French Empire: But Napoleon IV

Chapter 127 Discussion on the Road (Seeking first subscription, collection and follow-up reading)

"Your Highness, would you like some coffee?"

The voice of the accompanying staff officer interrupted Eugène's thoughts as he looked out the window.

Turning around, Eugène saw a young major named Ramolis, holding two steaming cups of coffee. He handed one out and took a sip of the other himself.

He took the coffee and sipped it. The unique bitterness of the espresso instantly invigorated Eugene.

"Thanks, Major La Morris. Where are you from?"

"Alsatian, Your Highness, my hometown is near Strasbourg."

Eugène, who was trying to build a closer relationship with these young officers, did not put on too much of an air when facing them.

He knew these officers didn't like seeing someone younger than themselves, whose abilities were still uncertain, acting all high and mighty.

Therefore, when Eugene began preparing to go to the front lines a few days ago and to bring his entourage, he had already informed these people in advance.

La Maurice clearly took Eugène's words to heart, merely gesturing to Eugène before walking over to him after receiving a nod of approval.

Upon hearing the major reveal that his hometown was Strasbourg, the capital of the Alsace region, Eugène's mind instantly...

He then recalled the situation in the city.

Like Metz, Strasbourg is now under siege by Prussian troops. According to news from a few days ago, the city's defenses are still fighting, but the situation is very dire.

According to historical timeline, Strasbourg's 12,000 defenders would have surrendered on September 27th. However, considering the shifts in historical timelines, Eugène cannot be certain whether Strasbourg's defenders would surrender sooner or later.

Considering that the Prussian Third and Fourth Armies were also in dire straits, and that the French resistance was much stronger than that of the Battle of Sedan where they surrendered readily, the defenders of Strasbourg should be able to hold out for a longer period of time.

"You will avenge your hometown."

He didn't make any empty promises about leading them to victory. If we were to say that the French soldiers in Lorraine and Alsace had the highest fighting spirit, it would be those in the French army.

To ignite the fighting spirit of the people, it is necessary to make them feel a sense of identity. Eugene, who understands this principle well, simply stated that La Maurice would avenge his hometown.

This simple sentence prompted Ramos to nod in agreement quite solemnly.

Fueled by national and personal grievances, this young major staff officer was prepared to deal with the Prussians.

The train sped through the fields, and occasionally, scattered troops could be seen marching outside the window.

Most of these supplies were transported from Paris to the Marne front by animal and foot due to insufficient train capacity.

The transport team for the new recruits.

While national and personal grievances certainly fueled the fighting spirit of the French people, many who had never experienced war still felt fear and apprehension when faced with this situation.

Eugene noticed that the uniforms of these troops were new and the weapons were in good condition, but even after a quick glance at the faces of many soldiers who disappeared through the train window, Eugene could still see that their faces were filled with the message, "I have no fighting spirit."

Undeniably, even in the countries with the strongest militarism in the future, there will be many people who do not want war. Even in wars of resistance against invasion, there will be those who are afraid to fight.

No matter how good a speaker he is, he can't make everyone turn into a suicide bomber and be willing to blow up the Prussians.

Therefore, Eugene did not have a significant emotional change upon seeing this scene. As long as the morale of the Paris Legion was generally okay, the morale issues of a few individuals would not have a major impact unless it involved high-ranking officers.

"Your Highness, do you think we can win?"

Looking out the window, I felt a little lost, despite having gotten along well with Eugène these past few days and admiring Eugène's foresight.

He was willing to fight to the death with the Prussians for his homeland, but whether this fight was worthwhile, Ramolis didn't know.

That's the downside of young people; they tend to overthink. He glanced at La Maurice, knowing the other was looking out the window at the scenery.

They were affected in this way and felt lost about the future.

Knowing this was the moment, Eugène, who shared a common concern among many French soldiers, put down his coffee cup and stared intently at the young staff officer.

Turning his head to meet Eugène's gaze, Ramolis's eyes held a mixture of anticipation and unease.

What do you think?

Through his speeches over the past few days, as well as his previous bread speech, Eugène has amassed considerable prestige among people from all walks of life in Paris, transforming himself into a successful mentor.

Instead of directly answering Ramolis's question, Eugène posed a counter-question to him. Stumped by Eugène's question, Ramolis hesitated for a moment before truthfully giving his answer.

"I...I find it very difficult. The Prussians are too strong, and our army..."

'

"What's wrong with our army?"

"Our army...our army has been defeated at Verdun and is besieged in Metz. Although Paris is now under control, morale at the front is low..."

After being interrupted by Eugene, Ramolis, who thought His Highness was willing to hear such "truth", gritted his teeth and stamped his foot, and spoke his mind.

But he was interrupted by Eugène's second question before he could finish speaking.

"So, you think we'll lose?"

Interrupted again, Ramolis remained silent this time, but his silence spoke volumes.

Having confirmed that he had gained control of the conversation, Eugène was not angry. He glanced around the carriage and saw several staff officers, communications officers, and the chief of guards all listening intently to their conversation.

"Have you ever thought about why our army was defeated?"

"Because the Prussians were better trained, better equipped, and better commanded..."

This time, La Maurice almost blurted out Eugène's question.

Even if they looked down on the Prussians and called them pigs, the French military and the general public had to admit that the Prussian army was excellent in every way.

After all, if the Prussian army is belittled, then what about the French army that they defeated? So, in order to cover up their own weakness, France would deliberately exaggerate the strength of the Prussian army.

In Eugène's view, in a direct confrontation, the French regular army was no weaker than the Prussian army, and even the generally acknowledged mediocre tactical skill of Camrobel was able to lead his troops to fight against Gébenzene.

During the Franco-Prussian War, the only thing that gave the Prussian army a real advantage over the French army was its revolutionary artillery technology.

However, in an attempt to cover up their own inadequacies, they intensified their propaganda efforts, demonizing the Prussian army, which has led to the current situation among French officials.

The soldiers were even more fearful of the Prussian army.