The North American gentleman who invented the lightning rod is not only recognized as an outstanding scientist in the world, but also the most famous spy under Washington. However, his power is mainly used for diplomatic and social activities.
From 65438 to 0776, Franklin became the semi-official diplomatic envoy of North American revolutionaries in Paris. His main task is to try to form an alliance with France against Britain. Franklin was knowledgeable, versatile, personable, elegant and humorous, honest and selfless, modest and friendly, and was praised by the French everywhere. His North American image is in sharp contrast with the arrogant and shallow Englishman in the eyes of the French. French politicians and Parisians like him very much and are full of sympathy and support for the North American revolution he represents. This good public image and good personal friendship provided great convenience for Franklin's next action.
Making propaganda and public opinion offensive is Franklin's specialty. He keeps making false news, exposing all kinds of shady stories about British politics and army, and skillfully spreading them through various channels, and his own "integrity" makes these news have considerable credibility. Britain's image in France and even Europe is getting worse and worse.
1777, inexplicably, a letter suddenly circulated among the Prussian mercenaries fighting in the North American colonies. It is said that the Crown Prince of Prussia wrote it to his mercenary generals serving in the British army, and this letter soon spread to the European continent. The Crown Prince said in his letter that he suspected that the British deliberately concealed the number of mercenaries killed in order to reduce compensation. He also "suggested" the mercenary commander not to treat the wounded, because the wounded were "disabled" and useless, and the British army paid much more money to the dead than the wounded. This letter caused great confusion and anger among mercenaries, and the number of deserters soared. All walks of life in Europe protested against Britain's practice of selling soldiers' lives as commodities with "blood money", and the British Foreign Office and military departments were tired of coping for a while. Naturally, the author of this letter is Franklin.
1782, Franklin carefully concocted another masterpiece.
This time, he forged a full-page Boston newspaper. In this newspaper, there are classified advertisements, local news and lace anecdotes. One of the articles said that the British Royal Governor of Canada offered a reward to his Indian allies for buying the scalps of North American colonists. The report emphasizes that the scalps that many Indians sell to the governor are actually women and children. The news immediately caused an uproar in Britain and Europe, and the wave of protests continued. The opposition Whig Party took the opportunity to urge the government to clarify the facts and end the war as soon as possible. This time, the British government is really overwhelmed and very angry.
Interestingly, Franklin even became the leader of the "pirates" for a time. In the North American War of Independence, a considerable number of revolutionaries drove armed ships and intercepted British merchant ships everywhere at sea. Franklin was responsible for coordinating these smuggling activities in European ports. He arranged the attack plan in an orderly way, and also organized a group of specialized port workers to supply, repair and sell these privateers. The French government turned a blind eye to these "pirates" activities and sometimes agreed to buy "stolen goods" stolen from the British. The money from "selling stolen goods" was used by Franklin to buy arms and warships. Franklin's "pirate" activities brought a lot of trouble to Britain. Due to frequent attacks on merchant ships, the profits of British overseas trade have also fallen sharply. The British public complained bitterly. The British government knows who the culprit is. They protested angrily to the French government many times, but they gave up because there was no evidence and the latter was partial.