Father of France

Chapter 37 Bokassa

The consequences of this incident are obvious. The Marseille riots were originally expected to occur two years later, but now? Just as Koeman thought, a crackdown is inevitable.

Marseille, the largest city in southern France, is located in the southeast and was bound to be the starting point for the attack on Italy. It was impossible for such an important place to harbor an armed organization of the French Communist Party.

Although the French Communist Party has 250,000 armed men, they are scattered throughout France, and there are already eight divisions of combat troops around Marseille. If Coman does not comply, the casualties caused by other troops will only be greater.

"Corporal Bokassa, shall we inquire about how to dispose of the body?" A dark-skinned soldier nearby saluted his superior and asked.

Upon hearing the name, Koeman turned to look at the typical military conversation between superiors and subordinates, and reached out his hand, calling out, "You two, come here for a moment."

The two soldiers who were called to a halt paused, and the nearby French African soldiers also took aback, silently watching the scene. Bokassa, who had been called to a halt, could only walk up to the two soldiers who had covered their faces, swallowed hard, and asked, "Sir, what is it?"

"Your name is Bokassa? Where were you born? When did you start your service?" Koman looked at Bokassa's face. It was truly a racial talent. He had to wear a mask even when he did bad things. He had gotten used to it over the years. Look at this guy, he didn't have to do anything. He could be remembered after just one glance and then forgotten immediately.

“Serving in equatorial Africa, sir.” Bokassa stood tall and proud, clearly proud to be a soldier, and remained unfazed by the scrutinizing gaze of the man before him.

Upon hearing this, Koeman immediately understood. When humanoid stars shone brightly, although there were many humanoid stars around the world, French Africa still managed to secure its place thanks to its outstanding contributions.

Monarchs are rare in modern society, but Bokassa was once an emperor. Koman envied him greatly. He had been called a reactionary these past few days, but he was nothing compared to this black soldier in front of him.

After a long pause, Koman finally spoke again, this time much more sincerely, "Your company performed well. I will apply to the higher-ups to join our operations. From now on, we will be comrades-in-arms."

For a moment, Martin seemed to witness an incredible miracle, though it was hidden by his mask. His eyes darted between Coman and Bokassa, trying to confirm whether it was real.

"You have one day. Before sunrise tomorrow, don't leave any traces on the streets." Koman's voice returned to its calm and gentle tone. Now that the matter was over, there was no need to linger at the crime scene like a murderer.

Koeman immediately began writing a summary report, concluding on this incident of looting and arson, and how the Antioch Pirates maintained maximum restraint in the face of organized and premeditated violence.

Ultimately, with the painful thought of protecting the people's property, we had no choice but to bring the scoundrels to justice.

After finishing writing it, he handed it directly to his superior, Battalion Commander Celt. Celt was very satisfied and praised the other companies, saying, "That's what you call professional. A model of our soldiers."

No secrets stay hidden forever. The hospitals and police stations were overflowing, and inevitably, the news reached the Marseille high command, who had been placed under house arrest during the previous raid.

When Coman reappeared, he experienced the passion of the left-wing revolutionaries through the iron bars, but he was far enough away that he wasn't sprayed with Vincent Woolong's spittle.

“Mr. Vincent, this is unavoidable. It is better for the youth division to do it than for the combat troops who have been on the battlefield to suppress it.”

Koeman offered lukewarm advice, which was his true belief: "Everything should prioritize victory in the war; everything else must take a backseat. Most French people are suspicious of the French Communist Party's armed forces in Marseille. This isn't the fault of the Youth Division. You should find a way to convince the French people that you are patriotic." "Just like after the Franco-Prussian War, when you joined forces with the Germans to suppress the French people," Vincent Woolen said, his gaze full of sarcasm.

“Whether you’re close or not, class makes the difference; this kind of thing doesn’t only happen in France,” Coleman shrugged. “I don’t know when the French Communist Party representatives, including you, will be released, but we should meet again someday.”

Koeman didn't have time to waste with these French comrades. The battle against Italy was about to begin, and he had to go to the battlefield. He would rather use his time to provide psychological counseling to his comrades.

"This is the first time our troops have stepped onto the battlefield, so everyone needs to be mentally prepared." At this moment, Koman introduced his comrades in his company, including a platoon that had been transferred from Bokassa. "They are brother units from equatorial Africa, and they have been assigned to our company to fight together. From now on, we are all comrades-in-arms. On the battlefield, we must trust each other and absolutely not let racial conflicts cause problems. An army that is not united will definitely face defeat."

“Then let’s not mix them up. We can complete the mission ourselves, which avoids potential conflicts. What can they do to help us?” Martin said to the opposing soldiers, spouting nonsense.

Koman, however, maintained his mild demeanor and said, half-jokingly, "Actually, haven't you noticed that they are more talented than us when it comes to night combat?"

In an era with little night vision equipment, African soldiers should naturally have an advantage in nighttime combat.

“We will absolutely not hold you back.” Bokassa, sensing that his troops were being looked down upon, replied loudly, “Let’s prove whether you’re just talking big or not by showing your performance on the battlefield.”

"I want to emphasize the unity among comrades once again, and I don't want to say it a third time." Koeman remained true to his point, believing that if racial conflicts were under control, they would not necessarily affect combat effectiveness.

After a few days, the commotion in Marseille finally subsided. Compared to other riots that were suppressed with firearms, this one was relatively mild. The French Communist Party in Paris was certainly dissatisfied, but Corman was not in Paris and could not witness it firsthand, so he focused on psychological work for the troops.

Just then, Major General Raphael of the 5th Mountain Division informed Koeman to come to the 5th Mountain Division headquarters that evening, as the forces attacking Italy had been reorganized into the French 5th Army.

"General Dragon will bring a call at seven o'clock." Upon arriving at the headquarters of the 5th Mountain Division, Major General Raphael did not offer any pleasantries but went straight to telling Koman why he had come.

A general with extraordinary abilities managed to make a phone call to the command post of the 5th Mountain Division from hundreds of kilometers away.

The phone rang precisely at seven o'clock. When Coman answered, he heard Admiral Dragon's voice, "Father, what is Torres's stance on the Marseille matter?"

“That’s not important, it’s all in the past anyway.” General Dragon hesitated for a moment before asking, “Two battalions from your Youth Division are going to participate in the war? If you…”

"This is a rehearsal for the attack on the Saar region. We've occupied Italian territory in an attempt to annex it, and we'll use that in the Saar region later," Koeman replied quickly. "I don't think there'll be any major problems."

"The new commander of the Fifth Army is Leclerc," General Dragon said hesitantly, before finally adding, "Be careful, the terrain is very difficult. Although the local German-Italian forces are currently the weakest fighting force in Germany, ... in short, be careful."

(End of this chapter)