Holy Roman Empire - Chapter 122

Chapter 122: Chapter 9, Napoleon III Takes Power

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France

After the Bourgeois Republican Government suppressed the June Revolution, it began to court disaster in various ways.

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In an effort to cater to interest groups, the Bourgeois Government chose to compromise with the Monarchists and the Church power faction. First, they abandoned the economic program of the Bourgeois Republicans, and then they reinstated the fiscal system of the July Monarchy.

On July 3, the French government announced the abolition of the state-owned railway plan; on July 11, the French government reinstated the high taxes on newspapers and publishing houses; on August 9, the French government began to restrict the freedom of publication and assembly…

All these were minor issues; to the common people, they weren’t terribly painful, and some policies even helped consolidate the regime. But what the French government did next was truly courting death.

On August 30, the French government started to implement an additional tax law of 45 centimes;

On September 6, the French government announced the abolition of the 8-hour workday, extending working hours to 12-14 hours;

On September 7, the French government announced the abolition of the “Labor Protection Law” and the “Minimum wage guarantee law”…

The French Government, by raising taxes and abolishing laws that protected the interests of the working class, naturally aroused widespread dissatisfaction among the French populace.

The French were not to be trifled with; harmed workers and peasants naturally resisted, and from the 9th month onward, there were uprisings among workers and peasants in 23 provinces.

With such a reckless government in place, it was natural for the French people to use their ballots to punish the Bourgeois Government in the coming presidential election.

Louis-Napoleon-Bonaparte (Napoleon III) miraculously obtained 75% of the votes, although according to Article 44 of the French Constitution, anyone who had lost their French citizenship could not be elected president.

Not only had Louis-Napoleon-Bonaparte lost his citizenship by acquiring Swiss nationality, but he had also served as a special police officer for England. Yet such a person was somehow elected President of France.

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It was quite comical, really; the Nobility, naturally opposed to the Republican Government, voted for Louis-Napoleon-Bonaparte, who they thought couldn’t possibly be elected. Those from the Bourgeoisie who had suffered losses in the revolution did the same.

These votes alone obviously did not constitute an absolute majority, but after a period of turmoil, French farmers once again recalled the good life of the Napoleonic Era and supported Louis-Napoleon-Bonaparte.

Of course, the story behind his rise to power is not so simple; Louis-Napoleon-Bonaparte’s ascent was due in no small part to his own efforts.

He boasted of being the heir to his uncle, Napoleon I, a steadfast defender of “national unity,” and he presented a provocative program to all classes, making enticing promises:

To Catholics, he promised “freedom of religion”;

To workers, he assured “the elimination of unemployment,” “amnesty for the arrested June insurgents,” “implementation of Labor Protection Law,” and “adoption of the eight-hour workday”;

To farmers, he guaranteed “tax reduction,” “protection of small land ownership,” and “elimination of poverty”;

He used “low-interest loans,” “tax cuts” to appease the Bourgeoisie, and so on.

Behind the scenes, however, Bonaparte was active everywhere, building up his political following; he colluded with the Monarchists and Church power faction; he bought off Mole and Thiers, employed his close ally Persigny, and used the monarchist “Committee of the Pouatchy Street” to serve his purposes.

He spared no expense, not only spent 300,000 francs of his own but also withdrew 1,000,000 francs from a British bank manager to fund newspapers, publish pamphlets, compose music, and more, in order to build public opinion for his campaign and defeat his opponents.

Due to the support from the British in securing his position, the government of Louis-Napoleon-Bonaparte had to lean towards the London Government during his future reign.

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The rise of Louis-Napoleon-Bonaparte meant that new internal conflicts were beginning in the French government and signaled potential new complications in Franco-Austrian relations.

Vienna

“Your Majesty, after the election of President Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte of France, he immediately tore up the France-Austrian Secret Treaty on the pretext of the French government’s love for peace, which I fear is ill-intended towards the Empire,” Metternich said with a furrowed brow.

It took great effort to draw the French in with a France-Austrian Secret Treaty, only for it to be destroyed by Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte.

Franz thought for a moment and said, “The France-Austrian Secret Treaty is in the interest of the French, even if it means losing the best opportunity to divide the Kingdom of Sardinia, having the France-Austrian Alliance can still help the French government break through diplomatic difficulties.

“Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte is no fool, and his eagerness to rip up the treaty suggests there may be other factors at play. Check to see if it is the British who are up to mischief.”

John Bull is just so unpopular that he became the first suspect.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Metternich answered.

At this time, the international environment facing Austria is still quite relaxed. Even if the French tear up the treaty, it does not significantly harm Austria.

Since Franz took charge, the Austrian government has deepened the Russian-Austrian Alliance and further developed relations with Anglo-Austria. A renewed Prussia-Austria alliance has already entered the negotiation stage.

The British have the motive to sabotage the France-Austria relations, as today’s Great Britain Empire is not the same as Great Britain thirty years ago.

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Their strength has grown, and naturally, so have their political ambitions. If Austria re-establishes the Vienna System, they will still be excluded from European politics.

From the standpoint of interest, the Vienna System has stabilized the European Continent for thirty years, and Austria has effectively been making a bridal gown for the British.

With no European affairs to distract them, only then could the British have the capacity to expand outward and build a vast Colonial Empire.

“Your Majesty, if the British are behind this, should we take revenge?” Prime Minister Felix asked with concern.

“There is plenty of time in the future to consider it,” Franz replied calmly.

In this era, Austria has no fear of the Great Britain Empire. Being consistently excluded from the European Continent, with the Russians also contesting for dominance, the British do not yet hold the prestige of later times.

According to the norms of the great powers, such an event would certainly call for retaliation. However, Franz wasn’t a man to act rashly. Retaliating against England and France might be satisfying, but it wouldn’t result in any tangible benefits.

It is better to remember this and keep this excuse in reserve, waiting for a time when it can be turned to advantage before tripping them up.

Paris

After tearing up the France-Austrian Secret Treaty, Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte began to regret it.

Having designs on the Italian Area was a need for internal French interest groups; the France-Austrian Secret Treaty was just their first step. Had it not been for the June Revolution, France would have already occupied half of Sardinia by now.

Now that he has torn up this treaty beneficial to French interests, it naturally caused dissatisfaction among many, which undoubtedly added insult to injury for Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte, who desperately needed to consolidate his power.

British support is indeed important, but even that is not as valuable as interests. If he cannot satisfy these interest groups, his position as an elected president could still be at risk.

Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte’s political maneuvering was still quite formidable. On one hand, he made promises to the interest groups to return to Italy, and on the other, he introduced some positive reform policies, such as repealing the additional tax decrees of The Republican Government and reducing taxes on newspapers and publishing houses…

While pursuing internal reforms, he did not forget to improve foreign relations. Apart from clinging tightly to the British, he also sent out Marquis Turenne to visit various European countries in preparation for restoration.