The sun never sets in America

Chapter 357 The Napoleon is launched

The French Empire was a large empire that occupied a major position on the European map.

Since Napoleon III's "efforts to govern", the entire France has undergone radical changes, although most of these changes are financial and local improvements.

But it has indeed brought new vitality to France, which was already "faltering", making it possible for this country, which is considered ancient in Europe, to once again regain the glory of the Napoleonic period.

Although Napoleon III was contemptuously called by the British: "a poor imitator" and an "evil freak", it is indeed possible to see how much Napoleon III's behavior and style were disliked by the British. With so many nicknames, after all, the people who hate you the most are actually the ones who really understand you.

On the European continent, France under the control of Napoleon III was mainly allied with Russia, and incidentally had good relations with Prussia. When Napoleon III hosted a banquet for King William of Prussia in the second half of last year, he "emotionally" expressed France's support for the unification of Germany.

Although it did not have the nature of any treaty and was simply "empty talk," it brought a great sense of diplomatic security to Prussia, which was preparing for war against Austria.

Of course, all this is not without cost. Prussia also has to support France's expansion in the Mediterranean and even Northern Europe.

Although Bismarck was "tangled", he could not resist the temptation of German reunification and signed a secret Franco-Prussian treaty in private.

In the words of Bismarck, this so-called secret agreement is:

"It opened the door to a new world, but it also released the devil."

As for what a "devil" is, everyone knows it.
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In the Marseille shipyard, thousands of shipbuilders are celebrating the launch of the "Napoleon" class battleship.

After the Treaty of Suez was signed, Napoleon III said privately: "We must take back Suez from the hands of those island dwarfs, take back Egypt, and take back the glory of the French Empire!!"

Seeing the news in his hand, Napoleon quickly kissed Queen Jenna again and again on the face until Jenna pushed him away in disgust.

"Goodbye, Chen..."

"Let those damn British guys die. The future of Europe can only belong to us and France."

After all, it is also a "diplomatic etiquette".

As the minister's military attache, Wang Jia glanced at Chen Qiuting's luxurious, gold-edged invitation and didn't tell him that the French were not that easy to deal with this time.

The first ship of the Napoleon class had just been launched and had not yet conducted training. The French were planning to hold a celebration party with great fanfare. One can imagine what was going on inside.

“Finally, let’s invite the British Minister, haha, I can’t wait to see those guys collapse!!”

Napoleon III has never forgotten Egypt to this day. The so-called Suez Canal Company is the biggest shame in the world to Napoleon III.

"Ha ha……"

"This is an epoch-making warship, it will dominate the ocean!!"

"By the way, the Han people have to ask. They must guarantee the fulfillment of the alliance treaty."

If something goes wrong in their hands, they may be "dead to death".

"As well as those greedy Russians and Prussians, we must tell them that no one can take away the cake that belongs to the French Empire."

He said something disdainful, but he kept the invitation very preciously in his hand.

Chen Qiuting opposite didn't speak, just stared out the calm window.

There are some things that Wang Jia doesn't dare to say too clearly. After all, the Three Emperors Alliance is really a big deal, and it's far from being as simple as imagined.

"Dear, do you know that our navy will have the most powerful warships in the world, and the French navy will dominate the European oceans!!"

Queen Jeanne wanted to say something, but was interrupted by Napoleon III's "celebration".

Although the motivation for bragging is greater, for the French Empire at this time, the arrival of the Napoleon-class battleships has indeed increased the French's self-confidence.

"When a ship is launched and it is so arrogant, we are not afraid that the British will join forces to resist the law again."

Napoleon III's face showed unprecedented "excitement". For this emperor who had been in charge of France for more than ten years, there was nothing more exciting than the French Empire ruling Europe.

"Master Chen, the French just sent an invitation. I guess it may not be a good thing."

"Goodbye, Mr. Blue."

A burst of bird chirping flew past Chen Qiuting, and then he spoke: "France wants us to help them with the thunder, but it's just nonsense!!"

In the Palace of Versailles, after hearing the news about the launch of the battleship, Napoleon III jumped up from the sofa, startling Queen Jenna who was still cutting fruit. Looking at her husband who jumped up, the Queen's mind was full of "sick man". ”.

When the carriage drove away, Chen Qiuting looked at the French invitation with the Napoleon family bee logo in his hand, and murmured to himself funny:

Queen Jenna looked at Napoleon III who seemed to have returned to his childhood, sighed in her heart, and then let the other man's temper run wild.

Yes, Napoleon III, who liked to hold salon dinners, decided to hold the largest salon in the history of France for the launch of the Emperor Napoleon. He even spent the entire afternoon discussing the details of the salon dinner with Queen Jeanne and the people to be invited.

