Holy Roman Empire-Chapter 996 - 10, Bourbon Restoration

Chapter 996 -10, Bourbon Restoration

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The Spanish Government had not yet made a decision, but the civil war in France had already come to an end. No matter how hard the New Paris Government tried, they could not conjure up food.

In the grand scheme of things, nothing was more critical than filling one’s belly. The common people didn’t care about the bigger picture of the Revolutionary Government; if they couldn’t satisfy their hunger today, who would care about tomorrow?

Now, everyone was left with only three choices: first, to obediently accept the rule of the new government and then starve to death; second, to break out and seek a way to survive, potentially avoiding landmines if lucky; third, to rebel and snatch back food from the hands of the Revolutionary Government.

Those who had chosen the first path were mostly dead from hunger, and even if they were not quite dead, they were merely clinging to life; those who had chosen the second path were either blown to bits or had retreated, and the number of those who actually escaped was no greater than the number of wild oxen in Europe.

(Note: The European wild ox has been extinct since 1627.)

In the desperate bid for survival, more and more Parisians were joining the ranks of the Rebel Army. The New Paris Government was already running ragged, with more and more districts falling under the control of the Rebel Army, bringing the situation to its most critical juncture.

Daniel had long lost his past confidence and élan; the social beating he received had been too brutal, extinguishing all his illusions.

The intellectuals, students, and loudmouth partisans who had initially supported the new government were now all changing their tune. The more they had supported before, the more hostile they became now, as if they believed the chaos was caused by their own incompetence.

In a way, this seemed somewhat reasonable. Judging from the results, the performance of the new government was indeed unimpressive. But to call them incompetent was truly framing the innocent.

If their only enemy had been the Royalist Party, Daniel’s new government, under his leadership, would have conquered in all directions, and by now, they might have already pacified the entire nation.

Unfortunately, the enemy they faced was the whole of European society, and their radical revolutionary ideas were opposed not just by the Aristocratic Group but also by the bourgeoisie.

Even the common people, who should have been their strongest supporters, stood against them due to their hunger. Looking around, it seemed the entire world was their enemy.

…

The roaring sound of gunfire drew closer, each burst a cry from Paris itself. With the enemy fast approaching, the captain of the Guards dutifully reminded, “Mister Dagnell, the first division has collapsed, the enemy is coming this way, you should leave now!”

Clearly, this was not the first time he had urged Daniel to flee. But Daniel’s resolve was firm, and he had persisted until this moment.

“Leave, where do you think I can go now?”

“It’s better to wait here for them than to hide in some corner and eventually be captured by the enemy. Even Robert didn’t run; am I to be worse than a traitor?”

It wasn’t easy being a politician; once you get too deeply involved in the role, it becomes impossible to step away. Daniel’s current state was a display of someone too deeply immersed, firmly believing that the unfortunate Robert was a traitor, whereas he himself was the great hero saving the populace from fire and water.

Perhaps he was intentionally deluding himself to avoid waking up to the harsh reality.

After all, the situation was now clear, and whoever came into power would not spare him, the former leader. Wasn’t it he who had first broken the rules of the game?

Not only he, the big boss, couldn’t escape, but his underlings were also unlikely to evade retribution. Yet people always harbor a sliver of hope, and Daniel’s unwillingness to flee did not mean his subordinates wouldn’t run.

Even if they couldn’t leave the city, Paris was vast, and just by ducking into any small corner, one could easily hide. In these chaotic times of war, it wasn’t easy to find a person.

…

Just because Carlos had not sent troops to assail the city did not mean he was indifferent to the situation inside. To control the intelligence firsthand, he sent out airships for reconnaissance every day.

Though he couldn’t glean the intricate details, Carlos was quite clear about the broad state of affairs within the city. As soon as the new revolutionary government fell, Carlos would either choose to take over the messy situation or would have to do so regardless of his wishes.

If possible, he would prefer to take over later rather than sooner. Even if it meant delaying his ascension, Carlos found that a sacrifice worth making.

It was unavoidable; inheriting the mess one day earlier meant shouldering the heavy burden of relieving the people and restoring the economy one day sooner. Carlos didn’t like shirking responsibility, but the problem was that the mess was too significant; taking it on all at once could very well crush his shoulders.

If there was a shortage of food, then they would buy it; Vienna’s control over food exports was only against the Revolutionary Government, not the Bourbon Dynasty, with the only issue being the lack of money in his pocket.

Times were changing, and the cost of restoration was continuously rising. Even with the support of the Aristocratic Group, after forming the Restoration Army and settling a large number of refugees, Carlos’s pockets were already empty.

