French Empire: But Napoleon IV

Chapter 39: Playing a double act in front of the soldiers, the anger of the working brothers.

Who hasn't dreamed of standing up to turn the tide and bravely repelling foreign enemies when the country is in peril?

Eugène said this in the hope of inspiring patriotism among the French soldiers.

If we were to send an army of 2.8 to the front lines, any soldier with a brain would know that 2.8 men alone would not be able to change the situation should the circumstances worsen.

But 8.8 men are different. This number is enough to give the French men a little shock. The number of people who can fight a small battle will make them really believe that they have the ability to change the situation.

Of course, Eugène did not intend to claim credit for this achievement alone. The Second French Empire was destined to fall, so he might as well build up his prestige and lay a good foundation for the Third Empire.

The actor arranged by Eugène, French Marshal Camrobé, seemed to have triggered a key word; he first became energetic, but then quickly became dejected.

The movements were a bit too exaggerated; if a politician were to watch, they would definitely be able to tell that it was a drill.

But this is the army, this is a large hall with 2.8 people standing. In this situation, soldiers who are a little behind can only see the backs of the heads of the soldiers in front of them, and can only hear their breathing.

Even the soldiers in the front row could only make out the general idea; they couldn't see at all the facial expressions that Conrobel was making poor facial control of.

"But Your Highness, what about the Ministry of the Army...?"

"The Army Department remains the same."

Seeing that Conrobel hadn't forgotten to cooperate with him, Eugene also sneered and, in an extremely disdainful tone, stated the "fact" that the Army Ministry was holding him back and that he was the only one running around for the country from the northeast to the west from beginning to end.

"A day has passed, and in this life-or-death moment, they haven't even set up a single recruitment station. At their rate, we probably won't be able to muster 5 men by the time the Prussian army reaches the outskirts of Paris. So, I've decided to do it myself."

"Do it yourself?"

Cornelius was "taken aback" and quickly looked at His Highness the Crown Prince of France, who was dedicated to the country and its people, wanting to know what the prince was thinking.

Eugene, who gave Conroyal's acting a score of 0 in his mind, had no choice but to continue acting.

"Yes, I have already had recruitment offices set up at all 20 bread distribution points in Paris. Today, I will personally go to each distribution point to recruit soldiers. I want to stand in front of the people of Paris, tell them the truth, and tell them our promise."

"Your Highness, this is too dangerous! Paris is in a state of panic, and many people harbor resentment towards the government and the army. Since news of the defeat at the front came, there have been several attacks on officers. What if someone takes advantage of this to cause trouble..."

"No, I believe in the people of Paris as much as they believe in me. They are dissatisfied with the corrupt bureaucrats and the generals who hide in the rear eating, drinking, and having fun while sending soldiers to their deaths, not with France, nor with those who are willing to shed blood for the country."

After speaking, Eugène looked up towards the city of Paris. The morning sun shone on him, making the 14-year-old crown prince appear exceptionally tall in the eyes of the French soldiers in the front row.

However, Eugene didn't forget to add some drama to his performance. He bent over, sighed several times, and rubbed his temples, using body language to express how tired he was.

"Marshal Camrobel, I'm leaving this to you. Continue to intensify training so these soldiers can master the use of the Chassepot rifle as soon as possible. I will send new recruits to you continuously. We don't have much time left; we all need to do as much as possible for France as quickly as possible."

After saying that, Eugène turned and walked toward the carriage. He didn't say anything to the soldiers below, but he believed that his and Conrobel's words already carried enough weight, and he didn't need to do anything more.

Just as he boarded the car, Conrobel, who was standing on the stage, suddenly shouted.

"Your Highness, please take care! The 28,000 soldiers of the 13th Army are all waiting for you to lead them to victory!"

"Your Highness! Please take good care of yourself!" (x300)

"Your Highness, please take good care of yourself!" (x2.8)

Hearing the emotional shouts of the soldiers in the front ranks, and then gradually having all the troops shout, Eugène, knowing he was in position, turned around, smiled at Conrobel and the soldiers in the front ranks who were watching him, and then got into the carriage.

At 9 a.m., a long queue had already formed at the bread distribution point in Popincourt, 11th arrondissement of Paris.

This is one of the most concentrated areas of the working class in Paris, the 18th arrondissement, a stronghold of the Republican Party, which has to yield to the 11th, 19th and 20th arrondissements.

The narrow streets are lined with dilapidated apartment buildings, their walls covered in black soot from long-term burning.

Throughout the entire 18th district, even the air was filled with a pungent smell of coal smoke, the bran of black bread, and a faint odor of sweat.

Since the news of the defeat on the front lines came on August 6, prices in Paris have skyrocketed. White bread has disappeared from the market, and even black bread, which had already increased in price once after the declaration of war in July, has nearly doubled in price again.

The price jumped from 0.35 francs per kilogram to over 0.6 francs, which placed an enormous burden on working-class families.

It's impossible for people to eat only black bread, and workers naturally have big appetites. This doubling of food expenses naturally caused great dissatisfaction among the workers.

Workers were among the most active groups opposing the French Empire. Peasants were the empire's core support, and the workers were likely more aligned with the Republican Party or even the communists.

Therefore, the bread distribution points set up by Eugene had the longest queues in the three workers' districts.

Most of the people in the group didn't look well; they weren't exactly sallow and thin, but they certainly weren't rosy-cheeked either.

Wearing patched-up clothes, the workers moved slowly forward, whispering about the situation at the front. The Parisians, who were keen on international events and government affairs, were clearly furious about the army's defeat.

"Oh là là! We lost the Battle of Voss, losing more than 10,000 men, and now Prussia has invaded our country."

"I heard from a soldier who had escaped from the front that the Charon Army had been defeated by the Prussian army, and that Field Marshal McMahon was wounded."

"What's the point of fighting? Those generals are all useless, and so are the soldiers. A bunch of people taking the country's money, all they do is lose battles."

The workers' discussions were lively and varied; as a revolutionary base area, French workers had a very forward-thinking mindset.

London workers would proudly stand tall for Britain's strength, and so would French workers, but only if they themselves were doing well.

Now, with their own lives mediocre and a defeat on the front lines, the workers, who already harbored some resentment towards the Bonaparte family, naturally didn't hold back their angry outbursts.

In the crowd, a carpenter with a large brown beard spat loudly on the ground, loud enough for everyone around to hear.