Charles awoke to find it was his day off. But before he could fully enjoy the warmth of his bed, there was a knock at his door. Thinking it must be some emergency at headquarters, he climbed out of his cozy nest, threw on his infantry coat, and shuffled to the door in his slippers.
To his surprise, General Winter stood outside.
"Good morning, Colonel!" General Winter greeted him with a smile, shaking his hand with an icy grip.
Seeing the weariness in Winter's face, Charles let him inside, asking curiously, "General, did you come all the way to Paris just to see me?"
"Yes!" Winter yawned, glancing around the room. "I came specifically to speak with you, Colonel." The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the NovᴇlFire(.)nᴇt
As he buttoned his uniform, Charles quickly deduced the purpose of Winter's visit—it had to be about the northern versus southern landing debate. Clearly, Winter had come to persuade Charles to change his stance, likely with a position opposing that of Albert I.
A chill ran through Charles as he hurried to finish dressing, once again pulling on his heavy infantry coat for warmth. His aide, Adrien, brought in coffee for both of them and asked Charles, "Would you like me to bring breakfast here, Colonel?"
Looking at General Winter, who raised his coffee cup, Charles replied, "Thank you, but the General's already had breakfast on the way."
Adrien gave a quick nod and exited, closing the door.
"So," Charles began, "did King Albert's words have an effect?"
Winter gave him a bemused look. "It's more that your words had an effect, Colonel. Originally, they favored the southern approach, but your analysis—combined with Albert I's persuasion—has led them to seriously consider a northern landing."
"It is tempting," Charles said, stamping his feet into his boots. "And if we could land in the Netherlands, it would be even better—safe, swift, and with German forces in Belgium suddenly caught between fronts…"
"But the Netherlands is neutral," Winter interrupted. "Doing so could push them into the Central Powers' arms."
"You've done worse before," Charles retorted, a note of sarcasm in his voice as he took a sip of his now lukewarm coffee.
Winter understood the jab; Charles was referring to the Ottomans. Sighing, Winter conceded, "Fine, yes, that was a mistake. We didn't think it would spiral into this…"
"You should have foreseen it," Charles replied bluntly. "To you, those two ships were a minor addition to your fleet. But to the Ottoman Empire, they represented a massive national effort funded by countless citizens' donations. If your navy minister had done even the slightest research, he would have realized how enraged the Ottomans would be, and that public anger would push their government toward policies and propaganda against the Allies."
Winter's face showed undeniable regret.
Charles continued, "Your navy minister thought you could achieve victory with minimal cost." He then redirected to the main topic. "He's the chief advocate for the southern route, isn't he?"
Sitting at his desk, Charles silently observed Winter. If the British realized the consequences of seizing those two battleships, they might have thrown the navy minister in prison. That move led the Ottomans to abandon their neutrality, cutting off the Mediterranean-Black Sea route to Russia, and ultimately destabilizing the entire Eastern Front. This seemingly trivial decision didn't just lead to the 250,000 casualties at Gallipoli or the sinking of six battleships by mines and coastal artillery. It also swayed several neutral countries, including the Ottoman Empire, into joining the Central Powers. If not for America's entry, the Allies might have lost the entire war.
The same navy minister who nearly doomed World War I was now adamantly promoting an assault on the Dardanelles.
Standing at Charles' desk, Winter pointed to the Dardanelles on a map. "Our navy minister believes that if our fleet can reach the Sea of Marmara and position artillery within range of Constantinople, the Ottoman Empire will surrender. There won't be any major obstacles…"
Charles looked at Winter in disbelief. "Are you saying that a few British ships could force the entire Ottoman Empire to surrender?"
Winter spread his hands. "Why not?"
Charles scoffed. Now he understood why the navy minister seized those battleships—he thought they were more important than the Ottoman Empire itself and could single-handedly bring it to its knees. Given that choice, he naturally chose the ships.
British arrogance. Short-sightedness. Prejudiced thinking.
"Please leave, General," Charles said, not hiding his frustration.
There was no point in continuing the discussion. To the British, the enemy was nothing more than a trivial ant, and the strategic points on the map were merely awaiting British ships to claim them.
"No, no, Colonel," Winter replied. "I'd still like to hear your opinion…"
"I stand by what I said," Charles replied firmly. "A northern landing would be the better choice."
Originally, Charles had suggested the northern route as a trap for the Germans, but he now genuinely believed it might not be a bad idea. At the very least, a northern landing would force the British to confront the reality of their formidable German opponent.
After a pause, Winter remarked, "You're not in favor of opening a new front, are you? You don't support either landing plan. That's why you chose the northern approach—to prevent the landing operation altogether."
Charles didn't deny it; this was indeed part of his thinking.
"But they're determined to launch a landing operation somewhere," Winter said, resigned. "That's the British way."
As a maritime power, Britain had always favored combined sea and land operations, much like France's emphasis on offensive tactics. This approach was deeply ingrained in their strategic doctrine, and they wouldn't give up on it without trying.
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my .
Read 15 Chapters In Advance: .com/Franklin1