Chapter 249: Heat
In France, Jaime Medina had succeeded his late father, Earl Jacob Medina, as the head of the Medina family. The Medina family had been allies of the Hechingen royal family in France, but Jacob Medina had been marginalized due to his opposition to Napoleon III's reforms.
Jacob Medina, who had served under Napoleon the Great, disagreed with some of Napoleon III's policies, particularly those that favored factions other than the Napoleonic faction. As a result, the Medina family, which was already in decline, was further pushed to the political sidelines.
However, with the support of Ernst and the Hechingen Consortium in France, the Medina family had experienced an economic revival. Their association with the Hechingen Consortium, headquartered in the southern port city of Marseille, had brought them prosperity but distanced them from the political center of Paris.
Under the guidance of Ernst, the Hexingen ally group in France, represented by the Medina family, had gained considerable influence in southern France.
In June, Napoleon III summoned Jaime Medina to discuss the brewing conflict with Prussia. Medina expressed his concerns about the war and emphasized that France needed to be fully prepared for a total war. He predicted that there would eventually be a winner between France and Prussia due to their irreconcilable contradictions.
Napoleon III, however, downplayed Medina's warnings, emphasizing that Prussia's recent achievements were due to France's support and that war preparations were unnecessary. This led to a heated argument between Medina and French military leaders.
When Medina attempted to reason that France needed to adapt its military system to be more similar to Prussia's, Marshal McMahon and other generals berated him, insisting that France was more than capable of defeating Prussia.
The heated exchange continued until Napoleon III intervened, ordering Medina to return to Marseille. Medina left, but not before warning Napoleon III that he would regret his decisions.
Outside the Compiègne Palace, reporters from various French newspapers and publishing houses surrounded Medina, asking for his opinions on the war and France's strength compared to Prussia. Medina cautiously expressed his concerns, suggesting that France was not adequately prepared for war.
The media immediately seized upon Medina's statements. The "Hustle" magazine published a cartoon depicting Medina as a surrenderer, while Havas News Agency's headline twisted Medina's words to suggest that he believed France was not an opponent of Prussia.
Fearing the backlash of public opinion in Paris, Medina fled from the city overnight by train. The French people, still resentful from the Ems Dispatch incident, were outraged at the prospect of war with Prussia.
Medina was well aware that the Medina family had been marginalized in France since his father's retirement. Returning to Paris would not change their status. However, he planned to use the media under Hexingen's influence in Marseille to rehabilitate his image.
Medina quickly began a media campaign in Marseille, pitting local newspapers against those in Paris. The media war escalated, with each side criticizing the other. The French government eventually intervened to end the feud, but the Medina family's reputation had been tarnished irreparably. Medina was now seen as the main advocate for war, while the peace and surrender factions were largely disregarded.