Revolution and Reaction - A (very) French Victoria II Interactive AAR

[Dadarian]

- Private -
Letter to @99KingHigh​

To Monsieur A.F.L Bertier. Sauv.,

Due to the recent events within the fine city of Toulouse, I find myself imprisoned and disarmed. My efforts, although I admit fully in the favour of myself and the remaining Verdets, represent the death of the Verdets in the South. This was the final hurrah of the open Verdet gang. However, the Napoleonic Baron has been removed, the Bonapartiste Captain in chains, and the King in full control of Toulouse. While my own situation remains unfortunate and the Verdets soon to be disestablished, the Cause as a whole benefited greatly from this venture.

Now, if you would be so kind, may I please be released from these shackles that grace my person?

Vive la Roi,

Boucher.

 

[Cloud Strife]

Toulouse, September 6, 1815

Saint-Cyr was busy at his desk, validating orders and sending advice to his subordinates. The city and countryside were pacified, the main ringleaders of both factions in the riot jailed, and soon he would compile the official report of the incident. Now, what was needed were orders from Paris on what to do with this "surplus" of prisoners; would they be paroled, jailed long-term, or worse? Such matters were beyond the scope of the Army but Saint-Cyr hoped for mercy--both for the Veteran's League and the Verdets--in order to further the cause of national reconciliation.

It was unsurprising the Allied occupiers were concerned with the mobilization of a entire Corps to the South--along with Angoulême's extant forces--but daily reports requested by the Foreign Ministry? Surely, they could rely on the dispatches he had prepared at regular intervals for the consumption of the Cabinet.

I have received your letter (@Syriana) and request and will direct my Staff to forward a copy of the dispatches the Cabinet requires to the Foreign Ministry directly. If there are any concerns among the Allied powers regarding our operations here, I ask that you forward them to me so that I may provide the answers your Department needs. As of this writing, I am confirm the main ringleaders of the riot are safely in chains, awaiting the King's justice.

Veuillez agréer, Monsieur, l'expression de mes sentiments distingués,
M. Saint-Cyr

 

[Sneakyflaps]

The gilded white walls, the ornate furniture, the servants who stood at the doors, Lassey was as the old Prince remembered. It had brought him much unhappiness that Napoleon and his ilk had ruined his home, the palace that he had spent decade upon building. At the very least Louis now earned a minor fortune by renting out the Palais Bourbon to the Chamber of Deputies. He could make do with the Hotel de Lassey, even if he was disappointed.

Many pleasures had been taken from old Condé. His wife had died two years prior, following over 40 years of happy companionship. His palace had been remodeled to such a degree that it was no longer a residential palace. His family’s historical seat at the Château de Chantilly had been destroyed during the revolution, but luckily the extensive treasure of art had been saved. His grandson had been executed in the most illegal way, of which God could only condemn. He had gotten over the loss, he still had another grandson and he loved him even if their relationship had never been quite similar to his legitimate grandson.

What the old Prince could not get over was every morning when he was woken. The aches in his back, the pain in his knees as he stood up, the continued loss of sight, loss of hearing and perhaps worst of all, the rot in his teeth. Most of his food intake had been reduced to soup, he could chew very little with his teeth. What else of enjoyment he had for food or drink, his stomach had trouble to handle. So now as he sat down at the end of his own table, with the servants at the side, bringing food and drink, he began to enjoy another soup as he read the various letters which had arrived.


To Henri Jules de Bourbon, Monsieur de Bourbon (Etranger) -Private-

Dearest Henri

It gladdens me to hear news from you, I hope you found the crossing from England to be pleasant. Paris has indeed changed, and it is only for the better, for this is the taste of liberation from the tyranny of the Bonapartists. Order shall soon be restored and we may return to old ways which preserved France for centuries.

I fully hope that Paris shall soon return to its senses, while some may welcome a bohemian lifestyle, it is all the more important that we return our focus onto our traditions. Therefore your decision to stand for deputy cannot exactly be said to please me, it is below your station to stand amongst such common rabble, you are a Bourbon, a son of Condé, even if you are illegitimate. I cannot give you my full support for this endevour, but I shall not stand against you either, I can only hope that you will do us proud in the position which you now seek to occupy. However, I shall send 1000 francs with this note, if you wish to use it on your candidacy in the Chamber of Deputies or to live pleasantly in Paris shall be left to your own choice.

You happen to be mistaken about your father, he returned not long ago and now once again lives in the Château de Saint-Leu, no doubt he shall write soon. As for Louise, I have yet to hear from her but I expect her to return within the coming months.

I still pray that you will take up the sword like our house has always done, you need only ask and I shall find you a fitting commission.

Take care,
Louis

To Claude Louis Marie de Beauvilliers, 7th Duke of Saint-Aignan (Marschalk) -Private-

Monsieur le duc de Saint-Aignan

It pleases me to read your letter, thinking about the past in which we fought on the field of battle for God, King and country. Especially your warm words about my person bring me much joy to read.

