**Chapter 87**
**The Mexican-French War (2)**
Tens of thousands of citizens gathered in the Constitution Square in Mexico City, one of the largest squares in the world.
As there were many people, their composition was diverse. There were not only Creoles and Mestizos, but also a considerable number of indigenous workers and freed black laborers. Men, women, the elderly, young people, and children all came out to hear the speech.
Agustin I, the Emperor, slowly surveyed the tens of thousands of citizens and then slowly opened his mouth.
"My dear Mexican people,
Today, we stand once again before a challenge from foreign powers. France is imposing unfair conditions on us, threatening our sovereignty. This is not just an economic demand. This is an attack on our freedom and independence.
France is trying to burden us with an impossible obligation. Their demands are intended to make us an economic colony, which goes against justice and morality. We cannot surrender to these unreasonable demands. Surrendering means giving up our freedom, and that is something we will never tolerate."
It wasn't just a matter of debt repayment. It meant that if they surrendered, they would be no different from a colony. That's what he meant.
It was as if they had no choice but to pay off the debt by gathering money. Seeing the citizens showing signs of slight unrest, Agustin I continued his speech.
"We Mexicans are a nation that loves freedom and cherishes independence. The Mexican people fought for the freedom of this land, and after a long struggle, they won their freedom. That spirit lives on in the hearts of all of us today. This fight is a fight to defend our rights and freedom.
We are also prepared militarily. We have been nurturing our fleet using the money collected from the naval bonds that you, the people, generously supported a few years ago. Now, our army is ready to fight bravely. We can win this war, and we will show the world our strength and determination."
It was what the citizens most wanted to hear. The reason why there were no violent protests despite the declaration of war by the powerful enemy, France, was because of their trust in the Imperial family and their desire to never surrender to oppressors again.
It had only been 17 years since independence, and many people in the Mexican Empire still vividly remembered the colonial era. Moreover, they are citizens who have directly experienced the rapid improvement of all aspects of the nation, including living standards, security, laws, administration, and the economic structure, after independence.
If we have a chance to win, we don't want to surrender. That was their sentiment, but they were afraid because the opponent was France, and they wondered if they had a chance to win. But the Emperor declared that they did.
"In this fight, unity among our people is more important than our fleet. In this time of crisis, we must come together as one. Our strength lies in unity within diversity. When the people of each region and each class come together, we can defeat any enemy.
My dear people, in this time of trial, we must bravely face the fight and dedicate ourselves to protecting our freedom and independence. Our history has proven that we can overcome any difficulty. We will not yield to France's pressure, and we will fight back with our courage and determination.
This war is not just a fight for the army. It is a fight for all of us. Please do your best in your own positions to protect the country. Farmers, workers, students, intellectuals, people from all walks of life must join forces for this nation."
Agustin I emphasized that unity was important to overcome this unprecedented crisis. It might seem obvious, but Mexico at this time had a more diverse population than any other country in the world.
The seven-class caste system that existed implicitly before independence was gradually fading, but the heterogeneity was increasing. Immigrants from Europe, America, and South America, Native Americans from the northern territories, and freed black slaves.
He intended to accelerate national integration by instilling in all of them the awareness that they were all Mexicans and that they must unite to oppose France, the external enemy who was trying to exploit them.
Agustin I's speech was nearing its end.
"We are fighting for our future. For our children and descendants, to bequeath them a free and independent nation. If we win this fight, it will be a gift of a better future for them.
Therefore, my dear Mexican people, I ask for your support and strength. Together, we can overcome any difficulty. We will overcome this war with our united strength. Our courage and determination will lead us to victory. Let us fight together for Mexico, for our freedom and independence!"
As the Emperor's speech ended, the citizens who had been gathered with anxious expressions had changed their faces.
"Wow, wow! Waaa!"
There was no need to plant a cheerleader.
The cheers and applause that someone started were contagious, spreading to tens of thousands in an instant.
"Waaa!"
"Long live His Majesty the Emperor!"
"Long live His Majesty the Emperor!"
The cheers and enthusiasm of the massive crowd gathered in the square influenced each other, becoming even more intense.
In the face of an unprecedented crisis, the invasion of France, Mexicans from all walks of life felt a sense of shared identity and solidarity for the first time.
It was the beginning of national unity.
***
Juan Ramirez.
In France, he was Lucien Dupon, and he was known as a very capable trader in Paris.
He pursued an aggressive business style with ample capital and gave a hefty bribe to Moro, member of Congress.
"I'll count on you in the future."
"Hahaha! Count on me? We're helping each other, aren't we!"
It had already been a year since he had contacted Etienne Moro, member of Congress. How much money had gone to this greedy man? It was a pain, but being greedy also meant being easy to use.
Lucien thought that as he served him dinner and wine.
