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

Chapter 933 We can only rely on Charles
The February Revolution was not just turmoil, far from it.

At first glance, it appeared to be just a large-scale strike (9 people), and Tsar Nicholas II did not take it seriously. After all, there were many such demonstrations during the war, and there had been previous ones involving hundreds of thousands of people.

But the next day, the number of strikers and demonstrators quickly expanded to 20, with many soldiers joining in. Nicholas II panicked and hastily mobilized the army to suppress the protests, but to no avail.

On March 10, Nicholas II ordered the firing of shots at the demonstrators.

On March 11, a company of soldiers from the reserve battalion of the Pavlov Regiment of the Imperial Guard, who were on a suppression mission, mutinied and refused to fire on the demonstrators.

From that day on, the strike was no longer a strike; it was quietly turning into an uprising.

On March 13, tens of thousands of workers and insurgent soldiers stormed the military camp, killing the managers who stood in their way, and capturing the warehouse, seizing more than 40,000 rifles, more than 30,000 pistols, and a large amount of ammunition.

Meanwhile, the number of troops in the uprising had increased to 66700.

On March 15, Tsar Nicholas II was forced to sign the abdication edict and was subsequently placed under house arrest.

With this, the Romanov dynasty came to an end, and Russia was taken over by a provisional government jointly formed by the bourgeoisie and the Soviets.

……

Everything happened too fast. From March 8th to the fall of Russia, only 7 days had passed. A huge empire, and arguably the one with the largest military force, which was holding up a single defensive line, collapsed in an instant.

……

At the White House in Washington, Wilson read through telegram after telegram, all filled with bad news about Russia, and his heart pounded with anxiety.

Finally, when he saw that the Tsar had abdicated and was under house arrest, he let out a long sigh.

“So,” he understood, “this is the moment Charles has been waiting for.”

"What?" Creel didn't understand. "What does this have to do with Charles?"

"Don't you understand?" Wilson shook his head:
“The ‘ceasefire’ that Charles told the public contradicted the conditions we were negotiating.”

"I'm still wondering how he'll solve this problem."

"But now, it seems he doesn't need to resolve it anymore; the Germans will abandon the 'ceasefire' first!"

Kriel suddenly realized.

Such a major upheaval within Russia would undoubtedly reduce the pressure on Germany's eastern front significantly.

This allowed Germany to redeploy its troops from the Eastern Front to the Western Front, which once again gave the Germans hope of victory.

The German reaction naturally aroused the vigilance of French citizens and countries around the world, making Charles's return to the war a logical next step.

“But…” Creel said, “You mean, Charles knew this would happen all along? How did he know?”

“Reconnaissance, intelligence, and influence,” Wilson said slowly. “It’s clear that Charles’ intelligence network has infiltrated Russia.”

Wilson was secretly alarmed.

If Charles can know Russia so well, does that mean the United States can too?
……

War House, London, England.

The Quartermaster General slammed his coffee cup to the ground: "Damn it, that liar, he tricked us!"

General Winter was puzzled: "You mean Charles?"

"Of course, who else could it be?" the Quartermaster Minister said angrily.

General Winter looked bewildered. How had Charles outmaneuvered Britain? Was he referring to the invasion of Germany?

Seeing that General Winter still hadn't reacted, the Minister of War let out a helpless laugh:

"Don't you know where the problem lies?"

"Charles was originally planning to attack Germany, Major General."

"Even if we didn't agree to Charles's conditions, even if we didn't give him the aircraft carrier data, even if we didn't agree to Malta's independence, even if we didn't do anything!" General Winter finally realized.

With the Germans withdrawing from the Eastern Front, and unwilling to accept defeat, Germany would inevitably want to reclaim Lorraine and Alsace, two resource-rich regions that were also Germany's "lost territories."

Thus, Charles and the French army will once again fight to defend their homeland!

“But he couldn’t have predicted this,” General Winter said. “The fall of the Russian Tsar was a sudden event; no one expected it to happen so quickly…”

The Minister of Munitions interrupted General Winter:
"You think so? That's Charles, Major General!"

"If what you say is true, why is he doing contradictory things with such confidence?"

Why is he in such a hurry for us to declare Malta's independence by the 8th?

General Winter was speechless.

He had initially thought something was amiss, but now, putting it all together, it seemed just as the Minister of Munitions had said: Charles had foreseen Russia's collapse and thus exploited it.

General Winter, enraged, said, "I'm going to talk to him right away..."

"What do you want to talk about?" the Quartermaster General called out to General Winter.
"Should we have the profits the Charles gained? Should we be allowed to recolonize Malta?"

"You don't understand the situation, Major General!"

"Russia has collapsed, and morale is low for both us and the US military. The only thing we can rely on is the French army and Charles!"

General Winter stood there, stunned.

Yes, once Germany freed up its forces, the first to be affected were the British and American troops stationed in Lorraine and Alsace.

Charles only needed to remain inactive to watch as the German army routed the British and American forces.

Should I confront Ciel and turn against him at this time?
That would be tantamount to asking for trouble.

The Minister of War gritted his teeth, his most ferocious expression revealing the gentlest words:

"For now, all we can do is pretend we know nothing and continue to 'cooperate' with Charles."

"Because only he can help us hold off the Germans, otherwise everything will be over."

"This isn't about whether we'll get reparations; it's about the possibility that our main force could be wiped out by the Germans, understand?"

……

At the Palace of Forgetfulness in Berlin, Wilhelm II sat under a candlestick, staring blankly at the telegrams cast by the light and shadow.

The sign read: "Tsar Nicholas II was forced to abdicate, the Russian regime collapsed, and it is now under the control of the Provisional Government."

Wilhelm II was filled with mixed feelings.

Logically, the German army's victory over Russia on the Eastern Front should have been a good thing, a great victory, but Wilhelm II did not see it that way.

He hoped to negotiate with Charles to end the war as soon as possible, as Germany, like Russia, was facing numerous internal crises as the war progressed.

Who knows, one day it might turn out like Russia, starting with a seemingly ordinary parade, then unknowingly becoming a mutiny, and finally the emperor becoming a prisoner amidst the curses of the soldiers and civilians.

Wilhelm II did not want this outcome, so he wanted to end the war.

Now, immediately!
Negotiating with Charles is the best outcome.

This means that Germany did not lose; it maintained its dignity and honor, and its citizens did not have to pay reparations.

Wilhelm II could continue to rule with dignity, developing the economy and improving people's livelihoods, thus perpetuating his regime.

However, it seems that this is not something he can decide!

(End of this chapter)