Chapter 589: History is Written by the Victors
In the last chapter, when Lieutenant General Avis arrived at Antwerp Airport intending to teach Charles a lesson, he at least managed to meet Charles in person.
This time, Lieutenant General Avis didn’t even enter the barracks. He left embarrassed, returning the way he came without even a cup of hot coffee.
...
Sixth Army Command Headquarters
When Charles saw Tigani, he couldn’t help but complain, “You probably shouldn’t have come here, General.”
Tigani looked surprised. “But I heard you were being controlled.”
Tigani had received the news from Paris.
Rumors about the “unspoken rules” within the Sixth Army reached the higher echelons in Paris and eventually found their way to Wells, who informed Tigani.
Wells’ advice to Tigani was to remain calm, but Tigani had immediately brought his troops to Jambulu, leading to the current situation.
Charles spread his hands and asked, “Do I look like someone who is being controlled?”
Tigani glanced around and admitted that Charles didn’t appear to be under anyone’s control. On the contrary, it seemed Charles had firm control over the entire Sixth Army.
Charles sighed inwardly. The original plan was for a minor conflict between the British and French armies, with Parliament stepping in as a mediator to de-escalate the situation.
However, Tigani’s sudden intervention had disrupted everything, and Charles worried that this drama would not end neatly.
Nevertheless, Charles underestimated the shamelessness of Parliament.
While he pondered how Parliament would wrap up the matter, a telegram from Clemenceau, on behalf of the French Army Committee, arrived:
“We have learned that the British Army seeks to interfere in the affairs of the Sixth Army. We are currently negotiating with the British. This matter concerns the dignity of France, and we hope the General will not compromise!”
“However, as Britain and France are allies in the Entente, the Army Committee also hopes you will consider the bigger picture and avoid conflict with the British.”
“Additionally, the Army Committee highly commends your actions in quelling the unrest within the Sixth Army!”
Charles was stunned after reading the telegram. Anyone unfamiliar with the situation might think the British had been bullying the French Army, forcing intervention from Parliament and the government.
As for Charles “quelling unrest,” when did that happen?
Not a single statement in the telegram was true. The entire message was political theater, with the final sentence blatantly reversing the facts.
Charles said nothing, simply waving the telegram toward Gamelin a few meters away.
The staff officer understood and immediately handed the telegram to the visibly uneasy Gamelin.
Reading the message, Gamelin gave a bitter smile and turned to Charles, his gaze full of irony.
“They’re praising you for ‘quelling unrest’?”
Charles shrugged, seemingly telling Gamelin, “This is politics. History is written by the victors, and after victory, the narrative can be reshaped however one pleases.”
Gamelin’s expression turned complicated as he stared at Charles. After a long silence, he sighed deeply and sank back into his chair. He understood he had lost—utterly and completely.
As Charles had predicted, a series of telegrams followed:
Parliament decided to promote Charles to the rank of Lieutenant General and award him the Third Class Legion of Honor.
Gamelin and other officers were reassigned from the Sixth Army.
The investigation into the Sixth Army was permanently terminated.
News quickly spread through the command center, and the entire army erupted in celebration.
Meanwhile, Gamelin silently approached Charles and shook his hand. “Congratulations, General. You’ve achieved your goals. But I must say, this is not the will of the citizens, nor is it justice. I’m referring to everything you’ve done.”
Charles understood what Gamelin meant: Gamelin believed Charles had committed crimes, killing innocent officers on the battlefield.
But Charles disagreed. He tilted his head toward the window, where soldiers were embracing each other in celebration.
Charles countered, his tone calm: “Not the will of the citizens?”
Gamelin was left speechless. He turned away quietly, gathering his belongings and preparing to leave with his subordinates.
Charles paid them no mind. Instead, he walked to the window, watching the jubilant soldiers outside.
Indeed, Charles had killed dozens of officers the night before—over fifty, some of whom were undoubtedly innocent.
But war is cruel, and so is struggle.
Had Charles not acted, more soldiers would have died—through purges, being sent to the front lines, or continuing to execute flawed tactics.
From both personal and military perspectives, Charles had no choice.
Ultimately, the root cause was Parliament and its shameless politicians.
Their disregard for national and military interests, as well as the lives of citizens, led to this outcome.
...
That very day, Gamelin and his entourage withdrew from the Sixth Army, leaving behind Weygand.
Perhaps this was intentional on Parliament’s part—a message to Charles that Weygand was not their agent but a loyal aide to Foch, placed in the Sixth Army to monitor Charles.
Parliament hoped this would provoke conflict between Charles and Foch. But this played right into Charles’ hands; Weygand would become a liaison between him and Foch.
Of course, Charles needed to feign hostility toward Weygand, assigning him a routine position as an operations staff officer.
Christine was appointed Deputy Commander, as Charles needed an officer skilled in armored warfare to assist in leading the Sixth Army.
With these arrangements settled, Charles met privately with Darlan in the conference room.
“I believe you belong in the Navy, Lieutenant. That’s where your true potential lies,” Charles began directly.
“General,” Darlan replied with a resigned shake of his head. “Many sailors have been reassigned to ground operations since the Dardanelles campaign. The Navy has been left with little to do.”
Blockades of the German Navy were handled entirely by the British Royal Navy. The French Navy was relegated to observing from port.
“That was then,” Charles responded.
Darlan looked at him, puzzled. “I don’t see how things have changed…”
“Our Navy will participate in anti-submarine operations,” Charles interrupted.
Darlan was stunned. “Really? Anti-submarine operations? Would the British even allow us to participate?”
The British Royal Navy had always sought to exclude the French Navy from such operations, keeping them inexperienced in real combat.
“They have no choice,” Charles replied. “Because we have equipment they don’t.”
Charles explained the development of the “echo detection device,” its installation on destroyers, and plans for anti-submarine training.
Darlan was so astonished that he was momentarily speechless. A device that could detect hidden submarines? It sounded almost fantastical.
But given Charles’ track record of revolutionary inventions, one more astonishing creation didn’t seem implausible.
Finally, Charles asked Darlan, “Would you like to join this anti-submarine unit?”
Darlan’s eyes gleamed with excitement. “Of course, General! Thank you—I’d be honored to join!”
Charles nodded in satisfaction.
Someday, with Darlan rising to the rank of admiral, Charles’ influence and control would only expand.