Chapter 87: On the Banks of the Rhine

France, Paris.

“Mr. Prime Minister,” a secretary said, holding a document, to his superior who was leaning back in his chair. “The former Prime Minister, Mr. Georges Clemenceau, has passed away. Would you like to attend his memorial service?”

“Of course. You arrange the time!” the French Prime Minister nodded. “I wouldn’t want my own funeral to be empty.”

He thought for a moment and asked another question, “The unemployment rate is still high, isn’t it?”

“Yes, Mr. Prime Minister. President Doumergue has already ordered a reduction in the size of the army. Public resentment is boiling right now, which is very unfavorable for us,” the secretary said while tidying up the documents on the table. “Sir Sherlock wishes to see you. He is just outside the door.”

“At a time like this, what is he here for? Go prepare the car. I’m going to the presidential residence,” French Prime Minister André Tardieu said with a frown, then after some thought, added, “Let him in. I’ll talk to him for 5 minutes.”

“Very well, Mr. Prime Minister,” the secretary said, turning and leaving the room. A moment later, Sir Sherlock came before him with a smile.

“Good afternoon, Prime Minister André. I know you are very busy, so this time I’ve brought the documents with me. I hope you will take a look,” Sherlock said, placing the documents on the table and looking at Prime Minister André with a smile.

“You and my secretary are cousins. I only let you in because I didn’t want to make things difficult for him,” Prime Minister André said, looking at the man who had just entered.

“En! You should be glad you have such a secretary,” Sherlock nodded and said. “This is also why I came to you first, and not to the President.”

“I know you’ve been very close to the Germans recently. Although some private enterprises in Germany have remained stable during the economic crisis, the German government is having an even harder time than we are. What kind of document could you possibly bring from the Germans?” André asked with some disdain.

“How much more time do I have?” Sherlock asked very politely, looking at the clock on the wall.

“A little over three minutes. So if you want to convince me, you’d better hurry up. I have to rush over to President Doumergue’s place in a little while.”

The smile on Sherlock’s face deepened. “Since that’s the case, all the better. Then you can take this document and show it to Mr. President. I believe it will be beneficial to both of you. As for the contents of the document, well, it’s about a massive procurement contract from a German private financial consortium.”

“What?” André lunged at the table, snatched the contract, and began to read its contents in detail. He saw that the Mercedes-Benz company, the Bavarian Motor Works, and the Krupp factory were preparing to import 500,000 tons of steel, 500,000 tons of coal, 10,000 tons of gasoline, and 90,000 tons of rubber from France. They would also conduct large-scale barter transactions with France, trading foodstuffs like potatoes for French steel, and were preparing to acquire a French shipping company with cash.

The entire cooperation plan was worth over 1 billion US dollars. In the midst of an economic crisis, this was practically a lifesaver for the French financial world. If they had this cooperation, then André and Doumergue’s helplessness in the face of the economic crisis would be transformed into a proper response. It could very well save the French economy and win them re-election.

“Mr. Prime Minister, the car is ready,” the secretary said, walking in. He saw the shocked Prime Minister and his cousin, Sir Sherlock, who was playing with the small globe on the Prime Minister’s desk.

“Get out! Come back in when I call you! Have the car ready at the front door! I may need it at any moment,” the Prime Minister said, looking up and waving his hand at the secretary.

“What do the Germans want?” After reading the last page of the contract plan, André put down the document in his hand, looked at Sir Sherlock, who was sitting on the sofa drinking the black tea his secretary had brought, and asked.

“The Germans want to take back the Rhineland demilitarized zone,” Sherlock replied with a smile. “They implore the French government to withdraw the troops stationed in the Rhineland region and hand it over to the German army for complete control.”

“That’s impossible,” André said, shaking his head. “I cannot sell out the interests of France. You can forget about that.”

“Mr. Prime Minister, I know that your cabinet is already discussing the issue of withdrawing troops from the Rhineland. You must also be considering how to stabilize your country’s economy. Since you are going to withdraw the troops sooner or later, what’s the difference between a little earlier and a little later?”

“Of course there’s a difference!” André said angrily. “We withdraw our troops, that is our business! You want to station your troops there! That is unsafe for France! Although we can no longer exercise control over the entire Rhineland region, we cannot hand over control of the entire Rhineland region to the Germans either!”

“Then I’ll be taking this contract with me,” Sherlock said with a smile. “And I wish Mr. André and Mr. Doumergue success in controlling the situation and saving the French financial economy! Oh! Of course, I also wish you both re-election.”

“This is all private capital! Even without the arrangement of the German government, they will voluntarily come to France to invest! As long as we give them some preferential treatment!” André said, looking at Sherlock.

