Black clouds are blowing, the night breeze is blowing, and the city of Paris, located on the French plain, has fallen silent, except for the lights on the sides of the road still emitting a dim glow. After 20 years of reconstruction, Paris has regained its pre-war splendor and prosperity, with modern high-rise buildings nestled one after another, as if they had not been traumatized by the disastrous battle for the city.

In the Ministry of National Defense building in the center of the city, an old man with silver hair is sitting quietly on a chair, although he is wearing a set of civilian clothes, but his deep temperament cultivated by his long years of military power is ready to come out. In front of him, a tall middle-aged man sat opposite him, with long elf-like ears and a protruding hooked nose. Facial features unique to Charles de Gaulle.

"Marshal Pétain, you have made an immortal mark for France over the past half-century, and the people will always remember your efforts and achievements; The Cabinet has passed a resolution that you will be awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of the Legion of Honor. De Gaulle smiled, looking at the old man with a look of reverence, "Now that you are over 80 years old, it is time to let go of your responsibilities." The government has already built you a villa in Vichy, and the beautiful scenery is the perfect place for you to spend your old age. ”

Listening to de Gaulle's words, the aged Petain's face revealed a hint of complexity, like bitterness and emotion; After a while, I heard his calm voice whispering softly in the room: "Charles, don't worry, I will no longer stay in the position of Minister of Defense and become an obstacle to you." Tomorrow morning, I will submit my resignation to the Cabinet. And you will be able to take the French army completely into your hands. It's just a pity. The foundation of France since the end of the Hundred Years' War. It will be in the near future that the zài will cease to exist completely. ”

De Gaulle's smile froze on his face, his eyes flashed with embarrassment, guilt, shame, hatred and many other looks, he took a deep breath, and his voice became cold: "Your Excellency, this is not only my intention, but also the decision made by all the French people. We cannot accept a pessimistic general who spends his days spreading defeatism as the commander-in-chief of the French army, and only a rock-solid commander-in-chief can unite the hearts and morale of the 43 million French citizens. The enemy we face today is more powerful than ever. And if your will and bodily functions are no better than before, you should naturally abdicate and give way to the virtuous. ”

"If you know what a formidable opponent France is facing, why are you so stubbornly on their side?" Petain, who was sitting in the chair, suddenly opened his eyes, and his originally angry words instantly became loud, as if he was still the heroic commander who could be under fire in the same trench as the soldiers twenty years ago, "Today the Germans have no more scourge in the East, they and the first wave of Austria-Hungary can mobilize 160 divisions, and how many troops can we mobilize to contend with it?" You've also served in the army for ten years, so I don't need to teach you the difference again, as I did at the beginning! Today, you still rule the country with the same vengeful nationalism that you did half a century ago. Driving the train of France to the edge of the cliff that leads to hell; In the last war, we managed to keep some interests. At least the land does not suffer the pain of dismemberment again, and this time, a decent end will no longer be possible! The catastrophe and even the division of the Hundred Years' War will surely return, and France will no longer exist gloriously as a great power; Then, Charles, you will be the most disgraced sinner in the history of France, and even if you are burned by the fire of hell, you will not be able to atone for your crimes! At the end of the sentence, Pétain almost shouted.

De Gaulle's face changed in violation, and his hands hidden in his sleeves were clenched into iron fists, and since he came to power and dominated French politics, no one dared to rebuke him so harshly. However, seeing Petain's all-white beard and dry and wrinkled face, de Gaulle's heart softened, since the other party was about to leave the stage of power, why should he embarrass this old handsome man in his old age?

