I Became a Tycoon During World War I: Saving France from the Start

Chapter 116 - Asymmetric Warfare

Gallieni didn't reject the idea outright, nor did he agree immediately. With a slight smile, he said, "If you can prove they're worth that price, I'll gladly pay the 10% interest. Otherwise…"

Charles had been ready to protest—this wasn't his concern. After all, the expenses were incurred on the military's behalf and should be reimbursed. But then Gallieni added, "And I'll consider evaluating the flight club at the purchase price of 300,000 francs."

Charles immediately surrendered, raising both hands. That 200,000-franc difference was unreasonable to lose, even if it followed protocol.

Seeing Charles's reluctant acquiescence, Gallieni nodded with satisfaction and shifted the conversation back to the war. "Antwerp has fallen. Last night, the Germans bombed Fort Wavre and destroyed the water supply system, sending the people into a panic. They had no choice but to abandon Antwerp."

Charles had expected this, asking only, "What about the king?"

"He's left Antwerp and moved to Ypres," Gallieni said, tracing a line along the coastline on the map. "He's a respectable king. He could have gone to England but insisted on staying with his people to fight the Germans."

Charles nodded in agreement; King Albert I's choice was indeed admirable for a monarch, though it was hard to say if it was foolish or wise.

"He wants to meet you in person," Gallieni said, his expression slightly amused. "To apologize, but more than that, I suspect he hopes to keep you in Ypres. That's the last piece of Belgium, and he doesn't want the Germans to take it."

"You must have turned him down on my behalf," Charles replied.

Gallieni nodded. "No one would be foolish enough to send you to the front, even on the second line with the king himself. It could actually harm the battlefield."

"Harm the battlefield?" Charles didn't quite grasp his meaning.

Gallieni looked at Charles and said, "What do you think made the Germans seal off Antwerp so completely the last time you were there?"

Charles understood. "I could become bait."

Gallieni gave him a slight smile but didn't elaborate. Charles thought of himself as "bait," yet to both armies, he was more like a strategic weapon they'd go to any lengths to capture.

Instead of explaining further, Gallieni shifted his focus back to the map. "I don't believe we'll be able to flank and encircle the enemy," he said, tracing possible movements. "We've already missed that chance. Even if we manage to get an advantage in a certain spot or gather forces faster, we'd only push the front line toward the Germans a bit."

Charles agreed with Gallieni's assessment. The general was correct; a stalemate was forming. Wherever reinforcements met, a new section of trench line extended across the map.

"It's nearly impossible for either side to break through," Gallieni continued, frowning. "The war might be even grimmer than we anticipated. Trenches, barbed wire, machine guns, and artillery—all these will mean a heavy cost for the attackers."

Gallieni looked at Charles. "Even your tanks may not be effective."

"Yes," Charles admitted readily. The French army was using Francis's original tanks, which were good enough to block bullets or intimidate the enemy on open ground. Against fortified trenches, however, they were little more than easy targets.

"We've also noticed German troops gathering here," Gallieni pointed to Ypres on the map. "The area is low and marshy, and it's hard to dig trenches. The Germans might see this as an opportunity to break through."

Gallieni's reasoning was sound; the German forces had better training, and in a place where trenches were impractical, their strengths would be amplified, while France was left plugging this gap with poorly trained recruits. If Ypres couldn't be held, the entire defensive line could collapse.

Charles listened quietly, offering no comment.

Gallieni grew impatient, staring at Charles with slight irritation. "What are your thoughts?"

Charles replied softly, "General, have you heard of 'asymmetric warfare'?"

Gallieni's eyes lit up at the unfamiliar term, intrigued.

"No, I haven't," Gallieni answered candidly, his curiosity piqued.

But when Charles didn't continue, his expression turned from expectant to puzzled. "Well?"

Charles raised an eyebrow. "Ten percent."

Gallieni realized instantly that the young officer was negotiating. "No, six percent," he countered firmly. Charles wouldn't get away with skimming the entire interest just for coining a term!

"Alright," Charles conceded. "Asymmetric warfare means applying pressure on the enemy at another level, aiming to cause a domino-like collapse rather than pitting infantry against infantry or artillery against artillery, which would lead to heavy casualties and be disadvantageous for France."

Gallieni murmured thoughtfully. "Interesting. But how would we achieve this layered kind of pressure?"

"Nine percent," Charles said.

"No, absolutely not. Seven percent," Gallieni replied, his tone unyielding. He hadn't earned his reputation as a "penny-pincher" for nothing.

Charles rolled his eyes. This advanced tactic was only worth "one percent"?

But seeing no alternative, Charles continued. "In practical terms, we could use our planes to establish air superiority, which would allow us to disrupt their artillery from above. With their artillery in disarray, our own gunners could focus on hitting their infantry. This creates a cascade effect, keeping the enemy off balance and under constant attack."

Gallieni looked at Charles, astonished. He'd never heard of such a tactic, but it seemed feasible.

Unlike conventional warfare, where infantry matched infantry and artillery fought artillery, this was a layered approach, seeking step-by-step dominance: air control suppressing enemy artillery, and artillery freely targeting enemy troops. This could indeed minimize losses while achieving a decisive advantage.

"But," Gallieni asked, "how would our planes gain such dominance, and then manage to neutralize the enemy's artillery?"

Using Congreve rockets? They might be effective against balloons or bombarding artillery positions but were ineffective against faster-moving planes.

"Ten percent," Charles said firmly, "with monthly interest, and the flight club acquisition at the agreed 300,000 francs."

Charles knew Gallieni couldn't refuse. In this plan, air control was crucial. Without it, asymmetric warfare was impossible. Charles was prepared to flip the table if necessary.

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