African Entrepreneurship Record

Chapter 1371: Chapter 365: France Shaken (Part 2)

Clemenceau shifted in his chair, as if making an important decision, he tapped the table, signaling the officials and military leaders to quiet down.

He then said to Lipowitz: ”Ambassador Lipowitz, thank you and your country’s government for your concern regarding the fate of France. I will seriously consider your opinion. Right now we need to discuss these issues internally, I hope you can step outside for a moment, I ask for your understanding.”

Although Clemenceau was quite radical, his demeanor was commendable, so he first invited Lipowitz, this East African, out of the conference room.

Lipowitz said: ”Of course, if I can assist your country, it is a welcome outcome for both myself and East Africa.”

Subsequently, Lipowitz exited the conference room, and once he left, silence immediately descended upon the room.

The French senior officials did not speak, but stared at Clemenceau, now the highest leader in France, hoping he could break the deadlock.

After a long while, Clemenceau finally spoke: ”Ladies and gentlemen, do you think what Mr. Lipowitz just said is correct? Everyone can speak freely, this is a matter of determining France’s fate, I believe everyone has the right to express their thoughts.”

But no one spoke, because peace talks, especially with the Germans, was politically incorrect. The price France paid for this war was too heavy, who dared take responsibility!

Looking at the once flamboyant high officials who regularly spoke of teaching the Germans a lesson, now shrinking like quails.

Clemenceau sighed inwardly and said somewhat powerlessly: ”Although Lipowitz’s words were grating, he was speaking the truth.”

”The East Africans understand France’s current situation, we understand it even better. There is one point Lipowitz was very right about, and that is population is the most lethal issue for the Empire.”

”We cannot ignore this, just as Lipowitz said, our generation is in fact finished, in reality we have become the sinners of France, for the next dozen years, France will likely be unable to achieve anything.”

”This is a very harsh reality, I cannot imagine, just dealing with the millions of disabled personnel present now, how we should handle it after the war ends.”

”We have expanded the conscription age as much as possible, but the entire male population in France is only around twenty million, yet we have sent ten million to the battlefield.”

”If the war continues, just as Lipowitz said, France’s future will be completely destroyed at our hands, one could say Mr. Lipowitz’s words were a wake-up call for me, we should no longer continue this mistake.”

If it were the previous life, Clemenceau naturally wouldn’t say this, because after America joined the war, Germany’s collapse was visible, but in this timeline, no one dared guarantee when, where, or which country would obtain final victory.

”Mr. President, do we really have to surrender to the Germans?” France’s military advisor Xiafei said indignantly.

Clemenceau said helplessly: ”General Xiafei, while I very much understand your feelings, this is not a surrender, but rather taking responsibility for France’s future, in reality we all underestimated the damage the war has done to France, wasn’t the reason you resigned initially due to this?”

Xiafei was previously the commander in the Somme River battle, and the reason he resigned from the military was precisely because the casualties were too heavy, triggering internal criticism in France.

”In 1914, none of us ever thought this war would still be ongoing, nearly five years have passed, nor could we think of the harm this war would do to France.”

”Now we must also acknowledge, in a short time, France cannot defeat Germany, especially with the United Kingdom and United States being outwardly engaged but offering little help, we cannot endure the damage the war is causing France.”

”Even, if this war continues another year, perhaps we will face the same predicament as Russia before, the soldiers on the front lines and the people at the rear are not emotionless machines, but individual living humans, their hearts have long been numb, filled even with anger towards the government.”

”At that time, the angry masses will completely engulf us, and this time it won’t be just the Paris Commune, but a nationwide revolt in France.”

”Of course, if it were only this point, I certainly wouldn’t compromise, after all if I could lead France in expansion, to defeat Germany, I am willing to bear all notoriety, even if it means getting utterly obliterated.”

”However, the issue I truly worry about is not the people’s attitude towards the government, but the future of France, hence my conscience tells me, we should accept the goodwill of the East Africans, to preserve a fire for the future of France.”

These words spoken by Clemenceau, instead reflected his past experiences, because Clemenceau in the early days was indeed an idealistic politician, he supported the republic, opposed imperial rule, opposed colonialism, even studied some policies of the Labor Party, remained neutral during the Paris Commune movement and so on.

Aside from his attitude towards Germany, one could say Clemenceau is quite lenient on many matters and ideologies.

And now, this staunchly anti-German French president, is willing to bow to his enemies for France’s future, this requires great courage.

Of course, based on the current attitude of the French towards Germany, peace talks and surrender are almost indistinguishable.