Make France Great Again-Chapter 781 - 772: The Compromise of the Reserve System
When Jerome Bonaparte’s plan for a five-year regular army and a four-year reserve was proposed, it immediately drew opposition from Mr. Favre.
Favre believed that the four-year reserve plan would inevitably cost a lot of money and manpower, placing a heavy burden on the entire French Empire.
"Your Majesty, the current France already bears the burden of nearly 550,000 troops. I can hardly imagine what it would be like to bear a reserve of the same size. Moreover, drafting so many people into the army at once will also affect our development!" Favre said excitedly to Jerome Bonaparte.
If one didn’t understand Favre, they would surely see him as a politician deeply concerned with the nation’s welfare after hearing his words.
In reality, Favre opposed Jerome Bonaparte simply because he personally disliked the Second Empire.
Favre, it could be said, placed his likes and dislikes above the future of France.
"Mr. Favre!" Jerome Bonaparte calmly responded to Favre: "I can tell you clearly, the four-year reserve service will not have a large impact! Because all those drafted into the reserve only need to complete a total of one year of service over four years, serving no less than three months each year, and they can take indefinite leave!
It won’t interfere with the busy farming seasons, and during the reserve service period, the salary of a reserve soldier is only 60% of a regular army soldier!
Those serving can report to military units near their own locations!"
After Jerome Bonaparte explained the uniquely French reserve system again, the entire chamber of the Bourbon Palace fell silent once more.
Even Favre didn’t expect Jerome Bonaparte’s conscription system to be so "humane" that he couldn’t find any grounds to refute it.
After a moment, the representatives from the Bonaparte Faction, having come to their senses, immediately broke into enthusiastic applause.
After the applause continued for a while, Jerome Bonaparte turned his head towards Speaker Bi Yao and solemnly said, "Speaker Bi Yao, the voting can begin!"
Upon hearing Jerome Bonaparte’s command, Speaker Bi Yao quickly cleared his throat and announced the official start of the vote on the proposal to "Abolish the National Guard."
Except for a few representatives of the Republican Faction, the vast majority of representatives voted in favor.
The National Guard was announced to be abolished with the "unanimous consent" of the majority of representatives. Afterwards, Jerome Bonaparte also explained the detailed plan of the four-year reserve to the Legislative Corps, which was also passed by a three-quarters majority.
Subsequently, with Favre having a constipated expression, Jerome Bonaparte strode out of the Bourbon Palace with unwavering steps.
The next day, Jerome Bonaparte personally went to the Council of State and reiterated the words he said the previous day in the Legislative Court.
The Council of State also passed the two plans with an absolute majority, and in the afternoon sent telegraphs to Algeria and the French Mainland.
This time, the National Guard was unable to escape abolition. After the Commander of the National Guard in Seine Province announced the full abolition of the province’s National Guard, a small group of National Guard officers assembled to demand an explanation at the Tuileries Palace.
So, they went together to the gates of the Tuileries Palace, clamoring to seek an explanation from Jerome Bonaparte.
A battalion of Guard Army soldiers responsible for guarding near the Tuileries Palace was informed and immediately took up a defensive position along the necessary route to the palace.
Upon seeing soldiers lined up holding Minie Rifles, the previously heated-headed National Guard officers immediately calmed down and began to speak in a conciliatory tone, asking the Guard Army soldiers to make way so they could enter the Tuileries Palace to seek an explanation.
However, these Guard Army officers coldly told them that anyone attempting to enter the Tuileries Palace without orders would be shot.
With no options, the National Guard officers had to choose to stand in place, hoping that the Tuileries Palace would send someone out to speak with them. After a while, the palace indeed sent someone out.
"I am Vice-Adjutant Vayan to His Majesty. Whatever you wish to convey to His Majesty you can tell me! I promise to convey your message to His Majesty completely and accurately!" Vayan stood in front of the gathered National Guard officers, addressing them.
The National Guard officers immediately surrounded General Vayan, each voicing their grievances to him.
Due to the sheer number of National Guard officers, Vayan felt like he was surrounded by a swarm of buzzing flies, unable to hear clearly what they were saying.
