In early January, the Second Directorate (Intelligence Service) began to point to Verdun as the site of an imminent German attack. The area north of Montfaucon and the increasing number of German artillery and troops on both sides of the Meuse River were clear signs that the Assault Division was near Atonchatel.

It appeared that the Austrian large howitzer had arrived... General Dupont, the director of the Second Bureau, firmly declared that Verdun would be the target of an imminent large-scale attack... In response, the General Headquarters believed that the possibility of the German army attacking Verdun was zero and very likely.

It was a signal flare released by the German General Staff for a new offensive...

french army ministry

Ta-ta-ta... There was a rush of footsteps in the Hall of Mirrors corridor of the Army Headquarters built in the era of Napoleon III, which was like the Palace of Versailles. A major wearing a tube hat walked towards the commander's office at the end of the corridor with a fearful expression.

When he walked like this, the generals and officers in the office all cast surprised looks at him, because they had never seen Major Yeneni so nervous. He was Marshal Joffre's aide-de-camp.

With such a look of fear, it was obvious that there was only one possibility that a major change had occurred on the front line.

For Xiafei, who had just entered the office, he would habitually drink a cup of tea first every morning and drink cheap and earthy-smelling tea from the French Central South with other people in the army headquarters.

He still drank the black tea from Wushi Mountain according to the habit of many years. For him, the black tea from Dajiling in India was far from comparable to the black tea from Wushi Mountain.

The black tea from Wuyi Mountain was delivered to him as usual. Xiafei picked up the teacup first. This set of teacups was a gift given to Xiafei by the Chinese Prime Minister on his birthday last year. It is a treasure from the official kiln in Jingdezhen. Its grade is equivalent to the royal grade in the past.

It is also Xiafei’s favorite tea set

After savoring the aroma of tea, Xiafei used the cup lid to scratch off the tea leaves on the surface of the tea. When he was about to drink tea, his office door was pushed open very unreasonably, and the person who entered was the frightened Major Yeneni.

Your Excellency, Marshal, Verdun was attacked by the Germans.

When he heard that Verdun was being attacked, Xiafei was only slightly startled. Different from the fear shown by Major Yeneny, his reaction was extremely cold.

oh

With a slight response, Xiafei took a sip of tea, then looked at Major Yeneni and said

Please pay attention to your etiquette in the future. Remember that the reason why France is proud comes from our culture, and French etiquette is part of French culture.

After training his subordinates in this way, Xiafei said in an extremely calm tone while holding a tea cup.

Now tell me what happened there

Major Yeneni did not find it strange to see the Marshal's calm and almost numb reaction. However, after witnessing the Marshal's calmness, he actually calmed down along with the Marshal's calmness.

At 6:30 in the morning on February 21, a large 30-inch shell hit the Bishop's Palace of Verdun...

What, a thirty-inch shell? Is it that big?

At this moment, Xiafei lost his previous calmness. As far as he knew, the thirty-inch artillery now was the largest caliber artillery in the world, but it was only eighteen inches. If the thirty-inch heavy artillery really existed, then...

Yes, Marshal's first artillery shell almost reduced the entire Bishop's Palace to the ground. The height of the smoke column was more than 800 meters and the radius of ten kilometers was felt by the explosion. This sent the signal for the German army to attack Verdun. In a brief but very powerful burst

After the bombardment, the German super cannon fired six shells, two of which hit the forward position, causing a gap with a radius of 500 meters...

As Major Yeneni narrated, Xiafei, who seemed calm at first, became nervous. The German army launched a sudden attack in the most unexpected place. In his opinion, it did not pose much of a threat. He had enough time to mobilize the troops.

They also have full trust in the front line and they will buy him enough time. However, the unprecedented super artillery that the Germans have invested now is very likely to change this war and will not even give him any time...

Then the three German troops advanced to the highest point of our front on the right bank of the Meuse River. The troops under attack in the forward positions were bombarded by thousands of artillery pieces, including super cannons, and high-intensity attacks. They could only move to the east.

He could only be forced to retreat towards the fortress...

Although there was a subtle change in his heart, Joffre still sat there, drinking his tea and listening to Major Yeneni's report. After Major Yeneni finished his report, he stood up and said

Now please invite the generals from the staff to the war room.

A few minutes later, in the war room of the Army Headquarters, the staff officers were all talking about Verdun, talking about the super cannon, and talking about the latest German offensive.

...If the Germans really use the 30-inch cannon, then the front line must withdraw across the Meuse River. Only in this way can we take advantage...

While the staff officers were talking, Xiafei walked into the war room. The staff officers did not see even a trace of panic in Xiafei's expression. He always maintained the admirable attitude that attracted attention during the Battle of the Marne.

Although he remained silent for several minutes after he entered the combat map room, his calmness finally made everyone calm down.

Okay, gentlemen

After seeing everyone calm down, Xiafei said

Please remember that panic cannot solve any problems, it will only aggravate them. Now the question we need to think about is why the Germans chose Verdun and whether this attack was a detailed attack.

After raising two questions in succession, Xiafei once again chose silence. For the next hour, he listened carefully to everyone's opinions and then silently stared at Verdun on the map. He stared at that location while repeating it in his mind.

Thinking about the importance and significance of Verdun, an importance that has been overlooked by everyone.

