I Became a Tycoon During World War I - Chapter 125

Chapter 125: General Foch

The news of victory reached Paris, and the Headquarters of the City's Defense erupted in cheers. The staff officers enthusiastically embraced Charles, while those in the rear rushed forward, vying to shake his hand.

Charles scanned the crowd, looking for Gallieni, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Lieutenant Colonel Fernand explained, “The General is currently being questioned at the Chamber of Deputies. I'll go deliver this great news to him!”

…

When Gallieni returned to Headquarters from the Chamber of Deputies, his face bore a rare smile.

For the usually stern Gallieni, this was a rare sight.

His staff, familiar with his demeanor, knew that even when the German forces were repelled, Gallieni merely remarked indifferently: “They must have realized that Paris is nothing more than a place full of exhaust fumes, dirty water, and garbage.”

Yet today, his smile remained, transforming the typically oppressive atmosphere at Headquarters. It was as if a long-sealed room had suddenly opened its windows, letting in fresh air scented with flowers.

Everyone assumed Gallieni was smiling because Charles had led the air squadron to win humanity’s first air battle.

But only Gallieni knew that he was still reveling in his triumph at the Chamber of Deputies, where he had scathingly rebuked the hypocritical deputies and torn away their facade!

Nothing was more satisfying than that!

For Gallieni, defeating the enemy was secondary; his true disdain was reserved for the parasites of the nation. These people, who plundered the country's resources and oppressed the French people, constantly plotted the destruction of France under the guise of patriotism!

Seated at his desk reviewing the battle records, Gallieni’s mind lingered on the thrilling moments in the Chamber.

“General!” Fernand reminded him, “We’ve shot down thirteen enemy aircraft and three balloons. Additionally, we killed over a hundred infantrymen and destroyed at least two artillery pieces!”

The latter two figures were less certain; the pilots, busy with strafing runs, had no time to count the exact casualties. But that hardly mattered.

Gallieni simply responded with a curt “Hmm. Excellent!”

“General!” Fernand added with emphasis, “Not a single casualty on our side!”

This piqued Gallieni’s curiosity. He looked up at Fernand and asked, “The enemy aircraft were utterly defenseless. How could we have suffered any casualties? Did you think they would ram us out of desperation?”

“But General…” Fernand gestured behind him. “Shouldn’t you say something more?”

Gallieni glanced at the staff officers in the command room. Noticing their expectant gazes, he understood their intent. As a commander, he knew the importance of delivering a summary at such a moment—or rather, of acknowledging Charles.

Gallieni gave a brief “Hmm,” closed the battle record in his hand, and fixed his gaze on Charles, who was reviewing supply logs. “Lieutenant Charles!”

“Yes, General!” Charles quickly set down his work and jogged to Gallieni.

Gallieni, expressionless, tossed the battle report toward Charles and said with a hint of dissatisfaction, “Where is this ‘asymmetric warfare’ you talked about? I don’t see a trace of it!”

The staff officers were stunned. Not only was this great victory unpraised, but it was even questioned?

They didn’t understand that this was Gallieni’s method of leadership.

For an ordinary officer, this victory would have deserved commendation, perhaps even a medal.

But for Charles, this victory was merely passable. Excessive praise might lead him to grow complacent.

Charles, however, didn’t dwell on it. He felt Gallieni’s question was justified. After all, this battle was ultimately just a case of using air combat to frighten the Germans into retreating—nothing more.

“General!” Charles replied. “I believe that to execute true ‘asymmetric warfare,’ we may need the support of infantry!”

“No problem!” Gallieni answered without hesitation. “I’ll handle the coordination with the infantry and urge them to reach Ypres as soon as possible. How do you want them to cooperate with you?”

“No, General!” Charles replied, catching everyone off guard. “I hope they don’t arrive at Ypres in time!”

“What?” Gallieni stared at Charles in disbelief, thinking he must have misheard. “Your request for cooperation is… for them not to arrive?”

The staff officers turned their puzzled eyes toward Charles as well.

Everyone hoped reinforcements would reach Ypres as soon as possible. The garrison at Ypres was particularly desperate, yet Charles wished for the opposite?

Charles nodded resolutely. “I’ve learned that General Foch is leading the reinforcements to Ypres…”

“You have an issue with General Foch?” Gallieni asked, alarmed.

General Foch was a renowned figure in the French military, a cornerstone of its operational doctrine. Yet to Charles, he seemed an unwelcome presence.

It wasn’t that Charles disliked Foch personally; rather, he wanted to avoid any association. If Foch commanded this battle, while it wouldn’t fail, it would result in the heavy casualties seen in historical accounts.

Foch’s military philosophy was encapsulated by concepts like “moral victory” and “offensive supremacy.” He believed that as long as soldiers displayed a fearless spirit in attacking the enemy, victory was inevitable.

“Defeat is impossible as long as you don’t admit it!”

“The will to conquer is the primary condition for achieving victory!”

“Defense is unnecessary; the ultimate offense leads to victory!”

…

These ideas were fundamentally flawed, though they had been repeatedly validated in the era of line infantry and before the advent of machine guns.

This was why Foch became a celebrated figure, even hailed as “the ender of World War I and the prophet of World War II.”

Charles refrained from openly criticizing Foch. He knew doing so would provoke backlash and unnecessary trouble. Criticizing Foch was tantamount to rejecting the entire French military doctrine—except for Pétain’s.

(Note: Pétain advocated defensive strategies, which led to his ostracism during World War I until defensive tactics proved their worth in battle. This rapid rise in prominence ironically positioned him poorly for World War II, which demanded offensive strategies.)

Instead, Charles chose a more measured response:

“General, General Foch always commands troops to attack.”

“In this battle, however, I need the enemy to attack us.”

“Only then can our artillery be effective, achieving true ‘asymmetric warfare’!”

Gallieni hesitated for a moment, considering the point. If the French and German armies engaged in close combat, the artillery might have no viable targets.

Understanding this, Gallieni nodded and gave Charles a meaningful look. “I see. Just for this battle, right?”

He then turned his attention to the map, studying it as he muttered, “This can be arranged. We just need… to use a flash flood to break the bridges. Yes, that will do!”

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