating things from behind the scenes.

Currently, the information we have gathered is insufficient to identify this hidden hand.

The main suspects include: the international Anti-French forces such as Anglo-Austria, the restorationist forces from the previous dynasty, and the domestic bourgeoisie."

The Revolutionary Party wasn’t mentioned because France’s revolutionary forces were relatively fragmented, with more than a hundred small and large revolutionary organizations. These organizations mostly had fleeting enthusiasm and were constantly changing.

The identity of today’s Revolutionary Party could become the Royalist Party tomorrow; these roles were interchangeable.

The factors influencing their shift were diverse, possibly a particular government policy, a speech by a government official, or even the weather.

This is no exaggeration, there really were revolutionary organizations that canceled uprisings due to slippery roads on rainy days.

Of course, their reason is certainly not "slippery roads on rainy days"; rather, they are: responding to God’s call to abandon revolution.

There’s nothing wrong with that, in Europe God can manage everything.

If He causes rain to fall during an uprising, then it indicates that God does not wish to see strife unfold. As a devout believer, one naturally cannot oppose God’s will.

In those days, most of France’s revolutionary organizations were makeshift, lacking their own political programs, a unified leadership, and with members free to come and go; they didn’t have the strength for major operations.

Including the insurgencies that had erupted earlier, they were actually led by trade unions. As for the Revolutionary Party, their main role was to spread revolutionary thought and to cheer from the sidelines.

Napoleon IV furrowed his brow, his instincts telling him that the suspects could all be the hidden hand behind the scenes.

There’s no need to mention the restorationist forces from the previous dynasty; they yearned to put their own king on the throne, so stirring up trouble was necessary!

Anglo-Austria had just landed a blow on them in the financial market, so it was only natural for them to continue conspiring now.

Especially with the Lyon rebellion; it dealt a direct blow to France’s textile industry, with the British emerging as the biggest beneficiaries, deeply suspicious.

As the two biggest competitors for hegemony on the European Continent, the Vienna Government had cause to be suspected of foul play as well.

Even if the initial Lyon rebellion had nothing to do with these two countries, they should be implicated by now.

And the last suspect, "the domestic bourgeoisie," needs no suspicion.

With so many capitalists, not all uniform in thought, it’s normal that a few might lean towards revolution.

Napoleon IV sighed; the complexity of the situation made him feel like he was sitting on pins and needles. An enemy alone was not frightening, but internal collusion with external forces could be lethal.

Your next journey awaits at empire

After a moment of contemplation, Napoleon IV made a decision, "Notify the syndicates, order them to stabilize prices within a week.

If they fail to do so, all agreements we previously reached will be annulled, and the government does not exclude the possibility of taking special measures to stabilize the domestic situation."

It was a blatant "threat," and Napoleon IV was very clear what his ruling foundation was. If the situation continued to deteriorate, it wouldn’t take long before he followed in the footsteps of the July Monarchy.

Compared to this, offending the syndicates was a minor issue. No matter how strong the syndicates were economically, as long as the foundation was solidified, they couldn’t cause a big storm.

Capitalists, each with a large family business, could engage in some covert actions, but it was impossible for them to personally step forward for a revolution.

While everyone was weighing the pros and cons, another piece of bad news arrived.

"Your Majesty, disaster has struck. Last night, riots broke out in multiple cities including Rome, Turin, Cagliari, Chambery, and Nice.

Cagliari and Chambery have fallen, and other regions are still fighting, local governments are requesting support from the stationed troops."

The Italian Independence Organization couldn’t be compared with the local French Revolutionary Party in terms of combat strength—they were not at the same level at all.

The Italian Independence Organization not only had nationalism as their program but also boasted considerable military and organizational talent. When the Sardinian Royal Family went into exile, they had a number of followers.

In recent years, with the banner of the Sardinian Royal Family and the covert support of the Anglo-Austrian countries, the Italian Independence Organization gradually unified.

To eliminate the Italian Independence Organization, the French government had made many efforts but achieved very little success.

With the support of multiple financiers on the European Continent, the power of the Italian Independence Organization not only didn’t weaken but grew increasingly strong.

Napoleon IV exclaimed in panic, "The Army Department must immediately send troops to suppress them, we must absolutely not give them any opportunity to breathe!"

Unlike domestic rebellions, the political systems of European countries limit how much they can openly support revolutionary groups.

The Italian Independence Organization is different, with the Sardinian Royal Family leading and the banner raised being "Independence" + "Restoration," they are also a member of the monarchic system.

If they manage to gain a foothold, the anti-French forces in Europe will surely support them, and then quelling the rebellion will no longer be easy.

...

In Vienna, the Austrian Government received a protest letter from the French. How is it possible to cause trouble without leaving any trace?

Unsurprisingly, Austrian support for the Italian Independence Organization had still been discovered by the French government.

The French’s protest letter failed to stir a ripple in the Vienna Government and was casually dismissed by Franz.

It must be acknowledged that France just attracts enmity, especially after the establishment of the "Greater French Empire," it’s like having the villain boss written glaringly on their forehead, waiting for everyone to go raiding.

Besides the two main forces of the Anglo-Austrian two countries that were truly involved in planning this rebellion, other countries didn’t contribute much.

Apart from a few countries that had been politically or diplomatically bullied by France and contributed out of retaliation.

Most European countries simply donated to the Italian Independence Organization out of sympathy, or the royal families did it for saving face.

With so many countries involved, the Paris Government didn’t even know where to start with their retaliation.

Recently, most countries in Europe have received protest letters from the French government, and then the matter ended there.

This truly is a case of "the law does not punish the masses." Neither now nor in the future can the French government use this as an excuse to hold everyone accountable, or the Anti-French Alliance would arise.

Franz, concerned, asked, "Is the Paris Government truly in danger?"

Undermining the French Empire is one thing, but destroying it is another. If the French Empire were to completely collapse now, it would not be good for Austria either.

Revolution is contagious, especially at a time when the European Continent is facing an economic crisis. If the French Revolution succeeds, it will inevitably trigger a new wave of revolutionary fervor throughout Europe.

Then, Austria would have no choice but to send troops to help European countries extinguish the flames. Franz disliked this thankless and yet obligatory task.

Prime Minister Felix said, "Your Majesty, Paris is now a powder keg, at the slightest spark, an explosion can occur at any moment.

If the French government subsequently handles the situation effectively and pacifies the lower classes promptly, the crisis may still be contained. Otherwise, the Bonaparte Dynasty is very likely to be overthrown as a result.

Compared to the crisis in Paris, the rebellion in Lyon and the Italian Independence Movement are nothing; as long as Paris remains undisturbed, the French government will eventually be able to deal with these trivial troubles."

Franz nodded in agreement, numerous facts have proven that the largest "powder keg" in modern Europe is no longer the Balkan Peninsula, but the Revolutionary Holy Land of Paris.

In order not to detonate this keg, when Austria engaged in their mischief, they only supported the Italian Independence Organization and never incited the Revolutionary Party to rebel. Nôv(el)B\\jnn

On this issue, the stances of the Anglo-Austrian countries are unified—Parisian revolutions are fraught with too many uncertainties, and no one wants to get burned.

The butterfly effect has changed the face of European history beyond recognition. Franz couldn’t guarantee that France wouldn’t produce another Napoleon.

The current French Empire still has a solid foundation. If they got a genius leader, they could still cause trouble for Austria.

For safety’s sake, it’s better to simmer the frog in lukewarm water. After several more troubles, when the French have squandered their resources, it would be the best time to rush in for the killing blow.


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