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A few hours after the guns went silent over the fields of Sedan, the Austrian commander, Marshall de Valengin, was joined by another man in an old, plain white uniform of the Monarchist France. He looked around the field covered with dead and wounded with pain in his eyes, and then turned his attention to the columns of French prisoners being marched to the northeast.
- Treat them well, Marshall. I know for sure that the vast majority are still loyal to the King and France, it's the Parisian revolutionary scum poisoning the minds of Frenchmen. Most of these men will follow you anywhere now that they are free from the Jacobin traitors...
-Hm.
- On the other hand, show no mercy to those republican and radical officers you captured. We'll deal with them anyway since the way on Paris is pretty much clear right now, and all we need to do now is to free the city, reinstall the King and...
- I know what to do, Count...
Marshall responded as he, for the first time during the entire conversation, turned his face towards de Nogaret. "Looks like you are not exactly an outgoing person, Marshall..."
- I am certain you do, Marshall. I wish I could help you leading the loyal Frenchmen against the traitors, but my request for command was apparently still not approved by the Prince...
-Hmm...
"Goddamn you, this is like talking to a brick wall... "
- Anyway, I will do my best as a civilian. After all, loyal people will be needed once the Jacobin plague in Paris is wiped out and France will be reborn. So, I'll have to leave you here Marshall, as I need to meet the Prince himself in a few hours. So, congratulations on this magnificient victory, and make sure to wait for me when your troops enter Paris! Au revoir, Marshall!
de Nogaret waited for Marshall's response, but he didn't even bother to turn his face towards the Count. Feeling both angry and a bit embarassed, de Nogaret left for Trier, hoping to finally receive his desired position in command of the loyalists marching to Paris...
- Treat them well, Marshall. I know for sure that the vast majority are still loyal to the King and France, it's the Parisian revolutionary scum poisoning the minds of Frenchmen. Most of these men will follow you anywhere now that they are free from the Jacobin traitors...
-Hm.
- On the other hand, show no mercy to those republican and radical officers you captured. We'll deal with them anyway since the way on Paris is pretty much clear right now, and all we need to do now is to free the city, reinstall the King and...
- I know what to do, Count...
Marshall responded as he, for the first time during the entire conversation, turned his face towards de Nogaret. "Looks like you are not exactly an outgoing person, Marshall..."
- I am certain you do, Marshall. I wish I could help you leading the loyal Frenchmen against the traitors, but my request for command was apparently still not approved by the Prince...
-Hmm...
"Goddamn you, this is like talking to a brick wall... "
- Anyway, I will do my best as a civilian. After all, loyal people will be needed once the Jacobin plague in Paris is wiped out and France will be reborn. So, I'll have to leave you here Marshall, as I need to meet the Prince himself in a few hours. So, congratulations on this magnificient victory, and make sure to wait for me when your troops enter Paris! Au revoir, Marshall!
de Nogaret waited for Marshall's response, but he didn't even bother to turn his face towards the Count. Feeling both angry and a bit embarassed, de Nogaret left for Trier, hoping to finally receive his desired position in command of the loyalists marching to Paris...
((Syriana can we get an estimate on the size of the militias in Paris and their equipment please.))
A Declaration By The Phrygian Guard
Antoine Durand offers 120 Phrygian Guards (volunteers) to serve in the Army of the Rhine under the hero, Charles Augereau
Antoine Durand offers 120 Phrygian Guards (volunteers) to serve in the Army of the Rhine under the hero, Charles Augereau
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I wish to make clear once again, in the aftermath of Sedan, that His Majesty Louis-Charles, King of the French, is opposed to the cruel invasion of the Austrians, and the destruction they have wrought; and furthermore exhorts the people of France to fight for their Liberty and Independence against the Austrians. The constitutional developments of the Revolution are truly the will of the Crown; and those who oppose them -and especially the deserters at Sedan- are to be considered traitors to God, King, and Country.
