Paris Commune

On April 15, 1882, the same day the international conference was held, several French revolutionary organizations jointly launched an uprising and unanimously chose the socialist Blanqui as their leader.

The insurgents seized the police stations, captured the City Defense Force's arsenal, took control of the embassy district, and swept across more than half of Paris.

The flames of war reached the Palace of Versailles. Napoleon IV fled Paris overnight with the Palace Guard, remotely directing the troops still loyal to the Emperor to suppress the rebellion.

Franz was utterly stunned when he received the news. His first thought upon recovering was: When had the revolutionaries become so formidable? Was the French Government made of paper?

No one could answer that question. Just like the previous Paris revolutions, once the first shot succeeded, the uprising could swiftly sweep through the entire city.

With the revolutionary army occupying Paris, this international conference had become a joke.

They had been discussing how to curb the spread of revolutionary ideas during the day, only to fall into the hands of the revolutionaries by nightfall. The delegates attending the conference were probably completely dumbfounded right now.

Having weathered many storms, Franz quickly regained his composure and asked with concern, "How many troops can Napoleon IV still control? Does he have the ability to suppress the rebellion?"

"Uncertain!" Foreign Minister Wessenberg shook his head, giving a negative answer. He then explained, "Other than the First Division, Second Division, Third Division, and Seventh Division—his direct troops, who can be confirmed to support the Emperor—the positions of the other units remain unclear for the time being.

"The Paris Revolution has only just broken out. No one was mentally prepared, and many will likely wait and see before declaring their position.

"Even disregarding the troops that have not declared