French Empire: But Napoleon IV

Chapter 80 Napoleon III's Surrender

On the morning of September 16, on the Fleury Plain west of Verdun, Nathan stood on a small hill, looking at the dense array of Prussian flags around him.

Even with this expectation, Napoleon III still felt some despair when things actually came to this. After a day and night of fierce fighting, the remaining 3.8 French troops on the southern front had been compressed by the Prussian army into an area of ​​less than six square kilometers.

The Prussian army's encirclement was so tight that the French army, and even Nathan himself, were struggling to breathe.

The Saxon 12th Army, the Bavarian 1st Army, and the Prussian 5th Army, totaling 6.7 men, completely surrounded the French forces on the southern route.

All 320 Krupp cannons were deployed on the surrounding high ground, with all the muzzles pointed at the French positions.

Nathan did not stand on the hillside for long, because he knew that the Prussian troops, who had been bombarding the French all night, were about to be bombarded again.

And that was exactly what happened. Less than 10 minutes after Nathan left the hill and returned to the bunker, the Prussian artillery began bombarding the French positions again.

The French troops, having endured a night of fighting, were now mostly exhausted and lying down. Unable to retaliate, they allowed their trenches to be destroyed and their breastworks to be leveled by artillery fire.

The artillery had been completely destroyed and was unable to launch any counterattack. The French soldiers, huddled in shell craters, listened numbly to the whistling and exploding shells.

Inside the bunker where Nash was, McMahon lay on a makeshift cot, his right leg having been temporarily treated.

With half his body wrapped in white bandages, the French marshal was completely unable to move.

Due to excessive blood loss, McMahon's face was as white as a ghost, and he was so weak that he couldn't even lift his head.

Turning his head to look at Napoleon III standing to the side, McMahon's lips twitched as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he didn't.

"Your Majesty, the Prussian army has begun shelling again."

Napoleon III was not deaf; he could hear the explosion and feel the strong tremors from the guards' report.

As always, I'm conflicted, and as always, I want to escape.

Unable to make any effective decision, Nathan walked to the observation slit and looked out. He witnessed countless shells, trailing plumes of fire, falling from the sky and exploding on the French positions.

Although the situation at the front lines was not visible from the rear artillery shelters, the previous battle reports were not false. Napoleon III knew that each of these explosions meant the loss of several, or even dozens, of French soldiers' lives.

"Enough...enough is enough..."

For reasons unknown, Na San, who had been running away, perhaps unable to bear the pangs of conscience, or perhaps wanting to end it all as soon as possible, began to mutter to himself.

Perhaps he truly couldn't bear to see his soldiers continue to die in vain.

Taking three mouthfuls is enough; without a doubt, this implies that he intends to vote.

"Your Majesty, what did you say?"

The guard, who hadn't heard clearly, asked Napoleon III again, but Napoleon III ignored the guard. He turned around, looked at McMahon lying on his cot, closed his eyes, and gave his last order.

Having heard Nathan's order, McMahon, despite his serious injuries, tried to get up and stop Nathan.

"Marshal, order a surrender."

"Your Majesty! We cannot surrender! We still have 40,000 soldiers; we can continue fighting."

"No, my marshal. There is no point in continuing the fight. If we continue, all 40,000 soldiers will die here. They are all sons of France, and they should not be buried with an empire that is about to perish."

If Napoleon III cared so much about the lives of French men, he wouldn't have so readily resorted to force to suppress the Republicans.

When the time came, even though Nathan had already decided to surrender, he couldn't help but say some nice things to show that he was not surrendering because of Prussian intimidation, but because he cared about the lives of French men.

"But Your Majesty, you are the Emperor of France. How can you surrender to the Prussians?"

McMahon was deeply distressed by Napoleon's words. This marshal, loyal to the empire, truly longed to mount his horse and fight for his country.

But this wasn't the most painful thing for McMahon. What Na San said next made McMahon's pain even more intense.

"I am no longer the emperor. From the moment I decided to surrender, I was just an ordinary Frenchman. As an ordinary Frenchman, I have a responsibility to protect the lives of my fellow countrymen."

Knowing that even if a revolution did not break out in Paris after his surrender, and that his wife and government were still in power, it was impossible for him to continue as emperor in order to quell public anger.

If a revolution breaks out, then it goes without saying.

Therefore, Nasan, fully aware of his situation, chose a more respectable approach to relinquish his imperial status in order to preserve a shred of dignity for himself.

No longer arguing with McMahon about whether to surrender, Nathan, having made up his mind in private, picked up a pen and wrote down a letter of surrender on a piece of paper.

Then, he handed the three surrender documents to his aide-de-camp, General Remuy, and gave him instructions.

"Take this letter of surrender to Crown Prince William of Prussia. Tell him that I am willing to surrender to him on the condition that he treats my soldiers well."

At 9 a.m., General Remouy, carrying a white flag, went to the Prussian army's command post and asked to surrender.

When William learned that Napoleon III had requested to surrender, he was overjoyed. The Battle of the Meuse had already cost him more than 7 men, and William, who was also on the verge of collapse, was naturally delighted.

To prevent any unforeseen circumstances, William immediately ordered a halt to the shelling and decided to personally go to the French positions to accept Napoleon III's surrender.

Unlike the humiliating surrender of Nazan during the Battle of Sedan, this time, through a protracted war of attrition, Prussia paid a greater price, which earned them respect.

When William rode his tall horse and arrived at the French positions, surrounded by a group of generals, the French soldiers, who had already disarmed, stood there with Napoleon III waiting for William and his entourage.

Having decided to relinquish his imperial status, Nasan wore an ordinary military uniform without any medals, looking just like an ordinary veteran.

"Your Majesty the Emperor of France, I accept your surrender."

With everything settled and the remaining 30,000-plus French troops under his control, William's tone inevitably carried a hint of smugness.

Nathan, the loser, remained silent in the face of this swaggering attitude, simply watching Prince William in quiet contemplation.

After a long time, long enough that William, riding on horseback, felt somewhat embarrassed, he slowly spoke.

"I hope you will keep your promise and treat my soldiers well. They are all brave warriors who have done their best."

"Please rest assured, Your Majesty the French Emperor. We will provide you and your soldiers with the treatment you deserve, and your personal safety will be guaranteed."

Believe it or not, now they have no choice but to believe. Nasan nodded expressionlessly, then unfastened the sword from his waist and handed it to William, the victor.

This sword was once used by Napoleon's uncle, Napoleon himself, and in some ways symbolizes the glory of France. Now, this sword has fallen into the hands of the Prussians.