Father of France

Chapter 111 The Vanderbilt Family

General Dragon agreed, adding, "We can select some Waffen-SS members and exile them to Algeria for reformation. This would seem like a harsher punishment, and other countries wouldn't be able to find fault with it. We can also use this opportunity to immigrate the families of these Waffen-SS members to the Saar region. In this way, the families and Waffen-SS members will be separated, and the government can maintain a balance between the two groups. We must persist until the Saar referendum yields a result favorable to France."

“A very good idea.” George Pidul immediately agreed. The method was rather underhanded, but what politician isn’t? As long as the goal is achieved, that’s all that matters.

"And what about the Yugoslavs in Austria? Actually, this group has nothing to do with us, but it still has some value in order to make the ethnic composition of Algeria more stable."

General Dracon changed the subject again, saying that the eight million Algerians were actually a thorn in France's side.

The interim government's attitude was simple: to dilute the demographic advantage of Algerians as much as possible; anyone other than Arabs would be fine, and France could accept any group.

Whether it was Germany, Italy, or Yugoslavia, otherwise this colony that dared to riot on Victory Day would have underestimated the seriousness of France.

July 16, U.S. time, in the Alamogordo Desert, New Mexico, the success or failure of the Manhattan Project hinges on this moment.

“…five…four…three…two…one…”

In that instant, time itself seemed to be torn apart. There was no sound.

First came light—a light that humanity had never witnessed on Earth before. It was neither the light of dawn nor the rays of the sun, but a more primal, more violent, newborn radiance.

It exploded violently from the horizon, instantly turning night into day. Its intensity was enough to penetrate tightly closed eyelids, illuminating every horrified face in the bunker in a ghastly white light, and shielding the skeletons under the incandescent bulbs. In a fraction of a second, the world was reduced to pure black and white.

Then, the light began to expand and churn, engulfing everything around it, transforming into a gigantic, boiling fireball, shimmering with terrifying orange, purple, and yellow hues. It roared as it rose, as if an enraged god had broken free from the earth, ready to burn through the sky.

Then, the shockwave arrived. A belated, earth-shattering roar shook the earth, like a thousand thunderbolts exploding simultaneously in one's ears. The ground beneath one's feet trembled violently, the bunkers creaked, and dust fell from the roof.

A hot wind swept over me, carrying desert sand and a strange, nauseating smell of sulfur and ozone—the scent of the new world.

The fireball continued to rise, cool, and condense into the mushroom cloud destined to be etched into human history and nightmares. It stood tall, looking down at the creators below, who were as insignificant as ants, symbolizing the release of a power that was both sacred and terrifying.

The atomic bomb was revealed to the world for the first time, and news of the success of the Manhattan Project was immediately transmitted to all parts of the world via invisible radio waves.

Truman, who was at the Potsdam Conference, received a telegram from home: "A boy was born safely, and his cries could be heard far and wide."

Truman was overjoyed and shared this joy with Churchill, saying, "Winston, I dreamt last night that I was going to rule the world."

While the US president traveled to Germany for the Potsdam Conference, Koeman and his entourage finally arrived at New York Harbor, successfully landing in North America's largest city.

"This is the city where Li Hongzhang is like a country bumpkin visiting the Grand View Garden." Coleman wasn't really impressed. Whether he came to New York during Li Hongzhang's time, now, or decades later in the 21st century, it wouldn't make much difference.

Although decades had passed, Li Zhongtang and the scene he saw were not much different.

After four days at sea, the French military delegation arrived at its destination. Without time to appreciate the prosperity of the world's largest city, they immediately split into three groups to conduct separate inspections.

This military sales inspection has no hard targets. The purpose is to spend a month learning about the US military industry and to explore potential military sales. Investing potential does not mean placing an order. Considering the vast size of the US mainland, the military has given the inspection team a month to report on valuable purchase projects.

Koeman faced a more difficult situation. The helicopter project he was investigating was an extremely niche industry at the time, and he had a tight schedule and a heavy workload, but he still had to visit a family.

It wasn't the DuPont family, although the DuPont family was indeed present during the French military delegation's visit; Corman was to visit the Vanderbilt family.

This is a famous example of how wealth doesn't last three generations, and how a life of luxury led to the downfall of a once-top American family, transforming it into an ordinary one.

