I Became a Plutocrat in World War I: Starting with Saving France-Chapter 859: Summer

The front line of Duerwang Castle in France, torrential rain poured from the sky, yet it could not dampen the enthusiasm of the Colonial Army.

Shire was received with unprecedented welcome here.

The name of Shire and his advocated concept of "equality" were spread among every soldier of the Colonial Army, and some even knelt to pray for Shire, viewing him as a godsend to save them.

The morale of the Colonial Army soared as a result.

The German Army attempted several times to break through the Colonial Army's defensive line to widen their escape route, but they were bravely repelled by the soldiers.

There were even times when it came down to hand-to-hand combat.

The German Storm Assault Team repeated their usual tactics, penetrating the trenches to the second line under the cover of rain and smoke.

But ultimately, they were blocked with flesh and teeth by the soldiers of the Colonial Army.

German soldiers exclaimed:

"Is this still the British Army we knew?"

"Our opponents even include many black soldiers, who used to run away at the sight of us, and now they're standing firm with bayonets to fight us!"

"I heard Shire became the Vice Commander of the British Expeditionary Force. Is this Shire's charisma? It's unbelievable, in just one week, he's completely changed this army!"

...

At the Expeditionary Force Headquarters, Haig sat silently at his desk, dazedly watching the busy comings and goings of staff officers and signalmen.

What is the point of this battle?

For whom is the British Expeditionary Force fighting?

If this continues, the battle won't be finished, and Britain will already be in pieces!

Damn Shire, damn France, do they know what they're doing?

Haig could never understand why they dared to voluntarily dismantle the colonies. What benefit is there to them?

Would they perish together with Britain?

"General." A staff officer handed Haig a telegram:

"A telegram from London, the Prime Minister highly praises the recent victories of the Expeditionary Force, hoping you can maintain this momentum."

"The Prime Minister also said if Shire's presence can bring victory to the British Expeditionary Force, there's nothing bad about it, as it aligns with our common interests."

Haig gave a bitter smile.

How ironic, the Prime Minister backing Shire because Shire boosted the morale of the Colonial Army to win them victories!

But Haig knew it was understandable.

The Prime Minister was not aware of what was happening domestically, and Haig hadn't had the chance to report it up.

What to say?

Tell the Prime Minister that Shire was winning hearts and minds to destroy colonial policy?

The infuriating part was that everything Shire said and did wasn't illegal, it embodied the "French spirit."

However, Haig felt that the British Colonial Army was gathering here to accept Shire's "enlightenment" and "baptism," and when they returned, they would demand "total independence" equal to Britain.

If Britain didn't agree, they would take up arms to fight Britain, to the death!

What to do?

After thinking for a while, Haig beckoned to a staff officer sorting files and asked expressionlessly when he approached: "I heard the Algerian Army is at our flank?"

"Yes, General," the staff officer replied, "they've been integrated into the Eastern Army Group as a reinforcement force."

The Algerian Army had over 100,000 soldiers.

The Eastern Army Group were forces resisting Shire, and the colonial enterprises and Colonial Army were also resisting Shire. Of course, they'd gather together in this dangerous moment.

(Note: To be precise, the Colonial Army was not resisting Shire but supporting him. But the Colonial Army was under the control of officers, and the mid to high-level officers were all Frenchmen, the vested interests of the colonies.)

Haig grunted and asked again, "Do you know who the 'representative' of the Algerian Army is? You know what I mean."

The staff officer understood.

The so-called "representative" referred to leaders of the colonial countries seeking independence. They were quite prestigious and could always organize military and civilians to resist oppression and exploitation.

These individuals usually had to be arrested, detained, or even executed. But in this sensitive wartime, Britain and France feared overly aggressive suppression would cause the Colonial Army to mutiny, so they opted for appeasement measures, temporarily allowing their presence and meeting some of their demands.

"Sorry, General," the staff officer answered, "I'm not very aware, but I can investigate."

Haig ordered coldly: "Do it quickly, and bring him to me!"

"Yes, General!" The staff officer rushed out of the HQ.

Haig's thought was straightforward, since Shire dared to do this, don't blame me for doing the same.

This was the principle Haig always believed: If you don't know how to deal with the enemy, then do what the enemy does.

Now, it was time to use it.

Soon the staff officer returned: "I found out, General, his name is Haji, a sergeant, but I couldn't bring him to you."

"Why?" Haig asked puzzled.

"Because he's at Shire's command, seemingly discussing something," the staff officer replied.

Haig was stunned, did Shire beat him to it again?

...

Shire's command was set up near Major General Richard's headquarters of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps' 5th Infantry Division, close to the front line.

Ever since Shire introduced the slogans of "Freedom," "Equality," "Fraternity," countless people in the British Expeditionary Force wanted Shire dead, especially the expeditionary force commander Haig.

So, whether Shire stayed in the British Army or the Colonial Army, he could very well end up "committed suicide."

This was a battlefield; anything could happen. Shire could be killed by German Storm Assault Teams, hit by stray bullets, or mistakenly killed as an enemy by Colonial Army soldiers.

The Colonial Army wasn't safe either, even though they saw Shire as their savior.

The reason was they were under British officers' control and were inevitably bribed by some.

But the Australian Army was different; it was purely Australian, including its corps commander.

They were the most loyal and also had the highest morale and combat effectiveness among the British Colonial Army.

However, after Shire's soul-searching questions, Richard immediately realized Shire was the key figure who could enable Australia's "total independence."

Moreover, Shire was generous, he told Richard:

"You know France's stance, General."

"We support the freedom and equality of all colonies, including Australia."

"I believe this war is an opportunity for you."

"I will teach the Australian Army more tactics and even sell you better equipment, including tanks, planes, warships."

Richard instantly understood the meaning of these words, Australia's independence was within reach.

He excitedly nodded and then turned to order the guards: "Deploy another Guard Battalion, ensure the Vice Admiral's safety!"

He then added: "No one approaches the command without my order, especially the British, or they'll be shot on sight!"