23. In tne siege surrounding the G'ant - 6
"...This idea is very disrespectful and may be unpleasant to you... But right now, I can't help but feel skeptical about parliantary democracy. Ha! How can the educated citizens of London be so easily instigated and confused..."
So objections were raised against what a Tory lawmaker said, but it was also quietly received with sympathy. Parliantary democracy had the advantage of being able to lead the entire country in a fair and right direction by adding opinions and rationality from all walks of life, but it had been very vulnerable to external or internal incitent and political attacks.
Perhaps at this mont of war, wouldn't it be better to have a despotic monarchy that could bring the entire nation's capa bilities together like France? But what they did not know was that the reason why France was able to unite and work together under Napoleon was not because the system of governance was an autocratic monarchy.
Administration and tax reforms to correct all kinds of evils accumulated in society, reform of laws, the end of futile wars, the circulation of goods and enhancent of added value, developnt of new economically intensive industries, revitalization of national and local economies, a sharp decline of poverty, improvent of the welfare system, etc...
Napoleon built the absolute trust of the French people, leading all these reforms and innovations. From this stage, it created a difference in level from the relationship between British politicians and the people.
In Strasbourg, he emphasized European peace by using the frawork of a tolerant and enlightennt monarch, and added sincerity by even talking about giving up the throne.
With a war that would inevitably break out, all this secured Napoleons justification and legitimacy to declare war for the attempted assassination with the support of most of Europe except the Coalition. He achieved national unity by doing everything possible.
Pri Minister George Canning and mbers of the Tory party were only absorbed in the beauty of the swan swimming on the water, without seeing its legs busily moving underneath. It was the difference between British politicians and Napoleon, not between parliantary democracy and despotism.
"A king who has abandoned his country and his people is no longer worthy to wear the Prussian crown!"
"Lies and deceit! Incompetence and neglect! IrresponsibiIity and arrogance! Down with the rabies king's subordinates!"
"Prussia is a country of soldiers and warriors! We don't need a coward king, coward governnt, or coward army!"
"We will not fight for this shaless king!"
"The king and the military governnt must co back to Berlin right now and explain this! Or co down from the throne!"
In Berlin, protests by angry citizens continued after hearing the full story of the last incident. And the asles was spreading throughout Prussia, including Neumark, Saxony-Anhalt, Brandenburg, and Porania.
As the royal and court figures, officials, cabinet leaders, and senior officers had all left for Kbnigsberg, the city hall and governnt offices to manage the states, regions, and cities ca into the hands of the Union. In fact, Prussia lost its local administrative power in all provinces except East Prussia.
The Union forces were inciting the Prussian people by ignoring or encouraging the protesters' actions.
The provisional governnt of East Prussia had no choice but to watch the anti-royal, anarchist protests that dared insult the king and royal family and deny the governnt.
"Verdammt, verdammt (damn it, damn it)!"
Friedrich Wilhelm III, who was so moderate that he had never uttered a curse in his life, was furious as he tore up the letter that ca to him,
The temporary palace, built in the middle of the Kbnigsberg monastery, was filled with silence between the angry king and his wary ministers.
"What did I say?l I told you that if you deceive the people with this ridiculous trick, there will be a backslash! How on earth are you going to take on these responsibilitiesl?"
There was nothing the court ministers and generals could say to Friedrich Wilhelm III, who was beating his chest as if he were dying of injustice.
Friedrich Wilhelm III had been in Berlin just before the end of the Battle of Leipzig. After the defeat of the Battle of the Elster Bridge, he realized again that he was not fit for the battlefield.
When Blucher, who had been handed over the command of the Prussian army by the king, return to the palace shortly afterwards, Friedrich Wilhelm III was disappointed to hear of the defeat of the entire army. As a result, Prussia fell once again into France's hands.
Anyway, the allies decided to regroup in East Prussia. Sooner or later the British would land and join in on a large scale, so the war was not over yet.
There was enough room for reversal. Friedrich Wilhelm III prepared for evacuation as he did in 1806. He had originally intended to sneak away at night.
