Chapter 120
Chapter 120
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 120
Chapter Title: World War II - Belli dura despicio (3)
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July 11, 1940
Portsmouth, Southern British Isles - Headquarters of the French Invasion Force
Just as the fighting in Gloucestershire entered a lull and the French forces established their front lines, British reinforcements dispatched by General Alan Brooke arrived.
It was a moment where de Gaulle's judgment had shone, yet the man who had preserved the strength of the French army now wore a grave expression as he read a telegram from home.
[Major General Charles de Gaulle
Regarding your request, this office and the High Command have deliberated at length, but it has been denied. The reasons for the denial are as follows:
One. Regarding your request that we should not declare war on Germany, as it would lead to their active intervention, this office and the High Command have concluded that war with Germany is already unavoidable. It is more rational to commence hostilities while their main forces are tied down by Italy, which has not yet surrendered.
Two. While your request that we should not invade the neutral nation of Belgium and give them a pretext is just, the reality is that breaking through the Siegfried Line, which the German army has continuously fortified, will demand immense sacrifices. A flanking maneuver would allow us to secure the Ruhr, Germany's core industrial region, making this an unavoidable decision.
Three. Your point that conducting an offensive through the narrow confines of Belgium and the Ardennes with two million troops is difficult is considered valid. In response, this office and the High Command intend to plan an operation that may even utilize the Dutch Low Countries route if necessary.
Four. To ensure you understand the current situation, be advised that the British Navy is still repairing its damaged capital ships, and our nation's fuel reserves are projected to be depleted within six months.
Therefore, your proposed strategy of defending our Italian and British-occupied territories, conducting a defensive war to erode their will to fight, and pursuing a peace negotiation is unacceptable.
P.S. The only way for France to win this war is to strike a fatal blow by catching the enemy off guard. The Prime Minister has high expectations for your contribution to the planning of this operation.
- Minister of Defense of France, Marshal of the Grand Army Philippe Pétain]
"What do they say, Charles?"
At the question from his close friend, Alphonse Juin, de Gaulle hesitated over how to answer before simply handing him the telegram.
Juin furrowed his brow as he looked it over, then spoke cautiously.
"The High Command's judgment seems to have some merit. If we stand by while Italy collapses, France will be completely isolated in Europe."
"Tactically, it's the most realistic assessment, I suppose."
De Gaulle had to agree.
If they couldn't afford a prolonged war due to a lack of fuel, then capturing the Ruhr to force Germany's surrender was the most rational conclusion.
But how was that any different from the plan to achieve victory by launching a surprise attack on their ally, Britain, to capture London? In the end, France had landed in Britain but failed to take the capital.
Considering the fighting spirit of the British forces being reported from the front, de Gaulle was skeptical that Britain would surrender even if he did manage to capture London.
"But it's a plan to make another gamble for a war with low odds, one we've already failed to win with our first gamble."
At a stretch, one could argue that Belgium had betrayed France by breaking their alliance under the pretext of the Munich Agreement, declaring neutrality, only to side with Germany upon Wilhelm III's coronation.
But to say that an offensive through Belgium alone would be difficult, and therefore they must also strike the Netherlands—a country that had remained neutral throughout the last Great War—was an act entirely without justification.
"This was a war that should never have been started."
From the beginning, this war was a product of being trapped in the illusion of a "Great France."
France, which had been pushed around by Germany since Hitler's time, had wanted to suppress Germany once more and stand tall, but in the end, it had only played into Germany's hands.
The Germans had used France's animosity to restore their own status through Britain, which desired balance. This, in turn, created a deeper sense of crisis in France, prompting it to make an extreme choice.
The idea of subduing Britain because it was impossible to restrain Germany due to Britain was the root of the problem.
Now, having failed at that, they had to recover, which had led them to another gamble: striking Germany by plowing through other, uninvolved nations.
France was drowning in the debts accumulated since Hitler's era, yet Germany had ironically replaced Hitler and whitewashed its past. The reality of it was absurd.
"Even if we win against Germany, the world will condemn France. And if we lose, Germany will rise to become the center of all Europe upon France's corpse."
"But what can we do, Charles? We have no other choice now."
Hearing Juin's words, de Gaulle muttered in despair.
"I was blind."
He had been drawn to La Rocque's calls for a great France and military reform and had joined hands with him, but in hindsight, it was a grave mistake on his part.
The man who had seemed like an enlightened politician as an opposition member revealed himself to be no different from Hitler or Mussolini once he shed his skin.