"Haha, yes, we're helping each other. Since you're here today, enjoy a dinner. I have some top-quality wine prepared."
"Dinner! I'm looking forward to it."
It was very common in France these days for bourgeois and high-ranking government officials or members of Congress to collude.
Moro, member of Congress, had tasted many wines from various places, but today's wine was truly top-quality. He drank it with admiration, and soon, he was quite tipsy.
"Oh, right, they finally decided to give those Mexicans a taste of their own medicine."
Lucien naturally brought up the topic of war with Mexico. It was not a strange topic, as the prevailing sentiment in France these days was to teach those arrogant Mexican bastards a lesson.
"That's right. It's all thanks to those pirate bastards for starting that 'dirty war,' so we have to thank them today. Hahaha, to the pirate bastards!"
Cheers-
Lucien played along with the atmosphere, and then got to the point. The reason he chose Moro, member of Congress, was partly because he was greedy, but also because he was knowledgeable about naval affairs. Moro was a former admiral, and his family had served in the navy for generations.
"I don't think we need to waste too much on those Mexican bastards. How many ships are we deploying?"
"Hahaha, it's a secret, but I can tell you, Lucien, a true patriot of our French Kingdom."
There were only two of them in the room, but Moro, either because he was drunk or because he just wanted to make a scene, leaned towards Lucien and whispered.
"···I see. That's enough to crush those Mexican bastards."
"Yes, I heard recently that they've been building shipyards and ships of the line, but how much could they have built in just three or four years? Hahaha!"
"That's right. Is the fleet leaving soon?"
"Oh, Lucien, you really are a patriot. Other businessmen ask where they're going to use the 7 million francs they're going to get."
"Ah... Hahaha! I'm curious about that too, but I'm more curious about when we can teach those arrogant Mexican bastards a lesson and bring justice."
"If you're curious, I should tell you. This way."
Moro, member of Congress, who liked to whisper secrets even though he wasn't really keeping them secret, leaned in.
***
Veracruz Harbor had been expanded when the shipyard was built, and soon, it was expanded again.
This was partly due to the rapid increase in cargo traffic, and partly because the demand for it as a naval base was increasing.
Preparations for war had been underway for almost four years, but after news of the Opium War in England, they had begun full-scale preparations for war.
"It's a spectacle."
"It's clear that the ships built by our Mexican Empire are impressive."
There were also two ships of the line and five frigates that had been acquired from Spain, but they were rather shabby compared to the newly built ships.
I handed my father the documents I had brought.
"This is a list of the ships you're looking at now and the specifications of the ships under construction."
"Ah, yes. Thank you."
Our Mexican Empire's naval power was rapidly increasing.
Ships were pouring out of a total of four shipyards, including the third and fourth shipyards completed in February 1838, thanks to the combination of good environment, experienced technicians, and generous capital investment.
As of now, July 1839, the ships that have been built are as follows. This is a list excluding small ships.
3 ships of the line, 104 guns each.
4 monitor ships.
4 frigates, 44 guns each.
4 armored frigates, 44 guns each.
These are the results of consistent construction in the six large docks and eight medium docks of the first and second shipyards, which were completed a few years ago, and those docks are already starting the next projects.
The reason we built several monitor ships and armored frigates is because they are powerful enough at this point in time, but we also need to build on the technology and experience gained from building those two ships to improve their shortcomings and develop them into the next generation of warships, the dreadnought class.
The armored frigates, which are essentially existing frigates with armor and steam engines, need to be developed in the direction of heavier armament, and the monitor ships, which are heavily armed but have a low freeboard, making them unsuitable for long-distance voyages, need to be developed in the direction of increasing their size and freeboard to improve their long-distance voyage capabilities.
You might say that since we know the desired picture, we can just build it, but it's not a field that can be skipped that easily. We needed to use them as a force right now, so we couldn't take any risks.
"It's not easy to develop them step by step. It's not just technology and design, but the officers and sailors also need to adapt."
The experience and technology gained from building two monitor ships and two armored frigates each at the first shipyard were reflected in the next design to be built at the second shipyard. After building two more of each, I was confident that we could build ironclad warships with steam power, heavy armor, and heavy armament.
It was a frigate-sized ironclad with two rotating main guns and six secondary guns. Since it required a tremendous amount of iron, the steam engine also needed to be more powerful. We improved it as much as possible, but it wasn't powerful enough to highlight the speed advantage of a steamship, and it was only slightly faster than a typical large sailing ship.
"It's not really a full-fledged battleship, but it's enough to have a clear advantage over ships of the line."
These two steam ironclads will be launched in October, three months from now, right here at the first shipyard in Veracruz.
As I was thinking that, observing the shipyard where I was busy building, the Emperor's fleet review began.