Chapter 483

After preparing to stop losses, the Government of France immediately compiled a list of assets and sent it to various European countries, looking for interested customers.

The focus was naturally on Britain and Austria. Other countries simply did not have the strength to buy the Mexican Empire. The military strength of Prussia and Russia might be enough, but without money in their pockets, they were not good buyers.

Vienna. Since France was ready to sell its assets in Mexico, the Government of Austria also conducted an in-depth analysis.

The result was naturally self-evident, it was a proper low-quality asset. Don't look at the French getting a series of privileges, almost monopolizing Mexico's mineral resources, the problem was that these assets were difficult to cash.

To turn these immovable assets into real assets, they first had to help the Mexican government stabilize the situation. As long as the civil war did not stop, these mines would be worthless.

The local people had no purchasing power, and commercial privileges were also useless. He couldn't possibly contribute money and effort to help the Mexican people become rich, could he?

This was not the 21st century, and resources were not valuable at all. In this era, the most valuable thing in the Mexican Empire was silver, but the mined silver had to be used to pay off the French debt.

Yes, now the French were tearfully selling, but the investment required was too large, and the returns were not clear.

To put it bluntly, the money that could be obtained was their own money. The illusory future income, no matter how beautiful it was described, as long as it could not be obtained, it was all nonsense.

Everyone understood that the bottom line of the French was falling again and again. From the initial loan, then selling melons and dates, to now being able to get back the capital was good enough.

If it did not work, it could be discussed again. It was estimated that Napoleon Iii could accept to get back the investment at a 70% discount.

It was not that Napoleon Iii's bottom line was low, but mainly that he had lost confidence in Maximilian I Of Castile. Throwing money into a bottomless pit for a long time, even the rich France could not stand it.

Once Maximiliano Buendía's regime collapsed, all their investments would be for naught. The Mexican Republic was overthrown because they reneged on their debt, and the possibility of expecting them to continue to fulfill their obligations was too low.

Unfortunately, perhaps because the French were too famous in Europe, no one dared to touch the meat that they could not eat.

Although the Government of Paris repeatedly lowered the conditions, these loans did not require the receiver to pay immediately. They only needed to ensure that the Mexican government would fulfill its obligations, and they even gave a commission.

Simply put, the French took back most of the loan principal, and the remaining interest and benefits from various privileges went to the receiver.

Still, no one was willing to take over. If the Mexican government did not fulfill its obligations, it would be the receiver's turn.

Facts had proven that every country had a bottom line. They were not willing to lose their own credibility, and no one was willing to give the French such a guarantee.

In fact, there were many people who were interested in Mexico, but most of them just wanted to make a profit and were not willing to invest in it on a large scale.

For example, the Spaniards had always wanted to re-establish Mexico as a colony. When the American Civil War broke out, they also took action, but were pushed out by the French.

Now, civil war broke out in Spain because of the fight for the throne. The French also played a part in this. If Napoleon III had not threatened to veto the candidate nominated by the military, the matter would not have come to this.

Since a civil war had broken out, it was naturally impossible to expand into Mexico. Another example was the British. They were also expanding in Mexico, but they did not invest enough and could not compete with the French.

Another example was the British. They were also expanding in Mexico, but they did not invest enough and could not compete with the French.

The British had too many colonies, and they could not manage all of them. It was difficult for the Mexican Empire to attract their interest. The British had too many colonies, and they couldn't even manage their own. It was difficult for the Mexican Empire to pique their interest.

The Kingdom of Prussia had also expressed interest in Mexico. Unfortunately, they had no money in their pockets. They could not come up with the early investment to suppress the Mexican rebellion.

Such a pauper was naturally not a good customer. It was estimated that Prussia did not have the money to intervene in the Mexican Civil War.

In order to prevent losses, the Government of France had secretly contacted the Republicans. As long as Juarez was willing to continue to fulfill the treaty signed by Massimiliano with them, it was not impossible to discuss letting them take power.

…

Late at night, the Mexican rebel headquarters was brightly lit, and Juarez was still holding a military meeting to discuss the next battle plan.

The Mexican Revolutionary Army could be described as having suffered repeated defeats but kept on fighting. From the beginning of Juarez's uprising until now, the rebels had experienced hundreds of battles, large and small, and they all ended in failure.

Thanks to the reforms of Maximiliano I, the insurgent army did not vanish. Instead, it grew stronger and stronger in the midst of its defeat.

War was the best teacher. From the beginning of fighting with the French to the current guerrilla warfare, the rebels had grown a lot.

Although they still could not defeat the French, they were no longer at a disadvantage against the Mexican government forces. Without the support of the French, Maximilian I Of Castile would have been overthrown a long time ago.

Foreign Minister Harold said, "Your Excellency, the Americans have sent news that the Government of Paris has changed its position. They are ready to sell the privileges they obtained from that tyrant."

The Mexican rebels also had a government. They did not recognize the legitimacy of Maximilian I Of Castile's government and formed a republican government, which could be said to be a continuation of the previous republican government.

After obtaining the financial backing, the situation of the Revolutionary Army took a turn for the better. This grassroots government was also gradually perfecting itself, and now, it had all the essentials.

The leaders were almost all political prisoners that Maximilian I Of Castile had pardoned, which was a little awkward.

