Father of France

Chapter 42 Sweeping Through Turin
The list Martin presented consisted only of ages and names, making it easy to understand at a glance. It was clearly not the kind of bureaucratic document where finding the main information would take half a day; it had a distinctly military style.

"Give them to Trenn; he'll take care of these orphans." Koman quickly glanced at the list and set it aside.

Martin hesitated for a moment and asked in a low voice, "Should we continue to take in orphans? It's a huge expense."

"No, we just need to use these orphans to obtain a pretext. There are still 200,000 illegitimate children in the country. Although the population lost due to the war is not large, there are definitely orphans among them."

Koeman answered bluntly that he wasn't being charitable; he was simply using the orphans of Valle d'Aosta to obtain a justifiable pretext.

It's not entirely a matter of money. Coman also has a sum of money temporarily stored in British India, which he will retrieve when necessary, but he can't find the time right now.

The annexation of Valle d'Aosta was possible because the area was sparsely populated and mountainous, and therefore of little value, but it could provide France with an explanation for the war. However, attempting to annex the core territory of Italy would not have been feasible, even if the French leadership was in agreement; a country that prides itself on offshore balancing would not have agreed.

Moreover, other places do not have such deep historical ties with France, and Italy's cuisine is reassuringly good, so France has no sufficient reason to convince other countries to support it.

After nearly two months of delays in Valle d'Aosta, Koeman can now proceed with the next step. He had already stated that his work in Italy was a rehearsal for the annexation of the Saar region.

“We’re ready to go. You and I will each go to a city. You’ll go to Genoa, and I’ll go to Turin. With the French-Italian bilingual soldiers we’ve recruited, we’ll have three thousand men, so manpower shouldn’t be a problem.”

As Koman spoke, he took out the intelligence he had gathered. In the past month or so, he had not only been doing good deeds for the orphans, but had also carried out some small tasks.

Turin and Genoa are not small cities; they are major cities in northern Italy. Thanks to his experience in the top five European leagues, Koeman is quite familiar with many European cities.

The fact that we have an impression of this city means it has value, and the intelligence we've gathered confirms this.

Martin, holding the intelligence handed to him by Coman, learned the purpose of leaving Aosta: Turin and Genoa were not places like Valle d'Aosta, a godforsaken place.

As a major city, it must have the grandeur of a major city. Northern Italy is the core region of Italy, and both cities have their own core industries.

Now that northwestern Italy has been occupied, Germany only has four major regions in the north under its control. However, the regions controlled by Germany happen to be the most economically developed parts of Italy, including the famous cities of Milan and Venice. Judging from the fact that the offensive has stopped, it is estimated that they will not be able to take them in the short term.

Before leaving Aosta, Koeman wrote a letter to Admiral Dragon in Paris, consisting of only three lines, which was purely to let him know that he was safe.

A day later, he headed south with his troops straight to Turin. He didn't forget to bring Bokassa and the group of African soldiers with him. Didn't the Axis powers claim that their nation was the best? He was determined to annoy them.

On the road leading into Turin from the north, Koeman read aloud to the soldiers of the Antioch Regiment, "Turin is currently under the control of the Italian Liberation Army and the 8th Infantry Division. After entering the city, head straight for the University of Turin and the Polytechnic University of Turin. Obtain the files and capture the teachers of both universities. Remember, do not include liberal arts teachers and students."

Seeing that the soldiers had no objections, Koeman continued, "Turin is the center of Italy's automotive industry. Taking over the car factory will give us control over the design team. Skilled automotive engineers are exactly what France needs right now."

Almost simultaneously, Martin, heading straight for Genoa, was issuing largely similar orders, except his targets were metallurgical plants and shipbuilding. Different industries naturally led to different focuses. As for museum collections, those were secondary; they had likely already been looted by the war or other malicious individuals and were not part of Koeman's plans.

The tracks of French armored troops rolled through Turin's wide streets, leaving deep ruts in front of the ancient Savoy palace. The city was under control, but the conquerors' work had only just begun.

Wearing a mask, Coman stood in front of the Fiat factory gates, his fingertips lightly tapping a list. His adjutant, the young Lefevere, was directing a team of engineers to dismantle the machinery.

“This stamping press must be moved intact,” Koeman said, his voice as calm as if discussing a dinner menu. “And the design drawings, all models—especially for tanks and aircraft. Whether they are experimental models or just concept drawings, we need them all.”

Italian engineer Rossi stood by, pale-faced. His factory had been requisitioned, and now the French were methodically dismantling it.

“Sir, this equipment is crucial to Italy’s reconstruction,” Rossi tried to protest, his voice tense. “Fiat is the lifeblood of Turin.”

Koeman didn't even look at him, simply glancing down at the checklist. "The cost of war, Mr. Engineer. France has suffered greatly, and now it's your turn."

At the Polytechnic University of Turin, newly enlisted guides fluent in both forensic and bilingual forensic science are going through the archives.

The Italian professors stood silently in the corridor, watching their research findings being packed into wooden crates, sealed, and shipped to France. No one resisted—they too would be put on the train to France to become "technical advisors."

Before an unnamed palace, Bokassa laughed heartily, grateful for Koman's patronage. Although he didn't know what era the palace belonged to, he had indeed made a great haul, with his soldiers carrying boxes of archives and works of art.

“Let’s leave the non-technical equipment to the Italians. We can’t be too greedy. The main focus should be on engineers and skilled workers,” Koeman said thoughtfully to Lefevere, seemingly giving Italy some face out of consideration for both countries being Catholic.

He didn't know if Martin's work in Genoa was up to par. Shipbuilding and metallurgy were equally important. The Italian army's combat effectiveness was relatively average, but it had actually fought in many world wars over the years, unlike Vichy France, which was almost entirely devoid of experience.

Whether a project can be integrated into the French reconstruction system after screening and evaluation depends on the capabilities of domestic industrial engineers.

Koman felt he was quite merciful; as long as there was technology and talent, most of the machines were left untouched, only the larger, more valuable ones were operated.

"Sir, you are too merciful," Lefevere couldn't help but praise, noting that he had even left the Italians with machines and hadn't completely deindustrialized the occupied territories.

After entering the city, their objectives were clear and their actions were swift. However, the Italian Communist Party soon learned of the French occupying forces' sweep of Turin. When Bokassa appeared before Coman with more than ten truckloads of artworks and artifacts, the Italian Communist Party representative had already gone straight to the headquarters of the 8th Infantry Division, hoping to stop the plunder of Italy.

Koeman didn't know, and even if he did, he wouldn't care. His first reaction was to talk rather than fight, which shows that the socialist parties following the European route are still unwilling to take the plunge.

At the 8th Infantry Division headquarters, Coman's superior, Battalion Commander Celt, happened to be reporting the purpose of the sweep when he bumped into the Italians he had brought. It was quite awkward, like a thief encountering the homeowner. It has to be said that Celt's moral standards are too high; he actually felt embarrassed.

(End of this chapter)