CHAPTER 696: AFTER MODIFICATION: CHAPTER 696 FATAL WEAKNESS

Paris City Hall, the Prime Minister’s office was filled with smoke.

Briand and Clemenceau held cigars between their fingers, silently reading the newly delivered newspaper.

Charles in Mezieres had not reported any of his actions to Paris, and if there were reports, they were delayed, sometimes by hours, sometimes by days.

Therefore, they had to rely on the newspaper to get the latest information on the war.

"It’s truly ironic," Clemenceau thought this was an insult to the parliament and government: "Doesn’t the military know they need the parliament and government’s consent to fight? But now we don’t even know what’s happening on the frontline!"

"It’s wartime now, your excellency," Briand replied helplessly: "If decisions still require parliament and government approval during wartime, the only thing we will gain is failure, and a complete failure at that."

These weren’t Briand’s words but suggestions from Gallieni, Petain, and Foch standing on the same line.

Gallieni’s latest suggestion:

"You know how parliament works, your excellency. It’s filled with spies from various countries, including German spies."

"The plans we discuss in parliament today will be known to the Germans tomorrow."

"Do you think we can win under such conditions?"

Petain supported Gallieni with a telegram:

"Parliamentarians are people who don’t understand military or warfare. It’s hard to imagine we actually need their consent to formulate battle plans."

"If it has to be done this way, I have a good suggestion."

"We can send the parliamentarians to the battlefield for training. If every parliamentarian could be like Colonel Delion, I wouldn’t mind at all!"

(Note: Colonel Delion was a parliamentarian who volunteered to enter the army after the war broke out and sacrificed himself in the Battle of Verdun)

Foch had come back to Paris from the River Somme frontline specifically to persuade Briand:

"It’s a critical moment now, your excellency."

"If we were fighting trench warfare or defensive warfare, perhaps we could let parliament control the military’s operations, as it doesn’t change much."

"But now we’re fighting mobile warfare, infiltration warfare, and Charles is attacking the Germans."

"If we need parliament’s consent, it would be equivalent to tying up Charles’s hands and feet to make him fight the Germans!"

In fact, Briand was very willing to tie up Charles’s hands and feet to make him fight the Germans.

However...

Gallieni was the Minister of the Army, Petain was the backbone of Verdun’s defense, and Foch was the Commander-in-Chief of France and the Allies.

Their combined stance, along with Charles, nearly represented the entire military.

Even Briand as Prime Minister dared not openly confront them.

Moreover, Briand had no reason to confront them, as even a fool knew it was crucial to give the military enough freedom at urgent times unless he didn’t want the French Army to win.

Thus, the final result was: Briand and Clemenceau found themselves seemingly sidelined. They were losing control over the military and the war.

Clemenceau was slightly frustrated. He threw the newspaper on the table and angrily said, "Foch, Petain, and that supposedly ’smartest’ Gamelin—what are they all doing? Besides Charles, can’t anyone win a battle?"

No matter who it was, as long as they won a battle, the parliament and capitalists would elevate them.

Because this would allow another power in the military to rise and compete with Charles.

But unfortunately, almost all the victories were achieved by Charles, even if all the others’ credits combined, they were still insignificant compared to Charles’s achievements.

Briand placed the newspaper in front of Clemenceau, pointing to a report: "Do you think any of these people could come up with such a method and such equipment?"

Clemenceau glanced at the newspaper. It was the Merit Newspaper, featuring a photo of an "Amphibious Tank" modified from "Charles A1."

It was slowly moving into the water, with two soldiers on top operating it.

(The above image shows the "Sherman DD" entering the water)

Despair flashed in Briand’s eyes:

"He only took one night, I mean Charles."

"To be precise, it was only 10 hours. He came up with this method urgently and modified the tanks, then drove over a hundred tanks across the Meuse River!"

"Without bridges, floating bridges, or any other auxiliary tools, they just drove across the river and broke through the German frontlines."

As Briand spoke, he became more excited: "Can you imagine it? The Germans were defeated just like that! And Gamelin is still considered the ’smartest’ in France? It’s truly ironic!"

In front of Charles, no one deserved to be called "smart"; otherwise, it would be an insult to the word "smart."

Clemenceau leaned back on the sofa and shrugged.

He meant: I agree, but what can we do now? No one can deal with Charles!

Briand was silent for a moment, then picked up the phone and said to the secretary: "Bring Major Durra to my office."

He explained to Clemenceau as he put down the phone, "We need someone who understands military affairs."

Clemenceau nodded in agreement.

Major Durra was the head of the second bureau of the General Staff. Although responsible for intelligence work, he was a military academy graduate and had participated in actual combat with outstanding performance.

Soon, Major Durra stood in front of Briand.

Briand discreetly asked Major Durra,

"Major, I think you already know about Charles’s victory on the frontline."

"It’s a glorious victory that has invigorated the entire nation."

"But out of concern, I want to know your opinion. For example, does Charles’s plan have any weaknesses? Or do you know any more detailed information?"

In fact, Major Durra was fully aware of the parliament and government’s intention to undermine Charles.

This couldn’t be called betrayal; it’s just that the parliament and government didn’t want someone like Charles to rise so strongly and become uncontrollable.

Of course, Major Durra didn’t dare reveal this. He put on a worried expression:

"Yes, your excellency."

"I have been analyzing Charles’s combat, or rather studying it."

"I have observed that this time Charles’s infiltration is different from his previous infiltrations, which might become a fatal weakness."

Clemenceau’s eyes lit up. He instinctively sat up straight, "A fatal weakness?"

"Yes, your excellency." Major Durra answered calmly:

"In previous infiltrations, Charles’s First Armored Army always had a large number of infantry cooperating."

"For instance, when infiltrating Antwerp, Foch’s troops followed up. When infiltrating Hasselt, Albert I’s troops followed up."

"These infantry would follow and take over the trenches and cities that Charles had recovered."

"But this time..."

Briand and Clemenceau exchanged glances, delighted:

"This time he did not have infantry follow up."

"To successfully pass through the Arden Mountains, Charles only brought the First Armored Army!"