Chapter 436 Adding Fuel to the Fire

In fact, what Regent Queen Christiana really wants is money. She doesn't care about the future of Spain or France.

As long as I have money, I can travel all over the world. If I don't have money, I can only live under someone else's roof and eat and drink for free.

At this time, when she heard that Louis Philippe was going to exchange the Viceroyalty of La Plata for Gibraltar, Christiana couldn't sit still.

She didn't think there was anything wrong with France using Spanish territory to trade with the British, but she was very annoyed without money.

"No, absolutely not!..."

Before Regent Queen Christiana finished her words, Louis Philippe gave her a look that said I understand.

In Louis Philippe's view, Christiana was obviously helping him "bargain", one playing the red face and the other playing the white face, so that it would be easier to reach a deal.

"Money" Regent Queen Christiana continued.

At this time, Louis Philippe got the other party's hint and said again with a flash of inspiration.

"Yes! In order to compensate for the losses of Britain, Spain is willing to pay 5 million Spanish silver dollars."

The other side's regent Queen Christiana was already anxious to death. At this time, Spain was already heavily in debt and had long been on the verge of bankruptcy. If it were not for France's support, it would not even be able to afford the cost of maintaining the army.

In comparison, Victoria's political literacy and political sensitivity are much stronger.

"Your Majesty Philip, you should leave political matters to the right people, not by yourself."

But at this time, Louis Philippe was a little confused about the current situation. He was eager to hear the other party's answer, and of course the result was naturally a failure.

"This is beneficial to all three of us"

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty Philip. I'm a little tired. If you don't mind, I want to take a rest." Victoria said coldly.

Louis Philippe had to withdraw his face in dissatisfaction.

After that, the bigwigs also left one after another. Gibraltar was too tempting for France. Even the Bonaparte faction, which was mainly composed of army generals, understood its strategic value. It was simply Verdun on the sea.

At this time, the first thing that comes to everyone's mind when they hear Verdun is the Verdun meat grinder. The German side seems to understand that it is a trap used by the German side to consume the French manpower. This is not disputed here.

But in the era of the book, Verdun is as important to Paris as Shanhaiguan is to the capital. If Verdun is lost, Paris will not be saved.

Moreover, Verdun is the place where Joan of Arc rose to power, which is very sacred and important to the French.

The Bonapartists firmly support the return of control of Gibraltar. The other two factions also unexpectedly put aside their previous grudges and support the claim of the place, because it is too important for France, which is developing into a colonial empire at this time.

Controlling this place can not only prevent the British from strangling the neck, but also strangle the neck of the Holy Alliance in turn, and then make the Mediterranean Sea an inland sea of ​​France.

In fact, not only those big figures, but even the reporters on the side think that doing so will benefit France without any harm.

"The British should show enough sincerity if they want peace", this article occupied two pages of the French Le Monde that night.

Other newspapers also contributed front-page headlines, of course, the style of painting is a bit wrong.

From a political negotiation, it became a fight for justice. At the same time, it vigorously advocated the positive impact that France would have on the world after obtaining Gibraltar.

Standing on the moral high ground, criticizing others. This is the favorite program of the petty citizens after dinner, and soon the whole of Paris was talking about it.

They felt that taking back Gibraltar was just, right, and beneficial to France and the French.

A simple nationalism spread rapidly among the crowd, and the French were ignited by nationalism again. They took to the streets to demand the recovery of Gibraltar.

Just like during the French Revolution, the gendarmes and police who had driven them away gave way.

Because those gendarmes and police also felt that what the civilians did was right, and there were some big men behind them who were fanning the flames.

Of course, these people were just marching in the streets and alleys of Paris, and there was no radical behavior.

However, Bismarck, who lived in Paris, found something unusual, that is, this wave developed too fast.

The Queen of England had only been in Paris for a few days when the whole city was in an uproar. First there was an assassination, then there was a troublemaker at the banquet.

It took only three days for the Gibraltar issue to be raised, known to the whole city, and then to become agitated.

Although celebrities from all walks of life in France and a large number of newspaper reporters were invited to the dinner at that time, the fermentation speed was still too fast.

Moreover, in a café in Paris, he heard several narrators with German accents telling the whole story to the public, adding fuel to the fire but making it convincing.

Bismarck smiled and wrote an anonymous letter to Le Monde.

The next day, the front page of Le Monde was occupied by an article "Freedom of France".

The article described the Mediterranean as a cage that trapped France, and Gibraltar was the key to open this cage. Whoever took it or lost it was a sinner who wanted to imprison France.

This article did not say anything about Britain, but it clearly explained the importance of Gibraltar.

Coupled with the previous overwhelming coverage of the century-long feud between Britain and France, as well as inflammatory articles such as the Ten Sins of the British, the French at this time were eager to pick up their guns and fight the British to the death across the Channel.

In fact, the French national character had been suppressed by Guizot too many times before. The compromises and concessions made over and over again did not bring peace, and the people's lives became more and more difficult.

(In fact, it was because Guizot was transferred away from the center of power that some compensatory measures and stability maintenance measures were not implemented in place.)

The emotions of all classes in France are as difficult to suppress as a flood. They need an outlet, that is, Gibraltar.

They don't care how much benefit the British and French alliance can bring. They only know that if they don't say or do something, they will be suffocated sooner or later.

At the same time, the British side is also thinking deeply about whether they should give up Gibraltar and make peace with France and Spain.

The result of careful consideration is that it is impossible.

The reason why Britain has the courage to stir up trouble in the world is that with Gibraltar, even if the whole of Europe joins together, it can't do anything to the United Kingdom of Great Britain.

But once this gate is lost, then crazy bandits such as France, Austria, Russia, and the Ottoman Empire will come to compete with Britain for the world.

And Britain has the smallest population among the world powers, just like they couldn't win the North American War of Independence. If the great powers are allowed to roam the world, will the colonial system of the British Empire collapse?

Besides, the purpose of the alliance with France is to make Britain's hegemony permanent, rather than to cultivate one or more opponents for itself.

Thinking of this, no one intends to continue Robert Peel's strategy of allying with France at all costs.

Since the ownership of Gibraltar is more important than the French ally.

And coupled with the crazy behavior of the French at this time, their primary goal now becomes to send the queen back home safely.