It is most pleasant to be back in France, in our homeland, my constant dreams have finally come true and the true monarchy has been restored. It is the first step on the road to recovery. Bonaparte has stripped our nation bare and left France to decimation for his own shortcomings and failures, his true origin showing, he was never anything more than an upstart.

But for all of this, our France is still filled with sickness, the poverty that fills the street, the noble houses that have been ruined cast a dark cloud onto the prospects of our proud Kingdom and it must be reversed if we ever hope to strive for goodness once again. I agree with many things your Grace say, the army must once again be filled with men loyal to the Crown, to France and the monarchy. If we the armies of his Majesty is controlled by opportunists and men of low character, then there can be no doubt that no long term stability or prosperity shall be ushered in during this new and glorious restoration era. The uprising during the 100 days have only all the more proven to us that capable and loyal officers in charge of His Majesty’s army is needed now more than ever. I pray that I may convince his Majesty in the future to appoint men of true character, integrity and loyal to not only his person, but his family and the monarchy. I myself would take up command if my health would let me, much rather defend our kingdom than sit and eat soup.

It is clear what must be done, the old order must rally to save the king before he falls to ill advise of lesser born creatures of ill faith and poor manners. If France is to recover, then the old privileges, titles, lands and fortunes be restored full haste. Any new Kingdom must be built on the justice and honour.

If you wish to speak more with my person then I invite you to pay me the honour of your visit. My advise for you though is simple, serve God, His Majesty and France, beware of the all the new men who so eagerly seeks his Majesty’s blessing, for only through sincere action with no hope of reward can their loyalty be proven. Not by pretty words, deep bows or proclamations of loyalty with no risk to their person and their property. It is easy to serve while there is no risk, only by being willing to risk your own in service of God, King and France can you truly be worthy of reward and favour.

Vive le Roi
- Louis Joseph, Prince of Condé

As he finished the letters the Prince stood up and looked out the window. France needed to be restored, and it was up to the old order, as it had been so many times before, to carry it out.

 

[Noco19]

An Article
Hercule Vipond, duc de Piombino​

The generosity of the Marquis de Bezonvaux was grand, most especially given the political divide between the two men, and so it was that the Duc de Piombino was cleared of the wracking anxieties that had haunted him since the fall of Napoleon. The two discussed much, though the Duc de Piombino steered clear of the dreadful topic of politics and state of France, instead filling the conversational void with literary recommendations. The Marquis de Bezonvaux would very quickly learn of his counterpart's fascinatin with the great men of history - Caesar, Alexander, and so on; perhaps this was quite telling of his personality.

But regardless, again returned the specter of doubt as news filtered its way into the Hotel de Cluncy. Violence between the peoples, as veterans of the Grand Armee bled in the streets of Toulouse. The Duc de Piombino turned beet red at this news, for his internal anguish could not be contained, yet he stifled a sob. A champion for France was what he considered himself, but now it moreso resembled some sort of chaotic waste, far flung from the glories of the Empire, from the dignity of the ancient monarchy. Was this to be his legacy, an agent for the dark age of modern France?

So it was that the Duc de Piombino took to drafting an article, one designed to address the French people. He had acted the part of a coward before, refusing to leave his room for fear of reprisal, much to the happiness of his host, but he could no longer play the part of a mouse. Although it was a herculean task for him to accomplish, in truth, the Duc de Piombino's work was short and lacking real genius, however its contents would likely be of a controversial sort in light of his perceived status as a Bonapartist agent.

Sending it out to his various contacts in Parisian journalism, the article become known short-hand as the Piombino Paper, and it read thusly:

___

On My Nation and Home
​

My heart aches and I stand aghast at the happenings in France, the land of high culture and of power; we are reduced to wars in the streets in anger. Veterans of the Grand Armee, dignified men in dignified uniforms, are shot dead without glory.

This is not what I dreamed for France, nor is it something that I can bear to witness. I cannot stand silent any longer, seeing my countrymen lain bloodied in the sewers, senseless death without a cause to carry on their soul into eternity. Most especially as I sit in relative safety, yet am I not one who put us towards this madness?

I call upon all, those who stand as proud Frenchmen, to lay down arms, not in surrender, but in peace, the greatest glory for those who have been through what our nation has indeed traversed. There is no shame in forgiveness, and I wish this forgiveness to be extended to all as it has been extended unto me, for I cannot bear another Toulouse.

Even now, I am host to one who has seen fit to act as a Christian, sheltering me who once could be considered an enemy to his sensibilities. I can only hope that this same sense of fraternity can sweep over France once again, and in this letter, I hope that at least one mind is mended towards peace.

___
​

Most prominent for readers was the Duc de Piombino's call for unity, a surprise for those that believed him to be an advocate for continued, Bonapartist resistance, given his close ties to the deposed Emperor. And while he spoke generally, it could be inferred that his address was one pointed at his fellow Bonapartists.