The night breeze is blowing, and the pendulum is chirping. In the midst of Petain's frowning glare, de Gaulle's face turned white for a while, and at last he calmed down again, and regained his amiable expression when he first entered the house. His lips twitched, and he finally spoke slowly: "Teacher, I understand that everything you have done is for the sake of the future of France. However, your claims no longer fit today's landscape. The Germans roared like thunder, and their expansionist ambitions did not diminish in the slightest with the benefits they gained from the last war, and if we chose to be neutral only for self-preservation, would they really not be affected in the war between the United States and Britain? Germany not only needed our port in the Bay of Biscay as a base for sabotaging British shipping, but also needed our northern territories to deploy warplanes to attack the British; As long as Berlin has the slightest dissent, we who open our doors to Germany will inevitably fall into the fate of being colonized like Poland and Ukraine with the entry of a large number of German troops. And with the decades of grudges, antagonisms and prejudices between us and Germany, the probability of this happening can already be imagined! Instead of being coerced and enslaved by the other party, it is better to fight with all your strength to seek the opportunity to change the status quo. Teacher, do you think I'm right? ”

"It is precisely because we cannot resist the force of the Germans that I advocate cooperation with them, thus seeking a glimmer of opportunity to preserve France in this general situation. The hatred between Germany and France is not the absolute reason why the two countries must fight each other, and I, who have witnessed the history since the sixties of the eighteenth century, have the most right to speak. Today, however, the national policy you have implemented since you came to power has ruined France's last chance. Petain looked anguished and said in a dejected manner.

"We're not going to fail. The French army only needs to hold out for a month after the start of the war, and millions of British troops will come to the rescue, and as long as we work with the British for half a year, a large number of mobilized American troops will also arrive in Europe to fight the enemy together. Since six years ago, we have begun to build fortifications in the depths of the northeastern part of the country, and today we have forged a large and solid defensive wall; The reconstruction of the French Army began after the end of the last war, and its weaponry and combat quality have reached a considerable level today. The soldiers were eager to fight the Germans again, and were determined to bring a new attitude to the shame of the past. Even if the Germans had twice the superiority in forces over ours, it would not have been possible to achieve a decisive victory in a short time. De Gaulle spoke softly, his words full of confidence for the future, "and as time drags on, we will have the dawn of victory." When the United States joins, we will surpass the German-led Central European Alliance, whether it is the manpower that can be mobilized, or the industry and resources at our disposal, and it will be the time for France to launch a counteroffensive and restore its former glory! ”

Listening to de Gaulle's words, the bitterness in Petain's heart was a little more aggravated. On paper, the entry of the United States would indeed give France a strong boost to the war against Germany, but whether the idle cowboys on the other side of the ocean would be suitable for the iron-blooded war in Europe is still an unknown that no one can say. Since the War of the Unification of the North and the South, the actual combat test experienced by the US military has been only a slaughtering Spanish-American War, and its actual combat strength cannot be judged at all. Considering that the Americans have passed seventy years of prosperity and stability, it is not unreasonable for Petain not to be worried. Taking a step back, even if the U.S. Army were to be as impressive as the British Army in the last World War, it would be an illusion that the ultimate goal of defeating Germany would be unattainable: Germany, which controlled Eastern Europe and the Middle East, was already fearless of the blockade, and it was impossible to defeat the Prussian army. If the other side is also digging trenches on the Western Front, where can the coalition forces seek a breakthrough?

Pétain, however, did not speak again. He was well aware of the character of the man in front of him, and he knew that the exaggerated propaganda and speculative hatred that was currently spreading in France could not be reversed by himself. If it weren't for the objective circumstances, De Gaulle would not have come to make him resign voluntarily today; Now that his last love has been vented, why is there any need to talk more to the person in front of him?

Although the Germans had extended their power to the Middle East, and Britain's Indian and African colonies were under threat from Allied forces, Britain took the most vigorous response in order not to be slaughtered by the Germans in silence. Even if they lose the blood transfusion of their overseas colonies, they can still be fully unleashed with supplies from the United States to supplement them. Even if it were difficult for us to achieve a complete victory, it would be absolutely certain that the Germans would be forced to spit out the benefits they had suffered in the last battle. And France will be able to regain its glory thirty years ago and stand again in the list of world powers! De Gaulle said with some emotion in the face of the wise elder who had single-handedly carried himself up, "Is this a situation more worthy of our choice than the one in which you advocate a dignified cooperation with the Germans, in which the survival of the country depends on the other side's thoughts?" ”

Petain slowly closed his eyes and said, "I can't change anything more. May God not abandon France altogether and let your war gamble get that 10% chance of success. (To be continued......)

PS: Thank you for the tips of book friends Golden Crab, Yuan yh1234567, zhouyu1976~~

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