"We have no time to take you prisoner, so lay down your arms and get out of the way, lest you stand in the way."

On April 17-18, 1940, such French shouts rang out simultaneously in many parts of the north-eastern battlefields of France. The march towards the English Channel was the four Panzer Divisions under the jurisdiction of the German 1st Panzer Army, which were advancing at a rapid pace. What stands in their way is not the French warriors who are ready to sacrifice their lives for the country with a smile, but the defeated French people who have a mental breakdown and a complete loss of fighting spirit.

Their troops had been either bombed or rumbled by German panzers in the last few days, completely unable to resist, and all that remained was to collapse and collapse. The divisions of the French 9th Army were all second-line troops in the French army, with insufficient equipment and training, and most of the soldiers were French uncles in their thirties. Their generation did not participate in the brutal First World War, but they enjoyed the joy and glory of victory, and lived a very comfortable life compared to the German people. They did not have to fight for food and the fate of their country, but only for the politicians of France to fight against war and for high welfare, which was not really a struggle, but an after-dinner pastime, a right granted to them by the sacred French constitution.

But at a time when these people had spent their absurd and hedonistic youth, entering middle age, having families (this generation of French people would at least get married) and children, the German, which had been trampled under the feet of France for an unknown amount of time, suddenly rose to prominence. Armed with tanks and airplanes, they then defeated the second army power in Europe in 12 days, and now they have rushed into France with murderous violation, so that these anti-war French uncles have tasted the bitter fruits of defeat.

The panicked French soldiers were relieved to hear that the Germans had no time to capture them, and threw away the weapons they had with them, if they still had them!

At this point, some German infantrymen would jump out of tanks or armoured vehicles, place all their guns neatly in front of a tank's tracks, and the tanks would unceremoniously run over them, crushing the French rifles with little capture value to scrap metal.

The German armourers had no interest in French rifles, but they did not miss any of the highway gas stations they encountered along the way - it is not known whether it was because of the sudden rout, or because the French were missing a root in their heads, and not every gas station or depot where Guderian's four panzer divisions encountered along the way was destroyed. Many of these gas stations and oil depots also stored gasoline, which was most lacking in the German armored forces!

And on the battlefield south of Sedan, the French 2nd Army performed somewhat better than the 9th Army. Their organization had not yet collapsed, but was surrounded by the German 12th and 16th armies in a narrow strip of land south of the Monte-Diu Heights, north of Sterney (where the 41st Panzer Army and the 16th Army of the German 12th Army met) and west of the Maas River. Moreover, they also lost most of their tanks in the two-day battles of the 15th and 16th, turning into tigers without teeth and claws.

"Mr. Prime Minister, the war is defeated! France is defeated! On the 18th, Admiral Gammelin was helpless, and with tears in his eyes, he looked at Paul Lam, who had come to inspect the castle of Vincennes (where the Allied headquarters was located). Chancellor Reynaud said that "the 2nd Army was surrounded, the 9th Army was almost non-existent, and now the roads to Verdun and Calais, Dunkirk were unimpeded for the Germans." Our troops in Belgium and those on the Maginot Line, will soon be surrounded. And there is no strength to defend the ...... of Paris"

"Admiral, it's only been 9 days now!" Paul. Renaud looked at Ganmalin with fiery eyes, "9 days, the Poles have held on for 12 days, and our France will collapse in 9 days?" I didn't even see a decent battle...... We should at least have a battle like 'Marne' or 'Verdun'? That can also die vigorously! ”

Even Renault doesn't think France can win anymore, even a draw is impossible, but it is also a decent loss. At least have a good fight with the Germans and break a few of Kaiser Wilhelm's big teeth!

Can ...... now Most of the French soldiers didn't even shoot the Germans on the battlefield, so how could they be defeated?

"Prime Minister, now is not the time for a bang, France should seek a decent peace." "Seek peace while the 1st Army, the 7th Army (these two armies are in Belgium) and the 2nd Army have not been wiped out, and the rear of the Maginot Line has not been cut off...... That way we can at least save a little more energy. ”

"Now is not the time to make peace!" Paul. Renaud glared at Gan Malin. In fact, he has been thinking about the issue of reconciliation for the past two days, and he has been thinking about it since he called Churchill for comfort in the early morning of the 15th.

