With the continuous withdrawal of the coalition forces, law and order in France rapidly deteriorated. The French Revolutionary Government, which had just taken over power, clearly lacked governing experience, and the measures it adopted were nothing short of laughable. For example: the Economic Recovery Act, the Employment Act, the Social Assistance Act... On the surface, these measures all seemed promising, but in reality they ignored feasibility. Whether it was restoring the economy, boosting employment, or providing social assistance, all of it required money. The problem was that France simply had none. The Continental War had not only bankrupted the French government, but had also gravely weakened private financial groups, leaving them unable to provide funds to the French government. With no money, someone came up with the brilliant idea of printing more. One-franc and two-franc small-denomination notes had long since disappeared from circulation, and ever since the Paris Revolution succeeded, the zeros on the franc had only continued to multiply. In this France where everyone was a billionaire, carrying a sack of money just to buy a loaf of bread was no longer news. Ordinary people, no matter how hard they worked, could never keep up with inflation. As The Times put it, another zero was added to the franc every month. The economy had already collapsed, yet the French revolutionary government continued to tear itself apart. President Robert, the scapegoat, had long since been driven from office by the furious French people. The one in power now was Baptiste, the seventeenth president of the French Republic. On average, two governments were being replaced every month, a true reflection of the saying: “Everyone takes turns sitting on the throne, next year it will be my turn.” It could be said that any political faction with even the slightest influence had already produced a president. But the ending was always the same. No matter who came to power, they never lasted long, let alone controlled the situation. Puffing on a cigar and blowing out a cloud of smoke, President Baptiste asked, “When will the aid from the Continental Alliance finally arrive?” France had no money, and if it wanted to escape its financial predicament it could only turn to the international community for help. Without a doubt, under the current circumstances the only one that could provide such assistance was the Continental Alliance. The British also had money, but John Bull’s money was scorching hot to the touch. The present hegemon of the continent was the Holy Roman Empire, and entangling with the British was nothing short of courting death. Foreign Minister Fernando said, “It is most regrettable, Mr. President. The Continental Alliance has already issued an ultimatum, ordering us to select a king within one month and restore the monarchy. If we cannot meet their demands, not only will international aid be withdrawn, but we may even face sanctions from the Alliance. Just yesterday morning, Tschech, Chairman of the Holy Roman Empire’s Grain Committee, issued the White Paper on Grain Exports, reducing by one million tons the total quantity of grain originally planned for export to our country in the second half of the year.” In theory, after giving up the Italian territories, France was no longer short of food. But that was only in theory, for due to the war, French agriculture had suffered devastating damage, and grain had to rely on international imports. The Holy Roman Empire’s monopoly over Europe’s grain trade was nothing new, and with the birth of the Continental Alliance this monopoly had been pushed to the extreme. As an enhanced version of the European Union, a customs union was naturally indispensable. Agricultural products from the Americas, if they were to enter France, also had to pay heavy tariffs. If those tariffs were collected by the French government, it would not be a problem. Unfortunately, as part of the debt repayment fund, France’s tariff rights had long since fallen into the hands of the anti-French coalition. Tax evasion was impossible. When their own interests were involved, the Austrian government kept a close watch on the import of foreign agricultural goods and industrial products. Even if someone wanted to smuggle, they could only source goods from within the coalition itself. In this context, the Holy Roman Empire’s reduction of grain exports to France was undoubtedly a fatal blow to the French government. Once grain imports became insufficient and a famine broke out, the French revolutionary government could be devoured in an instant. “We have made so much effort, has it all been for nothing?” After speaking, Baptiste closed his eyes. The facts were plain to see. If even a few countries within the Alliance had spoken on their behalf, they would not have fallen to such a miserable state. As a member of the republican faction, Baptiste had no way of compromising on the issue of restoration. In truth, even if the French revolutionary government were willing to compromise, there would be no result in the short term. It might appear that the republicans held power, but in reality the majority within the government were royalists. If the three major royalist factions had not been evenly matched and kept each other in check, the republicans would never have had a say at all. Foreign Minister Fernando waved his hand helplessly and said, “This is all the fault of the Bonaparte dynasty. They managed to offend every country in Europe, to the point that our diplomatic efforts now can hardly proceed. To change this situation is not something that can be achieved overnight. Unless a new wave of continental revolution arises, otherwise...” The Bonaparte dynasty had antagonized many countries, but the French revolutionary government had offended no fewer. The very word “revolutionary” was enough to arouse strong hostility. Revolution was something that could spread, and the Continental Alliance’s zeal for pushing France to restore the monarchy was essentially meant to block the spread of revolutionary thought. Baptiste interrupted, “Enough. Now is not the time to export revolutionary ideas. If we attempt to spread revolution now, the Russians outside Paris will likely charge in immediately and send us to the