Chapter 992: Abandoning Darkness and Joining the Light

The betrayal of the Grand Orient Fleet was undoubtedly a heavy blow to the Second French Republic. The fleet was too important for a country.

After losing the Grand Orient Fleet, not to mention cooperating with the British Empire to blockade the Austrian Empire's coast, defeat the royalist rebels and recover Algeria, even its own safety could not be guaranteed.

If the Grand Orient Fleet and the Austrians attacked the French Mediterranean coast in turn, it would undoubtedly be a double whammy for the French economy.

What's more terrible is that the Grand Orient Fleet did not surrender to the Austrians, but joined the remnants of the Orleans Party.

At this time, the Second French Republic could not even destroy the rebels and recover Algeria, and it might be counterattacked by the remnants of Orleans.

At this time, the Duke of Omar (Louis Philippe's fourth son) had an army of 100,000 people, and a powerful naval force like the Grand Orient Fleet.

Coupled with the powerful ally of the Austrian Empire, the dignitaries in the Parliament of the Second French Republic pointed their spearheads at Dan Gira and the National Newspaper Party who were determined to start a war.

In fact, long before the war, the top leaders of the Grand Orient Fleet strongly opposed the war, and even more so opposed joining forces with the British.

Not only because of the century-old feud with the British, but also because of the blood debts between the French Navy and the British Navy.

The former commander of the Grand Orient Fleet, Barqueve Reno, died in the first Mediterranean naval battle with the British.

In addition, almost all officers and soldiers of the Grand Orient Fleet had relatives or friends who died at the hands of the British.

The bodies of their relatives and friends are still warm, and now they are asked to join forces with their former enemies. The officers and soldiers of the Grand Orient Fleet cannot accept it emotionally.

In the end, the Grand Orient Fleet and even the entire French Navy were dissatisfied with the Second French Republic.

There are mainly two points. First, there are a large number of aristocratic hereditary officers in the navy. They themselves are not interested in the republic, and even naturally hate the so-called democracy.

The second and most critical point is that the financial situation of the Second French Republic has always been poor, and arrears of military pay and maintenance funds are almost commonplace.

Except for a few hereditary officers, most people in the navy are still waiting for military pay to support their families.

If some military pay and funds were in arrears during normal times, it would not necessarily cause such a big response, but it was almost impossible for naval officers and soldiers not to be angry under the background of the dual effects of the economic crisis and the food crisis.

Not to mention that at this time, France was in chaos, corruption was rampant, the old and the new were alternating, and contradictions were intertwined. Coupled with the huge pressure brought by the war, it finally triggered the dissatisfaction of the Grand Orient Fleet.

The officers and soldiers of the Grand Orient Fleet did not think this was a betrayal, but a decision to turn from darkness to light.

In their eyes, the Second French Republic was the usurper, and they were the defenders of order and dynasty.

As for destroying the British, that was their duty.

Before the war began, they sent their families and property to the port of Toulon.

Then, in the name of expanding the army and preparing for war, they forcibly requisitioned merchant ships and transformed them into transport ships to transport their own personnel and materials.

Even if they repeatedly traveled between the ports of Oran in Algeria and Toulon in France, they did not arouse much suspicion.

Even though they drove away two unfinished warships and more than 2,000 confused shipbuilders for the last time, these assets belonged to the Grand Orient Fleet after all.

When the news of the Mediterranean naval battle reached Paris, the entire Toulon port was emptied when the government of the Second French Republic found that something was wrong.

Navy Minister Agra wanted to resign, but Dan Gira didn't want to let this unlucky guy go, even though the former was unaware of the rebellion.

In fact, Navy Minister Agra was a very talented person. He had long seen the problems of the Second French Republic, but he was powerless. After all, he couldn't betray his class.

As for the rebellion of the Grand Orient Fleet, this minister who had never even left Paris naturally couldn't know what was going on.

In the end, Minister Agra was sentenced to three hundred years in prison.

The government of the Second French Republic tried its best to suppress the impact of the rebellion of the Grand Orient Fleet, but the people's patience with the French government was almost at its limit.

In addition to suppressing domestic public opinion and national sentiment, Dan Gira also sent his own envoy to Britain with his own handwritten letter for help.

He hoped that Britain could send troops to help France wipe out the rebels in Algeria

"That's it, Mr. Russell. The evil Orleans dynasty is still lingering, and Mr. Dan Gira hopes that your country can send another expeditionary force. At that time, our country will send the Great Western Fleet to cooperate with your army."

The words of French envoy Chubais Randall made the British politicians in Whitehall feel a little uneasy.

Send another fleet? Or act together with the French? Do the French want to do it again?

Even if the British Empire is a big country, they can't afford such a toss.

Unless they can send a super fleet that is sure enough to defeat the French and Austrian navies.

But such a fleet can only be organized once even for the British Empire at this time.

If it fails again this time, let alone competing with Russia for world hegemony, it is unknown whether it can maintain its existing maritime hegemony.

"The matter of continuing to send expeditionary forces needs to be approved by Congress. In addition, our country needs to further confirm the situation of the new Mediterranean Fleet"

John Russell just made some excuses, which made French envoy Chubais Randall very depressed.

"Mr. Russell, I hope you know that the price we paid in France is no less than yours.

The betrayal of the Great Eastern Fleet means that more than half of our coastal defense forces have become the minions of the rebels, and our army is also fighting Austria and its vassal army with all its strength, with casualties reaching tens of thousands.

But even so, our country has not given up. For the peace and justice of this world, and for those innocent people to be spared from the suffering of war, we should continue to shoulder the responsibilities of a great power.

So our country hopes that your country can send troops to attack Austria as soon as possible and assist us in sweeping out the rebels who are colluding with the Austrians."

French envoy Chubais Randall's words were so righteous that he almost cried.

Palmerston exchanged glances with John Russell and said.

"Mr. Randall. I heard that your country's four armies are in a stalemate with the Austrians. Isn't it a coincidence?"

Although Palmerston's doubts made Chubais Randall angry, in Europe where monarchies are everywhere, only Britain can help the Second French Republic, and only Britain has the strength to do so.

Chubais Randall said quickly.

"Our army has opened up the situation in Belgium."

It would have been better if he didn't mention Belgium. When he mentioned Belgium, the British ministers in Whitehall looked a little ugly.