French Empire: But Napoleon IV

Chapter 25 An Extremely Passive Empire, A Coup

Prominent Republicans Louis Charles Delekluz and Ryder-Lorraine also began writing articles on the matter, adding fuel to the fire of public opinion and using their prestige to make the attacks more persuasive.

In his article "An Incompetent Government, a Crisis of National Demise" published in the National News, Delekluz directly denounced Olivier as "incompetent and a disgrace to the nation."

Based on the casualty data obtained, Delekluz directly accused Olivier of neglecting military preparations before the war, making poor command during the war, and turning a blind eye to the plight of the soldiers on the front lines, which ultimately led to the French army's crushing defeat.

Although he has shifted from the original Republican left-wing organization, the New Mountain Party, to a more redder future, he still does so because of his own needs and shared goals.

Delekluz, who enjoys a very high reputation in the journalism world, did not hesitate to pick up his pen and start criticizing after being invited by the Republican Party.

"France's disgrace was caused by Olivier alone; the blood of the soldiers on the front lines was stained by Olivier."

In the article, Deleuze directly pinned all the blame on Olivier.

Those at the top could see that this defeat was the result of multiple forces working together, hindering each other, and engaging in corruption. But the common people at the bottom didn't know that; they only thought that Olivier was really that heinous.

Another, Léderly-Lorraine, published an article in Reforma, linking the French army's crushing defeat to the autocratic rule of the Bonaparte family.

It is claimed that "the corrupt rule of the Bonaparte family doomed France to failure because the Bonaparte family only cared about maintaining their own imperial power, disregarding the lives of the people and the safety of the soldiers."

Only by overthrowing the monarchy and establishing a republican government can France be saved from its dire straits and regain its glory.

If Drekhruz's article at least found a scapegoat and told some truths about France's defeat, then this one was mixed with far too much personal bias; Lorán was almost simply exporting extreme anti-imperialist sentiment.

However, such articles found a particular market when the French frontline troops were defeated.

The angry public simply wants to find an outlet to vent their anger; they won't delve into the matter, nor do they have the ability to do so.

These newspapers were snapped up by the public as soon as they were published.

In the streets and alleys of Paris, you can see people everywhere holding newspapers and reading articles aloud.

The embellished details of the brutality of war easily evoked public sympathy for the soldiers on the front lines, and the stronger the sympathy, the greater the anger towards the war criminals.

More and more people were incited, and the wave of protests did not subside under the control of the police and gendarmes. Instead, it became increasingly turbulent, and in just over a day, the anger of the people swept through every corner of Paris.

People chanting slogans such as "Remove Olivier," "Overthrow Bonaparte," and "Avenge the soldiers" poured into the Tuileries Palace and the Prime Minister's Office.

Some people stormed into government offices, smashing office facilities to vent their anger and dissatisfaction.

Some radical members of the public even began storming royal property and burning Bonaparte family flags. The situation became increasingly difficult to control.

Even the police maintaining order were caught in a dilemma: they were instructed by Eugène Napoleon not to use violence to suppress the protests, but they were also unable to cope with the situation if they did not use violence to suppress the protests.

With police manpower insufficient, Republican members who had been operating covertly began to move from the underground to the surface.

The most active radical party members, led by Blanqui, traveled around extensively. Blanqui himself even set up temporary platforms on the streets to give speeches to the public, further inciting public sentiment.

The radical leader stood on the high platform, waving a copy of the classified battle report in his hand, his face flushed as he shouted at the crowd below, trying his best to stir up everyone's emotions.

"French citizens, wake up! Look at this! This is the incompetence of the Olivier government, this is the corruption of the Bonaparte family."

This battle report doesn't lie. Our 4 soldiers, facing 13 Prussian troops, lacked even decent equipment and couldn't even get enough to eat. They were ultimately abandoned by their officers and sacrificed their lives in vain. As for Olivier, he squandered money in the Prime Minister's office, misappropriating military funds for his own enrichment.

The Bonaparte family enjoys their wealth and luxury in the palace, turning a blind eye to the lives of soldiers on the front lines. Can we swallow this insult?

"No, we cannot swallow this! Olivier, step down! Bonaparte, get out of France and avenge the fallen soldiers!"

The supporters below began to exert their influence, and with the support of many radical party members, the surrounding people were gradually mobilized as well.

Blanqui said very little of the truth. Corruption was indeed serious at the front, but it hadn't reached the point where the French army was without decent equipment or was starving.

French soldiers couldn't possibly testify on the front lines, and with the government losing credibility due to defeat, the public was even less likely to believe Blanqui's conspiracy theories. In France at that time, Blanqui's conspiracy theories were quite popular.

Led by young students, the passionate public joined the protests. Holding signs and chanting slogans, they moved through the streets of Paris.

The government, of course, could not have failed to notice these circumstances. Inside the Tuileries Palace, Empress Eugénie, the Regent of France, sat on the sofa in the living room.

The empress's eyes were red and swollen, clearly from crying the night before. The crumpled battle reports on the table, repeatedly turned over, revealed the immense pressure she was under.

While Eugénie was still undecided, a servant slowly entered and informed her of the news.

"Your Majesty, the representatives of the parliament, Favre, Gambid, and others, request an audience. The parliamentarians say they have important matters to report to the Queen."

"Let them in."

Gan Bida is a member of parliament representing Marseille. Although the Empire is arresting Republicans, it is not doing so randomly. Only radicals and those with criminal records are targets that the government can arbitrarily target.

Republicans like Gambitha are hampered by various constraints, making it impossible for the government to crack down on them.

When she saw someone requesting an audience, Eugénie suppressed her emotions, wiped her eyes, and tried her best to maintain her dignity as queen.

After Favre and his party entered the living room, Favre bowed slightly and then stated his purpose directly.

"Your Majesty, our army suffered a major defeat yesterday, and a breach has appeared in the Lorraine defense line. The Prussian army may attack the French mainland at any time."

In my view, all of this is due to Prime Minister Olivier's incompetence. We are here today hoping that Her Majesty the Queen can rebuild the wartime cabinet.