guillotine. It is not that I am afraid, but the feudal monarchic order is far too powerful at present. We do not yet have the strength to clash with them, and there is no need to make a pointless sacrifice.” Prime Minister Michael warned, “Mr. President is right. Now is indeed not the time to clash head-on with the enemy. At present, our most pressing concern is to resolve the refugee problem and unemployment. Especially the refugee issue, which has already become a malignant tumor endangering national security. Many local governments can no longer hold on. If we cannot come up with measures quickly, they will start driving the refugees toward Paris. In fact, some places have already begun doing so. I took a walk around Paris myself, and the reality is ten times worse than we had anticipated. The relief grain distributed by the government is nowhere near enough to cover everyone. Many places are already in complete disorder. In the span of one morning, I personally witnessed three robberies. And this is Paris, the public order in other parts of the country can only be worse. If we cannot find a way to restore order soon, I fear...” The problem was right before their eyes, visible to everyone. Unfortunately, when it came to how to solve it, no one had any answers. If it could have been dealt with easily, France would not have been changing governments so frequently. … In the distance, a group of ragged people appeared on the horizon. Men and women, young and old alike. It was clear this crowd, resembling an army of beggars, were refugees fleeing disaster. At the front, a middle-aged man, panting heavily, said, “Ahead is Paris. Once we arrive there, we will have bread to eat!” “Really? It won’t be grass roots and tree bark again, will it?” The boy’s tender face revealed a look of doubt, leaving the middle-aged man deeply embarrassed. “Of course it is true. This is Paris, our capital. The wealthiest place in all of France. We will surely find food there!” In truth, the middle-aged man had no real confidence in his own words. Along the way they had suffered too many blows, to the point of becoming almost numb. The local residents treated them like a plague of locusts. The so-called relief from local governments amounted to nothing more than a piece of black bread or a single potato each day. Not enough for even one meal, let alone to last the whole day. To survive, they had no choice but to rely on wild vegetables. But with so many refugees, the wild greens were soon gone, and in the end they had to fill their stomachs with bark and roots. Unwilling to sit and await death, the middle-aged man resolutely led his family toward Paris, which had become their last hope. His family was not the first to head for Paris, nor would they be the last to arrive. Ever since the main force of the anti-French coalition had withdrawn, refugees from all directions had been pouring into the city. At the Russian command post outside Paris, General Yevgeny gazed into the distance and let out a sigh. “The refugees in Paris are growing more and more numerous. I wonder whether the French government can hold on.” His concern for the French government did not mean that he was pro-French. In fact, General Yevgeny was a staunch anti-French man. If one were to ask the reason, it was because both his father and elder brother had perished in the Battle of Crimea. National enmity and personal hatred were bound together, and that was why Yevgeny had willingly volunteered to join the occupying forces. Rather than worrying for the French government, he was truly concerned about the indemnities it owed. Even though Russia’s share in the first year was a mere few million guilders, it was still a significant source of income for the Russian government. The fundamental purpose of the Russian army’s presence in France was to ensure the proper payment of reparations. If France descended into chaos, General Yevgeny’s mission could not be fulfilled. “Commander, you are overthinking it. If the French government cannot hold out, another one will simply take its place. No matter who wins or loses in the end, as long as they continue to pay their debts, that is all that matters. Instead of worrying about this, it would be better to find a way to move some local specialties back home and make a little pocket money. Personally, I think the French machinery is quite good. If we can seize a few factories and ship their equipment back, we are bound to make a fortune. When the time comes...” Before the middle-aged officer could finish, General Yevgeny interrupted him: “Lieutenant General Andrei, if your brain has turned to water, then go ahead. But do not drag me into such a losing deal. The idea of moving machinery? The fact that you even thought of it is absurd. Do you not realize that all our domestic industry follows Austrian standards? Who would you sell French machines to?” Industrial standards were a fatal obstacle. Even setting aside whether domestic engineers could operate French machinery, the key issue was that the supply chain would not match. The specifications of raw materials, the replacement of spare parts, whether the products met market standards—all of these had to be considered. To truly move French machinery home, one would need to relocate the entire industrial chain as well. Clearly, that was impossible. Relocation, installation, and production required not only time but also massive financial investment. The amount of money needed to change the entire national industrial chain would be enough to bankrupt the Russian government a hundred times over. Without relocating the supply chain, a few pieces of machinery were little better than scrap iron. Shipping dismantled machines from Paris only to sell them as scrap at home would certainly be a loss-making venture. Of course, for low-technology industries that had less reliance on the supply chain, such a move was feasible. But these industries were usually already saturated. Capitalists would never replace the machinery in their own factories just because seized equipment was cheaper. That would not be to their advantage.
*** https://postimg.cc/gallery/PwXsBkC (Maps of the current territories of the countries in this novel made by ScH)
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