Devouring World Dragon

Chapter 182 Two German Youths
The 18th century was a turbulent era. With the advancement of technology, the world seemed to be accelerated, and many unimaginable things gradually emerged.

On July 2, 1776, amidst the backdrop of the previous year's War of Independence, a group of merchants, lawyers, and farmers signed their names on a "Declaration of Unity of the Thirteen North American Nations." Although this document was not considered very important at the time—so much so that some signatories even misspelled their names—this document, later known as the Declaration of Independence, was ultimately remembered by countless people because it witnessed the birth of a young and great nation.

Enraged, Britain did not stop there. By this time, Britain dominated Europe and had colonies all over the world, so much so that they proudly proclaimed themselves the "Empire on which the sun never sets," because their land was always covered by the sun and never saw the sun set at the same time.

The independence of this newly formed nation was an unforgivable event for the British, who sent fleets and troops to crush the "rebellion." However, the British's old adversary, the French, would not let this opportunity pass. Just as the thirteen North American colonies declared independence, the French announced their recognition of the United States of America and led Spain and the Netherlands to participate in this great war.

The British Empire, the dominant power in Europe, France, and the newly formed United States of America—a confrontation ensued between the two most powerful nations in Europe at the time, spanning half the globe.

……

More than a decade later, the War of Independence ended in victory for France and the United States. However, due to its long-term involvement in wars across Europe and the world, France also faced serious economic problems.

The defeat in the Nine Years' War and a series of wars, large and small, burdened France with a debt of 20 billion francs. The government continuously raised taxes to repay the debt. As a result, the lives of ordinary people were severely threatened. Poor families had to spend 60% or even 80% of their income on food, meaning they could do nothing but struggle to survive each day.

It is said that when Marie Antoinette, the queen of King Louis XVI of France, heard her ministers say that the common people were so hungry that they couldn't even afford bread, she asked in bewilderment, "Then why don't they eat cake?"

However, this statement was not made by Queen Marie Antoinette, but by Louis XV, the grandfather of Louis XVI, the Polish queen Marie Leginska. However, dissatisfaction with their own impoverished life and anger at the extravagant lifestyle of the royal family led the French people at the time to maliciously fabricate all sorts of negative rumors about the royal family and the nobility, to the point of slandering this extravagant queen as foolish and ignorant.

Louis XVI made numerous efforts, attempting to reduce royal spending, streamline government departments, and optimize the tax system... but the myriad of affairs and heavy debts rendered this mediocre king helpless, and ultimately he was powerless to reverse the situation...

The royal family has been despised by the people.

On July 13, 1789, the uprising occurred.

"Go to the Bastille!"

With this slogan, the citizens of Paris, who had already taken control of almost half the city, surged toward the prison that held numerous political prisoners and symbolized authoritarianism. In the midst of a difficult siege, amidst the sounds of cannons and the cheers of the people, the prison, which had been built hundreds of years ago, was stormed down.

The next day, King Louis XVI of France, who was staying at the Palace of Versailles, learned of the news.

The king, who had just been awakened, asked the duke, "Is it a riot?"

The Duke replied, "No, Your Majesty, this is a revolution!"

However, Louis XVI still did not realize the seriousness of the problem. In his view, this was no different from the many "Paris riots" that had occurred in the past.

Thanks to the city's high degree of autonomy, the citizens of Paris, with their own administrative structure and towering city walls, showed no reverence for the French king, even repeatedly driving him out of the city. Faced with Paris's formidable walls, successive French kings, greatly troubled, could only resort to besieging the city until they ran out of supplies, attempting to force its surrender. Therefore, the French king was not overly concerned about the Paris uprisings.

On that day, King Louis XVI wrote a line in his diary.

Nothing to do today.

……

The French Revolution shook the entire European continent and astonished all monarchs.

France, spanning nearly a thousand years, from the Carolingian dynasty to the Capetian dynasty, and even the Valois dynasty, a branch of the Capetian dynasty, and now the Bourbon dynasty, is a dynasty that has lasted for a thousand years. The continuation of bloodlines across generations has allowed it to spread throughout the European continent.

Whether it's the King of England, the Tsar of Russia, the monarch of the Holy Roman Empire, or the Spanish royal family, from east to west, from Northern Europe to Southern Europe, whether it's a Grand Duchy or a County, almost all European nobles can trace their lineage back to a royal ancestor from France. It can be said that all European nobles are descendants of the French royal family. However, this time, the trunk of this magnificent, intricately rooted tree has been brutally severed.

The revolutionaries spared no member of the royal family; almost all members of the French royal family were sent to the guillotine, with only a very few managing to escape.

The collapse of a thousand-year-old dynasty and the extinction of a thousand-year-old royal family were like the sun in the sky suddenly going out. Even if one heard it with their own ears, it was still dazzling and unbelievable to all the monarchs.

The fear of the revolutionaries led to the formation of a network to encircle France.

This newly formed revolutionary government was on the verge of collapse, but the appearance of a young man changed everything.

In the decades that followed, this nation, founded by revolutionaries, burst forth with unprecedented vitality, winning five anti-French coalition victories and conquering almost all of Europe. The triumphant young people, now invincible, turned their attention to Russia in Eastern Europe…

On May 5, 1821, the Emperor died on Saint Helena, and only a very few people noticed that his small sculpture, which he never parted with, had mysteriously disappeared.

……

The revolution was suppressed, and the nobles, who had regained power, were finally at ease and continued their extravagant lifestyle as they had for the past thousand years. However, beneath this calm surface, an undercurrent was surging.

Just twenty years later, in 1844, in Silesia, Prussia, a group of textile workers who had suffered oppression and exploitation finally reached their breaking point and launched an angry uprising.

"Germany, we are weaving your shroud, we are weaving in a triple curse."

We'll knit, we'll knit!
"A curse upon that God, to whom we pray in our hunger and cold; our hopes and expectations are in vain, for he only fools and deceives us."

We'll knit, we'll knit!
"A curse upon the king of the rich: our suffering cannot move his heart; he squeezes out our last coin and shoots us like dogs."

We'll knit, we'll knit!
"A curse upon the false homeland, where only shame and evil flourish, where flowers are destroyed before they bloom, and where maggots live on rotting corpses and dung."

We'll knit, we'll knit!
The shuttle flies, the loom hums, we weave, busy day and night—old Germany, we are weaving your shroud, we are weaving in a triple curse.

We'll knit, we'll knit!
The angry uprising did not last long. The uprising on June 2, 1844, was suppressed on June 6. It was insignificant on the world stage, but it affected two young men who were yet to make a name for themselves.

……

A few years later, on October 7, 1847, in Brussels, Belgium.

The tavern had only a few seats and not many customers.

Among the few customers, a young German man with a large beard and another young German man sat at a table with half-finished beers. The two discussed recent events and shared their recent experiences, bursting into laughter at the most enjoyable parts.

"Speaking of which, Karl, I'm quite interested in the Kingdom of Necessity and the Kingdom of Freedom you mentioned last time. Could you elaborate on them?"

Looking at his good friend across from him, who had a big beard and was drinking beer from a glass, Engels suddenly said.

(End of this chapter)