"Speaking of which, the reason why this situation has occurred today is not that the British idiots want to maintain the balance of power on the continent? Why should they leave the mess they have made to us in France? We can't afford it! Wei Gang remembered that when Germany was still weak, the British helped Germany heal the wounds of the Ruhr and suppress France. My heart was suddenly full of annoyance.

Marshal Petain glanced at Wei Gang and nodded meaningfully: "The British, and even the Americans across the ocean, they have long known that Germany will rise. And they have also been providing loans to Germany to help revive the German economy. What they want is to rely on Germany to contain the other powers in Europe. These damned Britons and Americans are playing a strategy of keeping Germany and France at bay. ”

The elderly Petain has obviously studied the previous strategies of Britain and the United States, so he is also very coherent and thorough at the moment.

"When we were enforcing the Treaty of Versailles, the British had been covering for the Germans."

Petain gave an example, a secret that had long been not a secret: "But they did not expect that the Germans were so deeply hidden, that they were developing even faster than the English thought." In addition, they later annexed too many countries, and their strength was greatly strengthened, which was far beyond the imagination of the British. Therefore, the defeat of the British in Dunkirk can be said to be self-defeating, lifting a stone and shooting themselves in the foot. ”

Wei Gang was also indignant when he heard this, and immediately asked Petain: "What does the marshal mean to leave this mess to the British, and let them clean it up themselves?" ”

"Yes, that's it, and only that fool like Renault would want to fight with the British. He also didn't want to think that the British still had an English Channel, but we no longer had the Maginot Line! Pétain said with a helpless sigh.

Shaking his head, Petain asked Wei Gang as if he was asking himself: "Reinhardt is indeed not a simple man, he should have been preparing for war since he was in power, and had stockpiled a large number of munitions." Do you think he might lose this battle? ”

"What does the marshal mean that we have to surrender to Germany?" Wei Gang frowned and said, "In that case, the marshal might as well leave here with me and go to our overseas North African colonies, and let others carry the black pot." This infamy should not be accepted by you, marshal! ”

"Hahaha......" The old marshal laughed, and he was obviously relieved after hearing this.

Then Petain smiled and said, "But I can't go, it's up to me!" I'd rather be infamous than I have to stay, because only I can stabilize the current form of France. Since the French people want to think of me as their hero, I have to stay with them in the face of everything. ”

In every country, there is a group of people who are worthy of respect. In that year, German President Albert, bearing the infamy of the ages, signed the "Versailles Treaty" that humiliated the country, giving Germany a chance to lick its wounds. Now, the aging French leader Petain is also silently burdened with infamy.

"The revival of France is no longer possible through military victory." Petain smiled bitterly and said with an ugly face: "The armistice is not a punishment for our defeat, but a new beginning, a necessary condition for us to ensure the eternal existence of France." For France to continue, what is my personal honor? ”

"Marshal ......." Wei Gang took two steps forward emotionally, wanting to persuade this old French hero again.

After all, as long as Petain left France and went to the overseas colonies, with his prestige, he could fully get the support of the French troops stationed in the colonies.

Wei Gang grabbed Petain's hands and clenched them hard: "I heard that the British have reorganized the expeditionary force, maybe as long as we hold on to ....... longer"

"No!" Petain interrupted Wei Gang's words, shook his head, and said, "We have been discussing this topic for a long time, and there is no need to argue any further. We don't stand a chance! I am the field marshal of France, and no one in this country understands our situation better than I do! ”

"Why?" Wei Gang's voice was a little hoarse: "Is this the case, do we have a chance?" ”

"That's ......," Pétain smiled calmly, "it's better than us being completely defeated by the Germans and annihilated." We no longer have the strength to continue to resist, and successive defeats have brought us to the point of exhaustion. I don't want to admit defeat, but I know that if I don't admit defeat, then the whole of France will be buried for me! ”

"Can't you really think about it...... Wei Gang asked: "Even if you don't go to the colony, you can lead our army to England, rely on British land, and continue to resist!" ”

"At the cost of the lives of the French people?" Pétain said coldly.

Wei Gang opened his mouth, but could not spit out a word.

With a wry smile, Petain continued to the silent Wei Gang: "From the time I promised Renault to be this deputy prime minister, it was already a dead end for me personally. Perhaps, this is also the mockery of fate for me, a French marshal who once defeated the German army. ”

"It's not your fault!" Wei Gang hissed.

"It's not my fault," said Pétain, shaking his head, "but I must be held accountable for it!" ”

"I've been carefully reviewing every decision I make, not missing a single detail." Pétain's voice was a little low: "In the past fifteen years, I have been in constant meetings to discuss every military operation in France and to draw up every battle plan. led an army of 100,000 Moroccan Rif people to revolt and spent hundreds of millions of materials to build the Maginot Line......"

"But I forgot one thing. I forgot, the natural law of survival of the fittest! As the French Army Commander-in-Chief, the Minister of the Army, and as the arbiter of French military thought, I am like a cage that shields France from external dangers, and also turns the invincible, tenacious and heroic army of the First World War into a man who only knows how to take shortcuts, and becomes a waste who pins his courage on the Maginot Line. ”

"More steel, less blood......" Petain turned his head, the smile on his face was indescribably bitter: "This is what I said at Verdun, but my subordinates, my students, such as Lieutenant General Bironte, have ten thousand understandings, but none of them understand the true meaning of this sentence." That's the mistake I made in fifteen years......"

Steel should not only be used to build the Maginot Line, it should also be used to make guns and cannons!

"And Germany, but in the years when we built the Maginot Line, there was a Reinhardt, and three of his famous generals!"

"In Germany, there is Guderian, there is Manstein, there is Rommel......" Petain smiled bitterly: "But we have only one Belant......"

"Therefore, you transferred Bérante to the southern front, so that he could disengage from the German army, so that in the future, after the Germans took power, the French army could be handed over to him." Wei Gang said bitterly: "You gave the credit for defeating Italy to your student Bironte, but you alone bear the infamy of stealing your life and betraying the country and begging for mercy!" ”

"Yes, Belonte is my proudest student, and I believe he can deal with the Italians. I believe that the Germans would not hate a French general who defeated Italy, after all, the army he harmed, not the Germans. Petain smiled contentedly.

"But you will be nailed to the pillar of shame in history!" Wei Gang's voice trembled a little: "You will be recorded in history textbooks as a traitor!" You will lose all your glory and dignity, and lose the title of Hero of France! ”

"It can get France out of this war, it can keep our blood and bones, and it will no longer be used by Britain and the United States as a pawn in their balancing strategy." Petain said earnestly word by word: "No matter how great the sacrifice is, it is worth it!" ”

Wei Gang was completely silent. He looked at the marshal in front of him who he had revered so much, and his mind went blank.

Both in times of victory and in times of defeat. Petain is worthy of the title of Hero of France!

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