Father of France

Chapter 241 The General Father in Paris

The passenger ship made a direct stop in French India for resupply. Ministers from Koman and Ali Khan met and reaffirmed their future cooperation before continuing their journey after resupply.

Two weeks later, the Suez Canal came into view. Long-term ship travel is a very grueling experience, so the passenger ship docked at the port of Suez, and the passengers disembarked to experience the desert scenery.

If you don't stay long, any scenery is new, especially for passengers who are used to seeing the sea.

Egypt is still in the Kingdom period, and Farouk I is the monarch of Egypt. The objective fact that Egypt is the strongest country in the Arab world has led to its continued wide influence in the Arab world.

That's right, Egypt is now the strongest country in the Arab world. There's no need for Nasser to create the image of the strongest country. In the first Middle East war, the main force of the Arab world was also the Kingdom of Egypt.

After all, at this moment, in the Arab world, only Egypt has a standing army of 100,000.

Syria couldn't do that either. If it weren't for the butterfly effect brought about by Koeman, which resulted in a large number of Syrian soldiers left behind by France, it would be unknown whether Syria would be stronger than Jordan.

Ava Gardner was also disoriented from the boat ride and looked much thinner. When the boat docked, she accompanied Koman off the boat as well. "This is the strongest country in the Arab world? It's a very backward place."

"Don't say that in front of Egyptians; many Egyptians understand English," Koman warned in a low voice.

Ava Gardner's tone showed a degree of disdain for Egypt, which didn't surprise Koman at all. Different European and American countries have very different views on different civilizations, and the perspectives of Britain, France, and Germany are all different.

As for the United States? The American historical community has long been a disruptor, dedicated to breaking the European hegemony of historical narratives.

While Britain, France, and Germany have different attitudes toward other civilizations, they all highly regard Egypt. The first country to question Egypt's achievements on a large scale was American historians.

Compared to the attitudes of American historians towards Egypt, the pseudo-historians of this major Eastern power are child's play.

For a long time, the United States has been the main force in criticizing ancient Egypt. The method is to use the Hittites to put down ancient Egypt and to suppress ancient Egypt by praising one and belittling the other.

The American and European historical circles are quite different. Many American historians believe that although ancient Egyptian civilization was early, it was not considered powerful, while East Asian civilizations were much more resilient.

Of course, this is just one perspective. Just as Britain has long held that ancient Indian and ancient Egyptian civilizations are of equal status, it has certainly been influenced by realpolitik.

With the United States rising to the position of global hegemon, Western countries' interest in ancient Egypt has greatly diminished under its influence.

Few Western scholars today regard Egypt as the cradle of all human wisdom, nor do they firmly believe that Egypt is the oldest civilization or country, much less that Greek wisdom is a plagiarism of Near Eastern wisdom. However, these ideas were very popular in Europe before the 19th century.

"This great canal embodies the hard work and dedication of France," Corman remarked, gazing in the direction of the Suez Canal.

"Isn't this the British canal?" Ava Gardner interjected inappropriately, giving her man an awkward question.

"The majority of the shares in this canal are held by France," Coman replied, rubbing his forehead in exasperation. Otherwise, why would France have participated in the Suez Canal War, and why would it have taken a tougher stance than Britain? Wasn't it simply because France held a larger stake than Britain?
The Suez Canal Company was initially jointly owned by France and Egypt. Egyptian Governor-General Said Pasha purchased 44 percent of the company's shares on behalf of the Egyptian government, while the remaining 56 percent were held by French private investors.

However, Egypt subsequently fell into a debt crisis and was forced to sell its entire 44 percent stake in the Suez Canal Company to the British government.

The ownership structure of the Suez Canal is such that the British government is the largest single shareholder, while France holds a larger but more dispersed share.

The board consists of 32 members, 10 of whom are appointed by the British government and 22 by the French shareholders. This ensures that France holds an absolute majority on the board.

As for the headquarters of the Suez Canal Company, it is of course in Paris, the capital of France. The existence of the Suez Canal involves hegemony for Britain and core assets for France.

After nationalization, France immediately exploded and, in conjunction with Britain, launched an invasion of Egypt.

However, Britain was primarily responsible for losing face, while France's role was more subtle.

There's a saying that goes, "Britain is a troublemaker, stirring up trouble in the world, while France is a troublemaker for Britain." Because of France's role in the Suez Canal, the British troops in the Canal Zone were quite familiar with the French army, and after seeing a group of French soldiers appear and inquiring about them, they gave them a warm welcome.

