African Entrepreneurship Records 2

Chapter 1705 Neglect
After being enlightened by Bodel's words, Terrell suddenly realized and said, "Thank you, Bodel. I was clearly thinking wrong before. As long as we report the German intelligence to Paris truthfully, their judgment is not of much concern to us."

Bodel nodded and said, "How to deal with Germany is not something we little people can decide. Let the big shots in Paris worry about it!"

So late at night, Terrell began to summarize the various intelligence he had recently collected and send it home by telegram day by day.

……

Paris France.

Paris, France at the end of 1938, was still a bustling metropolis. Cafés, theaters, and shops were teeming with people, attracting wealthy French people and numerous foreign tourists. Nightlife was vibrant, and art exhibitions and salons were frequent.

The French public was completely oblivious to the war. The air raid drills and civil defense campaigns organized by the government in the streets were ignored. Officials were inefficient in their implementation, and citizens were indifferent to the situation, continuing to live a life of debauchery.

Shops in Paris even sell "fashionable" gas mask bags.

It can be seen that the French government and people were not entirely unprepared for war and took some action, but the vast majority of people did not take it seriously.

This makes French society as a whole seem even more schizophrenic.

In the back seat of a black car on the Avenue Montmartre, an officer in a black trench coat was looking at documents in his hands. He rubbed his eyes and looked out the window.

At that moment, there seemed to be some kind of celebration taking place on the street. He asked the person in the passenger seat, "Boner, what are those people doing gathered in the street over there?"

"Colonel," Bonl said, "I think it should be a celebration, a celebration of the signing of the Treaty of Warsaw!"

"Our Chancellor recently signed a new peace agreement with Germany, and many people are cheering for this agreement, so there have been many related celebrations."

The officer in the black trench coat sneered as he heard this, saying, "France has become even more decadent now. This would have been unimaginable just over a decade ago."

"When did we become a nation that grovels before the enemy and clings to life? This is truly an unfortunate and tragic thing."

"What's even more tragic is that, given such appeasement and humiliation, our enemies are unlikely to let us off the hook. All indications suggest that they are plotting a conspiracy against France."

This officer was none other than Douss, the nominal director of the Second Directorate of the French General Staff, who could also be considered the most important intelligence chief in France, with Bonne as his assistant.

Bonl began, “Colonel, the signing of the Warsaw Pact should be considered a good thing for us overall. At least it represents that Germany still has a friendly attitude towards us in public.”

Duss refuted his claim without hesitation.

“Boner, you’ve been with me for so long, you’d better take back that naive view. Treaties are never something that both sides must abide by and uphold. In many cases, they’re not much different from a piece of waste paper.”

"The peace guarantees that Germany is now giving us are exactly what I see them as."

"If they truly want peace, they should abandon their military pressure on the border between the two countries and instead choose to engage in deeper negotiations with us to reduce the number of troops on both sides' borders."

According to Duss, the intelligence chief, if Germany were sincere, it should engage in in-depth consultations with France to reduce the military standoff in the border region.

However, the reality is that Germany maintains a staggering million-strong army on its western border, which puts enormous pressure on France, forcing it to also maintain high military spending.

Duss said, "Adolf only talked the talk, but actually did nothing for the so-called peace, and even went so far as to escalate the situation."

"You've probably seen some of the recent intelligence reports. Although Germany held a large-scale joint military exercise in Eastern Europe, it seems to be directly aimed at the Soviet Union."

"But in reality, they are secretly increasing their troop strength on the western front."

Bonl explained, "Perhaps Germany is worried that we'll stab them in the back after they go to war with the Soviet Union?"

Colonel Douss shook his head and said, "I told you that Bones' idea was too naive, and now it seems that I was absolutely right. Look at the state of France today, from top to bottom, is there anyone who dares to offend Germany!"

Looking out the car window at the decadent crowds, he sighed, "France has long lost its courage, and even the courage to engage in underhanded maneuvers is now a luxury."

"The World War nearly broke the backbone of France. Government politicians, the French people, and even our army are now indulging in their own dreams and dare not face reality."

"This is why I often say that France is gradually degenerating. In a country whose beliefs have been destroyed by war, it is almost impossible to find anyone who dares to stand up to Germany."

"So your claim that we stabbed Germany in the back is completely unrealistic in my opinion. Even if Germany really went to war with the Soviet Union, no one would dare to make any rash moves."

As the head of the Second Bureau, Colonel Douss was also very familiar with the social situation in France, but it was precisely because of this that he felt a deep disappointment with the current state of France from top to bottom.

Especially those who determined the fate of France, they themselves had already lost their courage, and it was completely unrealistic to expect them to cause trouble for Germany.

Colonel Douss continued, "The fear of war among the French people is now so deep that it has become an incurable disease."

"Therefore, no one would dare to try anything that might involve France in the war, and no one would be willing to take on the responsibility."

"Under these circumstances, how could France possibly provoke Germany, even when they are at war with someone else?"

The fear of war is now the dominant sentiment in France from top to bottom, even if many people are unwilling to admit it.

It was on this basis that Colonel Douss dared to assert that France would not dare to take any initiative to offend Germany, as that would mean France might be affected by the war, or even become a direct victim of the war.

Bonl had to acknowledge the reality described by Colonel Duce, and he fell silent for a moment, but Colonel Duce was not finished speaking.

"Besides, even if Germany and the Soviet Union go to war, it will be difficult for us to take advantage of the chaos, after all, Germany is now stronger than it was during the last World War."

"Therefore, it is foreseeable that Germany today still has the capability to fight on two fronts, and it will only be stronger than before, while we, France, have not yet recovered from our own wounds." France's wounds, in addition to the devastation of World War I on French society as a whole, also include the impact of the Great Depression of 1929.

