Chapter 773: Victory is not something that can be said
That night at the Bourbon Palace, Briand organized an emergency meeting.
By this time the news that Charles had recaptured Metz and won a great victory on the Meuse River had spread throughout the streets of Paris.
Although it was a period of wartime rationing and the streets were no longer lit, people were still too excited to sleep.
They poured into the streets, lit torches, or gathered around bonfires to praise Charles' achievements, thanked him for the unprecedented victory he had brought to France, and looked forward to the end of the war.
In the eyes of the citizens of Paris, as long as the French army can reach the border line before the outbreak of the war, it can be said to be "recovering the territory."
But it would be great if we could recover Lorraine and Alsace. It would not only wash away the shame of the Franco-German War, but also recover the rich mineral resources in the two places.
Now, the war is almost over, right?
The Germans should face reality, know that they are no match for Charles and be prepared to surrender!
Therefore, Charles is everything to France. It was he who led France to victory and achieved today's achievements and glory.
Briand knew that he was powerless to change this, but he still wanted to make a final struggle.
"Gentlemen!" Briand stood on the podium, straightened his chest and tried to appear confident. "I have good news for you. Charles's troops recaptured Metz at around 11:10 this morning. The German army has retreated across the board, and the war is now drawing to a close."
There was warm applause in the conference room.
Clemenceau, who was sitting in the audience, was a little confused.
Shouldn't he be working to weaken Ciel's record?
Why would they announce this victory in such a high-profile manner?
Briand smiled.
"Another great victory, a miracle."
"Charles once again proved himself with his courage and strength, proving that France is invincible."
"He is a hero of France and a role model for everyone, there is no doubt about that."
There was another round of applause, and no one objected to this.
Clemenceau became more and more confused. He turned his head and exchanged glances with Steed behind him. Both of them saw confusion in each other's eyes.
Briand then changed the subject:
"But we also want to pay tribute to General Gamelin and the 2nd Special Artillery Division."
"They coordinated with Charles's operations and used themselves as bait to lure the main German forces out of Metz."
"Under these circumstances, Charles' First Armored Army was able to penetrate quickly and win the victory so easily!"
The MPs applauded out of inertia.
Many people didn't know what had happened. They thought what Briand said was the truth, and some people took it for granted that this was a joint operation between Briand and Charles.
Only then did Clemenceau understand Briand's intention.
It's a very clever move. If Charles' contribution cannot be erased, then he can just take a share of it.
Only in this way can people stop comparing Gamelin's defeat with Charles's victory and instead integrate them into one.
It was even difficult for Ciel to explain.
Because Gamelin's troops did lead the main force of the German army to Nancy.
Briand turned his attention to the 2nd Special Artillery Division:
"You can't imagine what the 2nd Special Artillery Division has done for this battle."
"They suffered more than 10,000 casualties in total, and they were under tremendous pressure."
"They even managed to withstand the Germans' new anti-tank guns. The 'Char A1' tanks were no match for these new anti-tank guns."
"If Charles doesn't know this, his First Armored Army will suffer a fatal blow."
…
Clemenceau watched Briand's performance coldly, with a sneer on his face.
He knew what Briand was going to do, use the casualties of the soldiers to kidnap everyone, including Charles and the French people.
If one day Charles denied Briand's statement, it would become a denial of the bloodshed and sacrifice of the 2nd Special Artillery Division, which would cause dissatisfaction among the grassroots troops and even trigger a confrontation between the Eastern Army Group and Charles.
Briand continued:
"I think when we win, we shouldn't just look at the win itself."
"We should also recognize all the people who have sacrificed their blood, sweat, and lives for this victory."
"They are all heroes of France. They should be remembered by us and should receive the glory they deserve!"
…
At this time, Charles pushed the door open. His military uniform was wet and dripping with water. There was mud on his boots and trousers. His face, which was blackened by gunpowder, was clearly revealed under the light.
He formed a sharp contrast with the well-dressed and elegant congressmen in the conference room. At first glance, he looked a bit shabby, but he was full of murderous aura and exerted an invisible pressure on the entire audience.
At that moment, the parliament was quieter than ever.
Everyone silently watched this general who had taken over a city that the French had considered a luxury for decades in just one day. They watched him walk into the meeting room and sit in the seat closest to Briand. Then he waved his hand to Briand and said, "Please continue, Prime Minister."
The confidence and courage that Bai Li had displayed disappeared without a trace in an instant.
The person standing on the stage at this time was not a prime minister, but an embarrassed and awkward old man, who looked like he was caught in a brothel, naked in front of everyone.
He was on pins and needles and stammered.
After a while, he pretended to be calm and smiled at Charles: "Welcome, General. As the victor of the recapture of Metz, I think everyone would like to listen to your speech."
As he said this, Briand followed suit and gave up the podium.
"Okay." Charles nodded and replied, "If you say so."
He stood up calmly and walked onto the podium amid warm applause and cheers.
"Gentlemen," said Charles, "if you want to hear me tell you about the recapture of Metz, I am afraid I will disappoint you. Victory is won on the battlefield, not spoken of."
The MPs laughed.
Charles cleverly told everyone that Briand was using rhetoric to gain victory.
Briand was extremely embarrassed, and even under the light one could clearly see his red face, as if he was drunk.
Charles continued:
"I came back this time not for victory, but for shame."
"Can you imagine?"
"While our soldiers were bleeding and dying on the front lines, giving their lives for the citizens' supplies, there were people in the rear selling precious oil and supplies to the Germans."
The parliamentarians were discussing this matter. Is there such a thing?
This is absolutely not allowed. Even capitalists who are motivated by profit will not do such a stupid thing, because once it is exposed, everything will be over and they will become traitors.
Clemenceau had a smug smile on his face, knowing that Charles had successfully delivered the oil to the Germans.
No, it was Briand who sold it, no doubt about it!
(End of this chapter)
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