I was a tycoon in World War I: Starting to save France

Chapter 931 We are willing to negotiate with Charles

Britain hesitated for a few days on this matter.

Withdrawing from the colony of Malta is no small matter; the Minister of Munitions cannot make the decision on his own. It requires parliamentary approval.

This was originally a "humiliation" for Britain. As the world's leading power, it was unlikely to pass the bill from either a perspective of interests or face. The Secretary of State for Munitions did not even have the courage to bring it up in Parliament.

But the result was unexpected by the Minister of Munitions, and the members of parliament expressed their opinions in a tense atmosphere:

“If it were anyone else or any other country, we might be able to object. But this is the Charles, this is France. Look at the map, if we were to fight France, they would be perfectly capable of blocking the Strait of Gibraltar, and our fleet would not be able to reach Malta.”

"Yes, that's France. We can't deal with the Germans and France at the same time."

"Think about it, if France really makes a ceasefire and shakes hands with the Germans, it means that the Germans can focus on dealing with us in the Atlantic."

……

This is about recognizing reality and thinking about issues from the perspective of strength and status.

Britain was facing a powerful and rising France, a French army that had gained a leading advantage on the sea, land, and air, and a powerful army that dominated the western front. What reason did Britain have not to back down?
What you can't get on the battlefield, you can't get at the negotiating table. British MPs who have been in politics for so long understand this.

More importantly, they need to bring France back into the arms of the Allied Powers!
Two days later, General Winter, who was waiting in Mays, received authorization from the British Parliament.

……

There isn't much pressure on the American side.

Wilson's first reaction upon seeing the $5 million figure was that he was shocked by the number.

"Has Charles gone mad?" His laughter was full of sarcasm. "He's demanding $5 million from the US to fight a war. He must be desperate for money!"

But Kriel didn't laugh.

“We have no choice, Your Excellency,” Creel said sternly. “Unless the American army can defeat the Germans, we have no choice but to accept this.”

Wilson was taken aback, and then realized the seriousness of the problem.

The consequence of not paying the $5 million would be that the US military would suffer heavy casualties, spend a lot of time and resources, and make no progress. The ultimate impact would likely be far greater than the $5 million itself.

Therefore, spending money is the simplest, most direct, and quickest way.

Wilson was somewhat frustrated. He realized that grasping the lifeline of the war was the scarcest resource, as it could be converted into wealth, as well as political and economic power and control.

Kriel added, "And this is not a loss for us. We pay 5 million now, and after we defeat the Germans, we just need to add 5 million to the Germans' reparations."

Wilson nodded in agreement, saying that the blame could be shifted entirely onto the Germans.

In addition, Wilson wanted to know how Charles would explain this to the French people:

Charles told everyone that "a ceasefire is in France's interest," but now France is going to join the war again and has almost single-handedly defeated Germany.

How will he explain this to the public?
At the same time, Charles shouldn't have revealed his battle plan so early.

Wilson wore a smug smile. He was eager to see Charles suffer a defeat or the French army suffer heavy casualties, ideally with both the French and German armies being severely weakened.

At that time, Ciel's image will collapse.

……

In the conference room of the Berlin Palace of Forgetfulness, the fireplace burned brightly, making the vast space warm and cozy.

Hindenburg, unusually, sat down with Wilhelm II on the sofa to discuss the situation calmly. What prompted them to stop their previous confrontational and veiled hostility was Charles's "truce" proposal.

"Do you know?" Wilhelm II said, swirling the red wine in his hand, not without sarcasm:

“Charles is even more popular than I am, the king, in Germany.”

“A few days ago, when I went to inspect Port William, the soldiers didn’t ask how to fight the next battle, but when we would negotiate with the Charles.”

“I was furious about this, which is not how Imperial soldiers should think, but I managed to hold back my anger because I didn’t think it was a bad thing for us.”

Hindenburg nodded approvingly.
"You are right, Your Majesty."

"It's not a bad thing, it's a good thing, a very good thing."

"Think about it, if France withdrew from the war, only Britain, the United States, Russia, and a few other insignificant small countries would remain."

Wilhelm II hummed in agreement and added, "Then we have nothing to worry about!"

But then he frowned: "But I've heard that Britain and America have been trying to persuade Charles to return to the battlefield, is that right?"

“Yes,” Hindenburg replied. “Britain and the United States, for their own interests, hope to completely defeat Germany, as this is the only way they can extract huge reparations from us. Therefore, they cannot choose to negotiate a ceasefire like Charles did.”

"These bastards, these shameful opportunists!" Wilhelm II gritted his teeth in hatred.

If it weren't for Britain and the United States, Germany's war pressure might have been resolved long ago, and they would have already reached a settlement at the negotiating table.

Hindenburg rose, picked up the bottle, and poured some more wine for Wilhelm II:
“The German citizens know this, Your Majesty.”

“I mean, Britain and the United States refused to cease hostilities for money, but the Charles did not.”

"German citizens therefore admired Charles not only because he was a formidable opponent on the battlefield, but also because he was a man who truly cared about humanity and life."

Hindenburg didn't actually believe this; he knew that Charles was deliberately portraying himself and France in this way.

But it is not important.

The important thing is that the Germans believed it.

This war has brought too much death, hunger and suffering to people, and Charles is the only one who can end it all; he is their hope.

Even though Charles is their enemy in principle.

Some soldiers even said, "If we're going to surrender, let's surrender to the French. We can fight for Charles and end this war with him. That's the right thing to do!"

Wilhelm II hesitated for a moment, then asked, "What are your thoughts, Your Excellency Chief of the General Staff? What do you think we should do?"

Hindenburg stared into Wilhelm II's eyes:
“I believe that negotiating with Charles is advisable, Your Majesty.”

"Politicians, the military, and all German citizens can accept this."

“It’s not just about acceptance; I think if you make this decision, you’ll have people’s support, including me and Ludendorff.”

Wilhelm II nodded slowly: "Yes, there is nothing shameful about it, because our starting point is the same as Charles's: for world peace and to end meaningless wars. This is a dignified way!"

Hindenburg cautioned, "Moreover, we should act before Britain and America can persuade Charles, or it will be too late."

“Of course.” Wilhelm II became nervous after Hindenburg’s reminder: “Tomorrow… no, immediately I will have the Berliner Zeitung publish a new edition to declare to the world that we are willing to negotiate with Charles!”

(End of this chapter)