Chapter 1046 The Taste of Power
"That's not waste paper! It's an oath certified by God!"
A member of the reformist newspaper stressed.
Ledru-Lorain can be said to be the most depressed person in the entire Second French Republic. As the second-largest figure in France's second largest party, he witnessed Lamartine's two losses, as well as the defeat of Dan Gilat and Louis B. Long's fall, but he still failed to become Mr. President.
Lamartine's first loss of power was due to the exclusion of Dan Gila, and the second time was because he wanted to take the initiative to sue for peace with Austria.
Lamartine's original plan was to kick the ball to the British, but what he didn't expect was that the British would not accept this move at all.
The news of the request for help was like a drop in the ocean, so the pro-British faction once again made efforts to oust Lamartine from power.
One of the biggest consequences of the pro-British faction coming to power was that there was no change. Their interests determined that they could not make many breakthroughs based on Dan Gila.
This interim president is not a senior republican such as Dupont de Lour, Arago, or Garnier, who received the most votes after Lamartine in history. Instead, he is a financial official who has a relatively close relationship with the British. blessing.
In fact, there are considerable differences between the history at this time and the original world line, and France's economy is more developed.
In a sense, it is also more deeply bound to the City of London, and is more severely affected by the economic crisis.
The rise of the Austrian Empire and the failures of the Second French Republic in domestic affairs, diplomacy, and on the battlefield have weakened the power of the original republicans, which is why the so-called pro-British faction can be so rampant.
Although the Second French Republic was a coward in history, it had many innovations and feats and was not a clown.
The power of the pro-British faction was not strong in France, so they quietly changed the chairmanship system to a presidential system in order to gain greater power.
However, the interim president Billford still lacked authority, and people kept coming forward to challenge his authority.
"An oath certified by God? Bullshit! You didn't hear you talking about God when you didn't pay back your debts." Bilford cursed secretly in his heart, but he still said it.
"The church's time has passed, and the bishops conscripted by the Austrians are even less worthy of representing God."
This sentence has many meanings, but none of them reflects the church. There was a time when it was very politically correct to criticize the church in France, because theocracy represented corruption and tyranny.
However, with the beginning of the industrial revolution and the repeated changes in political power, people's belief in God seemed to be returning.
"I don't agree with what you say! The bishops were not recruited by the Austrians. Even if they went to the war zone, they were serving the people of France!"
"Yes! You can't slander those noble people!"
"Mr. Bilford! You must take back what you just said! Otherwise the French people will not agree!"
"right!"
Billford never expected that he would be attacked by a group again. In order not to make the same mistake as Dan Gila, he could only take back what he just said, but he still did not give up his plan to let the defeated soldiers return to the battlefield.
In the end, after some push and pull, the French National Assembly passed this unkind resolution.
"Next topic, the German Confederation is ready to beg us for peace!"
"Long live!"
"Long live France!"
"Victory will surely go to France!"
Amidst the cheers, Bilford secretly wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Franz's peace proposal was not as peaceful as it seemed. It was a knock on the British as well as the French.
Although it was the truce proposed by the German Confederation, Bilford did not dare to accept it easily. Even just a negotiation might push him to the forefront.
In fact, it is a trap for him whether he accepts it or not. If he accepts, the people will think that he is weak and incompetent, and he has lost power and humiliated the country; if he does not accept, they will think that he is militaristic, and the congressmen will take the opportunity to blame all the disasters caused by the economic crisis on his head. superior.
Fortunately, this unknown little person in history is not a mediocre person. He finally jumped out of the thinking trap of yes or no and chose or between yes and no.
So Bilford described this discussion on the peace issue as the German Confederation begging for peace.
This will greatly satisfy the people's vanity and extend the life of the Second French Republic.
If there were no newspapers, or if the Second French Republic could control the country's media, then Bilford might indeed succeed.
But his opponent was Franz, a later generation who was proficient in propaganda warfare and a powerful enemy who had been plotting against France for more than ten years.
While Bilford was still trying to persuade Parliament, news spread that the German Confederation was trying to temporarily cease war with France out of humanitarian and compassionate feelings.
In addition to these French newspapers, prisoners released by the German Allied Forces also brought back the same news.
Although France was losing consecutive battles on the battlefield at this time, most of the members of the French National Assembly were war factions.
There is no way that the French have been aggrieved for too long, and the national sentiment cannot be released. In addition, wartime laws are also beneficial to capitalists and factory owners.