Borrowing money was undoubtedly another headache-inducing issue. The huge debt of France had already scared away all the international banks.

To raise funds, Carlos had initiated a frantic fire sale.

Bonaparte Dynasty’s overseas investments—sold; a series of infrastructure including ports, docks, roads, bridges, parks—sold; state-owned banks and mining enterprises—sold; seized properties of the Rebels—sold…

In short, as long as an asset could be liquidated, there was nothing that couldn’t be sold. If someone was willing to pay, Carlos likely wouldn’t have minded selling off even the Palace of Versailles.

The most regrettable aspect was that with the current collapse of France’s situation, assets that were once priceless could now only be sold at rock-bottom prices.

Rock-bottom prices were necessary because they were short on funds. After all, Carlos had been preoccupied with just one thing lately: raising money—buying grain.

Inside the Restoration Army command center, General Felix reminded, “Your Highness, the sound of gunfire in the city has weakened, it seems the battle is about to end.

The opportunity to capture Paris is imminent, and now we need to organize personnel to clear mines, to open a pathway for the army to pass through.”

When mines were being laid, the task was approached with eagerness; but mine clearance was an arduous endeavor. No one could have anticipated the civil unrest in Paris, and when laying mines, they were buried as thoroughly as possible in case the enemy tried to break out.

There were layers upon layers, a dense minefield both inside and out. Even the soldiers responsible for laying the mines had trouble remembering exactly where they had placed them.

It was proven that a mine siege was indeed highly effective, as the city’s defending forces were repeatedly bombed into cries for their fathers and mothers when they attempted to sortie.

Mine clearance, on the other hand, was troublesome work, fraught with high risk—an improper operation could launch one to the skies.

“Organize personnel to excavate slowly, this sort of task can’t be rushed. The city’s food supplies should last for a while, we still have time, and if necessary, we can organize airships to drop food into the city.”

These were all seemingly noble yet flawed ideas, but Carlos articulated them without a change in expression.

To excavate slowly might seem a responsible choice for the safety of the soldiers clearing mines, but in reality, it meant postponing the inevitable reception of a mess.

The City of Paris’ food supply was indeed sufficient to last some time, but after enduring this wave of civil war, how many more days it could last was an unknown.

Moreover, human nature is complex; even if there was food in the city, it was unlikely to be fairly distributed to every individual. The inevitable result would be the privileged continuing to feast, while the common Parisians endured hunger.

Aerial food drops were even more nonsensical; with the few antiquated airships they had at their disposal, they could at most drop a dozen tons of food into the city per day. While this might seem like a significant amount, it was merely a drop in the bucket.

The problem wasn’t a matter of scarcity, but of uneven distribution. If there wasn’t enough food to go around, people would have to fight for it. In a sense, dropping food into the city wasn’t a solution to the problem, but an exacerbation of conflict.

Knowing full well these were flawed ideas, Carlos had no choice but to adopt them, as he lacked a better option.

As a king in reserve, when the populace was in dire straits, he always had to do something. Even though these measures had severe repercussions, they were initiated with good intentions.

Throughout history, many well-intentioned acts that went awry were eventually forgiven; while those who actually did good were often met with accusations of ulterior motives.

Carlos had distinguished himself from numerous candidates, naturally, he was not devoid of political acumen. If he were truly ineffectual, even if the Nobility was willing to accept a useless puppet, the Bourbon Dynasty would not allow him to embarrass the family.

With France’s situation in such disarray, whoever took power, without a ruthless approach, would struggle to secure a foothold.

On the flip side, the more chaotic the situation in Paris, the greater the casualties, the lesser the potential problems he would face upon taking control.

Once the turmoil ended, it was likely that for a considerable time to come, Parisians would tremble at the mention of the Revolutionary Party.

…

The wheels of history relentlessly moved forward, beyond the sway of individual will. On December 7, 1893, the radical faction’s revolutionary government led by Daniel was extinguished in the overwhelming sea of people’s warfare.

On December 10, Carlos’s Bourbon Dynasty Restoration Group officially took control of Paris. On the 12th, Carlos was crowned king amidst the ruins of the Palace of Versailles, and thus France once again embarked on the Bourbon Era.

The restoration was successful, yet looking upon the dilapidated Palace of Versailles, Carlos, who had reclaimed the Bourbon throne, found no joy.

The hardship was only just beginning; it wasn’t just the Palace of Versailles that lay in ruins, but all of France needed reconstruction. Resettling refugees, reviving the economy, repaying debts—these became the three heavy burdens weighing upon Carlos’s shoulders.