Iron and Blood: A Triumph of the Will

"Alright, we'll contact the forces in Silesia and launch a rebellion there."

Demowski looked at Clemenceau seriously: "But what about Poznan..."

His drawn-out tone was actually a way of waiting for Clemenceau to reveal his conditions; he wanted to give the Polish a clear answer.

"I will have the French troops there take care of you."

Clemenceau shook his white beard and smiled slightly.

"But I heard that the population in Poznan has changed permanently, and the Germans have taken the lead there."

Demowski looked worriedly at Clemenceau, the Polish representative who was still negotiating: "I'm afraid the voting results will be disappointing."

The French Prime Minister, naturally, had to give a satisfactory answer, and he took a deep drag on his thick cigar.

Then he suddenly exhaled a smoke ring, white smoke covering his face.

The combative French prime minister appeared increasingly enigmatic: "Go ahead and do it in Upper Silesia, we will support your actions there."

"Even if you don't get a majority, I'm confident I can award you two-thirds of the Poz."

He paused briefly at this point.

He put down his thick cigar and made an offensive gesture with both hands: "Since the Germans want to keep the agricultural province of Poz, then why don't you cause some trouble in Silesia? As long as you can occupy half of Upper Silesia, I can guarantee that the whole of Upper Silesia will be yours. Even if those so-called Germans want to hold a referendum, I will not agree to it."

"Besides, all the Germans' attention is on Poznan right now. If you cause some trouble in Upper Silesia, they might divert their forces from the East to support there. Wouldn't that be an opportunity?"

"Your Poland can not only have the original land, but also more."

"That's a powerful combination of attacks!"

"What did the British say?"

Demovsky gained some confidence, but still continued to haggle.

Clemenceau gave him a deep look, then abruptly looked away: "What else is there to say? The Germans have already handed us leverage. Let's see what the British have to say next. They've always been biased towards the Germans."

"Then I have nothing to say. I'll send a telegram to Warsaw right now."

With a thick cigar dangling from his lips, Demovsky was utterly speechless.

Because he was very satisfied with the French terms, so be it.

There's nothing more to say, just get it done.

"Then I'll be going now."

"Well then, you can go now. Please give my regards to Piłsudski."

"OK......."

After Demovsky left.

Clemenceau then slowly picked up the phone: "Connect me to Prime Minister George."

"......."

"George, why are you calling me so late?"

The British Prime Minister on the other end of the phone spoke fluent French.

David Lloyd George was clearly not asleep; he was probably discussing these matters with someone.

It should be with Americans, but definitely not Wilson.

Clemenceau pondered to himself.

This is because the US president had already returned to Washington during this period to report his proposals to Congress in order to gain support.

This is why Clemenceau wanted his closest advisor to propose a very bold idea at the conference the next day: the so-called "Republic of Westphalia".

The French tiger played a trick because he didn't want to directly confront the Americans.

"Listen, David, do you know the news from Germany?" Clemenceau asked bluntly.

"I've heard a little about it..."

Lloyd George, on the other end of the phone, glanced up at the American representative opposite him.

Of course he wasn't asleep; he had already received the message from the Germans.

It's either coexistence or mutual destruction.

That statement is incredibly striking.

Is this not?

The reason he's not sleeping at this hour is because he's discussing with the Americans how to deal with this news.

They knew that this news would only benefit the French.

Those Germans have absolutely no grasp of the bigger picture.

Why not sign a proper armistice treaty instead of clamoring for cooperation with some so-called "Red Russia"?

With them in their current state, what kind of trouble can they possibly cause?

"What's your attitude, David?"

"What other attitude can we have?"

"This is not a formal diplomatic note after all."

The British Prime Minister spoke while glancing at the American representative.

The latter blinked, indicating his agreement: "My opinion is that we should send a formal diplomatic message to the German Foreign Ministry and ask them to explain their remarks."

"After all, we can't spread rumors, and we can't just listen to whatever the Danes say."

"This is not what the Germans meant; perhaps the Danes misrepresented it."

Lloyd George clearly intended to protect the Germans.

It is not in Britain's interest to weaken Germany excessively.

"I don't think it's necessary. The Germans are being a bit dishonest, and we should teach them a lesson."

The French tiger clearly understood that the British wanted to protect the Germans, but he simply wouldn't take the bait.

Clemenceau was a man of great fighting spirit; he always acted decisively and without hesitation.

Moreover, he thoroughly enjoys confrontation; otherwise, he wouldn't be called the Tiger by the French.

"What do you want to do?" Lloyd George raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Send troops directly to occupy the Rhineland!"

"We must give those Germans who refuse to admit defeat a resounding slap in the face."

Clemenceau made no attempt to hide his hatred for the Germans; his eyes practically blazed with fire as he spoke.

From the Paris Peace Conference onward, Clemenceau never concealed his hatred for the Germans.

Tiger's hatred had burned like a raging fire in his chest ever since the end of the Franco-Prussian War.

Therefore, he has always been the most assertive and least willing to compromise among the three leaders at the Paris Peace Conference.

In a sense, Clemenceau was the core figure who spearheaded the Treaty of Germany.

Now that the Germans have done something foolish, they might as well continue to expand their gains.

And he also wanted to see how the young German would respond!

"What if the Germans resist?" Lloyd George retorted dismissively. "How many casualties is France prepared to suffer? Do we want another Verdun?"

"Georges, I know the hatred in your heart, but France has paid too high a price in this war."

"You wouldn't want more young Frenchmen to die on the battlefield, would you?"

"So what do you want to do?"

"Since the Germans want to lift the lockdown, then let's just lift it too..."

"Absolutely not! What if the Germans start another war if we release the food supplies?"

Clemenceau was unwilling to loosen the reins around the Germans' necks.

Besides, what if those Germans really did restore the food supply?

What if the war continues?

Germany is not completely disarmed yet!

The Germans also had an army!

"Then what do you suggest we do?"

Lloyd George raised an eyebrow slightly, vaguely guessing Clemenceau's scheme.

Only then did Clemenceau reveal his true intentions: "It's simple, just sail our warships into Wilhelmshaven!"

"Wouldn't this encourage the Germans to rebel?"

"No, we can tell those Germans clearly that they can ask us to lift the blockade."

"But they must honor the outcomes we discussed in February."

"Germany must publicly announce within 24 hours that it is abandoning conscription and limit the German army to less than 10 men, prohibiting it from possessing heavy weapons. In addition, we must urge the German army to completely withdraw from its border areas and completely empty the Rhineland region."

Without a doubt, this was a brilliant move.

It can both intimidate the Germans and give them a good slap in the face.

At the same time, it will not overly agitate the French public.

As the French Prime Minister, Clemenceau understood the thoughts of the French people better than anyone else.

Having suffered the trauma of World War I, the French really don't want another world war.

The French may applaud the French army's triumphant display on German soil, but they certainly do not want a second Verdun.

The French have already shed enough blood in this world war.

Therefore, Clemenceau's move was a good one.

It can both show off our power and teach the Germans a lesson.

At the same time, it will not overly provoke the Germans' nerves, allowing them to continue harboring rebellious thoughts.

What the Allied powers needed to do now was to coax the Germans into laying down their arms.

Once the Germans lay down their weapons, the French will have the final say on how to handle things.

"Let's do it your way."

Lloyd George sneered inwardly, thinking that Clemenceau was a cunning fellow.