But there was a problem: a procession of Prussian refugees leaving or preparing to evacuate was already filling the main road. If the Union's forces continued to pursue them, they would be caught before they could leave for East Prussia. It was also dangerous to expose the royal journey to refugees.
So the court ministers ca up with a trick. If they declared in the na of the king that the capital would be protected, the refugees would co back and stay.
Friedrich Wilhelm III, who could not bear to lie to the people, refused to make the statent after much consideration, but the chief of staff and so ministers disobeyed the king's order and arbitrarily carried out the plan with the mindset that it was a sacrifice for the country.
As a result, Friedrich Wilhelm III beca a rare tyrant who did not just abandon his people, but even lied to them. Tens of thousands of protesters were shouting that they did not need a king who ran away.
The citizens of Kbnigsberg, where he stayed, also looked at him with suspicious eyes. For Friedrich Wilhelm III, it was really crazy.
"Your Majesty! In my opinion, there is no need to worry too much about that unsavory thing."
"Oh, what do you an, Chief of Staff! The honor of the Hohenzollern family has fallen to the ground and everyone in the world is laughing at !"
Even in the face of the king's anger, Gneisenau, the chief of staff, calmly expressed his thoughts.
"If Prussia wins the final victory in the Great War, Your Majesty's decision will be regarded as a gra nd judgnt to regrou p the country's forces. If you cover it up with achievents that overwhelm it, that's enough.
There will certainly be no Prussian people who will not bow to His Majesty, who has broken the history of decades of repression from France and established a new order in North Germany."
The record of history was also the record of the winner. As long as Napoleon, who conquered Europe, was defeated, Friedrich Wilhelm III could beco the greatest king in Prussian history. Who would dare to speak III of the past to such a king?
"Public opinion is like a reed. Your Majesty, open your heart proudly. It will not be too late to resolve the misunderstandings between the people and Your Majesty after everything is done."
Besides, were there not obvious culprits behind this? The court officials and officers, including the chief of staff, who took the king's na recklessly and issued a statent.
If they were put up as shields and given reasonable trials and punishnts in Berlin Square, the public would turn their anger towards them and praise the king.
It was not known that everything wouId go as the Ch ief of Staff Gneisenau had expected. Could the angry protesters rage further, saying 'Put away the bulIshit, you cowardly king!' at Friedrich Wilhelm III's appeal?
In any case, however, it was clear that the words of the chief of staff cald the king, who had been engulfed in anxiety and anger, to so extent.
"...But to create the situation as you said..."
"Yes, victory in the Great War is indispensable. But isn't that the sa as before?"
Prussia had no future if it were to lose the Great War anyway. Napoleon would tear Prussia to shreds and destroy all its potential so that it could never use force again,
Losing the war ant losing everything; winning ant winning everything. The situation was the sa as before. So there was no need to bother. It was an extre change of thought, but Friedrich Wilhelm III felt his beating chest calm down.
"The Marquis of Wellington's expeditionary forces of 100,000 are the most powerful weapon of the Coalition that can change the course of the Great War in a flash. Don't worry too much, Your Majesty! The Prussian army is still alive and well."
Yes, it was just one more reason to win.
Napoleon Bonaparte, the Emperor of the French Empire and the ruler of this era. Baron Fain was the chief secretary who served Napoleon from the nearest distance. He was the one who could observe him the most.
People from all walks of life in many countries who were curious about the figures representing this era used to ask Baron Fain. About Napoleons personality, personal life, taste, inclination, etc. Whenever that happens, Baron Fang replied:
"When he is wearing a laurel crown, he is more like an emperor than anyone else. When he is riding a horse, he is more like a general than anyone else. To the ministers and secretaries of the court, he is more like a monarch than anyone else. In front of the royal family, he is more like a father and a husband than anyone else."
People laughed, saying that he had great loyalty and respect for the Emperor, but Baron Fain was 100% sincere.
Baron Fain had watched Napoleon Bonaparte, who was fully aware of his duties and responsibilities and fulfilled them accordingly. He was a perfectionist wearing the mask of simplicity and devolution,
"Your Majesty! It's ti to wake up, Your Majesty."
