Chapter 584: Caught Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Paris City Hall, Prime Minister's Office.
When Clemenceau pushed the door open and entered the room, he was surprised to see Briand pacing anxiously in front of the desk.
Known for his composure in politics, Briand was uncharacteristically agitated.
“Is it about Gembloux, Prime Minister?” Clemenceau asked, his tone light as he casually removed his coat and handed it, along with his hat and cane, to his secretary.
Briand stopped in his tracks, turned to Clemenceau, and instead of answering, asked, “You seem unfazed?”
Clemenceau walked over to the desk, poured himself a glass of red wine, and settled into the sofa with the glass in hand. “I see no reason to worry. If Charles dared to do such a thing, let him face the scrutiny of Parliament. We could use this opportunity to remove him as commander of the Sixth Army Group.”
Although Charles had covered his tracks meticulously, leaving Parliament no evidence linking him to the incident, Parliament was not a court of law. Evidence mattered little. If needed, even a spoonful of laundry powder could condemn a person.
“You’re insane.” Briand immediately dismissed the suggestion. “Do you understand the consequences of such an action?”
“What consequences?” Clemenceau shrugged. “I admit Charles has some influence in Parliament, but compared to ours, it’s negligible.”
Parliament’s workings, after all, were far from democratic. While ostensibly a body of citizen-elected representatives, the Cabinet could easily bribe members to push through any agenda. Clemenceau and Briand were no strangers to such practices.
(Note: Briand founded the French Socialist Party, advocating for workers’ strikes and even supporting the presence of the Communist Party as beneficial for France. However, upon ascending to power, he adopted a pro-capitalist stance and suppressed workers’ strikes, leading to his expulsion and branding as a traitor by his own party. Clemenceau had a similar trajectory. This was the norm in Parliament: common citizens would work tirelessly to elect representatives who were soon bought out by capitalists. Those who refused were suppressed and faced a bleak future.)
Briand let out a disdainful snort. “Do you really think this matter can be resolved with a vote, Mr. Clemenceau?”
“And what else?” Clemenceau countered, tilting his head. “At most, we bring in the newspapers. We could expose Charles for what he’s doing—inciting soldiers to kill their officers. That’s no small accusation. It would undoubtedly tarnish his public image.”
“Foolish!” Briand retorted sharply.
Clemenceau, known for his decisive and straightforward methods, often failed to think deeper. His face darkened at Briand’s blunt criticism, wondering whether Briand’s unusually harsh tone stemmed from losing his composure.
Briand sat on the sofa opposite Clemenceau, his tone heavy with resignation. “Why don’t you consider how the army would react if this incident were made public?”
“The army’s reaction?” Clemenceau looked puzzled. “Are you suggesting the army might mutiny again?”
Briand shook his head. “No, they won’t mutiny, but the so-called ‘unspoken rules’ would only intensify. What do you think?”
Clemenceau froze, nodding slightly as the gravity of the situation dawned on him.
Mutinies were overt and could be suppressed with appeasement measures. But “unspoken rules” operated in the shadows. On the battlefield, soldiers armed with French Lebel rifles could eliminate hated officers without leaving a trace. Even if the government wanted to negotiate, there would be no one to negotiate with, leaving the situation to fester unchecked.
“This would grant Charles complete control over the military, Mr. Clemenceau,” Briand said, his gaze fixed on Clemenceau as he emphasized, “And not just any military—he would control all the armed forces, leaving no one capable of opposing him.”
What an idiot, Briand thought. Clemenceau only knew how to play Parliamentary games.
During Clemenceau’s tenure, Parliamentary control over the military had been easy to maintain, leaving him blind to the threat posed by someone like Charles—a military genius.
(Note: Clemenceau served as Prime Minister twice but orchestrated the downfall of 18 Cabinets, earning him the nickname “Master of Cabinet Overthrows.”)
Before Clemenceau could respond, Briand continued, “Moreover, Charles defeated the Germans at the Somme to become commander of the Sixth Army Group. Meanwhile, we’ve done everything in our power to sideline him. If the public learns of this, do you think any general would still stand with us or fight for France?”
Clemenceau nodded thoughtfully. “They would fear becoming the next Charles.”
“Exactly,” Briand replied. “Which is why this issue must remain in the shadows. It cannot be brought up in Parliament, nor discussed in the media, and must stay out of the public eye.”
There was one point Briand hadn’t mentioned—or perhaps hadn’t considered. Many new recruits were unaware of these “unspoken rules.” Despite suffering under oppressive officers, it never occurred to them that revenge was possible. Without the thought, there would be no action. If these “rules” were publicized, even as a negative example, the idea would take root in recruits’ minds. On the battlefield, they would be tempted to act against those they hated.
Such phenomena existed in every country, army, and era, yet governments universally chose silence and cold treatment.
Clemenceau, with his limited understanding of military affairs, instinctively leaned toward a simple, brute-force solution, almost inadvertently aiding Charles.
After a moment of contemplation, Clemenceau said, “Still, we can’t do nothing. This would undermine Parliament’s authority and allow Charles to fully consolidate control over the Sixth Army Group.”
Briand nodded in agreement. This dilemma was one of the reasons he found the situation so troublesome. Parliament was now caught between a rock and a hard place. He even regretted pushing Charles so hard, forcing him into direct confrontation with Parliament and resulting in this series of headaches.
Ultimately, Briand had underestimated Charles’ political acumen, assuming his talents were confined to military and industrial matters. Clearly, that was not the case.
“There’s only one solution now,” Briand said through gritted teeth. “We hand this matter over to the Northern Army Group and the British. Let them know there are signs of another mutiny brewing in the Sixth Army Group.”