Chapter 10 The Choice of Napoleon III

Today is different from the past. In 1848, due to internal reasons, France could only sit back and watch Russia make troubles in Wallachia. The emperor's nephew was no longer content to be just a president. He wanted to be like his uncle and make the whole of Europe recall the fear brought about by the name Napoleon.

Especially in recent years, the Catholic power in France has risen greatly, and the provocation of the Orthodox Church headed by Russia has become more and more intolerable. It can be said that the majority of believers unanimously hope to teach the damn polar bear a lesson, not to mention that the French can never forget the past. How did Napoleon the Great fall from the altar? It can be said that the strength of Russia today is based on the body of France.

The combination of many factors, such as national hatred and family hatred, has given France the idea of ​​competing with Russia. What's more, it's not 1814 now. At that time, the whole of Europe joined forces to strangle France under the banner of the Anti-French Alliance. Now look at Russia, does he have any decent allies?

"Although the Austrian side has not made a clear statement, it has already expressed concern about Russia's expansion. If our country is in a state of war with Russia, the Austrian side will at least remain neutral!"

Napoleon III raised his iconic mustache, and then fell into thought while stroking his pet dog in his arms.

To be honest, Napoleon III himself did not expect that he would be able to make it to this day. When he escaped from prison and escaped from France, he could be said to be extremely embarrassed. When he arrived in London, he achieved nothing and was just a loafer. The revolution of 1848 gave him a chance to make a comeback, but he didn't have much real power in his hands when he became president in a daze.

At that time, the general opinion of the outside world was that as soon as the four-year term expired, he would be beaten back to his original shape, and because of his extravagance, the day he could not get out of office was the day he was thrown into the Paris debt prison.

Anyway, at that time, no one thought that he could accomplish anything, let alone that he was similar to his uncle. But it was in this generally unfavorable situation that he fought against the trend and finally won power.

It's just that, although the power is in hand, it is not stable. As long as there is a slight mistake, whether it is the Parisian people who hate him or the Parisian high society who despise him, they will settle accounts with him. At that time, his life may be worse than death.

So Napoleon III knew that he had to do something quickly, and only by making something eye-catching could he divert the hatred he had pent up before.

The first thing Napoleon III thought of was the religious issue and the Balkan issue. He actually didn't know much about Russia, and he was a little afraid. It was a colossus after all, and Russia extinguished most of the flames of the Revolution of 1848. At that time, France was overwhelmed. In contrast, the gap between the two sides seems to be very large.

Napoleon III was not a military genius, he could not use military thinking and common sense to judge the reality of Russia.

After all, not everyone with the surname Bonaparte has the same military genius as Napoleon Bonaparte.

In this regard Napoleon III is very mediocre, without any shining points. This guy's all talents are in flirting, and he's really good at picking up girls. He has more illegitimate children than can be counted on one hand. He is a veritable love saint.

So Napoleon III asked his worst fear: "Is it possible for us to defeat the Russians alone?"

It's just that no one can answer him this question, because even the most professional and optimistic French soldiers in this era can't guarantee that they will defeat Russia, which is in full swing. On the contrary, more people may think that Russia is invincible, at least France cannot win alone.

For Napoleon III, no answer sometimes actually has an answer. These silent silences told him that if France went to war with Russia alone, it might not have much chance of winning. That being the case, he doesn't need to continue to struggle, because there is only one choice before him - to wait for the opportunity while maintaining restraint.

What? You ask why not unite with Britain or other countries to clean up Russia?

Isn't this a joke? Britain and France are feuds, especially after the Napoleon incident, the relationship between Britain and France has fallen to the bottom. It can be said that the current shackles of France in the international community are all done by Britain and its accomplices.

It's not easy for you to shake hands with your enemies and make peace. Moreover, with the recovery of France and the rapid growth of its national strength in recent years, Britain still regards France as its main opponent, and it is still staring at it all the time. How can it be possible to reconcile!

"Tell the Turks to be strong, the international community will not turn a blind eye to Russian atrocities...but as long as the Russians don't ask for something out of the ordinary, it doesn't matter a little bit!"

This answer is light and easy, but it is uncomfortable to hear the ears of the Turks. They will feel that they have been betrayed again, and that France is not sincerely giving them justice. The final result of the Bulgarian issue is likely to be that they continue to compromise on Russia's loss of power and humiliation.

But what made the Turks very depressed was that there was still the second half of Napoleon III's words: "But they are determined not to make concessions on key issues, and they must not let the Russians continue to make progress or even enter the Mediterranean!"

This will kill the Turks, because Napoleon III meant: "You guys can bow to Russia, but you must not let Russia benefit too much. If the Russians break through the Black Sea limit, then you It's over!"

The problem is that this is very contradictory to the Turks! Because the attitude of Nicholas I made it clear that he was here to break through the blockade of the Black Sea, otherwise what's the point of him pressing so hard. But you Frenchmen don't let us make too much concessions, but can the Russians let them go if they don't satisfy them?

It can be said that Turkey was placed in a dilemma, and they felt a little bit stuck. Is it too difficult to grasp the scale that we can neither not make concessions nor make too many concessions?

So in the face of Russia's pressing and military threats, Turkey is very panic, and they don't know what to do. Let's prepare for the battle actively, France and the United Kingdom said again to let him exercise restraint and not take the initiative to provoke polar bears. Don't actively prepare for the battle, the polar bear has already leaned most of its body into their home, and if it doesn't resist, the true nest will be taken over by the pot.

"I think Britain and France are unreliable. If not, let's surrender directly. How about ceding Bulgaria in exchange for Russia's promise not to continue to attack us on religion and border issues?"