1850 American Gold Tycoon.

Chapter 657 New Players in North America

Mexico City, May 1861.

The sky in Mexico City is gray, as if it is shrouded in smog, which makes people feel depressing.

The streets of Mexico City were littered with discarded guns and even cannons. To the surprise of the first French soldiers who entered the city, the guns and cannons discarded by the Mexican soldiers were as intact as their fortifications.

After all, the Mexican army did not have the courage and determination to fight a battle to defend their capital with the French army.

When the French army completed the siege of Mexico City, only about 7,000 men were able to continue to fight. However, after Mexican President Benito Juárez fled, more than 30,000 Mexican City defenders with sufficient ammunition and food chose to surrender to the French army.

This is the second time that Mexico's capital has been occupied by foreign troops since its founding in 1821.

Although the Mexican authorities had learned from previous experiences and had done a relatively good job of preparing for war, and there were sufficient supplies in the city to fight a war of attrition and inflict heavy damage on the invading enemy, it was not supplies that the Mexicans lacked.

French soldiers entered Mexico City in neat formations to the beat of military music, and the blue flag of the French Army fluttered in the wind over Mexico City.

The neat and crisp sound of the French soldiers' steel-nailed boots stepping on the cobblestone road frightened the residents of Mexico City. But curiosity drove the Mexican soldiers and civilians hiding behind the broken windows to peek through the cracks at the French troops entering the city.

Fortunately, Napoleon III planned to occupy Mexico for a long time, so he restrained the French army before entering the city. In addition, the French army had sufficient supplies. There was no serious looting in Mexico City like when the US army occupied it.

Amid the booming sound of cannon salutes, Napoleon III rode a majestic white horse and slowly stepped into the land he had conquered. The French soldiers lined up on both sides of the street saluted their emperor.

Napoleon III enjoyed the admiration of his soldiers to the fullest; this was the highlight of his reign.

Since Napoleon III ascended the throne, France's industrialization has advanced at an unprecedented speed, and he has made remarkable achievements in domestic affairs and people's livelihood. What he lacks is achievements in military affairs.

Although he defeated Tsarist Russia in the Crimean War, broke the shackles of the Vienna system on France, and swept away the haze of the fall of the First French Empire that hung over the heads of the French.

But this was far from enough for Napoleon III. He was a descendant of the Napoleon family. The French had higher expectations of Napoleon III. They hoped that this monarch with Napoleon family blood could make France great again like his uncle and restore its former glory.

“This is a country that lacks cohesion and self-identity.”

This was the brief assessment Napoleon III gave to the conquered country upon entering the Mexican presidential palace.

Conquering Mexico in just one month made Napoleon III feel bored and without much sense of accomplishment.

Thanks to thorough preparation and logistical support from the American Republic, the French expedition suffered very few casualties, with only 206 killed and 667 wounded.

It was not the Mexican army that caused the greatest casualties to the French army, but the plateau environment to which the French army found it difficult to adapt. Thousands of French soldiers lost their combat capability due to their inability to adapt to the environment of the Mexican plateau and had to recuperate in the rear.

Even so, the French army still easily won the war. "Your Majesty, the Mexican authorities have sold the right to build the railway and the mining rights along the railway to the American Republic. Do we recognize the treaty they signed with the American Republic?"

In conversations with surrendering officials in Mexico City, French Army General Élie Frédéric Dinan Fauré was surprised to learn that the Mexicans had sold road-building rights and some mineral rights in Mexico to the American Republic.

It is well known that Mexico is rich in mineral resources. Faure is obviously very concerned about the benefits of this part and is unwilling to give it up.

"As I expected, Mexico borrowed money from its northern neighbor." Napoleon III was not surprised. "Liang Yao is quite far-sighted."

The British and Spanish expeditionary forces were willing to withdraw voluntarily because they had received money from Mexico, and the Mexican government's finances naturally could not afford such a large sum of money. Otherwise, France, Britain and Spain would not have gone to the extent of armed debt collection.

The money that the Mexican government paid back to the British and Spanish must have been borrowed, and there was no other creditor around Mexico that was capable of providing huge loans to the Mexican authorities except the American Republic.

"Liang Yao is now mired in the quagmire of civil war and has no time to look south. Even if we do not recognize the treaty he signed with the old Mexican government, he can do nothing to us." Furey said, "Besides, we will establish a new government sooner or later."

Fauré did not yet know whether Napoleon III would directly occupy Mexico or support a puppet regime, but there was one thing he was sure of.

That is, his expeditionary force will be stationed in Mexico, at least for a period of time. If the agreement signed between the old Mexican government and the American Republic is recognized, the benefits that he and his French expeditionary force can gain in Mexico will naturally be less.

Napoleon III glanced at Trommern, who had remained silent, and did not speak immediately.

After careful consideration, Tromeran said to Napoleon III: "Your Majesty, I think this is inappropriate."

"Tell me about it." Napoleon III motioned for Trommern to continue.

Compared with Forey, Tromelin had more contacts with the top leaders of the American Republic. He must have known more about the American Republic than Forey. Napoleon III wanted to hear Tromelin's opinion.

"The treaty signed between the American Republic and the former Mexican government is reasonable and legal. If we do not recognize it, it would violate the spirit of the contract. Moreover, half of the debt owed by the former Mexican government to Britain and Spain has not been settled. If we do not recognize the treaty signed between the American Republic and Mexico, the American Republic will have sufficient reasons not to fulfill the agreement and settle the remaining debt. It is inevitable that we will be angry with Britain and Spain for this."

Tromeran analyzed clearly.

"Mexico and the American Republic are very dependent on the American Republic economically. We have just taken over Mexico and have not yet established a firm foothold in Mexico. If the American Republic secretly trips us up, we will be unable to defend ourselves."

Tromeran understood Liang Yao and knew that Liang Yao was not someone who would suffer any loss or humiliation.

Of course, with France's great power, Liang Yao naturally didn't dare to do anything to France in public, but it was hard to say in secret. After all, Mexico and the American Republic were neighbors, and the cost and price that the American Republic had to pay to influence Mexico was much smaller than that of France.

Furthermore, Tromeran did not want to create unpleasantness with his two new neighbors in Europe because of the interests of a new colony.

(End of this chapter)