The second more

The surrender of the Rhine Army was the last straw that broke the French army.

While the Provisional Government was actively organizing confrontation, Marshal Bazin, commander of the French Army Group Rhine, was secretly negotiating with the enemy, and this defection was a blow to the historical republican France. As a result, 170,000 men of one of France's most elite armies surrendered without a fight on October 27, 1870, after being besieged by Metz for 72 days.

At that time, Engels also sarcastically said: "This is an unheard of (ugly) thing (smell) in the history of war." It is a pity that he did not survive to the Second World War, otherwise the performance of the French Third Republic's army would have once again refreshed his three views.

After the surrender of Bazin, the Prussian army pressed the two armies freed up by it to the French Loire Army Group and Army Group North, both of which were then defeated by the main Prussian forces. This is a big blow to the morale of Paris.

Napoleon had foreseen the possibility of the surrender of the Rhine Corps, and issued a military order in advance to "swear to the death for the sake of France".

In the palace of Brennes, the French General Staff has just received a document from the office of the governor in Paris, and General Loureau, who was originally anxious about the battle on the front line, is still methodically issuing operational orders to various war fortresses through telegrams, and they have mobilized a large amount of supplies from the rear to replenish the front line, according to the military order issued by Trochu, all French troops must resist to the point of running out of ammunition and food.

Along with the supplies, there were also army commissars wearing black leather boots and resolute faces, who also held this military order to the front line in their hands.

Lou Flo opened the telegram, paused for a moment, and continued to look down, his expression slowly changing from calm to emotional. The content of this telegram was more painful than a slap in the face.

Because from the first sentence at the beginning, it satirizes the incompetence of the current French army.

On the question of fear of life and death and treason and surrender and the measures taken to prohibit such acts

In the war of liberation against the Prussian invaders, our great French army, especially their generals and junior officers, showed indomitable, persevering, tenacious and courageous heroism. Even those troops who were cut off and surrounded by the enemy maintained high morale and firm faith, and they did not surrender like the enemy, but tried every means to inflict greater damage on the enemy and avoid the enemy's encirclement. It is no secret that our isolated troops, when they find themselves surrounded by the enemy, use every possibility to strike at the enemy and get out of it.

In the army units, can we tolerate the presence of timid soldiers who surrender as soon as they are surrounded by the enemy? Can you tolerate the existence of a cowardly commander who throws off his uniform and flees to the rear in the event of an enemy blow? No, it's absolutely impossible! If we give in to these cowards and deserters, then they will soon ruin our army and destroy our country. Cowards and deserters must be completely eliminated.

Can we also consider as commanders generals who hide themselves in bunkers during battle, oblivious to the situation on the battlefield and the course of the battle? No, it's absolutely impossible! They are liars, not commanders. We must remove these crooks from their posts and demote them to soldiers. If the soldiers are incited to surrender, they are immediately summarily executed, replacing them with brave, strong people among junior officers or ordinary soldiers.

We must come to a conclusion: it is time to stop the retreat. Not a single step can be withdrawn! From now on, that's our slogan. There was a need to tenaciously defend every stronghold, defending every inch of the territory of the Third Reich in France until the last drop of blood was shed. We must seize every piece of our land and do our best to protect it. The Motherland is in a difficult time. We must stop the enemy, repel the enemy, destroy the enemy, and we will do whatever it takes. Prussia was not as strong as the panic makers say, they had reached their limits. If we can withstand the current blows of the enemy, we will surely be able to achieve future victories.

Carrying out this order means that we can defend our country, save our country, and destroy and subdue that hated enemy. Mother France will not take in any traitors!

Command:

1. Commanders and soldiers who lose their weapons, take off their uniforms, flee to the rear, or surrender during the battle will be considered deserters. Any political commissar assisting in command has the right to summarily execute such deserters.

2. All units and units encircled by the enemy should fight to the end without hesitation, protect their equipment with their lives, strike at the enemy from the enemy's rear, and destroy the enemy.

If one's own troops are surrounded by the enemy, every soldier, regardless of his position, has the responsibility to obey the command of his superiors, fight to the end, and break through the blockade. If an officer or soldier does not organize active resistance, counterattacking the enemy, but chooses to surrender, then any means can be used to get rid of them.

3. All commanders have the right to immediately remove from their posts officers who have managed to preserve themselves in battle, who are afraid to exercise command on the battlefield, may consider them as liars, demote them to soldiers, and if necessary, the commissar may remove them on the spot and replace them with brave and strong men of the rank and file or ordinary soldiers.

The French army will not tolerate the presence of traitors!

For the sake of France, swear to die!

The High Command of the Third Reich in France.

Napoleon Bonaparte.

After reading Napoleon's signature at the end, the desperate Le Flow had only one thought: this document simply violated the glorious tradition of France that chose to surrender when the war was unfavorable, and forced the officers and soldiers to cut off the idea of surrender with the punishment of death.

In the past, no matter which regime, the attitude towards prisoners was tolerant, and even the generals of the First Empire were still able to hold important positions in the army of the July Dynasty.

And now, the provisional government is going to be shot because of the ineffective surrender of the war?

He angrily slapped the order on the table, and the other busy civilians stopped their movements and looked at each other as if they were frozen in frame.

No one dared to speak.

Others saw an angry general, staring at the telegram on the table. New hatreds and old hatreds are counted together, and they can no longer be tolerated.

Levlo gritted his teeth and said, "This is preparing to drive the French army to a dead end!" No, I have to go to the Tuileries Palace to find that guy, what the hell is he thinking! ”

Lou Le Flow stood up, removed his military cap from the hanger, walked out of the door of the General Staff of the Army, and walked in the direction of the Tuileries Palace.

At the same time, after the start of the Franco-Prussian War, Captain Stowell was urgently recalled from Berlin to Paris to be transferred to the Lukawa Corps, but an order from Napoleon temporarily interrupted his trip.

Colonel Stowell walked into Napoleon's office nervously, his heart pounding, he had never had a face-to-face conversation with the rumored resurrection of the Emperor, and he did not know what kind of character they called the Parisian devil.

However, when I opened the door, I saw a face that was exactly the same as the one in the portrait.

"You may be seated, Colonel Stowell."

Napoleon cordially beckoned him to sit down, and stared with interest at the bearded middle-aged man, who was going to defeat the Bavarian Second Army at Kulm, who had already known the Prussian army in Berlin, and who was by far the most suitable candidate.

And he has a very urgent task in his hands, which needs to be handed over to the other party to deal with.

"What can I do for you, Your Excellency Napoleon."

"Of course."

Napoleon took a deep breath and said slowly, "Before I make my request, there is a question that needs to be answered by you. ”

Colonel Stowell immediately sat upright, waiting for the next sentence to be spoken.

"For the sake of France, will you see death as home?"