Father of France

Chapter 128 Algiers
Over the next few days, Koeman began packing his bags while cramming on knowledge about French Algeria, a region collectively known as French Algeria, which currently consists of three overseas departments and a southern territory.

The three provinces are Algiers, Oran, and Constantine, plus the French southern territory of more than two million square kilometers, which constitutes the so-called total area of ​​Algeria.

Before military control, the three overseas provinces were nominally controlled by the Governor-General's Office, while the French southern territory, covering more than two million square kilometers, had always been under the control of the French army.

In other words, most of Algeria was already under military control. Due to the Victory Day uprising in May, three provinces were also brought under military control, and now it can be said that the whole country is now under military control.

According to statistics from the Governor-General's Office of Algeria, Algeria's total population is between 8.5 million and 9 million, of which about 1.2 million are European immigrants. The remaining less than 8 million are Muslims, three-quarters of whom are Arabs and one-quarter are Berbers. This proportion is very similar to that of French Monaco.

However, this was the previous statistic for Middle Eastern Christian immigrants, including the Maronites. Now, Algeria has several more groups, totaling 150,000 Vichy French exiles, of whom more than 120,000 are women.

The 240,000 German and Italian prisoners of war captured during the Tunisian campaign, and the 50,000 Italian expatriates who fell into French hands during the partition of Libya by Britain and France.

The three hundred thousand Yugoslav refugees, and finally, the Christian immigrants from the surrounding areas of Syria who are currently in the process of immigrating, may number over two million.

Not all of these people can be utilized. A large number of the German and Italian prisoners of war and Italian expatriates from the Tunisian campaign, as well as the 300,000 Rhine Camp prisoners of war previously allocated to Algeria by the provisional government, will certainly return to Germany and Italy in the future. How many will remain is still unknown.

If all of them stay in Algeria in the future—which is unlikely—then Algeria's population should be around 12 million in the next two years.

Because of the composition of prisoners of war and the current state of military control, the military content is particularly high in Algeria, including both victorious and defeated soldiers and former soldiers.

Koman packed two large suitcases full of personal necessities, but not all of them; a small portion also contained the results of his investigation of the Soviet Union.

Martin, having learned that Koeman was about to serve overseas without prior notice, showed up and asked with great awareness, "Is there anything I can help you with?"

“Translate this textbook into French.” Koeman took out a package of Soviet basic education textbooks for examination. “We also need to find a series of history experts to discuss the content on the concept of unity in history.”

"Don't worry, leave it to me." Martin casually flipped through the document, which he didn't recognize at all, and then put it aside, saying, "You're already a captain and company commander, a full-fledged commander. It makes me very sad."

"There will be bread, there will be milk, there will be everything." Koeman understood the feeling of being afraid that his brother would suffer but also afraid that his brother would drive a Land Rover. "Think about how good it is to be here. The beautiful environment. I'm not going to go to North Africa to eat sand or I might go to Southeast Asian forests to play hide-and-seek. Doesn't it feel more balanced if you think about it this way?"

“You’re good at comforting people,” Martin nodded. “Your time is precious right now, so save it for your girlfriend. I’m going now.”

That's true. Ava Gardner is much more important to him now than Martin, her comrade-in-arms. He even promised to accompany the American girl who's traveled across the ocean to buy a car.

As a citizen of the world's leading automobile power, Eva Gardner couldn't help but puff out her chest with pride when she thought of America's powerful corporate industry.

"I've never heard of French cars. There are quite a few British cars in the US, but they're relatively expensive," Ava Gardner shared her observation. "Are there any French car brands?"

“Yes, for example, Bugatti.” Coman was initially not very confident, but when he heard that British cars were more expensive, he suddenly became very confident. In this world, is there any country that is better at turning a product into a luxury item than France?
However, Bugatti may not be releasing any new models right now, since the war has only just ended, and it's highly likely that only the classic models from before the war have resumed production.

Koeman decided to accompany Eva Gardner to buy a car, and also to demonstrate France's unfathomable strength in high-premium pricing, ultimately purchasing a Bugatti Type 57 classic sports car.

Although it wasn't the one that was only made in three models and cost $400,000 back then, the one Eva Gardner bought is still quite expensive for France today.

On the day of departure, Ava Gardner helped Koman carry her luggage to the registration office, and said somewhat sadly, "If you miss me, write to me often."

