Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 551 Escape

Napoleon III, who was in Metz, looked ten years older; his hair, which was already only slightly gray, was now half white.

He slumped dejectedly in the sofa chair, with high-ranking military officials of the Empire standing opposite his desk, and a disheveled McMahon surrounded by them.

In the drawer of his desk were all the secret telegrams the Empress had given him, the information of which shocked the French Emperor.

"You must have a victory to save face. Only with a respectable victory to appease public opinion can you come back!"
Or perhaps, by sacrificing our lives, we can preserve the family's reputation and our son's throne. I beg you, Louis, do not make any other choice; this is our only chance.”

The French Emperor understood what his wife meant immediately: he was being forced to choose between victory and sacrifice. However, if the situation truly seemed hopeless, he wouldn't rule out making a separate peace with Prussia, sacrificing the interests of the empire in exchange for Prussia's intervention to suppress the revolution.

At this time, Napoleon III still had 30 imperial troops under his command, but they were like useless people, only able to consume food on the front lines but unable to kill the enemy.

They are professional soldiers, funded and supported by the empire. These people have little contact with the common people and generally do not come into contact with dissidents, so their loyalty to the emperor is reliable.

It was precisely because of this army of 500,000 that the French Emperor was able to wage war across the globe! As for the other legions that were just there to make up the numbers, they cannot be trusted!
Napoleon III was well aware that if he used these 300,000 veterans to fight Prussia head-on, he might win, but in the end, it would be a situation where both sides were crippled.

Perhaps... At this point, the French emperor had some ulterior motives. He might as well passively avoid war and make peace with Prussia. Perhaps a revolution would break out in Paris, and a republic would emerge again.

But... as long as his family is safe, as long as his son is safe, and as long as these 300,000 loyal veterans are still here, Bonaparte might very well be able to restore the monarchy with a single command!

This revealed the French Emperor's true intentions during the retreat. Of course, he still wanted to put up a fight, and he wouldn't surrender until the war reached its final stage.

However, it is still necessary to prepare a backup plan in advance, and we should learn everything from our uncle!
"Your Majesty, the situation at the front is truly dire. We don't even have enough bandages for our wounded soldiers. Many soldiers have died from infected wounds. They are the backbone of the empire!"

McMahon wept bitterly. These soldiers were the elite of the Imperial Army, and to lose them over something like this was an absolutely unacceptable loss.

In the previous battles against Prussia, the French army suffered over 30,000 dead and another 20,000 wounded or missing. Prussia's total losses amounted to only 20,000. Moreover, the Prussian army advanced rapidly into mainland France, causing Napoleon III to lose face completely.

"We've been under siege for days... How are we doing? Is the west side still safe...?"

Marshal Bazan, who had been silent all along, knew that His Majesty the Emperor was considering retreating. He spoke up, "The enemy has been trying to encircle us from all sides, but the valiant imperial soldiers have withstood their attack. At this moment, the road to Shalon in the west is still relatively clear..."

"Your Majesty, let's move! It's too dangerous here..." Marshal Bazan said cautiously.

"No! Absolutely not!" Napoleon III jumped up like a madman. "I am the Emperor of the Empire, and I will never accept defeat on my own soil!" Marshal Bazin, seeing that His Majesty was still being stubborn, quickly tried to save face for him. "Your Majesty, Your Majesty! We are only moving, not retreating. We have run out of ammunition and we need supplies from the rear!"

"Your Majesty, please make a decision quickly. The road to the west is still safe for now!" Everyone understood Marshal Bazan's meaning and unanimously advised His Majesty.

Napoleon III finally agreed, deciding to take advantage of the safety of the area to move to his rear headquarters in Chalons, while leaving Marshal Bazin to garrison Metz. However, the Prussians discovered their movement during the transfer, and Moltke led an army and the Prussian Third Army northward, catching up with the French at Beaumont.

After a fierce battle that cost the French 5000 men and 40 cannons, the French retreated towards Sedan. The French objective was to allow their soldiers, who had been marching for a long time, to rest; they believed that resupplying before retreating was better than engaging in immediate fighting in the town.

After the French army rested, they assigned the First Army to monitor the Prussian movements, but the First Army was immediately isolated by the assembled Prussian forces. Still exhausted and short of ammunition, they failed to break out. The French rear was protected by the fortress of Sedan, with hills and forests providing cover for the defending troops.

Napoleon III began, "McMahon...find a way to send a telegram to Paris...tell everyone that I will hold Sedan and await reinforcements!"

"Yes!"

Only two months into the war, Prussia had already pushed France to this point. Moreover, Prussia had mobilized over half a million soldiers, continuously transporting them to France via railway. And with its abundant funds, it was spending recklessly.

Wilhelm I, watching the advancing front lines, almost jumped for joy. At seventy-one years old, to still be so excited—he truly had Bismarck, the Prussian generals, and Iran to thank.

With Iranian funds, they wouldn't need to ask Britain for loans. Moreover, Iran could provide a consumer market, which would greatly benefit Prussia's economy.

After sending a telegram to the Shah of Iran, Wilhelm I sent a letter to the Prussian Chamber of Commerce, urging them to maintain good relations with Iran as much as possible and not to worry about technology leaks, as only money mattered.

Money can make countless people bow their heads, including kings. King Frederick I of Prussia drastically reduced funding for the arts, allocating at most a few silver coins a year, and investing the savings in the army, which created the formidable Prussian army. During the Seven Years' War, relying on this army, Prussia was still able to fight on par with three other countries.

Even now, with industrial development, Prussia, with its underdeveloped financial sector, still struggles with a shortage of funds. The liberal parliament repeatedly rejects proposals to allocate funds to the army, forcing Prussia to rely on bank loans and privatize its railways.

Now, with Iran's help, they can bypass the bankers and obtain more favorable terms. Compared to the terms offered to the bankers, the interest rates offered to Iran are negligible.

Prussia needs industry and an economy. Even for the sake of its military, the funding for military operations and the production of equipment all require industrial development. Cooperation with Iran can solve these problems, at least partially.

(End of this chapter)