African Entrepreneurship Records 2

Chapter 1715 The French Government's Response

After the Strasbourg bombing, German radio and newspapers, like a pack of vicious dogs smelling blood, relentlessly pursued France.

In the Moselle-Maritime department of France, a border province, German radio signals can be easily received. In Nancy, the capital of the Moselle department, the Kohl family listens intently to German news on the radio.

His two children were playing around at home when Cole scolded them, "You two little rascals better behave yourselves."

Hearing their father's reprimand, Cole's children immediately quieted down, and without the interference, the sound from the radio became clearer.

"...Mr. Mannheiser, the whole nation's attention is now focused on the Strasbourg bombing. As an analyst of international affairs, do you think the organization behind this bombing is really related to foreign forces?"

"The host asked a very good question about the Strasbourg bombing and the details of the official investigation. I personally think that this bombing is indeed full of suspicious points, and it does seem like there was a big hand behind it, deliberately manipulating it."

"For example, why has this terrorist organization been able to operate in Strasbourg for so long? Nearly half a century has passed since the Franco-Prussian War, and Alsace and Lorraine have enjoyed long-term stable development after returning to the empire."

"The people's hearts have long been completely integrated with the empire, and those separatist organizations have lost the soil for development. Therefore, I believe that an important reason why these separatist organizations have been able to survive is that they have received long-term support from external forces."

“An organization that wants to operate in other countries long-term must have a stable source of funding.”

"Secondly, the fact that the organization behind the Strasbourg bombing was able to obtain military explosives and bypass the Empire's oversight demonstrates their considerable power."

The radio host asked, "Mr. Naman Helesi, which country do you believe backed the organization that carried out the Strasbourg bombing?"

Mannheiser said uncertainly, "I dare not speculate on such matters, after all, it involves foreign countries, and it could cause a diplomatic incident."

"However, we can still deduce some information from the official video footage. For example, although the murderer spoke German in the interrogation room, we can clearly see that his German was not standard and had a French accent."

"Therefore, we can conclude that this terrorist should at least be able to speak French."

The host pressed further, "Mr. Mannheiser, are you implying that the Strasbourg bombing was orchestrated by the French?"

It's obvious that the radio host enjoys stirring up trouble, and he has a good understanding of what listeners like most.

In the 20s, if Germans were asked to discuss the country they disliked the most, France would undoubtedly be the first choice for most.

As for the Soviet Union, although the German government has always emphasized and exaggerated its terror and evil, in terms of the German people's attitude towards the Soviet Union, it is really nothing compared to France.

Even though the Soviet Union and Germany fought a war in Poland, for most Germans, the Soviet Union was just a "defeated opponent" of Germany.

In other words, many people harbored prejudice and contempt towards Slavs. The Soviet Union was seen as a barbaric country by Germans, and Slavs were even more barbaric people; they had no right to be compared with Germany.

In contrast, the French were completely different. The Germans and the French had long been the most bitter enemies in Europe, second only to the complex relationship between Britain and France.

Although France was indeed the loser in the Franco-Prussian War, this did not change the attitudes of the people of both countries. The Germans were clearly still full of vigilance and wariness towards France.

Later, during World War I, France did not disappoint the Germans' trust. During the war, France continued to demonstrate strong military spirit and courage.

Meanwhile, Tsarist Russia was directly defeated by Germany, at least from the German perspective. Without Germany's war against Tsarist Russia, how could the Soviet regime have later taken advantage of the situation?

Therefore, France and Germany during World War I had to admit that it performed well in the war.

But precisely because of this, some Germans believe that the two countries only fought to a draw in World War I, and that Germany did not completely defeat France, especially its national will and spirit.

France, looking at the whole of Europe, remains a worthy adversary for Germany. Even though France has declined and become chaotic in recent years compared to Germany, it is undeniable that before the war began, ordinary Germans still considered France to be Germany's strongest competitor in the whole of Europe.