Francisque de St Denis-Paternoster,
Royal Secretary to His Majesty the King of the French
Name: Jean Absolon Guillory, goes by Absolon
Date of Birth: 20 Novemeber, 1770
Estate: Third
Religion: Publicly, Cult of Reason, privately Luciferianism
Culture: Parisian
Biography: Born in Eastern France much of Jeans childhood and family are unknown. At the age of 16 he lied about his age and joined the French Military and eventually served in the Army of the Rhine under General Charles Augereau whom he befriended. During the battle of Sedan Absolon proved himself a capable soldier by providing risky cover fire while his comrades withdrew. After the retreat Absolon was promoted to Colonel and now awaits further orders.
((Cordelier))
Date of Birth: 20 Novemeber, 1770
Estate: Third
Religion: Publicly, Cult of Reason, privately Luciferianism
Culture: Parisian
Biography: Born in Eastern France much of Jeans childhood and family are unknown. At the age of 16 he lied about his age and joined the French Military and eventually served in the Army of the Rhine under General Charles Augereau whom he befriended. During the battle of Sedan Absolon proved himself a capable soldier by providing risky cover fire while his comrades withdrew. After the retreat Absolon was promoted to Colonel and now awaits further orders.
((Cordelier))
Armée française
mettre à jour, Octobre 1792
Secrétariat guerre
Secrétaire d'État à la Guerre: Général d'armée Jacques Nazaire Aulard
Sous-secrétaire d'État à la Guerre: Général de brigade Emmanuel-Philippe du Plessis
Aide-de-camp: Colonel Boniface Sainte-Dévote
état major
Chef d'état-major général: Vacant
Chef adjoint d'état-major général: Vacant
Inspecteur général: Vacant
armées
Commandant de l'armée du Rhin: Général de brigade Charles-Pierre-François Augereau
-Commandant du Corps de Cavalerie: Colonel Jean Absolon Guillory
-Commandant du Corps d'artillerie: Colonel Emmanuel-Philippe du Plessis
Commandant de l'armée de l'Alsace: Général de division Ignace Louis de Loiollac
Commandant de l'Armée du Centre: Général de brigade Javert Valjean
Commandant de l'armée de réserve: Général de brigade Valérian Lémieux
Commandant de la Garde nationale: Commandement direct du secrétariat à la Guerre
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LETTER OF INTRODUCTION
Nom: Emmanuel-Philippe du Plessis, Duc de RichelieuDate de naissance: 25 septembre 1766 [Âge: 25]
État: Deuxième
Foi: Catholique
Culture : Français
Biography:
Emmanuel-Philippe du Plessis enjoyed a privileged upbringing. His eminent lineage can be traced back for centuries, and his family has produced a long line of statesmen in service of the king. Emmanuel-Philippe himself is a trained diplomat, having served with distinction as the plenipotentiary envoy in London and later in Madrid and St. Petersburg before he requested to be recalled to Paris when news of civil upheaval in France reached him.
The recent unrest in France has seen much of the old establishment disintegrate. The long-standing social networks of the ancien regime have faded into obscurity, forcing many of the old families to adapt to the new reality in France. Yet new political circumstances should not lead one to believe that the House of du Plessis is a spent force. Unlike some amongst the second estate -- who laboured in vain to resist the torrent of change that has swept France, and who in their resistance met an untimely end at the hands of some of the most radical revolutionary elements – the House of du Plessis has hitherto managed to weather the storm and, in embracing revolutionary ideals, has reinvented itself as a stalwart supporter of Le Société de Messieurs Français.
Residing in his ancestral home on the family estate – the Château Richelieu – Emmanuel-Philippe has taken a keen interesting in the political activities of the French State, making the château a meeting place for French intellectuals. The Richelieu Library – filled with classical and contemporary works – is increasingly serving as a repository for the literature emerging from modern French conservatism. While a variety of works are in the duke’s collection – from pamphlets to philosophical tomes – his growing interest in the writings and political beliefs of Le Société de Messieurs Français has prompted him to begin compiling their immense intellectual contributions.
