Chapter 400120Chapter NaN

July 11, 1940

Southern British Isles, Portsmouth - French Invasion Force Headquarters

As the battle in Gloucestershire entered a lull, British reinforcements dispatched by General Alan Brooke arrived as soon as the French Army established their front line.

It was a moment where de Gaulle's judgment shone, but de Gaulle, who had preserved the French Army's strength, was reading a telegram from his home country with a grave expression.

[Major General Charles de Gaulle

Regarding your request, this office and the headquarters have deliberated carefully, but we inform you that it has been rejected. The reasons for rejection are as follows.

One. Regarding your request not to declare war, as it would cause Germany to actively intervene, this office and the headquarters have concluded that a war with Germany is already unavoidable, and that it is rational to open hostilities while their main force is tied down before Italy surrenders.

Two. Your request not to invade the neutral country of Belgium and give them justification is reasonable, but realistically, a breakthrough of the Siegfried Line, which the German Army has continuously reinforced, will demand enormous sacrifices.

Three.

Your indication that it is difficult to conduct an offensive through the narrow territories of Belgium and the Ardennes with two million troops is considered valid. In response, this office and the headquarters intend to plan an operation that, if unavoidable, will also mobilize the Netherlands Low Countries Route.

Four. For the necessity of making you understand the current situation, we inform you that the British Navy is still repairing its damaged capital ships, and the fuel stockpiled by our home country is expected to be depleted within half a year.

Therefore, the strategy you advocated—defending Italy and the occupied British territories, conducting a defensive war to make them lose their will to fight, and pursuing peace negotiations—is unacceptable.

P.

S. In the current situation, the only way for France to win this war is to catch the enemy off guard and inflict a fatal blow.

The Prime Minister has great expectations for your contribution to the planning of this operation.

-French Minister of Defense, Field Marshal of the Grand Army Philippe Pétain]

"What do they say, Charles?"

At the question from his dear friend, Alphonse Juin, de Gaulle pondered how to answer before handing over the telegram directly.

Juin furrowed his brow as he looked at the telegram, then cautiously opened his mouth.

"The headquarters' judgment seems to have a point. If we stand by while Italy collapses, France will be completely isolated in Europe."

"Tactically, it's the most realistic judgment, at least."

De Gaulle agreed.

If a lack of stockpiled fuel prevents a prolonged war, capturing the Ruhr to force Germany to surrender is realistically the most rational conclusion.

But how is that any different from the plan to win by launching a surprise attack on our ally, Britain, to capture London? In the end, France landed in Britain but failed to capture London.

Seeing the will to fight of the British forces reported from the front, de Gaulle was skeptical whether Britain would surrender even if he captured London.

"But this is a story about making another gamble for a war with a low chance of winning, a gamble that has already failed."

One could say Belgium, after annulling its alliance with France using the Munich Agreement as an excuse and declaring neutrality, stabbed France in the back by siding with Germany upon Wilhelm III's ascension.

But since an offensive through Belgium alone is difficult, to strike even the Netherlands, which remained neutral to the end in the last Great War, is truly an act without any justification.

"This was a war that should never have been started."

This war started because we were buried in the trap of a 'Great France' in the first place.

France, which had been pushed around by Germany since Hitler's time, wanted to crush Germany and stand tall again, but in the end, it only did Germany a favor.

They used France's animosity to regain their status through Britain, which desired balance, and that instilled a greater sense of crisis in France, inducing an extreme choice.

The idea of having to suppress Germany, but being unable to because of Britain, and thus deciding to make Britain surrender, was the problem from the start.

Because that failed and they need to recover, they've now arrived at another gamble: striking Germany by plowing through other countries that were minding their own business.

France was being buried under the debt accumulated since Hitler's time, yet Germany had replaced Hitler and laundered its past. It was absurd, but that was the reality.

"Even if we were to defeat Germany, the world would condemn France, and if we lose, Germany will become the center of all Europe over France's corpse."

"But what can we do, Charles? There's no path we can choose at this point."

Hearing Juin's words, de Gaulle muttered dejectedly.

"I had no eye for people."

He had felt the appeal in La Rocque's words advocating for a great France and the reform of the military and had joined hands with him, but thinking back now, it was a grave mistake by de Gaulle.

He had seemed like an enlightened politician when he was an opposition party member, but once he broke out of his shell, he was no different from Hitler or Mussolini.

To the public, he seems meticulous, a pioneer with ideas no one could have imagined, but in the end, he is just repeating plausible gambles to maintain his own administration.

