Fox of France

Fouché is also considered a man of the hour in French history. From the French Revolution to the First Empire, during this period of time, there were only three political figures standing tall, namely Talleyrand, Carnot and Fouche.

Like Talleyrand, Fouché was educated at a seminary. But unlike Talleyrand, Fouche was born as a commoner, so naturally he can't be a dean, bishop, archbishop, etc. In addition, Fouche is not good at speech-this is a huge weakness for a priest- —so he didn't even get a parish priest. Until he left the church, he was just a trainee pastor.

However, his career in the seminary left a deep imprint on him, and this imprint was almost the same as that left by the seminary to Talleyrand, that is, faithlessness and unscrupulous methods. So in later history, he was almost as famous as Talleyrand's chameleon.

He used to be a good friend of Robespierre, so good that he almost became Robespierre's brother-in-law, but he followed the more powerful Lafayette. After Lafayette gradually lost power, he became a friend of Condorcet, the leader of the Girondists. During the trial of Louis XVI, he publicly advocated the pardon of the king the night before, but when he voted the next day, he supported the death penalty and shouted: "To save France, the tyrant's head must be cut off!" During the period of the Jacobin dictatorship, he was more radical than Robespierre, even Hébert. In Lyon, he cut off thousands of heads in one go, and put forward the slogan of almost abolishing private ownership and sharing all wealth equally.

However, Robespierre has never forgotten his previous betrayal. After suppressing Hébert, he originally planned to clean up Fouche easily. But he felt that Danton was obviously more dangerous. So he let go of Fouche temporarily and concentrated his efforts on dealing with Danton. This gave Fouché time. After Danton's death, Fouche used people's fear and extraordinary personal ability to weave a rebellious net, and finally killed the great devil Robespierre in the Thermidor coup. Many people, including Lazare Cano and Napoleon's benefactor Barras, played a big role in this conspiracy. However, all the clues were finally gathered in the hands of Fouche, and he was the one The one who weaves the web.

It's just that Robespierre's downfall didn't make Fouché soar, and people can't forget what he did in Lyon. Although Fouche kept his head (in contrast, Carnot was nearly beheaded), he lost all his posts.

But Fouche did not give up. For several years, he had been secretly assisting Ballas to investigate various secrets of his political opponents. Because of these credits. He was finally re-promoted by Barras as chief of the police department.

In Brumaire, he assisted Napoleon in overthrowing the Directory and continued as Minister of Public Security. Then he assisted Napoleon and emptied Ballas, so that after Napoleon became emperor, he continued to be the Minister of Public Security. After the restoration of Louis XVIII, he was able to continue to hold this position, and it was not until France passed the "Decree of the King Killer" that he finally ended his political career.

But if you regard him as a chameleon and a clown just because of this, it would be too contemptuous of him. In fact, neither Robespierre, Barras, nor Napoleon trusted him, but they all had to rely on his unparalleled ability. If Carnot was the genius of military logistical organization, Fouché was the genius of covert action and public security control. He created the most rigorous surveillance network in the world at that time, and even Queen Josephine was his informant.

Every ruler, from Robespierre to Napoleon, suspected Fouche, was wary of Fouche, and even feared Fouche, but they all had to use Fouche. It is even said that even Charles X, who hated everyone who had anything to do with the revolution, sighed: "It would be great if I had a Fouche." Of course, when he said this, he certainly did not think about it. , If he really had a Fouche under him, he would have been sold by Fouche a long time ago based on his stupidity and conceit, and he also counted the small money for him.

Fouche took the lead, and more people followed. Joseph counted slightly, and the people who stood on Lafayette's side had clearly exceeded the number of votes Lafayette got. After all, at this time, Lafayette's power far surpassed Robespierre.

Lafayette looked at Joseph who was still standing there, and Joseph knew that he could no longer hesitate.

Joseph came out, but he didn't walk towards Lafayette, but towards the podium.

"May I say a few words?" Joseph asked the new chairman Robespierre standing next to him with a sullen face.

"Of course, the club is a place for everyone to speak freely." Robespierre said.

Joseph nodded, walked up, leaning on the podium with his hand, bent down, glanced at everyone, and then said: "Today, I really didn't expect that I was lucky enough to witness such a shameful scene! Yes, a shameful scene! I noticed , In the vote just now, His Excellency Lafayette received far fewer votes than the people standing beside His Excellency Lafayette today. I would like to ask those who voted for Robespierre Sir, but at this time, those who came to Mr. Lafayette, what made you change your attitude in such a short period of time? Change your beliefs? Look at your weak Look, are you still a moral person? You have to be ashamed, you have to be ashamed!"

