I Became a Plutocrat in World War I: Starting with Saving France

The issue of the discrepancy in speed between tanks and infantry unexpectedly evolved in two directions after World War I:

Although Britain was the country that invented tanks, it didn't truly grasp their advantages and proper tactics. It chose to slow down tanks to match the speed of infantry, resulting in the so-called "infantry tanks," such as "Matilda."

Germany, emphasizing blitzkrieg after the war, focused on offense and speed. It made infantry quicker to keep up with tanks, thus developing half-track armored vehicles and sidecars that could coordinate infantry with tanks.

Shire knew the correct answer and naturally had no hesitation on this issue. He immediately equipped the troops with armored vehicles that also had troop transport capabilities.

Note: Armored vehicles had already emerged at that time, but most did not have troop transport capabilities. They were used to support infantry rather than tank combat, as shown in the image of the Rolls-Royce armored car equipped by the British Army at the end of 1914.

After finishing the arrangements for the tank brigade, Shire went to the flying club for a walk. The pilots were actively training "air combat eight rules" under the command of Carter, and Shire had no concerns.

At noon, Shire returned to the police training base. As soon as he entered the command center, Dominic followed closely behind. He was evidently waiting for Shire.

"General." Dominic enthusiastically handed Shire a newspaper, pointing to one section: "You might want to read this."

It was news about the Gallipoli battle, describing a stalemate between the two armies in both sea and land engagements, with the Allies making no progress.

Shire was somewhat puzzled and asked, "When did you start to care about the Gallipoli battle?"

"No." Dominic leaned in, pointing to a line: "It's this."

Upon closer inspection, Shire noticed a corner of the article stating, "Soldiers complain bitterly about the 'Chauchat' machine gun, claiming it has never fired more than 200 rounds without malfunction, whereas even rifles can achieve this."

Shire had skimmed through the article earlier and hadn't seen that line.

"You're concerned about the 'Chauchat' machine gun's performance in battle?" Shire asked.

"Yes." Dominic replied, "It's been three weeks since it was deployed, and soldiers have been reacting strongly, with some units even refusing to accept it, believing it only wastes their allocation and time for maintenance."

Shire wasn't surprised, as the 'Chauchat' was inherently flawed and now was operating in high-salt, high-humidity environments where issues were inevitable.

Dominic carefully asked, "General, should we send the 'Saint-Etienne 2' machine gun instead?"

This was Dominic's real intention. He was keeping an eye on the Gallipoli battle not to see the 'Chauchat' machine gun fail, nor to see the 'Saint-Etienne 2' machine gun sell well, but to have it equip the Allies as soon as possible to save more lives.

This kind-hearted fellow, Shire cursed inwardly, how would he inherit Steed's legacy!

After some thought, Shire nodded, "It's almost time."

Dominic breathed a sigh of relief and eagerly said, "I'll handle it right away."

"Wait." Shire stopped Dominic before he could leave and instructed, "Equip the 29th British Division and the 5th Australian Light Horse Regiment first."

Dominic was puzzled, "Not the French Army first?"

We are France's arms dealers, shouldn't we prioritize our nation's interests?

Shire had anticipated Dominic's reaction. He shook his head slightly; a competent capitalist should prioritize "my" interests over "national" interests.

Shire reminded, "This is an opportunity for 'Saint-Etienne' arms factory, Dominic, an excellent advertising opportunity to expand 'Saint-Etienne's influence."

"Advertising opportunity?" Dominic didn't understand, what's the difference between equipping the British Army and the French Army? Isn't battlefield performance the best advertisement?

Shire countered, "Most 'Chauchat' machine guns are equipped with the French Army, right?"

"Yes." Dominic nodded. The 'Chauchat,' though produced by the 'Pito' factory, was a French machine gun and thus prioritized for the French Army.

Dominic then seemed to realize, "You mean, let the 'Chauchat' and 'Saint-Etienne 2' machine guns appear simultaneously on the battlefield to create a stark contrast?"

"You could say that." Shire indicated for Dominic to sit in the chair before him, "But there are other reasons. What can you think of?"

Dominic looked at Shire, his expression filled with confusion.

Shire slowly provided the answer, "People will think Schneider and Xia Fei are behind this, believe they're suppressing the 'Saint-Etienne,' and the soldiers suffering will voice their anger."

Dominic was shocked, "But they didn't do such a thing."

"I know." Shire shrugged, "But that's not important!"

Dominic understood, "You intend to mislead people!"

Shire did not deny.

Previously, Schneider and Xia Fei had jointly suppressed Shire and the 'Saint-Etienne' factory multiple times.

Now, if the poorly made 'Chauchat' machine gun equipped the French Army, while the superior 'Saint-Etienne 2' machine gun from the same French arms factory only equipped the British Army, what would people think?

They would naturally think:

"Both are French equipment; why does the French Army equip the worse one?"

"Shouldn't they keep the better one for themselves? This affects the soldiers' lives!"

"This must be Xia Fei and Schneider's doing, once again pushing out superior equipment."

...

"But this is a lie." Dominic's face was full of opposition.

"This is politics and business." Shire countered, "Moreover, we did nothing; it's what people think on their own."

"But they have their own newspapers and will clarify the matter."

Shire smiled, "Do you think people will believe it? Once people are convinced, they'll view the 'clarification' as an attempt to cover up."

At the same time, if Shire and 'Saint-Etienne' remain silent, people will believe they are under some pressure not to speak out.

Even if the truth comes out one day, it won't change anything.

Dominic shook his head, "We can't do this, General."

Shire responded with just one sentence, "This will enable the 'Saint-Etienne 2' machine gun to be adopted faster and more widely, meaning more lives saved. Choose between honesty and morality, or the soldiers' lives!"

Dominic hesitated, ultimately nodding helplessly, "You're right. I understand what to do now."