Chapter 879 "Super Defense Line" Started
Charles did not disappoint Gallieni.
The first main force this time was the 2nd Special Artillery Division and the Special Mechanized Division of the Eastern Army Group.
Charles expressed his friendly gratitude to Gamolin for replicating the 1st Armored Army exactly. Although they only learned the surface and not the inside, the equipment, organization and tactics were all the same.
What is lacking is morale, organization and command.
After Tasini arrived and reorganized the troops, Charles took over command and the combat effectiveness of the entire army instantly rose to another level.
Another thing is that the difficulty of this insertion is much smaller than before.
In the past, after breaking through the enemy's defense line, we would rush into the enemy's encirclement, facing enemies from all directions. There were no reinforcements and it was difficult to obtain supplies. If we failed to penetrate into the right place or something unexpected happened, the whole army would be wiped out.
This time, the 2nd Special Artillery Division broke through the German defense line and moved north along the Meuse River. They attacked the flank of the German 2nd Army, almost pushing away the enemy's warehouses, artillery positions, and headquarters.
Countless supplies and equipment were seized, and not to mention the number of enemies killed or wounded, more than 30,000 prisoners were captured, including more than 30 senior officers rank of colonel and above.
There was no need to worry about reinforcements and supplies. Once the 2nd Special Artillery Division pushed the German coastal positions, the 1st Armored Army and the US Army would subsequently cross the Meuse River and land.
The only difference is that their attack directions were different: the 2nd Special Artillery Division attacked from south to north, and the 1st Armored Army and the US Army attacked from west to east.
These armored forces were like cutting a cake, cutting it vertically and horizontally, dividing the German army into several pieces and surrounding them.
The German army tried to use the water network in Metz to form a line of defense to stop the French army, but after the French army built more than a dozen pontoon bridges to connect all the complex river channels, the only thing the German army could do was surrender.
…
The battle lasted three days in total, which was the longest in the history of the Charles, and the army he commanded was also the largest:
The Eastern Army Group, including the Algerian Corps, had more than 500,000 people.
Including the 1st Armored Army, the US Army and the subsequent French infantry reinforcements, the total force exceeded 1 million.
The entire army defeated the German army with a crushing force, killed and captured more than 100,000 German soldiers, and finally stopped in front of the Hindenburg Line on the Franco-German border.
…
Clemenceau, overwhelmed with emotion, gave a speech to the public at the Place de Ville in Paris:
"French men and women, as you have heard, Charles has won again, and we have recovered Lorraine and Alsace."
"This is an unprecedented victory. Ciel did it!"
"But never forget that the Germans are defeated today, driven out of France, but they are not destroyed."
"We still need the Shire, the army, and every one of us."
"Only by uniting together and actively preparing for war without slacking off can we prevent the enemy from taking advantage and prevent another battlefield catastrophe!"
…
The citizens cheered and shouted "Long live France" again and again.
Clemenceau knew how to sell.
On the surface, he was celebrating the victory and issuing a warning to the citizens, but in fact he was emphasizing the importance of Charles: Don't think that you can get rid of him after driving the Germans out of France. Germany has not yet perished and is still holding on. The war is still going on.
On the other hand, it lays the foundation for the "super line of defense": it is to actively prepare for war, it can leave the enemy no loopholes to take advantage of, and it can prevent the next war.
Of course, the citizens will have no problem with this. What Charles said is almost the will of God and it cannot be wrong.
Those who are strongly opposed are the capitalists and the parliamentarians under their control.
They knew that once the "super defense line" was activated, the high-quality assets purchased by Charles not long ago would immediately become "living water", which would attract a large amount of capital and talents to control a large number of companies.
Because Charles has absolute authority among the military and civilians.
He said the defense line should be built in any way, and no one could refute it.
He said whichever company is qualified is qualified and no one can influence it.
He said that we should buy the goods from wherever they came from, and no one could object.
If someone says:
"I don't think so. We should use Schneider's guns, which have a longer range."
"We should have CMP Metro building the metro for the 'super line', not the Shire's Bernard Group."
"We should let CSF be responsible for the communications of the 'Super Line of Defense'. This company has been operating for many years and has rich experience."
…
Someone immediately retorted:
"Do you know how to fight better than Ciel?"
"Do you know what the army needs better than Ciel?"
"Do you know the battlefield environment better than Ciel?"
…
Even the colonies' mineral resources would be under the control of the Shire.
Because Charles was "Party A", he could decide which capitalist France would do business with.
…
Therefore, the deputies at Versailles voiced their opposition:
"We had just driven the Germans out of our homeland, the war was not over yet, and we did not have the funds to build a 'super defense'."
"Now is the time to rest and recuperate, and the funds should be used to encourage production."
"This will lead to disaster, the citizens will starve to death!"
…
Gallieni, who was sitting in the audience, snorted coldly.
Shameless guys, they clearly disregarded the lives of citizens and used the war to make a fortune, but now they are using the citizens as a pretext to oppose Charles' "redistribution of benefits."
"Gentlemen!" Gallieni stood up expressionlessly and said to the members below:
"There is one thing I agree with: the war is not over yet."
"But precisely because the war is not over, we need to build this 'super defense line'."
“Otherwise, if production is encouraged without a line of defense, what do you think will happen?”
The MPs were speechless.
France's mineral resources and heavy industries are concentrated in the northeastern area of Mezieres, and the German army can occupy them all with just one step forward.
At that time, all the "encouragements for production" will burst like soap bubbles, and the Germans will only need to set a fire to destroy them all.
Pétain walked up to the podium leisurely:
"Gentlemen, let me emphasize that the Germans built the Hindenburg Line on the border, while we have nothing."
"It is difficult for us to break through that line of defense because it is heavily covered with mines, barbed wire, and anti-tank trenches, and we can foresee that there will be more and more in the future."
"After a while, even the Ciel armored forces will have a hard time tearing it apart."
"Do you know what this means?"
"Only the Germans can attack us, but we cannot attack Germany!"
Finally, Petain added: "You may want this, but the leaders with the French spirit do not want it, the soldiers fighting on the front line do not want it, and all citizens who can think independently do not want it!"
Pétain was putting the opposition on the spot.
Still objecting?
That is to go against the French spirit, soldiers and citizens!
(End of this chapter)
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