Chapter 448: The Newspaper on the Motorcycle
When King Albert I found Charles, the latter was casually signing documents.
King Albert I cautiously asked, “Brigadier General, have you heard? They plan to have Joffre accept the surrender.”
“Yes, I’ve heard,” Charles calmly nodded.
“What... what do you think?” King Albert I asked again.
Before Charles could answer, King Albert I indignantly exclaimed, “It’s outrageous! Everyone knows this victory is your achievement. We absolutely cannot tolerate this. Besides, have they even considered Belgium? Isn’t the true authority in this matter us?”
King Albert I was not wrong.
Although the war was fought by the Anglo-French coalition, the battlefield was in Belgium. From the perspective of respecting national sovereignty, King Albert I’s opinion should have been sought under any circumstance.
King Albert I then promised Charles, “Don’t worry, Brigadier General. I will head to Paris immediately to make Belgium’s stance clear to them.”
“That won’t work, Your Majesty,” Charles said, continuing to sign documents. “They’re not afraid of you.”
King Albert I nodded helplessly. His lack of influence had already been made abundantly clear in the past.
“This is nothing, Your Majesty,” Charles paused and looked up at King Albert I and Colonel Eden, speaking in a relaxed tone. “My only concern is that Joffre might take the opportunity to reassign my troops. You know, they’re unlikely to leave after accepting the surrender, nor would they let us continue guarding this land. It would give them a pretext.”
King Albert I’s heart skipped several beats.
He had been worried that Charles might react emotionally, but it seemed the real issue was Joffre.
After some thought, King Albert I realized Charles was right. If Joffre were to accept the surrender, it would only be logical for him to lead the troops in occupying the surrounded area and disarming the encircled German forces.
In that case, how could they take away Charles’ hard-earned victory while still expecting his troops to garrison Antwerp?
Selling out someone and then having them count the money for you?
The media backlash and public outrage would drown Joffre!
King Albert I glanced at Colonel Eden.
Colonel Eden gave a slight nod, a trace of fear flashing in his eyes.
Colonel Eden had not considered this possibility either. It seemed the situation was far more serious than they had initially thought. This wasn’t a matter of placating Charles with diplomacy or enticing him with benefits.
“However, please rest assured,” Charles said with a confident smile. “Belgium won’t be an issue. When Joffre’s forces inevitably falter, they will still call upon me and my troops, just as they do now with the Dardanelles. They are still hoping to bring me back there.”
Mentioning the Dardanelles was enough to make King Albert I swallow hard.
Anyone with discernment could see that the Dardanelles situation was beyond recovery, yet Charles stubbornly refused to return.
Would Charles one day similarly refuse to return to Belgium due to other battles?
Charles seemed to see through King Albert I’s thoughts.
“No, no, I’ll come back—I promise,” Charles assured.
“You and your people are my friends; I won’t forget that.”
“This campaign has shown me the power of Belgian citizens united. Without your support, we could not have won this victory.”
“To be honest, I believe the resistance fighters and the Belgian people should be part of the surrender ceremony. Unfortunately, others don’t see it that way.”
King Albert I nodded repeatedly, deeply moved.
...
After leaving Charles’ headquarters, Colonel Eden remained silent.
He was well aware of Belgium’s current situation. Although the resistance forces were vast, with a total strength of over 200,000, most of them were militias, and a significant portion had joined because of Charles.
This was Charles’ influence—his personal charisma. These people were his followers, trusting in his leadership and believing they could achieve victory under his command.
If Joffre replaced Charles, the resistance forces might disintegrate, and the favorable situation could collapse or even deteriorate.
“We can’t let that happen,” Colonel Eden declared firmly. “Absolutely not!”
“I know what to do,” King Albert I replied.
“What?” Colonel Eden asked, puzzled.
“We can mobilize everyone to oppose Joffre,” King Albert I answered. “We also have newspapers, Belgians in France and Britain, pamphlets, speeches, and their publications to make our case.”
This idea had just occurred to King Albert I.
He had replayed Charles’ words over and over in his mind while riding in the carriage:
“They’re not afraid of you.”
Then what were they afraid of?
Public opinion, popular dissent, the relentless criticism of the media!
Charles was absolutely correct. Belgian citizens had contributed significantly to the victory. If the victory were snatched away by Joffre, it would be a devastating blow to Belgian morale!
Therefore, all Belgians should be mobilized to resist this injustice.
After a moment of thought, Colonel Eden nodded. “That does sound like a good plan, Your Majesty. This isn’t just about securing Charles’ interests—it’s about protecting our own!”
...
Soon, the Belgians were organized.
The next day, Belgium’s Patriot Gazette ran a front-page headline:
“We Defeated the Enemy, Yet May Lose to Our Allies.”
The article, written in sharp and incisive language, read:
“The coalition forces made sacrifices, but war has never been about who sacrifices the most. It’s about who defeats the enemy, sparing soldiers and civilians from further suffering.”
“From this perspective, Charles is the savior of the coalition, the liberator of France and Belgium, the redeemer of the people. Yet some believe his achievements are insufficient to warrant accepting Germany’s surrender.”
“They think the right to accept the surrender belongs to those whom Charles rescued from the horrors of war!”
“Was it Charles who saved them, or did they save Charles?”
“Even more puzzling, what does the sacrifice and effort of the front-line soldiers have to do with Joffre?”
“Is blindly ordering soldiers to charge into battle and suffer heavy casualties supposed to be an accomplishment?”
...
The Patriot Gazette, established in 1884 and published in Brussels, did not cease operations after much of Belgium was occupied during World War I. Instead, it went underground, continuing to rally people against the German occupation.
To evade German searches and raids, they operated on the move using motorcycles, earning them the nickname “The Newspaper on the Motorcycle.”
At this time, the Patriot Gazette was the authoritative voice of Belgium. Once the article was published, it caused an immediate sensation.
With the guidance of King Albert I and Colonel Eden, the movement quickly gained momentum, sweeping across the European continent.