Britain was already at odds over the German issue.
Italy was singing a different tune.
And amid continued chaos with successive presidential vacancies in the United States.
"Rousseau, these bastards!"
"They're saying they're making good money! The Black Sea has opened up and agricultural products are selling as fast as they stack up in warehouses!"
There was practically no one to raise opposing voices alongside France against Russia's unprecedented decision to forgive all reparations.
After acting like they wouldn't step outside the ethnic lines drawn by the Tsar, now they co out with reparation forgiveness.
"Rather than openly supporting Germany, isn't this targeting us French?"
Even Pétain, who had risen to Marshal alongside Foch and now kept a step away from field units, had no choice but to run to Clenceau to request dialogue on this matter.
Since forr Pri Minister Clenceau had Marshal Foch lead the Ruhr occupation, he should also provide a solution.
However, Clenceau brought up sothing entirely different to Pétain.
"Marshal Pétain. There's still one bullet remaining between my ribs."
"...They say they couldn't surgically remove all six bullets fired by the anarchist Émile Cottin."
"The doctor told I could die any ti because of that bullet."
Georges Clenceau, the warti Pri Minister who once evolved into a monster that desperately squeezed into the national unity cabinet and even tried to control the president.
However, that monstrous appearance had vanished from the current Clenceau, leaving only tremors disguised as composure.
"Though we only took bullets, we each sought the presidency in our own way, not knowing when we'd die. Well, after experiencing that war, life becos empty and you have nothing left to lose."
Pétain, Foch, and Clenceau.
The three were France's core who joined hands during warti to wage war against Germany, but after the war ended, they were all n who dread of running for president in the 1920 election.
However, all three eventually gave up or failed, and the independent Millerand, who was Minister of War, beca president.
"Marshal Pétain."
"I'm listening."
"I'm about to retire from politics. I'm past my pri."
"Aren't you the spiritual leader of the French right? Don't talk as if you're so old man in the back room."
Despite Pétain's consolation that wasn't consolation, Clenceau shook his head as if unwilling to hear even empty words.
"No, I've reached the point where I can't control anything, beyond being pushed out of politics."
"What do you an by that?"
"I wanted to make the Rhineland a permanent neutral zone. But no one in France, not even Britain, would listen. So when neutrality beca difficult, I had no choice but to support Marshal Foch's intention to occupy it entirely."
aning he supported the plan to completely occupy the Ruhr industrial region with military forces, but didn't entirely agree.
"Just yesterday, over a hundred Germans were executed as punishnt for disobedience movents. Germany has declared a state of ergency, but there's no proper solution."
France finally confird with their own eyes.
That Germany truly had no ability to pay reparations, and furthermore, not even the strength to resist.
Nevertheless, having already started, France couldn't withdraw troops from the Ruhr.
"Is there sothing more I don't know about why we can't end the current situation?"
"Even Czechoslovakia has refused our alliance. They're watching Russia's reaction."
Despite clearly being separated from Austria and Germany by ethnic sentint, Czechoslovakia rejected the hand extended by France.
"Due to Russia's full forgiveness of reparations, worldwide sympathy is rising again. But do you know what's an even bigger problem?"
"...What is it?"
"Now I'm afraid too. Afraid that Russia might join hands with Germany."
Resolution of the situation? Russia's reparation forgiveness might appear righteous on the surface, but it was a bad move that eliminated France's independent solution.
Alliance with Czechoslovakia? If that new nation truly considered Germany an enemy, this treaty should have been concluded long ago.
Though already pushed out of politics and rely an old man living on past glory, even to such an elderly eye, it was crystal clear.
"This Ruhr situation is just a montary advantage, but eventually another war will break out. Yet even I don't know. Can we... actually win the next war?"
In Clenceau's view, Foch was already acting like a madman in the Ruhr and Rhineland because he realized this situation before himself. The Marshal's recent actions bore the desperate mark of a man possessed by a terrible vision of the future, his military precision giving way to sothing more frantic and uncontrolled.
Capturing and killing all who resist - the reports ca daily now, telling of summary executions and brutal crackdowns on even the smallest signs of defiance. The streets of industrial towns ran red with the blood of workers and citizens who dared to speak against the occupation.
Trying desperately to find French workers and owners for seized factories, Foch had been sending urgent telegrams across France, promising generous compensation and patriotic glory. But few wanted to relocate to this troubled region, leaving many of the massive steel mills and coal mines operating at a fraction of their capacity.
Finding all sorts of pretexts to drag out negotiations with the German governnt and extend the situation - each eting seed to end in new demands, new conditions, new reasons why the occupation must continue. Every diplomatic overture was t with calculated delays and bureaucratic obstacles.
Though his emotions intensified while speaking, his voice rising and falling like a tide of barely contained fury and fear, Clenceau soon closed his eyes deeply, the lines on his face etched deeper by shadow and concern. Upon reopening them, he regained his usual composure - the Tiger of France once more, his steel-gray eyes sharp and focused, but now carrying a new weight of grim understanding.
"The solution, at least, isn't in our hands. I'll have to live long enough to see it. To think we'd end up hoping for diation from those islanders." Your next chapter is on My Virtual Library Empire
"Just send instead. I'll go and resolve it."
"This won't be resolved by convincing . The mont I bring up anything contrary to the right wing, despite leading them, the right-wing coalition is finished."
"So we just sit and sip tea while watching?"
The situation keeps growing but there's no proper solution.
Hearing those words from Clenceau, who was like the root cause, even Pétain was left speechless from frustration.
"Instead."
However, Clenceau had no intention of letting Foch cross lines that shouldn't be crossed.
"We'll wait for Arica."
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