Holy Roman Empire

Just when Alexander II was hesitating whether to end the war, the changes on the front line helped them make a decision.

On January 1867, 1, the Prussian army suddenly launched a winter offensive.This battle, which was originally a tentative attack, has achieved amazing results.

The Russian army, which was originally good at fighting in winter, suddenly became a soft-legged shrimp.When the Prussian army won the victory, they knew the root of the matter.

The sequelae of poor-quality cotton clothes and quilts broke out. The Russian soldiers were frozen into a ball and could only rely on fire to keep warm.

According to post-war statistics, on average, not only one-third of the Russian soldiers on the Eastern Front received qualified cotton-padded clothes. Many companies had to let soldiers on duty wear qualified cotton-padded clothes, and the rest surrounded the fire to keep warm.

In addition to clothing, poor-quality food is also an important factor in the non-combat attrition of the Russian army, and food poisoning has become a common occurrence.

The Russian commanders are not ignorant of these issues, but they are too involved, and everyone chooses to be wise and safe.After taking a share of the benefits, each of them chose to pretend to be deaf and dumb.

Originally, the Russian commanders thought that winter was coming, and the Prussian army was not good at fighting in winter. The two sides ceased fighting, and these problems would not be exposed, and they would pass after a while.

However, plans can never keep up with changes.A tentative attack tore through the Russian defense line, 10,000+ Russian soldiers became prisoners, and the situation on the battlefield was completely out of control.

The lid was lifted, and now the Prussian army was extending its gains.However, Russian soldiers wearing poor-quality cotton clothes could not exert their combat effectiveness at all.

Many soldiers surrendered directly to the Prussian army, just to make a living.From the perspective of food, the standards of the two sides are very different.

The food standard of the Prussian army fully reflects their status in the country. It can be said that in the same period, the European continent was ranked high.

Needless to say, bread, potatoes, and soybeans, there is also a certain amount of butter, cheese, meat or canned food every day, and occasionally some vegetables.

On the other hand, for Russian soldiers, it would be nice to be able to eat potatoes.If the canned food is domestically produced, they may not dare to eat it if it is given to them.Cheese, biscuits exist in the recipe, and occasionally giving out a little does not guarantee eating.

Bread can be used as bricks, used to build fortifications, and it is no problem to block enemy bullets.

It’s hard to eat meat once, but it’s also jerky of unknown age.It's nearly impossible to chew with your teeth, and it's best boiled.

In this context, the Russian army usually has to find a way on the battlefield to obtain part of the food to improve their meals. After all, their food standards are really unbearable.

In the sudden winter battle, the Russians lost not so much to the Prussian army, but to the logistics, or to the domestic bureaucracy.

Chapter 1 Prussian Ambition

The failure of the Winter Battle made up Alexander II's mind.If the war is not ended, the Russian Empire will be over.

There are rebels inside, and powerful enemies outside.Alexander II did not forget that the man behind this war was the real enemy of the Russian Empire.

If this war is not ended as soon as possible, except for the battlefield of Constantinople, where Austria can rely on and purchase strategic supplies nearby, the chances of winning are relatively high, and there is no hope for other regions.

Without the logistical supplies provided by the Moscow region, the fall of the entire Central Asian region is inevitable; without rear support, there is no need to count on the Far East battlefield.

Not to mention the Polish region, after the defeat in this battle, Belarus and the Baltic Sea area will become battlefields, and it will be a matter of time before they fall.

In case Sweden is stabbed in the back, St. Petersburg may not be able to keep it.It also takes time to mobilize the army. If the Russian Empire is dying, who knows if the British will continue to make trouble?

There is no need to pay much, as long as the Royal Navy enters the Baltic Sea, the Russian Empire is really over.

The Siberian Plain was not developed in this era, and the core of the Russian Empire was St. Petersburg and Moscow. Now Moscow is in the hands of the rebels, and if St. Petersburg is lost, he, the tsar, will be in trouble.

