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

Chapter 997 We Should Help France

“Isn’t it ironic?” Tijani said with a touch of melancholy. “I’ve always hated profit, but in the end I find that what I’m pursuing is profit.”

“Not at all,” Charles replied. “Because the pursuit of profit is human nature.”

“Nature?” Tijani smiled bitterly. “That’s a synonym for ‘darkness,’ Lieutenant General.”

Charles asked calmly, "So, what do you think survival of the fittest is among animals? Do they also understand 'darkness'?"

Tijani was taken aback.

He felt that his mental world had experienced a rebound because of Charles's words.

Yes, why isn't this innate?

This is the most primal desire among animals, the support and driving force for their survival.

Animals learn to hunt or hide from the moment they are born in order to survive, which allows them to develop healthily.

Isn't this what human warfare is like?
Tijani felt his understanding had risen to another level, and he excitedly grasped Charles's shoulder:

"That's right, Lieutenant General."

"The pursuit of self-interest in war tends to revert to primitiveness; this may be a natural law!"

"That's fantastic! You're my idol, Lieutenant General! You're a wise man!"

Charles didn't quite understand what Tijani was so happy about.

It was just a single sentence; Tijani gained nothing in reality.

Is this what they mean by "If I hear the Way in the morning, I can die content in the evening"?
But Tijani seems to have overcome a mental block; he is more relaxed than before, as if he is looking at tactics from a different perspective, rather than facing what he perceives as "darkness" with disgust.

"So, we shouldn't agree to the British conditions, is that right?" Tijani asked, "even if the British conditions are in France's interest?"

This seems inconsistent with the principle that "war is for the sake of interests".

"Interests can be short-term or long-term, Major General." Charles gazed at the scenery below the fortress and answered casually, "Often, short-term benefits seem lucrative, but they are actually traps. Agreeing to them will drag us into an abyss of no return."

Tijani asked in confusion, "Is this what's happening right now?"

Charles nodded firmly: "That's the matter right now."

He turned to look at Tijani:

"If we agree to the British conditions, it will appear that France has gained a significant benefit."

"France can get more reparations from Germany and also lift the British blockade against us."

"but."

"This means we have surrendered, Major General. No one believes in the French spirit anymore, and no one will follow France as their leader."

"More importantly, if Britain can threaten us at sea once, it can use it to threaten us twice, three times, or even more."

Tijani said "Oh" and nodded slowly.

The British will have leverage over France's development, and they will use this leverage against France whenever they are unhappy.

Then France yielded once, twice, three times... and eventually became a puppet of Britain, never able to surpass it.

"But what can we do now?" Tijani asked with concern.

"Our navy is far inferior to the British, and we cannot confront them head-on."

"The Germans are unlikely to listen to us; they will choose to sit back and watch the fight unfold, therefore their navy will not participate in the war."

"Because the German navy will not participate in the war, the British will devote their main forces to the Mediterranean, and their strength will be three times or more than ours."

Tijani's summary was spot-on, hitting the nail on the head, but none of it was correct.

Charles gave the completely opposite answer:

"In fact, the British Navy is far inferior to ours, Rear Admiral." "The Germans may not listen to us, but their navy will fight."

"No matter how much of the British navy they deploy in the Mediterranean, they will be trapped like turtles in a jar; they will be nothing more than meat delivered to our mouths."

Tijani stared at Charles with a strange look, as if he were an alien: "You're not kidding, are you, Lieutenant General? This, this isn't funny, not at all!"

……

Britain's control over the Mediterranean is becoming increasingly tight and excessive.

On more than one occasion, Britain dispatched battleships with dozens of warships to surround the port of Algiers, search and detain some of the merchant ships bound for France.

The reason given was that these merchant ships were carrying war supplies, and they were likely to end up in Germany.

The incident caused a huge uproar in the media, with people accusing Britain of betraying its allies.

Clemenceau got busy and sent an ambassador to protest this behavior by Britain.

Britain simply offered a seemingly "reasonable" explanation:

"France has already reached an armistice agreement with Germany, so it has no need for war."

"But France was transporting large quantities of strategic materials and reselling them to Germany."

"This is aiding the enemy and is not in the interests of the Allied Powers. All we are doing is ensuring that the supplies do not flow into Germany."

It even put forward a bizarre argument: "We are not targeting France, we are doing the same to Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, and other countries, we treat everyone the same!"

The implication is: other countries can accept it, so why can't France?
The French media erupted instantly, with major publications, even those opposed to Charles, expressing their anger and protest.
"Transporting supplies is a matter of French sovereignty, and it is none of Britain's business to interfere!"

"Britain has no right to interfere in France's internal affairs; this is an act of war."

"This is an act of betrayal, an insult to France!"

But none of this worked.

Internationally, power talks, not justice.

……

At the Grand Hotel Crillon, Clemenceau, with a resolute expression, said to the representatives of various countries:

"Gentlemen, do you think this is a French matter?"

No, I don't think so.

"The reason the British treat the French this way is because the French uphold the 'French spirit,' don't you think?"

After a pause, Clemenceau helped them recall:
"France advocates the spirit of 'liberty,' 'equality,' and 'fraternity.'"

"This threatens the British colonial system and could even cause its collapse."

Representatives from Algeria, Malta, Egypt, and other countries nodded in agreement.

France's interests are aligned with theirs.

We should bravely stand up and help France, otherwise we may be colonized by Britain forever, or be colonized by Britain.

Clemenceau also said:

"We advocated for the interests of neutral countries and even sought a fair armistice for the Germans."

"But this is not in the interests of the British, so it has been targeted by the British."

Representatives from neutral countries such as Greece and the Netherlands exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.

If France is defeated by Britain, they will never have a chance to rise again and will be unable to escape Britain's clutches for the foreseeable future.

Therefore, we should help France!
(End of this chapter)