Chapter 369: Heaven-Defying Disorder
Outside the Southern Netherlands Parliament Building.
When Carl II met Marquis Wellesley, he was convinced that the latter had brought him news from London confirming reinforcements for Brussels. He was so excited, he almost shed tears.
However, the Foreign Secretary doused him with cold water: "My esteemed Marshal, I personally strongly advocate sending troops to reinforce you immediately, but... I must be frank, the East India Company has encountered some trouble in the Far East. For now, the empire's main efforts must be focused there. Perhaps you can expect parliamentary reinforcements early next year.
"Of course, Parliament will certainly provide you with full support in terms of military funds and weapons."
This time, it wasn't just Carl II; Van der Noot, the Speaker of the Southern Netherlands Parliament, who was standing nearby, also became anxious: "Marquis, you may already understand the situation in Brussels. If we cannot defeat the French quickly, and wait for Austria to free up troops, Brussels will be difficult to hold, and the revolution will fail..."
Marquis Wellesley glanced at him, his voice somewhat cold: "Personally, I don't quite approve of your revolution.
"However, we currently share a common enemy to deal with. Oh, are we to continue discussing this in the square?"
"No, no, we have prepared a sumptuous banquet for you," Van der Noot quickly gestured towards the Parliament Building. "Please, come inside."
In the banquet hall, Marquis Wellesley scanned the dejected officers lining the long dining table and turned to Carl II. "Marshal, are you saying that with only 14,000 French soldiers, you need to appeal to Parliament for aid?"
The Foreign Secretary scoffed and shook his head. In his view, this was merely the Dutch finding excuses for their incompetence.
He impatiently tapped his spoon on the table. He had originally come to Brussels to assess its military advantages, hoping to use them as leverage in negotiations. Instead, he found no leverage, only a group of people expecting him to persuade Parliament to bail them out...
Van der Noot suddenly clenched his fist, his voice filled with righteous indignation: "We should rally the French people to revolution and overthrow that tyrant!"
General Ortelius, the new commander of the National Guard, immediately agreed: "Yes! We have many revolutionaries in Lille, Artois, and other places. We can have them lead the French people in revolution! To fight for their freedom and rights..."
The two men's impassioned outburst caught Marquis Wellesley's attention. He looked at Van der Noot and asked in a low voice, "Are you saying there are members of the Southern Netherlands revolutionary party within France?"
"That's right," the latter nodded. "In the past, to escape persecution by the Austrians, our revolutionaries often hid in northern France. Over the years, we've established many footholds there and maintained good relations with local Liberals."
Marquis Wellesley's eyes lit up. "Within half a month, how many people can you mobilize in France to incite... to call for revolution? And how many people might respond?"
Van der Noot immediately replied: "We currently have over 40 people across France. If needed, we can immediately mobilize 200 revolutionaries to go to France."
Historically, the Southern Netherlands Revolution received support from the French Revolution, and their ties were very close. The Southern Netherlanders often sought "sponsorship" from French nobles sympathetic to the revolution, so many of their people were permanent residents in France.
Van der Noot pondered for a moment, then hesitated: "But the revolutionary momentum in France over the past two years... hasn't been particularly strong. Many who once held revolutionary views have turned into admirers of the tyrant. Especially the ordinary farmers and citizens of France, who, after the tyrant bestowed some benefits upon them, have become content with the status quo.
"Therefore, now is by no means a good time to help instigate a revolution in France."
Marquis Wellesley first glared at him impatiently, displeased. "Do your limited vocabulary not include any other way to refer to a nation's king besides 'tyrant'? Even if we both dislike Louis XVI, we must still show him basic politeness."
"Uh..." Van der Noot suddenly remembered that those he relied upon were all monarchical states, and he could only nod awkwardly. "Yes, yes, I apologize."
Marquis Wellesley narrowed his eyes, gently tapped his spoon on his plate, and said in a deep voice: "In fact, France currently has a powder keg, and if your people can utilize this opportunity, it might just be possible to stir up a storm in France!"
The Governor of Hanover and the Dutch commander beside him looked over in surprise.
Marquis Wellesley's tone carried a hint of triumph: "You must have heard that the French government intends to abolish the traditional rents paid by farmers to their lords, but they have not yet announced a specific plan for how farmers will purchase land."
Carl II instinctively asked, "And then what?"
"That's the chance to plunge France into chaos!"
The others exchanged bewildered glances, clearly not understanding the British Foreign Secretary's meaning.
Marquis Wellesley caught their expressions and sighed helplessly. "Why do you think the French haven't announced the land purchase plan?
"Because the two parties involved—the nobles and the farmers—are too difficult to reconcile.
"The nobles want the farmers to pay enormous sums sufficient to maintain their luxurious lifestyles for themselves and their descendants, while the farmers hope to acquire the land without spending a single penny. For this matter, they would absolutely be willing to hang each other on the gallows!"
It must be said, Wellesley was truly astute, spotting the crux of the problem at a glance.
Historically, the Feuillants, who formed the first government after the French Revolution (the constitutional monarchists), were overthrown because they implemented a Redemption Policy for land that favored the nobility. This policy required farmers to purchase feudal rents and pay a price equivalent to 30 years' worth of land income, leading to widespread discontent among the peasantry.
The Girondins, who followed, abolished all feudal rents but still recognized rents on land not granted by the King. Farmers remained dissatisfied because large tracts of land had previously been bought cheaply by nobles or capitalists, and they were now expected to pay high prices to redeem them.
Consequently, the Jacobins rose up, and, coupled with a famine that occurred at the time, the Girondins faded from power.
It wasn't until the Jacobins forcibly ordered the burning of all noble land deeds and sold land cheaply to farmers that France's land problem was fundamentally resolved.
However, the Jacobins were able to achieve this because the nobility had largely been decapitated by then. Essentially, the assets of the aristocratic class were used to satisfy the interests of the peasant class.
In France at present, however, the aristocratic class remained very powerful.
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