“I’ll choose a good location in Algiers for you, and you can design your own house there,” Corman said with a grin, pinching Eva Gardner’s earlobe. Traveling by train to Marseille, Corman always thought back to around the same time last year when he and his comrades defended traditional French values.

The Liberty ship cleaved through the warm waters of the Mediterranean, and Koman's company and five thousand prisoners of war set off together.

The Mediterranean Sea stretches out in the distance. The water is an endless expanse of blue, merging with the sky in the distance, almost indistinguishable from the horizon. A few white fishing boats move slowly, like scraps of paper floating on a blue ribbon.

The Mediterranean Sea may not seem large, but the journey from Marseille to Algiers by Liberty ship still takes twenty hours. On the second day, the French soldiers on board the Liberty ship could see Algiers getting closer and closer in the distance. It looked like a white labyrinth rising from the sea, spreading layer upon layer along the hillside.

The sunlight here is exceptionally generous, coating the walls of every building with a dazzling gold.

After landing, with the help of the local French army, the prisoners of war disembarked in an orderly manner, while Koman went straight to the Governor's Palace. Although under military control, Algeria still retained the position of Governor, but in addition to retaining the position of Governor, there was also an Algerian garrison command.

The current Governor-General of Algeria is Chatainho, a career diplomat rather than a typical colonial official or military man. He hopes to implement a relatively enlightened and reformist policy to address the growing nationalist sentiment in Algeria.

Clearly, Chattanoo failed. He was unaware that in another world, the French government was prepared to give him another chance. However, in this world, the biggest variable was the Maronite Christian community seeking to immigrate, which led to the emergence of a hardline policy, rendering the liberal governor's ideas useless.

Currently, most of the power in Algeria rests with General Alphonse Juan, the French Commander-in-Chief of the Algerian Army. Born in Algeria, as a descendant of French immigrants, it is obvious what kind of attitude his upbringing would lead him to.

At this time, General Alphonse Juan was not in Algiers, but in Morocco, where he was discussing North African security issues with the Governor-General of Morocco.

It can only be said that Coman's arrival was rather coincidental. After Lefebvre informed him of the matter, he asked, "Sir, should we still go to headquarters to wait for the prisoners of war to be settled?"

“Let’s go straight to the Governor’s Palace. Don’t we still have a Governor there?” Coman maintained a calm attitude. Governor Chattanio must still be handling a lot of administrative work.

There's no need to waste time waiting for General Alphonse Juan's return; administration is administration, and military is military.

Algiers' urban development is rather ordinary; the city streets are narrow and winding, and children chase and play in the alleys. They didn't seem afraid when they saw Koman; it was obvious that he was a descendant of European immigrants.

Walking to the Governor's Palace, after being informed, Coman went straight in. After waiting for a while, Xia Tainio finally appeared, dressed in a well-tailored suit, his gaze falling on Coman. "General Dragon said his child would come here to serve, and it turns out it's true."

It seems his father wasn't seeking fame or recognition. Corman answered directly, "It's all for France's influence in Africa. As a soldier, I can't shirk this responsibility. Otherwise, I would be letting down the honor of soldiers and the great and glorious history of France."

"The General Staff has instructed us to accelerate urban construction, and the Algiers Command is in charge of this task." Xia Tainio's tone was somewhat resentful, clearly dissatisfied with the military, represented by General Alphonse Juan, which now practically manages everything in Algeria, rendering the Governor's Palace a mere formality.

However, Chattanio still showed a cooperative attitude, directly presenting all the French surveys of Algeria over the past few decades, including administrative divisions, settlement distribution, and hydrographic maps.

The vast majority of Algeria's rivers flow through the northern coastal outflow zone, and the areas surrounding these short rivers that flow north into the Mediterranean are now the main residential areas.

“There are more than forty towns under construction at the same time, and the headquarters knows more about the specifics,” Xia Tainio replied rather calmly. “As for your destination, Constantine Province, the construction and defense of the local settlements are still underway. There was a riot there a few months ago, and although things have calmed down now, there is still a certain degree of danger.”

“I understand, Your Excellency.” Corman stood at attention listening to the governor’s speech. Although due to the military regime, he might not have the same power as other colonies, his rank was still respectable.

(End of this chapter)