[{"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-559":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},1335527,1779,"Chapter 559 559: Charles Launches the Counterattack","i-became-a-tycoon-during-world-war-i-saving-fran-chapter-559",559,"\u003Cp>Haig was jolted awake by the thunder of artillery. He sprang out of bed, flung open his door, and rushed to the observation window, binoculars in hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the southern bank of the Somme, fireballs bloomed one after another—like the entire French line was engulfed in flames. The British positions, however, remained quiet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, the German artillery barrage was concentrated entirely on the French front lines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A smile crept across Haig's face. Everything was unfolding exactly as he had hoped. Any moment now, he expected to hear desperate calls for help from Charles and the French Parliament.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment of thought, he turned to his aide and ordered:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Notify the French Ministry of War: The Germans have launched a sudden offensive, targeting the French lines along the southern bank of the Somme!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, General!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Haig gave a slight grin. He was more than happy to deliver such good news to Paris.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Paris – Bourbon Palace\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aside from the main parliamentary hall, the palace complex included more than a hundred auxiliary buildings—some of which housed visiting members of Parliament.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So even under strict lockdown, the MPs were able to live comfortably in private rooms, enjoying hot meals and soft bedding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gallieni was among them. To better oversee the lockdown and keep the MPs from wandering, he'd purposely chosen a room on the ground floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike the MPs, Gallieni remained in constant communication with the outside world, receiving real-time updates to relay to Parliament.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At 5:10 a.m., Gallieni had yet to rise, but he was already awake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The night before, he'd spent hours arguing with the assembly, pressing the urgent need to elect a new Commander-in-Chief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crisis at the Somme was only the beginning. The mutiny had already spread to other fronts and was still expanding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Charles could stabilize the situation at the Somme—but elsewhere, his influence couldn't reach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the Germans launched a full-scale counteroffensive now, the damage to the French army would be catastrophic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the nature of Parliament was \"deliberation,\" which meant slowness. After several days, they had only just produced a shortlist of candidates: Pétain, Foch, and Charles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Charles had been nominated by Steed, Wells, and a few others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Gallieni knew Charles didn't stand a chance—not because he wasn't capable, but because he was too capable. Parliament feared him as a potential dictator, someone who might one day ignore them altogether.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, Gallieni thought, even electing someone as mediocre as Joffre or Nivelle would be better than no one at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, a knock came at the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he could respond, Colonel Fernand's urgent voice called through:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"General! The Germans have attacked the Somme—specifically the French sector!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gallieni's face went pale. He bolted upright as if struck by lightning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the French lines?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That meant the Germans knew something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who had leaked the information?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gallieni leapt from bed and began dressing swiftly. \"Wake everyone up—immediately! Call for an emergency session!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, General!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bourbon Palace Assembly Hall\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>MPs trickled in, a few at a time, leisurely taking their seats.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had no concept of what an \"emergency session\" actually meant. Dragging themselves out of bed at 5 a.m. was already a monumental concession in their minds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Colonel Fernand hadn't dispatched guards to knock on every door and personally escort the MPs, it would've taken over an hour to gather them all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, they had morning routines—bathing, eating, chatting, even trying on different outfits...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Gentlemen!\" Gallieni didn't wait for everyone to be seated. He raised his voice the moment he entered:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We've just received confirmation—the Germans have launched an attack on the Somme!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gasps erupted across the room. MPs froze mid-step. Those still looking for their chairs stared in disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's obvious,\" Gallieni added. \"The Germans know something. They've chosen to strike only the southern bank—our sector.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The MPs' faces darkened. Voices murmured and whispered:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Someone must've leaked information. The Germans know our army is still in disarray.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Now it's up to Charles. Let's hope he can hold the line.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We need to send reinforcements. We can't just put everything on Charles's shoulders!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that suggestion drew immediate pushback:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Reinforcements? Are you insane? The mutiny is spreading like wildfire.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Send more troops to the front, and they'll likely mutiny too!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Keep them in the rear. At least they'll serve as a last line of defense for Paris.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Defending Paris was the excuse. In truth, the goal was to protect the MPs and buy time for their retreat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone knew: if the three Army Group commands at the front were destroyed, the only troops left would be Gallieni's undertrained reserves. France would fall quickly after.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Lieutenant General Avis—trapped in Parliament due to the lockdown—could no longer stay silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a British officer, Avis hadn't held much influence in Parliament.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, with control of British military supplies, he carried a kind of unofficial authority—or at least believed he did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Gentlemen,\" Avis said, striding confidently to the podium, attempting to sound solemn but unable to hide a hint of pride.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Now is the time for unity. We won't sit by and watch our allies perish.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I believe only deeper cooperation between our nations can resolve this crisis.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Applause echoed around the room. MPs nodded and murmured approval:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A true ally indeed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Britain is our only hope now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He's right. If we all defend our own sectors, the Germans will crush us one by one!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Steed, Wells, and the centrists remained stone-faced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They knew the truth: Avis's nice-sounding speech boiled down to one thing—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Bow to us, and we'll protect you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Deeper cooperation\" meant allowing the British to infiltrate French command structures and take over the war effort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gallieni understood it too. But what choice did he have?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to seeing Paris fall and France surrender, Avis's proposal was still the lesser evil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Gallieni was hesitating, Colonel Fernand burst into the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"General—Charles has launched a counterattack!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What?\" Gallieni froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>MPs all turned to Fernand in disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn't even daylight yet. The German bombardment hadn't even ended. The offensive hadn't formally begun…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Charles was counterattacking?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With troops that had just mutinied? Whose morale hadn't even fully recovered?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was counterattacking?\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>",1060,"2026-06-05T20:02:33.312Z",1,"novelbin.me","751bff26ba3a9b69c80c7b1c9e11f9d0e8699a674896d25b43a974c10c6b873d","i-became-a-tycoon-during-world-war-i-saving-fran-chapter-560","i-became-a-tycoon-during-world-war-i-saving-fran-chapter-558",622,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-became-a-tycoon-during-world-war-i-saving-fran-cover.jpg"]