Ever since the French army suffered defeats at the front, internal contradictions at home had gradually been laid bare. Soaring prices and the meager incomes of ordinary people had become an irreconcilable social conflict.
It was impossible to stabilize prices. Aside from capitalists hoarding goods and driving up prices, rising international prices were also a major factor behind France's inflation.
After the outbreak of the Continental War, both industrial and agricultural production within France had plummeted. Vast quantities of supplies had to be imported just to meet the people's basic needs.
Prices had gone up, but wages had not. That was how conflict arose. No matter how justified the price hikes might be, people being unable to fill their stomachs was a problem.
According to incomplete statistics, in the first half of 1891 alone, the French working class launched 126 strikes, three of which involved more than a hundred thousand participants. In Paris, the sacred ground of revolution, marches and demonstrations erupted almost every week.
Once it became a powder keg, revolution was naturally bound to erupt. In the past month alone, the French Government had put down four riots.
Anyone with eyes could see that France would inevitably run into serious trouble if this continued. The French Government had repeatedly considered taking action, but while spotting the problem was easy, solving it was difficult.
There was no helping it—interests moved people's hearts. If the government forcibly suppressed prices, it would inevitably have to carve flesh from the interest groups.
Just because Austrian leaflets pinned the blame on capitalists and financial conglomerates did not mean it was all the bourgeoisie's fault. Without nobles and bureaucrats taking part, capitalists alone would have been dragged out and shot long ago for playing such games.
No one knew how many people were implicated.