Chapter 99
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 99
Chapter Title: World War II - The Gathering Storm (5)
April 23, 1940
Paris, the 'City of Light,' capital of France – French Army Command Headquarters
The high command of the French Army was in an almost festive mood, thanks to the victories achieved by the Falcon Corps on the Italian front.
“De Gaulle, that troublesome upstart, actually pulled it off!”
The German army, which until now had seemed invincible, had suffered its first—and a truly crushing—defeat at the hands of a French volunteer force. This news had greatly buoyed the French high command.
“Ahem. Ahem.”
But when Minister of Defense Pétain cleared his throat with an air of displeasure, the general who had praised de Gaulle flinched slightly.
Pétain had once been fond of de Gaulle, who had served under him, but the man had proven to be an ungrateful wretch, brazenly editing Pétain's manuscript without permission and publishing it under his own name.
“O-of course, this victory was surely due to our advanced tanks and doctrine, haha!”
In reality, the outcome was due to a combination of factors: the Germans had to break through prepared defensive positions and the Alps, luck had it that poor weather grounded their air force, and the conditions were perfectly suited for the French tanks, which simply had to wait and destroy the enemy as they advanced along the roads.
However, the fact that they had fought alongside the Italian army—a force disdained by all its neighbors and considered a byword for incompetence—dealt a shock to the Germans. For the French, it instilled a sense of pride, as if they had defeated the Germans all on their own.
“The invincible German army? Ha! The Polish army must have just been subpar!”
Pétain scoffed.
The French high command had been secretly dreading a war with Germany, a nation that had easily overwhelmed Poland and was currently at war with Italy.
That was why they had been hesitant to engage in war during the Radical Party's government. Their anxiety reached its peak when they witnessed the mighty Polish army, which had repelled the Soviets, collapse so futilely against the Germans.
But now, the Falcon Corps, composed of just four armored divisions, had won a great victory over the Germans, proving all those fears to have been unfounded.
The problem was, however, that events were unfolding in a way quite different from what Charles de Gaulle, the hero of the Italian campaign, had intended.
“This confirms it. Their so-called 'mobile warfare' is overrated.”
At the words of Maxime Weygand, the new Commander-in-Chief of the French Army, the other French generals nodded in agreement.
The former Commander-in-Chief, Maurice Gamelin, had been demoted to an obscure post. Not only had he colluded with the Radical Party government to embezzle military funds and line his own pockets, but he had also grossly misjudged the strength of the German army during the remilitarization of the Rhineland.
Gamelin, who had been promised preferential treatment by La Rocque in exchange for standing by during the Radical Party's collapse, had cried out that he'd been deceived before his demotion. However, in a military establishment filled with right-wingers, few were willing to defend a man who had been favored by the left-wing government and the democratic administration.
“Just as I thought! Our doctrine of establishing a solid defensive line, repelling the enemy's attack, and then counterattacking is truly the superior one!”
“Indeed, Commander-in-Chief! As long as we have the Maginot Line and the Alps, our victory is a foregone conclusion!”
But removing Gamelin didn't mean the French military would change all at once.
This single victory had convinced them, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that their defensive doctrine could crush Germany's mobile warfare.
La Rocque, for his part, had sent de Gaulle and Tassigny—some of the more forward-thinking officers in the French army—to win glory, but with them dispatched to Italy, there was no one left to check the military command back home.
“If this is the extent of the German army's offensive capability, then perhaps we can participate more actively in the Prime Minister's plan.”
And the French high command underestimated the British army even more than the German one.
It was hardly surprising. While Britain preached about standing up to Hitler, they whined that they could only dispatch two or four divisions at a moment's notice. It was their ally, the French army, that had to listen to this with simmering frustration.
“But the Prime Minister's plan is somewhat—hmm. Dishonorable, isn't it?”
“Hmph! How many times have those British bastards stabbed France in the back, using those republicans who weakened our country for their own ends!”
Maxime Weygand merely scoffed at the other generals' concerns. The occupation of the Ruhr, the Sudetenland crisis, the restoration of the Hohenzollerns, and now the Second Munich Agreement.
Dragged along by Britain and outmaneuvered by Germany in every diplomatic encounter, the French army was steeped in a sense of victimhood so profound that the mere mention of Britain made them seethe.
“Still, it is a rather unsavory plan, befitting a republican who knows nothing of honor...”
The current situation had temporarily suppressed their aversion to the republic and their thirst for honor, but with the leash that was Gamelin now removed, the French military was a group that might try to overthrow the republic and restore the monarchy at any moment.
“Prime Minister La Rocque is one of the better ones, for a lowly republican. In any case, if his plan succeeds, we will make the glorious name of France known throughout the world.”