There were also many internal conflicts in the interim government. In order to prove that they did not collude with Maximilian I Of Castile, these people gave Maximilian I Of Castile the title of tyrant.

Frankly speaking, this label was too unjust. Maximilian I Of Castile was at most a fatuous ruler. He definitely had nothing to do with tyrants.

This was the main point. They were all from the Gonghe party, and no one would defend him. Since they were enemies, the darker, the better.

Juarez said happily, "It seems that the French can't take it anymore. The day of victory for the revolution is not far away."

Hearing this good news, everyone was overjoyed. After all, they were enemies with France, and the pressure was still very great.

France was at the height of its power in this era, and its influence in Mexico was extraordinary. If it was not for the fact that their interests were seriously damaged, many of them would not have participated in this revolution.

Even if they joined the rebels, many people had doubts about whether they would be able to win. In order to drive the French out, they had launched many battles, and every battle had ended in failure.

The shadow of failure had always shrouded everyone's hearts. Everyone knew that the French had invested less than one-tenth of their strength in Mexico, and not even one-twentieth of their strength.

Just this little investment was enough to make them gasp for breath. Naturally, everyone was extremely afraid of the Frenchmen. Hearing that the French were giving up, everyone was naturally very happy.

A middle-aged officer asked with concern, "Is anyone taking over?"

The French were out, and if they were to be replaced, it would be their new enemy. If they had just finished repelling the wolves at the front door and suddenly found the tigers at the back door, it would be a tragedy.

"Driving the wolves and chasing the tigers" sounded good, but it would be difficult to really do it. The rebels' strength was limited, and they could not complete such a great mission.

Everyone was most worried about Austria, and the Emperor was from the House of Habsburg. If the one to intervene was Austria instead of France, the cooperation between the two sides would definitely be closer.

Austria's Central American colony was next door, and it was too easy for the Government of Vienna to intervene in Mexico's internal affairs.

Foreign Minister Harold replied in high spirits, "The French have already failed, how can anyone take over?"

Everyone's nervous expressions immediately relaxed. If there were no outside interference, everyone was still very confident that they could overthrow the rule of Maximilian I Of Castile.

After a pause, Harold continued, "Your Excellency, why don't we agree to the French's conditions first, and then go back on our words after we expel Maximilian I Of Castile?"

The contact with the French was carried out in secret, but everyone here was in the upper echelons, and they naturally knew that the rebels and the French were secretly in contact.

This was not surprising, as the French were too powerful, and no one was confident of winning. While the rebels were armed, they were also prepared to compromise with the French.

If they did not come to an agreement, it was because the difference in conditions between the two sides was too great. However, this line of communication was still maintained, and it could be considered a way out.

"Toying with the French." The moment Harold's suggestion came out, everyone's expression changed.

They had finally waited until the French could no longer hold on and were preparing to withdraw their troops. If they were to provoke the French now, who knew if they would fly into a rage out of humiliation?

Juarez shook his head and said, "No, France is a big country. Even if they fail here, it will not affect their strength. If we offend them, we will never have a day of peace in the future. "

This was not because Juarez was afraid of the slightest thing, but because he did not have the strength, and his words and actions were not firm. Even if the French gave up on Mexico, they could still create a lot of trouble for them.

Harold argued unwillingly, "Your Excellency, the secret contact between the French and us is strictly confidential.

Even if they were to make a deal with us, the Government of Paris would not dare to sign a treaty with us on paper. Otherwise, if the news of the betrayal of Maximilian I Of Castile were to be exposed, Napoleon Iii would not be able to bear the political impact.

It was only a verbal agreement, and even if we violated it, the French would not be able to bring it up on the surface.

As for the problem of revenge, at this point, can our relationship with the French still be good?

Unless we continue to honor the treaty signed by Maximilian I Of Castile, there will be no possibility of reconciliation between the two sides. "

Juarez hesitated. If they wanted to win the revolution in the shortest time possible, then tricking the French was the best choice.

Not to mention that there was no treaty, even if there was a treaty, they could still go back on their word. However, the revenge of the French would not be easy to bear, and Juarez did not dare to underestimate the strength of the French.

The default of the debt that year was a deep lesson. Other than the financial collapse of the government and the inability to pay, the Mexican government did not think that the European countries would go to war over such a small amount of money. In the end, England, France, and Spain all intervened, and the French refused to leave.

After so many years of internal war, the economic losses brought to Mexico were many times more than the debt.

Even if no one used this matter to blame him, Juarez was very clear that he was responsible for this issue. After the previous lesson, he naturally became more cautious.

Juarez asked, "What do the others think?"

Finance Minister Anderson was the first to answer, "I think it's worth a try. Not long ago, the French annexed Italy and are busy digesting the results.

In a short period of time, they should carry out a strategic retreat. This is a matter of national policy, and the Government of Paris will not change for us.

This period of time may last for more than ten years. This is our opportunity. As long as we complete the internal reform during this time, the country will become stronger, and we will not be afraid of the French's revenge. "

Minister of War Gloway echoed, "At this point, why do we still care about the French? Since they are all enemies, there is no harm in offending them.

As long as we can overthrow the decadent tyrant regime, we can establish a strong Mexican Republic, and we will not have to worry about the French's revenge. "

…

Everyone was an optimist, and they thought that as long as the rule of Maximilian I Of Castile was overthrown, Mexico could immediately become strong.