Chapter 475: Parliamentary Inquiry
In the Antwerp airport command post, Shire sat at his desk, enjoying afternoon tea as he reviewed the latest equipment reports. He felt satisfied with the current equipment situation.
Over the past month, every squad in his armored and mechanized units had been issued shotguns. However, submachine guns, due to limited production, had initially been assigned exclusively to the armored units.
Tijani had protested against this arrangement: "Mechanized infantry units are the ones engaging enemy infantry directly. Why are submachine guns prioritized for the armored troops?"
Shire had answered simply: "If you're willing to be at the front line, I'll immediately order the transfer of the submachine guns."
Tijani quickly dropped the issue.
The armored units, after all, spearheaded breakthroughs into enemy lines and thus required priority in advanced weaponry—especially since infantry accompanying tanks had to engage in close-quarters combat within enemy trenches.
Tijani understood this well enough but still wanted to test whether he could secure some additional advantage.
Just then, a staff officer approached with a telegram: "General, General Foch has been relieved of his duties."
"What?"
Both Shire and Tijani exclaimed simultaneously, looking at the officer in disbelief.
The Northern Army Group had been Shire's key partner in operations. Coordination had been smooth thus far, yet suddenly Foch had been dismissed!
"It happened this morning," the officer reported. "General Foch has been reassigned to Paris as Director of the Center for Military Studies."
Shire appeared puzzled. He had no idea what this position entailed.
Tijani explained: "It's a theoretical military role, occasionally serving as an advisor—essentially a ceremonial position."
Shire nodded in realization. Clearly, Foch had been sidelined.
"Who's taking his place?" Shire quickly asked. This would significantly affect future coordination between forces.
"General d'Espèrey," the officer answered.
Shire was completely unfamiliar with this name.
Tijani shrugged helplessly. "To you, everyone's the same. None have achieved notable combat records in your eyes."
Tijani then added, "However, d'Espèrey isn't entirely unknown. Before the war, he commanded in Morocco."
(Footnote: General Louis Franchet d'Espèrey, later Marshal of France, known as the "reckless Frenchman" due to his fearless combat style.)
Yet Shire remained skeptical. Warfare had evolved rapidly. d'Espèrey's experience gained in colonial conflicts likely wouldn't be effective on a modern battlefield saturated with machine guns and artillery.
Shire's instincts would later prove accurate: d'Espèrey tended to favor bold cavalry charges—even against entrenched German positions bristling with machine guns.
A communications officer interrupted Shire's thoughts: "General, we've received another telegram from Paris. Parliament requires you to appear before them tomorrow morning at nine for questioning."
Shire scowled.
The sudden replacement of the Army Group commander had already caused uncertainty. Was it really wise to summon him back to Paris at such a delicate moment?
But Shire soon guessed correctly—this likely involved Joffre.
…
Indeed, Joffre had sent Cannès to Paris to rally parliamentary and governmental support. However, Parliament insisted on hearing both sides and sought someone capable of effectively challenging Cannès.
Gallieni could've been a viable choice, but besides the Battle of Paris, he had limited involvement in other battles, and his grasp of modern warfare was relatively shallow.
Thus, they decided to recall Shire from Belgium.
No one understood modern warfare better than Shire. Surely, he'd uncover flaws in Cannès' argument.
…
This was Shire's second appearance at Parliament.
His previous visit involved controversial uniform changes, leaving him with many hostile critics.
This time, however, he entered the chamber greeted by enthusiastic applause. Deputies gazed upon him with respect, envy, and admiration—even those politically opposed, including James himself.
"He's a military genius," James murmured to someone nearby, applauding sincerely. "A formidable and respectable opponent."
After all, no one else had turned around a war in one day, liberating a third of Belgium in the process. That achievement couldn't be denied.
Cannès stood at the podium. Seeing Shire calmly sit in the front row filled him with unease, unconsciously lowering his previously proud stance.
Fooling deputies unfamiliar with warfare was one thing; facing Shire was entirely another.
As the applause faded, Cannès began his speech:
"Gentlemen, many believe the Battle of Verdun was a mistake, laying blame solely on General Joffre. But there were factors beyond our control."
"For instance, the Germans had the initiative. Had we not redeployed troops to Belfort, Germany could've attacked there instead."
"Thus, our decisions depended on the Germans, not mere 'misjudgment.'"
Shire rose abruptly, cutting off Cannès: "General, could you inform us how long the German artillery barrage lasted before their attack?"
Cannès hesitated. "Five… five hours, Brigadier General."
Shire pressed further: "Five hours of artillery bombardment from thousands of guns—this must've required hundreds of thousands of shells, correct?"
Cannès nodded reluctantly. "Yes, indeed."
Shire slowed his speech deliberately: "So you still insist that a location subjected to such an extensive bombardment could possibly be a diversion—a mere feint?"
Cannès had no response.
Deputies erupted loudly:
"He's right! The Germans fired far more than hundreds of thousands of shells. They're still bombarding us even now!"
"This bombardment required weeks of preparation! Joffre knew nothing of this, despite Colonel Driant's constant warnings!"
At the mention of Colonel Driant, deputies angrily shouted accusations:
"Joffre ignored the frontline voices, lost in his fantasies!"
"He's disconnected from reality and dismisses advice!"
"His incompetence killed Colonel Driant and countless brave soldiers!"
Sweating profusely, Cannès mustered courage to retort:
"No, gentlemen! This isn't General Joffre's fault. We had British intelligence backing our decisions. Moreover, no one could have done better under the circumstances."
Deputies burst into laughter.
Armand mockingly remarked, "General, perhaps you've forgotten Shire is here?"
The chamber erupted once more in laughter.
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