Add Bookmark | Recommend this book | Back to the book page | My bookshelf | Mobile Reading

Free Web Novel,Novel online - All in oicq.net -> Historic -> Flowers and Swords and France

Chapter 273: Satisfied

Previous page        Return to Catalog        Next page

    After listening to suggestions from both sides, His Majesty Tsar Nicholas I of the Russian Empire finally hesitated and decided to hold peace talks with the French. He did not trust the French's sincerity in proposing peace talks, but he hoped to end the war as soon as possible.  Therefore, peace talks can only be conducted with a skeptical attitude.  At the same time, as the Tsar of the Russian Empire, it was difficult for him to muster the courage to accept the reality that his country had lost the war. After all, this would become one of the biggest stains on the Romanov dynasty in more than two hundred years. He really  Wu Yan faced the spirits of his ancestors and brothers in heaven in this posture.  Therefore, no matter how bad the situation is, there is still a secret hope deep in his heart, hoping that God can bless himself once and let the French and British suddenly stop the war due to some unexpected events.  Russia suddenly ended the Seven Years War after Peter III came to power, which was the same dramatic event that allowed Prussia, which was already at the end of its rope, to finally make a comeback.  It was precisely driven by these two mentalities that the tsar was more hesitant about peace talks and was unwilling to make too big concessions at the negotiating table. He would rather wait and see and wait for the situation to improve.  This mentality of His Majesty the Tsar undoubtedly also worried Mr. Alexander Mikhailovich Gorchakov, the special envoy he selected for negotiation, because in his opinion, the current domestic and international situation of the empire is already extremely dangerous.  , the empire has consumed too much power in this war, and can even be said to be close to exhaustion.  Nowadays, crises are lurking everywhere. Both domestic and foreign countries are facing dangerous situations. In comparison, it can even be said that the domestic situation is even more terrifying.  The empire has consumed too much power in the war, and the reality of repeated defeats has made the imperial government more and more disappointing. These two realities will inevitably make those who are originally dissatisfied with the empire become even more dissatisfied.  They are in danger, because they already have a public base, and if it continues, it will be enough to shake the rule of the empire.  After all, Charles de Treville was right when he said that foreigners could not destroy the Romanov dynasty. Only domestic rebellions could. Those czars who died were all killed by domestic rebels.  No one died at the hands of foreigners.  The Romanov dynasty has never lacked die-hard opponents. A large group of these opponents are even the nobles who should be the pillars of the empire. While these nobles enjoy the privileges and wealth provided to them by the imperial government, they also  But he also believed that the imperial government was hopelessly corrupted and that the Tsar's autocratic rule should be ended as soon as possible and freedom should be given to every Russian.  These nobles are very dangerous because they are rich, powerful, and charismatic, and the privileges they possess make it easier for them to act.  The rebellion launched by the Decembrists in 1825 is the most favorable proof.  Although the Decembrists were suppressed at the time, both the Tsar and Gorchakov himself knew that there were many sympathizers of this group of people among the aristocracy of the empire. It was only because of the empire's strong suppression that they  They have temporarily ceased their activities and disappeared behind the scenes, and their hibernation has made them more and more dangerous, because they are accumulating strength and learning lessons, and the next rebellion will definitely be more intense.  In comparison, it can even be said that the hidden opponents in the country are more dangerous than the British and French coalition forces that fought in the Crimean open fire, because the British and French coalition forces only want to force the empire to compromise, and they are willing to continue to recognize the existence of the empire; and those opposition nobles  They wanted the entire empire to be destroyed in order to realize their political ideals.  It is precisely because of this that Gorchakov assessed the situation and believed that the situation could not get any worse, otherwise the empire would face a more serious domestic crisis and must negotiate peace with Britain and France as soon as possible to stop the bleeding wounds.  It also allows the empire to more calmly face domestic opponents lurking in the shadows, and even suppress them with bloody methods if necessary.  