CHAPTER 323: CHAPTER 323 SHIRE’S THEORY

The Paris House of Representatives, usually a cacophony of chaos, with the debating representatives resembling haggling vendors in a bustling marketplace, displaying a complete lack of decorum.

However, the moment Shire, in military uniform, appeared at the doorway, the entire assembly fell silent instantly. Everyone fixed their gaze on Shire as he steadily walked through the aisle towards the podium.

This was an unprecedented occurrence, even when Gallieni was being questioned, it wasn’t this silent.

The expressions among the representatives varied; some were appreciative, some grateful, but most were envious and angry.

Grevy’s expression was somewhat complex, sometimes he couldn’t help but wonder, did he really hope that Shire wouldn’t return from the battlefield?

Or, if that really happened one day, would he be happy about it? Probably not!

Shire stood firm at the podium and said with a humble but dignified tone, "Good day, gentlemen!"

Then he let out a sigh of relief, "At last, I don’t have to speak amidst the sound of gunfire. This feels great."

The representatives laughed, with Steed leading the applause, shouting, "Well done, Shire, you are the pride of France!"

A few others echoed:

"You defeated the Germans, Ottomans, and even the British!"

"You saved many lives and this war!"

...

This was all in support of Shire.

But everything they said was the truth. Even the representatives opposing Shire couldn’t argue, and could only quietly wait for the applause and shouts to subside.

Shire seized the initiative, not waiting for questions from the representatives, and began speaking first:

"Let me explain my intention."

"I’m not here for my personal gain; changing the design and color of the uniforms doesn’t benefit me at all. The factories I own do not have textile mills, dye houses, or clothing factories that produce military uniforms."

"I’m here for one purpose only, to ensure that our brave soldiers do not risk their lives for any unnecessary reasons."

"This will make combat more complicated, victory more difficult, and survival less likely."

...

Sitting in the central seat, Wells quietly praised him.

Very clever wording, Shire started by claiming to be "speaking for the people." If anyone opposed him, they would be accused of disregarding the lives of soldiers on the front lines, a hefty "crime" that could instantly lose them support or even have them reviled by the people.

But the representatives were not so easily dealt with.

Arman stood up and interrupted Shire.

"Colonel," Arman asked, "Do you oppose the bright colors of the uniforms?"

"Yes," Shire calmly replied.

"Then," Arman continued, "Do the British uniforms also have bright colors?"

"No," Shire answered.

Parliamentary questioning was usually straightforward, with intent representatives often not leaving the respondents time or space to explain.

"Then why have the French Army in bright uniforms achieved victories?" Arman asked, "While the British have been defeated?"

The assembly momentarily erupted:

"Yes, victory and the brightness of uniforms are unrelated."

"Perhaps bright uniforms lead to more victories."

"This is a French tradition; changing uniforms is a concession to the enemy!"

...

Shire waited until they finished shouting and coldly replied, "Gentlemen, if you think so, can I ask you to wear bright uniforms and take a trip to the battlefield?"

The opposing representatives were instantly at a loss, realizing that no matter how they answered, it wouldn’t be appropriate.

If they affirmed, it would mean they had to go to the battlefield.

If they denied, it would mean asking others to fight bravely in bright uniforms while they cowardly hid in the rear.

Steed and several other representatives echoed to support Shire.

At this point, a representative stood up and solemnly asked Shire, "Colonel, do you realize something, these bright colors are not just aesthetic, they make soldiers look lively and invigorate them, which might be the key to victory!"

"Is that so?" Shire smiled and asked back, "Why haven’t I felt that?"

"It’s a subconscious thing, Colonel," the representative replied, "Red signifies a kind of impulse; it symbolizes blood, and the basic requirement for an attack is impulse. It makes soldiers more likely to charge at the enemy with bayonets rather than fear and flee."

Hearing this, Shire seemed to understand.

The French red caps and red pants were not simply about "looking good" or "not looking good," they were also related to the French "Attack Theory."

War requires motivating soldiers to attack the enemy. What the authorities hoped to see was soldiers, under the psychological suggestion of red, rush towards enemy trenches with their bayonets, and then achieve victory.

Shire smiled and responded logically, "I’m sorry, sir."

"I can tell you with certainty that in all the victorious battles I commanded, none was won because the soldiers were stimulated by red pants or red caps."

"On the contrary, from the beginning, I ordered them to stay behind tanks and preserve themselves."

...

Immediately, someone else stood up to oppose, "Colonel, are you against the ’Attack Theory’?"

"You could say that," Shire frankly admitted.

Even though, at that time, opposing the "Attack Theory" was considered unconventional, Petain had done so to gain prominence.

The reason was simple, actual combat is the ultimate test of all truths. Otherwise, no matter how beautifully it is said, it’s useless.

The assembly was stunned into silence, even Steed was momentarily speechless.

The characteristic of the representatives was to follow the majority, and at that time the major direction was still the "Attack Theory." They didn’t dare to easily go against the flow, even if that person was Shire.

Then, the questioning shifted from uniforms to the Attack Theory.

"Then, do you support Petain’s Defense Theory?" Grevy stood up and asked, with a touch of smugness on his face, seemingly feeling he had caught Shire’s Achilles’ heel.

"No," Shire shook his head, "I don’t support the Defense Theory either."

This answer left the representatives baffled, combat is either about attacking or defending, could there be a middle ground?

But indeed there is a middle ground, and it should be the middle ground.

Shire answered, "Sometimes we need to attack to win, sometimes we need to defend."

Then he nodded towards the audience, his eyes full of confidence and determination:

"The battlefield is a very complex competition, gentlemen, far more complex than you can imagine."

"We cannot hope to always win with simple Attack Theory or Defense Theory."

"It would be like thinking we could win all wars with just the 75mm artillery, such a notion would ultimately lead to failure! Whether it’s attacking or defending!"

The assembly suddenly fell silent.

The representatives simultaneously thought of one thing:

Shire’s military theory might be in a class of its own, different from the traditional Attack Theory or Petain’s Defense Theory.

It was the Shire Theory.

All along, Shire had been winning battles with this set of theories!

This means, the facts had already proven Shire’s theory to be correct.

What more could they argue against?