How could Thiers not be anxious? In June, the situation in Paris changed three times a day. Facing the aggressive offensive of the Commune, the new government army could only wait for reinforcements and retreat steadily!
Since the signing of the Treaty of Frankfurt, the Germans have been very trustworthy. They have begun to return some fortresses and trenches to the government troops in batches.
But at this moment, the government troops simply do not have the ability to defend these strategic locations!
Paris at this time was not the kind of super metropolitan agglomeration it would become in later generations. Paris in this era still played a very important military strategic role.
The city is protected by thick walls, and 94 large and small fortresses have been built on the periphery, including super large bastions.
Each fort can mount cannons and machine guns, and are connected to each other by secure communication trenches!
There is a moat outside the city, as well as a ring railway that surrounds the city, and the city also has more than a dozen military barracks, large and small, to draw on.
Although such a strict defense system did not block the German attack, it was used to deal with the Paris Commune... people felt that there was no problem.
After the Treaty of Frankfurt was signed, Bismarck began to hand over these strategic locations to the government forces. In fact, it was hoped that Thiers' new army could persist for a while and not lose too miserably.
But I never imagined that once military morale is lost, it will be difficult to recover!
In less than a month, nearly 70% of Paris's city defense system was controlled by the Paris Commune. What's ridiculous is that sometimes Germany just handed over a fortress in the morning, and it was captured by the Commune soldiers that night!
One side is full of momentum, while the other side is shrinking and escaping. Paris has already made Thiers gray-headed!
There was only one exception, which was the military restricted area around the Chapelle Gate. Xiao Letian occupied seven square kilometers of land as an unconditional ceasefire area and began to strengthen defenses.
The occupying forces had many privileges, but the Chinese only occupied an area of seven kilometers. This was not enough to change the situation in Paris!
In addition, Xiao Letian also sent an envoy to deliver a message to both warring parties. The military restricted zone not only restricted the commune and French government troops, but also restricted Chinese troops.
As long as you don't enter the restricted area, the Chinese troops will not intervene with any force!
With the promise from the head of state, and the fact that the Red Cross logo has been hung in the military restricted area, the nurse in a white nun's robe has already begun to be busy, and now both parties feel more relieved.
In war, unless it is absolutely necessary, both warring parties will generally not make it difficult for medical staff. Who can guarantee that they will not suffer any injuries?
It can be said that with the exception of Porte de Chapelle, the other regional communes are completely suppressing the government's new army. The actual control area of the commune is expanding with difficulty day by day!
U.S. Minister Washburn wrote in his memoirs, "Poor Parisians, thousands of people crowd at the door of our embassy every day, trying to get a visa to escape to the United States!"
"And every day, thugs secretly attack these so-called rich people waiting in line. Are they really rich? In fact, they are just people who can barely be considered middle class..."
"The real wealthy people in Paris have long since fled to Versailles. Under the protection of the government troops, they are raising military expenditures to kill people in an attempt to launch a major counterattack..."
"Oh God, just as I was writing this paragraph in my diary, a shooting occurred outside the embassy... A cold shot from nowhere killed a lady..."
In fact, it is not just the US embassy. At this moment, the embassies of all other European powers are crowded with many wealthy people trying to escape. They can no longer stay.
Behind the momentum of the commune was the introduction of a series of very strict laws. This organization has gradually taken the shape of a country!
Washburn wrote that "the Commune has voted that the tricolor shall be the official flag of France, and that the Marseillaise shall be the national anthem! All this without a vote of the National Assembly..."
"Look, the Commune signed the Separation of Church and State Act. They required that all government agencies and parliaments must exclude all church personnel..."
"Oh, I really didn't expect that they gave women the right to vote! It's really incredible..."
"Abolish the high salary system for officials, provide fixed annual salaries for government officials, and all church properties must be confiscated... What an incredible organization!"
"Education reform, these people are actually still engaged in education reform. They have introduced a three-year plan. They will forcibly implement compulsory education throughout France within three years..."
"Feminist organizations have appeared one after another, all prostitutes have been driven home, and the sex business has become illegal...domestic violence is a serious crime, equal wages, and the right to voluntary divorce..."
"These women are preaching their new laws on the streets every day, which makes my wife a little tempted..."
Scholars of later generations can carefully study the situation at that time through the notes of those who witnessed it. Whether you like this commune or not, one thing must be admitted: many of their systems are extremely advanced.
It was the introduction of these new systems that were beyond the times that brought the poor people of Paris together and burst out with great revolutionary enthusiasm.
Moreover, these reforms have also influenced the soldiers in the government's new army through propaganda. Just imagine why those children from poor families join the army?
Instead of making your life better, look at what the Paris Commune has done, these young people are permeating the air... Isn't this what we have always been pursuing?
By asking us to suppress it, does the government mean that it will not provide these reforms to the people?
How wonderful, universal compulsory education, raising the minimum basic wage, reducing working hours, providing disability pensions... and other reforms, aren't they what we have always longed for?
Why suppress them? Why destroy these good reforms?
Look, the soldiers started to think, how can we fight now? No one is listening to the commander's orders!
Until the news of the signing of the Frankfurt Treaty came, the whole of France was in an uproar. It cost 6.2 billion francs and ceded two provinces and a colony... Such a humiliating treaty made everyone angry!
That night, there was a large wave of deserters in the government's new army. It even happened that the entire company, led by the company commander, rushed out of the position to join the commune!
The disintegrated Paris is about to fall completely into the arms of the Paris Commune!
The Paris Commune, which was full of momentum, took advantage of the situation and issued two new decrees. One was the all-military service system in Paris. They required all Parisian men of appropriate age to receive military training and work together to defend the revolutionary fruits of the Commune!
And the other one is well-known by later generations, the political commissar system!
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