I Became a Plutocrat in World War I: Starting with Saving France
Chapter 166: Original - 166 Armchair Strategist "Tactician

Chapter 166: Original: Chapter 166 Armchair Strategist "Tactician

Kobudo moved quickly; he chose to rent a factory building opposite Eric’s aircraft manufacturing plant to set up the "Merit Newspaper Company."

The reason for choosing this location was firstly because the 20th district and the 19th district of Paris both belonged to poor areas, where the rent was cheap and workers could be hired at low cost.

On the other hand, Kobudo also considered Shire.

With the companies close together, if Shire wanted to visit or inspect, he would only need to go to one place, not run back and forth between two.

Shire liked subordinates who planned ahead for themselves; he considered this very thoroughly.

Gallieni’s attitude was similar to Shire’s; they both didn’t care much about the newspaper company itself, but more about the newspaper and how much impact it could have within the army.

The result was an astonishing success at the time of release; 200,000 copies sent to the front lines were snatched up by soldiers in no time, and the 100,000 copies sent to the public were also in short supply.

This success was thanks to Kobudo’s strategy, which led to a dispute with Major Fernan:

"The front-page headline must be the Lafox battle!" Kobudo insisted on his point of view.

"I don’t think so!" Major Fernan objected, "Our purpose is to teach soldiers how to use grenades. We can’t put that in a secondary position!"

"Major!" Kobudo retorted, "If you were in the trenches on the front line, with death a constant possibility, would you prefer a newspaper that excites, makes you happy and invigorates you, or a dull and dogmatic manual to follow?"

"You might be right!" Major Fernan countered, "Soldiers would prefer to see victories, but learning to use grenades might save their lives!"

"The point is, we must first get the soldiers to like this newspaper!" Kobudo explained earnestly, "Only then will they possibly look at the grenade tutorial. Otherwise, even if we put the grenade tutorial on the front page, the soldiers would just use it as toilet paper!"

...

Kobudo viewed the issue from a journalist’s perspective, while Major Fernan considered it from the standpoint of importance, and neither would concede in their argument.

In the end, Shire resolved the matter.

Shire said to Fernan:

"Major, we might look at it this way: putting the Lafox battle on the front page could attract more attention."

"After the soldiers finish reading this hot topic and want more, they could also learn the grenade tutorial, so more would become proficient in grenade use."

"Conversely, if we put the grenade tutorial on the front page... not only might we fail to achieve the expected effect, but it could also backfire!"

Kobudo agreed, "Exactly, that’s what I wanted to say."

Kobudo then added:

"It’s like... Xia Fei constantly using ’Saint Chammon’ and more troops to launch a frontal assault on Lafox, at great cost with no gains."

"But the Lieutenant, with less than 2,000 men and fewer than 100 tanks, easily achieved an astonishing victory by breaking through from the flank."

"Presented with these two options, which would you choose, Major?"

In the end, Major Fernan was persuaded, and even Gallieni, who had not participated in the discussion from the other side of the office, nodded slightly.

Gallieni cast a glance at Kobudo, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. This journalist was eloquent and had a good understanding of Shire’s tactics.

"Lieutenant Kobudo!" General Gallieni beckoned Kobudo to come forward.

Kobudo, overwhelmed by the honor, stepped forward and saluted.

It was a strange feeling; he usually found it hard to get a chance to see Gallieni, but now he had the opportunity to speak face-to-face, and in a superior-subordinate relationship.

"Have you ever served in the army before?" Gallieni asked.

"No, General!" Kobudo replied, "I just... out of interest in the military, combined with work needs, have studied a lot of information!"

Gallieni seemed to understand; this was a "tactician" who knew only paper strategies.

Perhaps because he hadn’t served in the army or studied at a military academy, he hadn’t been influenced by the French Army’s rigid and biased "offensive tactics," which made it easier for him to accept Shire’s new tactics.

Gallieni believed that while Kobudo couldn’t be used for actual battlefield command, understanding and applying new tactics on the battlefield was entirely different from Shire.

However...

Gallieni quickly thought about how to make use of this "talent."

"You may be able to be of service elsewhere, Lieutenant!" Gallieni looked at Kobudo with interest and asked, "Do you know Saint-Cyr Military Academy?"

"Of course, General!" Kobudo was puzzled; he didn’t understand what connection he had with Saint-Cyr Military Academy.

"Here’s the situation." Gallieni glanced in Shire’s direction, who was discussing military newspaper content leaking issues with Major Fernan.

Lowering his voice, Gallieni said, "I have summarized Shire’s tactics and war examples, and sent them all to Saint-Cyr Military Academy to be compiled into teaching materials."

Kobudo agreed, nodding vigorously and moving closer to whisper, "A wise move, General! One day, when these officers step onto the battlefield, if they can use even one-tenth of Shire’s tactics, the French Army will be different!"

"But it hasn’t had any effect!" Gallieni shook his head with regret, "No one takes these tactics seriously. They are so accustomed to the ’offensive tactics’ that they revere. Although these tactics are compiled into teaching materials under my orders, they have been abandoned in a corner, unseen and unheeded!"

Kobudo understood why this was happening.

The instructors at the academy have long been adherents of French "offensive tactics" and are steadfast supporters. Without this, they would be considered "heretics" and exiled from the school.

The trainees have not experienced the reality of the battlefield and still know nothing, waiting for instructors to imbue them with so-called tactics.

They had formed a rigid mode that continued to "operate normally."

Although Shire’s tactics had been proven correct on the front lines, for the well-oiled machine that is Saint-Cyr Military Academy, Shire’s tactics were an outsider, undoubtedly seen as a "dangerous thought" and isolated from military theory.

"But..." Kobudo asked perplexed, "General, what can I do?"

"I need someone to go to Saint-Cyr Military Academy to give lectures!" Gallieni stared at Kobudo, "This person would speak about Shire’s combat theories. I believe that as long as someone talks about them, some trainees will think about which combat theory is correct, and that’s what I need!"

Kobudo swallowed nervously, "General, you wouldn’t want... to send me, right?"