As public hostility toward Belgium and Germany swelled, massive demonstrations erupted among the populace as well.
From Paris to Rome, demonstrations broke out in every French city with a population exceeding fifty thousand.
A chaotic jumble of slogans rang out without end: opposition to coal profiteering, opposition to unemployment, demands for higher wages and benefits, demands for the government to further relax voting rights... Every social group, whether related or unrelated, had leaped into the fray.
For a time, all of Europe heard the voice of the French people. Only, that voice was somewhat chaotic, somewhat baffling.
At the Palace of Versailles, Napoleon IV flew into a rage as he listened to the heart-rending cries of the crowds outside.
Public opinion?
There was no internet in this day and age. Without someone pulling the strings, news spreading naturally might not even cover the whole country in three to five months—much less trigger demonstrations in every major city across the nation at once.
"Have the Police Ministry investigate. Find out who is stirring up trouble behind the scenes!"
No emperor was willing to be manipulated, and Napoleon IV was no exception. Even if the Central Europe strategy was to be carried out, it had to be under his leadership, not with someone driving him into it like ducks onto a perch.
Police Minister Adonis answered uneasily, "Your Majesty, a great many people took part this time—capitalists, students, nobles, the military, government officials, and other groups.
"According to the intelligence gathered by the Police Ministry, the domestic industrial and commercial circles were the first to act, after which it rapidly spread."
The Police Ministry had no idea who the ultimate mastermind was, but such overt information could still be uncovered.
Adonis possessed a very sharp political mind. From the moment public opinion