Chapter 10

Empire's Bonaparte - Chapter 10 (10/200)

Chapter 10: Franco-Prussian War (6)

Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia.

"No indemnity, no cession of territory."

Bismarck sighed.

Initially, the war was clearly aimed at decisively defeating France to remove the obstacle to German unification and secure Alsace-Lorraine. Neither of these objectives was achieved.

"It is possible to pressure Italy to relinquish the Papal States, but it will completely eliminate the possibility of drawing Italy into an alliance in the future."

"Indeed."

Even a child would be angry if something given was taken away. Of course, there are some low-intelligence individuals in high positions or as journalists who might not understand this, but at least the current Prussian leadership, including Wilhelm I and Bismarck, do not fall into this category. If we encouraged them to expand their territory and now ask them to give it back due to the negotiation results, they would naturally be furious.

Even if France leads the pressure, Prussia will feel betrayed if it withdraws. The deterioration in relations will be difficult to recover from for a while.

If Prussia had been completely pushed back to Berlin and suffered a total defeat, it might be different, but since it still occupies part of French territory, the situation is even more complex.

"But there's no choice."

If we continue the war and drain the country's resources, or if we preserve the nation's strength despite Italy's anger, the latter is the better option.

"We should accept the terms for now, even if we continue to negotiate the issue of the Papal States within the possible limits."

"Most importantly, if we don't give them some face-saving measures, the empire might collapse. At least the French authorities are seriously concerned about this."

"Then we need some form of apology or compensation, something to save face. Is the issue of the Papal States that?"

"Most likely."

Wilhelm I, after a deep sigh, nodded.

"I will give you full authority to conclude this war as soon as possible. We have suffered great losses, and we have gained nothing."

"I apologize."

If the fort at Sedan had not been stocked with more ammunition and food than expected, and if Napoleon III had not chosen to fight to the death, we would have won more easily. However, even though we won the battles, Prussia gained nothing substantial in the negotiations. We didn't even get Alsace-Lorraine.

But this peace will not last long.

***

<Truce period used to transport the late Emperor's body, Paris in tears as the coffin of the Emperor, who worried about the country's future until his last breath, arrives>

<Prussia proposes to return everything to pre-war status... Prussia scared of Paris's resistance?>

<Anonymous editorial - Prussia won militarily but fears our will>

<Will the coronation of the Crown Prince follow the end of the war?>

<Devastated Paris, France's war-sustaining capability?>

<Overall incompetence and corruption in the military exposed during the war, "We need to rebuild the French army from scratch before fighting Prussia!" - the Crown Prince's outburst>

<Military is useless, ultimately Paris and France were saved by the Crown Prince's leadership and the citizens>

<This war is an opportunity to distinguish the capable from the incompetent, remove the incompetent and promote the capable>

<Pope blesses the Crown Prince>

The French military felt something was wrong.

The media was active.

The media highlighted the military's incompetence throughout the war and emphasized that the spontaneous national guards were the ones who ultimately brought victory, while simultaneously attacking the military. At the same time, there were calls to accept peace, sweep away internal enemies, and prepare for revenge.

All of this was clear.

The military was under attack.

Continuing the war with Prussia would prevent the military from being purged, as the military would be leading the war.

Except for the troops surrounded at Sedan and the navy, the existing military forces were virtually annihilated, and the national guards, loyal only to the Emperor, were now defending Paris.

In a situation where the military could not take Paris by force, it was under attack.

But they did not know who was behind it.

"It must be Louis Jules Trochu..."

"Isn't it Léon Gambetta? He's a republican!"

"It could be Jules Grévy. Since they can't attack the Crown Prince, who is a hero in Paris, they are trying to undermine us first!"

"Let's strongly advise the Crown Prince and pressure the parliament. Those who want to end the war now are traitors siding with Prussia!"

***

"Are you saying we should continue fighting Prussia? Do you have the troops for that?"

"We can mobilize the national guards..."

"The national guards are a last resort. They are also French citizens who need to rebuild the economy and lead the post-war recovery! They are not expendable soldiers! Prussia seems to think they are, but have you been so influenced by them that you see soldiers as just numbers? That's why you didn't show your face in Paris while I was fighting. Huh?"

