Holy Roman Empire

Chapter 122: The Rise of Napoleon III

France.

After suppressing the June Rebellion, the bourgeois republican government embarked on a series of ill-conceived actions.

In an attempt to appease various interest groups, the bourgeois government chose to compromise with the royalists and religious authorities. First, they abandoned the economic agenda of the bourgeois republicans, and then they reinstated the tax system of the July Monarchy.

On July 3rd, the French government announced the abolition of the nationalization plans for the railways. On July 11th, the French government reinstated high taxes on newspapers and publishers. On August 9th, the French government began to restrict freedom of the press and assembly…

These actions had a more significant impact on the general population and were indeed detrimental. The French government’s decisions continued to escalate:

On August 30th, the government implemented a supplementary tax law, which imposed additional taxes on those aged 45 and above.

On September 6th, the government abolished the 8-hour workday, extending working hours to 12-14 hours.

On September 7th, the government abolished the Labor Protection Law and the Minimum Wage Law...

The French government’s actions, including imposing taxes and abolishing laws that protected the interests of the working class, understandably sparked widespread discontent among the French people.

The French citizens were not ones to be easily pushed around. Workers and farmers who had their interests harmed naturally began to resist, and starting from September, uprisings occurred in 23 different provinces.

With such a self-destructive government in place, it was no surprise that the French people used their votes to oust the bourgeoisie government in the upcoming presidential elections.

Louis Napoleon Bonaparte (Napoleon III) miraculously obtained 75% of the votes. It’s important to note that according to Article 44 of the French Constitution, individuals who have lost their French citizenship cannot be elected as president.

Louis Napoleon Bonaparte not only lost his French citizenship but also acquired Swiss nationality and even worked as a special constable in Britain. However, such a person managed to become the President of France.

It’s rather amusing when you think about it. The aristocrats naturally opposed the republican government and voted for Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, whom they believed had no chance of winning. Similarly, the bourgeoisie, whose interests had been harmed during the revolution, cast their votes for him.

These groups alone did not constitute an absolute majority, but after a period of turmoil, French peasants were reminded of the good times during the era of Napoleon, and so they supported Louis Napoleon Bonaparte.

Of course, there’s more to this story than meets the eye, and Louis Napoleon Bonaparte’s rise to power was not solely due to these factors.

Louis Napoleon Bonaparte portrayed himself as the rightful heir of his uncle, Napoleon I, and a staunch advocate of “national unity.” He presented an provocative agenda and made enticing promises to various social classes, including:

He pledged “religious freedom” for Catholics.

He assured workers of “eliminating unemployment,” “granting amnesty to those arrested in the June Rebellion,” “enforcing labor protection laws,” and “implementing an eight-hour workday.”

He promised farmers “reduced taxes,” “protection of small land ownership,” and the aim of “eradicating poverty.”

He aimed to appease the bourgeoisie with “low-interest loans” and “tax reductions,” among other incentives.

However, behind the scenes, Bonaparte was actively working to expand his political influence, forging alliances with royalists and religious authorities, purchasing support from key figures like Morny and Thiers, promoting his loyal confidant Persigny, and utilizing the “Le pouvoir est dans la rue” to further his cause.

He spared no expense, spending not only his own 300,000 francs but also withdrawing 1 million francs from an English bank manager to establish newspapers, distribute pamphlets, compose music scores, and generate public opinion for his election campaign to overcome his opponents.

Due to receiving financial support from the English, the government of Louis Napoleon Bonaparte had to align itself with the London government during its future tenure.

The ascent of Louis Napoleon Bonaparte signaled the beginning of new internal conflicts within the French government and indicated the possibility of new complications in Franco-Austrian relations.

Vienna.

“Your Majesty, after the election of President Louis Napoleon Bonaparte in France, he immediately tore up the Franco-Austrian secret treaty, citing the French government’s commitment to peace. It seems that he may not have good intentions towards the Empire,” Metternich said, furrowing his brow.

It was hard enough to use the Franco-Austrian secret treaty to win over the French, only to have it destroyed by Louis Napoleon Bonaparte.

Franz pondered for a moment and replied, “The Franco-Austrian secret treaty is in the interest of the French people. Even if we lost the best opportunity to annex the Kingdom of Sardinia, having the Franco-Austrian alliance can still help the French government resolve diplomatic challenges.

Louis Napoleon Bonaparte is not a fool. His hasty decision to tear up the treaty may have other factors behind it. Let’s investigate whether the British are involved in any schemes.”

John Bull was so notorious that he immediately became the target of suspicion.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Metternich replied.

During this period, Austria faced a relatively relaxed international environment. Even if the French tore up the treaty, it wouldn’t greatly affect Austria.

Under Franz’s leadership, the Austrian government had deepened its alliance with Russia, further developed relations with Britain, and negotiations for a renewed alliance with Prussia were underway.

The British had their motives for disrupting the Franco-Austrian relationship as well. The British Empire had evolved significantly and was no longer the Great Britain of thirty years ago.

With increased power, their political ambitions naturally expanded too. If Austria were to reestablish the Vienna System, the British would find themselves excluded from European politics once again.

From a standpoint of self-interest, the Vienna System had maintained stability in the European continent for three decades, and Austria seemed to be facilitating British interests rather than its own.

Without European affairs to tie up their resources, the British would have the capacity to expand externally and establish a vast colonial empire.

“Your Majesty, if it was the British who took action, should we consider retaliation?” Felix, the Prime Minister, asked with concern.

“We have time; let’s wait for the right opportunity,” Franz replied calmly.

During this era, Austria had little reason to fear the British Empire. They had long been marginalized on the European continent. And the British were also engaged in a competition for hegemony with the Russians and had not yet achieved their dominance in later time.

Following the code of conduct of the great powers, an incident like this would usually warrant retaliation. However, Franz was not one to act on impulse. Retaliating against the British or the French might provide momentary satisfaction, but it wouldn’t yield substantial benefits.

It was better to remember the incident, keep it as a pretext, and wait for a more advantageous opportunity to create obstacles for them in the future.

……

Paris.

After tearing up the Franco-Austrian secret treaty, Louis Napoleon Bonaparte began to regret his decision.

The intention to influence Italy was essential for the internal interest groups in France. The Franco-Austrian secret treaty was just their first step. If it weren’t for the June Rebellion, France might have already occupied half of the Kingdom of Sardinia.

Now, by tearing up this advantageous treaty for France, he naturally incurred the dissatisfaction of many people, which was undoubtedly an additional burden for Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, who urgently needed to consolidate his regime.

The support of the British was indeed crucial, but it was still secondary to interests. If Louis Napoleon Bonaparte couldn’t satisfy these interest groups, even as an elected president, he might be at risk of being ousted.

Louis Napoleon Bonaparte was skilled in political maneuvering. On one hand, he made promises to interest groups about returning to Italy, and on the other hand, he implemented some positive reform policies, such as abolishing the supplementary tax decrees from the republican government and reducing taxes on newspapers and publishers…

While implementing domestic reforms, he also sought to improve diplomatic relations externally. Apart from cozying up to the British, he sent the Marquis of Trentham on diplomatic missions to various European countries in preparation for the restoration.