Make France Great Again-Chapter 758 - 749: A Different Kind of War and Peace
After finalizing the budget required, Jerome Bonaparte immediately invited his "lackeys" to the Tuileries Palace to discuss the specific arrangements for the Paris Peace Conference (officially known as the Post-Russian War Management Association). These invitees included industrial capitalists and bankers, truly a gathering of talents.
When Jerome Bonaparte appeared in the conference hall, everyone present directed their attention towards him.
Under the gaze of the crowd, Jerome Bonaparte slowly took his seat on the throne and then began to speak, "Gentlemen, the reason I invited you over today is to discuss with you how this conference can maximize our benefits!"
Saying this, Jerome Bonaparte glanced around at the audience and smiled, "Each one of you present is an elite of society; in terms of making money, ten of me couldn’t match up to you! I hope we can work together to make this Paris Peace Conference a success!"
"Your Majesty, you flatter us!" Baron Schneider, one of the representatives of the industrial capitalists, who had been ennobled by Jerome Bonaparte due to his strategic management during the Crimean War, humbly responded to Jerome Bonaparte by stepping forward, "The achievements we have made are all thanks to your wise guidance!
Without you, we wouldn’t have what we have today!"
As soon as Schneider’s flattery ended, the industrial capitalist camp immediately clamored, "Without Bonaparte, there would be no future for their enterprises!" 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚
In the bankers’ camp, aside from a few bankers with Saint-Simonian ideas, many bankers displayed a hint of discontent on their faces.
Because the subsidies given to the French "entrepreneurs" were essentially taken from them.
Just the railways alone (after the railway bonds were frozen, bankers holding those bonds could only grit their teeth and cut losses to sustain the railways), they had invested nearly 100 million francs.
In addition to the various low-interest loans the government provided to the entrepreneurs, it further minimized their profits.
If not for Jerome Bonaparte relying on wartime policies to freeze large-scale gold transfer channels, and allowing these bankers to offset losses through investments in Austria, they would have long been unable to bear the negative impact of low interest rates.
After all, to a banker, failing to meet expected profits means losses.
Many bankers have already discreetly criticized the Second Empire’s "cut-loss subsidies" policy, although they can only express this discontent privately.
If truly forced to choose between supporting the Republican Faction or the Orléans Faction, they wouldn’t dare.
After receiving Baron Schneider’s flattery, Jerome Bonaparte first showed a pleased smile, then sternly "rebuked" the group of industrial capitalists, saying, "I didn’t invite you here to sing praises, but to ask if you have any advice!"
"Your Majesty, what kind of Paris Peace Conference do you wish to host?" Baron Schneider asked Jerome Bonaparte seriously.
"I want to host a conference that can both showcase the national strength of the French Empire and promote French traditional characteristics!" Jerome Bonaparte, after a moment of reflection, replied to Baron Schneider, "In short, this conference must be different from any previous one; we must emphasize the word ’new’!"
"Your Majesty, it would be easy to showcase national strength!" Baron Schneider replied to Jerome Bonaparte, "We can hold another military parade!"
"Another military parade?" Jerome Bonaparte frowned and, after pondering for a moment, nodded towards Schneider and said, "Let’s do as you suggested!
But if we only hold a military parade, wouldn’t others think that France only knows how to show off national strength through military displays!
We are not Prussia or Russia; we must demonstrate not only our military superiority but also our cultural and institutional superiority, so others will willingly follow us!"
"Cultural superiority? Institutional superiority?" Hearing Jerome Bonaparte’s words, Baron Schneider was taken aback for a few seconds.
"Exactly!" Jerome Bonaparte nodded at Baron Schneider and said, "Military might is just hard power, but culture is the true soft power.
It’s not possible to effectively defeat the enemy solely through force, but culture can subtly and pervasively conquer them.
French culture is the true invisible weapon that can defeat our enemies!"
After hearing Jerome Bonaparte’s words, everyone present instinctively felt a chill down their spine.
"By the way!" Jerome Bonaparte suddenly realized something and patted his thigh, saying to Baron Schneider, "We can move up the date of the upcoming Century Exposition by one month, that should solve the issue!
Baron Schneider, what do you think?"
"Your Majesty, I have no objections!" Baron Schneider, one of the exhibitors of the World’s Fair, replied to Jerome Bonaparte, "However, I’m worried that some foreign exhibits might not be ready yet!"