To the public, he appeared to be a meticulous visionary with ideas no one else could conceive, but in the end, he was just repeating plausible-looking gambles to maintain his regime.
La Rocque's Socialist government had risen to power by exploiting public animosity towards Germany and the military's dissatisfaction with disarmament. From the start, they were bound to pursue rearmament and war in one form or another.
The moment the Socialist Party took power without having successfully declared war on Germany, France's fate was all but sealed.
The regime had to satisfy the interests of its supporters, and to do so, it was now forced to continue a war full of contradictions.
"It might have been better if the surprise attack on Britain had failed completely."
Britain, on its own, lacked the capacity to invade the French mainland anyway. If they had failed to land in Britain at all, the government would have been replaced immediately, and they might have been able to negotiate for peace, even on unfavorable terms.
But France, setting aside issues like fuel shortages, had performed remarkably well against Britain in terms of military gains, and La Rocque's regime had its life extended.
The situation was no longer one where they could end the war just because they had failed. Nor could they sit back and wait for the ruin foretold by their depleting fuel.
Meanwhile, a speech given by the German Vice-Chancellor, intended to quell anti-war sentiment within Germany, had caused anti-German sentiment in France to explode.
The French people, who once feared war due to the sacrifices of the Great War, were now ecstatic about France's power after it dealt a critical blow to the British Empire from the outset. They were furious at Germany, a war criminal from the last war, for whitewashing its past and denouncing France as an axis of evil alongside the Soviet Union.
"Every circumstance is leading France to its ruin."
Once they invaded Belgium and started a war with Germany, it would become, just as that German Vice-Chancellor had declared, a Second World War.
With Germany supporting Poland and Finland against the communists, France would become a public enemy of the world. If France were to be defeated, the outcome would be far worse than the Treaty of Versailles.
"I don't know, Charles. I can't agree with everything you're saying. In the end, we are soldiers, and we must bring victory to our motherland. Don't you think you're getting ahead of yourself?"
"I'm not getting ahead of myself. I'm just seeing reality for what it is."
Juin looked displeased at his friend's arrogant remark, but he was used to it and didn't press the issue.
De Gaulle glared once more at the unfortunate telegram, then muttered as he thought of Germany's impudent young Vice-Chancellor.
"To think the day would come when I'd find myself envying a German."
-
July 12, 1940
Siegfried Line, Western Germany, French Border – Army Group C Headquarters
"There are signs that France is preparing to enter the war on Italy's side."
"The time has finally come."
General von Witzleben, commander of Army Group C responsible for the Siegfried Line, responded gravely to my words.
"As you know, this is the very front line of the war against France. Although our forces are limited, additional mobilization will occur as soon as war breaks out. Until then, Army Group C must hold the line."
"Of course. That's what we've been here for these past few months. The soldiers' training and the fortifications are more than sufficient."
I felt a pang of guilt toward Witzleben, who spoke with a wry smile.
Though he had volunteered for the dangerous role alongside General Model during the withdrawal from Italy, his high reputation had meant he had to sit here while the new government's generals earned their glory...
General von Witzleben studied my expression and smiled faintly.
"Well, don't look so apologetic. It makes it hard for me to complain. Once the war with France begins, there will be plenty of opportunities to win glory, wouldn't you say?"
Opportunities for glory. It was a natural sentiment for a soldier, but it still made me feel a bit uneasy.
But I could now manage a natural smile in response.
If a situation arose where soldiers had to act, it was the politician's role to ensure they could use their abilities to the fullest.
"Of course. I look forward to Army Group C's performance."
"Haha, thanks to the exceptional chief of staff you've assigned me, I have high expectations myself. Isn't that right, General Model?"
"I am simply doing my best in my assigned role."
Walter Model, a legendary commander proven by history, and Erwin von Witzleben, a flexible man who had supported me since the days of the Black Orchestra and knew how to let other talented individuals shine.
There could be no better pair to face the enemy with minimal forces.
-
On the way to the car after my meeting with Witzleben, General Model, who had been walking silently beside me, spoke up.
"Are you troubled?"
"...I suppose I can't hide anything from you, General."
I had to force a bitter smile.
In truth, with war against France now a certainty, I was feeling deeply unsettled. Logically, I knew that a war with France was unavoidable.
It was a blessing that they were the ones who would declare war or provide a pretext, but in the end, it meant the start of a Second World War.
