Under the resolute execution of the Prime Minister, His Majesty the King's will has been implemented.
The moderate policies of the previous prime minister have been completely overturned, and the harsh policies of the past have been restored and even intensified. Not only are newspapers banned and dissidents arrested everywhere, there are even rumors that the Ministry of Internal Affairs has drawn up a list to prepare
Arrests will be carried out when the situation requires it. If necessary, the king will dissolve Parliament and maintain national order with government decrees.
In this stormy winter, no one can tell the difference between rumors and truth, but everyone has seen that His Majesty the King will deal with every person with evil intentions in a strict manner.
Under the iron fist, the once noisy public opinion circle in Paris suddenly fell silent, and the critical editorials in the newspapers disappeared. People were uneasy in the turmoil, for fear that they would accidentally become victims and suffer the disasters of prison and exile.
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However, this kind of tough measures can only scare ordinary people, but for those powerful people, they smell something else.
From the cruelty of the royal family and the government, they saw its current weakness and panic, as well as its precarious current situation.
They all also know that the moment of showdown may be coming.
And they don't believe that this "iron fist" can suppress the situation.
From 1789 to now, 40 years have passed, the royal family, the National Convention, the Gironde, the Jacobins, the Directory, Napoleon, the Restoration Dynasty, the Hundred Days Restoration, the Second Restoration... everyone has witnessed the
There are many changes, and there are also rich experiences in government changes. Experienced people can smell the smell of a government before it dies, a smell of blood and decay, fear and greed.
According to the Duke of Orleans, this was the case.
"Oh, my poor brother, I'm afraid he can't stand it anymore." In front of the warm fireplace, the Duke said in a relaxed and happy mood to Mr. Felix Gaudin, the think tank beside him. "I guess.
He would go crazy if he got it, but he didn't expect that he would be so anxious. This poor man..."
"At this point, it's too late for him to save the situation." Although the person he was talking about was the king, Mr. Gaudin did not have any sympathy or respect in his mouth. "He has spent many years proving to us that he is not that material.
, now he can finally show it to the people across the country."
"It's indeed bad enough." The Duke nodded happily, "So, in an attitude that is beneficial to the country and the people, and even to himself, he should find a good place to retire -"
Then, he looked at his confidants and said, "Sir, do you feel confident at the moment?"
"I'm very sure." Mr. Gaudan nodded in a serious manner. "I have contacted several groups of people in private. Among the hundreds of members of the House of Representatives, at least more than half are dissatisfied with the current government.
After His Majesty the King faces the Parliament with such a tough attitude, I am afraid that more and more people will oppose him...As far as a constitutional government is concerned, it is difficult for such a government to survive."
"Yes, he is obviously already at this time, but he always likes to pretend that he is still alive before 1789!" The Duke of Orleans also sighed with emotion, "Today, a king must not adopt such a matador-like approach when facing the parliament.
Attitude, he should cooperate, even if it is a pretense of cooperation, in short, he must show respect for the constitution. Louis XVI died because of this stupid behavior. Unexpectedly, his brother still failed to learn it after decades!
"
"They have not yet come out of their dream, and they still think that they can order the country as they please based on their bloodline." Mr. Gaudin shrugged, "However, the French people will educate them again, sooner or later."
"If it were me, I would be much wiser." The Duke of Orleans shrugged, and then breathed out the window, "The Parliament is a big hotel, changing around, and a group of new faces will appear every few years, so why bother
How about arguing with them? As long as we find a collaborator in this big hotel, we will be invincible."
"That's true." Gao Dan nodded in agreement.
He has experienced the entire Age of Terror and the Restoration, has seen too many bloody storms, and experienced too many crimes and disasters, so he no longer believes in any doctrine, and only hopes to maintain order with a pragmatic attitude and help this troubled country.
Restoring peace in troubled countries.
Therefore, he neither looked down upon the militaristic empire nor the Bourbon royal family who still lived in the old era. He hoped to help a more moderate faction rule France.
And his employer was his chosen one.