After a few days of thinking, it became clear to Renault: there will be no decent peace! Because France did not give Germany dignity 21 years ago, can you expect the Germans to spare France now?

People have been holding their anger for 21 years, and now they have finally taken revenge and knocked France to the ground, can they still be spared?

Moreover, even if the Germans were willing to keep the vitality of France, regardless of their past suspicions. Then France must at least return what it took from Germany 21 years ago!

That is to return to Germany Lorraine-Alsace and at least tens of billions of gold marks, as well as a large amount of coal, machinery and ships, and overseas colonies...... Can the French people accept such a peace?

"It is impossible to make a sum at the moment!" Paul. Renaud asked Ganmalin, "Admiral, you are no longer capable of leading the French army into battle, are you?" ”

Gammelin understood what Prime Minister Reynaud's words meant, and that he would become synonymous with defeat and an eternal disgrace to the French army. He nodded slowly, "Yes...... I think the coalition needs a new commander-in-chief. ”

"Then I will appoint Admiral Weygand to take your place," said Reynaud, "and you will hand over the post of commander-in-chief when he returns from Syria." ”

Gammelin frowned, he knew it was a terrible decision! Not to mention whether the 74-year-old General Wei Gang (older than Gan Molin) can understand the concept of mechanized warfare, let's just say that Wei Gang is far away in Syria these days and does not understand the situation on the battlefield in France at all, so it is very likely that the big thing will be delayed.

Reynaud then said to Ganmalin: "I will also appoint a Deputy Prime Minister, and I will invite the Ambassador to Spain, Marshal of the Republic, Mr. Pétain, to return home as Deputy Prime Minister." ”

Gan Molin was stunned, he knew very well what Renault was calculating! Vice premier...... This is not a permanent position in the French government (the government of the Third Republic). Now it is proposed to set up a deputy prime minister, and let Marshal Petain be the one, I am afraid that at what point will Petain be promoted to be a prime minister who surrenders and sues for peace, right?

……

"Mr. President, I think the British and we are in big trouble!"

U.S. Secretary of State Cordell. Hull and Commerce Secretary Hopkins were both invited by Roosevelt to the Oval Office of the White House on the morning of April 18, US time. Roosevelt showed them Churchill's letter. Although the signature is "former naval officer", both Hull and Hopkins know that the "former naval officer" is the current British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

After reading the letter, Cordell. Hull shook his head and said: "When I met Prime Minister Renault in Paris on the 15****, Renault was equally panicked and asked us to immediately send a plane that would cover the sky enough to go to France. ”

Roosevelt shrugged, "If only I had so many planes to send." ”

At present, the United States has not armed itself, and the strength of the US army and naval aviation is far inferior to that of the German air force and navy. Moreover, President Roosevelt did not have the authority to send American armed forces to Europe to fight Germany in war.

"Mr. President, but we have a lot of mothballed destroyers." Harry. Hopkins also read Churchill's letter. "We have to give these warships to the British...... The activity of German submarines was too rampant! Britain lost more than 550,000 tons of merchant ships in March! ”

Although the weather in the North Atlantic improved, German submarines became more and more active day by day! The total tonnage of the UK's monthly merchant ships was more than 550,000 tons in March, and it is estimated that it will exceed 600,000 tons in April.

"In addition, the gold and foreign exchange reserves of the British are about to run out!" Harry. Hopkins went on to say, "They had $550 million when they started the war, and now they have less than $200 million." By the third quarter at the latest, the British will spend their last dollar. If we did not give weapons and supplies to Britain in vain, then even Churchill would not be able to sustain the war. ”

President Roosevelt looked at Hull, who had just visited Britain and France. The US Secretary of State said: "Mr. President, I think that the goal of the Germans is to expand the former German Customs Union to the whole of Europe, excluding the USSR!" The German Reich was to play the role of Prussia, while Europe (excluding the USSR) was to play the role of the German Confederation...... There will finally be a united Europe! ”

"A united Europe...... Is it possible? ”

"If Britain submits, Europe will finally be united!" Cordel. "France is about to be defeated, and the country has completely degenerated, without the pride of the past," Hull said. If Britain were defeated by Germany, France would be at the mercy of Germany. If France and Germany can be integrated, then the Low Countries can only join. And then there's Northern Europe, Southern Europe and the Balkans!

In the end, Europe will become a powerful and invincible empire under the leadership of Germany! (To be continued.) )