GAULLE Charles de. Autograph manuscript for the new German Campaign, [1905]; 53 pages of a small in-12 notebook (27 ff. out of 64 ff.), further 4 pages of disparate pencil notes. A very precious and touching short story written by Charles de Gaulle, then aged 14 and a pupil at the Collège de l'Immaculée-Conception, in which he describes a certain "General de Gaulle", an officer in the French army, who helps to drive the German enemy out of the country. This imaginative story begins "in 1930", when "Europe, irritated by the ill will and insolence of the government, [declares] war on France". The young writer quickly sets the scene: "Three German armies [crossed] the Vosges. One, with 200,000 soldiers and 500 cannons, was to follow the Swiss border and then march on Paris via Belfort. The second [crossed] the mountains directly and [marched] on Nancy. This army [comprised] 175,000 men and 480 cannons. General Bismarck [gave] orders to the Third, made up of 100,000 soldiers, to support the Second. General Manteuffel was given command of the strongest army. Field Marshal and Prince Frédéric-Charles was put at the head of the second army. As for the 3rd German army, its commander was General Mak. On 18 January 1931, the French Minister for War [received] a promise from the sovereigns gathered in Vienna to remain neutral. In France, the organisation [was] carried out very quickly. General de Gaulle was put in charge of 200,000 men and 518 cannons, while General de Boisdeffre commanded an army of 150,000 soldiers and 510 cannons. On 10 February, the armies [entered] the campaign. In this perilous and premonitory situation, it is stated that "De Gaulle [quickly] came up with his plan, which was to save Nancy, then [give] de Boisdeffre the upper hand, and crush the Germans before they joined forces, which [...] would surely be disastrous". This is followed by an account of the various attacks and counter-attacks in which General de Gaulle and his army played a key role: "[...] de Gaulle knew he was playing the decisive game, because it was beneath the walls of Metz that the whole of Europe was looking". The teenager's text is accompanied by a small sketch illustrating the city of Lorraine surrounded by French and enemy armies. The manuscript ends rather abruptly and the story does not seem to reach its conclusion. However, all the military events described in the last few pages seem to turn out in favour of the French, which augurs a great and beautiful victory for General de Gaulle. LNC, I, pp. 1-14.