Chapter 1119 – France Turns Suspicious

“Quickly take it over!” Alan Wilson hurriedly reached out and took the file while asking, “Has there been a reply from Germany and Italy, on the Eurofighter cooperation proposal?”

“Not yet, Permanent Undersecretary.” Wick answered directly, then without hearing the rest, backed away from the Permanent Undersecretary’s office.

“If the news from the French side is true, this could be a really big deal.” Alan Wilson muttered to himself as he flipped through the papers.

Since 1958 with the increasing size of the AFDL organization, the AFDL senior management made an overly optimistic estimation of the situation and began to give up guerrilla warfare in favor of regular combat, but suffered huge losses in front of the superior strength and equipment of the French army.

It was then that reports appeared of the potential exhaustion of the Algerian resistance.

France now had a cumulative total of one and a half million troops committed, and had been partially mobilized. For Algeria, whose population had declined rather than grown over the years of war, this figure exceeded the upper limit of its capacity to respond.

Even according to the most optimistic estimates, the Algerian national resistance, but also can only be and million size of the French army, which is already the guerrilla warfare existence of the soil of the lowest ratio, after de Gaulle partially mobilized, today’s situation is almost already doomed.

The Algerian war, if it is true that decisive progress has been made, as de Gaulle’s government claimed. Then the potential future brought about by this outcome will have to be extrapolated.

With Algeria on the books at close to two million four hundred thousand square kilometers, and France itself at five hundred and fifty thousand square kilometers, this would equate to nearly three million square kilometers of land under France’s direct control.

At the same time, unlike the history in his mind, the successful independence of Algeria and France’s hostility, ultimately hindered France’s control of French Africa, while Algeria did not succeed in independence, will inevitably make France’s control of nominally independent French Africa strengthened, strengthened to what extent is open to debate, but strengthened is certainly correct.

The result was a powerful state with three million direct territories on both sides of the Mediterranean, with influence extending into the interior of Africa, and with greatly increased influence.

You can’t call it a resurrection of the Roman Empire across the Mediterranean, but a resurrection of the Western Roman Empire is pretty damning.

Arrived at the home of Field Marshal Mountbatten, Alan Wilson met his wife’s sister, Patricia, Patricia came to visit her mother, the two met and nodded to each other, “Father is in the study.”

“Patricia, thanks.” Greeting at the real sister-in-law, Alan Wilson did not have the courtesy to go straight to the study, he believed that the British army’s three full-time commander in chief, should also get the news.

Mountbatten may not be able to fight, but as a military leader for so many years, strategic vision is still available.

Does a commander-in-chief have to know how to fight? Britain’s toughest battle record Slim, is not Mountbatten promoted marshal.

As the military’s No. 1, Mountbatten did just receive the news, saw his son-in-law enter the door to know the intention, not waiting for Alan Wilson to ask directly, “you are not assessed, the French can not win this battle?”

That is certainly not Alan Wilson assessment, but the entire Whitehall and the Cabinet assessment.

Because France was killed by Germany in World War II, in Vietnam also gray face, Algeria fought for so many years and not much progress, that France sooner or later gray rolled out of Algeria, is indeed the mainstream attitude within the British government.

“We also did not expect, the French have been persistent to the end, rather than partial mobilization to continue to fight.” Allen Wilson, with no trace of a doubt, said that the French could not win, but it was certainly not him.

Besides, it wasn’t Britain itself that thought so, the United States assessed it the same way, with the same frame of reference of being second-guessed by Germany in World War II and grayed out by the Vietnam War, and felt that France could no longer be considered a military power.

“France quelled the Algerian revolt, and we’re in a tough spot.” Marshal Mountbatten frowned, “Three million square kilometers, ten times the size of mainland Britain.”

“Algeria has less than half a million square kilometers of effective land, the rest is desert. Of course with the addition of mainland France, there is nearly a million of usable land, which will indeed greatly enhance France’s national power.” Alan Wilson opened his mouth to explain, in fact, it is not so exaggerated, just this explanation, but also comfort component.

Take the industrial age, the most high-quality landowners of the United States, its land area is not all can be utilized. The 1.72 million square kilometers of Alaska is the first to be excluded.

There is also a huge amount of land in the US mainland alone that cannot be utilized. Similarly the Soviet Union has a large amount of tundra. The same goes for the reputable Great Powers and the certain Great Powers.

But even then, Alan Wilson’s claim of any effective territory was still a comfort. Britain and France were colonial powers, and you can’t count territory that way, and you have to consider the maintenance of traditional influence, and France was not far from Africa.