At the Han embassy in Paris, Chen Qiuting, as the minister to France, was seeing off a high-ranking French official.

"Well, it's just like the alliance. I guess the French need our commitment very much now."

After a period of uproar and "ridicule" at the British, Napoleon III finally got the banquet list of hundreds of people.

"Then we don't belong..."

After hearing this, Napoleon III did not have any fluctuations. He just waved his big hand and said proudly: "It's okay. The war is now beneficial to us. If there is no war, those hateful British guys will still rule the world for a long time. Damn it, just like Egypt." Same."

Chen Qiuting is very familiar with the thoughts of the French, or Napoleon III.

When Jenna heard this, not only was she not happy at all, but she said with some worry:

"The battleships are coming out, and the war is about to break out!!"

As the first ship, Kaiser Napoleon weighed 14,000 tons and used 350 mm artillery, and the secondary guns were 305 mm. In the words of designer Roper:

.............................................

“Maybe it’s still a bad thing!!”

Among them were foreign envoys and local French dignitaries. In short, he invited everyone who had anything to do with Napoleon III. Afterwards, the French Prime Minister complained: "Some people can't even name them, but after a while, he invited them." If you ask around, they all have very high origins.”

.............................................

The British Legation is a British-style building across the street from the Han Legation.

As an eternal "friend" of the French, I don't know if it is intentional or what.

The Union Jack flag of the British Legation is often higher than other places. In the words of the British, it is "easier for those French people with bad eyesight to see."

After receiving the invitation from Napoleon III, David Lee has been in conflict. He is considering the issue of "whether to go or not".

After learning that the first Napoleon-class ship, Napoleon Emperor, was launched, David Lee was still very calm. After all, according to the strategic plan of the British Royal Navy, next month is the day when the Victoria-class battleship will be launched.

There were only seventeen or eighteen days in between, and even if the French wanted to do anything, they couldn't do it.

But what really worries David Lee is the arrogant attitude of Napoleon III. This attitude is very unstable and may trigger a war. In fact, this was indeed the case. After the Napoleon Kaiser was launched, Napoleon III asked his generals to study how to control the Mediterranean and even the English Channel before the British arrived.

Don't think this is impossible. The geographical situation that Britain and France are too close makes France the most threatening country to Britain. This can be seen from the Napoleonic Wars and the Hundred Years' War between Britain and France.

David Lee kept pacing back and forth in the room. At this time, he was already guessing the attitude of Napoleon III.

In his mind, Napoleon III was a "sinister" guy. It can be seen from the Egypt incident that this guy's forbearance and sophistication, although on the surface, it was the mediation of the Han Dynasty that got rid of the Egyptian dilemma that had been troubled for several years. bureau.

But everyone who understands knows that this is just a concession by the French, or a "strategic retreat." The British know very well what France is thinking at this time.

In the past two years, they made friends with Prussia and Russia, alienated Austria, and then intervened in Egyptian affairs and built the so-called "Bridge between East and West" Suez Canal.

On the surface, France has passed the predicament when Napoleon III just came to power, and is entering the "pioneering period" that any empire will experience.

As a world empire, the British know what the French want to do even by smell. This is the main reason why the British have frequently attracted Austria and the Ottomans in recent years.

There are certainly geographical advantages, but the most important thing is that the British have realized that Europe has been divided into two factions at this time.

The "dissatisfied faction" is dominated by France, Russia, and Prussia, and the "conservative faction" is dominated by Britain, Austria, and the Ottomans.

Faced with such an unfavorable situation, the British's choice was simple. They resorted to the "shit stirrer" that has been used for hundreds of years, that is, diplomatic war.

The focus is Prussia.

Britain was very aware of Prussia's ambition to unify Germany, and even guessed that France might use the German unification plan to win over the Prussians.

But as the British diplomacy said:

"There are no permanent enemies and no permanent friends."

Can’t the Prussians see the fact that France occupies the most prosperous land on the European continent? ?

Can't the Prussians see that the French want to control the Mediterranean, eventually the Suez Canal, and the trade between the East and the West? ?

No, they all saw it, but seeing it and acting on it are two different things.

This does not prevent the Prussians and the French from signing the so-called "secret treaty" to ensure the interests of the Kingdom of Prussia after the French take action.

But this does not mean that the French will always be like this. Once France controls the Mediterranean, Western Europe, and even Southern Europe, Prussia in central Europe will be the second target to be eliminated.

The person who saw this most clearly was Prussian Prime Minister Bismarck, who said this to William after the Franco-Austrian Secret Treaty was signed:

"Today we have done the deal with the French, tomorrow we will move closer to the British."