La Rocque's Socialist Party administration came to power by exploiting popular animosity towards Germany and the military's dissatisfaction with disarmament, and it had no choice but to pursue military buildup and war in one way or another.

The moment the Socialist Party took power after failing to declare war on Germany, France's fate was as good as sealed.

The administration must satisfy the interests of its supporters, and to satisfy them, it finds itself in a situation where it has no choice but to continue a war full of contradictions.

"It might have been better if the surprise attack on Britain had failed."

Britain is a country that lacks the capability to capture the French mainland alone anyway.

If we had failed to land in Britain at all, the administration would have been immediately replaced, and we could have tried to hold peace negotiations with Britain one-on-one, however unfavorable the conditions.

But France, setting aside circumstances like the fuel shortage, fought remarkably well against Britain in terms of military gains, and the La Rocque administration's life was extended.

We were no longer in a situation where we could end the war just because we had failed, yet we couldn't just sit and wait for the foretold ruin from fuel depletion.

In the meantime, the speech given by Germany's Vice-Chancellor to quell anti-war sentiment within Germany caused anti-German sentiment within France to explode.

The people, who once feared war because of the sacrifices of the last Great War, were now enthusiastic about France's power, which had dealt a fatal blow to the British Empire from the start of the war, and were enraged at Germany for laundering its past as a war criminal of the last war and denouncing France as if it were an axis of evil alongside the Soviet Union.

"Every situation is leading France to ruin."

If we now invade Belgium and start a war with Germany, this will become a clear-cut World War II, just as that German Vice-Chancellor said in his speech.

With Germany supporting Poland and Finland against the communists, if this happens, France will become a public enemy of the world, and if France is defeated, the ending will be nothing compared to the Treaty of Versailles.

"I don't know, Charles.

I can't agree with all of your opinions. In the end, as soldiers, we must bring victory to our homeland.

Aren't your thoughts going too far?"

"They're not going too far. I'm just looking at reality straight."

Juin's expression became one of dissatisfaction at his friend's arrogant statement, but being used to it, he didn't bother to argue.

De Gaulle glared once more at the unfortunate telegram, then muttered as he recalled Germany's impudent young Vice-Chancellor.

"To think the day would come when I'd be envious of a German bastard."

-

July 12, 1940

Western Germany, Siegfried Line on the French border – Army Group C Headquarters

"France is showing signs of entering the war on Italy's side."

"So, what was bound to happen has finally come."

The commander of Army Group C in charge of the Siegfried Line, General Witzleben, replied heavily upon hearing my words.

"As you know, this is the very front line against France. Although military force is short, there will be an immediate additional mobilization once we enter a war with France, so Army Group C must hold out until then."

"Of course. Isn't that why I've been here for months? The soldiers' training and the fortifications are sufficient."

I felt sorry for Witzleben, who spoke with a bitter smile.

During the withdrawal from Italy, he had voluntarily taken on a dangerous role with General Model, but because he had earned too great a name, he had to sit here while the general officers from the new government were establishing their military merits…

General Witzleben observed my expression and smiled faintly.

"Well, don't look so sorry.

I can't even complain now. If a war with France breaks out, won't there be plenty of opportunities to build a record of military merit?"

An opportunity for military merit, huh.

It's natural for a soldier, but it still felt a bit awkward.

But now, I can at least smile naturally.

Because if a situation arises where soldiers can show their great performance, it's the role of a politician to ensure they can display their abilities to the fullest.

"Of course. I will have high expectations for the great performance of Army Group C."

"Haha, thanks to you assigning me such a tremendous Chief of Staff, I have high expectations too.

Isn't that right, General Model?"

"I am merely doing my best in my assigned role."

The unparalleled commander Walter Model, proven by history, and Erwin von Witzleben, who has helped me since the Black Orchestra, a flexible man who knows how to support other talented individuals so they can demonstrate their ability.

To confront the enemy with minimal military force, there could be no better personnel selection.

-

On the way to the car after finishing the meeting with Witzleben, General Model, who had been walking silently beside me, spoke up.

"Are you disturbed?"

"…I can't fool you, General."

I had to force a bitter smile.

In reality, once war with France became certain, I felt a disturbed mood. I know in my head that a war with France was unavoidable anyway.

It's a thankful thing for us that they are giving us a declaration of war or a pretext first, but in the end, it means World War II is breaking out.

In a situation where I don't know how many people will die, it's hard to be genuinely happy.

