Chapter 283 Italy Shows Restlessness

After completing the task of surrounding and annihilating the main forces of the Anglo-French coalition at Dunkirk, the German army swiftly redirected its focus southward!

In the original timeline, Weygand, who took over as the French Army Supreme Commander after Gamelin, hastily constructed the "Weygand Line" along the Somme and Aisne rivers, preparing to defend against the German advance. However, the elite French forces had suffered heavy losses, with only 71 poorly equipped divisions remaining and no air support. It was nearly impossible to withstand the onslaught of 100 hungry German divisions.

At this point, Gamelin remained the French Army Supreme Commander, facing only two options: escape or surrender, with little chance of sustaining resistance.

Internally, the French government was divided on whether to continue fighting or seek peace. Prime Minister Reynaud led one faction, while Marshal Pétain led the other, openly embracing the role of the surrender faction. Pétain, as the leader of the surrender faction, declared in a memorandum to the cabinet that any thought of continuing the fight outside of mainland France was unrealistic. "We have numerous colonies, but it's clear that the French economy and industry are concentrated on the mainland. The colonies lack industry and economic strength. Losing the mainland means losing the capital for resistance."

Resistance on the mainland was deemed impractical due to France's small and geographically flat territory, coupled with well-developed infrastructure and easily navigable transport routes, allowing German mechanized forces to thrive. Pétain concluded, "France's revival cannot be achieved through military victories but is a result of the homeland and its descendants enduring suffering. A ceasefire is not a punishment for defeat but a necessary condition to ensure the eternal existence of France."

The debate between Pétain and Reynaud continued, but the military's stance was clear: "We support Marshal Pétain, the war cannot go on."

As news arrived of the German army effortlessly breaking through the Oise river defense line, reaching the northern suburbs of Paris and advancing towards the Maginot Line, it became evident that Tours was not secure. Prime Minister Reynaud, without further dispute, decided to relocate the government to Bordeaux.

In just two days, the French government was set to move its capital again. Moreover, the efficiency of this relocation was unprecedented.

As Prime Minister Reynaud prepared to leave, the British ambassador, who had relocated with them, urgently approached him. "Mr. Prime Minister, Prime Minister Churchill hopes that your navy will immediately set sail for England, substantial assets cannot be left for the Germans to take over." It was clear that the French government had no intention of resisting, and surrendering was just a matter of time.

Frowning, Reynaud acknowledged the situation. Even if he issued the order, the navy might not comply, especially considering Admiral Darlan's strong opposition to handing over the fleet to the British. So, he could only respond vaguely, "Let's discuss this matter once we've moved to the new capital."

As they withdrew to Bordeaux, shocking news arrived: Italian forces were amassing along the border with several divisions!

During Germany's preparations for war, many had concerns and sought an ally for support, if only to boost morale. Facing the prospect of Germany challenging all of Europe alone was not an exciting prospect.

However, the options for neighboring nations were limited – they were either enemies, neutral, or weak. It seemed that only Italy was a potential ally.

Mussolini subtly expressed an interest in forming an alliance, but Wilhelm tactfully rejected the proposal. In the original timeline, when Germany and Italy signed the "Steel Pact", there were voices of opposition within the German military against allying with Italy. The German military had a clear understanding of the Italian military's capabilities. When asked about the pros and cons of the treaty, they warned their leader, "If Italy remains neutral, it's like adding 10 divisions to our strength, if Italy joins the enemy, we can handle it with 20 divisions; but if Italy joins us, we'll need 50 divisions to protect it."

The subsequent events proved the German military's wisdom. Italy, their ally, cheered when things went well for Germany but surrendered and switched sides when facing adversity, ultimately offering little help and faltering at crucial moments.

How weak was Italy really?

In March 1895, Italy launched a full-scale attack on Ethiopia, enduring a ten-year war with heavy casualties. They were eventually forced to sign a treaty recognizing Ethiopian independence and pay 10 million lira in reparations.

In February 1899, Italy demanded to lease Sanmen Bay in Zhejiang as a naval base from the Qing government. When ignored, Italy issued an ultimatum, threatening to seize the bay within four days. Outraged, Empress Dowager Cixi vowed not to yield any inch of Chinese soil. Italy, with four warships, approached Chinese waters, but seeing the prepared Chinese navy, they promptly retreated without engaging, becoming a mockery in European media.

In September 1940, with numerical superiority, Italian forces attempted to capture the British naval base in Alexandria and the Suez Canal. Unluckily, they encountered the formidable British 7th Armoured Division. Faced with strong British tanks, the Italians either ran away or surrendered, a straightforward decision.

When the U.S. landed in Sardinia during the Italian campaign, over ten thousand Italian troops surrendered after only 40 casualties from Allied bombings. Landing on the Italian peninsula, the Allies encountered not stubborn resistance but smiling Italian troops eager to surrender. An American officer noted in his diary, "The Italians can't fight, but they march in an orderly fashion to the prisoner-of-war camp, as if on parade."

As an ally of the German army, Italy was also sent to help against the Soviet Union, tasked with attacking Stalingrad. However, the Italian 8th Corps' defense collapsed in less than a day, creating a 27-kilometer breach, expanding to 90 kilometers in three days. 220,000 Italian soldiers fled in disarray, exposing the German flank to the Soviet forces. When asked about their losses in this battle, the Italian Foreign Minister, visiting Berlin at the time, was told by a German officer, "No losses at all, they all ran away."

A country even disregarded by the Qing Dynasty, Wilhelm scoffed at the notion of aligning with Italy. "Even if we ally with Italy, who will be in charge afterward? Mussolini, who lacks skill and is arrogant, will obediently follow our orders after the alliance is formed? Instead of Italy, I would place more faith in Hungary, Romania, and Spain."