**Chapter 91**
**Mexican-French War (6)**
Even those who opposed the war with the Mexican Empire knew that the king and the government were simply trying to redirect internal discontent outwards. They didn’t imagine that France would actually lose to Mexico.
No one among those opposed to the government considered the possibility of France's defeat.
When the expeditionary fleet, consisting of 10 battleships and a total of 42 ships, returned to Brest, halved in size, the citizens were bewildered but didn’t think they had lost.
‘They must have suffered some casualties.’
That was all they thought. Admiral Armand and the French government tried to hide the fact of their defeat, but they couldn’t completely silence the soldiers.
Journalists suspected something when the military and the government remained strangely silent despite the fact that a battle had clearly taken place. They paid soldiers who were being threatened by the military and the government to keep quiet about the outcome of the battle, forcibly extracting information.
-France! Shocking Defeat in Naval Battle Against the Mexican Empire!
-The Viscount of Macau, Who Lost Half His Expeditionary Fleet! A Stain on His Shining Career!
Articles about the naval defeat began to flood in.
“What? We lost? That’s impossible! The journalist must be crazy!”
“It’s not just him; all the other newspapers are saying the same thing?”
The man’s hope, which he had wanted to believe was false reporting, was shattered.
“How in the world could France lose to a country that’s only been independent for 17 years?”
Those who had denied the truth, believing it couldn’t be true, began to vent their anger as they faced the cold reality.
In response to this unprecedented event, newspapers continued to publish new articles every day.
—
-Not a Misjudgment of the Enemy’s Strength? They Never Even Investigated!
An anonymous high-ranking naval official pointed out that France didn’t even assess the enemy’s strength when deciding to go to war with Mexico.
He argued that deploying only a third of the French fleet without proper reconnaissance was arrogance and that those responsible should be held accountable.
—
The article poured fuel on the fire of the citizens’ anger.
“Damn it! You government bastards!”
“Take responsibility! You’re responsible for the lives lost in vain because of your incompetence and arrogance!”
Protests against the government’s incompetence continued daily in Paris.
“I told you this war was wrong from the start!”
“This war is nothing but a pretext for the king and the privileged class to divert our attention, and the lives being used are those of our citizens. We must stop the war now!”
The small minority who had opposed the war from the beginning gained strength again. Their voices had been completely ignored before the war, but after the defeat and the government’s misdeeds were revealed, they were gaining more and more support.
The atmosphere in Paris became increasingly tense, with soldiers deployed around the royal palace and the legislature building.
Meanwhile, Louis Philippe, who had been furious upon hearing news of the defeat, began to accept reality.
“Hah⋯. So, what should we do?”
“The war isn’t over yet, Your Majesty. We can still win.”
Louis Philippe was about to get angry at the Minister of War, Antoine Virgil Schneider, who said that, but he managed to hold back.
“No! That’s obvious. I’m asking for a way to appease the citizens protesting outside.”
François Guizot, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, understood the king’s discomfort and answered instead of the Minister of War.
“This war was initially supported by everyone, including them. This defeat was simply due to underestimating the enemy. We still have more ships, and we can win. We should actively inform the citizens of this.”
The French king and high-ranking officials had no intention of ending the war at this point. Ending the war here would be considered a defeat. That would damage the royal prestige, and the citizens would erupt in discontent.
Unless there was no chance of winning, why would they end a war they could win? They needed to appease the citizens’ discontent for now and prepare for the next battle.
“Hmm, do you think that alone will convince them?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. As the Minister of War said, the war isn’t over yet. Even if we overturn the government as they demand in this situation, the war situation won’t change. In fact, it would only put France at a disadvantage. If we end up losing as a result, wouldn’t it be the same as helping the enemy?”
“⋯So, you’re suggesting we manipulate public opinion that way. Very well. Try it. After all, if we win, everything will be resolved.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Thus, the silent French government began to move.
Pro-government media argued that attacking the government during wartime was tantamount to treason and that if they just waited a little longer, they would win.
Articles explicitly mentioned the size of the Mexican fleet revealed in this naval battle, claiming that France had a far larger fleet. This was clearly a leak of government information, but surprisingly, it was effective.
While the anti-war forces were gaining strength, the war itself was supported by most of the people. Overthrowing the government now would be like ruining a war they could win, and this logic sapped the momentum of the protestors.
“It’s a shame. I thought something would finally start this time.”
“It’s just been postponed for now. The resentment towards the king hasn’t disappeared. We’ll have to wait for another opportunity.”
“Yes, I’ll support you.”
Lucien Dufour discreetly handed over money.
“⋯Thank you always.”
Louis Blanc couldn’t help but doubt the intentions of Lucien Dufour, a successful bourgeois who recently expressed his willingness to sponsor him.