"On the side of the Qing emperor, punish the corrupt ministers."The point is to punish corrupt ministers and kill all the cronies around him. Is the tsar still the tsar?

I dare not do anything to the Tsar on the surface, but is it difficult to do it secretly?For example: accidentally falling into the water, or sudden death.

Throughout the ages, there have been so many emperors who died by accident. Could it be that they were all accidents?

Then this probability is too high, it is simply a high-risk occupation, and it is still the top one.

Alexander II would not put himself in danger, as long as he survived this catastrophe, he could get back the lost future now.

"The Foreign Office sent a note to Austria inviting them to mediate in this war."

Having made this decision, Alexander II sighed.Now is not the best time for negotiation, but it is the time when negotiation is most needed.

Winter is the last line of defense of the Russian Empire. If the war breaks out again next year, the price they will have to pay will only be greater.

Foreign Minister Clarence Ivanov asked with some trepidation: "Your Majesty, do you want to invite Britain and France to participate?"

There is no way, affairs on the European continent cannot be separated from Britain and France.If the Tsarist government does not invite them, they will still appear at the negotiating table.

Alexander II replied helplessly: "Let's invite together, at this point we have little choice."

This is giving in to Britain and France.After this war, the weakness of the Russian Empire was exposed, and it no longer had the strength to compete with the British for hegemony.

Next, they must be low-key and reduce their presence as much as possible to avoid suppression from various countries.

Regardless of how many effects it has, it is better to do it than not to do it.In a period of weakness, it is also a good thing to reduce a little hatred.

……

In Vienna, Franz was stunned when he received the report of the Russian-Prussian winter battle.He really didn't expect that the tsarist bureaucrats were so deadly.

Falsely reporting losses, deducting military expenditures, and raising purchase prices are all minor problems, and they are nothing more than giving the Tsarist government a little money.

Even if you are a little more greedy and shoddy, at least you must ensure that you can meet your basic needs!This is war, and the slightest mistake will kill people.

Now it's good, just kill the Russian army on the front line.Now Alexander II has no time to find their bad luck. Once the situation stabilizes, there will be a big purge.

Franz asked with concern: "How big is the loss for the Russians?"

At the same time, Austria sent military observers to both sides. With first-hand information on the battlefield, it is still possible to make a preliminary judgment on the loss.

Minister of War Albrecht replied: "The initial estimate is that the loss of troops exceeds 30, and nearly 20 prisoners were captured by Prussia, and about 5 people were killed in battle. The situation of non-combat attrition is very serious.

Now that the Russian defenses are open, if it is not limited by logistics, the Prussians will occupy the Belarusian region. "

Franz nodded. The Prussians took a big advantage this time, otherwise the war would have to drag on.

It can be said that William I won the grand prize, and the whole world did not expect that they would counterattack in winter.Including Franz, he also believed that the Kingdom of Prussia would win the battle in the coming year.

The deadly ability of the tsarist bureaucrats directly refreshed everyone's three views. It is estimated that European countries did not react in the "shock".

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a note to all parties to mediate this war. Warn the Prussians not to go too far, and remind them that it is time to honor their promises."

Allies naturally have to look like allies, and Franz has always done a good job in this regard.The covenant was strictly abided by, and even the anti-Austrians in the tsarist government never accused Austria of this.

It doesn't matter if there is a small conflict. In the general direction, you must take a clear stand and stand firmly on the side of your allies.The Russians lost the war, but saved the Russia-Austria alliance, allowing the alliance of the two countries to continue.

For example: warning the Kingdom of Prussia now will actually have little effect, no matter whether Austria interferes or not, they will not be able to fight.

This kind of attitude is exactly what the Tsarist government needs most now. Austria's position can help them stabilize people's hearts and ensure that they don't need to pay too much in the negotiations.