However, others could just as easily read this as a plea for the government to grant amnesty and mercy to remaining resistance, as well as a backhanded diatribe against the vile royalist mobs who threatened his own person. Indeed, the Duc de Piombino was a fierce opponent against the one they call Le Boucher, calling him a "rat-faced man with a rat-faced soul."

Overall, contemporary commentators reckoned that the Piombino Paper was born out of desperation, fear, and the crushing notion on the Duc de Piombino that he had in fact played a part in destroying France. All of which were correct assumptions at that present time.

 

[Rolman99]

Samuel Pierre “Père Grosbarbe” (Father Bigbeard) Lemercier
Born: April 6, 1779
Birthplace: Bordeaux, France
Residence: Bordeaux, France
Religion: R O M A N C A T H O L I C
Profession: Street preacher
Department: Gironde
Social Class: Urban lower class/lesser clergy
Political Beliefs: Ultraroyaliste

Biography: Samuel never knew his father. Or his mother, for that matter. He was an orphan through-and-through, found abandoned as an infant in a ditch on the outskirts of Bordeaux. He was taken in by monks and raised by them, learning how to read and becoming an ardent Catholic. He claims to have memorized the bible by age 12. During the revolution, in 1795, Samuel’s monastery was burned to the ground and the teenaged Samuel narrowly escaped the revolutionaries by shouting revolutionary slogans until he escaped. After that, he donned a priest’s robes, and began to operate outside of Poitou, known popularly as the “Boy Preacher”, known for his fiery sermons and thinly-veiled insults against the Republicans and then the Bonapartists, insults that forced him to flee into the wilderness multiple times throughout the days of the Republic and the Empire. In 1811, he returned to Bordeaux and became a street preacher, and his large beard earned him the nickname Père Grosbarbe-- Father Bigbeard. He’s gained a bit of a following from the town drunks and prostitutes, along with the downtrodden in general, and he lives off of alms and sleeps wherever people will have him. Possessive of a rough charisma of sorts, Samuel has come out in staunch support for the Restoration, and preaches the glories of divine right and the church.​

 

[99KingHigh]

((I will be posting a rundown on the military of France, it is a bit weird now that Louis XVIII has basically created "department" armies.))

 

[Mikkel Glahder]

At the estate of Marshal Moncey, Paris

"It has all gone to hell down south. He thought, at least they got it under control... somewhat. Bloody white terror, hunting people because of they openly express their political view. What a horrible world we live in. Utterly terrible. Maybe I'll be the next one they hunt." His thoughtstream was cut shot by his servant who arrived with the glass bottle of wine and a glass Moncey had requested. "Ahh Clément, please place it at the table and leave me." "Yes sir," Clément replied and left the library in which the elderly Marshal of France was standing in. "It is indeed severely distressing. Hopefully me and my family are safe and hopefully the king trusts me enough to offer protection. Or well, the Prussian king, I am in Paris after all."

He sat down in his most comfortable chair and poured himself a glass of rosé; he had explicitly told his servant to bring him red wine. A sudden realisation came to mind. What if his servant loathed him so much that he had mixed red and white wine. Whatever had happened, Moncey was now severely annoyed and forgot his train of thought concerning the troubles in France. So annoyed in fact, that he unknowingly took a sip of the rosé wine and thought of his now useless servant, "Can't even bring me the right wine. A disgrace." After Moncey looked at the bottle, he could see it wasn't even from France. "It's even worse than I thought." In his rage, he suddenly thought about his father who was widely against him joining the military. He was a lawyer and at his death had left Moncey with an enlarged book collection. He knew some of the books were of a certain... questionable taste. So was the rosé so he decided to kill two birds with one stone. Drink the wine he had not requested and read a badly written book. He stood up and took a book with an intriguing pink book cover. "The Lusty Housemaid from Bourgogne". He said the name of the book with a certain wroth, as if he had just insulted someone.

He opened the book and on the first page it only said: "Based on a true story." Moncey had no idea what this book was about to reveal to him. With quotes such as: “No, Délia it doesn’t. Firstly, I don’t make love to simple maids. I shag… hard. Secondly, there’s a lot more paperwork to do, and thirdly, you don’t yet know what you’re in for. You could still run for the hills. Come, I want to show you my room of special pleasure.” and “Oh mon Dieu, the paperwork”, Moncey came to the conclusion that the book had revealed nothing but an uncertain lust for less. He knew his father's book taste was bad, but this horrid? He was terrified. "I have to get away from this." He thought and decided to write a letter.