So Vayan shouted: "Quiet down! Listen to me!"
The National Guard officers immediately stopped talking, their eyes all on Vayan.
"I can’t understand a thing when you all speak this way!" Vayan addressed the gathered National Guard, "You should appoint a representative to talk with me!"
As soon as General Vayan spoke, the National Guard officers immediately began to discuss.
After nearly more than 10 minutes of selection, they found the two highest-ranking individuals (National Guard Colonels) to act as representatives for this negotiation and communicate with General Vayan.
The two Colonels detached from the large group and came before General Vayan. Looking at this former chief, who had once served as the Commander-in-Chief of the National Guard in Seine Province, both Colonels felt somewhat apprehensive. They somewhat regretted coming along to cause trouble with these officers.
After all, one graduated from the École Polytechnique, and the other from the Saint-Cyr Military Academy, indicating they both have promising futures ahead.
Now, they actually have to confront General Vayan for a group of people who’ve never attended a single day at military college (most middle and lower-ranking officers of the National Guard were elected), which really seems not worth it.
"Do you have anything you want to say to His Majesty?" General Vayan asked the two National Guard Colonels with a slightly authoritative tone.
"I...we!"
The National Guard officers nervously conveyed to General Vayan that they represent all officers and soldiers of the Seine Province National Guard in imploring His Majesty Jerome Bonaparte not to dissolve the National Guard.
Their argument is that the National Guard is the most important force maintaining Paris, and blindly dissolving it could cause irreparable damage to the order of the entire Seine Province.
"Are you threatening His Majesty?" General Vayan, with a naturally intimidating presence, asked coldly.
"No! Not at all!" the National Guard Colonels quickly explained in fear, "We are not trying to threaten His Majesty, we are also considering His Majesty’s position!"
"Considering His Majesty’s position?" General Vayan sneered at the National Guard Colonels, "It seems to me that you’re considering your own positions! You just think that after dissolving the National Guard, you might be expelled from the army, and that’s why you’re reluctant to disband!"
The two National Guard Colonels couldn’t respond, indeed they had such concerns.
Of course, not only them, but the leaders of the National Guard regiments are also somewhat worried about being forcibly retired.
It’s just that they are much more composed than this group of National Guards.
"I can now clearly tell you that the dissolution of the National Guard is not a decision made by His Majesty alone! It was a decision made after consultations among the General Staff, the Legislative Court, the Council of State, and the Senate! So no individual or group has the right to change it!" General Vayan declared loudly.
The two National Guard Colonels and the lower-ranking officers behind them showed disappointed expressions. Now, it seems their failure is a certainty.
However, General Vayan then abruptly changed his tone: "Although the organization of the National Guard will be disbanded, the military command personnel within the National Guard will be selectively retained and incorporated into the army’s reserve system."
"The reserve system?" The two National Guard Colonels curiously looked at Vayan.
"That’s right! The reserve system!" Vayan nodded and explained the organizational structure of the reserve system to the National Guard Colonels.
After listening to General Vayan’s explanation, everyone immediately realized that the so-called reserve system was just another form of the National Guard. It’s just that joining the National Guard was voluntary, while the reserve system required mandatory participation according to regulations. (The reserve system and active army have two different sets of military service laws, with the reserve system requiring universal military service, and the active army operating on a conscription system.)
"So, all you need to do is go back and wait for notification!" General Vayan addressed the National Guard officers present.
Hearing that their positions might be incorporated into the reserve officer list, the National Guard officers immediately smiled and hurriedly apologized for the disturbance at the Tuileries Palace.
"Alright! Since you already know, then quickly return!" Vayan waved a hand and said to the National Guard officers present.
The National Guard officers immediately left the Tuileries Palace, but they did not know that not everyone could be incorporated into the reserve system.
The prerequisites for being incorporated into the reserve system include having served in the regular army and having held certain ranks in the regular army.
Just these two conditions are enough to eliminate a large number of officers who came into positions through elections.
Without the support of regular army officers, those promoted through elections cannot succeed at all,
Thus, in the following two weeks, the basic structure of the National Guard was thoroughly dismantled.
The reserve system was also methodically established.
