Chapter 1221: Citizens and Defending the Homeland
Joseph nodded. "Proceed as you've suggested. I'll have the General Staff Headquarters coordinate it."
Honestly, he had truly underestimated the fervor of the French populace. The two military academies could only accommodate around eight thousand people, meaning most of the recruits would have to sleep outdoors.
He then instructed, "Have a batch of tents brought from the garrison's warehouses. And field kitchens too; we can't let anyone go hungry.
"As for training, how many instructors do you still need? I'll have General Berthier recall a group of long-serving officers from the front lines..."
To Joseph's surprise, all the issues with recruiting new soldiers quickly resolved themselves.
It wasn't Baron Gottesheim who devised a clever solution, but rather the Parisian citizens who made it possible.
On the outskirts of Paris.
Along the wide King's Highway, the song "Glory and Victory" echoed loudly—"Warriors' ranks stand tall. Resolve and faith etched on every face, glory and victory are our belief..."
Gilles Gaizka had been singing along just hours earlier, but now he was so exhausted he could no longer feel his legs. He simply relied on instinct, shuffling forward step by step.
People constantly strode past him, while others moved even slower.
All in all, countless individuals were converging on Paris along this seemingly endless road. The vast majority were young men.
From their conversations, Gaizka gathered that they were all headed to enlist in the army.
Many smaller towns hadn't established recruitment offices for new soldiers, so people had to travel to larger cities like Paris to enlist.
Gaizka looked up at the low-hanging sun, wanting to quicken his pace, but his legs simply couldn't muster any more strength.
He sighed. 'It seems I won't make it to Paris today...'
He'd heard Vicomte Colbert of his village say that France was surrounded by hundreds of thousands of enemy troops, and those villains could reach Paris at any moment.
Most of the young people in the village, provided their families didn't rely on them for farming, had answered Vicomte Colbert's call and were heading to Paris, ready to fight for their homeland.
Gaizka savored the word 'homeland,' finding it both unfamiliar and comforting.
It was the most popular word in the village now. Almost everyone uttered it constantly. It signified that he was a part of France, and France, like a mother, would always be with him.
Appearing alongside it, typically, were phrases like 'defend the homeland' or 'fight for the homeland.'
Vicomte Colbert had declared that everyone was now a citizen of France, and it was their glorious duty to fight for their homeland.
Whether noble, cleric, or farmer, they were all citizens, and they were all heading to the battlefield together.
Gaizka realized he shared the same identity as Vicomte Colbert and Father Marmont, and suddenly felt a surge of strength in his legs.
Just as the sun was about to touch the horizon, a carriage pulled up beside him.
The elderly woman seated to the driver's left waved at Gaizka. "Hey, young man, are you heading to enlist? Can't walk anymore?"
Gaizka nodded shyly at her. "Yes, madam, I've been walking for three days..."
"Come on up, I'll take you to Paris." The elderly woman gestured towards the carriage.
Someone opened the carriage door.
"Are... are you sure?"
"Yes. Madame Miped helps people who can't walk anymore get to Paris on this road every day," a slender young man in the carriage explained. "I got in this afternoon."
"Thank you so much!"
Once Gaizka was in the carriage, he heard Madame Miped tell the driver, "Monsieur Eric, a little faster. We might be able to make one more trip before dark."
"Madam, have a little mercy on old Toby. Look, he's foaming at the mouth..."
There were six people in the carriage, making it extremely crowded.
But for Gaizka, it was a heavenly luxury.
Soon, he pulled out a loaf of black bread from his bundle and began to chew on it, singing "Glory and Victory" along with the people on the road.
The curly-haired young man sitting opposite him suddenly asked, "Do you know 'Song of Departure'?"
Four people shook their heads, but the young man who had opened the door for Gaizka immediately began to sing: "This triumphant song, opens the gates for us, freedom guides our expedition..."
"It's the most popular song in Paris. I'll teach you."
Indeed, Joseph had specifically adapted the historical "Song of Departure" for this massive mobilization.
This impassioned and stirring piece, hailed as the "second Marseillaise," quickly spread through the streets and alleys of Paris, becoming the battle anthem for everyone opposing the Anti-French Coalition.
The curly-haired young man declared loudly, "Tremble, enemies of France! His Majesty the King leads us to conquer all...
"The homeland calls to us! Victory or death, Frenchmen will brave fire and flood for her...
"Cast off weakness and sorrow, let us raise our muskets, only then can the homeland triumph..."
By the time the carriage entered the Parisian city limits, Gaizka had completely learned the song.
Just as Stanley, the curly-haired young man, had said, people everywhere in Paris were loudly singing "Song of Departure." Along the roadsides, lines of people, holding wooden "percussion cap muskets," were earnestly training.
The carriage stopped.
Madame Miped hopped down from the front and pointed east, telling the young men in the carriage, "Follow this road straight ahead, and you'll find the nearest recruitment office.
"But be prepared. There are so many people coming to enlist that you might have to spend the night on the grass outside the recruitment office. May the Blessed Virgin Mary protect you!"
Gaizka and his companions thanked Madame Miped and soon arrived before the recruitment office.
'Madame Miped must have been mistaken,' Stanley said, pointing at the recruitment office sign. 'There aren't many people here at all.'
Indeed, only two or three hundred people were queued before the recruitment office at that moment, and the line was steadily shortening as registrations were completed.
"Young men, are you here to enlist?" A well-dressed elder gestured towards the six of them.
"Yes, sir."
The elder gestured towards the recruitment office:
"Only this many can register today. Look, it's getting dark. Come stay at my house tonight; my wife has made vegetable chicken soup and mashed potatoes, and you can eat as much as you like."
Gaizka and the others exchanged surprised glances, then cautiously spoke:
"Sir, we might not be able to afford lodging."
The elder immediately feigned anger:
"What are you saying? You're going to fight for the homeland; how could I possibly take money from you!
"Come along, now. Everyone else already has a place to stay. Remember to pray tonight; perhaps you'll be able to complete your registration tomorrow..."
Indeed, tens of thousands of recruits at Paris's two recruitment offices had been welcomed into the homes of enthusiastic Parisian citizens.
Every Frenchman was unreservedly doing everything in their power for the defense of their nation.
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