Mann Helesi was clearly annoyed by what the radio host was saying, even though he knew perfectly well that was how these guys operated.

"Mr. Host, please don't misunderstand me. Before the authorities release conclusive evidence, we cannot attribute the Strasbourg bombing to Germany's neighbor."

"Take the Strasbourg bombing, for example. Other countries are also suspects. I think the Soviet Union could also have been the mastermind behind the bombing."

"Or perhaps those groups that are hostile to the Imperial government."

The radio host, intrigued by Mann Hellese's response, asked, "Mr. Mann Hellese, how did you arrive at this judgment and analysis?"

Mannheiser said, "I have my reasons, and we can look at it this way: suppose there was foreign support behind the Strasbourg bombing."

"That country must have had a bad relationship with Germany, or even harbored deep hatred towards Germany. Such a country would have had a motive to plan the Strasbourg bombing. So which countries fit this description? If we're talking about countries with the worst relationship with empires, the Soviet Union is undoubtedly number one."

When Mannheiser spoke of the Soviet Union, he was noticeably bolder and more unrestrained than when he spoke of France, which was related to the current political climate in Germany.

Or rather, anti-Soviet sentiment was one of the most politically correct things in Germany.

Germany's animosity toward the Soviet Union was completely open, and Adolf himself frequently criticized the Soviet Union in public, even openly humiliating and belittling it.

If national leaders act this way, then Mannheimer, an international relations analyst, is even less afraid of damaging relations between Germany and the Soviet Union with such remarks.

France is different. Germany's official attitude towards France is ambiguous, so Mannheiser wouldn't dare to speak carelessly unless the German government explicitly considers France an enemy.

Of course, there was another reason why Mannheiser did this: for a "respectable person" like him, the malice towards the Soviet Union was obviously stronger than that of the lower classes in German society.

To put it bluntly, even if the French had invaded, people like Mannheiser could still have lived a decent life. But if the Soviet Union had overthrown Germany, their good days would have been over.

Even if the Soviet Union didn't purge people like Mannheiser, he was unwilling to have the same status and treatment as ordinary German workers.

Therefore, Mannheiserpa had no choice but to strike hard against the Soviet Union, and it would be best if the empire could eliminate this "evil" country.

The radio host asked, "Didn't the murderer speak French? How could he be connected to the Soviet Union?" Mannheiser analyzed with feigned seriousness, "Who says the Soviets can't hire Frenchmen to carry out sabotage activities within the Empire?"

"The Soviet Union was Germany's number one enemy, so it was entirely possible that they would bribe and support some of the enemies who opposed the Reich to overthrow our country."

"Take Sterling, for example, the perpetrator of the Strasbourg bombing. He may have been instructed and funded by the European Labour Party. Over the years, the European Labour Party organizations in various European countries have planned many such terrorist activities in Europe. The European Labour Party itself is a pawn of the Soviet Union infiltrating Europe."

"Therefore, it cannot be ruled out that the Soviet Union used a borrowed knife to kill someone. Similarly, other enemies of the empire may also have done the same."

"Of course, France is currently the prime suspect, but as long as France can clear its name, the suspicion can be dispelled."

It must be said that Mannheiser's analysis does have some merit, but it's basically devoid of any real substance.

Afterwards, the radio host asked some tricky questions, which Mannheiser answered with ambiguous and slippery responses.

However, France remains their primary suspect overall.

After listening to the German radio analysis, Cole slammed his hand on the table and said, "These Germans are indeed harboring malicious intentions."

"There is absolutely no way that France could have any connection with the Strasbourg bombing, not even the slightest motive. This must have been a staged event by them."

As a Frenchman, Kohl was well aware of the current social situation in France, and the French government simply dared not offend Germany at this time.

Cole's wife asked with some concern, "Cole, could this ultimately trigger a new war?"

Cole said with a serious expression, "We can't rule out that possibility; it's even highly likely to happen."

