Father of France

Chapter 14 Arrival in Marseille
According to the US congressman, Koeman's impression of liberal arts students is that if Chinese students want to come here to study Shakespeare and the Federalist Papers, that's what they need to learn in the US. They don't need to come to the US to study quantum computing and artificial intelligence.

Even the nouveau riche in America know the true value of liberal arts students, so how could Koman not know? To say that liberal arts students are simply people who have escaped illiteracy might be a bit of an exaggeration.

However, compared to STEM fields, humanities are incomparable in every aspect except for the fact that tuition fees are the biggest advantage.

"Does our country lack scholars and skilled workers?" General Dragon now knew that, in terms of manpower, France's losses in this war were not severe. The Germans had wiped them out at the start, and two million troops were in prisoner-of-war camps. But in prisoner-of-war camps, they were not dead; they were recoverable losses.

“If we focus on the mainland, then there’s definitely no shortage, but if we include overseas provinces, there’s a huge gap.” Coleman reminded Admiral Dracon that Algeria in North Africa still exists, and in the eyes of many French people, it is a natural extension of mainland France into the Mediterranean.

Algeria currently has a population of ten million, of which more than one million are French immigrants. Even with the assimilated local residents, the total is less than two million. The remaining eight million are Algerian Arabs and Berbers. Is France's current talent pool sufficient to bring all these people to a certain level? It certainly is not.

To meet the education and training needs of these eight million people, France needs to train enough additional personnel to send to Algeria to take risks.

Koeman wasn't pessimistic. He felt that even if they started training people now, it would take several years to see results, and whether they would have enough talent to go to North Africa was another question. So, there was only one option left: to steal talent from defeated countries.

By poaching skilled scholars, teachers, and technical workers, France can seamlessly fill the gaps with talent from defeated nations, saving at least three or four years. The sooner this is implemented, the better.

“That’s true.” Admiral Dragon smiled smugly. “It’s better to suffer for others than to suffer for yourself. This can certainly save a lot of costs, but it requires plundering a lot of talent from defeated countries.”

"Germany and Italy together have a population of 100 million. Losing a few professors or doctors is not a big deal at all." Koeman has always had genuine respect for the Axis powers and said that Germany and Italy could definitely withstand the pressure.

When Corman took his brother for a walk, he walked in front, but when he walked with Admiral Dragon, he walked side by side.

He stayed in Sardinia for two days to understand the current war situation, and since he was not qualified to speak directly with General de Gaulle, he was more suited to be an executor who reversed cause and effect.

When Corman reappeared at the port to board the ship, General Dragon was also in contact with Paris in his capacity as commander of the First Army of France.

In Paris, the clamor of liberation has slowly faded, replaced by a tense atmosphere. The war is not over yet, and France's revenge has only just begun.

The biggest problem at present is rebuilding the French army. Although there are still a large number of French officers and soldiers in German prisoner-of-war camps, de Gaulle and the military and political leaders of the Committee of National Liberation know that a country's dignity cannot be restored by one or two speeches. The rapid defeat of the French army in the Battle of France is a thorn in their side.

While in London, de Gaulle and his comrades clearly experienced what it was like to be dependent on others. They never wanted to relive the hardships of seeking support everywhere during the years of the Free French movement.

The current main force of the French army comes from two sources: the First Army of France from Syria, and the Second Army of France, which is composed of mixed African troops. As for the troops that were just liberated in Paris and those that evacuated to Britain from Dunkirk, they cannot be compared in size to these two forces from outside France.

If this situation continues until the end of the war, it is untenable to claim that France has achieved liberation on its own. Rebuilding the French army is now urgent, and the most pressing task is to reintegrate the partisans led by the French Communist Party into a unified command system. Fortunately, after communication with Moscow, the First Secretary of the French Communist Party, Torres, has already set off to return home.

After a military conference, a weary de Gaulle returned home, still holding a telegram from Sardinia. His wife Yvonne and several children were at home, and they were overjoyed to see him. Yvonne approached him with a smile, saying, "The food is ready, but it's not a big meal."

"The rationing system may have to continue for quite some time." De Gaulle felt a warmth in his heart when he saw his wife and children. He put down the French State Affairs Guide in his hand and sat down at the dinner table.

"Whose file is this?" Yvonne asked curiously. Although De Gaulle worked tirelessly to recover the entire territory, he rarely brought his work home.

"General Dragon." De Gaulle also felt it was inappropriate, so he removed the document from the table, intending to continue reading what it said after the meal.

“Is that the Syrian general Dragon?” Yvonne remembered him immediately. She had heard de Gaulle mention him. “You said that the relationship between General Dragon and his son was very unusual, and that he seemed to value the child very much.”

"Yes, Coman even called himself a super genius, and Dragon didn't refute it."

General de Gaulle chuckled at the thought, even laughing out loud, “Today, the Sardinian Army Group Command asked whether it was necessary to plunder Italian shipyard workers, saying it could quickly restore the strength of the French Navy. I think it is. Operation Catapult is a sore spot for the Navy and has even had a great negative impact on the Free French movement.”

Regardless, it is a fact that Operation Catapult, launched by the British, inflicted heavy losses on the French Navy, placing the Free French movement in London in a very passive position at the time.

When the topic of the navy came up, Philippe de Gaulle, who had always dreamed of leading a navy, became interested, saying, "I wonder when the French navy will be able to recover."

Marseille, France's largest port on the Mediterranean, is where the Marseillaise, a song of resistance against tyranny, was born, inspiring the revolutionary spirit in the hearts of generations of French people.

Marseille is located outside the German-occupied areas of France. Compared to the German-occupied north, there are almost no traces of war here, and the seaside is still full of a peaceful atmosphere.

The Liberty ship docked at the port, and a group of soldiers in military uniforms wearing black Lorraine cross masks successfully disembarked.

After following Dragon away from his homeland for so many years, Corman set foot on French soil for the first time. He jumped up and down twice, finding his footing again. His mask concealed his whisper, “Passersby, do not grieve for me. If I live, none of you will live.”

(End of this chapter)