Chapter 706 Is this Charles’ strength?
Briand and his friends talked until late at night, and they were all eager to know Charles' final fate.
To be exact, it was the ending of Charles' failure.
But at the same time they knew that nothing new usually came up at night, so after presenting various powerful arguments to prove that Charles could not win, they ended their conversation at about three in the morning.
"Tomorrow," Briand said to them, "let's wait for Charles' good news!"
Clemenceau and Lieutenant Colonel Duras smiled and nodded in understanding.
Briand did not go home. There was a lounge in his office, and it made no difference where he slept, as he enjoyed his ascetic life.
What's more, he hopes to get the "good news" as soon as possible.
This is also the reason why he told Clemenceau and Lieutenant Colonel Dura that he stayed at the City Hall so that they could inform him as soon as they obtained the latest intelligence.
Brian fell asleep contentedly, smiling in his sleep.
Knowing that Charles was in a dead end was more effective than any sleeping pill.
After an unsure moment of drowsiness, Brian was awakened by a sudden knock on the door.
At daybreak, he got up in his pajamas and opened the door, still sleepy, to find Clemenceau and Lieutenant Colonel Duras.
"Any news?" Brian's eyes lit up.
"Yes, Prime Minister," Lieutenant Colonel Duras replied, "Pétain commanded the Third Army to launch a counterattack."
"What? He..." Brian was stunned: "He actually launched a counterattack?"
Soon, Briand's face turned angry. "Who gave him the authority to launch a counterattack at this time? Didn't he consider the safety of Verdun?"
Lieutenant Colonel Duras and Clemenceau looked at each other.
Briand seemed to have said a few hours ago that the military needed the necessary freedom in wartime, so Pétain's counterattack did not require authorization.
Briand also knew this, but he still walked angrily to the city defense headquarters and called the phone.
"I need to speak to General Gallieni."
"Wake him up, there are some questions I need answers to now."
After a while, Gallieni's voice came from the other end of the line: "What's the matter, Prime Minister?"
Briand asked: "Did you order the 3rd Army to counterattack? You know, Verdun is very important to us. I don't think we should gamble the safety of Verdun for some unexpected event..."
Gallieni interrupted Briand: "I don't understand what you are talking about, Mr. Prime Minister. The Third Army has started a counterattack? I have been resting all night and I don't know about this!"
In an instant, Briand held all the words in his heart in his stomach.
Yes, Gallieni had just been woken up, how could it be possible that he gave the order.
"That's alright, Mr. Minister. I'm so sorry!"
Brian slammed the receiver down on the phone and muttered to himself:
"Who could it be? Could it be Foch?"
"No, it's impossible."
Although Foch was the commander-in-chief of the French army, Foch and Pétain had opposite military theories, and Foch also promised that he would not interfere with Pétain's command in Verdun.
Pétain’s own decision?
That's impossible. He is a staunch defender. How could he go against his usual practice and launch a counterattack?
Lieutenant Colonel Dura stepped forward and expressed his guess: "Could it be Charles?"
Briand turned his head sharply and looked at Lieutenant Colonel Duras. "You mean, Charles can give orders to Pétain?"
Lieutenant Colonel Dura shrugged:
"That's my guess, Prime Minister."
"Charles is the only one who can stand up to Foch."
"Pétain probably didn't want Charles to be surrounded by the Germans and unable to escape."
This analysis made some sense, but Briand still didn't believe it.
The reason is simple. Charles is the most prestigious and powerful one in the military. Pétain should hope that Charles will fall. Only in this way will he and Foch have a need to compete with each other.
"Maybe we don't need to care about this." Lieutenant Colonel Dura said to the map:
"We knew that the German defenses at Verdun were equally impregnable."
"Even if Pétain launched a counterattack, what would happen? The most likely outcome is that he would suffer heavy casualties and gain nothing."
"So, nothing will change!"
Briand and Clemenceau nodded slightly, feeling somewhat relieved.
However, just as several people were lighting cigars for each other in an attempt to relax themselves, the secretary knocked on the door and said, "Mr. Prime Minister, Charles' armored forces have reached the town of Truk, 5 kilometers from the Verdun defense line."
The three of them were petrified instantly, and the cigar in Clemenceau's hand had not yet been fully lit.
After a long while, Briand looked at his secretary in disbelief: "Truk Town? Only 5 kilometers away from the Verdun Line? Is this true?"
"It's true." The secretary nodded: "I have confirmed it with General Gallieni."
"But Gallieni..." Briand was furious. He had said nothing when he had called Gallieni just now.
But the next second Briand understood that he was asking about Pétain, not Charles.
So, what Gallieni said was true, and he did not give any orders to Bei.
The reason why Pétain launched a counterattack was because Charles' troops had already penetrated into Verdun.
Everyone understood.
It was not a political reason, nor was it a question of theoretical factions, but rather that Charles had crushed all discordant factors with his overwhelming strength.
"He, how did he do it?" Brian glanced at the map and turned his gaze to Lieutenant Colonel Dura.
He remembered Lieutenant Colonel Dura's inference: the supply route was long and fragile, the troops were insufficient and could not move forward, and they were fighting alone without friendly forces to support them.
Now, in just a few hours, all of that had been overturned.
Lieutenant Colonel Dura looked embarrassed: "I'm sorry, I, I don't know, Prime Minister."
This can only be described as a miracle. Lieutenant Colonel Dura even suspected that the Germans were cooperating with Charles. Otherwise, how could it be possible?
Twenty thousand against six hundred thousand, and yet they were able to win, and win quickly in such a short time!
Is this Charles' strength?
Clemenceau smoked his cigar silently, exhaled a puff of smoke and said in a muffled voice: "Gentlemen, it is not the last moment yet. We all know that this is the time when Charles' supply line is the longest, and it is also the time when he is most tired and in the most danger."
Lieutenant Colonel Dura shook his head helplessly: "Although this is the case, the Germans are equally dangerous. As long as Charles goes a few kilometers further, even if they are at the end of their strength, they can easily defeat the German defense line in Verdun."
Coming back from the battlefield, he knew how serious it was to be attacked from all sides.
Supplies, ammunition depots, artillery, and even headquarters will all be overturned.
Then the soldiers lost confidence and fled across the board!
“I believe the Germans will be prepared.” Clemenceau insisted: “If we can see that Charles is passing through Verdun along the Meuse River, the Germans can see it too!”
(End of this chapter)
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