Holy Roman Empire - Chapter 172

Chapter 172: Chapter 59, Napoleon III

Translator: 549690339

In 1851, the world’s focus was on Constantinople and Paris, with the earlier half of the year’s attention drawn to the discussions among the five powers, and the latter half to the performance of Louis-Napoleon-Bonaparte.

After the coup in Paris, Louis-Napoleon-Bonaparte did not stop his march but accelerated the restoration of the Empire.

On August 2, 1851, France held a national referendum, and Louis-Napoleon-Bonaparte secured the right to amend the constitution, legitimizing the coup.

On September 26, 1851, he ordered the national flag’s emblem to be changed to the Eagle, symbolizing the Napoleonic Empire, blowing the horn for restoration.

On October 3, Louis-Napoleon-Bonaparte ordered the removal of the maxims of the French Revolution: Liberty, Equality, Fraternity, from all buildings.

On October 15, Louis-Napoleon-Bonaparte amended the constitution, changing the presidential term to a lifetime position, greatly expanding presidential powers without restriction.

Historically, Yuan Shikai tried to learn from him but just lacked the competency and skills by just that little bit…

In November, Louis-Napoleon-Bonaparte embarked on a nationwide tour, delivering speeches deep among the people to gather public support, while not forgetting to play the sentimental “Uncle” card, openly promoting imperialist ideas.

The facts proved very effective; despite more than thirty years having passed, Napoleon’s position in the hearts of the French public had not wavered.

In an era where monarchy was still the mainstream in the world, as a Republic, the French people felt lonely and, in a moment of heated passion, followed the cry of “Long live the Emperor.”

Soon, a heated topic emerged in France—imperialism, encouraged by newspapers controlled by Louis-Napoleon-Bonaparte’s party.

While creating momentum with public opinion, Louis-Napoleon-Bonaparte did not forget to spread money around to win the military’s loyalty.

He was very skilled at buying military support, such as inviting officers to attend rallies where they heard the public crying “Long live the Emperor,” thus creating a semblance of widespread support.

After experiencing this once, these officers unconsciously gravitated towards him.

In this regard, the French Army deserves praise for choosing to respect public will, thus preventing civil war from breaking out.

While building his own momentum, Louis-Napoleon-Bonaparte of course did not forget to strike at his opponents, such as smearing competitors, and exploiting the power at his disposal…(10,000 words omitted)

When all preparations were ready, on December 21, 1851, Louis-Napoleon-Bonaparte on behalf of the French Parliament declared: a referendum on the government system would be held.

One has to say, his maneuver was very smooth. Those who understand France know that even after World War I, there were more French people who supported the Empire than the Republic.

The reason why France had a Republican Government was due to the mutual restraints among the three major pro-monarchy parties; none would submit to another, ultimately splitting apart.

Against this backdrop, the Empire prevailed with 7.89 million votes while only less than 250,000 votes supported the Republic.

Since it was an Empire, naturally, it was time to choose an Emperor. The Orleans family, the Bourbon family, and the Bonaparte family were the three prominent choices.

The Orleans family was the first to be eliminated since they were ousted and had the lowest support due to tarnished reputation; the Bourbon family had the advantage of legitimacy and was Louis-Napoleon-Bonaparte’s fiercest rival.

However, that was not a problem, having wrapped public opinion around his finger, Louis-Napoleon-Bonaparte took the throne directly, with no intention of putting it up for discussion.

At that time, the Bourbon family was not prepared and had not even responded when by January 1, 1852, Louis-Napoleon-Bonaparte declared himself Emperor in Paris, and the era of Napoleon III began.

After stirring up commotion, the French public, tired of infighting, now sought stability. With the fact established, the Bourbon family could only begrudgingly accept it.

Due to the use of underhanded methods in the seizure of power, forcibly taking the throne, the empire of Napoleon III was tainted with troubles from the start.

Vienna

Observing the cunning operations in Napoleon III’s rise to power, Franz expressed immense admiration, believing he could not have done it any better himself.

One should know that nominally, France had three royal families, but in reality, the Bonaparte family was the weakest; unlike the other two with profound foundations, they were merely nouveau riche.

The Orleans Dynasty had the support of financial conglomerates, the Bourbon Dynasty was supported by the nobility and capitalists, while the Bonaparte family’s supporters were the peasants.

Theoretically, they should have the most supporters and an advantage. In practice, it was quite the contrary; their supporters were mostly from the lower classes, with virtually no political voice.

This became evident from the fact that the Bonaparts relied on British financial support during the restoration process of Napoleon III. Had it been the other two families, there would have been plenty of financiers.

There was no way around it, for they had come into wealth late. If it hadn’t been for the outstanding Napoleon, still fondly remembered by the French public, calling them the French royal family at this time would be a joke.

