Chapter 556 What Is Scary Is Often Not the Enemy

After Charles dealt with Major General Raymond, he immediately turned the luxurious command post into a field hospital center.

The reason why it was called a "center" was that more than 200 square meters was not enough for the seriously injured.

He could only order tents to be set up around the luxurious command post. The command post served as an operating room and a high-risk ward, and was responsible for providing food, clean drinking water, cleaning bandages and other services to the wounded.

The materials stored in the basement did not need to be moved away, and were turned into supplies for the field hospital on the spot.

No one would have an objection to Charles's arrangement. Treating the wounded well is a commander's virtue. Only those commanders who only care about fame and fortune and have only military exploits in their eyes would ignore the lives of the wounded.

Moreover, the soldiers would consider in their hearts: one day in the future, they may become a wounded person lying in a field hospital waiting for help. If they object today, it may be a boomerang that hits them tomorrow.

...

After doing all this, Charles returned to the command post of the 1st Special Artillery Division with Christine.

Christine's headquarters was much more normal: a dark and damp tunnel, kerosene lamps emitting unpleasant odors, a dozen people squeezed into a small space, the shouting of the signalman was close at hand, the only place to sit was a bed, the table was made of shell boxes, and messy documents were piled everywhere.

"The situation is getting better." Because the tunnel was very low, Christine could only report while crouching: "Some soldiers are willing to obey orders, and those who escaped from the defense line have returned to the team one after another. According to preliminary statistics, there are about 100,000 people."

Charles said "hmm".

The 210,000-man army can only count 100,000 people, and these 100,000 people may not all obey orders, so the situation is still not optimistic.

"We have to speed up." Charles frowned slightly.

He has never felt that the crisis is so close to him as he does now, even when the German army was at the gates of Paris when the war just broke out.

When the German army was at the gates of Paris, the French army still had strength and room for operation.

Now, the French army is facing the German army at the front line, in a state of disorder without command. A German counterattack can destroy the main force of the French army.

Christine frowned: "But we have done everything we can, and the rest is just a matter of time."

Negotiating with the soldiers, dealing with the arrogant officers, replenishing supplies to improve the food and environment, and Charles's reputation and credibility, the situation was stabilized and improved in a short time.

Now it seems that all we can do is wait.

But Charles shook his head: "No, there is still something we can do."

"What?" Christine looked confused, he couldn't think of anything else to do.

Charles looked up at Christine and said word by word: "Fight a war!"

Christian's eyes widened in shock:

"General, they mutinied because they were afraid of fighting."

"Many people are worried that they will be driven back to the battlefield to die again, but you want to fight a war at this time?"

"This may not be appropriate..."

Charles interrupted Christine:

"No, Christine."

"They are not afraid of fighting, nor are they mutinying because of this."

"They are afraid of dying meaninglessly!"

There may be cowards who use this as an excuse to escape from the battlefield, but for these people, there is no need to pull them back.

Christian nodded thoughtfully.

However, he still believed that fighting a war was too risky, and if he was not careful, he might burn the good situation he had just created.

Christian did not realize that Charles was not only worried about the mutiny itself.

Charles looked at the map on the table and turned his gaze to the British war zone on the north bank of the Somme River.

Sometimes, it is not the enemy that is scary, but your allies!

…

The sky gradually darkened, and the British offensive on the north bank of the Somme, which was separated from the French by a river, was temporarily stopped.

After all, the lack of a simultaneous offensive by the French on the south bank would make the Germans feel strange and suspicious.

The British situation was not optimistic either, with a loss of nearly 200,000 in more than ten days of offensive.

The British army had never suffered such heavy casualties in hundreds of years. The Boer War lasted for three years and only suffered more than 40,000 casualties, including those who died of illness and disappeared.

However, even though the situation was not optimistic, Haig was still excited.

"The French army mutinied, and they refused to fight." The signalman reported.

This was not good news. After all, the French army was an ally. If the French army collapsed across the board, the British army would be alone, and even the Allies would collapse across the board.

"Nivelle was dismissed, and Charles was appointed commander of the 6th Army Group to preside over the overall situation on the Somme River. The parliament was urgently electing the next commander-in-chief."

This was also not good news, and it could even be said to be bad news. Charles' strength was enhanced as a result.

Charles's troops were originally limited to the two divisions in his hands. No one dared to continue to increase his troops, even after he was promoted.

This bastard, two divisions of more than 20,000 people penetrated into Antwerp and captured more than 100,000 German soldiers. If he was given more soldiers, he would have the final say in France, right?

This is what the parliament did not want to see.

But under the need to stabilize the situation, the parliament had to appoint Charles as the commander of the 6th Army at this time. After all, no one was more suitable than Charles to stabilize the morale of the army.

As a result, Charles' troops increased more than ten times in an instant!

However, Haig considered the two pieces of news together and found that they became great news.

Charles is in charge of the overall situation on the Somme River, and the French army is out of control. As long as this information is revealed to the Germans at the right time...

It doesn't get any more perfect than this!

He could use the Germans to weaken both the Shire and the French armies. God had given him a good opportunity.

As long as the "speed" is grasped and appropriate reinforcements are given to the French army, the Charles and the French army will have to rely on the British army in the future, and they will be under their own control from now on!

Thinking of this, Haig unconsciously raised a smile.

"Blaize!" Haig turned around and shouted.

"Yes, General." The staff officer who was sorting out the documents responded, trotted over and stood up in front of Haig.

"It's time to put some pressure on Charles." Haig said with an expressionless face and a cold voice: "Give the newspapers and parliament some information and tell them that Charles cannot control the situation on the Somme."

"Yes, General."

After the staff member went down, Haig let out a "hum".

The British army has invested hundreds of thousands of troops on the Somme River. If Charles and his two hundred thousand mutinous soldiers can cause a big wave, the British army will be discredited, and Haig, as the commander, may even be Trigger a chain reaction in the colonies and shake the foundation of the empire on which the sun never sets!

Haig was determined that he had to make sure this didn't happen.

Whether it's the battlefield, public opinion, or politics!