Therefore, he is very dissatisfied with His Majesty the Tsar's current hesitant mentality, and is even more opposed to his temporary delay and wait-and-see negotiation policy. However, as His Majesty's minister, he has to negotiate in accordance with His Majesty's instructions and cannot go overboard.  In this way, with a worried and helpless mood, he took his entourage on the journey to the southern battlefield. He could only hope in his heart that everything would not be too late and that the imperial government could make peace with Britain and France before the terrible incident broke out.  .  "Compared with the worries in his heart, the Crimea Peninsula, thousands of miles away, seemed calm at the moment.  The originally violent wind and snow had become much calmer at this time, and the two armies that were originally fighting fiercely had temporarily ceased their activities due to the recently effective truce agreement, and the roar of guns and artillery also suddenly stopped.  This is a peaceful time that makes the officers and soldiers of the two countries comfortable, but it is destined to be only a short-term time., under the calm surface, there is also a terrifying storm lurking.  The core of this storm is under the city of Sevastopol Fortress.  The roar of guns and artillery was over, replaced by the roar of train whistles. Since the construction of the railway, trains have been passing back and forth on the road every day. This strange thing even made many Russian soldiers who had never seen a train before  The soldiers also stared curiously.  However, even the most ignorant fortress defenders can see that this new gadget is strengthening the strength of the French frontline troops at a terrifying speed, whether it is supplies or weapons.  In fact, their sight has not yet been able to see the whole picture of the enemy's rear.  After several months of hard work, everything along the Balaclava Port, the main maritime supply base of the coalition, to the Sevastopol Fortress was busy. With the efforts of engineers and workers, despite the harsh conditions  Although the weather hindered them, they still built a simple railway line, which also boosted the morale of the French army that was originally trapped under the fortress.  A large amount of winter supplies were delivered by roaring trains, and the supply situation immediately improved. What made them even more excited was that new heavy artillery was also transported to the front line by ships, becoming the most powerful supplement to the front line army.  .  The short truce period also gave the coalition the best opportunity to mobilize troops and generals to replenish weapons. After the imperial ministers personally visited the front line to supervise the formation, the engineers and workers worked even harder, and finally completed the railway that was already close to completion.  , and this railway, which was only more than 30 kilometers long, also made Charles and Marshal Treville more certain that their victory was irreversible.  At this time, Charles took his entourage to inspect the railway terminal and watched groups of soldiers and workers unloading goods from the train.  The climate was still cold, but he was in a good mood. He looked at everything in front of him with interest. He even walked to the unloaded goods and carefully inspected these hard-won items.  What caught his eye the most were the gun barrels hidden one by one in the long boxes.  In order to facilitate transportation, heavy artillery is disassembled and shipped. The barrel, gun mount, and shells are all loaded in different boxes. The barrel is naturally the soul of the cannon and has been taken care of with the most appropriate measures. Inside  Stuffed with hay as filling, the thick and long barrels are hidden inside. The copper-containing material makes them glow with a blue-black light, like giant beasts hiding in the grass.  Charles couldn't help but stretched out his hand and touched a cannon. The body of the cannon was very smooth. Only after touching the bottom did it become a little rough because of the inscriptions identifying the model and place of origin. The climate at this time was cold.  The metal cannon body greedily absorbed the heat from the human body, making Ciel feel a frightening chill.  But in addition to the chill, he felt a sincere pride, because in addition to the original state-owned military factories, many of these heavy artillery were manufactured by factories in Giverny, and they are also among the most powerful weapons among the products of the arsenal.  one.  After several years of cultivation and careful support, the scale of his arsenals has expanded year by year, and the types and technical content of the products have also improved. Now they can manufacture cannons that represent the highest level of firepower.  He raised his head and looked at the mountains of supplies and weapons piled up in the venue, as well as the busy soldiers and workers, and couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction.  He knew that it wouldn't be long before a storm composed of bullet rain would sweep across the entire fortress, and that would be an unprecedented disaster faced by the Sevastopol Fortress. The French army, which had suffered many setbacks here, would be defeated this time.  