CHAPTER 541: REVISED: CHAPTER 541 GAINING VICTORY ON ONE’S OWN

Verdun, Command Center at Saint Michel Castle.

The arrival of the first batch of 100 tractors to support the front line from Shire was timely, and Petain immediately deployed them close to the defense lines.

Whether it was transporting ammunition, food, or rain gear, or even towing artillery, the presence of tractors greatly enhanced their efficiency in the absence of roads.

Yet, Petain was feeling deeply anxious.

The public’s call for Shire to be appointed as commander-in-chief was growing stronger by the day. Would the next commander-in-chief be him?

Very likely!

Shire had both reputation and achievements, as well as considerable financial resources and control over supplies. It was rumored that he was importing large quantities of materials from the United States, Holland, and other places through FN’s subsidiaries and then shipping them to France.

How could I compete with Shire?

I am already 59 years old, and if I don’t become the commander-in-chief now, I might never get another chance!

Petain sighed deeply, recalling his tumultuous past and the "defense theory" that had long been unrecognized and even despised by others.

After finally reaching a turning point in his life, the "defense theory" had proven its value in actual combat, yet he did not expect to be overshadowed by Shire.

As Petain sighed, a staff officer handed him a telegram: "General, a telegram from Major General Shire."

Petain, lost in thought, was jolted awake by the mention of "Shire" as if pricked by a needle: "What? Is Shire here?"

"No, General." The staff officer looked puzzled as he placed the telegram on the desk in front of Petain: "It is a telegram from Shire."

"Oh, alright." Petain realized he had lost his composure, his face revealing some embarrassment.

However, as his eyes scanned the telegram on the desk, his previously despondent eyes instantly lit up, and the exhaustion on his face was replaced by an unmistakable joy.

He could hardly believe what he was reading and re-read the telegram several times, excitedly murmuring to himself:

"Is it true? If that’s the case, then that’s wonderful."

"It seems to make sense."

Shire’s message was similar to what he had told Fuxu:

"General, I do not have the desire to be the commander-in-chief."

"It’s not that I don’t want to, but I can’t."

"I am a capitalist, a major general, and have some influence in the parliament."

"No one wants France to have a strongman who combines military, political, and commercial power."

The more Petain thought about it, the more sense it made.

Shire’s mistake was in being too excellent, whether in business, the military, or politics, he was a genius.

However, this had become his greatest weakness.

Because he could likely become a dictator, with all the conditions already in place; the only question was whether he desired it.

And this was something that neither the French Parliament nor the French people wanted to see.

So, Shire should not be considered the "enemy."

If so, then who is the "enemy"?

Petain suddenly thought of Fuxu and was startled.

The "opponent" had always been Fuxu; he was the one most likely to be appointed as the commander-in-chief, not Shire!

Indeed, just recently, Fuxu issued a statement to the entire army about Shire, and the statement was rather confrontational.

Clearly, Fuxu had not understood the situation, making the same mistake as I did by viewing Shire as the "enemy."

A great opportunity to stand out!

While Fuxu attacked Shire, I should support Shire to counter Fuxu.

Without hesitation, Petain quickly telegraphed back to the "Military Research Center," and also forwarded the message to the press:

"The battlefield is a place that values results; it cannot be considered with conventional thinking."

"Shire should be rewarded for his victory, not criticized."

"Likewise, anyone who acts without orders and wins should be rewarded."

"After all, we desperately need victories, dictated by the overall situation, not by merely demanding adherence to orders."

"Moreover, our intelligence system is flawed, and leaks are common. If everything were executed by the book, even Shire would struggle to win."

...

Petain’s words, despite being subjective, were not without reason.

As the saying goes in Huaxia, it was essentially about "seizing opportunities beyond conventional standards," or "taking initiative on the battlefield."

Fuxu, naturally dissatisfied, immediately responded:

"Commanding in this way might win a battle or two in the short term."

"But it is extremely short-sighted, with great destructive effects when considering the overall interests of the army."

"It could lead to many officers disobeying commands and acting independently, fundamentally undermining military discipline!"

...

The debate went back and forth intensely.

In the midst of the argument, Petain did not realize that his public "support for Shire" had gradually excluded him from the list of candidates for commander-in-chief by the parliament and even the British.

However, Fuxu, who was initially not on their list, had caught the attention of the parliament and the British with his firm "against Shire" stance:

Wasn’t it perfect to have someone like Fuxu, a prestigious and influential figure, to balance the rapidly ascending Shire?

...

The battlefield at River Somme had quieted somewhat, with the Anglo-French Allies suffering heavy casualties, unable to advance without reinforcements, while the German Army wisely remained in a defensive posture, resulting in a temporary lull in the fighting.

In the rain, teams of unarmed French soldiers stumbled through no man’s land, collecting corpses.

There were so many bodies that they couldn’t be buried; they could only pile them up like garbage, forming small mountains, and then douse them with gasoline to burn.

Due to the rain, the burning was difficult, and they had to bring more gasoline multiple times before finally creating a fire that could sustain itself in the rain.

As the nauseating stench of burning corpses filled the air, Nivelle was restless in his office, sometimes frowning as he sat down, sometimes pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back.

He was closely following public opinion back home and was well aware of what was happening.

With considerable political acumen, he knew why Fuxu and Petain, previously unrelated, were now arguing in the media and in front of the public.

It was all about his position as commander-in-chief.

These bastards, Nivelle cursed inwardly, while I endure the hardships of commanding forces on the front lines, you are all plotting to replace me from behind!

And the backstabbing British, they’re obviously pushing all the blame onto me, not mentioning that this battle plan was actually their creation.

But this couldn’t be blamed on anyone else. Nivelle was the commander-in-chief, the French Army’s commander-in-chief and the Allies’ commander-in-chief. If not him, who else could bear this responsibility?

The idea of bringing in Shire to win the battle also seemed out of the question, as people were already calling for Shire to be the commander-in-chief, which would almost be handing over the command to him.

Nivelle felt surrounded by enemies, with a sense that everyone was gunning for his position.

After much consideration, Nivelle finally made up his mind:

The only way to retain his position seemed to be to draw in all available forces and to secure victory through his own efforts!