Chapter 204: Unexpected Results
Gallieni stood resolutely at the podium in Parliament, addressing the chamber with unyielding conviction:
"Gentlemen, I'm unsure how best to illustrate this point."
"You have laws that protect industrial property, but there is no such safeguard for units trained in our military."
"Charles trained this unit himself and led it to victory on the battlefield, only to be sidelined."
"This sends a troubling message across our forces: every soldier may wonder, after investing their best efforts into a unit, if they too will be cast aside, just as Charles has been."
The room erupted with counterarguments from several representatives:
"But this is the army! The army belongs to the nation, not to any individual!"
"If we let Charles command simply because he trained the unit, over time he'd end up controlling it."
"We can't allow such a thing! Training and command should always be separated!"
Their objections were sound and reflected standard military practice. Officers rarely remain with the same unit after promotion; they are transferred to avoid forming personal allegiances within any single unit.
But Gallieni had come prepared, anticipating these arguments. He calmly continued:
"That's not the issue, gentlemen."
"The issue is that only Charles can effectively utilize this unit. He has achieved victory with it, yet others have failed. Now, in the midst of war, we should be consolidating our resources to defeat the enemy, not squandering them like disposable goods."
Wells and his allies rose in support:
"Gallieni is right! Look at what's happening on the front lines. Joffre is losing, even with Charles's unit at his command!"
"That unit should be under Charles until we've mastered his tactics!"
"If Joffre wants to command it, perhaps he should first learn from Charles!"
Laughter rippled through the room. Supporters of Joffre looked visibly uncomfortable; they couldn't deny Joffre's recent failures, while Charles continued to win.
Then Grevy stood up, casting a pointed look at Gallieni. He addressed the general with a calm and slightly sardonic tone:
"General, if I may express a concern—should this discussion really be our focus right now?"
"There are over 40,000 soldiers trapped at Cape Town. I believe our priority should be on how to rescue them!"
Gallieni sighed internally. This was the question he'd dreaded. Grevy had maneuvered himself into a moral high ground, while Gallieni and Charles appeared to be holding Parliament hostage with the lives of 40,000 men.
On the train to Cape Town, Charles was reviewing the battle plan with Brony and Estigny.
"Our target is Rhodes," Charles said, pointing to the map. "It's flat terrain—perfect for a tank assault. The Germans have two artillery battalions stationed there, but they're only 77mm field guns."
He looked at Brony. "You know how to handle them."
"Absolutely," Brony replied confidently with a nod.
Estigny seemed uneasy. "Sir, we're breaking through on only one flank? That means we'll have to cover the full distance!"
"Yes," Charles replied, nodding.
"But the Mark I tanks need to replace their tracks after 30 kilometers," Estigny reminded him. "We're looking at a 25-kilometer route—practically the limit. I'm not sure the Mark Is will make it back."
Thirty kilometers was the maximum they could cover on flat ground during testing; on a battlefield, with harsh terrain and combat, even 25 kilometers seemed a stretch.
"We're not bringing them back. We'll leave them for the Germans. Our goal is to rescue those soldiers, not the tanks."
Gallieni addressed Grevy's challenge, keeping his tone composed. "Of course, Charles has placed the rescue mission as his top priority," Gallieni replied. "But given the situation, he cannot execute his plan."
Grevy pressed, "May I ask why? Unless, of course, that information is also classified?"
"No, certainly not." Gallieni let out a small smile. "The situation is critical, and Charles believes that to execute a successful rescue, he must have complete command authority—even over the supreme commander. Can you secure that?"
The chamber erupted in astonished murmurs. Gallieni's statement implied that Joffre himself would need to follow Charles's orders—a nearly unthinkable proposition.
In truth, Gallieni was bluffing. He knew that every minute the debate dragged on gave Charles more time to finalize preparations.
Many in the chamber were caught off guard, but Grevy remained unshaken. He fixed Gallieni with a steady look. "And how, exactly, does this relate to today's agenda?"
"If the situation is as you say, General, then we should be discussing command structure."
"But that's not the matter at hand. What we're discussing here is Charles's demands!"
Armand, one of Grevy's supporters, seized the opportunity:
"Indeed! The reality is plain to see. Charles is exploiting this situation."
"He's using the lives of over 40,000 French soldiers as bargaining chips to gain control of the army."
"Do you understand what that means? Control of the military is the foundation for any dictatorship!"
The room buzzed with alarm. Even Wells and his allies found it hard to counter such a statement. The right-wing representatives had hit the crux of the issue—they were, in effect, conceding to Charles's demands.
After concluding his briefing, Charles disembarked at Morique, a station along the way. Major Laurent's car was waiting for him there.
Laurent had brought two additional cars, one with a guard detail and the other with a radio communications team in case urgent developments required a quick response.
As they approached Paris, Charles received a telegram confirming the arrival of his troops at Rhodes.
Charles nodded and issued the reply: "Send to the General: troops have arrived without issue."
In Parliament, Gallieni was now visibly on the defensive, struggling to fend off the growing chorus of objections.
Wells and the other allied representatives, initially confident, now found themselves speechless. No one had anticipated the debate would escalate to accusations of dictatorship.
With the right-wing politicians' jeers and taunts filling the room, the atmosphere became tense.
At that moment, a communications officer entered the chamber and approached Gallieni, whispering something in his ear.
A wave of relief washed over Gallieni's face. Straightening, he scanned the chamber, his gaze resting on Grevy and Armand, his voice laced with cutting irony:
"Gentlemen, Charles's forces have just arrived at Rhodes. His rescue operation is already underway."
"Forgive us for keeping it quiet. We discovered certain members of Parliament had been leaking our plans directly to the Germans."
"Since I stood here, Charles has been executing his operation. Now, who here still doubts his intentions?"
The room fell silent.
Wells, visibly relieved, exchanged glances with the other representatives on his side.
Grevy was left speechless. He had hoped this debate would lead to Charles's downfall, but instead, it had achieved the opposite.
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