Chapter 521: The Reverse Bait
Everything seemed to happen by chance, like a "random event," but in reality, there was an invisible hand manipulating it all.
Charles was in control of it all; he knew how to guide and even manipulate public emotions.
The rumors and questions were not spread through the Petit Journal or Meritorious Report, but rather through certain well-known "military commentators" who wrote submissions to other newspapers, while the "Lady in White" guided public opinion on the streets.
The more people thought about it, the more "logical" the "rumors" seemed, until eventually a complete "chain of evidence" formed, reinforcing each other.
Soon, the relationship between Nivelle, the Commander-in-Chief, and the British was exposed.
After all, it wasn’t a secret that Nivelle had become the French Commander-in-Chief through the British, as he needed to use supplies to persuade many parliamentarians to support him.
Thus, the French people suddenly realized:
"My God, this is nothing but a British plot against us. They have controlled Nivelle and through him, devised an unreasonable battle plan for Charles."
"That’s not ‘unreasonable,’ that’s a trap, a trap to push Charles and his forces into a pit of fire."
"Unbelievable! Charles is fighting for France, he saved France, saved everyone. But now, due to the betrayal of his allies, he’s been sent straight into the guns and cannons of the enemy. It’s shameless!"
"We cannot let the British succeed, or else we’ll become their accomplices!"
"The only ones who can protect Charles are us!"
...
This time, people didn’t just strike, march, or shout slogans. The angry masses stormed the Paris City Hall and even surrounded the Bourbon Palace, demanding the government and parliament provide a reasonable explanation.
The news reached the military, and soldiers everywhere began protesting. They raised their rifles and shouted:
"Are we fighting the Germans or the British?"
"We are winning under Charles’ leadership, but the British are trying to steal our hard-won victory. They have controlled the Commander-in-Chief and are attempting to use him to kill our heroic fighter and defeat the French army."
"Why are we fighting to the death on the battlefield if this is the outcome? We should first fight the British and show them we’re not to be bullied!"
...
The French parliament and government were thrown into disarray.
They were innocent; they were unaware of the battle plan. Some had heard rumors but hadn’t realized it was a trap set for Charles:
"They've gone mad! They actually want to use the Germans to kill Charles."
"Perhaps we shouldn’t have compromised with the British. We should have known that putting Nivelle in charge as Commander-in-Chief would lead to this."
"The British didn’t give us supplies for free; their ultimate goal isn’t just to defeat the Germans, but also to defeat us!"
...
Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, Nivelle hurriedly stepped forward to explain. He published statements in the newspapers, answered questions from parliament, and made speeches in public:
"It’s not as you think."
"Yes, we do have an offensive plan, but because it involves military secrets, we cannot make it public."
"This is a rumor spread by the Germans, designed to divide the British and the French and create internal discord within the Entente powers."
"Please trust that Britain is our steadfast ally. They would never engage in such shameful behavior!"
...
At the same time, Nivelle sent a command to Charles: "The offensive task is canceled. Everything must remain confidential!"
...
When Charles saw the order, he smiled lightly. He knew he had succeeded.
Nivelle’s position was being questioned, not only by the public but also by the government and parliament. They were all doubting whether Nivelle was capable of handling the position of Commander-in-Chief.
The British were discredited, and even British soldiers felt disgusted by their actions.
Many British officers and soldiers were Charles’ fans, and in terms of public opinion, they firmly stood by his side.
Even those who weren’t fans of Charles believed that before achieving final victory, they shouldn’t sabotage an ally. That would only delight the enemies and cause pain to friends.
More importantly, the Germans generally believed that Charles’ forces could no longer attack Namur.
"Wonderful," Tigani exclaimed upon seeing the telegram. "They’ve finally canceled that damn plan."
Charles simply responded with a "Hmm," tapping his fingers rhythmically on the table, not offering further words.
Tigani sensed something was off. He looked at Charles with confusion. "You don’t seem satisfied, Major General?"
"No, I’m quite satisfied," Charles replied. "But it seems you’ve forgotten our original intention."
Tigani seemed to understand Charles' meaning with that reminder. "You mean the attack on Namur?"
Saying this, Tigani raised the telegram in his hand, signaling that since the "cancellation" order had come through, they could now pretend not to know, thus avoiding the Namur issue.
Charles replied, "Namur will always need to be attacked, General!"
Tigani was taken aback. Was he serious?
How could they attack Namur? Even if they wanted to, it wasn’t our responsibility!
Then Charles added, "But not right now."
He was waiting, waiting for the bait to appear!
...
Dunkirk, British Expeditionary Force Headquarters.
Everything here seemed normal. The staff and communication officers were carrying out their daily routines at dawn.
However, at certain moments, whispers could be heard, and occasional suspicious glances were cast toward Kitchener’s office.
Inside the office, Kitchener had a messy pile of telegrams and newspapers on his desk. In his hand, he held a copy of The Times, with a striking headline on the front page: "Is Creating Division at the Final Stage of Victory a Wise Choice?"
He could ignore French public opinion, but the doubts coming from Britain were equally overwhelming.
The British public also hoped for victory and wanted the war to end, for the blockade to lift. They didn’t want their loved ones and children to continue being sent to France, only to end up dead on foreign soil with no body to recover.
However, Kitchener, the Secretary of War, was doing the opposite of what they hoped for.
This was dangerous, and it was not what the public wanted.
Kitchener furrowed his brow and sighed, setting the newspaper down and taking a few gulps from his coffee.
Where had things gone wrong? It had been a perfect plan; why had it turned out like this?
Now, it seemed he was growing further away from his goal!
Was it Charles?
Perhaps, from the perspective of the beneficiary, the ultimate beneficiary was him, the sole beneficiary.
Damn it! It had to be him! Everything was Charles’ doing!
Kitchener now realized he had underestimated Charles. He thought a simple order would make Charles comply.
But Charles’ counterattack had been so fierce that everyone was left trapped, with no way out. Charles even had leverage against them now: since the offensive plan had been canceled, it was no longer a military secret. If Charles revealed the plan, everyone’s guilt would be proven!
From now on, if they wanted to issue orders to Charles through Nivelle, they would have to carefully consider the justification.
Now, Kitchener thought, it was time for a battle to shift public attention!