LeConte was still a general appointed by the president no matter how unmotivated he was, and he was also a grey-haired old general with five grandchildren. Why was he killed just like that?
The government troops were shocked when they heard the news, while the commune members and citizens opposite them were shouting with joy.
"This is the fate of the emperor's lackeys, this is the retribution for massacring the people!"
"Any executioner who resists will be shot to death!"
"Revolution, our brothers and sisters, stop working for the emperor and nobles, and stop working for vampires!"
However, he never expected that the expressions of the government soldiers would change at this moment, especially the troops commanded by General Susbiere, who cast complex glances at these people.
No matter whether General Leconte had suffered heavy blood debts before, he was after all an old general from the former empire. He would kill as soon as he was told, with such disregard for human life. So is this kind of behavior really right?
Susbie was keenly aware of the changes in the soldiers, and he immediately ordered "shrink the defense line, keep a distance from the enemy, and don't get entangled..."
"Damn it, if General LeConte can't save his own life, then we are in the same danger!"
"Brothers! I won't say anything false. I have one mission right now... to take you out of the city safely!"
Soldiers also like this kind of down-to-earth talk. It doesn't matter what lofty ideals and ambitions you tell them, and it doesn't even matter if you write a bad check or talk about a high bounty.
At the critical moment, just one sentence, I will bring you safety, I will let you all live well... Such remarks can unite people's hearts because he is true and because he does not deceive.
The soldiers quickly closed in on Sosbiere's position, their rifles fired in unison, and their bayonets sharp against the excited citizens!
At the same time, fast horses kept shuttling through the streets, passing news back and forth from inside and outside the city. At half past ten in the afternoon, Thiers finally received the bad news. His legs went weak and he sat on a chair.
"Oh my God! LeConte was killed? On such a fast horse?"
"Oh my God, how can I explain this to Henry V... What will the civil and military officials of the Bourbon dynasty and the nobles think of me?"
"I can't even protect one of their representatives, how can they trust me? Damn it, it seems that the court is about to change. Can we only place our bets on the Orleans Dynasty?"
"But wouldn't Louis-Philippe doubt his ability? LeConte, just die, why did you trick me so miserably!"
"Pass my order! The reserves attack... fight against the enemy and get the general's body back!"
"Since the sneak attack failed, let's have a real fight! All four reserve divisions enter the city!"
The messengers on fast horses were like exploding fireworks, running wildly in all directions with the bastion as the core. Dozens of cavalry carried the president's strict orders and rushed to one unit after another.
There was a sensation in the entire southern suburbs of Paris. This is the main garrison location of government troops. One reserve unit after another received the president's attack order, and the generals were dumbfounded when they read the handwritten orders.
"General Lecomte is dead? Why is he dead? When did the Paris Commune become so powerful?"
"Damn it, gather your troops immediately and attack the city of Paris...Those thugs must go to hell!"
"Soldiers! Bad news came from the city. General Lecomte, who was responsible for withdrawing the artillery last night, was brutally murdered by the thugs of the Paris Commune!"
"The general was just on a peaceful mission. The president ordered Paris to be disarmed and peace restored, but the thugs turned a deaf ear!"
"Now even directly killing senior generals of the government army, such behavior is already a rebellion!"
"Suppress! The entire army suppresses and attacks..."
Thiers invested four divisions of reserve troops at one time. According to the French military system at the time, the strength of a division ranged from 12,000 to 15,000.
There are a total of 50,000 to 60,000 people in the four divisions. The number of people fighting a large-scale battle in the wild may be small, but if so many people are put into a city, it can be regarded as a sea of people!
Of course Thiers wanted to smash in all the more than 200,000 people gathered outside the city at once, and then solve the problem once and for all, but the staff around him immediately gave up on his delusions.
War is not fought that way. It takes time and a process for any unit to move from a stationed state to a war state!
The staff department needs to formulate combat plans, the munitions department needs to distribute ammunition and equipment, and officers at all levels of the army need to convey combat intentions and boost the morale of the soldiers... What a huge project this is, even the iron palms on the soldiers' boots. You have to worry about whether it needs to be replaced.
The more than 10,000 people brought by Leconte and Sosbiere launched the night attack after 36 hours of preparation, and the reserves of the remaining four divisions also prepared for combat 12 hours in advance.
Only well-prepared troops can win the war. Now that troops who are not prepared for war are being mobilized, the logistics department is dumbfounded. This war can only become more chaotic.
With the four divisions plus the previous twenty battalions of night attack troops, the total offensive force was approaching 80,000. Could it be that even the regular army could not conquer the Montmartre heights?
It was under the persuasion of many military staff that Thiers did not order a full-scale assault. However, he never expected that this battle would turn into a protracted tug-of-war and fuel battle!
The movements of the government troops could not escape the attention of the commune's informants. The elite commune soldiers ambushing in the streets and alleys began to ambush the cavalry who were passing orders back and forth.
The sound of pistol firing echoed on the left bank of Paris. War horses screamed and fell to the ground. The knights on the horses had their legs crushed.
Commune soldiers in overalls swarmed forward and retrieved the president's latest order from the soldiers' arms. "Damn it! That illegal president of Thiers has mobilized four divisions of troops to enter the city and fight us decisively..."
"Quick, send the news to Place Vendôme immediately... We will stay and interrogate this living person!"
The injured cavalry was dragged to an alley on the street by the members. Soon, miserable screams came from there, and all the information the cavalry knew was squeezed out under torture.
The news that General Leconte had been shot also shocked the leaders of all the communes. At this moment, they gathered in Place Vendôme to discuss the next step.
But before everyone could gather together, they received important information that Thiers' main force had entered the city!
"Comrades, I regret to tell you the news... Thiers has gone crazy. He has mobilized four more divisions to enter the city!"
"It's half past one in the afternoon... Get ready for a decisive battle! It seems they won't give up!"