Lieutenant Colonel Wiggins, the British Canal District Commander, personally received the special guests who had traveled a long way and inquired about the French army's objectives.

Upon hearing this, Coman immediately understood that the latter was the source of his enthusiasm, and replied with a smile, "It's because we are returning to France from Southeast Asia, and there are still a group of wounded soldiers on board, so we are stopping at Suez Port to ease the psychological burden on the wounded."

"The physical and mental health of the soldiers is indeed important." Koeman's answer relieved the British commander. Apart from the original white dominions, the main support for Britain's global imperial framework was two other things: British India and Egypt.

It can be said that if Britain still controlled the Suez Canal, it might still have some hope of world hegemony. If it lost the Suez Canal, Britain's last bit of hegemonic ambition would dissipate.

While not directly involved, Coman could understand the sentiment, which was a malicious implication that Britain wanted to protect its interests in the Gold Route, a matter that involved not only Britain but also France.

Actually, this has little to do with France. France's main interests are in Africa. At this moment, laborers from rural Algeria, northern Morocco, and even more remote desert regions, wrapped in tattered blankets, are silently flocking to the construction site.

The steel roars, and the steam bulldozers reign supreme here, spewing thick black smoke. Every time their massive buckets bite into the mountainside, it's accompanied by the deafening sound of rocks shattering and the ground trembling.

More than anything, it was a sea of ​​manpower, with hundreds and thousands of workers scattered across the steep slopes, wielding heavy pickaxes, each lift and fall accompanied by the tension of muscles and a muffled groan.

The excavated soil and rocks need to be transported away. A long line of workers stretches from the bottom of the slope all the way to the top. On the already leveled section, another group of workers is laying sleepers and rails.

The Mediterranean railway connection project is progressing rapidly. The major artery of North Africa will gradually take shape after the project is completed, stretching from Tunisia all the way to the Atlantic coast. The workers, sweating profusely, are unaware that the passenger ship carrying the instigator has just passed by on the unseen sea.

After a 35-day voyage, Corman finally ended this long sea voyage. The size of this planet was indeed a bit too large for ocean routes. If France hadn't lacked a usable, or at least usable, passenger plane in Corman's eyes, he would never have wanted to repeat Columbus's journey.

"Now I know why Columbus believed until his death that he had reached India."

Koeman had a deep understanding of sailing and kept complaining while helping Eva Gardner carry her suitcase. But they finally docked. It wouldn't take long to take the train from Marseille to Paris.

Koman has been away from the overseas provinces for quite some time, and now that he is going back, there will definitely be a power struggle with his father, otherwise there will be no place left for him.
To prove that his trip to the Far East had not been in vain, Koman also used his time on the ship to write an article that suggested Chiang Kai-shek's situation might not be as optimistic as the surface battle report from headquarters suggested.

The content about Chang Gong is just an introduction. Using Chang Gong as the opening is mainly to write about the security issues of the Seal Branch, in order to find high-level support for the already begun crawling retreat.

This trip back to Paris was to let General Dracon, the French Army Chief of Staff, who was considered a high-ranking official by Corman, know how to shift the blame should things go wrong in French Indochina.

"Should I go home with you, or wait for you back on Rue d'Hugo?" Eva Gardner asked as she got off at the Paris station. She knew that Corman would definitely go home to inquire about her position.

“If you’re tired, head back to Hugo Street first. I’ll go back after I finish talking to my father.” Koman hailed a taxi, checked his service pistol, and handed it to the woman, reminding her, “Be careful.”

After watching the taxi start, Corman hurried to General Dragon's residence. His rank had been promoted to major, so it shouldn't be unreasonable to give him a higher position. He wondered if there was a suitable place for him to continue contributing to France.

Koeman believed that this trip to the Far East had solved many important problems for France, and that it was not unreasonable to give him a higher position. His father, a general, should not try to gain fame or recognition.

It wasn't until after get off work that Coman finally saw Admiral Dragon return home. The two exchanged a glance and nodded to each other. Como pouted, wondering why he always got scolded when he tried to imitate his brother.

"Back by ship again? How many days have you been at sea?" Admiral Dragon asked, changing out of his uniform with the help of his young wife. "You're back in Paris hoping for a suitable position."

“Otherwise, how could my father be the Chief of the General Staff? That’s my goal,” Koeman said, sounding completely self-assured.

Admiral Dragon raised an eyebrow and chuckled in exasperation, “I thought you would always be more restrained, at least not say it so quickly.”

“That kind of dark thinking doesn’t fit my glorious image,” Coman said, not ashamed but proud.

(End of this chapter)