The hot air balloons in Paris are far less advanced than the Zeppelin airbags. The round airbags look very primitive, and the narrow pods can carry up to three adults, and this is without cargo.
In Place Vendôme, countless citizens on three floors outside watched the huge balloon begin to inflate with heat and gradually expand. An operator was nervously doing a final inspection.
In the square, Gambit was being greeted by many congressmen and citizens. At this moment, even the representatives of the left had lost their black faces in the past and looked at the Minister of the Interior with complicated expressions.
Thiers didn't know what to say. He never expected that Gambetta's promise that night would actually come true. Gambetta had said that he would personally break out of Paris and command the Southern Corps in combat.
"France needs a victory and urgently needs a victory to inspire the morale of the whole nation... As long as we can survive the most difficult beginning, everything will develop in a good direction!"
"I'm going to Orleans, I'm going to personally command the Loire Corps, and I'm going to be nailed there like a nail! Without victory, my body will be buried on the battlefield!"
Thiers asked helplessly at that time, "How did you leave Paris? How could the 300,000 Prussian troops besieging the city let you go?"
Gambetta did not answer, but a few days later, he mobilized all the hot-air balloons in Paris. The interior minister actually wanted to break through Paris in such a dangerous way.
A hot air balloon has never been a safe aircraft, never!
Its flying speed is extremely slow, and it has no active power device. Everything can only be controlled by the wind. Gambida must find good weather if he wants to fly south.
This is almost a gamble. Who can guarantee that the north wind will blow every day? Even if the wind is blowing from the north in front of you, what if the wind direction changes a few hours later?
In other words, Gambetta wanted to break out in the direction of Orleans. This was a matter of probability and character. He could not just go wherever he wanted!
The balloon flew too high, the wind was too fast and cold, the balloon flew too low, and it was too close to the enemy. God knows that bullet would penetrate the thin air bag?
Gambit's adventure is a gamble with his life, an absolute gamble with his life!
But no one could persuade him, not even the old General Trochu came forward in person. On the contrary, the old general asked Gambida to persuade him.
"With the national crisis facing us, morale is more important than anything else. By stabilizing morale, we can buy time. We can already resist Prussia just relying on the resources in the south..."
"It would actually be good for us if this battle drags on for a longer time... You can also call the British Embassy and ask them to seek British mediation, at least to ensure that the UK protects us at sea..."
"We in France not only have rich southern resources, but also countless colonies... Contact the colonial legion immediately, there are also countless patriotic soldiers and civilians there!"
"Calling colonies around the world to support the motherland. They will definitely do their best for the sake of the nation!"
"So we need time, but time cannot be gained by holding on. Thiers is right... we really need a victory!"
Old General Trochu turned red and left without saying anything, but then the old general, as the head of the Provisional National Defense Government, ordered that all the hot air balloons in Paris be gathered together to take off together to cover Senator Gambit's breakout!
This time, even Blanqui and others on the left did not dare to restrain him. They were convinced. Looking at Gambida, who was dressed in fur, they had only one thought in their minds: "What a damn genius!"
"Mr. Minister, the pressure of the balloon is enough...the rope can't be pulled anymore...please get in the pod..." the operator shouted loudly from the pod.
At this moment, the hot air balloon had flown more than two meters high. It was held by four cables and more than fifty strong men to prevent the balloon from flying away. Gambida patted Thiers on the shoulder and whispered, "For the motherland! Long live France." !”
After saying that, turn around and leave!
At that moment, Thiers really felt the torture in his soul, which was a kind of shame revealed in his bones and blood genes!
Look at everything Gambetta did, and then look at everything he did behind his back, he really felt guilty and regretful in those few seconds!
"for Motherland……"
"Long live France!"
Thiers raised his fists and shouted, and the entire Place Vendôme burst into cheers. Thousands of citizens came to see the Minister of the Interior off in a dark crowd!
"Hero! Hero of France!"
"God bless you! Long live France!"
Gambetta climbed into the pod and waved to the crowd. At the same time, more than fifty strong men began to gradually loosen the cables, and the huge hot air balloon began to slowly lift off!
At the same time, more than thirty hot air balloons from other places in Paris also took off, and those warriors were covering Gambetta's breakout to the south!
The balloon gradually rose to an altitude of thirty meters. The northwest wind blew the hot-air balloon slowly southward, and the whole city of Paris was shocked.
People swarmed towards Nancheng. They climbed up the walls of Nancheng and waved their hats to pay tribute to these brave warriors who broke through!
The soldiers in the bastions and fortifications outside the city also climbed out, and they shouted with joy. At that moment, the brave warriors who broke through inspired the morale of the entire city's soldiers and civilians!
General Trochu leaned weakly against the window of the Parliament Building, looking at Gambetta who was leaving in the distance. "Young man! I don't know what you said is right... but I can't take this risk..."
"After all, you are not professional soldiers. You really don't know how powerful those Prussians are... a decisive battle in the wild... we can't win!"
Thiers sent Gambetta away, and his few seconds of regret and self-blame were also thrown into the Atlantic Ocean. He coldly said to his subordinates, "Send a telegram... saying that Gambetta has broken out." Orleans...he is going to command the Corps of the Loire..."
Haha...want to be a hero? Want to turn the tide? Hahaha... You have no idea what a terrifying enemy you are facing!
The breakout of the city of Paris shocked the Prussian army. There was a sudden burst of gunfire in the defense line surrounded by the Prussian army. The soldiers raised their weapons and fired at the balloons overhead.
The most threatening among them were the newly built tall observation towers. These five-story wooden towers were closer to the hot air balloons. The sharpshooters began to rush up and shoot at the balloons that were getting closer and closer!
"Increase the height! Continue to increase...raise to an altitude of forty meters...continue to increase..."
Bang bang bang... Bullets hit like a rain. Of the thirty hot air balloons, only one was unlucky. The operator was shot and the balloon became an ownerless floating object in the sky without anyone to direct it!
The remaining hot air balloons, including the one on which Gambetta was riding, successfully broke out and disappeared into the southern sky!
"Success! The minister successfully broke out! Long live..."
There was an immediate sensation in the city of Paris, and morale was extremely high for a while!
