African Entrepreneurship Records 2

Chapter 1717 Germany Declares War
Germany's ultimatum shattered all of France's illusions. The French leadership knew that war was inevitable, and a day later, French Prime Minister Daladier officially announced that France was on full alert.

Under orders from the French government, the national army began to converge on the border and the Maginot Line. At the same time, in order to prevent Italy and Spain from launching a surprise attack from the rear, France had to deploy a certain number of troops near the borders of the two countries.

This further strained France's already stretched military resources, leaving it seemingly surrounded by enemies.

In response to the shortage of manpower and insufficient troops, France could only take the following measures: on the one hand, it accelerated the recruitment process on the mainland; on the other hand, France began to transfer troops from the colonies and ordered the colonial governments to recruit native soldiers from the local area through various means to go to the mainland.

In addition to its own military actions, France has also begun to more urgently pressure Britain in the diplomatic arena, seeking foreign assistance.

London, England.

As the capital of the British Empire, London remained as bustling and vibrant as ever while tensions were high on the European continent. Across the English Channel and the world's number one Royal Navy, the people of London and Britain did not feel the threat and urgency of war as deeply as those in France.

Although many Londoners are anxious about the situation in Europe, they can still calmly discuss politics and gossip on the streets.

Meanwhile, 10 Downing Street, the political center of Britain, was completely shrouded in the shadow of war, and Prime Minister Chamberlain paced back and forth in his official residence with a worried expression.

"Now Germany has made its intentions clear. Adolf, that scoundrel, his previous behavior in Warsaw was all an act. He never intended to let France go, but instead chose to attack the Soviet Union first."

"We've been put on the spot by Germany and are now in a very awkward position. What do you suggest we do now?"

British Foreign Secretary Halifax frowned and said, "Your Excellency, we now have absolutely no way out. With Adolf's tough stance, this also means that the appeasement policy has completely failed."

"However, we should still make one last effort to continue putting pressure on Germany, while at the same time beginning military preparations."

Although he said that, Halifax knew very well that the coming of war was irreversible, so Britain should immediately begin to prepare for war.

Halifax, as the current British Foreign Secretary, is a pragmatic man. He was a supporter of appeasement, but after the appeasement policy failed, he immediately changed his mind and supported preparations for war against Germany.

Chamberlain asked, "So what kind of response should we give the French?"

The minister from Halifax said, "France is our last reliable ally on the European continent and the last fulcrum of our current continental balance policy, so we should not abandon France."

The balance of power policy is the core of British foreign policy, but looking at the current situation on the European continent, the only countries that can play a leading role are Germany, the Soviet Union, and France.

Of these countries, the only one Britain could truly control was France.

Germany and the Soviet Union would not listen to Britain, let alone give Britain any face. In the past, Britain did not care too much about this.

According to the troublemaker's idea, since both Germany and the Soviet Union were enemies of Britain, then let the two countries fight it out, and Britain could sit back and watch them fight.

However, Germany is not following the script Britain envisioned at all. Instead, it is now targeting France, Britain's only "reliable" ally, which has essentially rendered all of Britain's previous calculations futile.

The Halifax minister said, "Once France falls, it will essentially mean that Germany has broken through its last geopolitical constraints, and their influence will extend directly into the Atlantic, posing a threat to the security of the Reich."

"Besides, if France is defeated, it means that the Empire's system of interests in Europe will completely collapse and be taken over by Germany, which is something we absolutely cannot tolerate."

Since World War I, the interests of Britain and France in Europe have been intertwined, as it would have been difficult for either of them to compete with Germany and the Soviet Union in Europe on their own.

If France were defeated, Britain's influence in Europe and its corresponding interests would undoubtedly vanish.

After all, without France's cooperation, if only Britain remained, there would be no doubt that the remaining European countries, except for the Soviet Union, would directly side with Germany, and that was not the worst part.

Halifax continued, "If we lose power in Europe, or even if our homeland is threatened by Germany, the empire's global interests will inevitably suffer a severe blow."