"It's because I have a lot to think about. I want to minimize the sacrifice, but it seems difficult to achieve a decisive short-term victory even if we go to war with France…"

Even if we rush the Italian offensive, the Italian-French border area is also the damn Alps.

"I requested the Luftwaffe to mix reconnaissance planes in with the bombing runs to examine the terrain crossing from Italy to France, but even though there's a route along the coast, it is too much for a large-scale armored unit to pass."

"I see."

In the original history, the reason Italy had such little gain despite belatedly invading France as it was collapsing from the Sickle Cut operation seemed to be largely due to the terrain, beyond just the Italian army being a weak force.

In the end, to launch a smooth offensive, we need the Belgian route, but Belgium has no intention of negotiating. But the moment we attack them, we lose all the justification we've painstakingly built up.

In a situation where we are heavily dependent on American exports of resources like trucks and oil, it's a choice we can't make unless we're crazy.

On top of that, unlike during Nazi Germany's invasion of France, France has massively increased its armaments and is in a state of utmost preparedness, having already completed the mobilization of over three million troops.

Of those, only 500,000 are in Britain.

They still have 2.

5 million soldiers entirely in their hands, and the Sickle Cut operation was an operation that hit the jackpot only because they were properly baited by an offensive that trampled even the Netherlands before France could even finish its mobilization.

The enemy within France who helped the Sickle Cut operation succeed, Maurice Gamelin, has already been dismissed.

In the current situation, the original history's Sickle Cut operation is difficult to execute, and even if we did, it becomes a gamble of praying that France will make the same blunder in this already changed history.

And when my thoughts reached that point, something occurred to me as well.

If they have the Maginot Line, we now have the Siegfried Line. A solid defense line, incomparable to the flimsy one from the original history.

"General, just in case, please also prepare for a French invasion bypassing through Belgium or Switzerland."

"Belgium and Switzerland? Aren't they neutral countries?"

General Model looked a bit perplexed.

They are neutral countries, but—

if France plans to support Italy and go to war with Germany, they too have no solution other than a decisive, short-term war.

Right before the war, thanks to our machinations, they were hit with an embargo from America, and even if they managed to import oil from other countries after that, the routes are extremely limited.

I don't know how much fuel they've stockpiled, but as long as they haven't completely forced Britain to surrender, they won't be able to drag it into a prolonged war.

France might not be able to flexibly execute large-scale maneuver warfare like the Sickle Cut operation, but with the precedent of the Schlieffen Plan, they should be able to conceive of a large-scale flanking attack itself.

"There is the precedent of the Schlieffen Plan, and they have already launched a surprise attack on their ally, Britain. We must prepare for any eventuality."

They've already committed a crazy act; there's no law saying they won't do it a second time.

"Hmm, I understand. I will draw up a defensive plan to prepare for a contingency."

Is this really enough? Did La Rocque really plan this war with only the rosy blueprint of subjugating Britain in one fell swoop and then blockading Germany?

Even with General Model, said to be the greatest defensive commander of World War II, I couldn't be certain if it would be perfect.

As I was lost in thought, General Model spoke up.

"I've told you before."

"Yes?"

As I looked bewildered, General Model let out a smirk.

"You think too much."

Ah, those were unforgettable words.

It was the evaluation he gave me in Spain before his recommendation for the General Staff Officer course.

The next words would probably be—

"The evaluation of 'prudent but somewhat lacking in decision'—I'll correct that now. You fear war more than anyone, but you now have the decision to plead that we must fight an unavoidable war."

General Model looked at my dazed self, patted my shoulder, and continued speaking.

"You even take the initiative to tour the front lines and solve issues without anyone telling you to. As a politician, that's enough to hold your head high."

Even while giving speeches, I constantly doubted if what I was doing was any different from what Goebbels did.

"You already know the weight of the responsibility you bear and are doing your best. So leave the parts you cannot do to us. We are the people who are here for precisely that."

Because he was the man who, in the original history, supported Germany to the very end in the worst of situations; because he was the man who, after struggling so hard, heard Goebbels's propaganda and lamented that he had ultimately fought for a criminal regime.

The words he spoke were like salvation to me.

"…Thank you, General."

I was at the end of my twenties, yet I felt my eyes about to well up, and at my difficult reply, General Model grinned.

"Not at all. I'm the one who's thankful, Schacht."

"…Yes?"

"I am standing here now to protect a proud homeland. I am not standing here because I am a soldier, or because I was ordered to."

The smile General Model wore was no different from the one he showed his family at his mansion.

"It's thanks to you."