Chapter 99:

April 23, 1940

Paris, the ‘City of Light,’ capital of France – French Army Headquarters The French Army High Command was in an almost festive mood over the military gains made by the Hawk Legion on the Italian Front.

"De Gaulle, that troublemaking brat, he really did something!"

The fact that the German military, which had until now seemed like an invincible army, had suffered its first, and utterly devastating, defeat at the hands of a French volunteer unit, greatly encouraged the French Army's High Command.

"Ahem. Ahem."

However, when Minister of Defense Pétain cleared his throat uncomfortably, the general who had praised de Gaulle flinched slightly.

Pétain had once cherished de Gaulle, who had been his subordinate, but that same de Gaulle was an ungrateful bastard who had brazenly edited Pétain's manuscript without permission and published it under his own name.

"O-Of course, isn't this a victory we achieved because our tanks and doctrine are advanced, haha!"

In reality, such a result was because the German military had to break through prepared defensive positions and the Alps, but luck had it that even the Air Force couldn't sortie due to weather conditions, and the most advantageous environment was created for the French tanks, which just had to wait and destroy the enemy coming down the road.

"The invincible German military? Ha! The Polish Army must have just been below expectations!"

Pétain scoffed.

The French High Command had been unconsciously afraid of a Germany at war that was easily overwhelming Poland and Italy.

That was why they had not been proactive about war during the Radical Party regime, and when they saw the powerful Polish Army, which had repulsed the Soviet Union, collapse so helplessly against Germany, their worries reached a peak.

But with the Hawk Legion, composed of just four armored divisions, winning a great victory against the German military, it was proven that all of that had been nothing but a groundless fear.

The problem was, things were turning out quite differently from the intentions of Charles de Gaulle, the one who had actually performed so well in Italy.

"This makes it certain. Their so-called ‘mobile warfare’ was overestimated."

At the words of Maxime Weygand, the new Commander-in-Chief of the French Army, the other generals of the French Army also nodded.

The former Commander-in-Chief, Maurice Gamelin, was not only demoted to an unimportant post for colluding with the Radical Party regime to embezzle the military budget and line his own pockets, but also for having greatly misjudged the German military's strength during the Remilitarization of the Rhineland.

Gamelin, who had been promised preferential treatment by La Rocque and had watched the collapse of the Radical Party from the sidelines, cried out that he had been deceived by La Rocque before his demotion, but in the military, which was full of right-wingers, few defended the man who had been favored by the left-wing regime and the democratic government.

"Indeed, our doctrine of establishing a solid defense line, repulsing the enemy's attack, and then counterattacking is truly the advanced one!"

"That's right, Your Excellency, the Commander-in-Chief! As long as we have the Maginot Line and the Alps, our victory is a fait accompli!"

But cutting off the head that was Gamelin did not change the French military all at once.

With this single victory, they came to believe without a doubt that their defensive doctrine could crush the German military's mobile warfare.

For his part, La Rocque had sent de Gaulle and Tassigny, military personnel with relatively advanced ideas in the French Army, to build up achievements, but with them dispatched to Italy, there was no one left to stop the military in the home country.

"If the German military's general offensive capability is only that much, then we too can participate more actively in the Chancellor's plan."

And the French High Command underestimated the British Army far more than the German military.

It was no wonder. When Britain, while insisting they had to stand up to Hitler, whined that they could only dispatch two or four divisions at most, it was their ally, the French Army, whose stomachs churned listening to it.

"But the plan the Chancellor has devised is somewhat—ahem. Isn't it dishonorable?"

"Hmph! Has it only been once or twice that those British bastards have used the Republicans who weakened France for their own convenience and stabbed France in the back!"

Maxime Weygand just scoffed at the concerns of the other generals.

From the Occupation of the Ruhr, the Sudetenland Crisis, and the restoration of the Hohenzollern, to the Second Munich Agreement.

The French Army, having been dragged along by Britain and humiliated by Germany in every diplomatic war, was so steeped in a victim mentality that they shuddered at the mere mention of Britain.

"Still, it is a rather unsavory plan, befitting of Republicans who know no honor…"

This situation was temporarily suppressing their rejection of the republican government and their desire for honor, but with the leash that was Gamelin removed, the French military was a group that might try to overthrow the republic and revive the monarchy at any moment.

"Chancellor La Rocque is one of the better ones among the insignificant Republicans. In any case, if his plan succeeds, we will be able to make the name of great France renowned throughout the world."

Nevertheless, at the words of the respected hero Pétain, the generals of the French military nodded in admiration.

It was a moment where the foresight of La Rocque—who had made Pétain, the great hero of the last war, the Minister of Defense to control the military in Gamelin's stead and had brought Spain in as an ally nation—shone brightly.