British Prime Minister Russell, who has just been re-elected, said in his correspondence with Bismarck:

"We cannot see a monster appear in Europe, a monster that controls Western Europe, Italy, and even Spain and Portugal. If this day comes, I am sure it will be a disaster for the whole of Europe and even the whole world. .”

This is also the basic background of the current world situation. Later historians also called this period the "Era of Chaos."

In other words, no one can believe it, not even the ally who keeps saying that he wants to support him.

…………

The Palace of Versailles at night is like a shining pearl, with lights everywhere, and even the dark corners are illuminated by such lights.

In the Palace of Versailles, ministers from various countries and French nobles were watching Napoleon III "pretending" to talk about European peace and even world peace.

The attitudes of the people below are basically divided into several types, including the supportive faction, mainly Han, and even the "dismissive faction" of the British.

Of course, sandwiched in the middle are the neutrals from Spain, Portugal, and even several Nordic countries. They basically adhere to the attitude that no one should be offended. If they can applaud, they should applaud. Those who cannot applaud should also show a supportive smile.

"We must build a more peaceful and united world..."

"Any behavior that harms peace is not allowed."

Napoleon III talked a lot about the so-called peace, and finally his attitude changed:

"What happened in Italy recently made me feel very sad. The legitimate demands of Italians were ruthlessly suppressed..."

"According to statistics, a total of 700 poor Italians died in Naples. Among them were women, children, and elderly people. From the perspective of basic human morality, certain countries have an unshirkable responsibility..."

“Once again, I hope that all righteous countries in Europe will unite and fight against tyranny together!!”

Napoleon III's passionate speech made the Austrian minister in the audience change his face instantly.

Other surrounding countries also began to show unusual expressions. British Minister David Lee’s face turned very ugly, and finally he spoke directly:

"Your Majesty, I don't understand that it is so wrong for a sovereign country to attack rebellion within itself. If one day the French in Marseille are tired of being in the same country as France, will Your Majesty agree to their reasonable requests? , and respond.”

Napoleon III's expression changed, and then he answered:

"Mr. Minister, Italy is different from Marseille. Marseille is full of French people, but Italy is different. Both places have historical heritage, which can even be traced back to the Roman Empire..."

The implication of Napoleon III is very clear, that is, there is an essential difference between the Italian problem and the internal French problem such as Marseille, which cannot be explained by the so-called "independence".

"But it is necessary for an empire to maintain its territory. Could it be that one day something like Italy happens in France's overseas territories, will France still sit back and ignore it, or even allow it??"

It can be said that David Lee did not give in at all. It was basically a loophole stuck in the words of Napoleon III.

Napoleon III looked at the "damn" British minister angrily, and finally ended this meaningless battle for diplomatic discourse with "cannot be compared."

After the speech, there was the so-called interactive session. Compared to the tense face-to-face communication just now, it was much gentler.

But this is only a relative term. For example, in a certain corner, Napoleon III is pressing down on Chen Qiuting step by step. The basic meaning is: when will the Han Dynasty join this possible war.

"Chen, I think there is no geographical or even economic conflict between France and Han. The future of the French empire is in Europe and North Africa, and Han's national interests are in the Americas. We all have a common enemy."

"In my opinion, accelerating the implementation of the Three Emperors Alliance is what everyone should do."

Listening to Napoleon III's words "urging" Han to implement the treaty, Chen Qiuting smiled and replied:

"Your Majesty, I basically agree with what you said, but I don't agree with the time when the war was launched. The British still have an advantage over us in terms of naval size. We should accumulate strength instead of blindly pushing the British into a blind corner. , Your Majesty, this is of no benefit to us."

"As for the outbreak of war, I think all this is unknown. No one stipulates that the war must break out immediately in the Americas, even Europe, and possibly other parts of the world."

Looking at the "non-stick pan" Chen Qiuting in front of him, Napoleon III cursed a few words in his heart, but said on the surface:

"Compared to Europe, which is close at hand, I think America has a better chance of winning the war. Chen, believe me, the British are incapable of winning a war across the entire Atlantic when they are restrained by me... "

"Their logistics don't allow them to do that, and if they start a war in the Americas, it can also relieve the pressure on the European direction, which I think is good for both of our countries."

Napoleon III said so much, basically it is a problem, that is, Han needs to go to war in advance to help Europe relieve the strategic pressure brought by the British navy.

Of course Chen Qiuting would not agree with this thankless act of making wedding clothes for others. He said directly:

"Your Majesty, our country has not prepared everything needed for a protracted war. Americans are not as fragile as imagined. They also have the strength to fight back..."

Napoleon III listened to those words of evasion, with anger on his expression, and said directly, "I still have something to do," and left this corner where he was attracting the attention of the people around him, and went to find the Russian and Prussian ministers alone.

(End of this chapter)