To the most honorable Duc of Saint-Aignan, Claude Louis Marie de Beauvilliers - Private @Marschalk -

Spoiler

​

Dear friend and colleague,

It has been quite a while hasn't it my dear friend? It is always sad when events such as the revolution seperates people who were getting along so well. Now, we both have servants and house and estates and both have large titles under our belts, both most honorable peers of France. Here the other day, I thought about what trouble the realm was in. However my thoughs were disturbed by my servant who brought me rosé instead of my favorite red wine. Can you believe it? Utterly, utterly terrible.
Anyhow, I did not write to you because of my servants incompetence, but rather that I wish to meet you once again. Maybe at one of mine or your estates, where we can discuss politics and litterature in private, without the public nagging.
As a side note, if you ever find yourself with a copy of the book called: "The Lusty Housemaid from Bourgogne", dispose yourself of it immediately. I found it in my father's old collection of books. I have never been in a bigger shock than after I read that book. Utterly terrible.

Your's truly

​

​

 

[oxfordroyale]

- Private -

A report from Lieutenant Alexandre Louis Desrosiers, baron de Roybon, to Captain Raymond Garneau, 2nd Battalion, 1st Cuirassier Regiment, dated 23 August 1815.​

Dear Captain Garneau,

I have made additional preparations since we last spoke. The men and mounts are in good order and eagerly await your command to march, should it be given. While a select few have expressed dissatisfaction at the prospect of departing Paris so soon, I have done my utmost to quiet these complaints and am confident that such unproductive sentiments will not prove obstacles to a potential mission. The chaos and violence currently raging in the south weighs on all our minds, and animates us to action; my fellow officers and I are more than prepared to bring discipline and order to the streets of Toulouse, for ensuring the safety of all French citizens is our chief interest as officers of the Crown.

I now broach another matter for your consideration. Upon my assignment to this regiment not two months ago, I observed that many of my platoon were indulging in behavior most unbecoming of Christian soldiers; this included frequenting brothels and drinking to excess while in uniform. Without prompting from a superior officer and with no guarantee of success, I took it upon myself to cure these particular men of their sinful degeneracy and encourage them towards more wholesome activity. I am pleased to report that my efforts have met with substantial success, with all but three of the twenty-five I approached having since realized the error of their ways and adopted lifestyles more befitting their solemn duty as soldiers. I would reckon that our platoon is now the most morally upright of any in the company -- furthermore, I have no doubt that this change will have myriad benefits with regards to combat efficiency.

I trust that you shall keep my abreast of any developments regarding upcoming deployment. You have my sincere thanks and appreciation for trusting and confiding in me as you have, for I am merely a subordinate officer. I want to say, sir, it is an honor to serve under your command.​

Your most obedient servant,
Lieutenant Desrosiers​

 

[Dadarian]

- D'où? -
par Emile de Couteau
​

From where is the expectation,
That we are to remain bound by restraint,
Whilst the enemy run rampant?

From where is the desire,
That we are to watch furtively,
Whilst the storm gathers and levees break?

From where is the goal,
To stand atop the highest tower,
And sneer at the approaching hordes?

From where,
Do we,
Need,
Want,
Anything without a fight?

A true man,
A strong man,
An honest man
A loyal man,
Does not quibble.

A soldier,
A peasant,
A priest,
Will not accept.

I will not abide,
I will not withdraw,
I will not retreat.
​

For I am me,

For I fight for He,

Before Him, I am eternally thanked.​

 

[Dadarian]

Les Hommes react to the "Piombino Paper"
​

"Utter nonsense" gurgled one businessman, fat off the sales of his previously looted goods.

"Who is he writing to? The mob can't read this." inquired a more distinguished member of Les Hommes.

"Mon Dieu, I can't even read it." exploded a former Verdet leader, now a common security provider.

"The irony of a Bonapartist decrying the needless loss of men over failed ideology and mob violence is of the highest order." hawed the final, his pretense of intellectualism coming from his ability to read and his barely fitting glasses.

All guffawed good naturedly at Piombino as they drank cheap wine in their clubhouse, poor men at last thinking they have one over a higher born.

 

[TJDS]

​

Le Dioclétien was founded by Alain Augustin Tremblay, the Comte Dhuizon, the Marquis Valence, Jacques Mayer de Rothschild and Victor Durand in 1815 and was first published on May 8th of that year. The paper sought to fill the vacuum in French political life of a national paper and magazine promoting the Doctrinaire interests and views of French Society and the Government. In the context of the first Parliamentary Election after the Bourbon Restoration it came to flourish as an alternative to the Ultraroyalist La Gazette as a loyalist publication with more moderate tendencies. The paper was named after the Roman Emperor Diocletian, who, in the view of its publishers and those aligned with the Doctrinaire factions, was likewise a rightful monarch who eventually regained his Dominion after a prolonged period of anarchy, and because he executed extensive reforms in the aftermath in order to restore the peace, comparable to the restored King Louis XVIII le Désiré of France and Navarre.

