Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 549 A sudden turn of events
Frankfurt, the financial center of Prussia. After the outbreak of war, it was as bustling as London, but for many bankers, it was a time of gloom and despair.

"Damn it, who's so rich that they've swallowed up so much Prussian debt all at once? Even any one of us couldn't come up with that much right away, could we?"

Solomon Oppenheimer complained that they, the bankers, had already made offers to the government, saying that if they agreed, the national debt wouldn't be a problem.

But to my surprise, the government was so decisive, selling it directly to the public, and it sold out in just two or three days. They didn't give them any time at all.

“I don’t know, but he must be a very wealthy man. Richer than the British. I know one, and you should know him too,” another banker said.

A hiss followed, followed by a gasp. "Everyone has heard that Iranian commercial banks have extensive operations in Austria and Belgium, and they have substantial funds. Last year, they directly acquired Amsterdam Bank for £60. Even France, apart from Britain, couldn't acquire that much in one go."

They had witnessed Iran's immense wealth firsthand, and it wasn't used for personal enjoyment, but rather for expanding its business. In Brussels, Iran even invested 500 million euros to build a seven-story luxury hotel with hundreds of rooms. Even King Leopold I of Belgium attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony, instantly turning it into a gathering place for celebrities.

Not only Belgium, but also the recent Spanish industrial company with a registered capital of 7500 million riyals; as well as the Sicilian sulfur mining company, the Venice shipping company, etc., all have Iranian capital behind them. Over a year, the return rate is about 15%, which is quite high.

"It is said that they are backed by the Shah of Iran, but I have never seen them worry about money."

Another banker, Benjamin Mendelsohn, said that his family has been in the financial business in the area for a hundred years, has some understanding of the internal workings of the Prussian government, and of course, also knows about Iran.

"So, what's the next step?"

"What else can we do but buy up government bonds? The front lines are in Prussia's favor now, so stocks and bonds are bound to rise!"

As they had anticipated, the Prussians clashed with the French at Wiesenberg, suffering 1600 French casualties and 700 prisoners of war. Two days later, the Battle of Wolter broke out again. The German army, commanded by Crown Prince Frederick William and his Chief of Staff Leonhard von Blumenthal, defeated the French army led by Field Marshal McMahon on the Sauer River, about 10 kilometers from the village of Wolter in Alsace.

Of the 15096 French troops, 5884 were killed or wounded, and 9212 were missing or captured. This was the first major loss suffered by the French, and the Prussians captured Froschweig, a hilltop located at the heart of the French defenses. Having lost hope of victory and facing a massacre, the French disengaged and retreated westward toward Beach and Savile, hoping to rendezvous with their forces on the other side of the Vosges Mountains. The Prussian Third Army did not pursue the French but remained in Alsace, slowly moving south, attacking and destroying nearby French garrisons.

The feeling of stepping onto enemy soil as a conqueror was exhilarating. Prince Karl, riding a tall horse, looked down at the lowly people below, his heart surging with emotion.

When Napoleon dominated Europe, when he led his troops to crush the hopes of the Jenap army... did he feel just as exhilarated?

Following their defeat at the border, approximately 160,000 French soldiers were besieged at the Metz fortress. On April 15th, an order was given to retreat from Metz to rendezvous with the French army at Châlons, but this was discovered by a Prussian cavalry patrol. The following day, a Prussian army of 30000 men encountered the French forces near Vionville, east of Maslathour. Despite a four-to-one exchange ratio, they launched a risky attack. The French were routed, and the Prussian army captured Vionville, halting any further westward escape attempt by the French.

The news of the defeat at the front could not be concealed in the end. When the people of Paris heard the news, the entire city was stunned into silence, and there was a deathly stillness for a full twenty minutes.

Some people roared that this was just a favorable retreat, while others felt that Napoleon III was responsible for the defeat. Then came aimless looting and vandalism in the streets as the public began to vent their discontent.

Empress Eugénie, stationed in Paris, suddenly thought of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, who were beheaded. Did they also witness the same insane scene before they died?
"Send a telegram! Immediately send a telegram to His Majesty!"

"Let him fight to the bitter end on the front lines... and whatever he does, he must not come back!"

"For God's sake, please don't come back!"

The Queen's attitude changed very quickly. She ordered Parisian officials to take to the streets and, through posting notices and direct propaganda, promised that the Emperor would never retreat to Paris, much less retreat to the south.

At the same time, a telegram was sent to Napoleon III, instructing him not to retreat under any circumstances. If... if it was truly impossible to stop them, then he could not return, but he could choose to die in battle!

The Empress has made her choice. Protecting their only son, Crown Prince Bonaparte, is more important than saving Napoleon III. If Napoleon III retreats or surrenders, their family will be utterly doomed. Conversely, if he dies on the battlefield, the people will be more accepting, and their throne can still be preserved.

This was the only solution the Queen could think of: either win a decisive victory on the front lines or die in battle. At the same time, 25 billion francs were allocated for military spending, and workers' and republican activities were severely suppressed in an effort to maintain stability at home.

The British were the most astonished. They had expected the war to last at least a year and a half, at which point Britain could mediate as a neutral party. But how could the war possibly end in six months?
At this time, Benjamin Disraeli, who had become the British Prime Minister, explained in Parliament the importance of intervening in the Franco-German war as soon as possible. Britain's policy has always been to prevent the emergence of a powerful nation in Europe. France and Russia are already a foregone conclusion, so Central Europe is their buffer and nail.

If a powerful nation were to emerge from here, the entire European system would be disrupted, forcing Britain to continue increasing its investment in Europe. How then could it maintain its dominance globally?

"This war will change the situation, and we must make changes that are favorable to our country before that happens."

But now, people including Queen Victoria oppose intervention because of the Belgian issue. They think it would be good for Prussia and Austria to teach France a lesson, so that France wouldn't forget who's in charge.

(End of this chapter)