The disastrous defeat of Champigny was undoubtedly a fatal blow to the morale of the entire Paris. It was this disastrous defeat that made the arrogant Parisians see clearly the cruelty of reality.
The war really cannot be won by speeches on the streets and slogans shouted. No matter how lofty ideals you have in your heart, no matter how high your enthusiasm for fighting is, everything is vain in front of the God of War.
War is the confrontation of firepower, the wearing out of will, and the cultivation of blood and fire!
There is no use in talking nonsense!
Since the tragic defeat of Champigny, public opinion in Paris has collectively lost its voice. The newspapers that had previously shouted slogans about breakout and decisive battle have all shut up. The bloody reality has left them speechless.
But this kind of calm didn't last even three days, and soon people began to look for new outlets to vent their emotions. Since I can no longer break out and fight, I have to find a scapegoat to take the blame!
Someone has to take on the current responsibility, right? After thinking about it, the best candidate is of course Trochu!
Almost instantly, public opinion in Paris was directed at General Trochu. The top leader of the provisional government, the old man who was about to become the President of the Republic, became the target of public criticism. Everyone vented the blame for the failure on him. superior.
Countless slogans appeared on the streets, all criticizing the Provisional Government and telling Trochu to get out!
Wherever crowds gathered in the streets, there were speeches filled with indignation. They demanded that Trochu take responsibility and step down immediately, or even accept the people's trial!
The mood became more and more fanatical, and by mid-November, people even began to openly shout the slogan "The Commune ascends, the national defense government falls".
This is not a sneak attack on the Bourbon Palace like the last time. This time it is actually launching a public demonstration to put pressure on the interim government!
There were large and small demonstrations almost every day. Until the end of November, there was even a demonstration and riot in Paris with 400,000 people taking to the streets.
Violence, conflict, bloodshed... November in Paris has been completely hysterical!
The Prussians outside the city were also taking advantage of the situation and adding fuel to the fire. The continuous strategic bombing continued to destroy the urban buildings of Paris and continued to expand the atmosphere of fear.
The most terrifying thing is hunger. There is nothing to eat in Paris. All public and private zoos are empty, and all edible animals have been turned into uniformly prepared food.
Cats and dogs are no longer pets, and mice are also on the dining table... By the end of November, the city of Paris actually received its first heavy snowfall of the year.
Snowflakes were flying all over the sky, turning the entire city into white. All the bloodstains, corpses, and chaos were covered under the heavy snow. However, starting from this snow, a large number of citizens died of starvation in Paris.
First, the old people and children couldn't hold on any longer. Thin-skinned coffins containing the bodies of children and old people were lined up in a long line on the street. People didn't even have the energy to dig graves, so these coffins were piled at the base of the city wall.
Anyway, there is no need to worry about the plague appearing in the cold winter. I am afraid that no one will deal with these corpses until spring!
But soon, no one in the city was willing to use the wooden boards for making coffins, and heating fuel was in short supply, so coal and wood were used to light fires for heating.
The people who died later could only be wrapped in a sack and dragged to the base of the city wall. After a few days, those who were so frozen that they could hardly survive even paid attention to the coffins of the people who had died before.
The corpse was dragged out again, and the thin-skinned coffin was chopped into pieces and turned into firewood for heating. The corpses were scattered in the snow, and numb people walked by without even bothering to take a look.
The situation is out of control. The defeat on the battlefield may be bearable, but hunger cannot be tolerated. No one can just watch the citizens starve to death!
Blanqui has gone to see Trochu three times for food, and fierce conflicts broke out three times! Blanqui asked Trochu for food, but Trochu refused to give it to him. The last few warehouses were military supplies and could only be used by the troops.
"Don't bother me anymore! Now the soldiers on the front line can only drink potato peel soup every day. They still have to fight. The Prussians have to open fire every day. I can't let the soldiers not even pull the trigger!"
"But what about the citizens? Hundreds of people die of cold and hunger every day. Typhoid fever has begun to spread. As the head of the provisional government, you must solve it!"
"Hehehe..." Trochu laughed, and laughed miserably, "Let me solve it? Do you think I can change the grain? If not, there is no way, and God can't help it..."
"If you can't do it, hand over your power! The Republic doesn't need someone as incompetent as you to lead it!"
Trochu waved his hand and said, "Stop dreaming. I can see clearly what kind of virtue you are... No one can do well in this dead end. When I step down, the situation will only become more chaotic!"
"Take care of your people and save your energy. In the end, the demonstration will consume your energy! Don't think that I don't know what you are doing..."
"What's going on with the vehicles that appear late at night every night in the Chapelle Gate? You so-called patriots are not collaborating with the enemy behind your back!"
"Slander! You are slandering! Trochu, don't make the mistake!"
The angry Blanqui and others turned away and no one came to negotiate with Trochu again. The Commune and the Provisional Government were completely at odds!
Trochu watched these people leave the official residence. He gritted his teeth and said fiercely, "The Republic must not be handed over to your hands. It must not be..."
"Send my order and electrify the entire army. If these people dare to use violence during the demonstration! Then suppress it immediately. I authorize you to shoot at any time..."
The old general was furious. During this period, his ears were filled with complaints. The entire middle class and capitalists in Paris were already living in hell.
The material coordination department of the commune was a group of living bandits. They broke into the homes of wealthy people and took away all valuable things. They confiscated everything and then redistributed it.
In the face of a national crisis, people would understand if you confiscated some food and clothes, but they never expected that these people would take the blame.
The antiques, paintings, sculptures, displays, gold and silver utensils of wealthy people... were all looted!
"Trochu has figured out that these gangsters in Montmartre relied on robbery to survive the crisis! Those precious collections of cultural relics have all been smuggled into the hands of the Chinese through the Porte de Chapelle! "
"Montmartre now has more food than the regular army, and you still want to ask me for supplies? You are so greedy! You are so greedy!"
The contradictions between classes are getting deeper and deeper. General Trochu, the representative of the bourgeoisie, is on the verge of breaking out. If he does not stand up for his supporters, I am afraid he will never be able to participate in politics again in his life!
Blanqui did not know that Paris was on the verge of civil war. At this moment, he suddenly received a secret invitation. The Chinese camp outside Chapelle Gate would entertain him at midnight tonight.
The anxious Blanqui had no idea what kind of medicine the Chinese were selling!
