Chapter 170: The “Armchair Tactician”

Chapter 170: The "Armchair Tactician"

Cobb wasted no time setting up the Honor Gazette headquarters. He rented a factory building right across from Eric's aircraft manufacturing plant. He chose this location for two reasons: first, like the 19th District, Paris's 20th District was a low-income area with affordable rent and accessible labor. Second, he considered Charles's convenience. With both facilities close together, Charles could easily visit or inspect both locations in a single trip without running back and forth.

Charles appreciated having a subordinate who anticipated his needs, planning so thoughtfully. Gallieni shared a similar attitude. He and Charles weren't particularly invested in the newspaper itself; they were more interested in the influence the gazette could have on the army.

When the first issue was released, it was an overwhelming success. The 200,000 copies sent to the frontlines were snapped up immediately, and the 100,000 copies distributed to the public were also in high demand.

This success was largely due to Cobb's strategic approach, which led to a spirited debate with Lieutenant Colonel Fernand.

"The front page headline has to be the Battle of Lafouques!" Cobb insisted.

"I disagree!" Fernand objected. "Our purpose is to teach soldiers how to use grenades. That should be the primary focus!"

"Colonel!" Cobb countered, "Imagine you're in a frontline trench, facing death every minute. Would you rather read a newspaper that energizes and motivates you, or a dull instructional guide?"

"You might be right," Fernand conceded reluctantly. "The soldiers would enjoy reading about a victory, but knowing how to use grenades could save their lives."

"The key is to make soldiers like the paper first," Cobb explained patiently. "If they enjoy it, they'll be more likely to read the grenade guide. Otherwise, even if we put the guide on the front page, they'll just use it as toilet paper."

Cobb was approaching it from a journalist's perspective, while Fernand focused on practical importance. The two went back and forth, unable to reach an agreement.

Finally, Charles stepped in to settle the matter. He told Fernand:

"Colonel, perhaps we can think of it this way: putting the Battle of Lafouques on the front page might catch more attention. The soldiers will read the big story first, and then they'll be inclined to check out the grenade guide. More of them will end up learning how to use grenades this way."

"On the other hand, if we put the grenade guide on the front page," Charles continued, "we might not only fail to get the desired effect but could end up with the opposite result."

Cobb nodded in agreement. "Exactly what I meant to say."

Then Cobb added, "It's like Joffre using 'Saint-Chamond' tanks and a massive force to attack Lafouques head-on, achieving nothing despite the heavy cost. Meanwhile, the Lieutenant took fewer than 2,000 men and under a hundred tanks, flanking the enemy and winning a decisive victory with ease."

"With these two choices in front of you, Colonel, which would you choose?"

Fernand was finally convinced, and even Gallieni, listening from the other side of the room, nodded slightly.

Gallieni looked at Cobb with mild surprise—this journalist not only had a way with words but also seemed to have a keen understanding of Charles's tactics.

"Second Lieutenant Cobb!" Gallieni motioned him over.

Cobb, stunned, walked forward and saluted. It was a strange feeling; under normal circumstances, he would have had a hard time even arranging a meeting with Gallieni. Yet here he was, speaking to him directly, and as an official subordinate.

"Have you served in the military before?" Gallieni asked.

"No, General!" Cobb replied. "I've only developed an interest in military matters and have studied extensively for my work."

Gallieni nodded, understanding. Cobb was a kind of "armchair tactician." Perhaps it was precisely because he hadn't been part of the military or attended any academy that he hadn't absorbed the stubbornly biased "offensive tactics" of the French army, making him more receptive to Charles's new tactics.

In Gallieni's mind, Cobb would likely be ineffective on the battlefield itself; he could understand strategy but wouldn't be able to apply it in combat as Charles could. However…

Gallieni quickly realized how this "talent" could be useful.

"You might be able to play an important role in another way, Lieutenant." Gallieni looked at Cobb with interest. "Have you heard of Saint-Cyr Academy?"

"Of course, General!" Cobb responded, though he was puzzled about how he was connected to Saint-Cyr.

"Well," Gallieni glanced briefly in Charles's direction, who was engrossed in a discussion with Fernand about confidentiality in the gazette's content. Lowering his voice, Gallieni continued, "I've compiled Charles's tactics and battle reports and sent them to Saint-Cyr to be included as teaching materials."

Cobb nodded in approval, leaning closer and whispering, "An excellent decision, General! If future officers apply even a fraction of Charles's tactics on the battlefield, the French army would be transformed."

"But it hasn't worked," Gallieni said with a hint of frustration, shaking his head. "No one takes these tactics seriously. They're entrenched in their 'offensive doctrine,' practically worshipping it. Even though I've had Charles's strategies included in the curriculum, they've been discarded and ignored."

Cobb understood the problem.

The instructors and professors at Saint-Cyr were long-standing proponents of the "offensive doctrine" and ardent supporters of it. Any deviation from it would label them as heretics, likely resulting in expulsion from the academy.

The cadets themselves, lacking real combat experience, were waiting to be filled with whatever "tactics" their instructors fed them. They were locked in an entrenched system, endlessly recycling the same mindset.

While Charles's tactics had proven themselves on the battlefield, at Saint-Cyr, they were a foreign "grain of sand" in a machine running on entrenched ideas. Inevitably, these "dangerous thoughts" were cast aside.

"But…" Cobb asked, perplexed, "what can I do, General?"

"I need someone to teach at Saint-Cyr," Gallieni said, staring directly at Cobb. "Someone who can convey Charles's operational theories. If someone speaks up, cadets might start questioning which theories actually work in combat. That's what I need."

Cobb swallowed. "General, you wouldn't mean… to send me, would you?"

(End of Chapter)

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