Le Dioclétien was organised around the Doctrinaire leaders who founded the newspaper, with all founders being appointed to the Board of Trustees, which officially owned the newspaper, could veto any decision by the daily leadership and appoint said daily leadership in the form of the Editor-in-Chief. The first Editor-in-Chief was Alain Augustin Tremblay, a prominent founder of the newspaper and respected journalist in Doctrinaire circles. The Charter and indeed the first publication of Le Dioclétien were published on four Koening presses gifted by Victor Durnad, who had acquired them from its designer Friedrich Koening through his business associates in the Netherlands. These Koening presses would remain Le Dioclétien's primary means of publication for the dawn of its existence.

Among its first publications was the famed Charte des Dioclétiennes, or the Charter of the Diocletians, setting out the views of the Magazine and with it becoming the most prominent ideological manifesto of the largely unorganized Doctrinaires. Following is the shortened and translated original text of the Charter:
​

"WE, the Founders and Readers of this Newspaper, on May 8th in the Year of Our Lord 1815, do hereby profess our loyalty and support to the Kingdom of France, King Louis XVIII, the Charter of 1814 and the Order and Stability guaranteed and protected in French Society by His Royal Majesty's Government and His Royal Majesty's Charter. It is in its order and its effectiveness that we find hope that France may once again withstand the Tides of Empires and the Test of Time in Lux et Libertas.

It is OUR expressed belief that to uphold the strength and prosperity of France and the French, that citizens and Government alike should hold true to the Calls of Order and Virtue and oppose at all times and from all sides the dangerous affairs of Revolutions and Terreurs. As the violence and radicalism with which such acts have been pursued in the past are detrimental to the Kingdom of France and the values and morality of the French.

Furthermore, WE shall stand in defence of the Freedom of Trade as a means to secure and protect the prosperity of this Monarchy and its People, and in opposition supporting regression towards Autarky or the implementation of harmful policies of Protectionism, as it is deemed proven by the failure of these harmful policies around the world that the support for and expansion of the Freedom of Trade is the only way to obtain and sustain prosperity and wealth.

Lastly, WE do without any reservation endorse the principles of Free Press as the principal guardian of the truth and the means with which the people and Kingdom of France may remain enlightened and civilized and shall defend and respect these principles in our publications and other works.

This WE, the Founders and Readers of this Newspaper, DO AFFIRM."​

General Information:
Type: Daily Newspaper
Format: Broadsheet
Owner: Board of Trustees
Editor-in-Chief: Alain Augustin Tremblay
Founded: 5 May 1815
Political Alignment: Doctrinaires
Headquarters: Paris, France​

 

[ManuelD'Garkia]

Le Républicain Révolutionaire.
5 Fructidor XXIII

Light in the tunnel: We must show that we will resist.
​

- Brothers, France is in a bigger turmoil that we all thought, in the North the foreigners keep us within their Iron Fist and in the South the Verdets commited one last crime, because even if I have no esteem for the Bonapartistes, the slaughter that happened is unconcibable and just keep showing us how the Acien Régime just want to return us all to the Dark Ages.

But in the middle of all this, as yesterday at night I roamed through the streets of Paris, I saw and participated in an act that two brave men where doing, an act that showed me and that most show all of you that not all is lost, and that we are not as few as it may appear, that the people of Paris is willing to fight for a new République.

The night was cold and silent, and I didn't expect to see anybody, but I recieved the greatest suprise when I saw two men trying to get a pole with a flag on top of a building. At first I thought they where some ultradogs, but when I got nearer, I saw they where bringing our tri-colour to the top of a building.

For a second I doubted, but I decided to get near, and after I gave them the question and they gave me the answer, I wasted no time in helping them getting the flag on top of the building.

Once it was up, I got on the rooftop and stayed with them for a while before leaving. Those two men are one of the bravest men I have encountered in these dark times, and they should be an example of all of us, so my brothers and fellow Revolutionaries, I ask you two follow the example of this brave men, lets show the reactionaries and tyrants that the people of Paris, the people of France, will not accept the return of the dark ages and the Ancien Régime no more, show them that they are not accepted here anymore and if they don't leave by peace, we would expel them by force.

If the two men see this, I want to say that we are all proud of you, and that you are a true example for the Révolution, heroes of the République, and under our example, lets all show our discontent with our flags and songs, let Le Marseillaise be singed again in the streets of Paris, let the Republicain joy flood us all again, as we will never surrender.

And remember,
Vive la Révolution, vive la République!

 

[Shynka]

To Monsieur A. Bertier, @99KingHigh

The troubled times which France underwent were unnecessary and terrible, but now I know they have taught me one lesson; sometimes it is necessary to spill the blood of the few in order to prevent a tyranny that will destroy the lives of many. The unrest in the South was a terrible remnant of the times of anarchy that we all witnessed, and I applaud all men who helped end it; may the King’s peace be now maintained forever.

