African Entrepreneurship Record

Chapter 1370: Chapter 365: France Wavers

Through public opinion, stirring up the people’s war weariness to pressure governments to sit at the negotiating table was originally a helpless approach, after all, conflicts among European great powers are fundamentally irreconcilable, as evidenced by the previous life’s Allies’ punishment of the Axis powers.

Of course, the fermentation of public opinion also requires time, so it’s impossible for negotiations to immediately succeed by relying solely on the European people’s longing for peace; thus, East Africa still needs to persuade the European great powers at an official level.

Among various governments, East Africa uniformly states the harm this war inflicts on Europe, which is the most basic reason; in fact, by today, the method used by European countries to divert internal conflicts through war has already failed, which is why East Africa is willing to undertake lobbying efforts.

Regarding different countries, East Africa employs different methods of persuasion, such as focusing on France’s population issue to lobby the French Government.

Since the era of Napoleon, population has always been France’s Achilles’ heel; before World War I, France’s total population barely exceeded forty million, yet France mobilized nearly ten million forces on its homeland alone, with causalities reaching as high as five million. If the war continues, France will inevitably be the first to collapse unless the United Kingdom and United States unexpectedly decide to take the forefront.

But this is obviously impossible, not to mention the United Kingdom. The United States, which joined halfway, has only mobilized a little over a million forces so far, greatly reduced compared to the previous world, so France actually replaces Russia as the weakest link among the Allies.

Paris.

The East African Ambassador to France, Lipowitz, is in conversation with high officials of the French Government.

Holding a sheet of paper, he said to the stern-faced members of the French Government, ”Gentlemen, I know that negotiating is a very difficult decision for France, but it’s clear that France is no longer capable of sustaining this war.”

Currently, most high-level members of the French Government are pro-war faction members, as French President Clemenceau is one of them, making Lipowitz’s task relatively daunting.

Lipowitz continued, ”Since the war began, France has mobilized nearly over nine million forces. I think you should know how terrifying this number is.”

”Before the war broke out, France’s population barely surpassed forty million, meaning that during the war, almost a quarter of France’s population was sent to the battlefield.”

”France’s casualties are the most tragic among the belligerent countries; military and civilian casualties approach five million, with the majority being young male adults.”

”This also means that France has wiped out a generation, people who should have been the main force in France’s economic and industrial construction in the next twenty to thirty years, France’s future, but instead, they either died on the battlefield or became pitiable disabled individuals. Even if the war is prolonged by another year, you will have to send France’s youth to war.”

”If the war develops to this extent, France’s last hope will be completely extinguished. Even if you lead France to victory in the war, you will certainly become the villains of France’s future history.”

”Even if victory is achieved, can you really enjoy the fruits of victory? I estimate the British will not agree to that, and even if France’s population does not recover after the war, you may face difficulty in competing against Spain and the Kingdom of Italy.”

Lipowitz’s words were sharp, considering France’s land neighbors—aside from Germany, the prime adversary—the other countries should not be underestimated; even Belgium has several million people.

Even the divided Italy has a population over ten million, Spain with more than twenty million, and now France has lost a lot of blood due to World War I. Post-war, in terms of population alone, how France maintains its status as a great power in Western Europe is a very severe challenge.

Lipowitz said, ”Ending the war now, at least you can wait for a new generation to grow up in France; if, at this point, you continue to be headstrong and sacrifice France’s hope, then France should prepare to become a second-rate European nation in the future.”

With Lipowitz’s words, it stirred up a shock within the French Government, as the situation Lipowitz described is almost fatal for France.

If you were to ask what keeps France motivated to persist in war, an important part is to maintain France’s long-standing status in Europe and the world.

But now, Lipowitz asserts that France may become a second-rate European country due to the war, which is unacceptable to any patriotic Frenchman.

Even Clemenceau, the French leader who rose through a pro-war stance, was moved by Lipowitz’s words, not because Lipowitz was eloquent, but because the data and future described by Lipowitz shattered the last illusions in Clemenceau’s heart.

Although Clemenceau harbors intense hatred for Germans, he also understands the importance of not letting emotion override rational thought. Now, East Africans have torn off France’s fig leaf, causing this previously war-avoidant French politician to regain rationality; as the leader of France, he must be responsible for France’s future.