“Places like Egypt and India could potentially become German colonies in the future.”

At this point, Halifax said with a hint of disappointment, "We shouldn't have allowed Germany to extend its reach into the Red Sea and the Middle East at the Warsaw Conference. Now, these have become pawns for Germany to threaten the overseas interests of the Reich."

Chancellor Chamberlain said helplessly, "There was nothing we could do at the time. Nobody could have imagined that Germany's ambitions would be completely unfulfilled."

"It's too late to say anything now. All we can do is try to make amends, otherwise we will both become sinners of the empire."

The Halifax minister sighed and said, "We can only stand firmly with France now. Only by defeating Germany, even if it's to a draw like in the last world war, can the empire avoid falling into the abyss."

"The world is not just about Europe; East Africa and the United States have also fully risen. Therefore, we may not need to worry too much about a mutually destructive outcome with Germany, and the Soviet Union will take advantage of the situation."

“But if the empire shows weakness and retreat now, those countries and regions that the empire has suppressed in the past will probably jump out and bite us first.”

The immoral British Empire had no shortage of enemies in the world, including its many overseas colonies.

Prime Minister Chamberlain said, "That's all we can do. East Africa and the United States are unlikely to get involved until Europe is fighting to the death. We can only rely on ourselves."

"Wait, send a telegram to the French government, making it clear that we will always stand with France, and if Germany declares war on France, we will definitely support France with all our might, including sending troops to France."

"At the same time, I will also issue a statement to show the international community our position: we will absolutely not tolerate Germany going to war with France."

Chamberlain's final statement immediately received the support of British Army Secretary Hall.

He said, "Your Excellency, we should have done this a long time ago. Britain cannot have any illusions about Germany. Adolf is a war maniac."

"Our army is willing to make a statement and immediately organize reinforcements to be stationed in France to assist our allies in resisting the German invasion."

As the British Secretary of State for War, Hall certainly harbored no goodwill towards Germany. If Germany were to become the dominant power in Europe, the Anglo-Saxons, whom Adolf considered Germanic, might have a way out. However, Hall, as the ethnic group most disliked by Adolf, would certainly not have a good ending.

Similarly, there's the current British Chancellor of the Exchequer, Simon. Although he never publicly or privately identifies as a specific ethnic group hostile to Germany, he does have a clear lineage. The position of Chancellor of the Exchequer is no simple matter in Britain; before the British Prime Minister system was fully developed, the Chancellor of the Exchequer often performed the functions of the Prime Minister.

The first universally recognized Prime Minister of the United Kingdom was Robert Walpole, the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The title of Prime Minister did not become a legally recognized official position in the UK until 1905.
The existence of these people was one of the reasons why the Adolf government was most dissatisfied with Britain.

The German propaganda machine frequently portrayed Chamberlain's cabinet as a government "influenced by Jews," and targeted figures like Hall as primary targets, using this as evidence that Britain was "controlled by Jewish capital."

However, it now seems that Adolf's idea was entirely correct. With their support, Chamberlain became even more determined to fight the war against Germany.

After all, this ethnic group has a huge influence in the United States. If Britain could get their support, it would be able to solve a great deal of the funding problem in the upcoming war with Germany.

If Roosevelt were the current US president, Britain would be fully confident that it could use American Jewish capital to drag the US down with it.

……

On February 20, 1939, Britain officially announced its stance, clearly stating that it would stand firmly with France, while once again warning Germany to pull back from the brink.

At the same time, British troops began to enter French territory, showing a clear stance of sharing weal and woe with France. Britain's alignment undoubtedly gave France a strong boost.

Prime Minister Daladier expressed his gratitude for Britain's support and called on the French people to actively participate in and cooperate with the government's actions to defend the country.

Britain's involvement undoubtedly brought some comfort to the French people.

However, the French public and soldiers as a whole were filled with pessimism and negativity about the war.

Paris France.