It was hard to feel genuinely happy when I didn't know how many people would die.
"I just have a lot on my mind. I want to minimize the sacrifices, but it doesn't seem like we can achieve a quick victory in a war with France..."
Even if we rushed an offensive in Italy, the border between Italy and France was still the cursed Alps.
"I had the Luftwaffe mix reconnaissance planes with their bombing runs to survey the terrain from Italy to France, but while there's a road along the coast, it's not suitable for large armored formations to pass through."
"I see."
In the original history, when France was collapsing under the Sickle Cut, Italy's belated invasion yielded few gains. It seemed the reason was not just the weakness of the Italian army, but also the difficult terrain.
Ultimately, a smooth offensive would require the Belgian route, but Belgium had no intention of negotiating. The moment we attacked them, we would lose all the moral high ground we had painstakingly built.
Given our significant reliance on American trucks and oil exports, it was a choice we couldn't make unless we were insane.
Moreover, unlike during Nazi Germany's invasion of France, France had massively increased its military spending and had already completed the mobilization of over three million troops, standing fully prepared.
Of those, only half a million were in Britain.
They had 2.5 million troops at their disposal. The Sickle Cut operation had been a massive success only because they were caught off guard by an offensive that trampled through the Netherlands before they had even finished mobilizing.
Maurice Gamelin, the internal enemy of France who had aided the success of the Sickle Cut, had already been dismissed. In the current situation, launching the original Sickle Cut would be difficult, and even if we did, it would be a gamble, praying that France in this altered history would make the same blunders.
As my thoughts reached that point, something else occurred to me.
If they had the Maginot Line, we now had the Siegfried Line—a formidable defensive line, incomparable to the flimsy one from the original history.
"General, just in case, please also prepare for the possibility of a French invasion that bypasses us through Belgium or Switzerland."
"Belgium and Switzerland? Aren't they neutral nations?"
General Model looked slightly puzzled. They were neutral, but—
If France was truly planning to support Italy and go to war with Germany, they had no choice but to seek a quick victory.
Thanks to our machinations, they had been hit with an embargo by the United States just before the war. Any oil they had managed to import since then would have come through extremely limited routes.
I didn't know how much fuel they had stockpiled, but as long as they hadn't completely subdued Britain, they couldn't sustain a long war.
France might not be able to execute a large-scale mobile operation as fluidly as the Sickle Cut, but with the precedent of the Schlieffen Plan, they could certainly conceive of a large-scale flanking attack.
"There's the precedent of the Schlieffen Plan, and they've already launched a surprise attack on their ally, Britain. We must be prepared for any eventuality."
They've already done something crazy once; there's no law saying they won't do it again.
"Hmm, I understand. I will draw up a defensive plan for such a contingency."
Was this really enough? Had La Rocque truly planned this war with only a rosy scenario of quickly subduing Britain and then blockading Germany?
Even with General Model, the greatest defensive commander of World War II, I couldn't be certain it was perfect.
As I was lost in thought, General Model spoke.
"I've told you before."
"Yes?"
As I looked at him, puzzled, General Model let out a short laugh.
"You think too much."
Ah, those unforgettable words. It was his assessment of me in Spain, just before he recommended me for the General Staff course.
What came next was probably—
"But I'll amend my previous assessment—that you were cautious but somewhat lacking in decisiveness. You fear war more than anyone, yet you now possess the resolve to advocate for a war that can no longer be avoided."
General Model patted me on the shoulder as I stood there, stunned, and continued.
"You take the initiative to tour the front lines and solve problems without anyone asking you to. As a politician, you can hold your head high for that."
Even as I gave speeches, I had constantly doubted whether what I was doing was any different from what Goebbels did.
"You already understand the weight of your responsibility and are doing your best. So leave what you cannot do to us. That is precisely why we are here."
Coming from him—a man who, in the original history, had propped up Germany until the very end in the worst of circumstances, a man who had fought so desperately only to lament that he had fought for a criminal regime after hearing Goebbels' propaganda.
His words felt like salvation.
"...Thank you, General."
My eyes started to well up, even though I was nearing the end of my twenties. In response to my difficult reply, General Model grinned.
"Don't mention it. I should be thanking you, Schacht."
"...Sir?"
"I am standing here today to protect a proud fatherland. I'm not standing here just because I'm a soldier, just because I was ordered to."
The smile on General Model's face was no different from the one he showed his family at his estate.
"And that's thanks to you."