Chapter 185: Compromise (Part 2)

“Oppose! Oppose! We should send another army to Vietnam!”
“This is surrender—surrender to barbarians! As members of the civilized world, I firmly disagree with this view!”
Another minister simply took off his hat and stood up: “Mr. Prime Minister, if you insist on an unconditional withdrawal from Vietnam, I will resign right now!”
“I’ll say just one thing: France must win and maintain its place in the civilized world. That’s the only way to defeat our enemies!”
Clearly, the opposing ministers were in the majority. They didn’t know much about military matters. Although France faced severe financial difficulties and was in an economic crisis, they believed that by sending a few divisions to the Far East, everything could be resolved.
After the Franco-Prussian War, this hardline approach was very popular in France. Even though this cabinet was called opportunistic, these ministers refused to compromise on such issues—if France couldn’t even defeat a barbarian leader in the East, how could it defeat Germany and avenge its humiliation?
“I think…”
“I object!”
“I propose…”
Within half an hour, the cabinet quickly split and engaged in fierce arguments. The hardliners and moderates clashed several times, but the hardliners gradually gained the upper hand.
“I think sending just one army to Vietnam will solve all problems! Three infantry divisions, six infantry brigades…”
While the Minister of Health spoke on a subject he wasn’t familiar with, the Minister of the Navy entered the room with a grim expression: “Sir, I must state a fact. Based on the latest combat situations, a full infantry army can only temporarily stabilize the situation in Tokyo. To conquer Vietnam, we need to send three more armies—over a hundred thousand troops…”
“Fighting such a war thousands of kilometers from home is completely financially unfeasible. So I suggest…”
His voice was filled with pain: “A conditional withdrawal from some areas.”
“Why?” The Minister of Health couldn’t understand this: “Can’t a civilized world’s infantry army solve the problem? Remember, we only sent a few thousand soldiers when we entered Beijing twice, and now we have forty thousand soldiers with more advanced equipment…”
The Minister of the Navy’s voice was extremely bitter: “Let’s not forget one thing: Even though France can no longer afford this war financially, we’ve already spent 270 million francs on it. If we keep sending more troops, we’ll need at least a billion francs more…”
The figure of a billion francs immediately made all the ministers back down. None of them would consider increasing military spending so much. Prime Minister Ferry seemed to realize something: “Is something wrong in Hanoi?”
“Yes! A serious problem. The latest reports…”
“Hmm?”

All the bureaucrats were well aware that they might face an unprecedented defeat in the Tokyo region, but they had no idea just how severe it would be. They only remembered the figure of 150,000 mentioned in the tabloids and waited for the Navy Minister’s response. “The latest reports show that General Nigri and Colonel Erming’s two brigades have suffered devastating losses—many soldiers killed or captured. General Nigri and hundreds of officers and men have been taken prisoner by the enemy. The losses are extremely severe…” His solemn tone made everyone realize that a storm was approaching. The Health Minister hesitated for a moment before asking, “Just how severe are the losses?” “We don’t yet have a complete tally, but it’s definitely over 10,000, and most of those are permanent losses. Very few wounded have been evacuated. The two infantry brigades now have the strength of just one mixed regiment left. Due to these unprecedented losses, the enemy is now encircling Hanoi completely. General Goubert’s forces have engaged in several fierce battles with the enemy and suffered heavy losses. With the enemy’s overwhelming numbers, Hanoi is in extreme danger, and there’s a constant risk of communication being cut off. General Goubert is asking us to send reinforcements immediately…” Ferri was concerned about another issue: “How many French citizens have lost their lives?” “There’s no complete count yet, but at least 2,000, possibly more…” 2,000 French soldiers killed—that wasn’t just a storm; it was like everyone being drawn into the eye of a typhoon. It seemed every minister present, even former ministers, would face the wrath of the entire nation. “2,000?” Prime Minister Ferri repeated the figure. “Who here objects to continuing to withdraw or send more troops?” The hardliners from earlier were speechless. Losing over 10,000 soldiers, most of them permanently, especially with thousands of French citizens dying in the Far East, made it impossible for them to continue this war. Moreover, the report carried another significant implication: two entire brigades, or what was equivalent to an entire division, of French troops had been wiped out by the Black Flag Army in just one or two days. This meant that even sending an entire army to Vietnam would only serve to stabilize the situation. As the Navy Minister had suggested, sending three armies to Vietnam would be like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. On top of that, there was another critical issue facing every Frenchman: the impending war against Germany. No Frenchman would forget Alsace and Lorraine. If too many troops and funds were spent in the Far East, who would fight in the future war against Germany? “We can’t afford 1 billion francs in military expenses…” The Finance Minister offered a different perspective: “1 billion francs won’t bankrupt the country, but ending this war will!” This was a view that everyone agreed on, at least in part. Even if three armies were sent, who could guarantee that the war would end immediately? If dragged into a protracted conflict by the Black Flag Army, it would undoubtedly be a costly mistake. “I think I was too hasty in my assumptions. I agree with the Prime Minister’s view.” “I agree too!” …

Just as everyone was deciding to compromise, the Deputy Foreign Minister rushed in from outside: “Gentlemen… don’t worry, don’t worry! We’ve won!”
“We’ve won!”
Everyone was in shock, unable to understand what the Deputy Foreign Minister was talking about: “The war in Vietnam?”
“Yes!” the Deputy Foreign Minister said excitedly. “We’ve achieved the final victory in this difficult war!”
“Li Hongzhang has compromised with our representatives—the Chinese have given up all their power in Vietnam!”