French Empire: But Napoleon IV

Chapter 85: The Rise of Various Republicans

While the French people were either marching or causing uproar, Dreima did not follow the main force to the city hall. Instead, he led the Second and Third Gendarmerie Battalions, who had easily revolted, straight to the Paris Telegraph Headquarters on the right bank of the Seine.

Not all Republicans are fools. Even though they were blinded by Drema, the super 007, some still clearly believed that controlling the telegraph office would cut off all communication between the Imperial government and the provinces, and would also prevent Eugène from issuing orders to the cavalry division outside the city.

As the first operational task assigned to him by the Republican Party, Drema certainly had to do it well.

The Telegraph Headquarters building was a sturdy stone structure, guarded by twelve policemen at the entrance.

When Drema appeared on the street with nearly a thousand military police, the guards, who were not as mentally strong as the police, still managed to suppress their fear and raise their rifles to stop Drema, even though they were unaware that they were staging an armed coup.

"Halt! This is the Telegraph Headquarters. You are not allowed to approach."

This operation was not only led by Drema, but also involved several Republicans.

Knowing that these people were there to observe his every word and action, Drema immediately reined in his horse, a mocking smile on his face.

"Captain, stop your futile resistance. Napoleon III has surrendered, and the Imperial government has collapsed. Lay down your weapons and join us, and you'll still be the captain of the Telegraph Office guards. Otherwise, once my men storm in, you and your men will be dead by our guns."

"You're talking nonsense."

Although the police captain spoke toughly, his hand holding the rifle was inevitably trembling.

Putting aside the large crowd in front of him, he wasn't deaf; of course he could hear the gunshots outside. To land a squad leader position in such a lucrative post, the police captain must have had some connections.

Therefore, he had actually heard the news of the emperor's surrender from a relative who worked in the Ministry of War.

Seeing the police captain waver, Drema secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He still didn't want to get too much of his own people's blood on his hands, as that would definitely not be good for his future career.

As for whether the Republicans who are monitoring him will have any doubts because of this, Drema is not worried about that.

We're all French. If the other side is willing to surrender, he can still kill them all. If anyone attacks him on this point, Drema can easily retaliate with a serious accusation.

"Whether I'm lying or not, you can find out by asking your men."

Desmond Drema, not wanting to linger too long and cause any unforeseen circumstances, waved to the military police behind him.

"Show them the flyers we brought."

Several military policemen stepped forward and stuffed a stack of leaflets printed with "Napoleon III's Instrument of Surrender" into the arms of the policeman at the door. The police captain didn't want to look at it, but he couldn't help but unfold the leaflets in front of him.

Seeing that their superior had already looked, the other policemen also took a look by the light of the streetlights.

The leaflets contained the contents of Napoleon III's surrender document, sent directly by the Prussian side as a psychological warfare tactic. Coupled with embellishments from the Republican side, the police were immediately swayed.

"Captain, is this...is this real?"

A young policeman, unable to make up his mind, looked anxiously at the police captain in front of him. When questioned by his subordinate, the police captain gritted his teeth and could not answer.

Because he knew Drema was telling the truth; 12 against 1000, the advantage was simply not in their hands. Now he had also received news that even his own emperor had voted.

The police captain, who had been contemplating surrendering, glanced at his men and, seeing the wavering expressions on their faces, decided not to resist. Given the disparity in strength, resistance would only lead to their deaths.

"Okay, okay."

The police captain put down his rifle, raised his hands, and made a gesture that would become a classic French gesture in the future.

"We surrender, but I hope you will not harm the staff at the telegraph office."

"We are all French."

There was no direct response, but Drema's words reassured the police captain, who stepped aside and opened the door.

With no obstacles in place, Drema led the military police into the telegraph headquarters. Inside, the telegraph operators, who had already heard the commotion, were so frightened that they hid under the tables and dared not show themselves.

Ignoring the telegraph operators, Drema first ordered the military police to take control of all the telegraph machines before addressing the assembled operators in unison.

"From now on, all telegrams must be approved by me before they can be sent. Anyone who dares to send a telegram without my permission should not blame a bullet for flying into their head."

After saying this, as arranged by Blanqui and others, Drema went to a telegraph machine and personally drafted a telegram.

"Paris has been occupied by the Republican army, Napoleon III has surrendered, and the Imperial government has been dissolved. All regions should immediately secede from the Empire and support the Republican government."

This telegram will then be transmitted through telegraph lines to various cities throughout France.

If nothing unexpected happens, in the next few days, Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux... one after another, major French cities will declare their secession from the empire and raise the flag of the republic.

While Drema occupied the Telegraph Office, the Republicans, who were on multiple fronts, were also actively engaged in various activities. For example, Senucci led a group of more than 1,500 armed workers to surround the Bank of France in Place Vendôme.

As the vice president of the Bank of France and a seasoned mole, Cernucci was fully aware of everything here.

Senucci knew that right beneath his feet, in the underground vault of the Bank of France, lay gold and silver worth more than 1.5 billion francs, which was undoubtedly the economic lifeline of the entire French nation.

By controlling the Bank of France, the provisional government had sufficient funds to maintain its operations and recruit troops.

The president of the Bank of France was Gustave Roulin. When this state-appointed private bank president learned that the Republicans had surrounded the bank, he immediately ordered the security guards to close all the bank's doors, intending to put up a last-ditch resistance.

The bank's security team has more than 200 people, equipped with the latest Chassepot rifles, and their combat capability should not be underestimated.

This was also the source of Lu Lan's confidence to put up a stubborn resistance, though it was only a small resistance. Historically, he held the position of bank president for 78 years, and he himself was not considered a die-hard loyalist of the empire.

However, it's impossible for him to be completely without loyalty, given the extremely important position of Governor of the Bank of France. Roulin's appointment by Napoleon III must have been based not only on his considerable abilities but also on a degree of loyalty.