Chapter 263 The French Doomsday (33)

Although the decision to retreat had been made long ago, General Gamelin had yet to issue the order, well aware that the consequences could be catastrophic once given.

At this time, Belgium had a population of over 8 million. Once the Allied forces withdrew, it would inevitably trigger public panic, and an unknown number would follow the exodus. This would not only seriously hinder the withdrawal of the Allied forces but also force them to abandon a large amount of impractical supplies and heavy equipment due to blocked roads, only allowing them to move lightly.

It should be noted that the combat effectiveness of a military force depends on weapons, equipment, and personnel quality. Without advanced equipment, how could they stand against the enemy? Even if you have various combat skills, you would still be cannon fodder.

In addition, the Allied retreat would also involve political issues. Once the Allies withdrew, it would be equivalent to handing over the entire Belgium to be ravaged by Germany. How would the Belgian people react to that?

Although the fighting capacity of the Belgian people was not remarkable, they still had a regular force of over 20 divisions. Once they started resisting, the consequences would be more than the Franco-British alliance could bear!

Lord Gort, who received Churchill's confidential telegram, was extremely anxious and came to inquire with General Gamelin. "General, why haven't you ordered a retreat yet?!"

Gamelin sighed and explained his concerns. He knew that once the order was issued, the resulting consequences could be disastrous.

Lord Gort deeply furrowed his brows, pondered for a while, and then said with great determination, "We can't afford to consider all these factors now, General. We must retreat immediately, or we will definitely fall into the German encirclement!" Seeing Gamelin still hesitating, Lord Gort urgently blurted out, "Your Excellency, if you don't give the order, I will lead the British Expeditionary Force to retreat on our own!"

"!!" Gamelin was surprised, gaping at Lord Gort in disbelief. "What did you say?"

Thinking that Gamelin might not have heard clearly, Lord Gort elaborated, "General, I suggest that the British Expeditionary Force retreat immediately, and I will leave the rear guard matters to your army and our Belgian allies." He wanted to phrase it more tactfully, trying not to damage the relationship between allies too much. However, there was no room for delicacy in such matters, and he didn't have time to waste on it.

Hearing Lord Gort shamelessly make such a request, a surge of anger rose in Gamelin's heart, wishing he could punch him in the face.

Is this something an ally says? You retreat first, and then let us, the French, stay behind to hold the line?!

So, you British are people, and we French soldiers are just damned cannon fodder? Apparently, your so-called "allies" are meant to be betrayed.

Gamelin, teeth clenched, roared, "I disagree! I am still the Allied Supreme Commander, and the matter of withdrawal must follow a unified arrangement!"

Lord Gort also refused to back down and loudly retorted, "Just because you're the Supreme Commander, your ineffective command has led to the current passive situation. Do you want our entire army to be annihilated?!"

"!!" This statement was quite cutting, and Gamelin's face alternated between red and blue, almost making him faint on the spot. However, he retorted without showing weakness, "Isn't it all because of you foolish Brits?! If you hadn't indulged in Germany's development, we wouldn't be in this situation today!"

The two argued like children, exchanging words for quite some time. Gamelin finally couldn't hold back and shouted, "If you British bastards want to run away on your own, then I'll order all French forces to immediately abandon resistance. Let's see if you can still escape. We'll all be doomed together!"

This statement actually stunned Lord Gort. He stared dumbfounded at Gamelin, only managing to squeeze out a few words after a while, "Do you still have any military honor?"

"Humph!" Gamelin disdainfully snorted. "Talking about military honor with you Brits? You've long sold it off."

At that tense moment of confrontation, the telephone on the table suddenly rang.

Gamelin answered the phone, it was Prime Minister Reynaud calling. "General, I just spoke with King Leopold III. He understands our decision to retreat, and the Belgian army will do its best to delay the German forces."

"That's excellent.", Gamelin couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. "I will now issue the retreat order." He hung up the phone, glanced at the somewhat embarrassed Lord Gort, sneered, and began giving orders.

What they didn't know was that after the phone call with the French Prime Minister, King Leopold III of Belgium dispatched General Derousseaux, the deputy chief of staff of the Belgian General Staff, to the German side, requesting a ceasefire.

Born in 1901, Leopold III became the fourth king of Belgium in 1934 after his father's accidental death during a mountain climb.

This impetuous young ruler had once led his country to withdraw from the alliance with Britain and France, adopting a foolish policy of neutrality. Even when he learned that Germany was preparing to invade across his borders, he refused to restore alliance relations. It wasn't until the Germans effortlessly persuaded his neighbor, the Netherlands, to surrender that he truly panicked and urgently sought military assistance from Britain and France.

With the German army already at the gates of Brussels and hearing about the withdrawal of the British and French, he, who had already felt hopeless, entertained the idea of surrender.

General Fedor von Bock, the commander of Army Group B, personally met with General Derousseaux. After hearing General Derousseaux relay King Leopold III's request for a ceasefire, General von Bock transmitted this message back to Berlin's headquarters.

Wilhelm's straightforward response left no room for negotiation. There was no truce, Belgium's only choice was unconditional surrender.

When General von Bock conveyed Wilhelm's reply to General Derousseaux, the Belgian general's face became quite ugly. "General von Bock, isn't there any room for discussion?" After all, a ceasefire was completely different from surrender, and surrender meant giving up the right to choose, being at the mercy of others.

General von Bock sympathized with the Belgian general privately, but this was a national-level war, and there was nothing he could do. "General Derousseaux, you should quickly return and convey to King Leopold III. Our large-scale offensive will be launched at the latest tomorrow. Our soldiers have been itching for action these past few days."

General Walter von Reichenau, leading the Sixth Army Group, had long ago reached the outskirts of Brussels. However, Wilhelm knew that the Franco-British alliance would eventually retreat, so he ordered them to stay in place, not continuing the attack. Thus, there had only been small-scale localized clashes between the two sides in recent days.

"Your country either unconditionally surrenders or awaits complete annihilation. There is absolutely no third option!" After speaking, General von Bock had someone escort the dispirited General Derousseaux out.

Upon hearing the results brought by General Derousseaux, King Leopold III sighed deeply. He now deeply regretted it. If he had known that the British and French were so useless, he should have sided with Germany earlier, perhaps even gaining a share of the spoils. Now, he couldn't even request a ceasefire and surrender without conditions. Maybe this was the fate of a small country.

However, Leopold III, who had lost his will to resist, still prepared to accept Germany's conditions and agreed to the Belgian army abandoning resistance.