Father of France

Chapter 67 Soldiers are the greatest common denominator
In an interview with General Duval published in Le Figaro, his answer to the question of why he applied double standards to the law against women who had given birth and pregnant women who had not, was very frank, selfless, and well-thought-out.

"It is indeed unfair. They are the victims, but for the sake of the future livelihood of the soldiers who fought in the war, if one day the country needs to face external threats, citizens have no choice but to stand up bravely. Anyway, I am already 59 years old and am an old soldier nearing retirement. I don't care what kind of criticism I will receive in the future. For the sake of the livelihood of soldiers after retirement, let the opponents say whatever they want."

"General Duval, thank you..." Suddenly, a chorus of thanks came from outside the city hall. Koeman put down Le Figaro and walked to the window to look outside. There were probably several hundred soldiers in uniform shouting their thanks outside the city hall.

Koeman didn't know which unit it was or whether it was about to be deployed to the Franco-German border, but this scene should prove that the entire French army was inclined to do so.

Women were forced to marry disabled veterans in order to avoid punishment and to form families to secure the future livelihood of these veterans.

This process was bound to attract controversy, and it was reasonable for the French Communist Party leader, Torres, to raise questions, as the methods used were indeed somewhat underhanded.

However, in theory there are better ways to do these things, but better ways only exist in theory. Koeman's method of blaming the victim is indeed extremely despicable, without a doubt.

However, it cannot be denied that this is the method with the highest success rate and the fastest results.

After the pregnant women were pardoned, only one path remained for women who might be exiled: find a soldier, become his partner, and have a child, just like pregnant women who had not yet given birth to illegitimate children, using the ball in their womb to escape punishment.

The fact that the Paris City Hall received six or seven groups of soldiers expressing their gratitude in one day proves that not only women can empathize, but soldiers can also empathize with each other just as well.

The war is not over yet, and no one can guarantee that they will be able to return intact after the war. Once they are discharged with missing limbs, the value of these soldiers will be greatly reduced. Speaking out for disabled veterans today is also speaking out for ourselves and leaving a possibility for the future.

"The greatest common denominator in French society is not the French Communist Party, but the military." Corman admits that he took a gamble, but this time he won.

The three million French soldiers who have served since 1940 represent the greatest common denominator; they, along with their families, outnumber the French Communist Party, which is effectively the largest political party.

Moreover, not only did Torres not object, but he felt that the double standards of law enforcement required an explanation, even the armed forces under the French Communist Party itself would not object to this approach to the protection of disabled veterans.

The French Youth Division believes that this action will reverse the negative impression of their previous efforts to eliminate French traitors.

At the same time, the First French Army added a regiment to the Young Division, which was composed of veterans from Lorraine. This was because General Dracon considered that the Young Division's only record was the victory at Marseille and that its combat capability was questionable, so he added it.

The addition of the Lorraine Cross would greatly compensate for the lack of combat experience in the Youth Division. At this time, a large number of French troops had already reached the Franco-German border, and weapons and ammunition were being transported in a steady stream to the pre-arranged positions for the attack on Saar. Coman also began to receive weapons and equipment with his troops.

The armored units of the Youth Division were still mainly equipped with British and American weapons, with a mix of Churchill tanks and Sherman tanks.

France had been occupied for four years, and weapons that were still usable in 1940 were completely outdated by 1945. At this time, the French army used a mix of American, British, French, and German weapons, except for Soviet weapons. However, the weapons of the Youth Division were relatively uniform, consisting only of weapons from the United States, Britain, and France.

"If we don't seize Germany's military industry, how long will it take to catch up with the mainstream equipment standards of other countries?" Koeman berated Martin and Alan, who had come to welcome the Lorraine delegation.

Koeman had just received a new uniform, replacing his distinctive French tall military cap and dress uniform. The main combat mission of the Youth Division was to invade Germany and head straight for Germany's main military industrial production areas.

During this process, the Youth Division will not split its forces into small units to fight. At most, it will split its forces up to the regimental level. Otherwise, let alone whether it can deal with the German army, what if some blind Allied unit accidentally injures them?

Such incidents have happened before, and they are things that cannot be ignored. Therefore, using British Churchill or American Sherman armored units is not a disadvantage; it makes them easier for British and American air forces in the air to recognize them and avoid accidental damage.

As for the possibility of encountering Soviet troops, the conscription of people of Russian descent was a preparation for this situation, and there was the Lorraine Regiment living on the Franco-German border to deal with the Germans. General Dragon had considered almost everything in the major aspects.

When fully equipped and manpower, the French Youth Division has a strength of over 20,000 men, with each regiment having nearly 4,000 men. Unless special circumstances occur, it cannot be wiped out without anyone noticing.

As the sun set, Corman returned home. Admiral Dragon had already arrived earlier. The family ate together, and Admiral Dragon asked Corman, "How are the preparations going? Has the handover of work been completed?"

"It went very smoothly. I thought someone would bring up those women, but thankfully, just as I predicted, the number of soldiers recruited for the war is greater than that of any political party."

Koeman took a sip of water and said confidently, "With no opposition, we can fill Algeria with them. The soldiers have demonstrated public opinion this time, and I believe that any political party will put more thought into guaranteeing the treatment of soldiers in the future."

Admiral Dragon nodded repeatedly, finally agreeing, "It's truly remarkable that you could come up with such a solution."

“In fact, the military is the greatest common denominator in the relationship between France and its colonies,” Corman said enthusiastically. “The Second Army has a large number of colonial officers and soldiers. If the future military support is fully covered, the interests of colonial soldiers and mainland soldiers will be aligned. If a department can exert influence in the name of treating colonial soldiers well in the long term, I believe that the close connection between the mainland and the French-speaking world will not be interrupted.”

Aside from fighting side-by-side as soldiers, Corman couldn't recall any other areas where the interests of mainland France and its colonies aligned.

Race? Mainland France was predominantly white, while the French colonies were mostly black. Religion? In the mainland, let alone Catholicism, even using the broader concept of Christian, it's not the same as Islam.

The biggest connection is this world war, in which hundreds of thousands of colonial soldiers participated. If these colonial soldiers are under control, then the greatest common denominator of most colonies is in hand.

"Of course, there's no need to rush. We can make an effort after the war ends." Koeman should focus his main efforts on military matters for now.

(End of this chapter)