The Hungarian Independence Organization's actions could only be considered small-time disturbances; the French Revolutionary Party was the one making truly big moves.
In January 1865, demonstrations erupted in more than thirty cities across France, from Paris to Montauban, as though France had returned to the age of the Great Revolution.
Many people joined the marching crowds in a daze, shouting an assortment of slogans, such as:
Some demanded that the government support the Polish independence movement; some opposed a particular government policy; some advocated supporting the Spanish Revolutionary Party; others opposed colonial expansion...
There was nothing people could not think of, and absolutely nothing they could not shout.
Clearly, the French Revolutionary Party had grown wiser as well. The domestic economy had developed well in recent years, and people were living fairly comfortable lives. Rebellion simply would not work at a time like this.
The ones deeply dissatisfied with the government were those losers in the struggle for power, along with a group of idealists.
If they wanted to overthrow Napoleon III's rule, the only way was to first throw France into chaos. Only once the country was in turmoil would they have an opportunity.
The French people possessed a strong spirit of internationalism. They were often deeply emotional, and whenever they saw something they considered unreasonable, they wanted to meddle in it. That gave them an opening.
At the Palace of Versailles, the chaotic demonstrations had drawn Napoleon III's vigilance. On the surface, they were merely ordinary protests, the sort that occurred countless times in France every year.
But they had been happening far too frequently lately. With his rich experience in political struggle, Napoleon III saw at once that someone was organizing them behind the scenes.
Napoleon III ordered, "Adair, drag out the rats hiding behind the curtain.