Chapter 548: Who Pays for the Loans?
Inside the Namur fortress, Charles stood over a large map, deep in discussion with Tijani about their upcoming offensive on Leuven.
Now that Namur had fallen, Leuven lay nearly encircled. With Charles commanding armored, mechanized, and air units—plus the support of Belgium's First Special Reconnaissance Corps—Leuven's capture was just a matter of time.
In fact, it wasn't a question of if they could take the city, but how many Germans they could surround and capture in the process.
That was one reason Charles had chosen to tackle Namur first, despite its tough terrain and unsuitability for tank warfare.
It was a calculated move, one with strategic precision—what a Go player would call a "net." A high-efficiency strategy.
If the German commander had any sense, he would retreat from Leuven immediately and consolidate his lines.
(Note: In the map, the red circles show, from top to bottom, Antwerp, Brussels, and Namur. Leuven lies at the center of this triangle, trapped in a pincer. If the protagonist had gone for Leuven first, German reinforcements would've made it a harder battle, and Namur would still need to be dealt with afterward.)
Tijani stared at the map and smiled. "Once we take Leuven, the British will once again be pushed to the sidelines."
To the northeast of Antwerp was the neutral Netherlands.
Once Leuven fell, Antwerp would be nestled in a "corner" safe from direct enemy pressure.
Charles smiled slightly. "Is Leuven the only thing you see, General?"
"What do you mean?" Tijani looked confused and turned back to the map. "Is there a better direction for our next attack?"
He pondered for a moment, and his eyes widened in shock as they landed on the heavily fortified Belgian city of Liège. "You're not thinking of attacking the Liège fortress directly, are you?"
"No," Charles shook his head. "Liège is covered in fortresses and complex terrain. Taking it quickly is nearly impossible."
The Germans had even restored some of the bunkers there, equipping them with heavy-caliber guns capable of decimating any attacking force—including Charles's armored units.
"Then what are you thinking?"
Charles pointed to a location on the map. "Hasselt, General. We can bypass the Liège defenses entirely."
(Note: Hasselt appears on the map as "Hasselt.")
Tijani found the spot and frowned. "Hasselt? That doesn't allow for encirclement…"
Then it hit him—he looked at Charles, stunned. "You're planning to encircle the Germans using the Dutch border?"
Charles nodded.
At that moment, the German forces around Leuven were roughly positioned in a triangle: the French lines stretched from Antwerp to Namur in the south, the Dutch border sealed the north, and only the eastern corridor through Liège remained open.
If French forces pushed through to Hasselt, they'd close that final escape route—trapping tens of thousands more Germans.
However, there was a flaw in the plan: for the sake of neutrality, the Netherlands might allow the trapped German troops to retreat through their territory.
So before launching the attack, that issue had to be resolved.
At that moment, a communications officer arrived with a telegram. "General, we've won a decisive victory at the Somme."
Tijani read the telegram and scoffed before handing it to Charles. "Forty thousand casualties to gain a kilometer of ground—and they call that a 'decisive' victory?"
Charles read the report and furrowed his brow. "I suppose what he means is: if it worked once, it'll work again."
Tijani laughed bitterly.
"They really believe the Germans will keep fighting the same way forever."
"Forty thousand casualties—in one day! And they call that a victory?"
He looked truly distressed.
Tijani had been by Charles's side for many campaigns, most of which resulted in a few hundred casualties at most. Losses in the thousands had only occurred at the Dardanelles, and that was under encirclement.
He couldn't even imagine what a single day of 40,000 deaths looked like.
Another telegram arrived. "General, the Germans have proposed peace talks."
Tijani leapt forward and snatched the message, his eyes lighting up with hope. "They want to talk! Major General, the war might be ending!"
"Don't get your hopes up," Charles said quietly, a trace of resignation in his voice.
"I don't see it that way," Tijani insisted. "If someone's willing to talk, reaching an agreement is just a matter of time. At the very least, the fighting will cool down."
"Once you know peace talks are happening, no one wants to die needlessly."
"You're forgetting something," Charles said as he leaned back in his chair. "You're forgetting the Americans."
"The Americans?" Tijani frowned. "What do they have to do with this? They haven't even joined the war!"
Charles shook his head and grabbed a folder to sign as he explained, "The Americans gave Britain a massive number of loans, General."
Britain had used those loans to buy American-made goods: bullets, shells, equipment—the essentials of war.
(Note: 40% of the Entente's ammunition was produced in the U.S. The total amount loaned eventually exceeded $10 billion.)
Tijani still looked confused.
Charles added, "Think about it, General. If peace were declared right now, who would pay off those loans? The British? The Germans? Us?"
Tijani was struck silent.
France certainly wouldn't pay—it wasn't their debt.
Germany wouldn't either. They weren't defeated. They'd be entering negotiations from a position of strength.
The only ones responsible were the British. They took the loans and used the supplies. But they were broke—starved by the German blockade and unable to repay anything.
And Britain, even in decline, was still the world's foremost power. It had influence, colonies, and muscle. What could America do? Start a war with Britain?
Suddenly, the truth hit Tijani like a thunderbolt.
"If there's peace now, no one will repay that debt. It'll become a bad loan."
"That's why the Americans want the war to continue."
"Only by defeating Germany and demanding massive reparations can they recoup that money!"
Charles nodded.
"Exactly, General."
"That's why American finance groups will use their control over supplies to manipulate public opinion in Britain and France."
"They'll make sure everyone believes that Germany's peace offer is a trap—a delay tactic."
Tijani felt as if he'd fallen into an ice bath. The hope he had just begun to feel was instantly snuffed out.
And Charles was right. America could do all that—easily.
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