Of course he knew that this Duke, as a member of the royal family, wanted to usurp the throne for his political ambitions, so he pretended to be an enlightened person, but that didn't matter, it didn't matter whether he was acting or not, as long as he did it.
He believed that the Duke of Orleans could bring a gentler and more prosperous new era to France and heal the country's wounds.
If that day comes, his lifelong political ambition will be realized.
"It is said that His Majesty the King has also prepared a list of names, ready to impose martial law and arrest if necessary." At this moment, the Duke of Orleans suddenly spoke again, "Tell me, will you and I be among them?"
"I believe not, because he is too exhausted to punish you anymore. Besides, he has no substantial evidence to prove that you are trying to subvert him. You have the right to express your opinions publicly." Gaudan comforted the Duke in a low voice, "Besides, if he
If you really do this, it will be beneficial to you, because it will prove that you are indeed on the side of the people, and your reputation will inevitably rise."
"You're right." The Duke was convinced. "That being said, I hope he comes to arrest me!"
After he finished speaking, he laughed at his own joke.
At this moment, he was extremely excited that he would get his long-cherished wish. "His supporters are currently very disappointed in him, but we must also be prepared for the worst. If he refuses to abdicate, then
We have no choice but to take the toughest measures."
"No, he won't be tough..." Gao Dan was confident, "Our King is a complete and utter little person. He has always been naughty, talkative, and bluffing, but he has never been able to muster the courage.
A bloody battle. He is just a small Quiberon warrior who can't do anything! Just wait, he will get out of Paris in disgrace!"
In July 1794, Robespierre's opponents launched the Thermidor Coup, executed a group of Jacobins led by Robespierre and Saint-Just, and then took measures to abolish the
Some temporary policies and terrorist measures adopted by the Jacobins when they were in power.
The internal coup and purge of the Paris regime inevitably caused another chaos in the French political situation. Counterattacks against the previous revolutionary radicals appeared everywhere, and a large number of people were executed.
The civil strife in France also saw opportunities for the royalists who had fled abroad during the Revolution. They felt that the National Convention's cannibalism showed that the Republic's regime had suffered divine punishment and that the situation had been reversed. As long as they exerted more force,
It can completely destroy the Republic.
So the royalists in exile began to ask for help everywhere, and Britain, which was already at war with France, became their main target for help.
The reason why they chose Britain was not only because the British government was extremely hostile to the revolutionary regime, but also because Britain was closer to the western regions where the Royalists had the strongest influence, such as Brittany and Vendée, so they could attack them at any time.
Initiate action.
In 1795, one of the leaders of the royalist party, the Marquis de Puise, formally requested help from the British. He stated that he had assembled a team and that as long as the British government provided him with guns and ammunition and sent a fleet to Brittany,
, he can set off a full-scale riot in Brittany, and then spread to the whole of France with the force of a prairie fire.
At that time, the Republic was in a good situation in the anti-French alliance war. On April 5, 1795, Prussia and France signed the "Basel Peace Treaty", recognizing France's occupation of the left bank of the Rhine and withdrawing from the anti-French war. On July 22,
, France signed the "Second Basel Peace Treaty" with Spain. The Spanish Bourbon royal family ended the anti-French war and even became an ally of France.
Up to this moment, the British government has seen that its anti-French allies are becoming more and more useless. Among the major powers, only the Austrians are still insisting on fighting against France, and they are eager to achieve some results to boost their own momentum.
Because of this, the British government was overjoyed after receiving the request from the Marquis of Puisse, and naturally would not let go of such a good opportunity. They were eager to regain their overall advantage over France by fostering new anti-French forces. Soon, they
I feel that I should support this royalist armed force.
After receiving the support, the Marquis of Pisay quickly recruited troops. About thousands of exiles, naval officers and speculators hoping to change their destiny took refuge under Wang Qi's command.
The landing place selected by the Marquis of Pisay was the Quiberon Peninsula in Brittany.
On June 27, 1795, this armed force of about 4,500 people, escorted by the British fleet, landed in France and occupied the city of Orlay.
