[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-i-became-a-tycoon-during-world-war-i-saving-fran":3,"chapter-i-became-a-tycoon-during-world-war-i-saving-fran-i-became-a-tycoon-during-world-war-i-saving-fran-chapter-548":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","I Became a Tycoon During World War I: Saving France from the Start",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1335616,1779,"Chapter 548: Who Pays for the Loans?","i-became-a-tycoon-during-world-war-i-saving-fran-chapter-548",548,"\u003Cp>Inside the Namur fortress, Charles stood over a large map, deep in discussion with Tijani about their upcoming offensive on Leuven.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that Namur had fallen, Leuven lay nearly encircled. With Charles commanding armored, mechanized, and air units—plus the support of Belgium's First Special Reconnaissance Corps—Leuven's capture was just a matter of time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, it wasn't a question of if they could take the city, but how many Germans they could surround and capture in the process.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was one reason Charles had chosen to tackle Namur first, despite its tough terrain and unsuitability for tank warfare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a calculated move, one with strategic precision—what a Go player would call a \"net.\" A high-efficiency strategy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the German commander had any sense, he would retreat from Leuven immediately and consolidate his lines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(Note: In the map, the red circles show, from top to bottom, Antwerp, Brussels, and Namur. Leuven lies at the center of this triangle, trapped in a pincer. If the protagonist had gone for Leuven first, German reinforcements would've made it a harder battle, and Namur would still need to be dealt with afterward.)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tijani stared at the map and smiled. \"Once we take Leuven, the British will once again be pushed to the sidelines.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To the northeast of Antwerp was the neutral Netherlands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once Leuven fell, Antwerp would be nestled in a \"corner\" safe from direct enemy pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Charles smiled slightly. \"Is Leuven the only thing you see, General?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What do you mean?\" Tijani looked confused and turned back to the map. \"Is there a better direction for our next attack?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pondered for a moment, and his eyes widened in shock as they landed on the heavily fortified Belgian city of Liège. \"You're not thinking of attacking the Liège fortress directly, are you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No,\" Charles shook his head. \"Liège is covered in fortresses and complex terrain. Taking it quickly is nearly impossible.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Germans had even restored some of the bunkers there, equipping them with heavy-caliber guns capable of decimating any attacking force—including Charles's armored units.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then what are you thinking?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Charles pointed to a location on the map. \"Hasselt, General. We can bypass the Liège defenses entirely.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(Note: Hasselt appears on the map as \"Hasselt.\")\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tijani found the spot and frowned. \"Hasselt? That doesn't allow for encirclement…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then it hit him—he looked at Charles, stunned. \"You're planning to encircle the Germans using the Dutch border?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Charles nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, the German forces around Leuven were roughly positioned in a triangle: the French lines stretched from Antwerp to Namur in the south, the Dutch border sealed the north, and only the eastern corridor through Liège remained open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If French forces pushed through to Hasselt, they'd close that final escape route—trapping tens of thousands more Germans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, there was a flaw in the plan: for the sake of neutrality, the Netherlands might allow the trapped German troops to retreat through their territory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So before launching the attack, that issue had to be resolved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, a communications officer arrived with a telegram. \"General, we've won a decisive victory at the Somme.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tijani read the telegram and scoffed before handing it to Charles. \"Forty thousand casualties to gain a kilometer of ground—and they call that a 'decisive' victory?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Charles read the report and furrowed his brow. \"I suppose what he means is: if it worked once, it'll work again.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tijani laughed bitterly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They really believe the Germans will keep fighting the same way forever.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Forty thousand casualties—in one day! And they call that a victory?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked truly distressed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tijani had been by Charles's side for many campaigns, most of which resulted in a few hundred casualties at most. Losses in the thousands had only occurred at the Dardanelles, and that was under encirclement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn't even imagine what a single day of 40,000 deaths looked like.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another telegram arrived. \"General, the Germans have proposed peace talks.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tijani leapt forward and snatched the message, his eyes lighting up with hope. \"They want to talk! Major General, the war might be ending!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don't get your hopes up,\" Charles said quietly, a trace of resignation in his voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don't see it that way,\" Tijani insisted. \"If someone's willing to talk, reaching an agreement is just a matter of time. At the very least, the fighting will cool down.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Once you know peace talks are happening, no one wants to die needlessly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You're forgetting something,\" Charles said as he leaned back in his chair. \"You're forgetting the Americans.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Americans?\" Tijani frowned. \"What do they have to do with this? They haven't even joined the war!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Charles shook his head and grabbed a folder to sign as he explained, \"The Americans gave Britain a massive number of loans, General.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Britain had used those loans to buy American-made goods: bullets, shells, equipment—the essentials of war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(Note: 40% of the Entente's ammunition was produced in the U.S. The total amount loaned eventually exceeded $10 billion.)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tijani still looked confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Charles added, \"Think about it, General. If peace were declared right now, who would pay off those loans? The British? The Germans? Us?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tijani was struck silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>France certainly wouldn't pay—it wasn't their debt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Germany wouldn't either. They weren't defeated. They'd be entering negotiations from a position of strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only ones responsible were the British. They took the loans and used the supplies. But they were broke—starved by the German blockade and unable to repay anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Britain, even in decline, was still the world's foremost power. It had influence, colonies, and muscle. What could America do? Start a war with Britain?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, the truth hit Tijani like a thunderbolt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If there's peace now, no one will repay that debt. It'll become a bad loan.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's why the Americans want the war to continue.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Only by defeating Germany and demanding massive reparations can they recoup that money!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Charles nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Exactly, General.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's why American finance groups will use their control over supplies to manipulate public opinion in Britain and France.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They'll make sure everyone believes that Germany's peace offer is a trap—a delay tactic.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tijani felt as if he'd fallen into an ice bath. The hope he had just begun to feel was instantly snuffed out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Charles was right. America could do all that—easily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Read 30 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com\u002FFranklin1\u003C\u002Fp>",1072,"2026-06-05T20:02:32.165Z",1,"novelbin.me","420b7d9b42fc6c43831b71faa37285c710b9f59fc85b41278d78bd42674b4ab3","i-became-a-tycoon-during-world-war-i-saving-fran-chapter-549","i-became-a-tycoon-during-world-war-i-saving-fran-chapter-547",622,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-became-a-tycoon-during-world-war-i-saving-fran-cover.jpg"]