In order to win over them, the government favored them legally during the war. Not only did they make more money, but their power also more than doubled.
For example, price restrictions during wartime were originally intended to prevent price gouging, but the power to limit prices fell in the hands of manufacturers.
Capital is always profit-seeking and will constantly pursue maximizing profits.
So a strange phenomenon appeared on the streets of Paris. Flour was more expensive than bread. As a result, bakeries were closing down, paper was more expensive than newspapers, and the list goes on.
Bilford finally convinced the parliament, but before he had time to celebrate, he discovered that the news that Archduke Franz proposed a temporary truce between the German Confederation and France out of humanitarian considerations had spread throughout the streets.
"This must be an infiltration by the enemy! Catch that traitor quickly!"
Bilford roared angrily, and the Paris police began to search the city. As a result, they found that the people running around and shouting about this matter in the rain were not Germans, but a group of French people.
This includes the famous Mr. Hugo. For Hugo, who highly respected humanitarianism and moral strength, this is undoubtedly proof of his ideals.
In fact, France was the base of romanticism at that time, and there were many people like Hugo who dared to face reality, criticized the darkness of society, and were very dissatisfied with the remnants of feudalism and the many social problems brought about by capitalism.
These people fight all day long and criticize others everywhere. They actually have high expectations for the Second French Republic, but the actual performance of the Second French Republic has greatly disappointed them.
Of course, not only in the Second French Republic, but in all European countries, there are only a few measures that they like.
It was rare for the German Confederation to make a move that didn't look so dirty, so they naturally had to vigorously publicize it.
These romantics knew the current situation in France. The pain of the Revolution had not yet faded, and the French were not yet ready to do it again.
But this time they did not stupidly publicly call for peace. After all, what the Second French Republic did was seen by everyone. It was difficult to say what those officials would do.
So some people came up with the idea of only promoting humanitarianism, leaving the judgment and choice to the people.
This proposal immediately resonated with the majority of romantics and gave the power of choice to the people.
"This is so romantic!"
"Unprecedented!"
"What a genius idea!"
"Much better than those hypocrites in the National Assembly!"
"Yes! Just do it! Our actions today will definitely be remembered in history!"
This proposal was naturally proposed by Mr. Hugo, who had political experience, but who came up with it is unknown.
The Paris police only discovered that Hugo had a close relationship with an actress before he was arrested, but this was too normal in the Paris cultural world.
Afterwards, the Paris police also tried to find the actress, but in the end the actress seemed to have disappeared.
There is no doubt that the armistice is beneficial to France, but the hearts of the people are not enough. As the leader of the pro-British faction, he also wants to consider his master.
Bilford wanted to cease the war first and then negotiate. This was a naked delaying strategy. Franz could naturally see that he could not let the other party succeed.
Franz did not explicitly refuse, but directly sent an envoy.
Bilford had no choice but to publicly spread the rumor, but the French Second Republic's previous practice of concealing the situation of the war had lost credibility.
As long as a Frenchman is not stupid, he can tell which side is telling lies, so the people are angry. They cannot accept the result of a failed war, let alone a government that has lost its power and humiliated the country.
At this time there was a man who smelled the smell of power, he was Louis Napoleon Bonaparte.
Louis Napoleon Bonaparte's high-profile announcement that he would run for parliament immediately caused an uproar.
Because Louis Napoleon Bonaparte once refused the French government's extradition request on the grounds that he was a Swiss citizen, almost triggering a war between the two countries.
At this time, was Louis Napoleon Bonaparte qualified to run for the French Parliament?
Lamartine, Roland, and Cavaignac all opposed Napoleon's candidacy for different purposes. Lamartine felt that Napoleon I's declaration of emperor destroyed the republic, and he was afraid that the Napoleon in front of him would do it again.
Roland's reason for opposing Napoleon was very simple and direct. He didn't want to have another competitor; Cavaignac felt that the Napoleon family was not French at all.
But some people are against it, while others are in favor. Those who are in favor think that it is understandable that Louis Napoleon Bonaparte declared himself Swiss out of self-preservation. Moreover, the Second French Republic has been established, and the old accounts of the Orleans Dynasty should be overturned. .
As for the fact that Napoleon I proclaimed himself emperor and destroyed the republic, his anger should not be directed at Napoleon's nephew.
The two sides argued so hard that they decided to hold an election to put Napoleon and the original alternates together.