Father of France

Chapter 35 Marseille Riots
"Disarm the volunteer army today. Keep an eye on things and make sure nothing goes wrong." Coman waved his hand, unwilling to waste time on the question of who led whom astray.

“Okay, I’ll keep an eye on things. We were on very careful in Paris, but there’s much more freedom here.” Martin muttered, then left the interrogation room without looking back.

Koeman shrugged. "What can you do when there are so many powerful people in Paris? Marseille is much less restrictive; you don't have to be so rigid in your work."

Marseille was under military control at this time, and the main roads leading out of the city were blocked by the French army. A large number of armed police and soldiers checked every vehicle entering and leaving the city to prevent the target from escaping Marseille.

The Antioch regiment in the city headed straight for the headquarters of the French Volunteers, isolating nearby residential areas and cutting off external communication and food supplies.

“We’re all French. While I don’t agree with all of your ideologies, I will try my best not to resort to force to resolve issues,” Corman said softly to Vincent Woolen, a French Communist Party activist, sitting across from him. “It’s all for the stability of the country.”

"I haven't seen how good they are at fighting the Germans, but they're quick-witted and decisive when dealing with their own people," Vincent Woolong sneered, expressing a clear distrust.

Without wasting words, Koeman took out the Nationalization of the Army Act and placed it in front of Vincent Woolong, smiling and bowing his head, saying, "I always do things according to the law."

Vincent Woolong took the bill and refused to believe the words of the reactionaries in his eyes, saying, "Impossible, we have never heard of it."

“Because it hasn’t been officially announced yet.” Koeman paused for a moment, then continued, “I estimate it should be finalized when the British delegation visits Paris. Believe it or not, your leader, Dorez, has already agreed. A leader who has been in exile in Moscow for many years has the nerve to doubt the First Army’s determination to defend the country? Hmm, interesting.”

Koeman's undisguised mockery of the current top leader of the French Communist Party, coupled with his near-total presence in Moscow during World War II, raises questions about his loyalty to France. Isn't that a bit problematic?

Corman did not intend to frame Vincent Woolen, the famous French Communist Party activist who was imprisoned; he knew better than Vincent himself that he was innocent.

Historically, the operation in Marseille should have started more than two years later. But the circumstances were different now. In the world that Coman remembered, France did not launch a large-scale offensive against Italy at the end of the war, and like the other countries on the Western Front, it remained until the end of the war.

But now that France is trying to occupy Italian territory, there is no need to keep Marseille, the revolutionary holy land that is as important as Paris, and a stable rear base should be established for the upcoming military operations.

Aside from temporarily losing his freedom, Vincent Worong lost nothing and was treated to good food and drink, just like Christophe, the leader of the French Communist Party in Marseille, and others.

Taking advantage of the fact that the French Communist Party leaders in Marseille were under house arrest, Antioch Tuanze blocked the area where the French Volunteer Army was active, using the pretext of nationalizing the army to dismantle these armed groups.

Koman had been labeled a reactionary for the past few days, so it was normal for him to hurl insults. However, he never dreamed that Christopher would try to turn him against him. Did he seem like someone with an unstable will?
Christophe's defection attempt immediately ignited Corman's desire to unleash his inner Daoist mastery. Corman, for what seemed like the umpteenth time, banged on the table and retorted, "I'll ask you this: in the African colonies, did the French Communist Party support independence? Don't always evade my questions. The Soviet Union had 22 million square kilometers of land; did France have that too?"

“We have the best arable land in Europe,” Christopher said, opening his mouth slightly. “We can also engage in international trade.” “It’s true that we have the best arable land in Europe, but we don’t have many resources domestically.”

Koeman, with a look that seemed to suggest he was being turned against him, said, "Revolutions involve bloodshed. Are you all prepared to sacrifice two million people? Paris and Marseille, you people from all over the world are always restless with your ambitions, always trying to change the government for all of France. Every revolution causes enormous losses to the country. The storming of the Bastille only had seven prisoners, yet it plunged the whole country into chaos. The Franco-Prussian War was another revolution. Every revolution has left our country far behind Britain. I'm not against revolution, but what country is like France, constantly undergoing revolutions? Is the flower of liberty being watered with the blood of the French people?"

In the eyes of Vincent Woolen and Christophe, Corman was a reactionary with a head full of reactionary ideas. They wondered what they would think if they knew that Corman, a man whose father was a reactionary and whose son was a bastard, even had a Communist Party membership card.

Three days later, Martin reappeared with a serious expression. "We have disarmed the French Volunteers, but we have received news that several leaders of the French Communist Party in Marseille, whom we have not been able to control, seem to be organizing a protest march."

“It’s alright, we have a backup plan.” Koman chuckled and muttered, “Our country, which is always undergoing revolutions, already has experience. If the military uses force, it will cause big problems, but we can use the methods we used in the colonies.”

The so-called colonial method meant that the Indians always carried batons. French colonial policies differed from British ones; the threshold for using military force was lower. However, they were no strangers to batons.

Taking the baton Martin handed him, Koeman swung it twice, making a whooshing sound, before saying with satisfaction, "Get some rest today. Tomorrow we'll set the moral compass of the Marseille citizens right."

Resisting the government is nothing more than armed uprisings and protests. After decisively taking down the top brass of the French Communist Party and the French Volunteer Army, the disarmament was successful. Although there was the deterrent effect of the 75mm gun, success is success. The protests that always occur in France are now the means that the French Communist Party can use.

Koeman's strategy was to restore calm to Marseille while the French Communist Party's support was not particularly high.

That's right, the French Communist Party's support rate is not at its highest now. Historically, the highest support rate for both the French and Italian Communist Parties was after the fall of Berlin in 1945, when the French Communist Party's support rate in France exceeded 40%. Now it is less than 30%.

Even into the night, Corman was still devising plans to suppress the protests and demanding support from the French military command next to the city hall. Major General Raphael gave an affirmative reply and allocated military vehicles for the Youth Division's use.

The next day, as the sun rose, Marseille was in an uproar. The Marseille General Labor Union, in the name of the military's detention of Vincent Volland, Christophe, Fidel, and others, called on Marseille workers to strike and release the detainees.

A large crowd surged forward, with protesters holding red banners and marching in a goose-like manner to call on Marseille citizens along the way to join them. The crowd grew larger and larger as they headed towards the city hall.

"Everything we're doing today is a rehearsal for the future. We're protecting this country," Koman shouted to his assembled comrades in Arabic. "The scene might be a bit chaotic. If you try to communicate with each other in Arabic, they definitely won't understand you. Now, get in the vehicles."

(End of this chapter)