The salons at the château are, of course, well attended by adherents to the many ideologies within France. The frank exchange of views – and, for some, the particularly appetizing meals and free-flowing wine – are an attractive and refreshing departure from the stale debate that was characteristic of the absolute monarchy in France.
The old order, which seemed so very much a permanent fixture in France, has given way to an ever-changing social structure. Emmanuel-Philippe, along with so many others of the second estate, must forge for themselves a new identity in the rapidly shifting political landscape of this, our 18th century.
Les Cordeliers - Issue IV
Manifest for a Modern Revolutionary Republic
Le Préfet
In principle, the Revolution has finished. I stood with you on the barricades, once at the Bastille, and again at the Luxembourg, as we clamoured to bring an end to the era of ancien régime. We stood together as Louis XVI, King, ruler, tyrant, opted to stand down to save his life. And that was the end of the battle for liberty that France has fought for many centuries. Or was it? We might have created an opportunity to create a modern Revolutionary Republic, but it is up to us to use that opportunity. There is still much to be done.
France must become a Republic of Virtue, where not heritage and descent are decisive factors for an individual’s standing, but his merit and experience. A farmer’s son should have an equal chance to become First Minister, lawyer or a General as a rich nobleman’s heir. We have achieved liberty, now it is time to put equality into practise. To this end, Paris must become the worldwide capital of enlightenment, a place where Revolutionary thinkers from all over Europe can gather, speak freely and educate the youth.
France must remain a fully sovereign state, free from the influence of any foreign power. No real Frenchman would agree to be subjected to the absolute rule of the Kaiser, and he knows this. However, the Germans have other means to attempt to oppress us, which we must equally oppose. There are some who have given in to the enemy’s attempts to divide us, and if the Austrians have their way these men will reign over us - but we will not yield. Any noble or Monarchist of other ilk who betrays his motherland must be punished as a traitor and enemy of the state.
There is only one way to ensure the future of our nation. The military force must be reformed to be reliable and steadfast. With professional soldiers and inspired officers, we will repel the threat to our nation without a problem. As deserters are dealt with, those men shall remain who have put their hearts and minds into the Revolution, who would put their lives on the line to defend it. Whatever happens, the Cordeliers shall stand by the military as a guarantee of Revolutionary values.
Finally, we must divide the government’s expenses to aid cities and the countryside alike, and help famers develop more durable and reliable ways of growing their crops. No Empire has ever been built on the foundations of a famine, so to ensure the stability of Revolutionary France we must first take care to reduce the devastating effects of a blight. We must put the well-being of the People above expensive traditions of the Monarchist nobility. No war and none of their castles may stand in the way of feeding the ones you love. We recognize that your well-being is the ultimate goal of the Revolution. So, for an end to this devastating war; for an end to oppression; for an end to hunger; vote for the Cordeliers.
Vote for Jacques Nazaire Aulard.
Manifest for a Modern Revolutionary Republic
Le Préfet
In principle, the Revolution has finished. I stood with you on the barricades, once at the Bastille, and again at the Luxembourg, as we clamoured to bring an end to the era of ancien régime. We stood together as Louis XVI, King, ruler, tyrant, opted to stand down to save his life. And that was the end of the battle for liberty that France has fought for many centuries. Or was it? We might have created an opportunity to create a modern Revolutionary Republic, but it is up to us to use that opportunity. There is still much to be done.
France must become a Republic of Virtue, where not heritage and descent are decisive factors for an individual’s standing, but his merit and experience. A farmer’s son should have an equal chance to become First Minister, lawyer or a General as a rich nobleman’s heir. We have achieved liberty, now it is time to put equality into practise. To this end, Paris must become the worldwide capital of enlightenment, a place where Revolutionary thinkers from all over Europe can gather, speak freely and educate the youth.
