Make France Great Again-Chapter 171 The Advancing Ministry of War

"Of course! General Changarnier, we can take this opportunity to exclude those who are unwilling to obey us!"

Under the guise of considering General Changarnier’s interests, Jerome Bonaparte harbored malicious intentions, using the excuse to transfer some of the troops loyal to the Republic and replace the garrison as the first step in the plan he discussed with General Renio. He believed Changarnier would certainly agree with his suggestion.

Because Changarnier similarly disliked the Republican faction of the army, although the previous Minister Liu Aili had agreed to dissolve the troops loyal to the Republic, he was adamantly opposed to replacing some Republican faction members within the army. Changarnier also did not have the authority to arbitrarily replace soldiers in the army. Even though he already controlled the troops in Paris, he had to respect the constitution of the French Republic, where the power to appoint and dismiss the military personnel rested in the hands of the Minister of War.

Now that there was an opportunity to eliminate the Republican faction within the army, Changarnier was naturally glad to see it happen. The stationing of 5,000 troops in Paris did not impact his power at all. On the contrary, it strengthened his relationship with the President. How could Changarnier refuse such a win-win situation?

Changarnier’s response was as expected by Jerome Bonaparte. After contemplating for a moment, he responded to Jerome Bonaparte, "Mr. President, I agree in principle with your and the Minister of War’s review plan. The French army indeed needs some honor, but..."

"But what?" Jerome Bonaparte asked Changarnier.

"However, I am afraid the parliament might not be willing to cover this expense!" Changarnier expressed his concern, "Whether it’s moving the troops from Lyon or the parade, it’s a considerable expense!"

Despite the French Republic being controlled by the Order Party in the legislative assembly now, the Order Party’s members were originally the members of the Orléans faction. The Orléans Dynasty was founded on the National Guard, so those who came from the Orléans Dynasty naturally favored the National Guard and were antagonistic towards the army.

Had it not been for the "left-leaning" phenomenon in the current National Guard, they would not have chosen the army to suppress them.

It can be said that the treatment of the army during the Orléans period was at the bottom, inferior to the National Guard and far inferior to the navy, belonging to the third class within the French Army.

The navy of Orléans must be mentioned here. Due to the Orléans Kingdom being founded on the National Guard, there was a natural distrust of the army. In addition, the influence of colonialism led the Orléans Dynasty to invest all the money for developing the army into the navy, allowing the French Navy to rise rapidly, even contemplating challenging Britain’s maritime supremacy a second time.

Neither the Count of Orléans, who accidentally died in 1840, nor Prince Juannel had significant positions in the French Navy, and both had also served as Governors of Algeria.

Unfortunately, France did not focus on the navy like Britain, which prioritizes the navy over the army. Otherwise, the Great Revolution of 1848 might have had a dramatic turn. The fact that France prioritizes the army with the navy as an auxiliary force undoubtedly led to major troubles.

Jerome Bonaparte was telling the French Army through repeated honors that he could bring them everything they wanted, as long as the army remained loyal to him.

The aversion of the parliamentarians to the army and the care of Jerome Bonaparte for the troops will form a stark contrast. A parliament that does not have the army’s support would not find it difficult to overthrow them.

"General Changarnier, please don’t worry about the military budget issue! I believe there will always be some generous philanthropists in Paris willing to open their wallets for the army! After all, we are the ones who set the rules of the entire game!" Jerome Bonaparte remarked with a cold smile, his tone firm.

Changarnier instantly understood Jerome Bonaparte’s implication, feeling a sense of admiration for Jerome Bonaparte’s boldness.

The President leaves no stones unturned in rallying the army. If it were him, he wouldn’t have the guts to overtly demand from those bankers.

Seeing himself as part of the army, Changarnier naturally did not oppose Jerome Bonaparte’s plan.

At present, he had yet to realize that, in the eyes of the President, they were not traveling down the same path.

"You’re right! If we try to organize, we can always work it out! After all, money is gathered from various sources!" Changarnier quickly expressed his stance to Jerome Bonaparte, "Sir, to ensure the smooth progress of the parade, I am willing to bear part of the expenses!"

"So am I!" Minister Renio also expressed his stance.

"No need!" Jerome Bonaparte refused the donations of Changarnier and Renio, "If soldiers still have to bear the cost of the parade, then the whole of France would be ridiculed by European countries."

Due to Jerome Bonaparte’s "unyielding" approach, Commander Changarnier and Minister Renio were "spared" from contributing to the army financially.