Have the best chance of winning glory.  "I think you should have seen the power of Britain and France united, right?" When he was satisfied, he couldn't help but have a little desire to show off, so he turned his head and looked at the people around him.  Then, he raised his hand and pointed at the mountains of supplies, "No force can prevent us from achieving our goal." In the bleak cold wind, Richard von Metternich couldn't help but shrink.  Neck.  Of course he could hear the threat hidden in Ciel's words of "having no power".  ¡°And what makes him even more unhappy is that this threat is almost the same as reality.  Indeed, what he saw in front of him was terrifying enough. Britain and France joined forces to seize complete control of the sea thousands of miles away, and used their extremely powerful wealth and strength to supply a huge army, telegraph  , railways, steamships, and all kinds of wisdom developed by modern science have armed them, allowing them to calmly fight against empires like Russia, and they can now even assemble such powerful firepower.  He came here with several military attach¨¦s, andAt this moment, they were all convinced, and he really had nothing to say in the face of absolute strength.  The British and French forces have the upper hand in Crimea. What if the British and French forces land in Venice or Trieste?  It will only be easier for them because the distance is shortened and the climate is more adaptable to them.  And if such huge national and military power is used to antagonize Austria, can Austria stop it?  Although he loves his motherland, Richard can admit the reality. He does think that his country cannot match it.  In other words, reality is stronger than people. Now we must have good relations with Western European powers. It would be okay to offend Russia, because such a disastrous failure will definitely make Russia unable to retaliate.  There is no doubt that Russia was kind to Austria back then, but if it did not side with France, it would be helpless when facing the wrath of France. Therefore, even if it is ungrateful, some things have to be done.  He has reported what he has seen to the imperial government in Vienna, and he also believes that His Majesty Franz Joseph and the officials of the empire are enough to make an accurate judgment.  He believed that even if he risked breaking with the Russians, he would still have to board the ships of Britain and France. Only in this way could the empire escape from future crises. If this could extinguish the ambitions of the Sardinians, then  It's even better.  "Indeed, you have the upper hand." Driven by this mentality, he couldn't help but compliment Ciel, "We will make a reasonable judgment based on the friendship between the two countries, Ciel." "Very good,  We are indeed friends." Charles laughed, then he raised his hand and pointed at the vague fortress in the distance, "If the weather conditions permit, we will launch a large-scale offensive after the truce ends.  , ended the resistance of the entire fortress with extremely violent artillery fire, and then the whole of Russia would be trembling!" "What about peace talks?" Richard asked, "It is said that the Tsar has sent a special envoy to come for peace talks."  "His Majesty the Tsar's movements are very slow, and this in itself proves his lack of sincerity in the peace talks. In this case, we have nothing else to say. We can only use swords and guns to make him make wise judgments." Charles  Shrugging, "I believe that the fall of the fortress will be a complete proof that will make him and his ministers understand that the war will never end with Russia's victory. In the face of internal and external crises, it is time for them to do something  They have to make enough concessions, otherwise they will only regret it even more." "In other words, you firmly believe that the Russians will have civil strife?" Richard shrewdly grasped what Charles was saying, "What evidence is there to prove this?  "I have never said that." Charles continued with that mysterious smile, "I just judged based on common sense. You must know that His Majesty the Tsar has never lacked opponents. Now they are facing such a crisis.  It would be strange if these opponents didn't take advantage of the situation and do something." "That makes sense." Richard thought for a while and nodded.  At this moment, an officer walked through the crowd, walked to Charles, and reported in a low voice.  "What a coincidence." After hearing this, Charles turned to look at Richard, "The Tsar's envoy has arrived and is agreeing to negotiate with us!" They were trembling and could only let themselves fall into the monster's clutches.  Inside the claw.  Looking at the high-spirited young man, Richard thought to himself.
Didn't finish reading? Add this book to your favoritesI'm a member and bookmarked this chapterCopy the address of this book and recommend it to your friends for pointsChapter error? Click here to report