Part Cinq: Prelude to the Third Republican War
Louis XVII, King of France in name only
The Winter of 1795 was by no means an uneventful one. In Vienna Louis Bourbon (or Louis XVI as he preferred to be called) died of Typhus on November 3rd. He was no longer in the court of Austria due to Austria recognizing the current French government. However the reparations payed to him after the Treaty of Madrid and his wife's position as the Emperor's relative ensured that he was still a rich and fairly powerful man. Upon his death his son, Louis took the name Louis XVII and continued claiming the throne. In French politics Pierre Augereau returned to the scene and while he wasn't an elected official he still had considerable influence. He quickly became a leading member of the Jeffersonians, and to a lesser extent the Amarists. He criticized the Praetorians lack of openness and their habit of stuffing ballot boxes. In December he was arrested for disturbing the peace in Lyon after he said "Robespierre has done a great damage to you, but you have endured against the oppression" however the Jury at the trial found him not guilty and he began pushing even harder. In March 1796 the Jeffersonian and Amarists factions in the Senate merged to form the Republican Faction. While they were still separate parties they were united in opposition to the Praetorians.
In Italy, Pope Pius died and a Papal Conclave was held in Rome. The Cardinals elected Hyacinthe Sigismond Gerdil, an outspoken advocate of returning the Papal States to power. While the French troops in Rome could have stopped his election, they were under strict instructions not to interfere due to President David's fear of destroying the city. Gerdil chose the papal name Leo XII after Leo I who famously "drove off" Attila the Hun.
The New Pope
Leo immediately began preparing to take on the French. Working behind the backs of the forces in Rome, he sent priests to the Roman Republic to preach about how the Praetorians were agents of the Devil. In April he issued a statement saying that any citizen of the Papal States would go to heaven. He also began to enlarge the Papal Army, though he was forced to find creative ways to get around restrictions. He hired "bandits" to raid pilgrims and formed Pilgrim Protection Brigades to "stop" them. He appealed to Monarchs across Europe to help him. He received a lukewarm response from Austria where Francis II was trying to turn inward. However he was much better received in Iberia, King John VI of Portugal promised his support of the Pope, even offering Aveiro as a temporary site for the Holy See should Rome fall. In Madrid King Charles IV also pledged support, though he urged the papal representative that taking on France right now would be suicidal and that Spain would not run that risk unless it was sure it could win. Meanwhile back in Italy, the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies agreed to ally with the Pope. The Kingdom of Sardinia, now just the Island of Sardinia practically agreed to do anything to get their land back. To the North Great Britain had of course not been visited by papal representatives, but still they prepared for a second go against France and its allies. Russia seemed ready to fight as well. Only Prussia and the Ottomans seemed happy to do nothing in Europe. The Summer of 1796 was largely uneventful, only George Washington not seeking a third term in the US was of note. The fall proved to be much more eventful. On September 5th President David announced that this would be the last election he would run in, if elected he would finish out his term then retire, if not he would retire. A flurry of campaigning and mudslinging broke out with Pierre Augereau emerging as the leader of the republican faction for president. Meanwhile in America Thomas Jefferson and John Adams began a heavy mudslinging campaign for the Presidency. In Germany various candidates ranging from Republicans to Constitutional Monarchists were running in the races for the new governments. As the elections rolled closer, no one knew who would win, fears of violence spread as 2 Republics prepared to have their first greatly contested elections. In America the election results were counted and Thomas Jefferson had managed to scrounge out a small victory[1]. In the German Republics pro-French leaders were elected to both Republics Leadership.
French Elections 1796
The Presidential elections were by far the closest in France, with Pierre Augereau facing a scrappy mudslinging fight with President David. Augereau attacked David's choice of ministers and his suppression of opponents. Meanwhile David accused Augereau of being a closet monarchist. At the end of the election it was clear that Pierre Augereau would be the new president.
Presidential Elections
Pierre Augereau-(Republican)-52%
President Jacques-Louis David-(Praetorian)-47%
Other/Monarchist-1%
2nd President of France Pierre Augereau
The Senate Elections were much more civilized, but were none the less tense. The way Senators were elected also was the source of controversy, currently after the election Parties were given seats proportional to the percentage of votes received. This system favored the Praetorians, the most organized party, and discouraged Independents. This was worked around by Louis Antoine. A staunch Monarchist related to King Louis XVI he organized everyone from regional separatists to people who wanted to annex England into the Independent Party. Nicknamed "Le ragoût" or "the stew" the independents had absolutely no coordinated efforts out side of getting into the Senate. However despite formal opposition from both above and below[2] the Praetorians maintained a majority, though a smaller one.
Senate Elections
Praetorians-110 Seats
Republicans-63 Seats
Independents (Republican)-10
Independents (Monarchists)-7
Independents (Regional)-4
Independents (Other)-3
PM Robespierre had no qualms about 3 straight terms
For Counsel people began to question the secrecy of the elections for Counsel. When Pierre-Augustin Hulin was reelected Counsel, he promised to open up the election system for Counsel.
Pierre-Augustin Hulin was reelected
When the new term began, Hulin who was generally a quiet moderate who leaned Praetorian began to fight hard for Counselor reform. The idea had broad support everywhere as many Frenchmen were concerned that their Counsel might be elected illegally. In May the 1st Amendment to the French Constitution was ratified which ordered that the electors of the Counsel meet openly in the National Senate chamber. The Pope also continued to edge on Catholics to join his cause but he knew all too well that without broad support he was nothing but an angry man yelling. So he waited, but not for long.
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[1]: Less Bloody French Revolution gives Jefferson the win
[2]: Remember Down=Right Up=Left