Of course, Germany would not let marshal-level prisoners do hard labor in person. In the 19th century, aristocrats were still very privileged. Although anti-aristocratic thoughts were rampant in the entire society, people who met aristocrats in life would more or less be in awe!
Germany asked McMahon to come to the prisoner of war camp, with the intention that he would manage the prisoners of war and prevent any more bloody conflicts such as riots!
But he never expected that as soon as he arrived at the prisoner of war camp, McMahon walked up to the soldiers and did hard work with the soldiers himself!
Actions are ten thousand times more effective than slogans. When the prisoners of war saw and heard that the Imperial Marshal and themselves were together, they were still digging and pushing coal, and they were exhausted every day. What was even more touching was McMahon's The injury hasn’t healed yet!
Everyone knows that McMahon was shelled at Sedan and was injured by shrapnel. Soldiers admire heroes, so the defeat at Sedan did not affect the marshal's reputation!
The despair was miraculously reversed!
The environment can affect people's hearts, and people's hearts can also change the environment. When the prisoners' minds have sunshine, the same hard work will not seem so difficult!
The cold winter has just passed!
Although we share weal and woe, the soldiers and the management of the prison camp did not dare to overwork the old marshal. The German side provided a very comfortable wooden house for the marshal to live in. At this moment, the emissary and the marshal were gathering together and whispering!
"So... His Majesty has also approved this armistice agreement?" McMahon whispered.
"Yes, Marshal, the situation is already like this, and no one has the power to make a comeback... Although the conditions are very humiliating, it is more important to protect the vitality of the empire and take revenge in the future!"
"Your Majesty asked me to bring you a message... The glory of France is definitely not created by those who want to sit back and enjoy the success. The glory belongs to the brave legion and the noble aristocracy..."
"Go to Paris! You should be the one to wield the sword of revenge... I authorize you to command the 300,000 elite empire legions. The seeds of the future empire will be left to you!"
McMahon burst into tears. He stood up and saluted the North at attention, "Your Majesty...I...how can I bear such a heavy burden!"
The emissary also shed tears, "Who else can your Majesty expect? All those flatterers in the past have gone to the Bourbons and the Orleans Dynasty, and they are all begging for mercy like dogs!"
"Although Bazin is available, he surrendered directly after all and lost all his popularity in France!"
"Only you! You took the lead in the final battle and almost lost your life... The people love heroes, and you are that hero!"
"You have reputation and qualifications, and the soldiers are convinced... More importantly... His Majesty trusts you!"
"Three hundred thousand veterans, that's three hundred thousand families, countless mid-level officers, local officials, congressmen, generals in the future... This power is boundless, you have to protect it!"
"When the Crown Prince gets older, this huge power will make the Bonaparte family glorious again!"
"And you will eventually become France's national hero forever!"
Speaking of excitement, the emissary actually knelt on the ground and looked up at the marshal, "For the great cause in the future, you can only compromise for the time being and endure it for a while under Thiers..."
"First take the soldiers out of the prisoner-of-war camps and restore their morale... Then the sword will be aimed at Paris. The first blood feud will be those bastards from the Paris Commune!"
The emissary gritted his teeth and roared, "If they hadn't been lighting fires in the rear, how could His Majesty have declared war in advance? These bastards confuse people every day and spread wrong opinions..."
"I even wonder if these people are spies from Bismarck!"
"These ordinary people should not be allowed to participate in military and national affairs. A group of simple-minded but impulsive ignorant people can only disrupt the country's strategic deployment!"
"They kidnapped public opinion, and they are the main culprits for the failure of the entire war!"
"Go! Punish them with His Majesty's wrath! Bloodbath Paris and take revenge!"
McMahon helped the emissary up, and he gritted his teeth and said, "Please go back and tell your Majesty that I will always be the soldier in front of your Majesty...forever!"
MacMahon, a descendant of an Irish family, rose through the ranks at the hands of Napoleon III and became famous throughout the Crimean War and the Battle of Magenta in Italy!
Although he was responsible for improper command during the Franco-Prussian War, in the final battle of Sedan, he protected his reputation with a serious injury!
McMahon became the actual guardian of all the political heritage of the Bonaparte family in France, and he must spend his life serving the emperor!
The emissary left the prison camp under the eyes of countless prisoners of war. Many soldiers secretly asked the veterans, "What happened? Do you have any gossip?"
The veteran has served in the empire for more than twenty years and has already become a spirit. Although he doesn't know any gossip, he can still feel the abnormality.
"It's almost done. I feel like the days are almost over now! Brothers, if you just have to endure it for a few more days, there might be big changes!"
What the veteran said was not wrong at all. After this secret meeting, the marshal no longer appeared at the construction site, and the captive officers at all levels also began to stop working. Instead, they left the prisoner of war camp to attend some meeting.
All this happened with the permission of the Germans. The soldiers watched many of their superiors return to their side, and they could enter and exit the prisoner of war camp at any time.
Hope reappeared, and the soldiers finally received countless fragmented information. It turned out that the war outside was already over!
The most obvious change after that was in life. The workload arranged by the Germans became less and less. In the end, the dangerous work of going deep into the mines stopped.
There are more and more food ratios every day, white bread finally appears, sausages and potato soup are also enough!
German military doctors began to enter the prisoner-of-war camp to conduct comprehensive physical examinations, treat the lightly wounded, and send the seriously injured out of the prisoner-of-war camp on horse-drawn carriages!
Now everyone understood that the days of prisoners of war were coming to an end and the troops were about to start reorganizing!
Finally, brand-new military uniforms were delivered by military vehicles outside, and German officials also officially announced that all prisoners of war would stop working in the mines. "Gentlemen, your prisoner of war career has ended from today... Starting tomorrow, Marshal McMahon will tell you Reorganize!"
"May God bless you!" The German officials evacuated, and the German soldiers also evacuated. Instead, the marshal's newly formed military police force and officers at all levels who resumed their duties early to maintain order were the ones maintaining order!
After another three days of training, when McMahon entered the prison camp on horseback, all the soldiers cheered!
"Long live the Marshal! Long live freedom!"
The soldiers cheered with tears in their eyes. This damn war is finally over. It's time to go home and get rid of this nightmare!
But they never expected that before their cheers ended, the military vehicles behind the marshal's cavalry team pulled in one vehicle after another of arms!
The smiles on all the soldiers' faces were dull!
"This...is there still going to be a war?"
Note: There will be a third update today, but it will be in the afternoon. Please refresh it in the afternoon!
An update for those book friends who have guessed Nightingale’s identity in the afternoon!
