In the spring of 1950, in the presidential office at the Élysée Palace in Paris, an old man with nearly balding hair, whose hair was completely white, and who could see the complex world with only one eye, read a newspaper with a solemn expression. The newspaper headlines reported about the signing of a loan agreement between the United States and France, which was nominally an "interest-free installment loan" on favorable terms, but the press also mentioned that the agreement clearly defined the purpose of the loan, such as repaying arrears, supporting industry, providing relief to the poor, and purchasing military supplies from arms dealers designated by the United States government. As the first president of France, Van Champ. Oriol knows more detailed and in-depth details than the press - the proportion of arms purchases in the total loan is as high as 60 percent, which means that the French government, which is still struggling to recover economically and financially, will purchase at least $270 million worth of American-style weapons and equipment to enhance the combat capability of the French army. Not long ago, the aspiring French launched an all-out offensive on the Indochinese Peninsula, recapturing major cities and strategic locations in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, claiming that the offensive had won a resounding victory, but in reality it only forced the rebels to turn to guerrilla warfare. In the combat operation, which lasted for nearly two weeks, the French team suffered more than 30,000 casualties, far higher than expected, and the massive consumption of ammunition and materials, the frustration and decline in the morale of the army, and the serious losses of the elite troops all cast a shadow on the Indo-China war, which was far from over. It was out of rational judgment of the Indo-Chinese War that the French government sent more combat troops while seeking military assistance from the Americans. The current French industry was not sufficient to provide the army with sufficient new weapons, and the United States stockpiled a large amount of redundant equipment after the armistice with the Soviet Union, and the two sides hit it off and soon signed an agreement in Washington. During the negotiations, the U.S. government's interest in the French Indochinese colonies worried the French leadership, which led to a determination to defeat the rebels in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.

Didi ......

The phone rang on the table, and President Oriol put down the newspaper in his hand, scooped up the microphone with one hand, and took off his black, round-rimmed glasses with the other, and closed his eyes for a while. I listened to the secretary's report. He whispered, "Let them in," and put down the microphone and rubbed his face with both hands.

Moments later, the office door opened, and Prime Minister Robert Brown, dressed in a black tuxedo, opened the door to the office. Schumann and Defense Minister Alphons, who wore a general's uniform and multiple medals. Juan walked in steadily.

Oriol got up and said, "Please take a seat." Gentlemen! Andy, please bring us a pot of hot tea! ”

After the secretary closed the door, Schumann spoke: "Mr. President, we have come today to report to you about Franco-German military cooperation. ”

"I'm trying to hear your opinion on this." Oriol said that the three of them each occupied a sofa next to the coffee table, and they all chose a proper seat.

Schumann was the first to get to the point: "After returning from the United States, we have had a deep reflection. We feel that dependence on the Americans is very detrimental to the revival of France, and that we should get rid of this dependence as much as possible and strive to achieve industrial, economic, and military self-sufficiency. Although cooperation with the Germans is not 100% localized, given the current situation in Germany, we can take the lead in the cooperation between the two countries, so that this cooperation can become a useful and harmless 'leverage'. ”

Oriol nodded slightly. Despite his calm personality and mild-mannered demeanor, he was a persistent, determined, radical and idealistic Socialist. De Gaulle focused more on the internal affairs of the country than simply on how to restore France's status as a great power at the international level.

"The coal and steel joint venture agreement is a good start for military cooperation between France and Germany. As the effects of the joint operation become apparent, popular resistance to Germany will naturally wane, and before that. We can still only cooperate militarily with the Germans in a more secret way, and we will leave the details to our Mr. Minister of Defense to explain to you! Schumann immediately gave Juan a "please start" gesture. …,

The French admiral, who did not bring any written information such as a manuscript for this exposition, described in fluent language the present strengths and complementarities of France and Germany, and set out a series of figures to support it, so that it sounded coherent and informative. As he spoke, two of France's highest-ranking dignitaries listened intently. It wasn't until he had said it all that President Oriol slowly asked two questions: "We can't provide the reconstruction money that the Germans desperately need, and we don't have time to wait for the two joint projects to have a real effect." ”

These two questions were not obscure, and Schumann and Juan and their staff members had apparently thought it through. Schumann responded: "This is a cooperation plan for medium and long-term development, of course. In view of the current situation of the Indo-China War, we can add some short-term projects to it, such as using German armed forces to fight the rebels in the colonies. ”

"There are a number of complex issues involved – Germany's attitude and intentions, the reaction of the international community, especially its allies, and the ......thoughts of its citizens," Oriol said, shaking his head.