A capitalist sponsoring someone who usually advocates for suffrage, improved labor conditions, and expanded political freedom? It’s strange to anyone. But right now, he considered him a true comrade.
He had investigated Lucien’s business himself and found that he treated his workers quite humanely.
Louis Blanc came to believe in his sincerity and had been secretly gathering comrades with the funds he provided for two years now.
‘If only all businesses were like his, at least the labor conditions would be improved.’
That’s what Louis Blanc thought.
***
Kwaguagwang!
The Mexican Empire’s battleships bombarded Pointe-à-Pitre, the main port of Guadeloupe, a French Caribbean colony.
“I think we can land now.”
Pointe-à-Pitre’s pathetic coastal defenses had been devastated by the Mexican fleet’s continuous bombardment.
The enemy’s batteries were all crushed, and the enemy, who initially resisted somewhat, had disappeared without a trace.
“Yes. Prepare to land.”
The Mexican Empire’s army landed on Pointe-à-Pitre.
The Mexican Empire soldiers, armed with the latest weapons like the AR-38 rifle and revolver pistols, didn’t even get to use them.
“Surrender! We surrender!”
A man walked out from the port with his hands raised.
Fighting those who could reduce coastal defenses to rubble like this would be a fool’s errand. That’s what the defending officer thought.
He didn’t speak Spanish, so he shouted surrender in French, but fortunately, the Mexican army didn’t shoot him as he walked out with his hands raised.
A Mexican officer who spoke French stepped forward.
“How many defenders are there?”
“About 250. We all decided to surrender, so please spare our lives.”
“If you don’t cause any trouble, you won’t be harmed. Go back and disarm, then come out.”
“Yes.”
The French officer returned to the base with his hands raised and brought out his soldiers.
They were also unarmed and had their hands raised.
“Didn’t you say 250? I only see 220.”
“Those who died or were injured in the bombardment.”
“⋯I see. You’ll be resting soon, so prepare for the funeral.”
The Mexican Empire army soon took control of the entire island of Guadeloupe.
The same thing happened on Martinique, another French Caribbean colony. Fort-de-France, the capital and main port of Martinique, was renamed Fort-de-Mexico.
***
December 1839.
“You captured it without any casualties? The defenders surrendered? That’s great news.”
My father seemed very happy. In fact, not only my father, but I and the subjects of the Mexican Empire were also in a good mood.
It was only natural, having won a major naval battle and captured French Caribbean colonies without any casualties.
These islands were valuable. Guadeloupe and Martinique, two of the Caribbean islands, might look small on a map, but they are islands with areas of about 1,630 square kilometers and 1,120 square kilometers, respectively, which is 88% and 60% of the size of Jeju Island.
They were much smaller than Cuba, but they were major colonies developed as early as the early 17th century, with well-established farms, and sugar was their main product.
“Yes, Father. If we spread the news that we have successfully captured the islands, the people’s support will be even greater.”
“Hmm? The people’s support? Isn’t it high already? Are you trying to do something that requires the people’s support?”
My father had become quite perceptive now.
“Yes, there’s something we should clarify now. It’s the law on conscription.”
In the first half of the 19th century, most European countries were introducing large-scale conscription.
“⋯Indeed, it’s a topic that’s difficult to pass if not now.”
Five months into the war, the war between Mexico and France hadn’t brought about much change in Mexican society, except for a slight increase in taxes.
We had been preparing for war for a long time, and most importantly, there was no large-scale conscription.
This large-scale conscription is a major reason why wars destroy a country’s economy, but it’s a necessary system.
As various technologies like railroads developed and the distribution of goods became smooth, supplying the army became easier. Ironically, this led to the birth of ‘total war’, where a nation fights by mobilizing all its available resources and means.
‘In the original timeline, the American Civil War was the beginning of full-fledged total war. But will it be the same in this world?’
The American-Mexican War in the original timeline involved a small number of troops compared to the size of the entire country, and it was closer to a traditional war than total war. But that was because Mexico was so overwhelmingly weak compared to the US that the US only mobilized that much force.
Therefore, this issue needs to be resolved right now.
“Yes, there’s a sense of crisis because we’re at war with a powerful enemy like France, but our approval ratings are high. And with articles about volunteers flooding in every day, there couldn’t be a better time than now.”
“Very well. Go ahead and proceed.”
“Yes, Father.”
***
As the Mexican Empire expected, France wouldn’t give up on the war. News arrived that they were gathering fleets from all over the world to prepare for a second battle.
This information was leaked to the media without being controlled, as intended by the Crown Prince.
“France is bringing in more than twice the fleet?”
The sense of crisis, which had eased slightly after the first victory, tightened again.
In this situation, Robert, the head of the Imperial faction, proposed the ‘Law on Military Mobilization and Military Service in Times of War’ (Ley de Movilización Militar y Servicio Militar en Tiempos de Guerra).