Due to geopolitical reasons, the position of the Vienna government can play a decisive role in the two battlefields of Eastern Europe and the Balkans.

The fact that the Kingdom of Prussia won the war does not mean that they are a world power. On the contrary, their own strength does not increase but declines.

If you want to become stronger, you must first get the spoils of this time and digest them.

Not to mention the Ottoman Empire, their strength is limited, and the completion of reforms does not mean that the country will be strong, and it will take time to develop.

In this war, they were originally forced to go to the battlefield by everyone, and they were not too active in the war.It can be regarded as a wave of soy sauce, and there is no record of success.

In Berlin, Wilhelm I's face has been full of smiles lately. The pie that fell from the breakthrough made him dizzy, and he still hasn't woken up from the joy.

Because of the victory on the battlefield, the original whimsical plan became feasible.The road from the Kingdom of Prussia to the Empire is about to set sail.

The sudden warning from the Vienna government interrupted his good mood and brought William I back to reality.My family knows their own affairs, and winning the war is not without cost.

The war has progressed to the present, and the Prussian army has successively lost 46 troops, of which 17.6 were killed in battle and 1.2 died from other causes.

Strategically, these losses are worth it.Not only did it solve the threat from the Eastern Front of the Kingdom of Prussia, but it also showed its own prestige, so that no country in the world dared to despise Prussia.

In addition to the loss of the army, the loss of population and economy was even more of a headache for William I.

The population loss has already exceeded one million, among which the East Prussian region is the most serious, and only one or two out of ten local people are left.

Economically, except for the Rhineland region, which can barely support it, other regions are finished.

This is the credit of the Russian Navy, which destroys the coastal areas every day, a large number of refugees flood into the rear, and the economy has been severely hit.

Had it not been for the support of the patron, the Kingdom of Prussia would have collapsed long ago.It's not much better now, the domestic economy is a waste, and it's far away from recovery.

William I asked: "What do you think of the diplomatic note from the Vienna government?"

Mo Qi said without hesitation: "Now we have reached the limit, and the loss is not worth the loss if we continue to fight. It is better to determine the benefits we get at the negotiating table."

Having won the war, the military's political influence has grown further.As the commander of the war, Moltke is also in full swing.

In the past, he would never express his position so clearly, but now it is different. As a successful man, Moltke has more voice than the prime minister.

William I breathed a sigh of relief, it would be best for the military to stop, otherwise he could only use the pressure of the great powers to make the military cease fighting.

As for Moltke's attitude, that's all a minor issue.William I did not lack the mind, and he could bear even a Bismarck in the original time and space, let alone a Moltke?

Except for Ron, the three great Prussians, Moltke and Bismarck have flaws in character, and most people really can't help it.

Prime Minister Frank frowned and said: "It's not that easy. It's not a big problem to get the two principalities and parts of the Baltic Sea, but I'm afraid it will be difficult to get the Polish region.

In addition, there is another difficult problem before us that is 'Silesia'.We made a promise to the Austrians earlier, and now we must consider whether we want to fulfill this promise. "

The two duchies of Schleswig-Holstein are the least controversial, and the Tsarist government will not entangle in this issue. As for the Kingdom of Denmark, it has no confidence to entangle.

It is also relatively easy to obtain the Baltic Sea region. The locals are staunch anti-Russian factions. As long as they can break away from the rule of the tsarist government, many issues can be discussed.

(Today: the three countries of the Baltic Sea, the area of ​​the area will extend partly inland)

Most importantly, the British supported Prussia's acquisition of the Baltic Sea region, and France and Austria also acquiesced on this issue.

It is really difficult to annex Poland.First of all, the current Polish provisional government is the first obstacle.

Although Moltke has been taking advantage of the opportunity to fight the Russians to consume the strength of the Poles, and the military strength of the Provisional Government has suffered heavy losses, they still want to be independent!

Wanting to swallow them in one go is not as simple as it sounds.The Polish interim government does not agree to the merger, so Prussia can't directly attack its allies, right?