I hereby ask Monsieur to look with Mercy upon the prisoners captured who fought not to enrich themselves or to bring back Bonaparte, but to preserve the rule of the King over all of France. Their methods may have strayed a bit from the path of civility, but in the face of revolutionary terror who can blame men for letting their passions getting the best of them? I ask humbly that you release all remaining loyalist Verdet prisoners, and promise my eternal friendship and gratitude if you do so.

The Comte de Saint-Germain

 

[oxfordroyale]

THE MILITARY CAREER OF ALEXANDRE LOUIS DESROSIERS, 3RD BARON DE ROYBON

Part III: The Occupation of Toulouse (1815)​

When news of the “Battle” of Toulouse reached Paris in late August 1815, Marshal Saint-Cyr quickly sprang into action by gathering all available forces in the city for a rapid march south -- this included Major General François Paul Bournier’s division to which the 1st Cuirassier Regiment was attached. Lieutenant Alexandre Louis Desrosiers, as part of the Regiment’s 4th Battalion (now beneath the umbrella of the newly-christened IV Corps), was one of many tasked with enforcing martial law in Toulouse and its hinterlands in the wake of nearly a week of rioting by ultraroyalists and Bonapartists alike. The region was divided by the Marshal’s bureaucratic staff into sectors to facilitate thorough and efficient patrolling, and Alexandre’s platoon was assigned to patrol the eastern sector of the city and ensure that a curfew was enforced. While they were not to molest the locals during the day except for in specific circumstances, come nightfall the civilian populace was subject to strict movement restrictions. Checkpoints were established at gates and along major thoroughfares, forcing travelers to submit themselves to questioning and making it difficult for wanted dissidents to operate with impunity. Alexandre was personally involved in the arrest of three wanted rioters after their botched attempt to circumvent one of these checkpoints.

The last time Alexandre had visited Toulouse prior to August 1815 had been over a year earlier as part of one of the final battles of the War of the Sixth Coalition, and his last engagement as an officer in the Grande Armée. The irony of arresting veterans of that same force under the authority of the Bourbon monarchy was not lost on him, and initially brought him some disquiet; however, while he had previously expressed his distaste for the Verdets to friends and family, his opinion of the so-called “Veteran’s League” fast approached similar depths as the true extent of their actions became apparent. "It comes as a great shock to me that these brave soldiers of France could be capable of such blind and blood-soaked folly," he wrote in a letter to his sister Celeste after a week in the city. "What particular breed of madness compelled them to march south of their own volition, to foolishly respond to organized violence in kind, is beyond me to even imagine."

The platform of the League was similarly offensive to his sensibilities -- while he had been a Napoleonic officer himself, Alexandre saw nothing positive in glorifying a war which had only served to swell (and then deflate) the Corsican’s monstrous ego. While he was proud of having served beside his fellow soldiers in battle, he was under no illusion that the Spanish campaign had been anything other than a brutal, thoroughly un-Christian war; it was his firm belief that any and all pretensions to the contrary with respect to that conflict and others were harmful in the extreme. With the League’s founder, Captain Lécuyer, having been maligned by some as a Bonapartist in rather convincing terms -- accusations which seemed borne out by his recent activities -- Alexandre’s reluctance to join the organization grew into vehement opposition towards its very existence. A charity for veterans was all well and good, but an association with a blatant ideological bias and a proclivity for violence was tantamount to treason. Furthermore, the fact that he, as a veteran of the Grande Armée, was now likely to face criticism for the actions of these few enraged him to no end. He was a soldier of the Emperor no longer, having pledged his heart, body and soul in service to the King, and was disgusted that his former brothers-in-arms could stoop to such base disloyalty.

((Part IV coming when I actually have something to do ...))

 

[ThaHoward]

Lothaire sat in his most comfortable cell. He looked out of his window on the beautiful French countryside. Was this the last days he would see his beloved France? He who only wanted to help his fellow brothers, but were now in self-surrendered custody because events spiraled out of control. He had summoned his wife who were nearby, but they were not allowed to see eachother. However he would be able to get hold of letters and mainstream media. He read an interesting letter from a man who called himself Rotschild, a true philantrope. But perhaps the prospects of real change for his former brothers in arms were now for nothing due to the recent events. He eitherway chose to reply to Rotschild and would write an article to the new paper - assuming he would be allowed to publish it.

((Letter to @Davout )).

Spoiler

Dear Jacques de Rotschild,

Forgive my late reply, but as the letter reached my home I was already on my way to Toulouse. I am certain you have heard of that dreadful day, indeed I have read an article you wrote about that horrible day. Suffice to say I was busy, and I have just gotten the letters and correspondance from home, but yes my health is good. It is now even more fitting that you wished that, but I am in good shape and hope you are in good health too.

Now to actually comment on your content: Now I too admire that you have laid out plans for employing veterans, and that you at all make these great halls of manufacturing to the benefit of all of France. And yes I am expecting a child, and hope to see him and my wife if God and King permits that. Now I understand that you are concerned bout employing former soldiers and that some may still be revolutionary and Bonapartists - especially in the light of recent events.

