Chapter 872 You've Been Dismissed

On the Mirku front, the Eastern Army Group's headquarters was located in a reinforced concrete fortress on the back of a mountain.

The officers knew how to enjoy themselves.

In the words of Gamelin, officers should be in a more comfortable environment so that they can concentrate on thinking about strategies to deal with the enemy.

But the right and appropriate strategy can save many soldiers, so it's all worth it.

Therefore, outside the fortress, while wind and rain were howling and cannons were roaring, and French soldiers were fighting with the Germans in the mud, inside the fortress, a warm stove was burning, and the officers were leisurely drinking coffee, eating fruits and pastries, and discussing the situation on the map as if they were attending a dance party.

Gan Molin's height of 175cm makes him stand out among the crowd.

(Note: The average height of French soldiers during World War I was 166 cm)

He pointed at the map on the wall with his baton in his hand and said proudly:

"We are winning, gentlemen."

"The Eastern Army Group has broken through the Nancy Line, killing and wounding more than 2,000 enemies."

"This is a great victory. Our army group of more than 200,000 people defeated three German armies with nearly 700,000 troops!"

There was a burst of applause in the fortress, and the officers rushed to flatter:

"An unforgettable command, Major General, it should be included in the textbooks for everyone to learn."

"This was a frontal battle. We defeated the enemy face to face. This was much better than Charles's infiltration tactics!"

“Yes, it was a great victory.”

…

Everyone ignored the premise of this victory:

The German army did have three armies with more than 700,000 people, but the main force of the 2nd Army was tied up on the Meuse River line by Foch and Pétain's troops and could not move.

The 17th and 18th Army Groups were pursued by Charles's troops and the U.S. Army, and the British Expeditionary Force under Charles' command was "plucked away" and fled to the Nancy Defense Line in disarray.

In the end, the Eastern Army Group actually won the victory under the command of Tasigny's Staff Group, and had little to do with Gamelin's team.

But of course Gamelin would not say that. He enjoyed this and tried to pretend that he was racking his brains for the war. He pointed to the map and said:

"But the enemy obviously won't give up so easily."

"We discovered that the Germans were using a new tactic, where they were retreating and building multiple lines of defense as they went along."

"This has created resistance for us and caused considerable casualties. What do you think?"

The officers didn't think much and answered one after another:

"Then let's defeat them layer by layer."

"Yes, launch a ruthless attack on the enemy and skewer them on the bayonet."

"Only rifles and artillery are the best way to talk to the Germans!"

…

Most of the Eastern Army Group were composed of playboys, and all they learned was Foch's offensive tactics, and Gamelin was no exception.

However, Gan Molin was thinking about other issues in his mind.

Because of the war, Gallieni has sent 200,000 reinforcements to the Eastern Army Group, including the Algerian Army and a 100,000-man 9th Army.

This instantly doubled the strength of the Eastern Army Group. Gan Molin thought, why not let this battle last a little longer to get more reinforcements?

There was a hint of smile on Gamelin's lips. The Germans' defensive method could be said to be a perfect match.

Suddenly, the door was pushed open.

Several soldiers wearing raincoats and covered in mud walked into the fortress in a hurry. The rain fell with their footsteps, wetting the carpet.

Gan Molin frowned. What was wrong with the guards? They actually let them in!

Gan Molin thought these people were front-line commanders who came to report the situation.

However, when the leading soldier lifted the awning to reveal his general's hat, there was an uproar in the fortress. It was Charles.

Following behind him were Tasini and several guards.

"Is everything okay, Major General?" Charles walked closer, his eyes fixed on Gan Molin with a smile on his face.

Gan Molin was stunned for a moment, but he tried to remain calm: "I'm fine, Lieutenant General. As you can see, we are discussing the next combat plan."

"Really?" Ciel took off his raincoat and handed it to the guard: "But I think we need to take care of something before that."

"What?" Gan Molin's eyes were filled with anger: "Do I need to remind you, Lieutenant General? Nothing is more important than fighting!"

Charles ignored him, took a document from Tasini, and glanced back at the officers in the fort with a cold look.

"Colonel Depar," Charles called out.

"It's me, General." A mustachioed colonel in a bright uniform and a saber on his waist stood in front of Charles through the crowd.

He was arrogant and looked disdainful.

It seemed to be telling Charles, if you want to order me, you must be making a wrong calculation, I have a hundred ways to deal with you.

Charles smiled softly and read from the document in a low voice:

"Colonel Depar, while serving as quartermaster general of the Eastern Army Group in 1915, accepted a bribe of $60,000 from the Water Shoe Factory."

"The Watt Shoe Factory supplied 700,000 pairs of inferior boots to the troops."

"Some boots cracked after only a few days of wear, and insufficient padding in winter boots caused soldiers to suffer frostbite."

After that, Charles gently handed the document to Colonel Depar and said, "You are dismissed, Colonel. Stand trial."

Colonel Depar's previous arrogance disappeared, replaced by a look of panic. He looked at Gamelin for help, but Gamelin pretended not to see it.

After Colonel Depar was taken away, Charles's frightening voice rang out again in the fortress: "Lieutenant Colonel Mahel."

A middle-aged officer tremblingly walked up to Charles and saluted, with cold sweat on his forehead: "Yes, Lieutenant General."

The look he gave Charles was full of pleading, as if he hoped that Charles would not say what was next.

But Charles remained unmoved:

"Lieutenant Colonel Maher, who colluded with food suppliers while serving in the Army Group Logistics Department in 1916."

"You falsely reported the purchase quantity and purchased low-quality food at a high price."

"A large number of military canned goods were inadequately filled or contained rotten meat, even causing soldiers to suffer from food poisoning."

Lieutenant Colonel Maher swallowed hard, took the document with trembling hands, and cooperatively took off the pistol at his waist and handed it to the guard.

Charles continued:

"Colonel Arthur, Lieutenant Colonel Isaac, while you were inspectors, you accepted bribes from the Loire Arsenal and allowed inferior shells to pass through the inspection."

"Colonel Dubois, you accepted bribes and placed 12 rich kids in 'safe positions' in the rear."

"Lieutenant Colonel Klessor, you should be held responsible for any accidents involving the failure of the fuse or the explosion of the shell."

…

Finally, most of the officers in the fortress were taken away, and Charles was still holding a stack of documents in his hand.

Ciel sighed softly and handed the remaining documents back to Tashini.

Those are some tolerable little greeds, relatively speaking.

They can stay temporarily. After all, wartime is a time when people are needed. We can give them a chance to redeem themselves based on their performance later.

Besides, they should know who to listen to by now!

(Note: The above corruption cases all occurred in the French army during World War I, but none of them were investigated or severely punished, because once investigated, the French government itself would be implicated. They were one of the reasons that triggered the French army's mutiny in 1917.)

(End of this chapter)