His wife said anxiously, "What should we do? You know we're not far from the border. If a war really breaks out, I don't care, but what about our two little ones..."

Cole reassured him, "You don't need to worry too much about this. I'll take care of everything. In my opinion, Europe is full of crises ahead, and we should move ahead of time."

This was the only solution Cole could think of; he dared not gamble with the safety of his family.

……

While the French public is concerned about recent German public opinion, the French government is equally alarmed. After the Strasbourg bombing quickly became a hot topic in Germany, the French government immediately realized that the matter was not simple.

In response, the French government immediately contacted the British and lodged a protest with the German government, stating that the Strasbourg bombing had absolutely nothing to do with France and that Germany should immediately restrain the spread of public opinion to avoid damaging the "friendly" relations between the two countries.

The atmosphere inside the Prime Minister's residence in the 7th arrondissement of Paris was extremely tense.

Chancellor Daladier asked Foreign Minister Bonet: "Has Germany given us a reply?"

Foreign Minister Bonne said with a worried look, "The German side says that the case is currently under investigation, but this is clearly an excuse."

Daladier said with a gloomy face, "These Prussian barbarians, do they intend to go back on their word? We have already made huge sacrifices at the Warsaw Conference."

Foreign Minister Bonne said, "Your Excellency, perhaps there is still a chance for things to turn around."

French Justice Minister Renault immediately criticized Foreign Minister Bonnet's idea, saying, "Minister Bonnet, you don't need to hold such naive thoughts anymore. It is obvious that the appeasement policy has completely failed. The Strasbourg bombing was clearly a premeditated attempt by Germany to frame us."

“Adolf, that warmonger, never had any intention of peace from the beginning; he planned to wipe France off the map.”

"The ridiculous thing is that your idea that you can get away with it by giving in to Germany has now become a complete joke."

Renault was a staunch advocate of war within the French government, so now that he had the opportunity, he naturally took the opportunity to ridicule and criticize the appeasement policy.

In response to Renault's words, Foreign Minister Bonne said with a displeased expression, "Minister Renault, what brilliant idea do you have? Do you expect us to fight Germany to the death?"

"Germany's population is nearly three times that of ours, and its industry has completely outpaced us. If the two countries go to war, I don't think the Reich has any chance of winning."

"Therefore, our diplomatic direction has been correct from the beginning, and we should do everything we can to avoid going to war with an invincible enemy."

Renault said dismissively, "And what were your final results?"

"It's nothing more than nurturing a tiger to cause trouble, sacrificing the interests of the empire. It not only failed to change Germany's hostility towards us, but also further stimulated Germany's appetite and ambition."

"Now, in the eyes of the Germans, our cowardice has become the driving force behind their war."

"We should never have had any illusions about Germany from the beginning, and we should have invested the Reich's funds in defense."

Renault's statement was echoed by Mandel, the French colonial minister: "When Adolf came to power, we should have known that he was extremely fanatical about war. Expecting a warmonger to support peace is no different from expecting a wolf to stop eating sheep and become a herbivore. The most ridiculous thing is that we are now just like this sheep, hoping to survive by relying on the mercy of the German wolf."

The sarcastic remarks from the two pro-war factions made Prime Minister Daladier's mood even worse. If Germany really declared war on France, while others might not know what would happen, Prime Minister Daladier himself would certainly not be spared.

He could already imagine how the French people would view him if Germany declared war on France, and he might even be nailed to the pillar of historical shame.

After all, if the appeasement policy fails, then all his efforts will become a joke, just as Renault said.

Now that things have come to this, he can only make a final struggle, like a drowning man.

Chancellor Daladier said to Foreign Minister Bonne, "Let's urge the Germans again. If they don't intend to change the current public opinion in Germany, then we'll have to prepare for the worst."

"Furthermore, the British have also urged them to take action. If Germany really starts a war, they will also bear responsibility. Now, they must do everything in their power for the peace of Europe."

(End of this chapter)