A tense, almost frozen atmosphere permeated the air; the shadow of war weighed heavily on the hearts of every Parisian citizen.

In a beer hall in downtown Paris, the radio was no longer playing cheerful chansons, but rather serious government announcements.

"...If Germany dares to invade French soil, every Frenchman will stand tall, take up arms, and let the invaders know that the will of France is invincible!"

At a table in the beer hall, Lyon, a French worker, listened listlessly to the radio broadcast, its rhythmic cadence and powerful rhymes meant to boost French morale, but he was completely unmotivated.

He raised his glass, downed a large gulp, and said, "Another damn war, this damn world."

His coworker, Hilfa, also took a swig of beer and said, "You're right. In the last world war, we French suffered so many casualties, but in the end we gained nothing. Instead, our homeland was destroyed by Germany, and we haven't been able to catch our breath since."

"Now, facing Germany, we are afraid that even a draw is very unlikely."

Lyon said bitterly, "Napoleon should have hanged all the Prussians back then, and now Germany has become a major threat to France."

In times of national crisis, people yearn for capable generals. At this moment, Napoleon, the military strongman who once led his iron cavalry across most of Europe, instantly became Lyon's spiritual anchor.

"I'm afraid that France today can no longer find a hero like Napoleon to lead our country out of its predicament," said Shirfa helplessly.

"The incompetent officials in the government, it is their shortsightedness that has allowed Germany to grow stronger day by day. They stood by and watched when Germany annexed Austria-Hungary, and they did nothing during the Spanish Civil War. Now it is our turn, France, and only the British can help us."

"This is a disgrace to France! When has France ever had to place its hopes on Britain? This has never happened before in history!"

During the last World War, although France cooperated with Britain, there is no doubt that France did not place its hopes on Britain at that time, but instead confronted Germany head-on. In the end, France relied on its own bravery and performed exceptionally well on the battlefield.

France has now completely lost the courage it had in World War I. In the eyes of the French today, Germany is almost an invincible enemy.

Lyon said with a heavy heart, "France has declined too much in recent years, while Germany has developed too fast and has completely widened the gap with us. Of course, the government's indulgence is also one of the main culprits for Germany's growing strength."

"If Germany had not annexed Austria-Hungary, it would still have some advantages over us, but not as many as it does today."

"If the Austro-Hungarian Empire had continued to exist, Italy might not have been completely on Germany's side."

"Germany and Italy did not cooperate, and they could not easily intervene in the Spanish Civil War and pull Spain into their camp."

The conflict between Austria-Hungary and Italy is well-known, so Lyon's statement does have some merit. Without Austria-Hungary, the biggest conflict between Germany and Italy would have disappeared, allowing for more cooperation between the two sides.

By inheriting the Austro-Hungarian navy and ports, and with Italy as an ally, Germany was able to easily intervene in the Spanish Civil War, a series of interconnected events.

This is also why Lyon believes the biggest mistake the French government made was failing to prevent Germany from annexing Austria-Hungary.

"It's too late to say anything now," Shirfa said dejectedly. "Our only option is to take up arms and prepare to fight the Germans."

"We can only hope that the Maginot Line is strong enough. With this line, we can still put up a fight. Now we just have to wait and see when the war breaks out."

Hillfa has fully accepted France's current fate. Compared to those who have begun to flee France, they are willing to stay in France and support the French war effort. Although their attitude towards the war is negative and pessimistic, it is still commendable.

Since Germany issued its final ultimatum, France has begun a new wave of refugees, especially in the northeastern border region. Almost everyone who is able is migrating to the French rear or even abroad.

Even those who didn't flee, a large portion of them might not have been willing to fight against Germany after the war officially began.

French society as a whole is now in a state of negativity and pessimism. Regardless of the outcome of the war, France is destined to be a loser. This is the experience and lesson that World War I has taught them.

In this somber and oppressive social atmosphere, on February 25, 1939, Germany formally declared war on Britain and France.

(End of this chapter)