But that is precise what I intended with this movement. See it from the perspective of the veterans. They come home, they come home to a France that no longer want them. They see them for what hav happened in the past instead of seeing what they can BE in the future. That they too can be part of a future France. Instead they are tossed off to the street to certain poverty and certain doom. Top the unemployment with disgrace, with humiliation. How would that make a man feel? Now also picture the situation of the veterans in the south. They were murdered in the hundreds by the Verdets! They were being harassed daily, and for what? That they chose a profession at a wrong time? Most were even forced to serve in the Grand Army! And now they face not only humiliation, not only poverty but indeed threats to their very lives and many paid their lives!

Now they reached a boiling point. I came to Tolouse to hope to calm the situation, to show them that it was people who looked after them. But it was a little too late. They had enough, they would not have done so if they had not been pressed! And when I were there, the very first thing that happened was that organised mobs met me with pitchforks! And I had even had threats against my person just because I founded the league. Now I won't say that one side fired first, or the other, but I am pretty sure this would not have happened if the Verdets simply allowed us to gather and seek fraternity. Now back to the point, what I hoped was to indeed end the violence against the veterans. To get them out of poverty and to re-integrate them back into society. Who do you believe is most likely to be a revolutionary? A man who is hated, impoverished and who daily face the chance of being murdered? Or one who is part of society and feel as he is accepted and make a contribution? Who is more likely to look back to the days of Napoleon? One who is only seen by society for his service to Napoleon and thus again left out of society? Or one who is included in society and included in shaping the future of France?

That is why I hope you will employ veterans (of course not the most radical elements) in order to re-integrate them into society. In order to make them feel accepted, so they won't harbor resentment against His Most Christian King of France or the government as a whole. Now I also find it unfair that only veterans are to pay the price for that a miniority are revolutionary. If you are to follow that logic for all your employers, you will end up with none! Many workingmen, many peasants, many borgouise (!) supported the Revolution and later Napoleon. And many still do. But do you bar them from working in your factory?

So I hope you consider these points. But in the end it is up to you, and eitherway I wish you the best of luck in your enterprise. And I am most pleased to see that it is people outside of the military that also care about the veterans. Whatever you choose to do, you will always have my gratitude.

Kind regards,
Capitaine Lécuyer.

Lothaire then thought of the dreaded battle of Tolouse. All who had lost their lives, and Briançon among them. How many more would die? How much more blood would be spilled before justice were installed? After drowning a bottle of red wine - wine he called French even if it were from German lands west of the Rhine - he would send an article to the founder of Le Dioclétien hoping he would print it for him. First however, he would need to be certain that the editor at all would accept his comment.

((Private letter to Alain Augustin Tremblay @TJDS )).

Spoiler

Monsieur Tremblay,

First of all let me congratulate you with your new paper. It look most promising, and if I get the ability to do it I will be an avid reader of it in th coming times. Now I would request that I could write a comment in your daily? It will be about the horrible Battle of Tolouse and in the defense of the Veterans League, of how this is not representative for the League as a whole and a general comment on the situation. Do know that it will not be a revolutionairy comment, but rather one condmening revolutions and Bonapartism and rather encouraging veterans to stand by the King of France and showing how aiding the veterans rather make them loyal and qiuet instead of going to arms like the Verdets did. I also give you the rights to edit the text if you deem it too controversial, and already I am under supervision of security forces here in Tolouse. They would need to read through it first, as they do with this letter, so fear not I will encourage treason of any kind.

Warm regards,
Capitaine Lécuyer.

((These letters are of course only sent if they are permitted by the ones holding Lothaire in custody)).

 

[oxfordroyale]

We Grieve for the Faceless Dead
​

Alexandre walks beside the bodies of the slain soldiers and vaguely wonders if knows any of them. Many of the 13th continue to serve France in the Royal Army, as he does, but still others love the Emperor far too much to follow another -- does one lie here now, his face obscured by blood and dirt and savage wounds? Would I even recognize him if it were not?

Perhaps this man, or that man, was a former student from the academy, an acquaintance of those warm, sunlit halls. God, how long ago that was: a bygone age when dead men were only boys who played at war.

How little they had truly known. Who among them would have thought to find their end not on some far-off foreign field, but at the hands of their fellow citizens?

"We should move along, sir. They shall bury them soon."

Alexandre shakes himself from his reverie. He reminds himself that he is only twenty-three, not some old man to ponder the past so.

"Yes, of course. Lead the way, sergent. There is work to be done."

 

[Luftwafer]

((A private note left for @naxhi24 ))

Sous-Lieutenant, as you are no doubt a capable and educated man. With a strong grasp of military tactics and logistics. I request a report on the battalion, quality may result in a positive message passed up the chain of command.

You must include:
The morale of the men
Quality of them as soldiers
Average heights
Quality of shoes
Quality of musket cleanliness
The effectiveness of the men in their pacification
An evaluation of each of the captains.