"......"

"I'm telling you, Prussia will fall because of this, and if we follow your advice, France will follow. Get out of here if you understand!"

The military officials chased away by the Crown Prince's outburst went to the parliament, but the parliament, which trusted the national guards, had no reason to fear the military. After all, you need real power to stage a coup, don't you?

But the military was now certain of one thing.

The enemies were within the parliament. The Crown Prince was too young to be the enemy, so the enemy must be within the parliament.

***

"Idiots."

I muttered as I scanned the map.

"They will die without even knowing why."

The French military is in a comprehensive crisis.

From corruption to the intertwining of politics and business, and the disregard for civilian control, the situation is beyond repair.

Ideally, I should have taken advantage of the national guards' control of Paris, negotiated peace with Prussia, purged the military and the corrupt generals, and installed my own people.

"General Henri."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"I'm still the Crown Prince."

I stroked my smooth cheeks.

General Henri is one of the few people I can trust, a military man.

He was my personal adjutant even before I split with Napoleon III, followed me to the Palais Royal, and has been by my side, handling security and other tasks, from before the war to now.

His loyalty has been proven, even if his abilities are questionable.

At least, in the current situation, loyalty is more important than ability.

I handed him an object, a Jefferson Disk, a cipher system created by Thomas Jefferson, one of the founding fathers of the United States.

"There is something you need to do for me, for France."

After listening to me, General Henri knelt.

"Vive l'Empereur, I will do it at the cost of my life."

***

The negotiations with Prussia took a considerable amount of time but were eventually concluded.

Italy, which had barely managed to take the Papal States, was furious at the demand to give them back within two years, but with no major powers supporting them, they had to reluctantly comply.

While they only had to give back Rome, the prestige of the Kingdom of Italy had already been severely damaged.

The Prussian army withdrew from Sedan, which was on the verge of falling, and Metz, which they had barely managed to capture, returning to the pre-war borders. Both sides released all prisoners of war unconditionally.

However, the war's unsatisfactory conclusion led to widespread discontent in France, and this discontent began to be directed at the military.

"There are suspicions of collusion between certain companies and military generals..."

"Due to military procurement corruption, our soldiers couldn't fight properly! The maggots in the military blocked the victory in this war!"

Many of the key generals had already died during the war, and the remaining ones were absent from Paris for various reasons, unable to effectively respond to the worsening public opinion.

All political forces seemed to have decided to make the military the scapegoat for this defeat, relentlessly attacking it.

With many prestigious generals having died at Sedan and the unlikelihood of a coup with the national guards controlling Paris, the military's situation was dire.

And when someone visited, the already slim possibility of a coup plummeted.

Pope Pius IX visited Paris for the coronation.

***

"Your Holiness."

"Raise your head, future Emperor."

I raised my head and looked at the Pope, who leads all Catholic believers worldwide.

"I have been impressed by the faith of the Crown Prince."

"France is the eldest daughter of the Catholic Church. France will protect the Vatican until the end."

Pius IX, a liberal figure who became an extreme conservative upon becoming Pope, was the one behind the Mortara case, where a 14-year-old Jewish girl gave a makeshift baptism to a Jewish child who had heard that unbaptized children could not enter heaven after death, leading to the child's forced conversion to Catholicism.

He looked at me with an infinitely benevolent expression. It was understandable.

Even if not all of the Papal States, the return of Rome and the Pope's retreat to the Vatican meant that France's intervention to restore the situation would make me look good.

That was my intention.

'To complete the structure I envision, I need to turn against the Kingdom of Italy. It's better to make a strong impression on the Pope.'

Gaining the Pope's support would be beneficial not only in France, where Catholicism is strong, but also in Austria-Hungary and southern Germany.

"I am pleased if my humble assistance has been of help to Your Holiness."

Of course, it was a huge help, which is why he rushed to Paris to conduct the coronation.

The Pope smiled.

"This has been a great help. If you ever need assistance, I will gladly help."

"Then, Your Holiness, may I ask for one favor?"

"What is it?"

"I would like you to establish a connection with the Habsburg royal family, in secret."

The time to turn the tables has come.