I Became a Plutocrat in World War I: Starting with Saving France-Chapter 896: Order from Italy

There has been no activity for two consecutive days, and the originally drifting snow has stopped. Everywhere outside is a silent white.

Shire held his forces back, waiting, waiting for the United States to pressure the Minister of the Navy.

In the past, the United States’ attitude wouldn’t have affected France much, after all, it was a country at the other end of the Atlantic Ocean. Its influence was far behind that of the world’s leading power, England, which was right next door.

But now.

When U.S. resources and forces are enough to affect the outcome of the war, its attitude cannot be ignored.

Shire planned to take advantage of the situation, launching an attack when the United States expressed dissatisfaction with the Minister of the Navy. By then, opposition politicians and capitalists would not dare to easily defend him.

Shire was very patient, busying himself while continuing to plan his "super defensive line."

Recently, he was tinkering with armored trains.

Although armored trains are massive, they are much simpler than tanks. They don’t require the rigorous balance considerations between power, weight, fuel, and firepower that tanks do.

The small size of tanks means tough decisions between trade-offs and precise calculations must be made.

The ample power, much larger space, and additional supply stations along the way give the train a large margin for error.

An armor thickness of 13MM is sufficient to defend against bullets at close range.

For artillery, use the 75mm gun. It is the strongest artillery at close range, bar none.

Paired with the "Saint-Etienne 2" light machine gun and the Maxim, this combination is the strongest of the era.

Additionally, add a few open carriages for infantry, who can disembark for combat if necessary.

As for anti-aircraft firepower, Shire was unwilling to waste any weight on it.

If the train encounters enemy bombers, it would be doomed. Anti-aircraft machine guns and cannons would only waste space and load capacity without any impact.

After finishing the sketch, Shire stepped back to admire it.

Not bad, his drawing skills had indeed improved recently, Shire thought with self-satisfaction.

This creation actually aimed to mislead other countries’ tactical thinking.

Time and again, Shire invented new tactics that were proven right on the battlefield.

It could even be said that Shire dismantled the traditional trench warfare tactics, single-handedly elevating global tactics to a new level.

As a result, military scientists and strategists worldwide held a strong belief in Shire.

Whenever Shire did something, they would immediately write theoretical analysis to prove Shire’s correctness.

Armored trains would be no exception. As long as Shire did it, other countries would surely follow suit.

What they didn’t know was that armored trains would only be useful if control of the skies was absolute, and control of the skies was in Shire’s hands.

So, the result is: other countries’ armored trains become mere targets, while Shire’s armored train is "a steel monster."

This is the real-life interpretation of "those who mimic me, die."

While Shire was considering what else might be needed, a staff officer approached to report: "General, General Cadorna wishes to speak with you."

"Cadorna?" Shire looked puzzled as the name wasn’t familiar to him.

The staff officer whispered: "General Cadorna is the Chief of Staff of Italy’s army. I think he’s here seeking help due to Italy’s predicament."

Shire made a sound of acknowledgment. Wasn’t he the ally who occupied a superior position but was always "attacking" on the Isonzo River?

"Let him in," Shire said with a hint of impatience.

Cadorna should have gone to Gallieni, as diplomacy was the responsibility of the Minister of the Army. Shire had grown tired of receiving guests lately.

After a moment, Cadorna appeared before Shire, dressed in civilian clothes with a bowler hat, looking like a businessman.

Shire guessed he chose this disguise possibly due to fear of assassination by the German Army spies.

Shire couldn’t help but chuckle, convinced that the Germans wouldn’t be interested in assassinating the Italian general; they might even try to protect his safety.

(The above image shows General Cadorna, Chief of Staff and the Commander-in-Chief of Italy during WWI, who later became a Marshal after the war.)

"Pleased to meet you, Admiral Shire." Cadorna shook Shire’s hand. He appeared somewhat nervous, yet there was a hint of doubt in his gaze along with a touch of disappointment.

So this was the legendary Shire?

He looked just like a child. What experience and knowledge could someone of that age have?

It seemed this trip might be in vain!

Shire noticed something but didn’t care: "Pleased to meet you too, Chief of Staff. Are you here to purchase equipment from me?"

Shire was giving Cadorna a way out, as "purchasing equipment" sounded much better than "seeking help," much better indeed.

Cadorna was taken aback, "Uh, yes, you could say that."

"Welcome," Shire replied, "I will do my utmost to serve you, which is the mission of the Bernard Group."

At this moment, Shire had almost become a business capitalist entertaining a customer who had come to make a purchase.

However, Shire added, "Of course, in light of parliamentary prohibitions, some equipment I cannot sell. I apologize for that."

"Of course, Admiral, I understand," Cadorna replied, taking a seat on a chair brought by the staff at Shire’s gesture.

"I hope to purchase tanks from you." Cadorna’s eyes showed hope. "I’ve heard the ’Shire A1’ tanks are not within the prohibition scope?"

"Indeed," Shire affirmed.

"Then, that’s it," Cadorna nodded. "We need 100 units, as soon as possible."

This had been discussed with the Prime Minister before he came, and they believed that only equipping their forces with a large number of the Bernard Group’s "Shire A1" tanks could potentially save Italy from its crisis.

Shire smiled faintly; Italy had finally lowered its proud head.

Before this, Italy had always firmly declared to the outside world that they could defeat the enemy with their own strength, thus rejecting France’s new equipment.

Now that the Germans had reached the Piave River, with the entire country facing destruction, they had no choice but to accept Shire’s new tactics.

(It’s actually a change in mindset from following the tactical ideas of England’s leader Haig to following France and acknowledging Shire’s tactics.)

"Of course, Chief of Staff," Shire said. "I can."

A hint of joy flashed in Cadorna’s eyes. "Thank you, Admiral. Thank you very much. I believe France is our most steadfast ally, always has been!"

But Shire changed the subject, "However, I don’t think you need the ’Shire A1.’"

"What do you mean?" Cadorna’s smile froze on his face.

Shire explained:

"Don’t get me wrong, Chief of Staff, if you need tanks, of course, I can provide them for you."

"But I think what you need is a quick solution to the immediate crisis. Tanks require time to produce, train, and learn the supporting tactics to become combat-effective."

"This takes time, and you don’t have enough time."

Cadorna furrowed his eyebrows. Shire was right; Italy’s crisis was imminent, and there was no time to wait for tanks to become combat-ready.