I Became a Plutocrat in World War I: Starting with Saving France-Chapter 912: The Role of Turkey

Shire did not spend Christmas Eve in Davaz Town.

To become a "world-class great man," Christmas was the best time for him to show off.

He personally took command of the logistics in Paris to purchase turkeys and send them batch by batch to the frontline.

Although the French Soldiers temporarily ceased fighting, the British and American forces continued shelling the German Army positions non-stop, fearing the impact of the "ceasefire" and "Christmas."

Amidst the "rumbling" sound of artillery, officers spared no effort to cultivate hatred among the soldiers:

"The Germans commit all sorts of evils; lacking supplies, they even choose human flesh as food."

"This is a sin. They are an evil army, the devil's representative."

"We will destroy them in the name of God until they completely surrender!"

...

(Note: During World War I, British and American media propagated legends of German soldiers eating humans, but found no evidence of perpetration; it was likely propaganda with political and military objectives.)

The soldiers firmly believed they were fighting for justice, firing shell after shell towards the enemy positions from their dark and cold trenches.

Only during rest would they quiet down, shivering in the icy snow while pondering: Why are we fighting? Why must this war continue?

Suddenly, someone cheered: "Turkey, Shire sent us turkey!"

The soldiers, steeped in despair, suddenly felt a bit of warmth.

Even though it was just a little, it felt like dawn in the darkness, like a beacon light while lost, or like the spark of a match when near death.

It dispelled the gloom and sorrow in the soldiers' hearts, guiding them in the right direction, bringing them a rare touch of warmth.

"God, I forgot tonight was Christmas Eve, but Shire remembered."

"But we are not Frenchmen, why does Shire send turkey to us?"

"Remember? Shire emphasized 'fraternity,' which is the love for humanity without nationality distinction!"

"He is a great General, may God bless him!"

...

The soldiers, with teary eyes, chewed the dry turkey meat while gazing westward towards Paris, as though that was where their hearts truly lay.

...

After finishing these tasks, Shire went to the City Defense Headquarters; at that moment, it was not suitable for him to reunite with his family in Davaz Town.

Because tomorrow's newspaper would report: Shire spent the night busy, unable to share Christmas dinner with his family, just like the soldiers at the frontline, even though his family was nearby.

Gallieni was busy in the headquarters, hoping to add a can of beef for the French Army soldiers not at the frontline, even though that so-called "beef can" hardly contained any beef.

Shire presented a basket of ice grapes, a rather luxurious food at the time, normally affordable only by nobility.

"Merry Christmas," Shire said.

"Merry Christmas," Gallieni replied, glancing at the items Shire brought: "Aren't you worried that others might accuse you of using public office for private gains?"

"This is my own money," Shire replied, "People know that I am wealthy, I merely spend it where it ought to be spent."

Then, Shire gestured to those around him: "There's some for you too, gentlemen, each of you a basket, I've had them stocked in the mess downstairs. Merry Christmas!"

The officers cheered, responding in a cacophony:

"Merry Christmas, Vice Admiral!"

"You are too generous, Merry Christmas!"

"God bless you, Vice Admiral!"

...

Gallieni casually picked a grape and tossed it into his mouth, chewing while commenting: "Tastes good."

Saying this, he walked into his room with the grapes in hand.

Shire understood and followed, closing the door behind him.

Gallieni placed the grapes on the table, took out a document from the drawer, and handed it to Shire: "I heard you reached an agreement with the British and Americans to rejoin the fight?"

Shire took the document and flipped through it; it was the result of the Second Bureau's investigation.

Gallieni, as the Minister of the Army, was the direct superior of the Second Bureau, and its flourishing under Shire's command made Gallieni "well-informed."

However, this was also because Shire did not order the Second Bureau to bypass Gallieni.

"It's not what you think," Shire explained, "I have my reasons for doing this…"

"You are doing it right," Gallieni acknowledged, "I agree with continuing the fight against the Germans."

"What?" Shire was somewhat surprised; he thought Gallieni was a pacifist.

Gallieni prepared a cup of warm milk for himself and, while sipping, said:

"The Germans have strong war potential; France might not easily win facing them alone."

"Our current situation is smooth, not only because of you but also due to the Germans fighting on multiple fronts."

"Have you considered that, although the British Expeditionary Force didn't play a major role, they at least diverted the German forces?"

"Oh," Shire responded.

Gallieni was contemplating France's interests, fearing that France might not withstand the attack from a rejuvenated Germany in the future. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Have you noticed?" Gallieni continued:

"The Germans have strong learning capabilities; they can quickly learn and adapt to your new tactics, and even equipment."

"They rapidly advance in combat, not just learning and applying, but also innovating."

"For example, the 'Storm Assault Team'."

Shire could not refute.

The Germans were indeed exceptional; by then, they had fully freed themselves from the shackles of "trench warfare," and although still suffering defeats, they could perform interpenetration in the Battle of the River Somme and Meuse River, just like Shire.

This indicated that the German Army had grasped the core of Shire's tactics, unlike the English, American, and Ganmelin, who only learned superficially.

Would Shire, as a mentor, rest easy if such an opponent developed and challenged France again?

"Then you mean…" Shire asked.

"Defeat them thoroughly," Gallieni raised his head to look at Shire, his tone resolute: "Make them lose the ability to fight us, it's beneficial for us!"

Shire nodded to show understanding.

This was Gallieni's fear of the German Army; he personally experienced being driven by the Germans to Paris and crowned at the Palace of Versailles; now France almost faced obliteration again.

Now all Gallieni wanted was to urgently hold Germany at its vital point, rendering it immobile.

"Don't worry, General," Shire spoke reassuringly, "I will do it."

"Good," Gallieni nodded in satisfaction.

Then he asked: "About the 200 million US Dollars forgiven by the Americans, how do you plan to allocate it?"

Shire inwardly cursed, how did he even know about this?

But this wasn't because the Second Bureau was skilled at reconnaissance, rather the United States deliberately leaked some information to prepare to undermine Shire.

"Don't worry, General," Shire replied, "The Americans think they caught hold of my weakness, but in reality, I have entirely invested these 200 million dollars into constructing the 'Super Defense Line'!"