"No worries!" Jerome Bonaparte shook his head and replied to Baron Schneider, "The duration of this exposition is six months, plenty of time for them to catch up!"
With the approval of Jerome Bonaparte, the Paris Century Exposition, originally scheduled for May 11, was moved up by one month.
Subsequently, Jerome Bonaparte also asked Isaac Pereire, a banker, what opinions he had regarding this decision.
Isaac Pereire told Jerome Bonaparte of his unconditional support for Jerome Bonaparte’s decision.
Immediately, Jerome Bonaparte tactfully raised the matter of fundraising with the industrial capitalists and bankers present, promising that everyone who donated would be recorded.
At this moment, the industrial capitalists and bankers understood why Jerome Bonaparte only invited them and did not call in the cabinet ministers.
It turned out that he wanted them to donate.
However, since His Majesty the Emperor asked them to donate, how could they refuse?
Thus, the industrial capitalists and bankers present generously opened their wallets.
By the end of the fundraising, Jerome Bonaparte had collected a total of 15 million francs, 5 million more than he had anticipated.
"France will surely not forget the contributions you have made!" Jerome Bonaparte nodded gracefully, expressing his gratitude to everyone present.
In the following days, Jerome Bonaparte announced to the public that the World Fair originally scheduled for May would be moved up by a month, while simultaneously establishing the Paris Peace Conference organizing committee, with himself as the head and Baron Haussman, the Governor of Seine Province, as the deputy. This organizing committee had a budget of 10 million francs at its disposal.
Under Jerome Bonaparte’s leadership and Baron Haussman’s guidance, the organizing committee quickly formulated the location and pre-conference arrangements for the Paris Peace Conference.
Soon, it was April 10, less than 10 days until the opening of the Paris Peace Conference and less than a day until the Paris World Fair.
On this day, the Ottoman Empire’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Fuad and the Prime Minister of the Sardinian Kingdom, Cavour, arrived early in Paris.
Jerome Bonaparte immediately ordered them to be brought separately to the Tuileries Palace.
The first to meet with Jerome Bonaparte was the Ottoman Empire’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fuad.
"Mr. Fuad, please have a seat!" Jerome Bonaparte invited Fuad to sit down, then inquired, "How is the situation in the Ottoman Empire currently?"
"Thanks to your blessing! Everything is relatively smooth!" Fuad replied humbly to Jerome Bonaparte, "The Russian Empire has already gradually retreated from the previously occupied lands, and our army has also occupied the Crimea Peninsula."
"That’s good!" Jerome Bonaparte said with a smile to Fuad, "This peace conference is just a formality; you don’t need to worry too much!"
"Understood!" Fuad nodded, then tactfully inquired whether the Danube Duchy was beyond recovery.
It was apparent that the Ottoman Empire still wanted to attempt to reclaim the Danube Duchy.
After all, if the Danube Duchy could be taken back by the Ottoman Empire, the empire’s fiscal revenue would be significantly bolstered.
"I’m afraid it’s unfortunate," Jerome Bonaparte shrugged to Fuad, "The Danube Duchy is destined to become part of the Austrian Empire’s territory!
If your Sultan is willing to take over the grand responsibility of resisting Russian invasion from the Austrian Empire, then it might not be out of the question!"
"Perhaps not," Fuad smiled awkwardly.
Having witnessed the capabilities of the Russian Empire during the Crimean War, how could the Ottoman Empire be willing to take the banner of resisting Russia from the Austrian Empire?
"Then there’s nothing more to discuss!" Jerome Bonaparte responded, then added, "If I were in your shoes, I would consider uniting with the Austrian Empire to restrain the Russian Empire!"
"But between us and the Austrian Empire..." Fuad hesitated.
"Isn’t it just those issues from back in the day between you and the Austrian Empire?" Jerome Bonaparte said nonchalantly, "As long as you’re willing to unite, everything can be put in the past!
I see many areas where your two countries can unite on the Slav question!"
"This..." Fuad hesitated for a moment, then said to Jerome Bonaparte, "I’ll see what I can do!"
As the conversation drew to a close, Jerome Bonaparte asked Fuad if he would like to attend the opening ceremony with him the next day.
"Opening ceremony? Do you mean the opening ceremony of the World Fair?" Fuad asked.
"Besides that, it seems there’s no other opening ceremony!"
