Chapter 1 - Documents of the Army
The great country of France, it is here our story begins.
Situated in the heart of Europe lies the city of lights, the heart of Europe and the forefront of any provocations the German Reich unleashes. Their army, although trained in the art of warfare, is mediocre compared to its neighbours. Still recovering after the effects of world war one, but due to a large economy built on trade, they were coming back up to their once dominance in the world.
Three armies were made to combat the threat of the Germans, lead by Frances greatest military leaders.
Armee de General, France's main army, made up of the best infantry and vehicles the country has to offer. Lead by General Alphonse Juin and France’s main defense against any invaders planning to hurt France’s legacy.
General Alphonse rose the ranks quickly and quietly in the midst of world war one, he was stationed in Morocco before it broke out, and when it did, he was sent to lead a division on the western front, it was here he was gravely wounded and loss the use of this right arm. This didn’t stop him wanting to fight for his country, it only made his hatred for the Germans greater.
After the first world war had ended, he went to Ecole speciale de Saint-Cyr, France's greatest and oldest military academy. It has here he was retaught modern warfare and trained, and promoted to General after showing ingenious tactical knowledge and great leadership skills. With General Alphonse in charge, morale was at an all time high, his men listened to his every word and they knew Alphonse would lead them to victory.
Armee de Gaulle, France’s military juggernauts - made up of elite infantry and most advanced tanks, used to push into enemy lines and make way for Army de General to spread and conquer. Lead by General Charles de Gaulle, this was France’s most elite division used.
When war broke out in France in early August of 1914, the regiment he belonged to was considered one of the best and immediately sent to the front lines to combat the advancing Germans, however his General, loyal to the tactics of the 19th century sent units sprawling into combat in pointless bayonet charges, resulting in heavy casualties.
Promoted to Platoon Captain, Gaulle was involved in fierce fighing from the beginning, and was amongst the first to be injured. During treatment he grew resentful of his Generals old ways.
Yet, with General Joseph Joffre's decision to stop the retreat and counter-attack, favoured by the arrival of British units and by changes in the command structure, the rapid German advance was eventually stalled by mid September at the First Battle of the Marne. Returning in the Marne in late 1914 to find many of his former comrades dead, he was put in charge of a company. De Gaulle's unit gained recognition for repeatedly crawling out into No man's land to listen to the conversations of the enemy in their trenches, and the information he brought back was so valuable that in January 1915 he received a citation for his bravery. On 10 January, de Gaulle received a bullet in the left hand which incapacitated him for four months and which later forced him to wear his wedding ring on the right hand.
Lastly, Armee de Weygand, France’s back up army, situated on the border between them and Switzerland, located in the snowy mountain of the alps, these troops were conditioned to withstand the harshest of temperatures and fight in any terrain. They were mainly used as reserves and, if all goes well, rarely used in day to day combat.
Weygand passed World War I as a staff officer. At the outbreak, he satisfied his taste for contact with the troops by spending 26 days with the Fifth Hussar Regiment. On 28 August, he joined the staff of General Ferdinand Foch, under whom he was to serve for much of the rest of the war.
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Sorry for the short chapter guys! It got late and I forgot to update it so I made this as quickly as I could, tomorrow I'll a bigger, much more juicy update, stay tuned