Then Joseph turned to Lafayette again, hesitated for a moment, and then said firmly: "Your Excellency Lafayette, you have always been clear about my political attitude. But please forgive what I said now. Mr. Robespierre today He proposed the secret ballot, and his reason was that some people would be afraid to express their true thoughts because of the fear of your power. Unfortunately, this fear became true. And your actions after the vote-though I believe, You don't think so - but in fact, you are using your power to force people. I think your current behavior is ill-considered and inappropriate. For this reason, plus the people who stand by you Among them, there are some people who I despise. So please forgive me, I can't stand by your side. Because I don't want to stand by these people. Sorry!"

After saying this, Joseph bowed to Lafayette, then walked off the podium and returned to where he was standing just now.

"Crack, crack, crack." Robespierre took the lead in applauding, and then the rest of the people who didn't walk past clapped. Lafayette glanced at Joseph, and walked out with the people around him. At this time, someone whistled.

"Monsieur Bonaparte, that's very well said!" said a voice in his ear.

Joseph turned his head and saw Saint-Just standing beside him.

...

After installing this B, Joseph did not stay in the Jacobin Club for long. He quickly left the club and returned to his residence on the grounds that there were still many things to do.

"How is the situation?" asked Napoleon.

"Lafayette left with more than half of the club, and the Jacobin Club officially split." Joseph said, "Although he voted by secret ballot, when he left, he directly said, 'Will you follow me? , come to me', damn it, I still have to take sides, even though I hate taking sides."

"You sided with Robespierre?" Napoleon asked. "Joseph, I don't understand why you did that to Robespierre..."

Seemingly unable to find the right words, Napoleon hesitated for a moment before continuing: "Fear him, you must know that there are many deputies like him. In terms of weight, he and Lafayette Te is not a heavyweight at all. You are willing to offend your immediate boss for him?"

Joseph shook his head and said, "Napoleon, you don't understand. These two people are different. Lafayette is indeed more important now, but the future lies with Robespierre."

Having said that, he lowered his voice and said to Napoleon: "You have to remember what I'm going to tell you next, but don't tell anyone."

"What's the matter? Make such an appearance!" Napoleon made a gesture of disapproval, but he also moved his body closer and lowered his voice.

"I have a strange self-consciousness, Napoleon, my brother. I don't know if you can understand this, it seems a little irrational to say. But Robespierre gave me this feeling. Like It is a poisonous snake hiding in the flowers... No, this metaphor is not accurate. If it is just a poisonous snake, we can crush it to death, just like the little Hercules, (in Greek mythology, the hero Hercules was just born , crushed two cobras that tried to attack him with his hands right next to the cradle), but Robespierre is not a poisonous snake, he is not the kind of thing that cannot be put on the table, he is... he is the hidden Niederhau (In Nordic mythology, the poisonous dragon that keeps gnawing at the roots of the world tree will one day bite off the roots, and then fly into the sky full of corpses of the dead, thus announcing the arrival of the twilight of the gods.)”

"Have you exaggerated?" said Napoleon.

"Look, there will be a day when he will fly like Nid Hogg, with dead people hanging on his wings, and he will spit out the blood that France has accumulated for hundreds of years and has been crushed under the ground. The vicious flames of resentment swept across the whole of France, bringing France a real twilight of the gods. Most of the great figures, like gods, will lose their heads in this feast until the earth is gone. Tired of the excessive blood, he will plunge into the bottomless abyss like Nidhogg did when the world was reborn, with a howl. Before that, we must avoid his flames, no matter what You can't stand against him no matter what, at least, you can't until the earth is full, and even tired of the blood of the gods."

"In this case, Joseph, why did you stay in Asgard? Why didn't you hide in the tree hole in advance?" Napoleon asked.

Asgard is the location of the Temple of Odin in Norse mythology, and it is also the most intense battlefield in the twilight of the gods, with the most casualties. It is said that after the end of the twilight of the gods, some people hid in the tree hole of the world tree, escaped death, and rebuilt the new world.

"My brother. The twilight of the gods is not something that lasts for one twilight. I must prepare enough reserves for the days in the tree hole in the future and the new era. Apart from Asgard, where else can you go?" Where can I get it? Napoleon, if you just want to become a commoner in the new world, the reserves you need are very simple. But if you want to go to the Golden Palace after dusk and sit on the throne left by Odin, Now is not the time to escape."

"Look at what you said, it's like a magic stick." Napoleon said.

"Why, you don't believe it?"

"I believe you! You are a very bad rod of death!" said Napoleon. But Joseph knew that Napoleon should have believed a little bit. Napoleon was a man who had the secondary aura of heroes in ancient Greece, Rome and even Nordic legends, so it was easy for him to believe in the "intuition" full of mystery and secondary aura.