Napoleon in 1812
Chapter 86:

14. End of the SecondHundred Years’ War – 2

“Thereisnotime forthe Cabinetand Congress to concentrate on internal disputes. We must stopthis pointlesswar as soonaspossibleand revive thenation’skey industries. At thismoment, I declareanend to the politicalconflictand suggestthat theruling and opposition partieswork together to overcome this national disaster.”

“Woaaah!!”

“Grey! Grey! Grey! Grey!!”

Thebiggest crisisand challenge since thebirthofthe United Kingdom, which unified the British Isles, hadnow come.

Theaftermath of external expeditions and internal reformfailureshad caused even the richest and most advanced countryinEurope to falter greatly.

Heroes always appeared in times of crisis. While all thepoliticiansinWestminsterwere thetarget of public distrust, discontent andanger, there was a new star. It wasCharles Grey, theleader of the Whig Party.

Inparliamentary democracy, the betterthe Prime Minister and Cabinet managedthe state affairs, the stronger thesupport forthe ruling party was, and theless power theopposition party had. Sᴇaʀᴄh the ɴøvᴇlFɪre.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

Charles Greywas abletoexpand his politicalinfluence thanks to theBritish situationonthe verge of collapsing, justbybeingthe leader of theopposition Whig Party. ButCharles Grey was a politicianwho had left anumber of marks.

‘We should stop awar thatisnot profitableand is onlysacrificingour people, and we should notallowtoo muchautonomytothe financiers. Taxes burdensometothe middle class shouldbeabolished, etc…’

Hispast remarks werenot muchsupported at the time, andvoters weretiredofhearing thesame repeated sounds.

Butnow, most of his past statementswere reevaluated, and their status changed completely.

Charles Grey, the Whig’smadman, hadalready becomethe mostinfluentialpolitician in London.

“…”

Beingable to deliver sucha speechatCampbellSquare justinfrontofthe Palace of Westminster itselfwas asign of thechangingstatus and influenceofCharles Grey.

PrimeMinisterRobert Jenkinson andthe Torylawmakers had laughed at CharlesGrey at theopening ceremony of Westminster’s Parliamenta month ago, comparing himtoa ‘dumb cow’.

But now they werevainly lookingatthe leader of theWhig Party, whichwas in the spotlightofthe media and thepublic, as if they had lost the war.

“I will fight for thestability and development of thekingdom, the lives of the peopleand their families… and forthe realization of justice. However, I have no intentionofcausing unnecessary conflict andconfusing the politicalsituation by insisting only on my arguments andvalues. We need cooperation! I would gladly work withPrimeMinisterJenkinson and theTory Members to overcome the crisisinthe kingdom! Please look forwardtoit!”

Clap clap clapclap clap clap!

“Longlive theBritish Kingdom!”

“God, protectCharles Grey!”

An explosive response came fromthe citizens of the squareafterCharles Grey’sspeech thatwas wrappedinpolitical tolerance, gentlemanhood, and cause.

Amongthem chanting hisname, Charles Grey was stretching his fists towardthe sky. Helooked as if he had wonthe election.

PrimeMinisterJenkinson was a man whocouldread thetrue meaning of sucha performance. IfGrey’s arguments at theopening of this meetingwere notcarried out, angry citizens should think carefullyaboutwhat would happenand should make adecision. He was actually makingpolitical threatstothe Torymembers andthe Prime Minister.

‘The wounded beast has been released backinto thewoods.’

PrimeMinisterJenkinson was looking at CharlesGrey, who cameinto thepalace, with remorsefuleyes.

France wasEngland’s sworn enemy and hadfought againstitfor hundreds of years. Britain had alwaysbeen wary of the birth of a superpowerwith total hegemony of theEuropeancontinent and hadneverbeen as threatened as now by France.

Seeingthe French develop at aterrifying pace under Napoleon Bonaparte’s ruleafterdefeating the frozenempire, Russia, Prime Minister Jenkinson waseven more convinced. Iftherewas acountry that would plunge Britain intoabyss, it would be France.

Until now, Britain hadbiting on one side of France’s neckwith thewar on the Iberian Peninsula.

As the warcontinued, Francesufferedmore than Britain.

ThePeninsular Waritself served as a barrieragainst theFrench expansion andNapoleon’s ambition.

But themoment theysigned aceasefire, thefangsofBritain, whichwere currentlysinking in theneck of France, would disappear.

How much stronger and more evolvedFrance would return, and would Britainbeable to stop suchFrance?…

“It’snone of thebusinessofa prime minister whohas lostall his power andsupport. Now.”

Jenkinson wasinformedlast night by PrinceRegent George IV to step downasprimeminister. On the surface, it lookedlike he wastaking an honorable resignation, but in fact, his replacement wastoreveal his responsibility forthe currentsituation.

Hewouldneverstep back intoWestminsterPalace after thisfatalblow to hispolitical life.

Feeling the emptinessofhis political power, PrimeMinisterJenkinson prepared for theopening ceremony, whichwouldprobablybethe lastofhis life.

===

And on thatsame day, the British Parliamentissued an armistice agreementonthe IberianPeninsula War. Mediaoutlets waiting in front of the palaceimmediatelyspread the breaking news throughthe eveningnewspapers.

After hearingthe headline news, citizens stormedout to the square, cheering for theend of the warand shouting their country’s name.

Only Britain was withdrawing from the fight, but Spain and Portugal could notstop Franceontheirown.

Infact, this huge event meant the endofthe entire Iberian War, and was thus concluded on thelast dayofMarch1813.

