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

Hello everyone, happy Mid-Autumn Festival! I've been busy visiting relatives and friends lately, and couldn't manage the three chapters. Sorry about that, I will adjust and get back to writing secluded as soon as possible. Thank you all!

...

Shire's First Tank Brigade not only repelled the attacking German Army but also pushed the front line forward by 8 kilometers, killing or wounding over 10,000 German soldiers and capturing more than 8,000, while only losing 18 tanks and suffering over 500 casualties on their side. Without a doubt, it was a "remarkable" victory.

(Note: The casualties of the French Army's First Specialized Artillery Division were not included in the count)

Once again, the French military and civilians were stunned by this victory. They spontaneously took to the streets, cheering and shouting:

"Long live France!"

"Long live the First Tank Brigade!"

Some even voiced, "Why don't we march on Berlin?"

There were not a few who supported this notion, and various newspapers echoed:

"If our army can gain such a significant advantage, as long as Shire's troops take the field, they can rout the Germans and completely end the war. This might not be impossible!"

"I think so too. I believe we have such strength, but it should be Shire's troops first and foremost."

"The only thing we need to consider seems to be whether the army is using the 'Shire Model' and whether officers are employing Shire's tactics!"

...

Shire was not concerned about these comments. He knew that talking about "marching on Berlin" or "ending the war" was still premature at this time.

The "Renault Tank" in history, also known as the "Shire A1" he was using, was mass-produced in 1917, but even when this tank was deployed on the battlefield, it did not immediately end trench warfare.

This was because the war had gradually transitioned to "systematic warfare," and "systematic warfare" could not be fundamentally changed by a single branch of the military or by developing a certain piece of equipment.

For example, the German Army maintained an advantage with their long-range howitzers, while the French Army's production rate was only five units per month, an output that could not even compensate for battle losses.

Moreover, artillery technology was essentially monopolized by Schneider, which had significant technical barriers, making it difficult to quickly expand production and increase output.

This determined that the German Army had the potential to stop tank breakthroughs, which was one of the reasons why the First Tank Brigade was halted after advancing 8 kilometers.

Shire was intrigued by the Germans' "Storm Assault Team," flipping through photos sent from the front line one by one.

These were taken by the First Tank Brigade during their advance when they captured over a hundred members of the "Storm Assault Team". These "Storm Assault Team" members were conspicuous because they wore steel armor and could hardly move without vehicle mobility.

Tijani was puzzled by Shire's actions, leaning over to look at the photos on the table and asking, "Everyone is thinking about whether we should march on Berlin, and you are looking at these! What's so special about them? Wearing steel armor?"

To Tijani, the "Storm Assault Team" seemed very foolish. He couldn't believe that people still wore medieval armor on the battlefield. What use could that serve?

"They're not as simple as you think, General," Shire said. "The steel armor can certainly be discarded, but their tactics are quite advanced."

This embodied the modern concept of "special forces." Like tanks, they could penetrate and accurately strike at critical enemy targets, with better concealment and flexibility.

Tijani raised his eyebrows, not taking Shire's words seriously. He thought that nothing could compare to tanks in this era, as everything else was vulnerable before them.

At this moment, General Winter walked into the office, casting a complex look at Shire. "I need to talk to you alone, Brigadier General."

Shire nodded, got up, and led General Winter into the adjacent conference room.

"What's the matter?" Shire gestured for General Winter to sit down and asked, "Wasn't this victory 'remarkable' enough?"

"No." General Winter shook his head. "You did very well, Brigadier General. We believe that the Italians will join the Allies because of this battle; they have even contacted us."

"Then what is it?" Shire asked with a puzzled look at General Winter.

"It's about your aircraft," General Winter hesitated slightly before continuing. "The new type of aircraft, I want to know if it is available for sale?"

Shire suddenly realized that Britain was apprehensive about the aircraft he had developed.

...

Shire was right. When the news of victory reached London, the Minister of the Navy wasn't happy about the victory but rather furrowed his brow in concern.

He held a photo depicting a "Camel" aircraft in mid-air combat with German warplanes.

He stood dazed for a while before asking Major Kyle of MI6, who stood in front of the desk, in a low voice, "Are you sure its speed can reach 180 kilometers per hour?"

"Yes," Major Kyle confirmed. "We deployed personnel to monitor the speed of the new German aircraft but inadvertently measured Shire's new aircraft. Everyone was astonished by its speed. We verified it several times; it could even exceed 180 kilometers per hour."

The Minister of the Navy nodded heavily, asking in a slow voice, "What is the top speed of our most advanced aircraft?"

"140 kilometers per hour," Major Kyle said somewhat helplessly. "It is still in the test flight stage and has not yet entered service."

It was the De Havilland DH.2, modified from the DH.1 two-seater, reducing it to one seat to lighten the weight and replacing it with a 100-horsepower engine, with a maximum speed of 140 kilometers per hour.

(The above image shows the British De Havilland DH.2, successfully test-flown in 1915)

The Minister of the Navy let out a dissatisfied "humph." "Do you know what this means? We might be far behind the French, or more precisely, far behind Shire!"

As the world's leading power, he could not accept falling behind another country, notwithstanding that this "other country" was an ally.

Especially because it was an ally.

With the ally forging ahead, Britain could only watch as it continued to progress.

"Airplanes are everything, Kyle," the Minister of the Navy said, staring at the photo as if lost in thought. "One day, if France becomes our enemy, their fighters will down our aircraft just as they do the Germans'!"

"I understand, Sir," Kyle suggested. "Perhaps we can seek cooperation with Shire, or purchase this aircraft."

The Minister of the Navy's face showed some embarrassment. The once-dominant power now needed to seek cooperation with Shire.

But what other options were there now?

The alternative to cooperation was watching it surpass Britain, widening the gap!

Thus, "purchasing aircraft" instantly became the highest priority, even surpassing the effort to bring Italy into the Allies.

The latter concerned the entire Allies, while the former was related to Britain's security.

After all, the narrowest point of the English Channel is only 34 kilometers wide. If France possessed such advanced aircraft, it would make Britain feel the chill.

France could always take the skies away from Britain, and what would Britain still be as the world's leading power by then?