I was a tycoon in World War I: Starting to save France - Chapter 621

After Charles’s 1st Armored Corps captured Hasselt, it was handed over to the Belgian 1st Special Reconnaissance Corps for garrison.

To some extent, the Belgian army was better suited to garrison Hasselt.

It is a Belgian city where Albert I could easily raise a militia team. Under his unified command, the regular army and militia could unite to resist foreign aggression and achieve combat effectiveness several times higher than usual.

The freed First Armored Corps continued to advance and arrived at the Belgian-Dutch border a few hours later.

Seeing the French army massing at the border, the Dutch soldiers felt as if they were facing a powerful enemy. They immediately mobilized troops to organize defenses in the trenches with rifles.

Tijani and a group of French soldiers looked at the Dutch defense line and soldiers in front of them in confusion.

Their fortifications only had simple barbed wire, no anti-tank trenches or fortresses, and the trenches were not widened. Half an hour later, only one infantry regiment was mobilized.

The French army opposite them was filled with tanks, armored vehicles, self-propelled artillery, and occasionally a dozen coordinated fighter jets flying through the sky.

Tijani could even imagine the desperate eyes of the Dutch soldiers. They must be clutching the crosses around their necks, trembling and praying that they would not become enemies of France.

Otherwise, this steel army will crush them like a bug.

(The above two pictures show the Dutch army during World War I. Although the Netherlands was neutral during World War I, it actively expanded its army because it was surrounded by several major powers. One of its characteristics was that it was equipped with a large number of dog-operated machine guns.)

Tijani put away the binoculars and walked back to Charles who was hiding in the cab of the reconnaissance vehicle and eating bread. His tone was disdainful: “General, they want to use an infantry regiment to block our armored corps.”

Charles chewed the frozen bread in his mouth with difficulty and replied:

“You should understand them, Major General.”

“Although they claim to the outside world that they are ‘ready to defend the country,’ their preparations are seriously out of touch with the times.”

“At the same time, their borders are very long and they cannot prepare sufficient troops in every direction.”

Tijani nodded. He was used to facing the Germans, but suddenly he was not used to seeing fortifications and troops like the Netherlands.

“Organize defense,” Ciel said.

“Organize defense.” Tijani conveyed Ciel’s order.

This is not an easy job on a snowy day. Sometimes the soldiers even have to burn a pile of fire to melt the frozen soil before they can dig it out.

But Charles was not in a hurry. His purpose was not to defend here, but to show his military appearance and formation to the Queen of the Netherlands.

…

In Amsterdam, the troubled Queen Wilhelmina anxiously walked around her office.

She had put aside the ambassadors of the two countries, or to be precise, the ambassadors of the three countries. After the French ambassador, the British ambassador also came.

However, the British ambassador had negotiated with the French ambassador, and they could be considered to have the same position.

Germany, or Britain and France?

Queen Wilhelmina urgently summoned Lieutenant General Thomas, who was the mainstay of the Dutch army and had participated in many wars against the colonies. The Queen believed that he was the one who really knew the stakes.

Soon, Lieutenant General Thomas hurried into the Queen’s office.

Before the Lieutenant General could pay tribute, the Queen stepped forward and asked: “You already know the current situation, General, what do you think we should do?”

“Your Majesty.” Lieutenant General Thomas answered simply:

“I hope you can understand that Charles’s First Armored Corps once marched dozens of kilometers in one day to capture Antwerp, surrounding more than 100,000 German troops and forcing them to surrender.”

“Now we rush to Hasselt in one day and surround more than 200,000 German troops.”

“And his military strength is no more than 20,000, and it remains the same even now.”

The Queen, who didn’t know much about military affairs, looked at Lieutenant General Thomas in shock: “You mean, more than 20,000 people surrounded more than 200,000 German troops? How did he do it?”

“Tank, Your Majesty.” Lieutenant General Thomas replied helplessly: “This new equipment can destroy all solid fortifications, trenches can also be crossed, and all obstacles are vulnerable to it.”

Then Lieutenant General Thomas added:

“The Germans may be able to ignore that they are extremely short of troops on several fronts and will not go to war with the Netherlands unless it is absolutely necessary.”

“The British may also be able to ignore that they sent warships. Ground occupation will ultimately require an army, and the British army was trapped in the Somme and suffered heavy casualties.”

“But Charles’s First Armored Corps…”

Lieutenant General Thomas swallowed his saliva and said with difficulty: “If this force wants to destroy the Netherlands, it will be as easy as playing a game. They will not even suffer many casualties, and it will not take a few days.”

The Queen’s face turned pale, and she nodded slightly to express her understanding.

But even so, the queen still did not dare to make a decision easily.

She was worried that once she sided with Britain and France, the German army would start a war for the more than 200,000 trapped troops.

…

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On the Belgian-Dutch border, in a section of unfinished trenches, soldiers around were building trenches with engineer shovels. Tijani and Charles sat around a fire to warm themselves up.

“Do you think the Queen will be on our side?” Tijani skewered bread on a branch and grilled it over the flames. He wanted to eat something hot.

“Yes.” Charles stared at the toasted bread, suddenly having an appetite again.

“Why?” Tijani carefully turned the branch so that the bread could be heated evenly: “I mean, how do you know this?”

“Want to know?” Charles asked.

“Yes.”

“Then bring something in exchange.”

Tijani was stunned and found that Charles’ eyes were fixed on the toast. He suddenly laughed: “No problem, General, I’m happy to serve you.”

He handed the branch to Charles: “It’s yours.”

This guy actually sold his dignity for a piece of toast.

Charles took it and couldn’t wait to tear off the charred layer of skin, and the fragrance filled the air instantly.

He ignored the fact that the bread was still hot and took a bite. The taste was indeed much better than the cold one. It not only filled the stomach, but also made the body feel warm.

“Because I gave the queen a plan.” Charles answered vaguely: “A plan to continue to maintain neutrality.”

“What?” Tijani didn’t quite believe it.

He thought that in this situation, the Netherlands could only choose sides, either the Allied Powers or the Allied Powers, and there was no other option.

However, Charles had a way to keep the Netherlands in the status quo?

…

In Amsterdam, the French ambassador gave the Queen a suggestion: “Your Majesty, if the Germans dare to undermine the neutrality of the Netherlands, then it is reasonable for you to agree that the British and French troops can pass through the Netherlands. No one will think there is anything wrong with this.”

The Queen’s eyes lit up. That’s right. In this way, Charles’ troops can bypass the Liege Fortress and directly attack the German mainland!