Xiao Letian's investment in Duke Zeppelin's airship idea did make a group of conservative officers in Prussia laugh at him at the beginning.
But when the first Führer Zeppelin appeared on the battlefield, its huge tactical role immediately shocked the entire Prussian leadership.
Now, it would be pure nonsense to say that airships have any strategic significance, but in terms of tactics, airships are very useful.
Humans have used hot air balloons to detect enemy situations a long time ago. Now the airships with independent power have kicked the hot air balloons aside as soon as they appeared.
High-altitude reconnaissance, local aerial bombing, fixed-point blasting of fortresses... It can even carry some small-scale special forces to conduct infiltration operations behind enemy lines.
The wonderful use of airships excited the German military, and they placed an order for twenty Zeppelins at that time!
However, after all, airships were a new thing that had just been put into production, and they were far from being capable of quantitative production. They relied on Prussia's strong industrial foundation to build more than a dozen of them in more than half a year.
These more than ten ships were divided into two families. The Führer took away four ships, and the rest were handed over to the German military.
In this civil war in Paris, the Chinese and German airship units played different roles. Xiao Letian ordered the airship to transport medical supplies, while the German airship became Thiers' spy.
Although Raoul Rigault's internal purge resulted in countless unjust, false and wrongful convictions, it also dealt a huge blow to the royalist spy network. All spies who were exposed were killed, and the remaining ones who were not exposed did not dare to act rashly. .
The government artillery was not supported by internal intelligence, and in the end Thiers had no choice but to ask Germany for help!
Xiao Letian never expected that Bismarck would actually agree to the French's request for help and send a Zeppelin airship, the most advanced reconnaissance weapon at the time.
As soon as these terrifying battlefield patrols appeared, the Paris Commune's city defense plan lost its secrets, and the movements of all Communard members on the streets could not escape the eagle eyes in the sky.
French artillery once again showed its power, and precise bombing destroyed the defense lines of the communes. Those permanent street fortresses suddenly became isolated islands in the ocean.
"Bomb, bomb, keep bombing! Use our steel to drown the enemy!"
"Make the most perfect coordination of infantry and artillery, show your courage in Crimea!"
Marshal McMahon also fought hard. He risked his life to enter the front line and used passionate speeches to boost the morale of the government troops during the artillery exchanges between the two sides.
Thiers also made great efforts. He issued the most stringent material requisition orders to all French provinces, and any incompetent government officials were dismissed from their posts.
The resources of southern France have been completely mobilized, and the supplies they squeezed out were ten times that of the Franco-Prussian War!
The front lines in Paris became fragmented. Almost every day, the defense lines were destroyed by enemy artillery fire and pierced by government commandos.
Large-scale street fighting lasted from early morning until late at night, and the commune suffered a devastating blow!
Three days later, an even more terrifying scene occurred. The commune fighters, unable to resist the government troops, began to burn the city. They had to use raging fires to repel the enemy's attack.
Flames broke out at the cruise ship docks on the Seine and near the Pont de Bercy. The retreating commune fighters set fire to all supplies and buildings that could be set alight.
The black smoke rising into the sky blocked the attack of a regiment of government troops, and only in this way could the stuck National Guardsmen safely withdraw.
A successful retreat soon became an experience worth learning for other troops. More neighborhoods began to burn, and those gorgeous residences and magnificent commercial streets suddenly became a sea of fire.
"The situation has reached its most critical moment. Head of State, you must take action... Please unite Germany to put pressure on the French government. Can't you mediate?"
“Can’t negotiation replace war?”
Nightingale came to pester Xiao Letian again. The head of state felt so awkward. A lot of information could not be explained to this great master. It cannot be said that the French government forces are fighting so smoothly now. In fact, the Germans are behind it, right?
If the king is not secretive, his ministers will lose; if the ministers are not secretive, they will lose their virginity; if matters are not secretive, it will cause harm!
With a long sigh, Xiao Letian could only beg for mercy, "I can only promise you to meet the Prime Minister of Bismarck, but I can't guarantee anything else..."
Xiao Letian never expected that this meeting with Bismarck would be the most tense in all these years of cooperation.
The Palace of Versailles has been completely given over to Thiers at this moment. Bismarck lives in a military camp outside the city. As soon as he saw Xiao Letian, he raised his hand to stop the head of state from speaking.
"You don't need to say anything, I know your intentions...Peace negotiations are impossible, and I will not stop my intelligence support for McMahon..."
"Even arms sales cannot be stopped! On the contrary, I would like to remind you as an old friend...don't go astray, your recent words and deeds are not good for you!"
"What do you say in Chinese? It's called being full and full... Why do you care about these things? What does the life and death of those poor ghosts have to do with you?"
"Nightingale is willing to be the Virgin Goddess, why are you joining in the fun..."
"Now that you show sympathy for these workers, what will the capitalists around the world think? Will they think that you are not the same as them?"
"When doing things, you must consider the consequences!"
Xiao Letian frowned, "Why don't I know what you're talking about? But...but with your wisdom, can't you understand my true intention?"
"Old friend, you can't stop killing the working class... because the working class and the capitalist class are complementary to each other and are compatriots!"
"You are massacring these rebellious workers now, but you will still need workers to work in your factories later... Without workers, there will be no productivity, and there will be no factories..."
"The current conflicts will still arise in a few years... You can't solve the problem like this!"
"Germany is unified. In the future, your industrial development will far surpass France, and even surpass the United Kingdom to become the world's number one... How many workers will be needed to achieve such huge productivity by then?"
"With so many workers gathered together, are they more powerful than the Paris Commune now? If there is a conflict, are you still going to kill them?"
"All I have done is to create the possibility of peace talks for future class conflicts! If you can't understand my attempt, who in this world can understand it?"
Bismarck's face was ashen and he said nothing. He was silent for ten minutes before sighing and saying, "No matter what you say makes sense or not, I still can't promise you. I'm very sorry..."
Just when Xiao Letian was still trying to persuade Bismarck, there was a knock on the door and Xiang Ying hurriedly walked in, "Führer! Something happened... A large number of Paris refugees suddenly appeared outside our military restricted area!"
"It finally came, the refugees rushed over..."