At the words of their revered hero, Pétain, the generals of the French military nodded in admiration.
It was a moment that highlighted La Rocque's foresight in appointing Pétain, the great hero of the last war, as Minister of Defense to control the military in Gamelin's stead, and in bringing Spain into their fold as an ally.
“However, we must adhere to a solid defensive doctrine, not some fanciful offensive doctrine like *élan vital* or flashy mobile warfare.”
The problem was that Pétain was a firm believer in firepower and defense, and he also loathed de Gaulle, making their relationship like oil and water.
After the meeting, Alphonse Juin, a contemporary of de Gaulle, and Philippe de Hauteclocque, one of de Gaulle's subordinates, let out a sigh.
“At this rate, none of what Charles wanted will be accomplished.”
“I'm afraid you're right...”
Charles de Gaulle had performed brilliantly, but because his victory had come in a form that most pleased the French army, it had only served to harden the high command's convictions. There could be no greater irony.
“The only hope is that the Prime Minister promised to purchase a large quantity of radios from the United States.”
La Rocque had been quite impressed by the German mobile warfare and, accepting de Gaulle's strong request, had decided to import a large number of radios from the United States.
In the original history of World War II, the French army possessed tanks that were qualitatively not inferior to the Germans' but were defeated piecemeal due to a lack of radios.
It wasn't that the French military completely failed to understand the usefulness of installing radios in tanks; Charles de Gaulle, in particular, had long insisted that every tank should be equipped with one.
But France, having poured a massive budget into the Maginot Line and now struggling with finances due to the Great Depression, had a severe shortage of radios and was forced to install them only in command vehicles.
-
May 4, 1940
Paris, the 'City of Light,' capital of France
But as if to mock Charles de Gaulle's splendid achievements, tragic news arrived in Paris.
“What? The United States has declared it will halt exports of oil and radios? What is the meaning of this?”
La Rocque wore a bewildered expression as he listened to the news delivered by Foreign Minister Paul Baudouin.
He had been buying up fuel in preparation for the impending war and had just placed a large order for the radios Charles de Gaulle had been persistently demanding. And now they were saying they couldn't be sent?
“My apologies, Prime Minister. They cited the Neutrality Act, claiming that the fuel and equipment we purchased are being used to support Italy, which is at war with Germany.”
“But we are strictly a neutral country! What are they talking about? What proof do they have? They were selling oil to Germany, a nation currently at war, under the pretext of civilian use!”
La Rocque was utterly dumbfounded. The United States, which had been selling oil to Germany from the time of its civil war all the way through its war with Poland and Italy, was suddenly reversing its stance?
“W-well, they summoned our ambassador and showed him photographs of oil tankers crossing from France into Italy...”
“What!”
France had been acting as a middleman, importing oil and selling it to Italy—a nation with virtually no other way to acquire it after being branded a clear aggressor and a fascist state. And now they were presenting evidence of it.
“This is the work of those damned Germans.”
He had thought them suspiciously quiet after their crushing defeat on the Italian front, thanks to the Falcon Corps. To think they were pulling these kinds of tricks behind the scenes.
“Even so, this is just an excuse! Those damned Yankees!”
While the Neutrality Act—established under the pretext of maintaining neutrality between warring nations—was subject to America's arbitrary interpretation, it was true that it was applied loosely to countries considered friendly to the so-called Western world, like Germany and Finland.
Thanks to that, La Rocque's government had been extending Italy's lifespan through unseen support and the dispatch of volunteers rather than direct intervention. He never imagined it would come to this.
U.S. President FDR (Franklin Delano Roosevelt), who had consistently shown a favorable stance toward the German Fourth Reich, had finally made his move.
“At this point, it's tantamount to branding France a nation that is abandoning the Western world to side with the fascists! What has the Foreign Ministry been doing all this time!”
America's interpretation wasn't exactly wrong, but Foreign Minister Paul Baudouin couldn't raise his head in the face of La Rocque's fury.
La Rocque had been strengthening ties with the fascists, but he had refrained from any overt actions like signing a formal alliance or openly embracing fascism. Now, all that effort had gone to waste.
“I-I apologize, Prime Minister. We will do our best to clear up this misunderstanding.”
“You'd better, Foreign Minister. For now, we'll have to make an urgent request for oil from Venezuela and the Dutch East Indies.”
La Rocque bit his lip. His plan to stockpile fuel and purchase radios for his armored divisions ahead of the war was now in complete disarray.
He would have no choice but to reduce the fuel sold to Italy, but where on earth was he supposed to get the radios?
“Those damned Germans dare to screw me over!”
As the government officials stood by, unsure what to do in the face of the Prime Minister's first real outburst since taking office, La Rocque took a breath, ran a hand through his hair, and smiled faintly.
