Chapter 244: A Christmas Elegy
After a brief conversation, Jörg got into a car and drove toward the Arc de Triomphe.
Paris was located in the southwestern part of Europe, so snow was not common there. Yet today, the weather gave Jörg a pleasant surprise.
Snowflakes drifted down from the sky.
The tree-lined avenues on both sides of the Champs-Élysées were covered in white, and colorful lights shone through the falling snow, creating a rich Christmas atmosphere.
Soldiers marched in formation through the Arc de Triomphe.
Their solemn black military uniforms, paired with thick-brimmed caps, looked sharp and orderly against the white snow.
German military flags and national flags swayed amid the fine snowfall, and the black eagle upon them fluttered above the capital of France.
Outside the cordon, magnesium flashbulbs flickered constantly.
Behind the journalists stood countless Parisian citizens.
Some were crying for France.
Some were expressionless, as if a change in government would not affect their lives at all.
Even more people stood in bewildered silence.
Had the war truly ended like this?
Had they truly become the people of a defeated nation?
This sense of unreality was like a dream.
Perhaps, for every French citizen, for every Parisian, this was the worst Christmas of their lives.
But for Jörg, this Christmas was worth remembering for a lifetime.
He stepped onto the viewing platform.
A cold wind blew over him, carrying the faint lingering smell of gunpowder.
Heinz Guderian and Manstein stood on his left and right, while Pétain was pushed to the rear. Even so, the old Marshal still forced a smile onto his face.
All three wore black Wehrmacht uniforms.
Jörg's uniform was the most dazzling. Black and gold, elegant and luxurious, yet it did not lose the solemn bearing of a soldier.
There were no medals on his collar or chest.
He no longer needed such things to proclaim his glory.
Heinz Guderian's uniform as Deputy Commander, by contrast, was adorned with various medals.
Manstein was no exception, but only the Iron Cross at his collar stood out most clearly.
Heinz Guderian stepped forward half a pace and declared loudly, "Salute!"
The soldiers of the First Armored Division, the first to come into view, turned their heads and saluted.
The tanks following behind them shifted their turrets and raised their cannons in respect.
Then a thunderous chant swept across the Champs-Élysées.
"Long live the Führer!"
Jörg raised his head and shouted in his usual deeply stirring tone, "Germany!"
The soldiers immediately echoed, "Forward!"
Respect and longing filled the eyes of every soldier.
Pétain watched all this from behind them, and an indescribable desolation rose in his heart.
Only after the last tank passed through the Arc de Triomphe did he reluctantly say, "Your Excellency von Roman, it is time for the signing."
The car sped toward the Chaillot Palace, directly opposite the Eiffel Tower.
This newly completed building had originally been intended to serve as an exhibition hall for the World's Fair, proclaiming the glory of France to the world.
Now, however, it would proclaim the demise of the French Third Republic.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had already discussed the details with the French the previous day, so naturally, Jörg no longer needed to concern himself with the finer clauses.
Sitting at the head of the long table in the center of the hall, he turned his gaze toward the windows.
Beyond the floor-to-ceiling glass, the towering Eiffel Tower stood beneath the winter sky.
Beside it, Jörg's enormous future poster swayed in the wind.
As everyone took their seats, Jörg raised his pen and, under the witness of numerous journalists, signed the name that represented Germany.
Jörg von Roman.
The agreement was passed over.
After a moment of hesitation, Pétain signed his own name in the column designated for France.
This also signified the disappearance of the French Third Republic from the world.
What remained in Europe was only the French State, with Vichy as its de facto capital.
From then on, Paris, along with the eastern and coastal cities of France, nominally became jointly administered regions under Germany and France.
In reality, France retained only partial administrative authority.
Germany had become the new master of these cities, industrial zones, and ports.
After completing all this, Jörg stood amid cheers and applause.
He extended his hand and said, "The war is over, Mr. Pétain."
His voice was calm, almost gracious.
"Let us embrace this rare peace."
Outside the window, the salute cannons deployed on the Champ de Mars fired in unison.
The sky gradually cleared, and sunlight once again emerged from behind the thick clouds.
The agreement had been signed.
But that did not mean Jörg's time in Paris was over.
Taking advantage of these two rare days of rest, he toured the Louvre and admired the Seine with Leah.
The soldiers were no different.
After a long war, one could not expect soldiers to maintain an impeccable standard of conduct forever.
They spent their money enjoying the pleasures of Paris, using alcohol and women to forget the blood-soaked battlefield and the intense pressure of forced marches.
While the occupying troops enjoyed the fruits of their labor, the delegation from Cardolan Investment Company arrived in various industrial cities of France and began assessing French industrial assets one by one.
Renault Automobile Company, which had produced Renault tanks, was completely acquired and became a subsidiary of Imperial Eagle. Its data and blueprints for heavy and light tanks further enriched Germany's tank research.
On the naval front, the sinking of the Marseille fleet from Jörg's previous life did not occur.
Upon receiving news of France's surrender, the German First Aircraft Carrier Battle Group deployed in the Mediterranean took over the naval ports around Marseille.
They captured two battleships under construction, one cruiser undergoing weapons upgrades, four destroyers, and countless smaller vessels.
The German Navy, which had focused heavily on carrier warfare, suddenly became far more diversified.
Of course, with insufficient naval personnel to replace the crews, the German Navy still handed these vessels over to Darlan, who replaced the main combat faction and became the new Marshal of the French Navy.
In terms of manpower, nearly one million French soldiers became free labor.
After precise planning, seven hundred thousand prisoners were used to fill industrial vacancies, sharing the burden of weapons manufacturing and housing reconstruction.
The remaining three hundred thousand received slightly better treatment. They were organized and sent to various agricultural regions for mechanized cultivation.
British prisoners received somewhat better treatment as well, because the Führer had personally given orders that they had more important tasks.
London.
Just after Christmas, the wartime cabinet immediately became busy.
France's surrender was undoubtedly bad news for Churchill.
And this bad news was not only strategic, but also tactical.
He would rather have seen the French Navy fight the German Navy to the final moment.
That way, he would not have to worry about the French Navy falling into German hands, while also receiving a German Navy that had been worn down by battle.
But imagination was imagination.
Reality was reality.
The French Navy had not been completely depleted, and a considerable portion of it had still fallen into German hands.
Although it was nominally under independent French naval jurisdiction, Churchill understood very clearly that this so-called independence was highly questionable.
They had to strike first.
They had to take advantage of the French Navy's chaotic transition period and make a bold attempt.
Almost all of France's North African naval forces were concentrated at Mers-el-Kébir in Algeria.
Before Italy surrendered, they might still be able to organize a surprise attack.
If they delayed any longer, the German Army in North Africa would become an entirely new problem.
Thinking of this, Churchill picked up his teacup and was just about to reach for the telephone to summon the naval generals and discuss the feasibility of the plan.
Then his secretary rushed in, bringing him good news.
.....
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