Chapter 468: For the Soldiers' Benefit
Charles was currying favor with Joffre.
He knew Joffre would be unwilling to abandon his meticulously crafted plan: all nations joining forces in a counterattack, Romania declaring war, and the Allies decisively defeating the Central Powers to end the war.
This plan would leave a monumental mark on Joffre's record, the brightest and most glorious achievement, surpassing even Charles.
And for this plan to be implemented, the cannons in Verdun’s fortresses would be useless; they had to be brought out and allocated to the field troops for offensive purposes.
Thus, the moment Joffre set his sights on Verdun, he was already contemplating how to remove the artillery from the fortresses.
All he needed was an excuse.
Christine provided him with a perfect one: “The fortresses are outdated, and keeping the artillery there will only make them easy targets for the ‘Big Bertha.’ They’ll be destroyed one by one before they can even serve their purpose.”
“Quite reasonable!” Joffre, “delighted,” seized the opportunity and transferred the cannons to the field forces.
...
The hospital's morning was tranquil and solemn. The resounding bells of Notre Dame de Paris announced the beginning of a new day.
Gallieni leaned against the bedhead, gazing at the IV bottle hanging above. He watched the clear liquid slowly flow through the rubber tube into his wrist with a mix of curiosity and disbelief that it might aid his condition.
“Medicine has advanced to such an extent,” Gallieni muttered.
(A photograph displayed an IV bottle from World War I, invented by British chemist Henry Dakin, known then as the Carrel-Dakin apparatus, mainly used for disinfection and anti-inflammation.)
Charles entered with a bouquet of fresh flowers. After glancing at Gallieni, he replaced the flowers and said, “You look much better today, General.”
“An old ailment,” Gallieni raised his eyebrows, “A couple of days' rest and I’ll be fine. I’m aware of that.”
Gallieni then asked, “When are you heading back? Without you in Belgium, even King Albert I and others will be worried, Brigadier General.”
This was an issue of morale and public confidence. Although Charles could return at any moment, his absence would unsettle both the military and civilians.
“This afternoon,” Charles replied, dragging a chair to sit by Gallieni’s bed.
“Good,” Gallieni nodded, then spoke solemnly, “There’s something I must say. I don’t want you to do anything wrong because of me.”
“What is it?” Charles feigned ignorance.
“You can’t fool me, Brigadier General,” Gallieni said, lowering his voice. “I know you’re not acting for Joffre; you’re doing this for French soldiers. But your actions against Joffre might inadvertently harm others.”
Charles understood Gallieni’s point.
For instance, if he set a trap for Joffre at Verdun, leading to a defeat, it would tarnish Joffre’s reputation but at the cost of many French soldiers being wounded or killed.
However, Charles calmly replied, “I don’t see it that way, General. I’m doing this precisely for the soldiers’ benefit.”
“What?” Gallieni didn’t understand Charles’ meaning.
Charles casually picked up an apple and began peeling it as he explained, “Have you ever considered how many French soldiers would die if Joffre remains in the commander’s position or proceeds with his so-called ‘envelopment plan’?”
Gallieni fell silent.
Charles was correct; it was a simple calculation. Everyone knew Joffre’s strategies would cause more casualties, so removing him sooner was the logical choice.
Yet...
Gallieni shook his head and sighed softly, deciding to abandon any attempt to persuade Charles.
...
That afternoon, Charles boarded a plane to return to Antwerp Airport.
Before leaving, he instructed Lieutenant Colonel Fernand to strengthen Gallieni’s security, ensuring Joffre could not meet with Gallieni under any circumstances.
Lieutenant Colonel Fernand hesitated upon hearing this order.
“But Joffre is the commander-in-chief, General,” Fernand said. “If he wants to see General Gallieni, I cannot stop him.”
“Then ensure he can’t meet anyone,” Charles said firmly. “It’s my order; you can blame everything on me.”
“Yes, General,” Lieutenant Colonel Fernand seemed to understand, responding resolutely, “I will make sure Joffre can no longer provoke General Gallieni.”
Charles, though physically in the command center, was mentally fixated on Verdun.
“Joffre has ordered the artillery removed from the fortresses, along with the artillerymen.”
“He plans to assign the artillery to the 7th Army, which is near Verdun. Although currently relocating, they can be reallocated to Verdun at any time.”
“The 1st Special Artillery Division is now equipped with the ‘Charles A1’ tank, along with the ‘Saint-Chamond.’”
“Joffre hopes the 1st Special Artillery Division will play a decisive role in his plan, just like your troops.”
...
These were the contents of telegrams sent by Christine.
More precisely, Christine had relayed them via the “Lady in White” to avoid suspicion.
After all, frequent communication between her and Charles would soon draw Joffre’s attention.
Reading the intelligence, Charles nodded secretly. Joffre had no idea this was all meticulously set up for him.
It was foreseeable that Joffre would suffer another defeat in the near future, and it would be catastrophic.
When the Germans attacked, he would not only be unprepared but would also have relocated artillery and troops, essentially aiding the German offensive. It was like his concentrated assault on Alsace-Lorraine a year ago that left Paris vulnerable.
But Charles knew this wouldn’t suffice to utterly ruin Joffre.
After all, France had already experienced defeats under Joffre’s command multiple times. His mistakes in leadership had also been numerous, yet each time he managed to justify them with grand excuses.
“Brigadier General, Brigadier General?” Tigani waved a hand in front of Charles to get his attention.
Charles, lost in thought, suddenly snapped back to reality. “What is it?”
Tigani handed him a supply list. “The Saint-Étienne Arsenal has sent over a batch of shotguns and something they’re calling submachine guns. They said you requested these.”
“Oh, yes,” Charles took the list and glanced at it—200 shotguns and 100 submachine guns.
“What do we need these for?” Tigani asked.
Especially the shotguns; he couldn’t imagine the military using weapons typically associated with hunting.
“Training,” Charles replied, handing the list back. “Distribute the weapons. For now, assign one shotgun operator to each infantry squad, and equip squad leaders with submachine guns.”
“But these guns...”
“Trench warfare, General,” Charles explained. “As mentioned before, for infantry to clear obstacles ahead.”
“Oh,” Tigani nodded in sudden realization. His expression quickly shifted from confusion to delight.
God, these weapons could be ideal for inflicting mass casualties on the enemy at close range, helping the troops capture trenches swiftly and effectively.