Father of France

Chapter 136 Five-Year Plan
The short-lived first government marked the failure of de Gaulle's first term in power. The national hero ultimately failed to politically defeat the long-standing political inertia in France since the death of Louis XVI.

In fact, there were signs all along. In the year and four months since de Gaulle returned to Paris, France has held five referendums in a short period of time, truly deserving of the title of a democratic model.

Koeman's last stop before returning to North Africa was to visit General Duval, the commander of the Youth Division who was about to retire, to thank him for taking the blame without hesitation and allowing some controversial policies to be implemented.

This gratitude is heartfelt. Although it has not been long since the liberation of Paris, and many things may not show their effects in the short term, a positive trend has already begun.

General Duval naturally accepted Corman's thanks without question. He knew that Corman, with such a low rank, was not there to do these pointless tasks, but rather to represent the Army Chief of Staff. "Those congressmen forced the general out; I wonder what attitude the next government will take."

Soldiers are generally conservative in their power, and General Duval was no exception, hence his resentment towards de Gaulle's resignation.

Koeman couldn't comfort General Duval and told the truth, "Given the current situation in Parliament, a left-wing government will be formed. Although we don't like this situation, there's nothing we can do about it."

The French Communist Party plus the Socialist Party together hold just over half the seats in the National Assembly, making it highly likely that the two parties will form a left-wing coalition. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, this government after de Gaulle will have a strong socialist character, but it remains to be seen how long it will last.

From the end of the October general election until now, excluding the period of the provisional government, de Gaulle has only managed to hold out in the confrontation with parliament for less than three months, which is hardly a good result.

"It seems Admiral Dragon isn't worried," General Duval concluded from Coman's unchanging expression.

It wasn't that Admiral Dragon wasn't worried, but rather that Corman wasn't. He replied with a smile, "Even our national hero only lasted three months. How long can the French Communist Party and the Socialist Party hold out?"

Political instability might actually be a good thing for the French military. It would mean less time to interfere in Algeria, which is under military control, allowing the French army to operate more freely elsewhere and implement its desired policies, since policy issues have already been resolved.

However, before that, de Gaulle was the leader of France, and as a military man, he had a particularly large influence on the army.

No one knows what de Gaulle was really thinking. If he wanted to defend the Republic and limit the army's actions, he would certainly succeed given his position.

Now that de Gaulle has stepped down, the chances of parliamentary parties succeeding in overturning the status quo of military rule in Algeria have greatly decreased. It's not that they can't succeed, but it will take time.

Koeman, considering the Fourth Republic's average government lifespan of only six months, estimated that it wouldn't affect the stability and prosperity of the North African Overseas Provinces. Without external interference, the question remains: how far can the military control of the North African Overseas Provinces' armed forces go?

On their last day in Paris, Corman took Eva Gardner home for a family gathering. After dinner, he went directly upstairs with the Chief of the Army General Staff. The political situation was unprecedentedly favorable for the French Communist Party and the Socialist Party, and the father and son decided to discuss the issue.

“The nationalization wave is very strong right now, and we must show that the military stands with the government,” Koeman said to General Dragon.

There's really no need to discuss the French Republican Party or the Socialist Party. Post-liberation France was already very socialist, and the French government immediately nationalized the companies that had collaborated with the fascists during the war.

Renault, French dyes, the film industry, the state-owned newspaper company, as well as the four major savings banks and insurance companies were all nationalized, and credit was placed in the hands of the state.

A month ago, the Bank of France was taken over by the state and became the national bank. Once the alliance formed by the Socialist Party and the French Communist Party controls parliament, large-scale nationalization will definitely begin.

Britain's nationalization movement during Prime Minister Attlee's era was substantial; one can simply view France's nationalization movement as an enhanced version of Britain's.

"You're interested in a planned economy?" General Dragon was startled, sensing Koman's thoughts. This was the first time he'd noticed this inclination. When did it begin? After his trip to the Soviet Union?
"I don't reject it, but I don't advocate it either. Economic development must be based on facts." Koeman explained his thoughts in detail: "The idea of ​​a planned economy originated from Marx. His purpose in proposing this idea was to avoid the contradiction of uncoordinated development between the two major sectors in a capitalist economy, and thus completely eliminate the recurring economic crises. This idea, through Lenin's practice, became a real national economic management system and was applied in socialist countries such as the Soviet Union."