“Well, don't worry too much. Our plan is proceeding smoothly, without a hitch.”
The disruption to his fuel stockpiling was certainly a major problem, but it was merely a preparatory move for a prolonged war anyway.
La Rocque had made meticulous preparations for this war, and as long as his unexpected surprise attack succeeded, minor setbacks like this could be easily overcome.
“Now then, I must go and greet my guest. Carry on.”
“Yes, Prime Minister!”
-
The meeting between French Prime Minister François de La Rocque and British Prime Minister 'Lord' Halifax, Edward Wood, was conducted with a grandeur that made it hard to believe relations between the two countries had grown distant.
Halifax, expressing a degree of satisfaction at the impressive parade of the French honor guard, extended his hand for a handshake.
“A pleasure to meet you, Prime Minister La Rocque.”
“Haha, it is an honor to meet the Prime Minister of Great Britain.”
Of course, though the two men smiled warmly as they shook hands, their true feelings were quite different.
On the surface, the two leaders of allied nations exchanged meaningless pleasantries in a cordial atmosphere as they entered the conference room.
However, the conversation that took place inside was far from cordial.
“Prime Minister. I regret to have to say this, but the British Parliament has expressed considerable concern regarding the current state of affairs in France.”
“Haha, as Britain's ally, we who have already made faithful concessions in numerous negotiations with Germany find it difficult to understand what these concerns might be.”
Halifax subtly narrowed his eyes at La Rocque's retort, which carried the clear implication that it was Britain's fault France had been forced to concede to Germany multiple times during the Radical Party's tenure.
But La Rocque simply looked back at Halifax with a smile on his face.
“There is also the matter of your 'Falcon Corps' recently dispatched to Italy. Though they may be volunteers, the act of militarily aiding the fascists has made us question whether we are truly allies.”
“On that matter, we have something to say as well, Prime Minister. They are, to be clear, 'volunteers.' And as you know, anti-German sentiment in France is currently quite strong. Britain is well aware of the reasons for this. If we are truly allies, then you should also consider the national sentiment of France.”
The conversation with La Rocque went nowhere, and Halifax felt a growing sense of displeasure.
“Of course, Britain will not lodge a formal protest regarding an ally's volunteers. However, the fact that your country is steadily building up its military and has moved its main fleet to the north of France is something we in Britain cannot overlook.”
France had not only increased its military spending but had also moved its main fleet, which had been concentrated in the Mediterranean, to Brest and Dunkirk. Britain had, of course, detected these actions and was displeased.
Naturally, the French Navy, even relocated, was no match for the Royal Navy, so few interpreted it as an act of hostility towards Britain. Still, no one likes having a weapon pointed at their chin, no matter how weak.
“Ah, it seems there has been a misunderstanding on that point. Unlike your country, which is protected by the sea and the Royal Navy, we are a nation directly bordering a Germany that is expanding its military might. A military buildup is therefore inevitable.”
“As you know, Germany has recently devoured the Sudetenland, Danzig, and Posen, and is now at war to seize South Tyrol from Italy. If Italy is struggling just to hold Germany back, shouldn't we also prepare for the potential threat of the German Navy, rather than focusing our defenses on the Mediterranean?”
His words were plausible. In truth, Germany had only counterattacked after being preemptively invaded, but it was nevertheless expanding and reclaiming territories lost in the last war.
Even within Britain, which expected the Fourth Reich to act as a bulwark against the Soviets, concerns were being raised about letting Germany grow too powerful.
Since it was Britain that had browbeaten a cash-strapped France into rearming precisely to counter that same Germany, they had little room to argue on this point.
“Hmm, that is a fair point. However, as an ally, I must insist on this: as long as Germany is supporting Finland and Poland against the Soviets and standing against the fascists, Britain does not want France to go to war with Germany.”
“Ah. We fully understand Britain's position, Prime Minister. Of course, we have no intention of preemptively declaring war on Germany either. But it is also a fact that they were the aggressors in the last war, so we would appreciate it if you would consider this simply as preparing for a potential threat.”
La Rocque spoke naturally, a faint smile on his lips. He wasn't lying. France truly had no intention of launching a preemptive invasion of Germany.
Halifax didn't believe La Rocque's words entirely, but his expression softened somewhat. Be that as it may, he still had a job to do.
He was acting this time due to lobbying pressure from that damned Anglo-German cooperation group, and he didn't like it one bit; it felt as if he were playing right into Germany's hands.
“Of course, we 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 navigated the meeting just as he'd hoped, froze at Halifax's next words.
“But actions are needed to prove it, are they not? The British Parliament has agreed that if your country does not cease its ongoing support for Italy, we will revoke your access to the Suez Canal and implement trade sanctions.”