Chapter 643： The helplessness of the French (ask for a monthly ticket)

South of France, Toulouse. It has become a temporary residence of the French government. Before, the French government moved to Bordeaux, but when the warships of the German Navy appeared in the nearby waters, the senior officials of the French government flew out of the woods screaming like frightened birds, and ran directly to Toulouse. up.

Toulouse is also the last big city in the south of France. If it is also threatened and the French government wants to continue moving south, it may have to cross the Pyrenees and take refuge in Spain. But in that case, would the French government still be the French government? It's almost called a government-in-exile. Besides, the Spanish government may not dare to accept the French in exile.

Seeing that Germany is about to win the World War, to help the French at this time, isn't that a dead end?

Toulouse City Hall became the temporary office of the French government. As more and more land fell, more and more troops were dispersed by the Germans. Now France is completely lingering. How long it will last, no one knows.

The reason why the French government gritted its teeth and insisted was waiting for the decisive battle between the combined fleet and the German navy. If the United Fleet wins, then they still have a chance. If the United Fleet fails, then there is no need for them to persevere.

French President Poincaré's office and cabinet senior officials gathered here, waiting for the news of the naval battle. Although, after waiting for a day, everyone was very tired. But everyone is still insisting, the most is to smoke an extra cigar and drink an extra cup of espresso.

"Minister of the Navy, do you have any news?" President Poincaré asked. Maybe even he himself can't remember clearly, this is the first time he has asked this question.

"Your Excellency, there is no news yet. However, it is almost evening now. The battle should end soon." Minister Victor Gagnul said.

President Poincaré nodded: "So, do we have a chance of winning?"

"Your Excellency, the chances of winning may not be great. Although the three of us have united to form a powerful fleet that is not inferior to the number of battleships of the Germans. However, it is not enough battleships to defeat the Germans. Compared with the German navy, the performance of our warships and the quality of our naval officers and soldiers are far behind. The most elite group of naval officers and soldiers of the British died almost in the previous naval battles. The current officers and soldiers are worse A lot!" Victor Gagnul said.

"Oh! I hope God can bless the French Republic!" President Poincaré was quite helpless.

The current French government is indeed very helpless. Their performance in this war was already very bad. On the battlefield, they could no longer withstand the German attack, so they could only retreat blindly, trading space for time. The only thing that can be done is to wait for the outcome of the naval battle. They pinned all their hopes on the naval battle. If the naval battle can be won, then they still have a chance. If the naval battle fails, then defeat and surrender have become inevitable.

It can be said that the result of the naval battle is related to the life and death of France, and it is also an important basis for these senior officials of the French government to decide what to do next. Everyone is looking forward to the outcome of this naval battle, but more nervous. They expect the combined fleet to perform miracles and defeat the German navy. But at the same time, they are also worried that the final result is still failure.

Of course, failure is relatively normal. The disparity in strength between the two sides is too great. Pinning your hopes on miracles is simply not realistic.

Half an hour later, an admiral walked into the office with a serious expression.

"Is there a result?" President Poincaré asked immediately.

Other people also focused their eyes on this general.

"Report Your Excellency, the Combined Fleet was defeated. All capital ships were sunk or captured by the Germans. The losses we caused to the Germans were very slight," the general said.

"Defeated? Sure enough, is it still defeated?" President Poincaré sat back on the chair dejectedly. This result completely shattered the hope in his heart.

However, at the same time, President Poincaré was relieved. After knowing the results of this month, at least there is no need to continue to delusional.

Other senior French cabinet officials also whispered. However, everyone's faces were full of frustration. Although, the United Fleet was defeated, which is not surprising. However, such a result is still too difficult for people to accept. After all, after the combined fleet was defeated, there was only one way for the French government.

"Your Excellency, it seems that we have been unable to reverse the situation of the war. The combined fleet has failed, and our only hope has been shattered." Prime Minister René Viviani said.

President Poincaré nodded: "Originally, we pinned our hopes on the combined fleet, hoping that the fleet could perform miracles and defeat the German navy. However, it now seems that all this is simply delusional."

"Everyone, the most difficult moment for the French Republic has arrived. What should we do next?" President Poincaré looked at the senior cabinet officials.

However, these senior officials all lowered their heads and said nothing. What to do now, isn't it obvious? To say anything else, it has long been useless.

"Your Excellency, the navy has failed, and the army has failed to hold back the Germans. The Germans are continuing to push south. There is nothing we can do about it. This war has been going on for a long time. For this reason, we also It has already paid a high enough price. Since it is impossible to win, then, let’s end the war as soon as possible! In this case, we can reduce some losses to some extent.” Foreign Minister Théophile Del Casse suggested.

"Yes, Your Excellency. We have no choice. The Army has been defeated by the Germans many times. Now, many units of the Army don't even have the courage to fight the Germans. Often when the German artillery fires, we The troops were defeated. If this continues, the Germans will attack Toulouse in a short time. The whole of France will be occupied by the Germans." Minister of War Alexander Millerand said.

The elite troops of the French Army have long since died. The current troops are all recruits. They don't have much fighting power at all, and they have been frightened by the Germans.