"Oh... right... it's already morning."
It was 5:30 a.m. The Emperor was originally a person who woke up like a clock at 5 a.m. every day, but his sleepy face showed that he could not sleep because the changed bed was not very good.
As usual, Baron Fain placed Brazilian coffee, buttered bread, and a morning newspaper on the bedroom table, The half-asleep Emperor drank a cup of coffee and then his eyes regained their focus,
"Thank you. Ah, you did it good today, too."
"It is an honor, Your Majesty."
The chief secretary did not have to make coffee. He could just let the servants or the other secretaries do it. However, the Emperor's sensitive palate always recognized whether it was Baron Fain's hand that made the coffee or not.
The Emperor liked the coffee that Baron Fain made himself. Baron Fain could happily make coffee for the great Emperor more than a hundred tis if needed.
Reading newspapers while drinking coffee and eating bread was an indispensable part of the Emperor's morning routine. Originally, the Emperor had a very irregular lifestyle.
His ti of sleep, wake-up, and al were arbitrary, and on the battlefield, he did not sleep at all or made up for it with a nap.
However, after soti, he changed drastically, and beca a man of upright life who moved according to a set schedule.
Like a machine without error. The results for this change were clear. Baron Fain checked the Emperor's body and health with a side glance.
He could not see anymore the Emperor with a penguin-like body who suffered from all kinds of diseases. He could only see a man with an angular body full of vitality, even though he was close to 50.
The common belief that regular life, steady exercise, and managent of eating habits had an imdiate effect on health had been re-proven by the Emperor.
"Hahaha..."
The Emperor, who was reading the newspaper, let out a small laugh. It was a playful laugh that was not usual for the Emperor who ruled Europe's most hegemonic power.
"What is so funny, Your Majesty?"
"Oh, it's funny to see the islanders having seizures every ti we touch them."
Quick-witted, Baron Fain knew imdiately why the Emperor was happy. British society was now suffering from asles,
The Emperor had thrown a rock, and this was the ripples caused by it. In fact, the Emperor's direct target was Prussia, not Britain.
Domination and stabilization of Prussia were essential to support Poland, which was acting as a shield at the forefront of the Union, and to launch a fierce counterattack on Russia-Sweden, as Prussia was in the middle.
That was why he tried to make political gains by diverting the hatred of the Prussian people toward their royal family and governnt.
The Emperor gently coaxed German writers, including Goethe, who was disappointed by Friedrich Wilhelm III's madness.
This allowed the free press to launch effective political offensives and raise insurgency and demonstrations by anti-governnt forces, dramatically aggravating the public opinion of the Prussian people against their king.
In other words, it was the Emperor who raised and led the unrest in Prussia. But in that situation, sothing happened out of the blue on the British side.
A random bomb thrown at the enemy's camp in anticipation exploded and swept away the enemy's leaders, An unexpected performance in an unexpected place was the cause of the Emperor's laug hter.
"If their managent of state affairs had been fully supported by the public and the economic situation had been stable, would such luck have worked? It ans that we can use it as an indicator that things in Britain are much worse than we expected. It's a very good and desirable thing. The goddess of victory favors France."
Britain, which had been pushed out of the market battle with France, was weakened by the continued economic downturn. Debts also piled up, and social problems such as rising unemploynt and cri rates were added to the rest.
In addition, due to external expeditions and the failure of the war, British citizens had not been very passionate about the war from the begi nni ng. It was like looking at France at the end of the Seven Years' War. The hegemony of the mariti empire was being shaken greatly at this point.
They had their antipathy against France, but their friends and family were going to die on the battlefield, so who would to welco this? The victory of the Union at the Battle of Leipzig was the most decisive blow.
As the tide of the Great War was leaning towards France, the Emperor's political trick swept London right in ti. There could be no greater stimulus than this to ignite the hearts of the anti-warists.
Westminster seed very embarrassed by the will of the citizens to stop the war imdiately. It was a very savory and interesting sight.
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