Chapter 450: Charles' Promise

It was a sunny Friday with a clear blue sky.

The German troops stationed in Ghent, Belgium, assembled early in the morning. Under the orders of several French majors, they lined up in a long line and piled their rifles neatly in front of the prepared wooden boxes and were searched.

Then they took off their helmets and belts, tore off their rank insignia, and were finally allowed to walk to the other side.

The troops who came to accept the surrender were Charles's troops.

After the German commander, Lieutenant General Baird, issued a statement that he would only surrender to Charles, the surrender was finalized.

Joffre finally stopped struggling. He made a statement in the newspaper: "Charles deserves this honor. His achievements are unmatched. As the commander-in-chief, I am proud of him."

But it seemed too late to admit defeat at this time. People had seen his true face and his prestige was damaged.

Prestige did not seem to be important to a victorious general like Charles. Even if it was damaged, people would soon forget it after a few victories and cheer for him again.

But for a commander like Joffre who had made almost no achievements on the battlefield, it almost meant "future".

Many people, including French parliamentarians, were thinking about a question: "Is it necessary for Joffre to stay in the position of commander-in-chief? Is it more appropriate to change someone to lead?"

Once people have this idea, they will wear a magnifying glass to watch Joffre's future words and deeds, and Joffre's fate will be doomed.

...

Charles led his troops into Ghent on foot to show respect for the German army.

"You don't have to do this, Brigadier General." Tijani disagreed: "Do you know what the Germans did when we lost the Franco-German War?"

Without waiting for Charles to answer, Tijani spoke incessantly, with anger in his eyes:

"William I rode a tall horse into Paris surrounded by princes and nobles, and on both sides were French nobles who were ordered to greet him."

"They were all servile and trembling, fearing that the Germans would push them to the guillotine."

"Although William I did not do this, he chose to hold a coronation ceremony at the Palace of Versailles to announce the establishment of the German Empire."

"This has become a scar in the hearts of every Frenchman, and it will never heal!"

(The picture above shows the coronation of German Emperor William I at the Palace of Versailles in France)

Tijani's implication is that Charles should also humiliate the surrendered German army in order to avenge himself, just as the Germans humiliated France in the past.

But Charles replied: "Then what? In order to avoid such humiliation, other Germans would rather choose to resist to the end?"

Tijani was stunned, then he understood, and looked at Charles with a little more admiration in his eyes.

This is the thinking of a military strategist. He is not like ordinary people who act on impulse, but considers everything from the perspective of military interests.

Since Charles chose to walk, other officers including Albert I also chose to walk.

Behind him were rumbling tanks, armored vehicles and "Saint-Samond" self-propelled artillery.

The team was not long, with one battalion each for the armored force and the mechanized force, with a total strength of only more than a thousand people and no more than twenty tanks.

The Belgians who heard the news and came to greet him in full dress could not believe this scene. They always thought that they could see the strength of Charles's troops this time, but they did not expect to see such a small team.

Doubts even made the cheers much smaller. People looked behind the team and talked about it:

"The main force didn't come?"

"These are just Charles' guards!"

"Are the other troops stationed outside the city?"

...

Soon someone reacted and exclaimed: "God, these are all the troops Charles brought. He only brought a thousand people to accept the surrender of hundreds of thousands of German troops!"

People reacted and instantly burst into thunderous cheers, shouting Charles' name again and again.

This is the effect Charles wanted.

Before this, Charles never appeared in public at a specific time because he was worried about being assassinated by the enemy.

But "accepting surrender" is different. This is exactly the time to show courage to the world. It can not only inspire members of the Allied Powers, but also cause psychological impact on the German army, whether they surrendered or not.

The troops finally stopped at Ghent Square, and the German and French armies lined up facing each other in the square.

The German army had been disarmed, while the French army was armed with live ammunition and armor. The black barrels of the tanks in the rear pointed forward without anger, forming a sharp contrast with the German army's frustration.

(The picture above shows the Ghent Square in Belgium, which is the historical center of the city. Since 1199, the square has become a trading market every Friday morning, so it is also called "Friday Square". The statue is Arteveld, a hero during the Hundred Years' War between England and France.)

The Ghent Square has been a tradition for hundreds of years to have a morning market every Friday, but of course it was cancelled today.

People gathered here holding the Belgian and French flags, quietly waiting for the moment when the German army officially surrendered.

Charles stood in the middle of the team and immediately attracted the attention of all German soldiers.

Their eyes were complicated, with admiration and worry, but more of surprise and shock, as if they couldn't believe that it was this young boy with no hair on his mouth who defeated them.

Lieutenant General Baird, the commander of the German army, looked calm. As a senior commander, he knew that Charles had just turned 18 years old.

Many soldiers did not know this because the German army blocked the "legend" about Charles and strictly prohibited them from discussing it.

Because the German high-ranking officials believed that just discussing Charles's achievements could affect the morale of the troops.

The military band started beating the military drums nearby. The drums started slowly and then accelerated, and then suddenly stopped, indicating that the ceremony could move on to the next step.

Lieutenant General Baird walked to Charles with his head held high, bent down slightly, untied the sword from his waist and presented it to Charles with both hands: "You won, General, I lost with all my heart."

Then he looked to both sides, glanced at the people walking, and nodded slightly: "Thank you for leaving us the last dignity, which is very important to us."

Charles took the sword with both hands: "Speaking of which, I should thank you, General."

"What?" Lieutenant General Baird looked at Charles in confusion.

"You designated me as your surrender target." Charles said with self-mockery: "I almost lost to my own people."

Lieutenant General Baird forced a smile on his face: "This is what I should do. You are the one who defeated us."

"You did a good job." Charles said, and then turned his eyes to all the surrendered German soldiers: "You have tried your best. For the war situation that cannot be changed, we should lay down our weapons in this way. You are still heroes, you will be treated preferentially, this is my promise to you!"

The German soldiers breathed a sigh of relief instantly, they got Charles' promise!