The Marquis of Puise knew that he had insufficient appeal. In order to gather people's hearts, he called on all the local royalists. He announced that his brother, the Count of Artois, would land in person and command this army to "recover" Brittany, and
Finally marched to Paris and restored the dynastic rule of the past.
Under the call of Wang Di and Wang Qi, the royalist armed forces in the area moved closer to him. However, Wang Di did not appear here in the end. Not long after, General Osh of the Republic led his army to suppress it.
And this armed force was severely damaged on the Quiberon Peninsula, and the royalists suffered a tragic massacre.
This disastrous defeat of the royal party did not make its leaders give up. Next, they planned to continue to land in Wangdai, and then use the local anti-government armed forces (at that time, the rebels in Wangdai had already fought against the Republic).
years of guerrilla warfare) as a response, and then marched into the interior.
This time Count Artois personally took over the task. He publicly announced many times that he would land in Vendai and fight side by side with the warriors who were loyal to the royal family.
In mid-September, the Count of Artois, escorted by British warships, landed on a small island on the edge of the mainland.
After receiving the news that the Count of Artois would land in France, the royalists who had just experienced a tragic defeat were inspired again. The local rebel armed forces in Wangdai gathered more than 10,000 troops and went to the seaside to meet them.
This team includes not only militiamen, but also many priests and civilians who hope to see the royal family again - after three years of bloody killing each other, they have been waiting for this day for too long, and they are too eager for everything to end as soon as possible.
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However, the Vendai people who came to the seaside waited for a long time, but did not wait for the king's brother they were longing for. They only waited for the Duke of Rivière, the adjutant of the Count of Artois. The Duke disguised himself as a peasant and rowed from the island.
A small boat landed on the coast, and then informed the people of Wangdai that there were some changes in the count's landing plan, and there would be no landing for a while.
Maybe he had his reasons, but one can imagine how disappointed the Wangdai people who were looking forward to it on the other side of the sea were. Their morale suddenly dropped. Even those staunch rebels who had fought bloody battles with the Republic for several years, this time
Shidu was extremely disappointed with Wang Di's cowardice and hesitation at the last moment.
Some people even publicly said that if the Bourbon family is not willing to bleed for their own crown, then why should we bleed for their crown?
Next, the Count of Artois stayed on the small island not far from the mainland for more than a month. No matter how much the people in Wangdai on the other side expected and urged him, he never took the last step and ran to the French land on the shore.
Come up.
Finally, in October, the Count of Artois left the island and returned to the UK on the grounds that "the British government no longer supported my actions and asked me to evacuate", leaving behind the royalist supporters on the shore.
, and instantly extinguished these people's loyalty to fight bloody battles for the royal family.
Many people did not believe the reasons given by Wang Di at all, thinking that he did not dare to set foot on French soil because of cowardice.
At this time, because the Republic changed its previous harsh and bloody suppression policy and began to adopt a gentle strategy towards the civilians in the rebel army, the cohesion of the rebel army, whose morale was greatly reduced, began to weaken.
With no hope in sight, the physically and mentally exhausted rebels had no intention of fighting, and most local people were tired of the continuous wars and killings and no longer supported the seemingly hopeless rebel cause.
Next, the Wangdai rebels, who lost their military morale, suffered successive defeats under the suppression of the Republic. They could no longer become an effective combat force. They were forced to sign a peace treaty with the Republic government and no longer openly raised the flag of rebellion against the Republic.
The Wangdai War, which once caused a sensation, killed hundreds of thousands of people, and caused countless refugees and tragedies, finally came to an end in 1796.
For most people, 1795 is a past event 30 years ago, a dusty history. But for that unforgettable era, almost no major event is unforgettable for those who experienced it at that time, even in the past
It's been so long and it's still unforgettable.
In 1795, the prince's brother, Count Artois, who cowardly abandoned his supporters and chose to flee, became the later King Charles X.
Since then, many people have deliberately mocked him as the "Warrior of Quiberon".
Gaudin was convinced that the Count of Artois at that time chose to flee without a fight; the current king would still flee without a fight.