France must remain a fully sovereign state, free from the influence of any foreign power. No real Frenchman would agree to be subjected to the absolute rule of the Kaiser, and he knows this. However, the Germans have other means to attempt to oppress us, which we must equally oppose. There are some who have given in to the enemy’s attempts to divide us, and if the Austrians have their way these men will reign over us - but we will not yield. Any noble or Monarchist of other ilk who betrays his motherland must be punished as a traitor and enemy of the state.
There is only one way to ensure the future of our nation. The military force must be reformed to be reliable and steadfast. With professional soldiers and inspired officers, we will repel the threat to our nation without a problem. As deserters are dealt with, those men shall remain who have put their hearts and minds into the Revolution, who would put their lives on the line to defend it. Whatever happens, the Cordeliers shall stand by the military as a guarantee of Revolutionary values.
Finally, we must divide the government’s expenses to aid cities and the countryside alike, and help famers develop more durable and reliable ways of growing their crops. No Empire has ever been built on the foundations of a famine, so to ensure the stability of Revolutionary France we must first take care to reduce the devastating effects of a blight. We must put the well-being of the People above expensive traditions of the Monarchist nobility. No war and none of their castles may stand in the way of feeding the ones you love. We recognize that your well-being is the ultimate goal of the Revolution. So, for an end to this devastating war; for an end to oppression; for an end to hunger; vote for the Cordeliers.
Vote for Jacques Nazaire Aulard.
RICHELIEU
VÉRITÉ SANS PEUR
AVOIDING THE AUSTRIAN CAPTURE OF RHEIMS
Rheims Cathedral
Citoyens éminents de France,
The outbreak of war between the Hapsburg Empire and our beloved France is no doubt a source of great concern, particularly on account of the unanticipated success of the Austrians. Their victory at Sedan means that the ancient city of Rheims is all that stands between Paris and the foreign intruder. The capture of Rheims is not only of strategic importance but also of political relevance. The cathedral within that city – where all the kings of France going back to Clovis have been crowned – is the spiritual heart of the country. A French government unable to defend Rheims could not be regarded as enjoying Divine favour.
Potential Austrian Advance towards Paris
Not only would the capture of Rheims allow the Austrian armies to march unrestricted along the banks of the Seine towards Paris, but it warrants mention, noting that many in the French countryside are not yet fully seized of the revolutionary ideals which have readily gripped the nation’s urban population, that the loss of Rheims could easily be viewed by the peasantry as a divine indictment of the new values which lie at the heart of ongoing social change in France.
Perhaps most importantly, although the Hapsburg Empire has communicated her present view at Pressburg that the abdication of Louis XVI is invalid, should the Austrians capture Rheims and subsequently acknowledge the abdication of the former King of France, they would be in possession of the sacred chrism required for the coronation of a new French monarch.
Even if the Office of the Monarch is powerless, the Crown remains a potent symbol with which a great many citizens in the rural reaches of the French Kingdom still identify. The young Louis-Charles, le Petit Roi, has yet to reach the age of majority whereupon he can officially accede to the throne. However, during this period of regency, the Austrians may install an alternate Bourbon candidate to be anointed at Rheims. Although the ascent of this Austrian-backed monarch would be of dubious legality and legitimacy, the fact that he would be crowned at Rheims – and therefore imbued with divine authority – is one which we cannot ignore.
Therefore, it is with great urgency that I inquire: what preparations have been made for the defence of Rheims?
Comptant sur une prompte réponse,
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RICHELIEU
VÉRITÉ SANS PEUR
A LETTER TO THE ARCHBISHOP OF PARIS
Your Excellency the Archbishop,
I am sure that news of the French defeat at Sedan has by now reached the Archbishop’s Palace. And while Your Excellency may view the Austrian success with mixed sentiments, the national anguish and profound loss of life cannot be superseded by the ideological rifts which continue to divide our beloved country.
