Chapter 416 The dialogue between the two famous generals
With the German army moving all the way south and the Italian army moving north to attack the French mainland, the French army finally couldn't hold on anymore.
Facing the North-South attack from the Allies, they seemed to have only one choice.
At the same time, in an office of the French government that had been moved to Bordeaux, two old men were sitting face to face under dim lights.
They were silent, looking at the "Draft of the German-French Peace Treaty" on the table in silence.
These two people may be feeling sad or sighing in their hearts at this moment.
They were saddened by the final failure of the German-French campaign, and lamented that France, with so many troops, was about to let its country and sovereignty go to waste.
They are also lamenting the future of Western Europe, the entire Europe, and even the entire world. Are Reinhardt's allies really going to start leading the world?
After thinking about it, they stopped thinking about it, because this was not what they should consider now.
All they need to consider now is their own and their country's future.
The face of the old man is full of ravines, and the wrinkles that mark aging are all over his face. Coupled with the lighting, his face looks even more distorted. Perhaps his own mood is not good to begin with, so that his whole face
People become more sick.
The old man now feels like a seriously ill patient in bed, dying.
Considering the current situation of the French army, it can only be said that it is not surprising that the old marshal behaved like this.
The face of the other old man is not very good either. Although he has many wrinkles as an old man, although he does not look old, he also shows a decadent temperament at this moment, as if his heart is filled with snow and ice.
It was as if it was blocked, and the whole person had no energy, showing the same morbid state.
The two of them sat there for a long time without saying a word, as if they were waiting for the other to speak first.
After a long while, the younger general finally couldn't bear it anymore. He took the lead to break the dead silence and said: "Marshal Pétain, do you think there is still hope for our French army now? Could it be that things have reached such an irreversible point?
Is it? Is there really no room for maneuver?"
He grabbed the old gentleman, Marshal Pétain's hand, his tone full of reluctance and helplessness.
Yes, this old man is the famous French Marshal Pétain who was famous throughout the world during World War I.
It must be said that Marshal Pétain had excellent military commanding abilities.
It was because of him that France was able to turn a corner and turn danger into safety during World War I, successfully preventing the German attack under William II.
You know, the slogan "They can't pass" he left behind at Verdun became the French army's battlefield motto at that time.
But now, facing the current situation, the former savior of France has no choice.
The other old man was also the famous French general Wei Gang.
He didn't want everyone's efforts so far to go to waste. After all, he also set up the Weygand Line to defend France. Although the outcome was not satisfactory, it could be regarded as a great effort for national security.
But at this point in the war, he had no choice but to give up resistance and surrender to his enemy. This would not be comfortable for anyone.
"Weigang, we have tried our best. You can't blame us, but we still can't save our France." Marshal Pétain said angrily, his eyes full of unwillingness but helplessness.
"I think it's time for us to seek a decent ending for our motherland." After saying that, Marshal Pétain turned his head out the window and looked at the dark night sky.
After another period of dead silence, Pétain turned around, looked at the haggard Wei Gang and smiled. His smile was very forced, and there was a trace of despair in his eyes.
However, Pétain continued to analyze calmly: "The current situation is different from that of the last war. During the First World War, we had too much initiative, and I could still stabilize the morale of the army. But now, the initiative has not been taken away.
Over in Germany, we were so embarrassed that we even lost our capital to others."
"In the last world war, we fought in Belgium and some border areas. No matter how the war was fought, other countries would be destroyed after all, and our country would naturally be attrition. Because even if we beat those areas to pieces, France would not
Irreparable losses occurred. At that time, like the British Expeditionary Force now, we were not fighting in the core area of the country."
"Why did we rush to the south without firing a single shot in Paris? Isn't it because we also don't want to see Paris suffer the baptism of war and turn into ruins!" Pétain was very straightforward,
One sentence revealed the reason why the French ** team did not dare to compete with the German ** team.
Then, he continued: "We can afford to fight on other people's land, or on already barren land. However, we don't have the capital to fight in our own core area. Of course, I don't want to see it.
Go to your own country, the people's homeland, and suffer the destruction of war."
Pétain pointed to a map of France hanging on the wall of the war room and continued: "But, General Weygand, have you ever thought about where we would be if we continued to fight now? Lyon, Chalon, Dijon
Or where? I can't think of any other place besides these places."
"But these places, no matter where they are, belong to the core areas of our country. Once the war breaks out, it will be a devastating disaster. We will lose our land, houses, money and people, and we will lose France for so many years.
The historical industry we have lost is something we cannot make up for. Even if we finally win after fighting for many years, what will be left in France? It will be nothing more than more families, wives and children, families destroyed, and the French economy and culture will start all over again!"
Marshal Pétain paused, took a sip of water, looked at Weigang, sighed and continued: "The British naturally hope that we will continue to fight. They hope that we will fight as long as possible, so that we can perish together with Germany, and
They just sit at home and make a lot of money from the war, even selling us weapons and equipment, and watching us consume a lot of national power and money to bring down Germany, so that they will lose two powerful competitors in the future."
"However, we also know that only a fool would use all his family's belongings to help others fight a war where the outcome is unknown!" Bell became angrier when he said this, but he would not show it after he was so angry.
Then he sneered and said: "The British Prime Minister Churchill really thinks that the French are fools? He actually expects us to resist until the last soldier!"
