Chapter 1022 It’s just the beginning

Clemenceau looked down at the intelligence about the British Mediterranean Fleet sent by the Minister of the Navy. There were more than one hundred warships, including 10 battleships and 2 battlecruisers, and it was said that there were also 2 so-called aircraft carriers.

He was unfamiliar with the term aircraft carrier.

That must be a new type of British warship, Clemenceau thought, its combat capability might be above that of the Queen Elizabeth class.

Are we being hasty?

It should take some time to develop and then reach this step after the navy becomes strong.

But it seems too late to consider this now.

Alas! Charles is young after all. At the age of 19, he has achieved such success today, so it is inevitable that he will be impatient.

However, the consequences of this failure may not be something that Charles or France can bear!

Other representatives were also worried.

They vaguely felt that they were acting on impulse, and that national interests should not be discussed in terms of "human peace" or "French spirit". What matters between countries is strength.

Therefore, it is not rational to have come to this point.

Everyone was mesmerized by Charles' victory, the ideas he put forward, and the "International Alliance" he established.

This gave the representatives the illusion that all countries could overthrow British bullying by uniting.

But the truth is cruel.

Charles excels in land warfare. Most of the equipment, tactics, and troops he developed are for land warfare. Naval warfare is not his forte.

It is said that after the war broke out, Charles stayed in Pontissebourg, Belgium and did not return.

This also verifies everyone's speculation that "Char is not good at naval battles."

Therefore, the outcome that awaits each country is likely to be:

France was defeated and forced to accept Britain's harsher terms.

Other countries are waiting to be liquidated by Britain one by one. Britain's powerful fleet will be stationed at the coastline. If they do not agree to its demands, they will be sidelined like the Greek king.

Thinking of this, the representatives sighed. Except for a few countries adjacent to France by land, some representatives even whispered about whether they should withdraw from the League of Nations as soon as possible.

The dullness and heat of September filled the conference room with a depressing atmosphere, and everyone looked preoccupied.

At this moment the phone on Clemenceau's desk rang.

No one cared. Telephone exchanges in the League of Nations office had become normal, and most of the discussions were about sharing coal and iron trade rights and management rights.

Clemenceau thought it was a trivial matter. He took the phone limply and replied absentmindedly, "It's me."

The next second, his eyes widened as if he had received a shot of cardiac stimulant. "You are not kidding, are you, Mr. Minister?"

"No, of course not." Gallieni said calmly, with a hint of disdain, as if he were talking about a trivial matter.

"What's so strange about that?"

"It's just one victory. Isn't that enough for Ciel?"

"You sound like you really want the British to win, Prime Minister?"

Gallieni was in "Versailles". He was more excited than anyone else and knew the significance of this battle better than anyone else.

"No, no, Minister," Clemenceau hastened to explain.

"Of course I hope the French will win, I just can't believe it."

"God, we actually won? We defeated the British Mediterranean Fleet?"

He deliberately raised his voice when speaking the last sentence. He couldn't wait to tell everyone the good news.

Sure enough, all the representatives' attention instantly shifted to Clemenceau:

"Victory? Defeat of the British Mediterranean Fleet?"

"This is impossible. There must be some mistake. It's been less than 10 hours since the war started."

"Perhaps there was a communication problem. This should be a partial victory."

…

But Clemenceau retorted passionately:

"No, it's not a partial victory, it's a complete victory."

"The British Mediterranean Fleet has surrendered."

"After we sank four of their battleships, they were terrified and chose to surrender!"

(Note: Clemenceau simply classified the two battlecruisers as battleships)

Everyone was stunned.

Many of the delegates knew that the British Mediterranean Fleet was a massive fleet of more than a hundred warships, an unchallengeable fleet.

And this fleet actually surrendered to France?

The delegates rose from their chairs unconsciously, and some even ran to Clemenceau in the hope of hearing more clearly:

"Are you telling the truth? Did the British fleet really surrender?"

"How did you do it? I mean sinking the British battleship!"

"Four battleships sunk in less than a day?"

…

Clemenceau simply turned the microphone toward the delegates.

Gallieni's lazy voice came from the microphone, but everyone could tell that he was actually showing off:

"They're just four battleships. Do you think that's all Ciel is capable of? Do you have so little confidence in Ciel?"

"This is a trap set by Charles. He uses the entire Mediterranean as a trap."

"In the west, the Toulon Fleet blockade and the 'torpedo planes' blockade of Tunisia and the Strait of Gibraltar; in the east, aircraft carriers and squadrons blockade the Suez Canal."

"This made the British fleet realize that they had no other choice but to surrender!"

…

The representatives were confused.

What is an aircraft carrier?

Was it the ship that sank the British battleship?

That must be the invention of Charles, the amazing Charles, an incredible battle!

No wonder he stayed in Pontissebourg and didn't come back. It turned out that he was confident!

Cheers erupted in the conference room, everyone's face was filled with smiles, the depressing atmosphere was swept away, replaced by ecstasy.

The Greek representatives burst into tears of joy again, which almost meant that the days of anxiety for the royal family were gone forever.

The Dutch representative breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that they had made the right bet and the Netherlands could be sure to avoid the disaster of national destruction.

(Note: The Netherlands is located between Britain, France, and Germany. If one is not careful, the country may be destroyed at any time. Every step taken is like walking a tightrope.)

Representatives from various African countries even formed a circle and performed a war dance, making strange howls to the rhythm.

…

Clemenceau nodded with satisfaction and said into the microphone, "We have received your message, Mr. Minister. It is an honor to work with you!"

This made Gallieni on the other end of the phone a little confused. "It's an honor to work with you" seemed inappropriate for a prime minister to say.

Gallieni understood in the next second.

Clemenceau was expressing his loyalty to Gallieni as well as to Charles.

“Me too, Your Excellency,” Gallieni replied, then hung up.

He glanced at his subordinates who were still in a state of "celebration" and scolded them in a pretentious manner: "Is it necessary to be so happy? It's just the beginning!"

Lieutenant Colonel Fernando replied excitedly:

"It is necessary, General."

“It’s just the beginning though.”

"But it was the beginning of France's rise to the top of the world!"

(End of this chapter)