Chapter 502: Enemies and Friends
None of this was Charles's doing; it was deliberately arranged by King Albert I.
He had received the telegram appointing the Allied commander around the same time as Charles.
At that moment, he was in the estate with Colonel Eden, enthusiastically discussing the cooperation between the "Saint-Étienne" and "FN" armament factories over afternoon tea.
"My God, why didn’t I think of this?" King Albert I said excitedly, opening a bottle of champagne and personally pouring a glass for Colonel Eden. "I should have arranged this cooperation between the two factories sooner. Fortunately, they have decided to collaborate themselves."
Colonel Eden, flattered, rose to accept the wine and after expressing his thanks, agreed: "Yes, this not only deepens Charles's influence in Belgium, but it also improves our military's equipment."
"Further improvement of equipment?" King Albert I paused, holding the bottle.
"Of course, Your Majesty," Colonel Eden replied. "If the two factories continue to strengthen their collaboration, FN will certainly have the opportunity to take on production rights for any new equipment that Charles's forces might receive."
King Albert I suddenly understood. "Aha!" he exclaimed, nodding with delight. "You're right, Colonel. I didn’t think of this. It’s indeed a great thing. A very, very... very good thing!"
He raised his glass and gently clinked it with Colonel Eden's. "This is worth celebrating. I even want to make today a national holiday. It could be the turning point for Belgium’s rise to prosperity!"
At that moment, a messenger delivered a telegram to King Albert I. "Your Majesty, a telegram from the Allied Supreme Command."
King Albert I took the telegram and read it:
Charles had been promoted to Major General.
Another piece of good news to celebrate! Charles certainly deserved this rank. Furthermore, Eden would finally be promoted to Brigadier General.
Nivelle was appointed as Supreme Commander.
King Albert I wasn’t particularly concerned with that, or perhaps he just didn’t care. His only interest was whether Charles was in Belgium.
He read on, and the smile on King Albert I’s face gradually faded. Soon, it turned cold, and his eyes even showed signs of anger.
Colonel Eden noticed something was wrong and quickly put down his glass, asking cautiously, "Is it bad news?"
King Albert I snorted coldly without saying a word and handed the telegram to Colonel Eden, his eyes flashing with cold light.
Colonel Eden took the telegram and his brows furrowed deeply.
"They've moved the British Expeditionary Force to the Antwerp defense line?"
"My God, these troops will need to work alongside Charles’s armored and mechanized units."
"Do they understand this?"
"And besides, the language, the firearms, the ammunition, all are different..."
King Albert I interrupted him: "Is that all you're worried about, Colonel?"
"What else is there?" Colonel Eden asked, puzzled.
King Albert I shook his head gently. "They’ve sent a Major General to command the defense of the Antwerp line, while Charles is just a Major General."
Colonel Eden said, "Oh," and then understood. "Charles will lose command."
In the next second, he widened his eyes and exclaimed, "What? Charles will lose command? The British will command our forces? What about our fortress defense system..."
"It’s more than that, Colonel," King Albert I said coldly. "This is a conspiracy. The British do not want to see France rise again, nor do they want to see Belgium fully align with France. They are trying to undermine Charles’s achievements and even drag him into the mud!"
Colonel Eden suddenly understood. "This is a conspiracy against Charles. The pro-British Nivelle becoming Supreme Commander may be part of it."
Everyone knew that Nivelle had become Supreme Commander with the support of the British, and Colonel Eden was no exception.
Then, Colonel Eden asked with doubt, "But will the French allow the British to target Charles like this?"
King Albert I smiled lightly, with a hint of mockery. "This is exactly what France wants, Colonel, or more precisely, it is what the French parliament and many of the generals want."
Colonel Eden, who was not familiar with politics, was momentarily confused. The British were targeting France’s hero, and the French parliament and military not only did nothing to stop it, but they were actually pleased? This didn’t make sense!
Colonel Eden looked at King Albert I with doubt.
King Albert I seemed to see through Colonel Eden’s thoughts and slowly explained, "Charles’s achievements are too brilliant, Colonel, so brilliant that they overshadow all other generals. As a result, Charles has become an obstacle to their promotions."
Colonel Eden said "Oh," and nodded slightly in agreement.
Apart from Gallieni, who was Charles’s strong supporter, the military tactics of everyone else differed from Charles’s. They were either "offensive" or "defensive," including Foch.
But Charles, on the other hand, was a "flexible" strategist.
If Charles was right, it would mean everyone else was wrong. They would have to learn from Charles and use his tactics as the standard.
This was something the older generals of France could not tolerate, as it would mean overthrowing their decades-old military theories and bowing to an 18-year-old boy.
But...
Colonel Eden then asked, "What about the parliament? There is no such conflict there, Your Majesty, and they supported Charles in the matter of getting rid of Joffre."
King Albert I snorted dismissively.
"They supported Charles because they knew Joffre was done for."
"But that doesn’t mean the parliament supports Charles. You haven’t understood, Colonel."
"The parliament never wants to see a strong figure rise in the military!"
Colonel Eden suddenly understood, his mouth hanging open in shock for a long time, unable to close it.
The French system was designed to prevent military dictatorship. Now, Charles had a good reputation both within the military and among civilians, especially in the army. There wasn’t a soldier who didn’t support and admire Charles.
One day, if Charles raised his hand and shouted, "Soldiers, the time to liberate France has come!"
The soldiers would immediately follow Charles and march into the parliament to disband it, and the French people would cheer for him.
Moreover, Charles also had his own influence in the parliament, and that influence was growing...
All of this made the other members of parliament paranoid and restless.
Colonel Eden even thought that the only reason Charles hadn’t been imprisoned or sent to the guillotine for some crime was because there was still a formidable enemy: Germany!
"I... I didn’t expect this," Colonel Eden stammered, feeling flustered. "This is so unexpected. Everywhere there are enemies of Charles."
"No," King Albert I disagreed. "There are friends everywhere, Colonel. The French military and people, the Belgian military and people, and us. It is because he has so many friends that the parliament is wary of him!"
Colonel Eden nodded firmly. "Yes, we will stand by Charles’s side at any time. There’s no doubt about that."