"Whether it is Marx's idea or Lenin's idea, a planned economy must be based on pure public ownership, because only in this way can we ensure that all economic entities are completely subject to the planning authorities' control and will not interfere with the implementation of the plan in pursuit of private interests."

"So?" Admiral Dragon pondered. "Do you think the French Communist Party and the Socialist Party will push for a planned economy?" "To some extent, they certainly will, but Western European countries, including France, generally use reformism."

Koeman shrugged in response, then thought for a moment and laughed, “And nobody ever said that only the Soviet fraternal parties could do this. Why can’t the military do it too? Actually, planned economy has its advantages. It’s very effective in certain industries and is suitable for accommodating a large workforce. We’re facing this problem in Algeria.”

General Dragon was not a political figure with any understanding of the political ideologies of various countries; he was merely a soldier. He could only ask questions based on his own understanding, "Does this mean that a planned economy requires all economic entities to have aligned interests, eliminating the need for bargaining? In our country, and indeed in other European countries as well, each region or enterprise has its own interests, and in implementing the national plan, there is bargaining with the state. Therefore, this economic model cannot be considered a planned economy, but rather possesses the characteristics of a market economy."

“Yes, since the left-wing parties are in the lead, we can also move closer to this ideology. For places with weak foundations, a planned economy is indeed effective quickly.” Koeman said with a confident look. “In places like Algeria, which are already strongly controlled by the military, if a certain degree of planned economy is adopted, we can achieve our goals sooner.”

After de Gaulle stepped down, Koeman felt his worries were easing, and he could put some of his bold ideas into practice.

"Is this acceptable?" Admiral Dragon murmured. "A planned economy doesn't mean drawing up a detailed plan like a five-year plan."

"No problem, I can do it," Koman replied confidently, his tone almost eager, as if he had finally waited for this day.

He no longer needs General Dragon's public support, because a planned economy is well-suited to a powerful department like the military. Putting aside ideological and abstract conflicts, there's nothing that can't be used when it comes to economic development.

When Koeman came out of the study, he had a big smile on his face, which puzzled his family and Ava Gardner.

Back on Rue Victor Hugo and Eva Gardner's love nest, an exhausted Coman still had to set off. He landed in Algiers a day later. This time, Marshal Juan de Juan, the commander-in-chief of the French army, did not make any trips to French Morocco and stayed obediently in the headquarters.

Koman, on behalf of the Army Chief of Staff, greeted the Algerian Commander-in-Chief and briefed him on the domestic political situation: "The victory of the Left Alliance may set the stage for a large-scale nationalization. General Dragun means that we should try our best to express our alignment with the government. If the Left Alliance takes note of the situation in Algeria, we can also make the necessary preparations."

Koeman produced a five-year plan for the North African overseas provinces, which detailed Algeria's development direction for the next five years using a planned economy approach.

The main plans include the main departments' planning departments' main projects and investment directions. In terms of agriculture and rural development, the Sahara Desert Oasis Development Plan proposes that the solution is to drill deep wells and expand date palm cultivation.

The Mittija Plain Irrigation Project: Constructing irrigation canals to expand high-yield farmland.

Establish modern demonstration farms. Targets: Increase wheat production by 25% and wine production by 15%. Establish integrated agricultural product processing complexes: canneries, flour mills, and wineries. Provide subsidies for water conservancy facilities and agricultural machinery, promote the use of seeds and fertilizers, and allocate newly reclaimed land.

In industry and mining, priority will be given to the development of agricultural product processing, building materials, and the mining and primary processing of mineral resources such as phosphates, reducing dependence on imported manufactured goods. Mineral development: Expand phosphate and iron ore mining in Constantinople province.

Develop import substitution industries: In building materials, this includes cement, bricks and tiles, and light textiles (textiles and footwear). Target: An average annual industrial output growth of 8%. The military will lead infrastructure investment, and French private capital will be encouraged to invest in factories, with tax incentives provided.

Infrastructure and transportation: Construction of an extension of the Algiers-Oran highway; expansion of the ports of Algiers and Oran; improvement of the southern desert roads.

Energy: Build new hydroelectric power stations and thermal power plants, with the goal of doubling power generation.

Water conservancy: Construction of large dams for irrigation and power generation. Primarily funded by the French government, with some use of European development funds.

New communities are being built around major cities to alleviate housing pressures from immigrants and rural migrants.

(End of this chapter)