Chapter 510: Chapter 510 Chantilly Conference
This is a warm winter. The phoenix trees, which usually drop their leaves in October, did not shed them reluctantly until mid-November this year.
About 60 kilometers north of Paris, in the Nonette River Valley, stands a medieval castle on a precipitous cliff surrounded by water: Chantilly Castle.
During wartime, this castle built in the forest has been closed to the public.
Because no one has the leisure to visit here, citizens in a state of material shortage would rather trade their tickets for bread, which at least can fill their stomachs.
However, the previously desolate castle is a different scene today.
The overgrown lawn is filled with fully armed soldiers, some setting up posts, some blocking roads, and others patrolling in formation along the forest edge.
On the gravel path, cars shuttle back and forth, carrying high-ranking officers with various ranks, some wearing large-brimmed hats from the British, and others with the cylindrical hats of the French.
(The above picture shows Chantilly Castle in Paris, which was often used as a meeting place for the Allies during World War I.)
(The picture above shows the interior of Chantilly Castle)
In the castle’s meeting room, although the space was not large, dozens of Vice Admirals and Major Generals were seated.
Gallieni, Petain, Haig, and Vice Admiral Avis, who had just been transferred to the defense line of Antwerp, were prominently present.
They whispered among themselves and occasionally let out a few cheerful laughs.
Gallieni sat among the French Army’s row, as the Minister of the Army, he was invited to the front row. He looked around and then behind, but did not see Shire.
Petain, sitting next to Gallieni, seemed to understand Gallieni’s thoughts. He leaned in slightly and whispered, "Minister, do you see the mustachioed Vice Admiral of the British Army in the second row?"
Gallieni quickly glanced to the other side, "Hmm" he replied, "What do you mean?"
"His name is Avis," Petain explained, "He is the commander of the Antwerp defense line."
Petain stopped there, but Gallieni understood. With Avis as the commander, there was no need for Shire.
"Damn it," Gallieni couldn’t help but curse, "These bastards, once again leaving Shire out."
"They worry that Shire’s presence would be awkward," Petain said.
Shire had mentioned this issue to Petain before during their cooperation talks. After Nivelle became the commander-in-chief, his battle plans would definitely prioritize the British.
This was the price they paid for supporting Nivelle with supplies to become the commander-in-chief.
In other words, Nivelle sacrificed France’s interests for his own.
Gallieni "hmm" again, his face turning ugly, unable to understand why the Allies were still keen on power struggles at such a critical time.
Just then, Nivelle appeared at the door, walking in briskly, wearing a brand new Vice Admiral’s uniform. His expressionless face could not hide the pride in his eyes.
"Generals," Nivelle swept his gaze across the room, quietly waiting for the room to fall silent.
He began with a French joke:
"I believe, if the Germans knew we were meeting here, they would be scared out of their wits."
"After all, we are here to decide their fate!"
The generals laughed, but Gallieni and Petain did not.
Not because they lacked a sense of humor but because they did not believe this could "decide Germany’s fate."
Gallieni felt that a meeting without Shire would be of little use, not just because of Shire’s series of victories, but also because Shire held the armored, mechanized, and aviation units.
Don’t they need these units to cooperate?
Especially the aviation units!
Petain, on the other hand, sensitively foresaw that this could be another offensive, puzzled by why attacking was necessary when defense could kill more enemies, instead of sending soldiers to the enemy’s gun and cannon fire!
Victory?
Land?
Or something else?
If all the soldiers were gone, what significance would these have?!
An assistant slowly unrolled a large map on the wall leaning towards the east. Nivelle, full of confidence, stepped forward and took the pointer handed by the assistant, gently unfolding it: "First of all, I want to thank one person, Major General Petain."
Nivelle lightly waved his left hand towards Petain.
Reluctantly, Petain stood up, slightly bowed to the rear and sides.
The meeting room resounded with applause.
Nivelle introduced to everyone:
"As is well known, General Petain successfully halted the German offensive at Verdun."
"It was a brilliant battle, the Germans outnumbering us many times over, their artillery more than ten times ours."
"Yet the brave French Army, under General Petain’s command, stubbornly held off the enemy’s advance, not allowing them to take a single step forward!"
"Thanks to General Petain, thanks to the officers and soldiers fighting on the front lines, thanks to all the citizens who shed blood and sweat for this battle!"
The meeting room erupted again in applause, louder than before.
However, Petain’s expression was somewhat unnatural.
The generals’ gazes towards him were also somewhat odd, with some whispering:
"They completely ignored Shire’s contribution."
"Verdun is still heavily using mines and directional mines invented by Shire, yet they didn’t mention it at all."
"Was it really Petain who defended Verdun? I don’t think so!"
...
Gallieni understood Nivelle’s intention in doing this.
He was trying to curry favor with Petain, his "former superior," attempting to draw Petain into their camp.
At this moment, within the French Army, there seemed to be a "three-legged" situation: the offensive faction, the defensive faction, and the Shire faction.
The offensive faction was mainstream and traditional. Not just the French Army but also the British Army were offensive faction.
The Shire faction was an up-and-coming force, representing new power and theory, with the track record of undefeated battles.
Represented by Petain, the defensive faction was weak, lacking the popularity of the offensive faction and the victories of Shire, with the danger and trend of being marginalized.
But when the offensive faction and the Shire faction fought fiercely, Petain became a target sought after by both factions.
Petain seemed to sense this point, his expression uncertain, as if considering which side to take.
Nivelle took several telegrams from his briefcase and waved them at the crowd:
"Before the meeting starts, allow me to say a few off-topic words."
"Intel shows that the Germans have concentrated more than two thousand various artillery pieces at Verdun, firing at least tens of thousands of shells daily."
"I believe General Petain would have the deepest understanding of this."
Petain nodded: "Indeed, sometimes I wonder if the Germans have gathered all the artillery shells from their entire country and poured them onto our trenches."
Nivelle pointed his finger in the air and said:
"That’s exactly what I want to say."
"Think about it, generals! If the Germans concentrate their forces on Verdun, other places must be extremely weak."
"This could be a golden opportunity for us!"