If these factors could be overcome by force, the reaction of the great powers was hopeless.After the annexation of Poland, the territory of the Kingdom of Prussia was second only to Russia and Austria, and its population also caught up with France.

Such giants, it is absolutely impossible for France and Austria to watch them appear, and the Russians who have just been defeated will not agree.

As long as the great powers intervene, the Kingdom of Prussia is doomed not to annex Poland.If they dare to force it, they must be mentally prepared to be beaten to death.

Ron, Minister of the Army and Navy, said: "The annexation of Poland is not a matter of overnight, we can make the Polish region independent first, and look for opportunities later.

The Silesian region must not be ceded just like that.Austria did not remain absolutely neutral in this war, and if they hadn't been supporting the Russians, the war would have ended last year. "

The Silesia region is a bad debt. The two parties only made a verbal agreement and did not fall on paper. It is not impossible for the Prussian government to directly renege on the debt.

The main issue is that Austria is not easy to mess with. If you renege on your debt now, you will be retaliated next.

Perhaps this is not enough to trigger a war between the two countries, but just diplomatic difficulties are enough to make the Kingdom of Prussia uncomfortable.

The atmosphere in the meeting room became tense, and this was a dilemma.No one wants to cede land, and everyone doesn't want to face Austria at this time.

Especially with the impending Prussian-Russian negotiations, if the Vienna government fully supports the Russians, can they get everything they want?

No one can answer this question, and no one knows where the bottom line of the Vienna government is!

After pondering for a while, King William I said solemnly: "The issue of the Silesia region should be postponed for now. We cannot give up every inch of the country until it is absolutely necessary!"

Procrastination is not the best way, but it is the most effective way.

Chapter 1: Planned Destiny

Now Prussia has the upper hand on the battlefield, and at the strong request of the Berlin government, the negotiation venue is placed in London.

At first they wanted to put it in Berlin, but the Russians refused to agree, and the Tsarist government wanted to save some face.

The Russians were still unconvinced, and they insisted on placing the negotiation venue in a neutral country, proving that they had not failed in this war.

This is self-deception, but it also involves political games.The alternative negotiation venues are Vienna and London. Now the negotiation venue is in London, which means that the tsarist government is at a disadvantage in this round of political games.

With a "bang", Clarence Ivanov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Empire, threw a cup of coffee, and the coffee splashed all over the floor.

Since the defeat on the front line, he has visited various European countries to seek diplomatic support, but the results have been very moving.The good reputation of the Russian Empire directly put most European countries on the opposite side of them.

Originally, they planned to negotiate with the belligerent countries separately and use diplomatic means to defeat them one by one. Now, with the intervention of the British, everyone was summoned to London, and an anti-Russian alliance appeared.

The Prussians acted as the leader of the alliance, and the British coordinated the interests of all parties and formed a joint delegation to negotiate with the Russians.

"Explain the situation to domestic power generation and let the government make a decision as soon as possible."

Clarence Ivanov's political mind is still very good, he did not ask Alexander II for instructions, but let the government make decisions.

This means that the top officials of the tsarist government have to resist the scapegoat and be responsible for the failure of the war, and Alexander II was picked out.

There is no such thing as a scapegoat. The failure of this war was originally the fault of the bureaucracy, especially the logistics side, and it is bound to be liquidated after the war.

High-level government officials are also to blame, and many people will be implicated and resign.Including Clarence Ivanov himself, they all went home to retire after the war.

If you want to go home safely for the elderly, you must first keep the power of the tsarist government.The slogan of the rebels was "Qing emperor's side, punish dirty officials". They are all so-called dirty officials, and they will die if the rebels take power.

Everyone is from aristocratic background, it doesn't matter if they lose temporarily in politics, they can recover in a few years.If it doesn't work, there will be a next generation, and keeping the czar is protecting his own interests.