Thank you in advance

Gottoliard

 

[99KingHigh]

((Voting is closed. Update whenever.)) ​

 

[Nax24]

((A private note left for @naxhi24 ))

Sous-Lieutenant, as you are no doubt a capable and educated man. With a strong grasp of military tactics and logistics. I request a report on the battalion, quality may result in a positive message passed up the chain of command.

You must include:
The morale of the men
Quality of them as soldiers
Average heights
Quality of shoes
Quality of musket cleanliness
The effectiveness of the men in their pacification
An evaluation of each of the captains.

Thank you in advance

Gottoliard

((Private, @Luftwafer))

Lt. Colonel sir, below is the requested report filled out with as much accurate information as possible.

The morale of the men seems normal. Many of the men fighting under your command hail from this area, and have lost a bit of morale having to fight what may have been their neighbors. I noticed a distinct morale drop when the soldiers dealt with the Imperial veterans. Many of our soldiers were conscripts from the 100 days and the late Empire, and as such, many felt a distinct connection to those who fought for the Emperor with them. It would be safe to assure though that these soldiers had the morale to do what was necessary, and clear the streets in the name of stability and order.

The quality of the men varies depending on the background of each soldier. As stated before, many of the men served in the Imperial Army in the waning years of Napoleon's wars. One corporal was part of the main advance at Waterloo, while another remembers the events of Leipzig. These soldiers showcase sufficient quality in their engagement with the mobs. It is the ones that were recently conscripted by the Kingdom that show a need for improvement. You can easily tell which soldiers served Napoleon, and which ones did not. The Royal soldiers will need much more training before they can be on-par with their imperial brothers in arms. One royal-conscript had a hard time reloading his rifle after firing a warning shot. Two Imperial soldiers though managed to reload their rifles in record time, and fired three shots off each before the royal-conscript could reload. Perhaps drills and training should be an order for our newest recruits.

The men were effective in ensuring order. Though has stated before, the Imperial soldiers had a tough time arresting the veterans, while a cadre of soldiers recruited by the Restored Monarchy have been having a hard time dealing with the Verdets. Many of the young members of the Restored monarchy have yet to experience what it feels like to be in situations like this. Private Gilles Compere refused to chase down a fleeing Verdet due to the fact that his uncle was left in Egypt by Napoleon. Private Yvon Lambert showed no such regard, and struck the Verdet down to be jailed. Lambert was one of the survivors of the long march from Moscow.

The requested analysis of the captains are as followed:
1. Captain Wilfried Baschet: The captain managed to maintain his cool while ordering the arrest of lingering veterans. I could tell though that he was not comfortable in doing this. Captain Baschet served at Austerlitz with some of the veterans present. I could see the sorrow on his face. Yet, even through his emotions, he executed his job thoroughly.
2. Captain Marian Delisle: Had difficulty in carrying out arrests on Verdets due to a family member dying in the Vendee a while ago. Guess fighting for the Bourbons runs deep in Captain Delisle's veins. Managed to fare better facing the veterans.
3. Captain Pascal Lahaye: As a veteran of Borodino, Lahaye focused most of his attention in chasing down the Verdets. The Imperial vigor that engulfed him in Russia still lingered in his actions. Though, for his Imperial zeal, he perform adequately in managing his duties
4. Captain Roger Mesny: Did the best job in arresting men on both sides. It suits him well, urban conflict. I presume it is mostly due to his involvement in the Peninsular campaign that taught him how best to deal with situation like this.
5. Captain Martin Saunier: Treated well with a group of Imperial veterans. It came to my notice that all of those veterans and Captain Saunier fought at Pancorbo. They shared a bottle of champagne before the veterans returned home peacefully.
6. Captain Edouard Popelin: The son of a noble, Captain Popelin spared no expense in chasing down the Imperial veterans. It seems to me that his loyalty to the crown is of the utmost. Only a loyal man would try and disperse a group twice the size of his.

Other information is reported below:

Average Height: 5'7"

Shoe Quality: Shoes are a bit worn, most of the men have yet to receive new uniforms. Many still wear the boots they wore at Waterloo and in Belgium. The nicest shows are on the newest of recruits.

Musket Cleanliness: The Modèle 1777 corrigé en l'an IX's were kept in adequate condition. Most inspected muskets were clean enough to be passable in many regards. Though some soldiers gave me odd looks when I asked to inspect their muskets randomly.

Most of the information requested I have tried to give to the best of my ability, Lt-Colonel sir. I hope that this information allows you to reform the regiment in a way to optimize its performance.

-Sous-Lieutenant Nathanaë Barrande, comte de L'Isle Jourdain

 

[Luftwafer]

((Private @naxhi24 ))

My deepest thanks Barrande, you have performed your task admirably and without question.
This shall not be forgotten.

~Gottoliard