I Became a Tycoon During World War I - Chapter 129

Chapter 129: The Automobile Technical Services Department

In the drizzle, Foch sat astride his horse, controlling its cautious steps while holding binoculars to observe the front lines. A question lingered in his mind:
If reinforcements arrived and came under his command, what would he do? What would the result be?
The answer was obvious:
He would lead a counterattack because he believed that the best defense was offense.

The result would undoubtedly be a prolonged war of attrition, with both sides continuously pouring troops into this quagmire, leading to tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, of casualties!
The difference between that and this current battle…

Foch suddenly felt like a child who didn’t know how to wage war.

The military theories that had once been as unshakable as stone in his mind now wavered, precarious as an eggshell balanced on edge. A mere push could shatter them completely.

The Belgian officers and soldiers at the front only now began to react. They did not cheer; each man bore a feeling of narrowly escaping death.

Every one of them had believed that this battle was inescapable, and some had even prepared to surrender or flee.

But suddenly, the Germans, who were poised to capture and kill them, had retreated, leaving behind a field strewn with corpses!

The Belgians dared not relax, fearing that this might be a German ruse and that they would return with an even fiercer offensive.

It wasn’t until news arrived from the command post: the Germans had been defeated. They no longer had the strength or ability to launch another attack.
Only then did the Belgian soldiers begin to comprehend.

It was real. Victory had come so suddenly that it caught them off guard, leaving them in disbelief.

Some began to laugh joyfully, while others wept quietly, murmuring over and over: “I’m alive. We’re really alive?”

It was a bittersweet feeling. To these soldiers, “surviving” was their greatest desire, yet in war, it was nothing more than an insignificant statistic, small enough to be overlooked.

“Yes!” an officer replied softly. “Charles saved us again, using artillery to create an impenetrable shield ahead of us!”

Only then did the soldiers truly understand what had happened.

...

The Paris Defense Command

Amidst the cheers, Gallieni nodded toward Charles. “So, this is what you call ‘asymmetric warfare’?”

“Yes!” Charles replied. “But it doesn’t necessarily have to follow this exact model. It’s really about amplifying one’s strengths to find a breakthrough point, then using that breakthrough to strike at the enemy!”

Gallieni agreed:
“In this battle, our strength lay in deploying aircraft.”

“You magnified that advantage and exposed a flaw in the enemy they couldn’t compensate for!”

“This left their previously dominant infantry unable to fight effectively, ultimately leading to their defeat!”

Gallieni’s summary was spot on, leaving Charles with little to add.

Closing the battle record, Gallieni quickly wrote a line on its cover: Asymmetric Warfare. Submit to the Military Academy as teaching material!

This wasn’t the first time Gallieni had done this. Previously, Charles’ ideas on “harassment tactics” and “special operations” had been treated similarly.

To Gallieni, every battle Charles fought, and even every thought he had, was worth serious study by French officers.

But Charles seemed unaware of this, regarding it all as only natural, as if these ideas had long existed.
“I’ve always had a question, Lieutenant,” Gallieni said, handing the battle record to a staff officer and casually addressing Charles. “You know that French military theory is broadly divided into two camps: most officers support offense, while a small number favor defense. Which camp do you think is correct?”

“Why choose one?” Charles countered.

“You mean…” Gallieni seemed taken aback. Was it possible to choose both?

To his surprise, Charles truly believed so:
“Both might be right, or both might be wrong.”

“‘Military tactics have no constant form, just as water has no constant shape.’ The battlefield is a place of constant change, which means there’s only ever the most suitable tactic, not the best one—and certainly not one that can win every battle!”

“I believe we should adapt our tactics to the specifics of the battlefield instead of relying on offense or defense to solve every problem.”

France’s mistake wasn’t actually tactical backwardness.

Tactical backwardness was merely a symptom. The root cause lay in their desire to use a single military theory to address the complex and ever-changing problems of warfare.

Thus, during the First World War, they overemphasized offense, while in the Second World War, they overemphasized defense.

Gallieni nodded slightly. This was a novel idea, and it seemed to make sense. Some battles could only be won through offense, while others required defense.

Take the recently concluded Battle of Ypres, for example. Charles had inflicted heavy losses on the enemy’s forces during the defensive battle, ultimately securing victory.

Gallieni thought for a moment and added another note to the document: Adapt to circumstances and choose appropriate tactics.

Noticing this, Charles found it amusing. In truth, there was no need to document this. A copy of The Art of War or The Thirty-Six Stratagems would suffice, as they covered everything.

The ancients had already articulated these principles with clarity and precision.

Despite Europe’s industrialized and highly advanced military equipment, its strategy and tactics remained far inferior to those of ancient China.

Gallieni put down his pen and shifted the topic: “I’ve heard you’re developing a new type of tank?”

“Yes!” Charles did not deny it. There was little point in hiding it from the military, especially someone like Gallieni, with whom Charles had an understanding.

“Then you must be cautious!” Gallieni said. “At least two groups are competing with you!”

“Two?” Charles had thought there was only Francis.

Who could the other be?

Gallieni seemed to read Charles’ thoughts. “Have you heard of TAS?” he asked.

Charles shook his head, puzzled.

“A government department,” Gallieni explained. “The full name is the ‘Automobile Technical Services Department.’ In principle, all vehicles entering the military fall under their jurisdiction. TAS discovered that someone bypassed them to develop tanks independently—that’s Francis’ tank. So they’ve partnered with Schneider to develop a larger, more powerful tank!”

As soon as Charles heard the name “Schneider,” he understood that this was likely the key point.

Gallieni continued, “This project has the support of General Joffre.”

Charles suddenly realized why it wasn’t under Gallieni’s control.

But Gallieni added, “I’ll do my best to include them all under the wartime procurement regulations. You know how it works—whichever performs best, we’ll buy!”

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