"However, we must adhere to a solid defensive doctrine, not some delusional attack doctrine like Élan Vital or splendid mobile warfare."

The problem was that Pétain was a figure who worshipped firepower and defense, and even despised de Gaulle, making their relationship like water and oil.

After the meeting, Alphonse Juin, a batchmate of de Gaulle's, and Philippe de Hauteclocque, de Gaulle's subordinate, let out a sigh.

"At this rate, not a single thing Charles wanted has been accomplished."

"I couldn't agree more…"

Charles de Gaulle had performed remarkably, but because the victory in battle was achieved in the very form the French Army most desired, it had ironically only served to solidify the High Command's thinking.

There was no irony quite like it.

"Our only hope is that the Chancellor said he would purchase a large quantity of radios from America."

La Rocque had been considerably impressed by the German military's mobile warfare, and accepting de Gaulle's strong request, he had decided to import a large quantity of radios from America.

In the original history's World War II, the French Army, despite possessing tanks qualitatively not inferior to the German military's, were defeated in detail because they lacked radios.

But it wasn't as if the French Army completely failed to understand the usefulness of installing radios in tanks, and Charles de Gaulle in particular had long insisted that all tanks should be equipped with them.

It was just that France, having poured an enormous budget into the Maginot Line and suffering from the Great Depression, was so short on radios that they were unavoidably only able to install them in command vehicles.

-

May 4, 1940

Paris, the ‘City of Light,’ capital of France But, making the splendid performance of Charles de Gaulle seem all for naught, tragic news flew into Paris.

"What do you mean? What is this about America declaring they will halt exports of oil and radios?"

La Rocque wore a flustered expression at the news delivered by Minister of Foreign Affairs Paul Baudouin.

They were in the middle of buying up fuel with the intention of going to war soon, and had just ordered a large number of radios that Charles de Gaulle had persistently demanded, and now they couldn't be sent?

"I am deeply sorry, Your Excellency, the Chancellor. They have taken issue with the fact that the fuel and equipment we purchased are being used to support Italy, which is at war with Germany, based on the Neutrality Act."

"What, we are a strictly neutral country, what is this nonsense! What evidence do they have? Oil is a product they were selling just fine even to Germany, which is currently at war, under the pretext that it was for civilian use!"

From La Rocque's perspective, it was absurd.

America, which had been selling oil to Germany just fine from the German Civil War to the war with Poland and Italy, was now suddenly changing its tune?

"W-Well. They summoned our ambassador and showed him photographs of the oil transport vehicles crossing from France to Italy…"

"What!"

France had been playing the role of importing and selling oil to Italy, which had been branded as a clear aggressor and fascist nation and had virtually no way of acquiring oil, and now they were presented with evidence of it.

"It's the work of those damn Germans."

He'd thought they were being awfully quiet despite their crushing defeat on the Italian front thanks to the Hawk Legion, but to think they were pulling such underhanded tricks behind the scenes.

"Even so, this is just an excuse! Damn Yankees!"

Although the Neutrality Act, established under the pretext of maintaining neutrality among warring nations, was open to America's own interpretation, it was true that it was being loosely applied to countries friendly to the so-called Western world, like Germany and Finland.

Thanks to that, the La Rocque government had been extending Italy's lifespan through the dispatch of volunteers or unseen support rather than direct entry into the war, but to think it would turn out like this.

The American President, FDR (Franklin Delano Roosevelt), had consistently shown a favorable stance towards the German Fourth Reich, and had finally made his move.

"At this point, isn't this no different from openly branding France as a nation that intends to abandon the Western world and side with the Fascists! What has the Ministry of Foreign Affairs been doing all this time!"

America's interpretation wasn't exactly wrong, but Minister of Foreign Affairs Paul Baudouin couldn't lift his head in front of the enraged La Rocque.

La Rocque had strengthened ties with the Fascists, but had refrained from any overt acts like openly forming an alliance or espousing Fascism, and now that effort had come to nothing.

"I-I am sorry, Your Excellency, the Chancellor. I will try my best to clear up the misunderstanding."

"You had better, Minister.

For now, we must urgently request oil sales from Venezuela and the Dutch East Indies."

La Rocque bit his lip.

His plan to stockpile fuel ahead of the war and purchase radios for the armored units was completely ruined.

This meant he had no choice but to reduce the fuel sold to Italy, but where on earth was he supposed to get the radios?

"How dare those damn Germans humiliate me!"

As the government officials were at a loss seeing the Chancellor enraged for almost the first time since he took power, La Rocque caught his breath, ran a hand through his hair, and smiled faintly.

"Well, don't you all worry too much. Our plan is proceeding smoothly without a hitch."

The disruption to fuel stockpiling was certainly a big problem, but it was just a groundwork laid in preparation for a prolonged war anyway.