===

Humanswere rational animals and enjoyed talkingwith logic, but theywere creaturesthat faithfully responded to emotions andimpulseswhen a decisive moment came.

London’sstockmarket ‘bigcrash’ would go downinhistory as an event clearly revealing such human nature.

The revision of thetax law proposed by theBritish government before thecrashwas fullofcommon sense and a highly reasonable measuretostop capital fromleaking offshore andtoraisethe shadow economy in the open, allowing transparent investigation and useofthe nation’s taxes.

But for London’s financialinstitutions, which hadpreviously committedtax evasiontotheirheart’s content, theaboveset of measures could not have beenpleasing.

In protest againstthe government, theysold their securities and bonds collectivelyand mercilessly.

The market could notwithstand the shock, and frightenedinvestors threw awaytheirsales, eventuallycollapsing theframework of the stock market.

“Economists in Europehave created their own formulas by doing a lot of studies, marketresearchand simulations to model the principles of market fluctuationsand flows. I understandthat theadvisor wrote a similarthesis…”

“That’s right. When I was at Heidelberg University, I wroteaboutthe correlation of value investmentbetween cash and securities.”

Savoring the faint scent of black teaspreading in the room, Charles MauricedeTalleyrand-Périgord[1]gave hisnotestothe man in front of him.

FrançoisCarnot, whohad impressivewhitehair andcold eyes, hademerged as themost influential figureinthe currentimperialpolitics.

Andhecompletely interrupted Talleyrand-Périgord, who stoppedhis sentence midway. But evenafterthis, Talleyrand continuedtotalk comfortably as if he were talkingtoa third party with the skillsofa diplomat whohad beentrained formany years.

“Thewill andpassion of scholars to explore is certainly respectable. But theymust have realized thatitisthe willofthe privilegedfew, neither formulas nor laws thatdetermines theprinciples of themarket, starting from this‘big crash’.”

“…”

“In theend, London’s financialtycoons messedupthe market with money and influenceand carriedtheirway through. The frightened public just leaned on it andgot carriedaway. But isn’t it interesting thatthereare so manypeople in London whoaccuse the government rather than condemnthe financiers?”

“It is the state’s job to control suchmishaps from occurring. This is notgoingtohappen in Paris.”

Carnot, asalways, listened to Talleyrand withanexpressionlessface that did notshow anyemotion. Talleyrand hadheardthat he wasjust a friendly professor when he was at Heidelberg University… The transformation was amazing.

“I thought theadvisor wasa mansimilar to me. You musthave understood the limitations of thecurrent imperial systemmore than anyone else withyou brilliant mind and cool-headed reason. But youendedupmaking acomplacent choice. I’m just sorry about that.”

“My choice is notcomplacent. It’s a commitmentand challenge with new expectationsfor the changed Emperor.”

“Changed… His Majestyisclearly showing us adifferent sidefrom thepast, but how long do you think it will last? I’veseen himfor longer than you have.”

Napoleon Bonaparte, whom he hadmet at the endofthe 18thcentury, was simply a brilliant Frenchhero.

WhenTalleyrand first sawhim, he hadtostop himself fromcheering, saying that his country’ssalvation had come. In fact, Napoleon perfectlymet Talleyrand’s expectationsbydefending France from external threats.

Buteverything wasreversedwhen thedegeneration of greed and ambition came to him. The shiningsavior thatTalleyrand cheered for turnedinto a dictator who hadlost control.

Afterbeingdisappointed by him dozensoftimes, Talleyrandleft allhope andexpectations behind. And he swore to God that he would not live for theEmperor, but for Franceafterthe disappearanceofthe Emperor.

“You looklike my past self. It tookmea long timetorealize that the Emperor was notthe savior we hadbeen waiting for. Now you will follow thesame path as me. I can imagine yourdespair, anger, and youblaming yourself forthe past. I feel so sorry foryou.”

Eversincehefirstmet François Carnot, Talleyrand-Périgord had hadstrange expectations.

He hadthought that Carnot, who had previously beencriticalofNapoleon’s regimeand had even rejected the Emperor’sappointmentwithout thinking twice, wouldagreewith hisideas.

“Isthat right? But I thinkall these things andthe rhetoric seemtobeyour trick to rationalize your traffickedact.”

However, Carnot waspushing Talleyrand intothe pit as he chasedtraces of treason.

Talleyrand handledeverything with great caresothat no tracescouldbefound, and although no onehad noticedhim until now, hedid not managed to escape theeyes of this new committeeadvisor.

“Thecauseofoverthrowing adictatorcan onlyberecognized as such whenitisdone therightway. It is only hypocrisy if thenation groans under foreign threatsand aperson who holds hands with themand sellout internal secretsinsists that it’stooverthrow dictatorship andfor the re-emergenceofrevolutionary consciousness.”

Talleyrandclosed his eyes tightly.

“I’m alsoconcerned about whenthe Emperorwill regainthe sameferocityasbefore. However, I willnot do the same thing as you. I will watch, speak straight, and sometimes utter harsh words right next to His Majesty. I willnot hideinfear like you, even if I am severely reprimanded or broken by HisMajesty, orifI am threatened.”

Oncehemade up hismind, François Carnot wasa personwho did what he thoughtwas right evenifitwouldmean risking his life. Only thendid Talleyrandadmitit.

It wasa perfect illusion to say that Carnot resembledhimself in thepast. Rather, he hadthe spirit of a young man andhis loyaltytohis dying country.

It wasmuch more likeTalleyrand-Périgord’s youth, atanearlier point in thepast. Like a self-portraitthat made him ashamed of himselfwho had becomemurkyand had changed overtime.

TL notes

[1] Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord painted by François Gérard

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