Chapter 545: Victory Through Self-Reliance
Verdun, Command Headquarters of Saint-Michel Fortress.
The first batch of 100 tractors from Charles arrived at just the right time, and Petain immediately assigned them to areas near the front line.
Whether for transporting ammunition, food, or rain gear, or even for towing cannons, having tractors in places without roads proved highly effective, significantly reducing the effort required.
However, at this moment, Petain felt deeply uneasy.
The public's call for Charles to become the supreme commander was growing stronger by the day. Would he be the next supreme commander?
It seemed highly likely!
Charles had both fame and military achievements, and he was financially strong, with considerable control over supplies. It was said that he was importing large amounts of materials through FN's subsidiaries from the United States, the Netherlands, and other countries, and then shipping them to France.
What do I have to compare with Charles?
I’m already 59, and if I can’t become the supreme commander now, I fear I’ll never have another chance!
Petain sighed deeply as he reflected on his turbulent life, and the “defense theory” that others had always rejected or even scorned.
Now, at last, he had reached a turning point in his life, and the “defense theory” had proven its worth in actual combat. However, it seemed that Charles was overshadowing him.
Just as Petain was lost in thought, a staff officer brought him a telegram. "General, a telegram from Major General Charles."
Petain, startled by the mention of Charles, snapped out of his reverie. "What? Charles has arrived?"
"No, General." The staff officer, looking puzzled, placed the telegram on the table in front of Petain. "This is a telegram from Charles."
"Oh, alright." Petain realized he had lost composure and felt embarrassed.
However, when his gaze fell upon the telegram, his weary eyes suddenly gleamed with light, and the fatigue on his face disappeared, replaced by an unmistakable joy.
He couldn’t believe what he was reading. He read the telegram several times and muttered to himself, excitedly:
“Is this true? If so, this is great.”
“It seems plausible.”
Charles’s message in the telegram was similar to what he had discussed with Foch:
“General, I do not have the need to become the supreme commander.”
“It’s not that I don’t want to, but that I cannot.”
“I am a businessman, and at the same time, a major general. I also hold some influence in the parliament.”
“No one would want to see France have a powerful figure who combines military, political, and commercial power.”
Petain thought more and more that this reasoning made sense.
The mistake Charles made was simply being too outstanding. Whether in business, military affairs, or politics, he was a genius.
Yet this very quality became his greatest weakness.
Because he might very well evolve into a dictator, and the conditions were already in place; it was just a matter of whether he wanted it.
And this was something that both the French parliament and the people of France would never tolerate.
So, Charles shouldn’t be the "enemy."
Then, who would be the "enemy"?
Suddenly, Petain thought of Foch, and was immediately startled.
The "opponent" had always been Foch; he was the one most likely to become the supreme commander. I had mistaken Charles for him!
Indeed, just a moment ago, Foch had issued a statement to the army about Charles, and the statement was quite aggressive.
Clearly, Foch still hadn’t understood the situation, and had made the same mistake as me, considering Charles the "enemy."
What a great opportunity, a perfect chance to stand out!
Foch attacked Charles, and I should support Charles in attacking Foch.
Without hesitation, Petain quickly thought through the matter and sent a reply to the "Military Research Center," forwarding the telegram to the press:
“The battlefield is a place where results matter. One cannot think in terms of ordinary logic.”
“If Charles achieved victory, he should be praised, not criticized.”
“If anyone can achieve victory by disregarding orders and launching an independent attack, they should be treated the same.”
“After all, we need victories desperately, and this is determined by the overall environment, not just by strictly following orders.”
“Moreover, our military intelligence system is not strict, and leaks happen all the time. If everything were carried out by the book, even Charles would probably struggle to win.”
...
Though Petain’s words were subjective, they were not without merit.
In Chinese terms, it could be summed up as "grasping the opportunity without being restricted by convention" or "a general’s orders may not apply when the situation demands."
Naturally, Foch was unwilling to back down and immediately sent a counter-response:
“Commanding in this way may seem like it leads to one or two victories in the short term.”
“But it is clearly extremely shortsighted. From the overall perspective of the army, it is highly destructive.”
“It will cause many officers to disregard orders and act on their own, ultimately undermining the discipline of the entire army!”
...
The back-and-forth continued, each side vigorously defending their stance.
During the debate, Petain failed to notice that, by "supporting Charles," he was gradually being excluded from the list of potential candidates for supreme commander by the parliament and the British.
Meanwhile, Foch, who had not been considered a contender before, now stood out in the eyes of the parliament and the British for his firm “opposition to Charles.”
If someone like Foch, a man of considerable stature and influence, could be used to counterbalance Charles, who was rapidly rising in power, wouldn’t that be perfect?
...
At this time, the battlefield at the Somme had quieted down somewhat. The Anglo-French forces had suffered heavy casualties and were unable to push forward before reinforcements arrived, while the German army wisely maintained a defensive posture, leading to a brief lull in the fighting.
In the rain, groups of unarmed French soldiers trudged across the no-man's-land, gathering the bodies of the fallen.
There were so many corpses that they couldn’t be buried, so they were piled into small mountains like garbage and then doused with gasoline for burning.
Because of the rain, it was difficult to ignite the fires, and they had to bring in more gasoline several times before they could get the flames to burn hot enough to last through the rain.
Amid the nauseating smell of burning flesh, Nivelle sat restlessly in his office, occasionally frowning and sitting down, and other times getting up to walk around with his hands behind his back.
He had been closely monitoring public opinion back home and was well aware of what was happening.
With some political acumen, he knew why Foch and Petain, who had never had much to do with each other, were now bickering in the media and in front of the public.
It was all for his position as supreme commander.
These bastards, Nivelle cursed inwardly, I’m here at the front, enduring all this torment, commanding the troops in battle, while you’re back in the rear thinking about how to get rid of me and take my place!
And those treacherous British, they’re clearly putting all the blame on me, not even mentioning that this battle plan was actually formulated by them.
But I suppose I can’t blame anyone. I’m the supreme commander, both of the French army and the Allied forces. If the blame isn’t on me, then who else should bear it?
The idea of bringing Charles in to win this battle now seemed impractical, because people were loudly calling for Charles to become supreme commander. If that happened, it would be like handing the position of supreme commander to Charles on a silver platter.
Nivelle felt as though he was surrounded on all sides, with every move he made being scrutinized and opposed.
After thinking for a long while, Nivelle made up his mind:
The only way to preserve his position as supreme commander seemed to be to mobilize all the troops he could, and win this battle through his own efforts!