“Now it seems that Malta is becoming extremely important. The Mediterranean fleet will have to be strengthened.” Mountbatten did not know whether he had listened to his son-in-law’s explanations, but he spoke from a military point of view.

From now on, whoever said that the Royal Navy should be downsized would be a sellout in Mountbatten’s case. Britain to ensure the control of the Mediterranean Sea, now the two camps against each other, of course, will not treat France as an enemy country, but maintain in France above the naval power is inevitable.

Malta is located in the center of the Mediterranean Sea island, known as the heart of the Mediterranean Sea. At the same time is also the British in the Mediterranean Sea sea power of strong support, and this strategic position of such an important island, naturally, from the hands of the French to steal.

Alan Wilson’s mind, if France was defeated in Algeria, Malta’s value certainly still exists, but not necessarily a place that must be preserved, but now the result is that France has become a great power across the Mediterranean Sea, Malta’s position once again came to the fore.

“Gibraltar, Malta. Cyprus.” The mere words that leaked out of Mountbatten had sketched out before his son-in-law the British arrangement in the Mediterranean.

A mistake of one man is a mistake; is a mistake of a group a mistake? When the prevailing view within the British government was that French persistence in Algeria would ultimately fail, then no one thought it was a mistake.

But a French victory in Algeria would naturally not be a matter for France alone; once upon a time Britain’s independence for a large number of colonies might have been fought for as long as possible, and it was not impossible to let go of it if things were not possible.

Now it is necessary to save the important colonies, otherwise, France controls so close to Algeria, Britain in Europe in the future how to have a foothold?

Prime Minister Aidan, immediately held a cabinet meeting to discuss the situation in Africa, in fact, the main discussion is the subsequent impact of France, and at this moment, the good news of Algeria has been spread throughout France.

In the Second World War defeat, Vietnam War defeat, in Algeria, France finally ushered in a sound victory.

Although the Algerian resistance, in part, fled into the desert, the Algiers military had shown that organized resistance had been crushed and that the remaining leaks would not cause a major incident.

The situation threw the whole of France into a boil, no less than in 1945, when the French army liberated Paris.

“Ingrid, guess if our men will be unable to sleep at this point.” Hedy Lamarr inquired as she applied her face cream in the mirror, her back to Ingrid Bergman.

“How would I know.” Ingrid Bergman pinned her hands back to her chest, a position that rather emphasized its strength.

“He sure does, and he’s probably working on it right now.” Hedy Lamarr was quite pleased with herself in the mirror, having also lived in France for so many years, how could she not know how the French viewed Britain.

The results of this battle were coming in, just look at the streets of Paris and how many people were holding up photos of de Gaulle.

French National Assembly, Charles de Gaulle faced the parties in the National Assembly to confirm the results of the war at the same time, once again emphasized, “I said that while absorbing Algeria into France, I will certainly ensure the citizenship rights of the natives, who are all glorious French citizens, enjoying all the powers of the French citizens. It may be true that there are differences from the native French citizens, but I am sure that the problem can be solved.”

“In such events, even if one holds all the political, economic, military and diplomatic advantages, one should not think that violence and coercion can be the only effective means of resolving conflicts, and I’m afraid that thinking only in terms of policing will not work to deal with communal conflicts and national divisions.”

“Over the next five years, the army will gradually return to Europe out of administration to protect the prosperity and stability of France, which of course is not to ignore the importance of the army, which is still needed to play a positive role in the reconstruction and development of Algeria.”

De Gaulle’s speech to the French National Assembly was made known to the French, via television, and soon spread around the world.

“The Soviet Union, as well as countries in its camp, slammed France’s supposed victory.”

“The U.S. has not yet taken a position, but from special channels, the U.S. is also inquiring about Britain’s attitude toward the matter.”

“As for the Third World, India has proposed the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence as a solution to the problem. Sukarno of Indonesia has expressed support. For the time being, it’s a bit ……”

Sukarno? Alan Wilson saw this name when he reported to Rab Butler again, and said, “You’d better take care of yourself, and you have time to take a stand on North Africa?

“The Prime Minister has also been discussing this in the last few days.” Rab Butler inquired, “Allen, you’ve been working overseas for a long time, do you think British East Africa has development potential?”

“Basically no!” Alan Wilson thought for a moment and replied, “Especially since Nyerere is ready for independence, it’s a trust territory and there’s no reason for us to prevent independence there. After independence, British East Africa will fragment.”