Chapter 73

In a house over a thousand meters away, a French recruit in his early twenties watched the lively scene in the distance, stomping his feet in frustration. "These idiots are blatantly tearing up the agreement; I want to drive them away!" He reached for the rifle next to him, and with a click, the bullet was loaded.

The seasoned veteran, who was also observing the busy scene from afar, was startled. He snatched the rifle from the recruit's hand and reprimanded him loudly, "Are you crazy? Can't you hear what they're shouting? It's the German Crown Prince! If you accidentally injure or kill the German Crown Prince, it will trigger another world war, and how many more lives will be lost?!" Though he hadn't fought in the last war, his father had, and he came back missing a leg. But his father always said he was lucky compared to those who laid to rest on the battlefield. Therefore, the veteran knew firsthand the cruelty of war and wanted to avoid experiencing it himself.

Looking at the veteran as he uncocked the rifle and removed the bullet, the spirited recruit pointed at the distance and said defiantly, "But we can't just stand by while they provoke us, right?"

Putting the rifle back in its place, the veteran patted his shoulder, gesturing for him to calm down. "Sigh, let those top brass handle politics. All we need to do is collect our pay and be safe. It's been so long, and no orders have come from above. It looks like they're turning a blind eye to the Germans' actions, so we can go home." After all, this place was not French territory, and after spending enough time here, one couldn't help but get homesick.

As the veteran had said, news of the German invasion of the Rhineland had already reached Paris, France. An emergency high-level meeting was convened at the Élysée Palace to discuss countermeasures.

However, everyone present felt somewhat at a loss.

Did the Germans have no fear? How could they dare to blatantly tear up the Treaty of Versailles and march into the Rhineland?

"The Germans are openly challenging the authority of France! We must retaliate immediately! Sending one infantry division up there can drive the invaders away! According to the agreement we had initially, this is the Germans actively starting a war!!" The first to vehemently propose a counterattack was French Army Chief of Staff and Vice Chairman of the High Military Committee, Maurice Gustave Gamelin.

As soon as he finished speaking, opposition emerged. "Chief of Staff Gamelin, have you forgotten? When we marched into the Ruhr industrial region, the whole world criticized us." The one speaking was the current President of France, Albert Lebrun. "Now, we absolutely cannot act rashly!!"

It could be said that back then, France had proudly entered the Ruhr industrial region, but not long after, they were forced to leave with their tails between their legs. They not only lost face but also forfeited the dominant position they had briefly gained on the European continent after the First World War. It was like gaining nothing after a lot of effort, and just thinking about it made people sick.

Gamelin was about to retort when he heard weak coughing from beside him. "Marshal Pétain, are you alright? Should I call a doctor for you?"

The one coughing was none other than Henri Philippe Pétain, who became a French hero after the Battle of Verdun in the previous war. Now 79 years old, he was in much worse health than before, often suffering from back pain, colds, and coughs. In response to Gamelin's concerned words, Pétain weakly waved his hand and coughed a few more times before catching his breath and slowly speaking, "I agree with the President's viewpoint. I heard that a few days ago, that Wilhelm Crown Prince went to England and met with the British Prime Minister and Defense Minister. If they reached some agreement, acting hastily on our part would only put us in a disadvantaged position."

Upon hearing the Marshal's support, President Lebrun breathed a sigh of relief and took the opportunity to add, "You're right. Perhaps this whole event is part of a British conspiracy. We haven't yet overcome our economic crisis, and even if we start a war, the people won't support us. What the people need now is a government that can help them through this economic hardship. If we get entangled in a war because of this, the government will face even more severe criticism!" He had big plans and certainly didn't want to become a president ousted by the people.

The meeting continued until evening before it was finally declared over. Many among the younger faction insisted on driving the Germans away to uphold France's dignity. However, their influence was hardly worth mentioning compared to the conservatives. Although the day's discussions seemed inconclusive, looking at the lack of response from the British side, any sensible person knew that driving the Germans away was an impossible task.

In the Prime Minister's residence in England, an emergency meeting was also held to discuss how to handle the situation concerning the Germans entering the Rhineland region.

Prime Minister MacDonald spoke with a touch of helplessness, "In fact, when Crown Prince Wilhelm visited last time, he mentioned this matter to me. I didn't make any commitments back then, and it seems he misunderstood or was too young." Nonetheless, he didn't feel much aversion to the situation; in his view, Germany's march into the Rhineland region was not a big deal. After all, it originally belonged to the Germans.

During the First World War, Britain had lost almost an entire generation, with a total of 1.2 million casualties in the British Commonwealth forces. Never before had so many British soldiers died in a war, not even in the subsequent Second World War, where only 300,000 perished. Hence, in later years, the greatest trauma for the British people was the First World War, not the Second.

However, after the First World War, Britain's attitude toward Germany as an enemy was much more lenient compared to their ally, France.

The reason behind this was that the British elite believed that it was France that had dragged Britain into the war. Even individuals like David Lloyd George, who served as the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Minister of War, and Prime Minister of Britain, publicly claimed on multiple occasions that the First World War was provoked by France seeking revenge for the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. He, along with many Britons, believed that Britain was forced into the First World War.

France was Britain's allied partner, and Britain needed to offer some support to France. However, the British also viewed France as their natural enemy, a race entirely different from the Anglo-Saxon lineage represented by Britain and Germany.

In Europe, the dominant racial groups were the Latin group represented by France, the Slavic group represented by Russia, and the Anglo-Saxon group represented by Britain and Germany. (Even the mustached extremist saw the British as a relatively superior race and tried several times to bring Britain into their fold, but Churchill paid no attention to him whatsoever.)

Now, with the end of the First World War, Wilhelm II and Germany had received their "deserved lesson." In the eyes of the British, the war had brought Germany back to the Anglo-Saxon family. Therefore, when it came to the issue of reparations, Britain was inclined to protect Germany.