The Vanderbilt family is the embodiment of the railroad magnates in The Internationale. The family is now in its fourth generation. Forty years have passed since they were once on par with Rockefeller and Morgan, but have now faded into obscurity.

The inheritance tax of 1916 dealt a devastating blow to the Vanderbilt family, and the tax rate continued to rise afterward. This was particularly damaging to a family whose wealth was highly concentrated in real estate and in the hands of a few heirs. To pay the enormous inheritance tax, the descendants were forced to sell off large amounts of mansions, artworks, and land.

The Waves Lodge, a symbol of the Vanderbilt family and a testament to their status in America, is being put up for sale due to its inability to afford taxes and maintenance costs. Once listed, this signifies a change of ownership of the Vanderbilt family's most iconic property, marking the end of the family's last vestiges of glory.

Choosing this family on the verge of falling from grace is simple. The Vanderbilt family is now just one step away from being an ordinary person, even though many family members still have hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars in wealth.

But in the United States at that time, a million dollars was by no means considered a fortune.

However, the Vanderbilt family remains very famous. Starting from the second generation, the family has been associated with luxury goods and art, which is very much in line with the temperament of France.

Such a large scale, in line with France's reputation and the current situation of having no successors, is very suitable for France's plans.

This family is known for its gullible and wealthy members, often the targets of consumerist exploitation. With French luxury goods companies—those with little real value but huge brand recognition—aiming to expand into the US market, the Vanderbilt family's characteristics make them particularly suited to act as their American agents.

Koeman's first purpose in coming to New York was to meet the current head of the family, former Rhode Island Governor Vanderbilt III, whose governorship was also the pinnacle of his political career.

He was elected as the 58th governor of Rhode Island as a Republican, serving a two-year term.

Because of the Democratic president Roosevelt's dominance during World War II, the Republican Party suffered a crushing defeat, and Vanderbilt III, as a Republican candidate, was also affected.

This is also the last time the Vanderbilt family is on a relatively high political stage. It can be said that this is the point at which the Vanderbilt family is falling from grace. Once Vanderbilt III dies, this family will be no different from ordinary Americans.

Four years ago, the governor did not have the ability to stop Corman. He appeared with the entrustment of Picasso, the world's greatest painter, and was immediately summoned.

“Mr. William, I have come at the request of Mr. Picasso. Of course, I also have other tasks to perform, and I am here to help.”

Koeman introduced himself and then got straight to the point: "Mr. Picasso intends to hold an art exhibition in the United States, and many of his works will be exhibited at the event. He has commissioned me to find someone with extensive influence in the art world to facilitate this."

Vanderbilt III's political career was short-lived, but in terms of family succession, he was not targeting anyone. After all, this family had built its reputation with hundreds of millions of dollars during the American Gilded Age. When it comes to being rich and foolish, they are the representatives of high society. Who dares to deny the professionalism of the Vanderbilt family?

The same was true of Vanderbilt III; during his two years as governor, he achieved little of note.

But in other respects, he fully inherited the Vanderbilt family tradition, possessing a vast collection of classic cars that showcases his deep passion for automotive engineering.

He was also a major patron and trustee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, providing substantial financial support for art acquisitions and the museum's development.

Sure enough, upon hearing Picasso's name, Vanderbilt III's demeanor changed completely. He was born at the beginning of the century, a time when old Europe still held a strong stigma towards America.

Even though this filter is fading, it still exists. For a 44-year-old adult like him, the old European filter is no longer easy to remove.

“I have a very good relationship with the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.” Vanderbilt III immediately showed great interest. “The world is very aware of Mr. Picasso’s achievements in the field of painting. Once the news of the exhibition in the United States gets out, it will definitely cause a sensation.”

“I also believe Mr. Picasso has the ability.” Koeman breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that his analysis of the Vanderbilt family was very accurate and hit the other party’s weakest spot. “I believe Mr. William’s help will make Mr. Picasso very grateful. Of course, in order to maximize our influence, we still have a lot to discuss.”

“Of course,” Vanderbilt III said with pride, feeling very honored to be hosting the Picasso exhibition.

The Vanderbilt family transitioned from railroad magnates to real estate tycoons, and then to an art family.

Clearly, the transformation after real estate was not successful. Art is, after all, expensive, and the income of the Vanderbilt family is no longer comparable to that of the railroad tycoon era.

(End of this chapter)