Chapter 517: Chapter 517: Reverse Lure
All of this seemed like a series of "random events" happening by chance, but there was an invisible hand manipulating everything behind the scenes.
Shire controlled all of it; he knew how to guide and even control the emotions of the public.
The news and questions were not issued through the Little Daily and the Merit Newspaper, but through some well-known "Military Commentators" contributing to other newspapers, and the "Lady in White" steering public opinion among the people.
The more people thought about it, the more they believed they were right; the "rumors" circulated more reasonably, finally forming a complete "chain of evidence" that reinforced each other.
Soon, Nivelle’s relationship with the British was also dug up.
After all, it wasn’t a secret that Nivelle became the French Army Commander through the British; he needed supplies to persuade many MPs to support him.
So, the French suddenly realized:
"My God, this is simply a British conspiracy to deal with us. They controlled Nivelle, and through him, crafted an unreasonable battle plan for Shire."
"It’s not ’unreasonable,’ it’s simply a trap, a trap to push Shire and his troops into the furnace."
"Unbelievable! Shire is fighting for France; he saved France, he saved everyone. But now, because of the betrayal of allies, he is being sent to the enemy’s cannon fodder; this is despicable!"
"We must not let the British succeed, or else we become their accomplices!"
"Only we can protect Shire now!"
...
This time, the people didn’t just strike, march, and shout slogans; angry crowds stormed Paris City Hall and even surrounded the Bourbon Palace, demanding reasonable explanations from the government and parliament.
The news reached the army, and the soldiers protested one after another, raising their guns and shouting:
"Are we fighting against the Germans or the British?"
"We are achieving victory under Shire’s leadership. But the British are trying to steal our victory fruits; they controlled the Commander-in-Chief and tried to use him to kill our combat hero and defeat the French Army."
"If this continues, why are we risking our lives on the battlefield? We should fight the British first to let them know we’re not to be bullied!"
...
The French Parliament and government fell into chaos.
They were innocent; they were not aware of this battle plan. Some had heard rumors but did not realize it was a trap set for Shire:
"They are simply crazy, trying to use the Germans to kill Shire."
"Maybe we shouldn’t compromise with the British; we should have known that appointing Nivelle as Commander-in-Chief would lead to this."
"The British supplies are not free; their ultimate goal is not just beating the Germans but us as well!"
...
Seeing the escalating situation, Nivelle hurriedly came forward to explain. He published in newspapers, answered parliamentary inquiries, and gave speeches in public:
"Things are not as you think."
"We do have an attack plan, but it involves military secrets that cannot be disclosed."
"These are rumors spread by the Germans, aimed at causing internal conflict within the Allies."
"Please believe, Britain is our steadfast ally; they would not carry out such despicable acts!"
...
At the same time, Nivelle sent an order to Shire: "Attack mission canceled, everything must be kept confidential!"
...
When Shire saw this order, he smiled slightly. He knew he had succeeded.
Nivelle’s position was questioned, not only by the public but also by the government and parliament, all doubting whether Nivelle was fit for the Commander-in-Chief role.
The British were discredited; even British soldiers were disgusted with this approach.
Many British officers and soldiers were fans of Shire and would firmly choose to stand by him in public opinion.
Even those who weren’t fans of Shire, reasonable people believed they shouldn’t sabotage their allies before achieving final victory, as it would only hurt friends and benefit enemies.
More importantly, the Germans, who generally believed that Shire’s troops wouldn’t attack Namur anymore.
"Excellent," Tijani cheered upon seeing the telegram: "They finally canceled this damned plan."
Shire let out a soft "hmm" and rhythmically tapped his fingers on the table without responding.
Tijani sensed something was off. He looked at Shire with suspicion: "You seem not satisfied, Major General?"
"No, I am very satisfied." Shire replied: "But you seem to have forgotten our initial intention for doing this."
With Shire’s reminder, Tijani seemed to understand his meaning: "You mean, attack Namur?"
Saying this, Tijani raised the telegram in his hand, implying that Shire had received the "cancel mission" order, so as long as he pretended to be unaware, there would be no Namur issue.
Shire replied with only one sentence: "Namur must be attacked, General!"
Tijani was stunned; is this guy serious?
How to attack Namur?
Even if we were to attack, it’s not our job!
Then Shire added: "But not now."
He was waiting, waiting for the bait to appear!
...
Dunkirk, British Expeditionary Force Headquarters.
Everything seemed as usual here; staff officers and couriers began their day’s work in an orderly manner in the morning.
However, at a certain unintentional moment, someone would always whisper to each other, occasionally glancing towards Kitchener’s office with peculiar looks.
Inside the office, Kitchener’s desk was cluttered with telegrams and newspapers. He was holding a copy of The Times, with a prominent headline on the front page: "Is it wise to create division in the final stages of imminent victory?"
He could disregard the public opinion in France, but similar doubts were pouring in from Britain.
The British citizens also wished for victory, to end this war, to end this life under blockade. They didn’t want their relatives and children to continue being sent to France, only to fall forever in a foreign land.
However, what Kitchener, the Minister of the Army, was doing was contrary to their hopes.
This was very dangerous and against public will.
Kitchener frowned, sighed lightly, put down the newspaper, and took a few sips of the coffee at hand.
Where did it go wrong?
It was clearly a perfect plan; how did it end up like this?
Now, it seemed he was getting further and further away from his goal!
Was it Shire?
Maybe so, from the perspective of a beneficiary, he was the ultimate and sole beneficiary.
Damn, it was him, it was all Shire’s fault!
It was only now that Kitchener realized that he had underestimated Shire, thinking that a simple order could easily force him to comply.
Unexpectedly, Shire’s counterattack was so fierce, putting everyone on the spot, with even some leverage in Shire’s hands:
Now that the attack plan had been canceled, it was no longer a military secret. As long as Shire made the plan public, everyone’s crimes would be affirmed!
In the future, if orders were to be given to Shire through Nivelle, their rationality had to be fully considered.
Now, Kitchener thought, it’s time to fight a battle to divert public attention!