From the account of the Battle of Sedan which has been relayed to you, Your Excellency may realise that the French artillery has been abandoned to the Austrians after our soldiers fled the field in disarray. As a result, the Army of the Rhine is without her heavy guns. These pieces need to be replenished with great urgency, as the Austrian intruders will not hesitate to exploit any weakness in the French position.
Therefore, I urge Your Excellency to voluntarily part with the many church-bells from the houses of worship throughout France. This act of patriotism will surely not go unnoticed, and the Catholic Church may be able to secure future reimbursement for her generosity. If, however, the dioceses and parishes of France were not to comply, there can be little doubt that the radical and anti-clerical elements within the government will seek to have the bells requisitioned for the artillery foundries. While it may be painful to part with these cherished bells, this act of sacrifice may be the means through which the Divine Majesty secures the place of His Holy Church in the midst of revolutionary upheaval.
Christ can do without bells, the French Army cannot fight a war without cannon. Looking forward to receiving word of Your Excellency’s decision.
Comptant sur une prompte réponse,
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A dispatch reaches Paris....
Jean Absolon Guillory has been named commander of the cavalry detachment of the Army of the Rhine.
Emmanuel-Philippe du Plessis has been named commander of the artillery detachment of the Army of the Rhine.
Signed,
General Augereau commander of the Army of the Rhine
RICHELIEU
VÉRITÉ SANS PEUR
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE WOMEN OF RICHELIEU
LES FEMMES DES DOMAINES DU PLESSIS,
The struggle to preserve the territorial integrity of France is not borne solely by our soldiers but is the collective responsibility of all French citizens.
The faithful mothers and wives who have sent their husbands and sons to do battle with the foreign invader are called again to support their nation.
While the fragile frame of the fairer sex prevents women from enlisting in the army, their frugal ways ensures that the war shall be won in the kitchen just as it shall be on the battlefield.
Many of the French grand-dames have sent their gold and jewels to buttress the national treasury. We ask you only to spare a single pot or pan to be forged into the muzzles of cannon or smelted into grapeshot.
Parishes throughout the ancestral lands of the House of du Plessis are called to come together for this worthy undertaking. The collected utensils will be gathered by local officials and conveyed to the foundries in Paris.
WOMEN, PRAY FOR VICTORY!
Je vous prie de croire, Mesdames, en mes sentiments dévoués,
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RICHELIEU
VÉRITÉ SANS PEUR
A LETTER TO THE COMMANDER OF THE AUSTRIAN ARMY IN FRANCE
To His Excellency Erzherzog Valengin, Commander of the Austrian Forces in France
It is not without risk that I write this letter to you – for there are some amongst the revolutionary rabble who would misconstrue this inquiry as a show of sympathy or even support for the Austrian invasion – but it is with the welfare of my countrymen in mind that I am compelled to set quill to parchment.
Foul rumours have been circulating following the Austrian victory at Sedan. These speculations suggest that the Austrian Army was ordered to execute French captives following the battle. Believing the Austrians to be an honourable adversary on the battlefield, I have placed little credit in the truth of these rumours, and remain confident that the French soldiers who surrendered at Sedan will be accorded the status of prisonniers de guerre (and not that of criminals).
Your Excellency, although propriety has been wholly abandoned by so many in these troubled times, it is a source of hope and assurance that the Continental nobility still abide by a code of conduct that may yet survive the tumult of the age. Knowing that you were present at the site of the engagement, my mind would be set at ease if you would clarify the treatment of French combatants following the defeat at Sedan.
Comptant sur une prompte réponse,
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GM Note:
Apologies for the schedule slippage. At present, there is the potential for a three-part update, so expect that sometime this week.
Apologies for the schedule slippage. At present, there is the potential for a three-part update, so expect that sometime this week.
((Give us part one
I am dying for an update to this game you are the best writer I have seen on this forum.))