After Changarnier agreed to the parade and the army’s garrison change, the Minister of War also returned to the Ministry of War to sign the parade order.

On October 23rd, under the dispatch order of the Minister of War, General Renio, President’s Aide Conrobel resigned from his part-time positions as aide-de-camp, Secretary of State, and member of the Military Secretariat, and went to the Paris First Division to serve as the commander of the Second Brigade.

To align Conrobel’s rank with the position he was to hold, the Minister of War specifically promoted Conrobel by one rank, and Conrobel took up the position in the Paris First Division’s Second Brigade with the rank of Brigadier General. The Brigadier General who originally commanded the Paris Second Brigade was transferred to the French border to serve as Deputy Commander of the Theater, which was essentially a promotion.

Changarnier, naturally, could not hinder the promotion of those under him. Wanting to align with the President, he chose to remain silent on this issue, which deeply disheartened those under him.

Elysee Palace, President’s Mansion.

The Bonaparte Party gathered together to witness this moment.

"Brigadier General Conrobel, thank you for your contribution to France!" Jerome Bonaparte patted Conrobel on the shoulder, sincerely wishing him well.

"Mr. President, I am just doing my best to serve the country... Now that you give me such an honor, I really feel ashamed."

Conrobel appeared with a look of trepidation as he spoke to Jerome Bonaparte.

"Brigadier General Conrobel, this is the reward you deserve!" Jerome Bonaparte said to Conrobel with a laugh.

As it happened, the followers of the Bonaparte Party around also applauded.

In the midst of the applause, as the atmosphere gradually reached its peak, an attendant entered slowly, holding an aluminum tray covered with a layer of red cloth.

Although no one could see what was under the red cloth, they all guessed what was inside.

The servant arrived in front of Jerome Bonaparte, who lifted the red cloth.

A golden medal appeared before everyone’s eyes, and Jerome Bonaparte held the medal in his hand.

"I hope you can continue to serve the country!" Jerome Bonaparte said earnestly to Conrobel.

"Yes!" Conrobel responded to Jerome Bonaparte in a firm tone, knowing that he, like everyone else present, was already bound to the president’s orders.

Should the President lose power, his fate would be at best a distant transfer, and forced retirement would not be impossible.

Therefore, he must follow the President’s pace more closely, thinking what the President thinks, worrying about what the President worries, so that he can stand out. freēnovelkiss.com

Even though he was still far from the President now, Conrobel understood that the President had a scale in his heart, recording who was right and who was wrong.

"Very good!" Jerome Bonaparte nodded his head thoughtfully.

Jerome Bonaparte personally pinned the medal on Conrobel’s chest.

Although Conrobel had received medals many times before, never had he felt as wonderfully and excitedly peculiar as now.

A small golden medal hanging on Conrobel’s chest felt like a massive boulder pressing on his chest, making it hard for him to breathe.

However, Conrobel believed that the President would surely lead them to victory.

After the medal ceremony, it was time for the formal appointment.

After the Minister of War handed over a letter of appointment to Brigadier General Conrobel, he patted Conrobel on the shoulder and with a complex look in his eyes, earnestly said, "The future of France is yours!"

Conrobel solemnly nodded.

After members of the Bonaparte Faction and Conrobel departed, only Jerome Bonaparte and Minister Reniao remained in the Elysee Palace meeting hall.

"Minister Reniao, how is the situation in the Ministry of War?" Jerome Bonaparte, inviting General Reniao to sit down, inquired.

"Your Majesty, I have preliminarily identified who belongs to us, who doesn’t, and who is inclined towards us!" Minister Reniao responded to Jerome Bonaparte.

Jerome Bonaparte showed a look of amazement; he hadn’t expected Reniao to sort things out in the Ministry of War so quickly after taking the position of minister.

No one who managed to leave a mark in the eighteen-year history of the Second Empire should be underestimated.

"What do you plan to do? Transfer or dismiss?" Jerome Bonaparte asked Reniao.

After hesitating for a moment, Reniao spoke, "Your Majesty, I want to talk to them! If they insist on their original views, I will transfer them."

Jerome Bonaparte looked sternly at General Reniao, internally holding some criticisms of General Reniao’s inability to decisively conduct a purge.

However, he still respected Minister Reniao’s opinion and nodded, saying, "Alright! I’ll leave the matters of the Ministry of War to you! By the way, how is the integration between the President’s Secretariat and the Ministry of War progressing?"

"Despite a small handful holding opposing views, the vast majority still agree with the merger!"

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