La Rocque had made meticulous preparations for this war, and as long as the unexpected surprise attack succeeded, a minor difficulty like this could be easily overcome.

"Then I must go greet my guest. Carry on with your work."

"Yes, Your Excellency, the Chancellor!"

-

The meeting between French Chancellor François de La Rocque and British Prime Minister ‘Lord Halifax’ Edward Wood was held with such grandeur that it was hard to believe the relationship between the two countries had grown distant.

Halifax expressed his satisfaction with the splendid military parade of the French Army honor guard and offered a handshake.

"A pleasure to meet you for the first time, Chancellor La Rocque."

"Haha, it is an honor to meet the Prime Minister of Britain like this."

Of course, both men, smiling kindly as they shook hands, had completely different thoughts in their minds.

The two, who on the surface were the leaders of allied nations, exchanged some meaningless words of blessing in an amicable atmosphere as they entered the conference hall.

But the conversation that actually took place inside the conference hall was far from amicable.

"Chancellor. I regret to have to say this, but the British Parliament has expressed considerable concern about the current state of France."

"Haha, as Britain's ally who has already faithfully made concessions in several negotiations with Germany, it is difficult for us to understand what those concerns might be."

At La Rocque's reaction, which implied, "Wasn't it because of you that France had to give Germany several advantages during the Radical Party era?", Halifax subtly narrowed his brow.

But La Rocque, who had said it, was just looking at Halifax with a smiling face.

"There is also the matter of your country's ‘Hawk Legion’ recently dispatched to Italy. Even if they are volunteers, the act of militarily aiding the Fascists has made us question whether we are truly allies."

"We have something to say about that part as well, Prime Minister.

They are, to the last, ‘volunteer soldiers,’ and as you know, anti-German sentiment in France is by no means light. Britain should know the reason for that well, so if we are truly allies, please also consider France's national sentiment."

The conversation with La Rocque went in circles, and Halifax felt an inner displeasure.

"Of course, Britain will not officially protest an ally's volunteer soldiers, but we in Britain cannot overlook the fact that your country is steadily building up its armaments and has moved its main fleet to northern France."

France was not only increasing its armaments but had also moved its main fleet, which had been concentrated in the Mediterranean, to Brest and Dunkirk, and Britain had naturally detected these actions and was displeased.

Of course, even if the French Navy moved, it was no match for the Royal Navy, so almost no one interpreted it as a hostile act towards Britain, but few people would be happy to have a weapon, however weak, pointed at their chin.

"Ah, it seems there is room for misunderstanding regarding that part. Unlike your country, which is protected by the sea and the Royal Navy, we are a nation directly adjacent to a Germany that is expanding militarily, so a military buildup is inevitable."

But La Rocque answered smoothly, as if his lips were greased.

"As you know, Germany has recently devoured the Sudetenland, Danzig, and Posen, and is now at war to plunder Südtirol from Italy. If Italy is struggling just to stop Germany, shouldn't we also prepare for the possible threat of the German Navy, rather than just defending the Mediterranean?"

It sounded plausible.

In fact, while it was true that Germany had counterattacked after being preemptively invaded, it was nonetheless expanding by reclaiming the territories it had lost in the last great war.

Even within Britain, which expected the Fourth Reich to play the role of a bulwark against the Soviet Union, concerns were being raised about whether they were letting Germany grow too powerful.

Since it was Britain that had been browbeating a France that claimed to have no money to rearm in order to stand against that very Germany, they didn't have much to say on this matter.

"Ahem, that is a very reasonable point. However, as an ally, I would like to implore you on this. As long as Germany is sponsoring Finland and Poland against the Soviet Union and fighting against the Fascists, Britain does not want France to go to war with Germany."

"Ah.

We too fully understand Britain's stance, Prime Minister. Of course, we have no intention of making a preemptive declaration of war on Germany either.

But since it is also true that they were the war criminal nation of the last great war, we would be grateful if you would consider it as us preparing for a possible threat."

La Rocque spoke naturally and smiled faintly.

He was not lying. In fact, France had no intention of launching a preemptive invasion of Germany.

Halifax did not believe everything La Rocque said, but his expression softened to some extent. But that was that, and in the end, he had to do what he had to do.

To be moving this time again due to the lobbying pressure of that blasted Anglo-German Cooperation Organization, it felt like he was being played by Germany's hand, so he didn't feel much like it.

"Of course, we also respect France's position, Prime Minister. If you have no intention of going to war with Germany, that is most welcome news."

La Rocque, who had been smiling, thinking he had managed the conference as he wished upon hearing Halifax's words, froze at the statement that followed.

"But wouldn't action be needed to prove that? The British Parliament has agreed to revoke your country's Suez Canal usage rights and implement trade sanctions if you do not stop the ongoing support for Italy."