Chapter 600 Is this a win-win situation?
News of the British defeat at Antwerp spread quickly throughout France.
After all, the war took place in Belgium, and it was difficult for the British to block the news.
However, the French were not discussing the British defeat. In their view, the British defeat was natural:
"This is the result of not keeping up with the times. We knew this would happen a long time ago. If we don't change, we will be eliminated by the war."
"Yes, Charles has proven the importance of tanks more than once. The Germans knew to follow Charles' footsteps and equip and upgrade tanks, but the British still stubbornly believed that tanks were useless."
"But I heard that the British have already used tanks in Antwerp. They are Whippets."
"They are just tanks. They arrogantly ignored Charles' tank tactics and acted like the world's most powerful country. Facts have proven that they are wrong!"
…
Everyone thought the British had brought it upon themselves and took gloating attitude towards the defeat.
However, a voice suddenly appeared:
"Do you know why Ciel's fighters didn't reinforce Antwerp?"
"The British and the Parliament jointly tried to control the supply of Shire, which caused Shire's troops to lose their combat effectiveness. His planes could not take off due to lack of gasoline, and many soldiers did not even have a basic amount of ammunition!"
"What? Is there such a thing?"
"I think it's true. The existence of the Shire is not in the interests of the British, and the British will use the materials in their hands to control Parliament!"
…
Public opinion was instantly ignited, and angry people immediately surrounded the House of Representatives which was in meeting.
This time they did not just shout slogans, many of them rushed directly into the House of Representatives and surrounded the members, waving their fists and shouting at them:
"We oppose the parliament's unreasonable interference in the army. All parliamentarians who participated in the persecution of Charles should be severely punished!"
"They are our enemies. They have joined forces with the British to betray France!"
"You traitors, sinners, vampires who ignore national security for the sake of profit, you are not worthy of representing the French people!"
…
The congressmen were frightened and their faces turned pale. They kept clarifying to the crowd that the matter had nothing to do with them, but people would not believe these two-faced congressmen. Some of them even started fighting, and the atmosphere in the House of Representatives was full of tension.
In the end, it was Gallieni who dispatched troops to protect the parliamentarians and ensure their safe departure.
…
In Namur Castle, telegrams were delivered to Charles' desk.
Although Charles was in Namur, a hundred kilometers away from Antwerp, he was the one who had the clearest understanding of the situation.
The map in front of him clearly marked the German attack route and position.
Charles also guided public opinion in Paris, for example, he timely released the news that the British and Parliament were controlling the supplies of the 6th Army.
Tijani excitedly handed over a telegram: "There is also a strong reaction in Britain about this matter. Many people criticized Kitchener for still thinking about using materials to control his allies when facing Germany, a powerful enemy. This will only cause internal conflicts in the Allies."
"So, they put the blame on Kitchener?" Charles said calmly.
Tijani was stunned: "You mean..."
Then he suddenly realized: "Parliament, the British House of Commons, this is their decision."
"It is the capitalists, General," Charles corrected. "It is the British capitalists who really control the material resources."
Tijani nodded in agreement.
The nature of the British Parliament is similar to that of the French Parliament. Capitalists control the members of parliament, who then decide national affairs.
Therefore, it was the British capitalists’ intention to suppress the Shire, and this was a struggle between the British capitalists and the Shire.
Otherwise, Kitchener, the Secretary of State for War, would not have had control over supplies.
(Note: The UK is divided into the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The House of Lords is composed of traditional aristocrats, most of whom are hereditary and have continued to this day. During World War I, it lost most of its constitutional power and power was transferred to the House of Commons. However, it is not the case that the House of Lords has no power as rumored on the Internet. The House of Lords has the power of review. Although it cannot veto the bills of the House of Commons, it can delay it for one or two years.)
Tijani smiled at Charles and said, "It seems that your business in the UK has violated the interests of capitalists!"
Charles smiled and said nothing.
He had known this would happen.
Developing the financial industry will offend British financial giants, and selling arms and technology to Britain will offend a large number of British arms dealers, and it will be long-term, continuous, and even overwhelming, which can almost determine the life and death of these capital giants. Of course, they will regard Charles as a thorn in their eyes.
But Charles does not regret doing this. This is the necessary path of development. Should he stop doing business and making money for fear of offending people?
As for the British capitalists using military force to suppress Charles, they were always a little naive. This was not their strong point. They should have known this clearly.
Now, it's time for them to pay the price!
Soon, telegrams asking for help were delivered to Charles.
The first message came from Lieutenant General Avis: "The Germans have gained air superiority over Antwerp, which puts our army in a very passive position. I hope your army can provide air support for Antwerp."
Then came the telegram from Foch: "The British Army is our most important ally. The safety of Antwerp is related to the entire front. From the overall perspective, I think you should provide reinforcements to the British Army."
This should be the result of Kitchener's pressure on Foch.
Next, the French Army Committee and the Prime Minister's Office also hoped that Charles would provide reinforcements, and their voices were surprisingly consistent: they needed Charles' air force.
Charles did not rush to answer, but handed the telegram to Tijani and asked, "Did you see anything?"
Tijani took the telegram, flipped through it, and laughed: "They believe that as long as they can defeat the German fighters with air support and regain air superiority, the British army can turn defeat into victory. If this is the case, the final victory will still belong to the British, and we only played a supporting role."
Ciel nodded.
This would not only resolve the crisis in Antwerp, but also save the British army's face, which was a perfect plan.
Of course, Charles would not let them have their way. His answer was straightforward and direct: "I'm sorry, the previous material policy has caused our army to be seriously short of gasoline and ammunition. The initial estimate is that we can only take off more than 20 fighter planes. These planes have difficulty protecting their own safety. We are willing but unable to provide reinforcements."
Soon after the telegram was sent, Charles received a reply from Lieutenant General Ives: "I will immediately dispatch a batch of supplies from Dunkirk to reinforce your army. I hope your army will be ready to receive and reinforce them."
Ciel said "hmm" with a satisfied smile on his face.
Is this a win-win situation?
No, it should be a win-win-win situation: obtain the material warehouse, get material reinforcements, and defeat the Germans!
(End of this chapter)
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