Chapter 543: The Guidance of Public Opinion
Public opinion was far more intense than Tigani’s calm narration.
The citizens of Paris were in the midst of a frenzy. Although they had entered an era of material shortages, they still spared no expense, emptying their pockets to buy a cup of strong liquor on the streets to celebrate.
The British army had sacrificed hundreds of thousands of men on the Somme without making any progress, while Charles’s army had easily taken the supposedly impenetrable fortress of Namur.
Once again, France had outshone Britain!
“I believe the British should be commanded by Charles. They don’t know how to fight.”
“Indeed, the times have changed. Now, it should be the era of tanks, but the British stubbornly continue to use cavalry. It’s simply foolish.”
“Not only is it foolish, but they are wasting soldiers' lives. It’s murder! Tens of thousands have been lost in just half a month. At this rate, they’ll exhaust their entire army!”
“Don’t say anything. Isn’t this going well as it is?”
...
Then people burst out laughing, filled with a sense of pride.
Little was said about Nivelle’s failure, perhaps because he was seen as France’s disgrace, a stain they did not wish to talk about and even tried to downplay.
But the newspapers preferred a different direction.
"Le Petit Journal" was blunt, its commentary filled with sarcasm:
“We should exonerate General Nivelle. He had foresight. Perhaps he wasn’t, as the general public thought, trying to push Charles to his death under British manipulation.”
“Because the facts prove that Namur could not defeat Charles. It could only withstand his assault for 35 hours!”
“We were all wrong. We misunderstood Nivelle. In reality, he was the one who believed in Charles the most and knew his strengths better than anyone. This is true talent in knowing how to utilize people!”
...
Though a serious publication, the paper’s humorous tone made a more significant impact, spreading rapidly among the public as a joke.
"The Meritorious Report", a military newspaper, maintained its neutral stance, analyzing Charles’s equipment used in Namur in a matter-of-fact manner:
“In this battle, Charles used four new types of equipment that had never been seen before.”
“The first was a rocket launcher, which successfully broke through the German 105mm howitzer blockade and achieved an overwhelming victory—something never seen in artillery history.”
“The second was an armored bridge-laying vehicle, which could set up a steel bridge capable of supporting tanks and soldiers in just 7 minutes over anti-tank trenches.”
“The third was a submachine gun, a gun developed by Charles specifically for close combat. It can fire continuously, with a terrifying capacity of 71 rounds—unmatched in close-quarters combat.”
“The fourth was not a new piece of equipment but a shotgun—originally used for hunting. Many thought it was unsuitable for the battlefield, but Charles modified it, turning it into a weapon capable of breaking through enemy trenches.”
...
Though seemingly impartial, the article was essentially an advertisement. Every word was part of a business strategy.
It even provided a detailed analysis of each piece of equipment’s role and tactics.
Except for the rocket launcher.
The rocket launcher remained classified, mentioned only briefly without any photos, and it was not available for sale.
It had its weaknesses—if the Germans learned the details of the rocket launcher’s specifications and tactics, it could be countered during the war.
The advertisement campaign was highly successful. Once the paper was published, orders flooded into the Saint-Étienne Armaments Factory.
Buyers included the British, Americans, Italians, Russians, and others.
The Russians, in particular, placed an order for 10,000 submachine guns.
It was said that when the Tsar saw the photos and data for the submachine gun, he exclaimed: “This is the gun we need! It seems tailor-made for us. Incredible, even the aesthetics suit the Russians!”
"Le Petit Parisian Daily": “This battle has shown us the incompetence of the Commander-in-Chief. We cannot help but ask: why, after Joffre’s resignation, did we choose another incompetent Commander-in-Chief? Is it really that difficult to appoint someone who knows how to fight and command as the Commander-in-Chief?”
"The Morning Paper": “Nivelle is undoubtedly responsible for the tragedy at the Somme. He even told the soldiers that victory and a homecoming celebration would only take a few days, but that was not the case. Over ten days later, all we’ve seen at the Somme is casualties—there’s no sign of victory!”
Other newspapers also attacked Nivelle, some even calling for his continued position as Commander-in-Chief to be dangerous. He not only endangered the soldiers but could continue to persecute Charles as well!
...
In Davaus, every morning after waking up, Camille’s first task had once been to prepare breakfast.
Now, that had changed. She had become accustomed to going out to buy a copy of various newspapers to see what had happened with Charles that day.
Sometimes, if she didn’t have time to prepare breakfast, she would give Djoka a glass of milk to have with his bread.
That morning, when Djoka came downstairs, he found there was no milk. Camille was sitting at the table, flipping through several newspapers, her face pale and her brows furrowed.
Upon seeing Djoka, Camille anxiously said, holding a newspaper:
“I don’t understand. How can so many people want to harm Charles?”
“Why is the Commander-in-Chief of the French Army doing this?”
“Hasn’t Charles always been helping France win?”
Djoka helplessly shook his head: “Some things you don’t understand, Camille. It’s not as simple as you think.”
“Right, I really don’t understand,” Camille said, growing agitated. “But I do know that Charles saved their lives when he saved Paris. Instead of showing gratitude, they are doing everything they can to frame him. How can such people become the Commander-in-Chief of France and lead all the French soldiers into battle?”
Djoka didn’t know how to respond because Camille was speaking the truth.
He silently walked into the kitchen, made himself a packet of instant coffee, and had it with bread.
Since Camille had developed the “newspaper collection” habit, their breakfast often lacked milk, and Djoka had to keep instant coffee at home.
“We should do something,” Camille said. “Some people have suggested that we lead protests on the streets...”
Djoka, drinking his coffee, almost choked. “No, you can’t do that!”
“Why?” Camille retorted. “I can’t just let this continue. It will harm Charles!”
“The real threat to Charles is the British, Camille,” Djoka pushed the newspapers on the table toward her. “Do you know why these newspapers are all criticizing Nivelle? Because the British are trying to shift the blame and focus onto Nivelle to absolve themselves!”
Camille was utterly shocked.
She realized she knew far too little and had only scratched the surface.
Moreover, the people trying to harm Charles were not just the British—France’s allies?
Poor Charles, it had been so hard for him!