“Do you think that without the participation of certain forces, the Germans could possibly produce such a contract at this time? Why would the Germans organize such a vast amount of private capital to come to France and save the market?” Sherlock asked with a smile.

As Sherlock spoke, he packed up the documents, put them back into the folder, stood up, and nodded. “Since we cannot cooperate this time, then until we meet again, Mr. Prime Minister André.”

With that, he walked straight towards the door, all the way to the side of the door, and reached out to turn the doorknob.

“Wait a moment!” Behind him, Prime Minister André, covered in sweat, finally couldn’t hold back and cried out. “You come with me to the presidential residence. I need to talk with Mr. President. Only then can I give you a reply.”

“Prime Minister André, you are truly a wise politician,” Sir Sherlock said with a smile, pulling open the door. “Then please, Mr. Prime Minister, after you.”

…

“I heard my aunt’s fashion store went bankrupt,” a French soldier wearing a wide-brimmed steel helmet said, taking a deep drag from the cigarette between his fingers and then tossing a document into the brazier in front of him.

Another soldier also nodded. “My dad works as a mechanic in a factory. His skills are top-notch! For decades, everyone in that factory knew my dad. But he still lost his job this time.”

After speaking, he also tossed a document with a confidential seal into the fire, staring blankly at the dancing flames.

“I heard a steel mill in Lorraine was bought by the Germans and is now hiring. The line of people at the gate is over a thousand long. If we lose our jobs this time, I’ll go and take a look,” a soldier standing beside them holding a rifle said, looking somewhat listless. “I just came from division headquarters. I heard our division’s designation is going to be canceled.”

“Damn it! This bunch of bureaucrats. When it’s time to make money, they all stuff it in their own pockets. Now that disaster has come, they run faster than rabbits! In the end, we still have to rely on those Germans to save us!” the first soldier who had complained said, tossing another stack of documents into the brazier. He held a cigarette in his mouth and spoke hatefully.

The soldier holding the rifle nodded in agreement. “Isn’t that the truth! Back then, we fought tooth and nail to drive the Germans away, and now we’re spending money to invite these Germans back! I don’t even know what these officials above us are thinking.”

“Long live the Greater Germany Party!” While these French soldiers were talking, outside the window of the French garrison, a German man stood at the base of a knight’s statue at a street corner, raising his right hand, giving a German salute, and shouting loudly.

“Long live the Greater Germany Party!” Around him, a crowd waving banners and raising their arms high shouted along with him.

“Welcome the Reichswehr back to the Rhineland!” the person leading the chant continued to shout at the top of his lungs.

“Welcome the Reichswehr back to the Rhineland!” Hysterical shouts also erupted from the crowd.

In the command post of the French garrison in the Rhineland, a colonel looked at his guest with a wry smile. “Did you hear the shouts outside? It’s only a matter of time before the Germans return here. I’ve already received my orders. Tonight, we are to leave this place and retreat into France to be reorganized.”

“Yes, I’ve heard. I will be the one in charge of this reorganization,” the visiting French officer also said with a look of unwillingness and a wry smile. “I have been ordered to form an independent French armored force to verify the possibility of independent operations for tank units.”

“Why the sudden interest in this?” the colonel asked casually while tidying up his documents.

The visiting officer did not pause to think. He felt he could tell this secret order to a friend who was about to become his subordinate. So he answered directly, “Because the Germans are also working on this, and their investment is quite large. Grudo’s side also has intelligence indicating that the Germans have equipped a batch of new-model tanks and have spent a lot of money.”

“Here, with Grudo, and what we already know from the British—the intelligence proving the Germans are expanding their military is piled higher than a mountain,” the officer tidying the documents said, angrily tossing the intelligence materials in his hand into the brazier in front of him. He spoke hatefully, “And those idiots at the top just pretend not to see it! Tell me, isn’t that infuriating, Colonel de Gaulle?”

“There’s nothing we can do. The analysis I submitted on Akado Rudolph and the intelligence on the Germans arming themselves have all sunk like a stone into the sea,” de Gaulle said with a helpless shrug of his hands. “We’ve been monitoring Akado for several years. Although the gains haven’t been great, it has indeed proven that Germany is equipping itself with tanks and aircraft. But the British government seems to really hope that the Germans can deal with the Soviets and help Europe hold off the communist attack.”

“Ridiculous! Can’t they see the Germans and the Soviets flirting with each other?” the officer sneered.

“Don’t count on others anymore! We are the hope of this country!” de Gaulle stood up and walked in front of the colonel. “I have already changed my mind. I will no longer get bogged down in stopping that Akado from expanding his army and preparing for war! Since the Germans want to prepare for war, then let’s prepare for war!”

He looked at the setting sun outside the window. “Give the order! We’re going home!”