The "Chemin des Dames"

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Here, in France we have a very good radio show : "Rendezvous with X"
Mr X is now retired but was working for the French secret services.

This week the subject was the "Chemin des Dames".
This refer to the only road available to sustained the soldiers when France engaged the 1st world war against Germany. Here, November 11 is public holiday to remember the Armistice Day.

So, Mr X explain how the French commander Nivelle managed to sell his plan to the government and sent a huge amount of men to dead, day after day, week after week. The plan was obviously a big mistake but it was his plan and he could not be wrong. So, false informations was sent to the government to cover the disaster and to sent more men under the enemy fire and sometime under our own ! When the government finally understand the situation, Nivelle ask sanctions on senior officers guilty to propagate defeatist pieces of gossip.

It struck me : psychopath in action.

Later, Nivelle was replaced by Pétain. Nivelle was covered by the government.

About Pétain, on wikipedia you can read :

He was replaced by the considerably more cautious Pétain, who made no attempts to commit his forces to large scale offensives

You know what ? This is false, he used the same tactic. But Pétain was a better propagandist psychopath.


How many time in the History they have operated ? Now I begin to see.






If you want to hear the broadcast (french) I can upload it somewhere.

Wikipedia "Second Battle of the Aisne" :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Battle_of_the_Aisne

 

[Pierre]

About Pétain, on wikipedia you can read :

He was replaced by the considerably more cautious Pétain, who made no attempts to commit his forces to large scale offensives

You know what ? This is false, he used the same tactic. But Pétain was a better propagandist psychopath.

I don't know if Pétain was a psychopath. It's never easy to make such a diagnostic. Anyway if he reached the top of the French political system during such a dark time, his conscience, if he had any, was not very active.

From what I understand, Pierre Laval, who was Pétain's "Minister" displayed numerous psychopathic traits.

Here's what Orwell said about Laval after he went back to office :

George Orwell, BBC radio broadcast (18th April 1942)

There is very bad news in the fact that Laval has returned to the French Cabinet. Laval is a French millionaire who has been known for many years to be a direct agent of the Nazi Government. He played a leading part in the intrigues which led to the downfall of France and since the Armistice has steadily worked for what is called 'collaboration' between France and Germany, meaning that France should throw in its lot with the Axis, send an army to take part in the war against Russia, and use the French Fleet against Britain. For over a year he has been kept out of office, thanks to American pressure, and his return probably means that diplomatic relations between France and the USA will now come to an end.

 

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I lack time to write an article about Pétain but you know, Laval was is right arm.

And as a picture is worth a thousand words :