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Chapter 534 - Chapter 0534: Extinguishing All Hope

On the morning of April 25, 1915, QinTian, accompanied by a host of high-ranking German officers and guarded by an escort, entered Paris. At that moment, Paris had been completely reduced to a wasteland. Everywhere, there were charred ruins and collapsed buildings. The streets were littered with craters of all sizes. The once-glorious city, a beacon of world culture, no longer bore any resemblance to its former self.

Because the streets were pocked with craters, the automobiles could not pass through. Thus, QinTian and his entourage were forced to proceed on foot. As they walked amidst the ruins, QinTian could not help but feel a profound sense of melancholy. Indeed, destruction was far easier than creation. Paris had been founded over a thousand years ago, a city born of centuries of development, a symbol of civilization. Yet, in just a week, the German forces had reduced it to rubble.

"Bang!" 

In the distance, sporadic gunfire echoed, causing the surrounding guards to tense with anxiety. However, QinTian remained unperturbed. He had full confidence in the strength of his escort. After all, they were the elite, handpicked soldiers from the army. High vantage points were dotted with snipers. If he were to be assassinated under such circumstances, it would indeed be his own fault.

"Is there still significant resistance within the city?" QinTian inquired.

"Your Highness, there is only sporadic resistance left. The vast majority of the French have chosen to surrender to us. Only a very few, a small minority, continue to resist. We have already mobilized forces to eliminate the remaining French holdouts. With the snipers in place, they will not hold out for long. It is estimated that in three to five days, we will have eradicated them completely," General Krüger reported.

After the French forces had surrendered and the entire city of Paris had fallen into German hands, the German High Command had dispatched four corps to the city, tasked with its defense and the suppression of any remaining French forces. Overall, the progress had been quite satisfactory.

"Paris is in our hands now. Are the French still so deluded? Continuing to resist serves no purpose for them," remarked General Bilot, Commander of the 2nd Corps.

"Regardless, we are invaders in their eyes, and they are justified in striking against us. Their efforts, however, are nothing more than the futile struggles of a mantis trying to stop a chariot," General Ludendorff commented.

It was clear that, with Paris firmly under German control, the actions of the French were akin to a suicidal act. Of course, they fought for their homeland, and there was nothing wrong with that.

QinTian and his party walked to the banks of the Seine River. The cities on both sides had been reduced to ruins. Yet, the river itself flowed on serenely, seemingly untouched by the destruction around it. The once-world-renowned Eiffel Tower, battered by German artillery and airstrikes, had collapsed. A portion of the tower lay crumpled in the river below.

Looking at this devastation, QinTian said, "Gentlemen, we may have become the barbarians who destroy civilization in the eyes of those in the arts world."

"Haha, so what if we are called barbarians? If we win this war, what does it matter if we bear such a stigma?" General Dimlin of the 5th Army Corps laughed.

"Indeed, we are soldiers, not so-called artists. Those monuments and cultural artifacts mean nothing to us. To expect us to trade the lives of our soldiers for these useless relics is simply out of the question," General Krüger added.

The other generals nodded in agreement. As soldiers, their sole concern was victory—or rather, securing victory at the lowest possible cost. The opinions of others, especially those of the civilian arts world, were irrelevant to them.

Having seen enough of the ruined city, QinTian and his party left Paris and made their way back to Versailles.

This brought a sigh of relief to the accompanying personnel, especially the guards. After all, there was still resistance within the city, and any unforeseen incident could have proven disastrous.

Upon returning to Versailles, QinTian and several army commanders immediately convened in the operations room to discuss their next course of action.

"Your Highness, gentlemen," Major General Manstein began, "With Paris now under our control, the combined Anglo-French forces have suffered unprecedented losses. The remaining forces of the Anglo-French coalition consist mainly of the French 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 11th, and 12th Armies. The British Expeditionary Force has only two corps remaining: the 1st and 5th. While the names of these units may sound numerous, their actual strength is quite depleted. The 2nd French Army, having been nearly annihilated in the battle of Champagne and Chalons, is all but destroyed. The remaining armies, aside from the 11th and 12th, have also suffered heavy losses. The French Army's strength now stands at little more than one million men. Furthermore, the 11th and 12th Armies are newly formed and lack even the full complement of heavy weapons, let alone battle readiness. As for the British, their 1st Corps suffered heavy losses in Rouen and is down to less than 100,000 men. The 5th British Corps, also recently formed, is similarly understrength and poorly trained. According to our intelligence, the French government has issued a mobilization order and plans to form three new corps, bringing the total Anglo-French force to about two million men."

Although the total strength of the Anglo-French forces appeared to surpass that of the German Western Front, their combat capability was a different matter. The German forces could easily defeat them. The Anglo-French armies were a mix of battered remnants and newly formed, undertrained units. How could any real fighting strength be expected from such a force? Even when facing the elite of the Anglo-French armies, the Germans could still achieve swift victories. Against these disorganized masses, victory was all but assured.

"Gentlemen, while we have captured Paris, it seems the French have no intention of surrendering. It appears they still wish to continue the fight. These two million Anglo-French forces may be their last hope. If we do not decisively crush them and make them pay a heavy price, they will not relent. Therefore, we must continue this war until we have utterly defeated France," QinTian declared.

Since the French refused to come to their senses, they would not be spared. QinTian had no intention of showing mercy.