The Great Depression of 1929 occurred in France relatively late compared to other countries, which directly resulted in France still not emerging from the shadow of this economic crisis.

In contrast, other major world powers have, to varying degrees, temporarily curbed their economic decline through various political and economic means. For example, their neighbor Germany, under Adolf's policies, has shown great vitality.

Even though Germany's current economic prosperity is unsustainable, it has used it to arm itself militarily, which is extremely detrimental to France.

"Our government has failed to effectively curb the economic downturn, and serious social problems have further hampered France's recovery and widened the gap between us and Germany."

"Given the shift in power, can we still resist the German invaders as bravely as we did during the last World War?"

Although Duss asked the question, he had clearly already given a definite answer in his mind: it was very difficult.

He said, "The Germans are fully aware of France's current situation; they are fully aware of the predicament France faces and its fear of war."

"France no longer poses a threat to Germany, but the fact that they are still increasing their troops on the Western Front under these circumstances can only mean that Germany has never given up its ambitions against France."

"Unfortunately, the vast majority of French people do not realize this. Germany and France are like a hungry wolf and a sheep. It is a ridiculous idea to think that if the sheep surrenders, the wolf will not eat us."

At this point, Bonne said, "Colonel, perhaps you are right, but your idea is indeed difficult to gain acceptance in France today. At least if you want to persuade more people, you should first persuade General Gamelin."

General Gamelin is now the Chief of the General Staff of France, and he is also Colonel Douss's superior. After all, the full name of the Second Directorate is the Second Directorate of the General Staff, so Colonel Douss, as the director of the Second Directorate, is directly responsible to General Gamelin.

Colonel Ducey said to Bones, "I think I should be able to convince General Gamelin this time, after all, we have a lot of evidence this time."

The final destination of the car that Douss is now in is the French General Staff, where he is to meet with General Gamelin and report on the recent military movements of Germany.

Bones was skeptical about whether Colonel Ducey could persuade General Gamelin, since General Gamelin had already rejected Ducey several times before.

However, Bonl didn't want to spoil Duss's fun, and besides, what if General Gamelin agreed with Colonel Duss this time!
Soon, the car arrived at the French General Staff Headquarters. Colonel Douss, carrying a thick stack of documents, got out of the car and headed confidently toward General Gamelin's office.

dong dong dong...

"Please come in!"

As the knock sounded, a voice came from inside the office, and then Colonel Ducey pushed the door open and entered.

At this moment, General Gan Molin was hunched over his desk processing documents. He did not look up at the visitor, but continued to diligently work on the various documents on the desk.

Colonel Ducey, however, was used to this and said, "It is I, the general."

As Gammon's subordinates, the two were naturally quite familiar with each other.

"Oh, it's you, Henry. Do you have some important information to report to me this time?"

Henry is Colonel Ducey's name, which shows the close relationship between the two. General Gamelin obviously values ​​intelligence work. He stopped what he was doing, looked up and asked.

Colonel Duss placed the thick file on his desk and said to Gamelin, "General, this is the German troop movement information we have recently gathered."

"We have obtained a great deal of intelligence that Germany is strengthening its military forces on the western front. I believe this is extremely important information for us, as it concerns the fate of France."

General Gammon picked up the stack of documents, flipped through them casually, and gestured for Colonel Ducey to continue.

Colonel Duss was somewhat disappointed with Gamelin's attitude, which was the same as his previous reports. However, he composed himself and continued, "Based on our intelligence analysis, we believe that this unusual military mobilization by Germany may be a prelude to launching a war against France."

"If Germany is only trying to defend itself against us, there is absolutely no need for it to continue to increase its military strength in the western border areas between the two countries. After all, Germany's military strength on the western front was already strong enough."

"The continued increase in troop strength only indicates that Germany is brewing an even bigger conspiracy; this time, Germany's ambitions are no longer concealed at all..."

Colonel Duce continued his incessant report, but General Gammon's face remained unchanged, which further convinced Colonel Duce that this time it might be fruitless again.

Sure enough, after he finally finished expressing his judgment and thoughts, General Gammon said, "Colonel Ducey, you have done a very good job in terms of your dedication and attitude."

"However, I think you are being a bit too pessimistic. Germany has already signed the Treaty of Warsaw with us, so at least in the short term, they should not initiate a war against us."

"Their first priority is to deal with the Soviets, and Germany's military movements on the border are also understandable. They need to guard against us taking advantage of their situation, which is inevitable, just as we have always been wary of Germany."

"Finally, we have the Maginot Line, the most solid defense line in the world. Even if the Germans really launch a war against us, they will only be tied down by the Maginot Line. So your worries are unnecessary. The General Staff and the government have already taken all aspects into consideration."

Gamelin, a veteran of World War I and a French general, believed in the lessons learned from the war and thought that the outcome of modern warfare depended on dense defensive lines and attrition warfare. He was convinced that the Maginot Line was impregnable.

Based on this, he did not care about Germany's true intentions at the moment, believing that as long as the Maginot Line was relied upon, France could make corresponding arrangements calmly no matter what Germany did.

Of course, General Gammon himself also had some confidence in the Treaty of Warsaw, which influenced his judgment.

Even if some people in the French government and military can sense the crisis, their voices are drowned out by the tide of appeasement, or rather, they are unwilling to face reality. Just as Colonel Douss said to Bonne, France has now completely "fallen" and is indulging in its own dream.

Even if he wanted to change something, it seemed so pale and powerless amidst the numerous objections and criticisms.

Of course, Colonel Douss may not have considered one point: for many French people, they clearly knew that war between Germany and France was inevitable, but what if they didn't want to fight Germany at all and instead surrendered directly!
(End of this chapter)