Even with such a formidable uncle as Napoleon, Napoleon III himself lacked competitiveness, and it might have been a different story with Napoleon II.

It’s a pity that Napoleon II died young. In Europe, lineage is what matters, and Napoleon III clearly wasn’t up to the mark, let alone that he wasn’t even French.

(In 1832, Napoleon III had acquired Swiss citizenship)

If his political adversaries had been a bit more astute, they would have ousted him during the presidential elections. It’s doubtful that the proud French people were that open to having a foreigner as president.

Napoleon III’s ultimate victory was not only due to his opponents being out of form during that period, but his own demonstrated abilities also should not be overlooked.

Along the way, he was practically dancing on a tightrope. One misstep could have shattered him to pieces.

Especially in how he exploited the contradictions among various groups, leading them to tacitly accept his ascension to the throne as if it were the pinnacle of political maneuvering.

Based on the intelligence at hand, Franz concluded that Napoleon III wasn’t everyone’s ideal choice, but he was the choice everyone could accept.

After being taken to school by Napoleon III, Franz couldn’t help but reflect on his own position and realized his weakness was caring too much about integrity.

Of course, Franz had no intention of changing. As the Emperor of the Habsburg dynasty, his claim to the throne couldn’t be more legitimate; he had no need for any dishonest tricks.

As for domestic political rivals? Not to brag, but Franz could press them to the ground single-handedly.

The opposition in Austria was nothing compared to that in France; their fighting spirit was incomparably weaker. How could fireflies compete with the bright moon?

Metternich said with a smile, “Your Majesty, Napoleon III has been restored to power, and he now needs international recognition. This is an opportunity.”

If Napoleon III had ascended to the throne through legitimate means, there would be no worry about this issue. Unfortunately, his claim to the throne was inherently deficient, with too many vulnerabilities open to criticism, making international recognition at this time all the more critical.

Not to mention, most of the European nobility were absent from Napoleon III’s coronation ceremony. Although it seemed grand, the actual level of ceremony was much lower.

Even with the support of the British, the British Royal Family likewise did not send any senior members to attend, indicating the aloof attitude of the nobility.

Franz said indifferently, “Let’s give it a try. The France-Austrian Secret Treaty has ended, and signing a friendly agreement between the two nations now wouldn’t be a bad idea.”

If the benefits are not significant, Napoleon III might make certain concessions to gain Austria’s diplomatic recognition.

Unfortunately, there was no such perfect exchange of interests between Austria and France at the time. Austria also had its own plans, and since that was the case, Franz didn’t mind granting a small favor.

Felix said gleefully, “Your Majesty, Napoleon III has just been restored. Even if it is just for the sake of the Emperor’s dignity, he cannot afford to back down on the issue of the Holy Land. It seems the Russians are going to have trouble.”

Russia and Austria being allies did not mean that Austria was keen on seeing the Russians continue to grow stronger.

Only when the disparity in strength is not large can countries become allies. Once the gap widens, the relationship turns into one of junior and senior partners.

Austria certainly did not plan to become Russia’s junior partner. While developing its own strengths, everyone also hoped for a setback in Russian strategies.

If Russia were to annex the Ottoman Empire, the honeymoon period between the two countries would end. Between nations, relying on strength and interests still speaks louder.

One important factor for the outbreak of the Crimean War in history was that Napoleon III had just ascended the throne and needed to divert domestic conflicts and establish his authority.

Now with Napoleon III’s restoration moved up the timeline, that need hadn’t changed, and naturally, the outcome would remain the same.

Franz thought for a moment and said, “Let’s add some fuel to their fire, but we must be careful not to get burnt ourselves. The play must go on.

If England and France were to discover our true intentions, the situation could become uncontrollable. At a critical moment, the Russians would certainly expose the Russian-Austrian Treaty.

We must be prepared diplomatically. At the critical moment, England and France must know that even if Russia and Austria have formed an alliance, in the Russio-Turkish War, Austria would only remain neutral, at most providing diplomatic support to them!”

This wasn’t a joke. If Austria resolutely sided with Russia in every aspect, perhaps England and France would be deterred. In the Near East, a joint Russian-Austrian force would be invincible, unafraid of any challenge.

Without giving England and France a reassurance, how could they possibly commit to a military expedition to strike at the Russians? Without the Russians to distract them, how could Austria have the opportunity to make a secret move?

While Austria was using the Russians, weren’t the Russians also using Austria? As long as Austria made a move, it would likewise distract a portion of England and France’s focus, easing their pressure on the battlefield.

Moreover, if the Russians wanted to annex the Ottoman Empire, they would inevitably rely on Austria’s material support. With their own country’s industrial capacity, they could not sustain a modern war.

From the beginning, this was a cooperation based on mutual need, each harboring their own ulterior motives.