Chapter 291 Paris Military Parade (1)

If you were to search "Paris attractions" on the internet in the future, you would find nearly 200 famous landmarks. Among the multitude of attractions, the four most famous buildings are the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Louvre, and the Arc de Triomphe (Note: Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Arc de Triomphe are not exclusive to Paris; they can be found not only throughout Europe but also within the borders of China).

The Arc de Triomphe, commissioned by Napoleon to commemorate the victory over the Russo-Austrian coalition in 1805, was ordered to be built in 1806 as a "great sculpture" to welcome the triumphant French soldiers in the future. Construction began on August 15 of the same year, based on the design by the renowned architect Jean Chalgrin. However, after Napoleon was overthrown, the project was halted midway. It wasn't until 1830, after the fall of the Bourbon dynasty, that the project resumed. After 30 years of intermittent progress, the Arc de Triomphe finally held its inauguration ceremony on July 29, 1836.

While Europe has over a hundred triumphal arches, the Paris Arc de Triomphe is the largest, situated in the heart of the city. Twelve major streets radiate from the Arc de Triomphe in a magnificent and star-shaped manner, earning it the name "Place de l'Étoile" (Star Square).

The Arc de Triomphe stands at 49.54 meters in height, 44.82 meters in width, and 22.21 meters in thickness, with the central arch rising to 36.6 meters in height and 14.6 meters in width. On the walls of the pylons on both sides of the Arc de Triomphe, there are four sets of large reliefs depicting themes of war: "Departure," "Victory," "Peace," and "Resistance." The surroundings of the Arc de Triomphe are adorned with doors, inscribed with the names of 386 generals who followed Napoleon in his campaigns and the names of 96 victorious battles. The doors also bear inscriptions of the military history of France from 1792 to 1815.

From the design of the Arc de Triomphe, it is evident that this structure symbolizes the glory of France. The fact that the German military chose this location as the grandstand for their parade adds a layer of profound meaning, perhaps even irony.

Wilhelm had already rejected the request to sign a ceasefire agreement in a train carriage in the Bois de Boulogne forest in Paris. If even this parade were to be rejected, the military high command might have to find a corner to squat down and draw circles.

He decided to indulge the small vanity of those high-ranking military officers.

At this moment, German soldiers ready for inspection were gathering on a square one kilometer away. The streets and balconies of buildings on both sides were already filled with curious French citizens. However, these citizens didn't bring pressure to the German soldiers; instead, they exuded a sense of pride. Just as Wilhelm witnessed, only a very small minority harbored hostility towards the German soldiers. The guards preparing to depart received admiring glances from numerous young men and women. The young men noticed the handsome uniforms of the guards, while the attention of the young women naturally extended beyond the uniforms.

The three front formations were the Guard formations, followed by five formations of the Defense Army. Behind them were armored vehicles, tanks, and the like.

The tanks, already cleaned and neatly arranged, glittered dazzlingly in the sunlight.

Deputy Commander of the Guard, Reinhard, drew his personal sword and pointed it towards the sky. "Our fathers, uncles, uncles, and even brothers were only a step away from victory twenty years ago! Unfortunately, they ultimately failed. But today, under His Highness's wise leadership, we have finally fulfilled the aspirations that our predecessors left unfinished. At this moment, we will use this parade to commemorate the fallen heroes, soothe their spirits in the heavens, and let them see that the German spirit for which they sacrificed is rising again!! Victory will always belong to us!"

"Long live the great German spirit!!"

The thunderous cheers echoed over the skies of Paris.

The older French people gathered around looked at the spirited German soldiers with complex expressions. Twenty years had almost erased the memory of Germany's steel-like army from the minds of Parisians. However, today, the reappearance of this army in front of the Parisians reminded numerous French veterans of the formidable opponent they faced during the Great War.

This morale, combined with advanced weaponry, made them invincible. Who could defeat them? With the joint efforts of England and France unable to surpass Germany, the prospects for a Vichy government counterattack seemed bleak, not to mention that certain individual, De Gaulle, who had fled to England. It seemed that ordinary folks would have to obediently become Germans under their rule.

Many people had already made up their minds to buy a German dictionary from the bookstore after the parade. After all, it wouldn't hurt to learn a bit of their language when living under their rule, right?

"The parade begins! Guards, forward!"

Reinhard twirled his sword, pointing the blade forward, loudly commanding.

Reinhard was originally a handsome guy, and with a stylish uniform, coupled with such handsome movements, he instantly caused a stir among the young men and women in the crowd. Meanwhile, he stood on the vehicle, leading the troops towards Champs-Élysées Avenue, where the Arc de Triomphe could already be seen in the distance.

Champs-Élysées Avenue was the most famous street in Paris, spanning the east-west main road of the capital. It was 1800 meters long, approximately 120 meters wide, with eight lanes in both directions, starting from Place de la Concorde in the east to Place Charles de Gaulle in the west.

For those who would travel to Paris in the future, this was a must-visit place. World-class brands, clothing stores, and perfume shops were concentrated here, making it the most beautiful street in the world.

Now, this street was trembling under the iron hooves of German rule!

At this moment, on the reviewing stand, Wilhelm was chatting with Marshal Pétain sitting beside him. "Your Excellency, I don't know if you have read the newspapers in Paris today. Many articles sympathize with you. Two or three of them are from the newspapers we haven't had time to reorganize. It seems that my words yesterday had quite an impact, didn't they?"

"But as I said yesterday, the person who knows you best is often not a friend but your opponent. Those words were just courteous remarks for outsiders. Perhaps you really love your country, but in your eyes, your homeland is being eroded by the Palace Party, heading towards leftism. Betraying such a country for him has little psychological inhibition. Isn't that so?"

In other words, Pétain betrayed the country in his eyes to rectify the losses suffered by the nation due to leftism. It was to save this country that had become "hopelessly decadent due to individualism." When Pétain, then the ambassador to Spain, told Franco quite clearly, "They want me to go back and clean up the mess," it may not have been for personal power but rather the military officers expressing their grievances against the Palace Country.

Pétain was silent for a long time, finally smiling helplessly. "I heard before that Your Highness is wise and martial, thinking that those were just flattery. If only the leaders of France had half of Your Highness's wisdom, or even one-third, we wouldn't have fallen so low."

Wilhelm smiled slightly. "Marshal, do you choose to leave a good name in history or a lasting infamy?"

At this moment, from a distance came the rhythmic sound of uniform footsteps, as if even the earth was vibrating.