Finally, after everyone there expressed their opinions,

gentlemen

While breaking the silence, Xiafei pressed his hand heavily towards Verdun and then said

We must defend this place, not because it is very close to Paris, nor because it is known as the "Key to Paris", but because it has extraordinary significance to France and Europe.

Looking at the crowd, Xiafei slowly spoke out his opinion. To be precise, it was the opinion of the entire French nation.

For the French nation, our nation has an attachment to Verdun. It is the great fortress that proudly faces Metz. It has never been conquered by the enemies of France. The Prussians have never conquered it in history.

The Prussians never conquered it, either in the Napoleonic era or the Third Reich. Its name lingered in the minds of Germans for many centuries. It was the most progressive castle in France and the main fortress on France's eastern frontier - but Versailles fell.

Then its fall will have repercussions throughout Europe. Our previous victories on the Marne and the Ise will forever be eclipsed. So we must hold it there. We must not let the Germans take Verdun. History demands that we hold it there.

France requires us to stay there, gentlemen.

After a pause, Xiafei emphasized again in an extremely affirmative tone.

Now the only question we need to think about is how we can hold it there. As for retreating across the Meuse River, this is something that the headquarters will never consider. Please tell the frontline commanders immediately and tell them to hold there until the last man.

When Xiafei issued this order, he was immediately opposed.

Commander, if we stay there, Verdun will become an anvil, where the French will be hammered to death by German artillery. Even if the French army holds a fixed position with patriotic passion, it may be there.

Being blown up by artillery fire and leaving flesh and blood flying everywhere will be...

That would fall, and the whole of France would be filled with defeatism.

Interrupting the chief of staff's questioning, Xiafei emphasized again...

Perhaps the Germans have spotted the psychology of the French nation, but I don’t want to go too far here. For France, Verdun is a monument to victory. We must use all our manpower and material resources to deal with the challenges of the German army; but if every

At each stage, the sole purpose is to make the enemy pay the highest price. Land should be sacrificed during the conflict just like soldiers. This will provide greater room for maneuver for the defense, which will greatly reduce the sacrifices of our army throughout the war. I think we can hold on.

Hold it there like the Marne, sir. All France is watching. We will tell every infantry company on the front line this decision. France needs their hold.

France needs sacrifice from everyone

Amidst the dense explosions, after ordering most of his subordinates to evacuate, in the woods in front of the mountains near Douaumont, Colonel Derion, the Congressman officer, looked at the hundreds of soldiers in front of him and gave them an order in a very tragic tone.

Order

Now we have suffered a German air attack. The German artillery can easily destroy our defense lines, but none of this can stop our determination to defend France. Yes, I ordered the other battalions to retreat, but gentlemen, we must hold on here. We must stay here.

Here we use our own sacrifices to buy time for them and France. Time is extremely precious for France now. Even one second is extremely precious. We must use it to make the Germans pay the price. We have to stay here. As long as we stay here, our troops will be clear.

Commander Gradkari can rebuild the defense line in the mountainous area and stop the German attack.

After Colonel Delion, who was standing in the forest, finished his speech, he looked at the soldiers who had retreated for more than ten kilometers. The previous panicked look on each of their faces disappeared and was replaced by one.

This is unprecedentedly tragic. They all understand what they will face, and they also understand that they must do this.

Sir, will France remember us?

Facing the soldiers' questions, Colonel Delion was silent for a while, then looked at the soldiers and said

France will remember the sacrifice that every Frenchman made for him. From now on every Frenchman will be grateful for our sacrifice. Well, gentlemen, let us make our own sacrifice for France.

While the soldiers were silently building trenches with engineer shovels, Colonel DeLeon leaned under a big tree, picked up his notepad, and wrote a long letter on the notepad with a pen.

I accuse

At the beginning of the letter, he imitated the beginning of the letter Zola wrote to the president 18 years ago. In fact, even after making the decision to cover the retreat of his subordinate light infantry, he still felt that he needed to do more for France.

What

Your Excellency Prime Minister:

In order to thank you for your kindness and kindness in receiving me and for giving me the opportunity of a Frenchman to defend France on the battlefield, you allow me to join the army. Will you allow me to act like an ordinary Frenchman and a French member of Parliament?

Identity expresses due concern for France...

In the long letter that followed, Colonel Delion truthfully told how he reminded the headquarters of the anomalies in Verdun and how the headquarters, especially Marshal Joffre, who saved Paris, ignored the warning and tyrannical words.

A Frenchman's concern for the future of France

...It is true that Marshal Joffre saved Paris and France with his extraordinary calmness. But in my opinion, this extraordinary calmness does not come from his own merits but from his numbness.

As for Chidun's nerves, France is now paying the price for its numbness and tardiness. This price will undoubtedly be extremely heavy for a Frenchman...

Just when he was about to continue writing this letter, a young soldier ran to the tree where he was leaning and reported softly.

Colonel, we found the German vanguard, about a company, two kilometers away from us...

ok i got it

While nodding, Colonel Delion hurriedly finished the letter.

As a Frenchman, I must devote all my strength to France, just like now. Our scouts have discovered the German army. Soon this place will be completely enveloped by artillery fire. My soldiers and I have decided to sacrifice here to win the reconstruction of the army.

The time of the defense but if France does not change our sacrifice will be fearless and meaningless...

Finally, the letter was finished and he stuffed it into the envelope. The letter was addressed to his family. They would forward it to the Prime Minister. Derion looked around and finally he chose Pierre. He was just married. At least today, he shouldn't die here.
To be continued...