"This is conducive to reducing the number of casualties in the Indochina Peninsula. They were facing a brutal, fierce, Sovietist adversary, and now Germany is a country whose influence is limited to parts of Europe, and their legions of veterans are the equivalent of the ancient Germanic mercenaries, and they are as effective as our foreign legions and colonial armies, but at a much smaller cost. ”

General Juan "spoke for the Germans" in a positive manner, but it would be a mistake to understand that he was a pro-German element. The legal person, who had participated in two world wars in its entirety, was a true warrior on the battlefield, having been wounded twice in battles with the Germans in World War I. After the outbreak of World War II, Juan first served as the commander of the 15th Motorized Rifle Division of the French 1st Army, and at the beginning of the Western Front campaign, he led his troops to Jeanblou, Belgium to resist the German attack, and when the German army broke through the Sedang defensive line, he led his troops to withdraw to the area near Valenciennes in France, and served as a combat mission to cover the withdrawal of the British and French troops to Dunkirk, and then retreated to the southern suburbs of Lille, where he was surrounded by the Germans and became prisoners. Despite being defeated by the Germans, Juan and his soldiers were one of the few units to be awarded the title of "Meritorious Combatant" for their heroic combat operations, and he was promoted to major general by the French government in February 1941 and released a few months later. In November 1941, Juan was promoted to lieutenant general and was appointed commander-in-chief of the French army in North Africa. After taking over this position, Juan expanded his army, concealed equipment, and "trained African armies to be used in future battles against the Axis powers." Thanks to Juan's efforts, by November 1942, the French forces in Africa had 5 motorized divisions and 1 light mechanized brigade, totaling 200,000 men. These units are fully equipped and have a secret logistics base in the mountains of Tunisia, and combat training is also in full swing. From November 1942 to May 1943, Juan led the French contingent to participate in the Tunisian campaign with the Allies and won; In December 1942, Juan was promoted to army general; In August 1943, he was tasked with organizing the French Expeditionary Force to land in Italy with the Allies; In September, Juan led his troops to Sorrento as commander-in-chief of the French landing force and was incorporated into the U.S. 5th Army; In November, Juan led his troops to Naples, and from January to May 1944 he took part in the famous battle against the "Gustav Line", during which the Allies made several attempts to break through the German lines, but were defeated by German Field Marshal Albert Brown. Kesselring was defeated, and the entire Italian battlefield was at a stalemate in front of the "Gustav Line". As the commander-in-chief of the French Expeditionary Force, Juan proposed his battle plan to the Allied Command several times, but none of them were adopted, and Juan was not discouraged by this, and he finally succeeded in convincing the commander of the US 5th Army, Mark Brown. Wayne. Clark accepted his idea of mobile mountain warfare and led his troops to implement mountain interspersed detours according to his own plan, thus achieving tactical suddenness, and making an important contribution to the final breakthrough of the standoff between the Allies and the "Gustav Line". After the Normandy landings, Juan served as the chief of the general staff of the French Ministry of Defense, responsible for the overall work of the French army, and achieved good results in this position, for which he was awarded the Medal of Honor by the French government many times. In the cabinet of the first government of the French Republic, Juan, who served as Minister of Defense, was also highly expected by the domestic public. …,

President Oriol's gaze lingered on Juan's face for a moment, probably thinking that the French general did know his former adversary better than ordinary people, and that France and Germany were now facing the same military pressure from the East, and that it would be more sensible to abandon their past suspicions and benefit each other. However, the free empire of the north remained an elusive puzzle, and until it was solved, the GDR was by no means as reliable as it appeared to be, and after expressing his fears, Oriol said to Juan: "After three great attritions comparable to disasters, the French nation is indeed not as capable of bearing losses as before, but if we can win the final victory in the Indo-Chinese battlefield by relying on our own army, even if the casualties are greater and the time is longer, we would rather not have a single soldier from other countries, It's about France's dignity and self-confidence, but also about France's political position in the international arena. ”

After exchanging glances with Schumann, Juan responded: "I understand what you mean, Mr. President, you can rest assured that the corporation will defend the dignity of the country and the nation with its actions." When the advanced military supplies of the American side are in place, we will go deep into the mountains and forests to strangle the remnants of resistance, and with God's blessing, I believe that we will soon be able to completely control the situation there. (To be continued.) If you like this work, you are welcome to (.) to vote for recommendation, monthly pass, your support is my biggest motivation. )