Chapter 762: This Will Be a More Successful Encirclement Than Charles's
At the Palais Bourbon, Parliament was locked in a fierce stalemate.
Historically, political debates usually ended quickly, with one side swiftly gaining a decisive advantage. Now, however, with Clemenceau and Charles aligned, even the faction representing big business interests led by Briand held only a tenuous advantage. This forced Briand—who typically avoided parliamentary squabbles—to personally intervene and take charge.
"Gentlemen," Briand called out solemnly to the assembly below, his expression deeply troubled,
"I understand that your arguments carry weight. Even General Gallieni's statements in the press are not without reason."
"There is no denying that the army's proposals could indeed be beneficial in terms of war strategy. I acknowledge this fact."
"However, we must not forget the fundamental principles of the Third Republic: liberty, equality, fraternity."
"And the guardian of these principles is none other than us—the Parliament, the system itself."
"If we compromise now, it might provide certain short-term advantages on the battlefield. But it would also mean taking a dangerous step towards undermining the Republic and dismantling our entire democratic system!"
…
Immediately, angry objections arose from various deputies:
"No! The most urgent matter today is winning the war. The French people are exhausted and demand real change!"
"We must end this war decisively. Any hesitation now is simply showing mercy to our enemy."
"The army's proposal is merely a request. Parliament still holds ultimate decision-making authority. Right now, we're exercising precisely that authority—our institutions remain secure!"
…
Yet this last statement was fundamentally untrue.
The reality was Parliament had been pressured into this position by Charles himself, backed by the overwhelming strength of the military. But Clemenceau's faction naturally wouldn't admit this. Instead, they carefully portrayed the situation as Parliament merely "exercising its normal powers," preserving at least the appearance of democracy.
At that moment, Clemenceau calmly rose from his seat and addressed Briand directly, his voice clear and steady:
"Prime Minister, may I ask precisely which part of the army's proposal most disturbs you?"
Briand hesitated, momentarily at a loss for words.
Clemenceau swiftly provided his own answer. "It's Charles's appointment to command the Heavy Army Group, isn't it?"
Briand couldn't deny this. If he did, Clemenceau would immediately declare, "Well then, since you have no objections, let's confirm Charles's appointment and move on."
"Yes," Briand finally replied cautiously, "the Heavy Army Group is a matter of great significance. I believe we must consider this very carefully—"
Clemenceau promptly interrupted him, pressing the issue:
"Then tell me, Prime Minister, is there anyone else more qualified than Charles?"
Briand fell silent, unable to respond.
Indeed, aside from Charles, who else could possibly lead such a formation?
Clemenceau relentlessly continued his questioning:
"You surely aren't suggesting we appoint Foch as commander of the Heavy Army Group, are you? We all know he's only good at reckless offensives."
"Nor would you propose Pétain, given that he only knows how to defend, correct?"
"So, perhaps you're thinking of General Gamelin, who previously commanded the Reserve Army Group—?"
At this suggestion, Clemenceau spread his hands in a gesture of incredulity.
Laughter erupted from around the chamber, and deputies openly mocked the idea:
"Gamelin? He's never commanded armored forces, let alone aircraft!"
"He believes tanks and airplanes are utterly useless—and yet we should trust him to command precisely those forces?"
"With Gamelin in charge, France would be led straight to defeat, sacrificing our current advantageous position and practically surrendering to the Germans!"
…
Briand glared furiously at Clemenceau, realizing he'd fallen into a carefully set trap from which there was no escape.
…
At Neufchâteau, located along the upper Meuse River, the French Second Special Artillery Division was undergoing intensive training. Its advantageous terrain and excellent transportation links made it an ideal training location.
(The above map shows Neufchâteau's position, roughly 61 kilometers north of the frontline cities Toul and Nancy, a key section of the Franco-German front.)
The training grounds were secluded, hidden within a valley outside town, surrounded by barbed wire, sentry posts, trenches, and even minefields to prevent enemy infiltration or attack.
Everywhere, engines roared loudly, tanks maneuvered through muddy fields, and soldiers drilled endlessly.
In a dimly-lit bunker at one corner of the base, General Gamelin frowned deeply at the complicated training schedules and tactical manuals piled before him.
He detested all of this.
Everyone knew he disliked tanks. Indeed, he considered them fundamentally useless weapons. Gamelin's sole reason for studying Charles's tactics had always been to uncover evidence of their ineffectiveness. Ironically, this was precisely why Briand had placed him in command.
"Such irony," Gamelin muttered gloomily, flipping unhappily through unit formation tables. "If I win battles using these things, wouldn't that prove my original beliefs were completely mistaken?"
From this strange perspective, he pondered, perhaps suffering defeat would actually serve his beliefs better.
At that moment, the phone rang sharply. It was Briand on the line.
"General, are you ready to launch an offensive?" Briand asked curtly.
"An offensive?" Gamelin answered hesitantly, surprised. "Prime Minister, I've been here less than a week…"
He had barely even learned his officers' names.
"But the Second Special Artillery Division has been training for over three months now," Briand interrupted impatiently. "I've provided it with the best provisions, equipment, personnel, and ammunition available."
"I… may need more time, Prime Minister," Gamelin said uncertainly.
"No, General," Briand refused flatly. His voice was firm and unyielding. "You must realize Germany's armored divisions were recently decimated by Charles. They're currently attempting to rebuild their tank formations."
"The longer you wait, the riskier our situation becomes. Do you understand?"
Gamelin had no choice but to agree weakly. "Yes, Prime Minister."
After hanging up, Gamelin stared at the map and grudgingly acknowledged Briand might actually have a point. Without effective armored units, the Germans were effectively reduced to infantry alone. His Second Special Artillery Division could easily overwhelm them.
"I still don't believe in these things," he muttered quietly to himself. "But if we're using steel and armor against mere infantry and trenches, perhaps that isn't so bad after all."
But where to strike?
His gaze drifted across the railway lines, first settling on Toul and then shifting to Nancy. Both cities were key transportation hubs and were relatively close together. Capturing both would open a massive gap in enemy lines, allowing infantry to surge forward and encircle the German forces arrayed facing westward along the Meuse.
Excitement surged within Gamelin. "This will be a more successful encirclement than Charles ever accomplished! I'll retake Lorraine and Alsace and finally end this war!"
In his imagination, Gamelin envisioned only victory. He completely failed to realize he was using armored units merely as auxiliary support for his infantry. In this flawed strategy, the tanks were merely tasked with punching a hole through enemy lines to facilitate a traditional infantry assault.
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