Holy Roman Empire

If the army hadn't taken the lead and launched the second Pudan War, causing the situation to get out of control, maybe the Kingdom of Prussia would also become a new colonial empire.

Even now, the Prussian domestic business community is still a supporter of the navy.It's too late to carve up the colonies, but everyone's overseas investment still needs to be protected!

International trade is not easy these days, and without the backing of a powerful navy, it is difficult to do anything.Even pirates depend on people to order.

If you count carefully, you will find that in a landlubber country like the Pubo Federation, the probability of accidents happening to ships overseas is several times that of a naval power.

The capitalists' losses, the Junker nobles don't care, their core interests are in the land.If it were not for the pressure of the Russians, they would even oppose the establishment of the Pubo Federation.

In order to prevent agricultural products from the Polish region from impacting the domestic market, tariffs are still retained within the current Pubo Federation.

In this context, Moltke, as a representative of the interests of the Junker nobles, would never sacrifice class interests unless it was absolutely necessary.

As for Britain and France sending troops in person, that is completely overthinking.It is true that they support the Pubo Federation, but it does not mean that they want to see the Russians lose immediately, at least the French just want to see the Pubo Federation win miserably.

Albrecht nodded: "Indeed, once the navy becomes the key to winning this war, it will be difficult to suppress their development after the war.

The strength of the Pubo Federation is still insufficient. It is simply impossible to build a large navy while maintaining a world-class army. "

This problem not only plagues the Pubo Federation, but even Austria has the same trouble.

At the same time, it is a bit difficult for Austria to maintain a world-class army and navy.The disputes that broke out in the annual budget of the Vienna government are the best proof.

It's normal to not be able to guess Moltke's movements.Albrecht was only the chief of the Austrian General Staff, and he didn't know enough about the Pubo Federation. When making judgments, he was inevitably influenced by the combat thinking of the Austrian army.

In fact, each country's army has different combat ideas, which are usually affected by its own national strength.Different countries have different military tactics.

There is no right or wrong, only suitable and unsuitable.Perhaps the tactics that seem perfect now will fall behind in a few years; the tactics that seem impossible now may become mainstream again in a few years.

With the development of the times, this situation will happen more and more.

Franz asked indifferently: "Well, let's put this question on hold for now, and the answer will be revealed after a while.

Let's talk about overseas first. When the South American war progresses, are the British going to make trouble again? "

With his knowledge of the British, it wouldn't be John Bull if the London government didn't take advantage of Fao's focus on Europe.

Foreign Secretary Weisenberg: "Yes, Your Majesty. According to the information we have gathered, the British Second Squadron of the Pacific Fleet is heading there.

If nothing else, they have a high chance of blocking the coastal areas of Peru and Bolivia to create opportunities for Chile to win the war. "

Hearing this news, Franz was very upset, but there was nothing he could do.Unless it is the joint intervention of France and Austria, it will not be able to stop the actions of the British at all.

Bolivia and Peru in this era, apart from their territorial size, are really tiny countries.The combined economic aggregate of the two countries is less than half that of Vienna.

With such a small benefit, it is undoubtedly a dream to expect the alliance between France and Austria.

Europe is the center of the world these days. It would be a tragedy if the situation in Europe got out of control because of interference in South America and the dispersion of power.

After hesitating for a moment, Franz reluctantly made a decision: "Our strength in South America is limited, and without domestic support, it is difficult to compete with the British.

Give up the layout in South America for the time being, as long as it does not directly damage our interests, let the British toss! "

……

Chapter 232 It's Hot

The sound of gunfire sounded, and the offensive and defensive battle of Kovel began. The commander of the No.20 Second Division of the Prussian army was Major General Luke, who was a rising star in the last Russian-Prussian war.

Luke, who was born as an ordinary Junker landlord, was able to become a general because of his extraordinary will and a little bit of luck.

Originally, he thought that his will was strong enough, no matter how cruel the battle was, he could not shake his heart.

At this moment, Major General Luke found out that he was wrong, and his heart was disturbed.Luke sighed deep in his heart: "It turns out that I am also an ordinary person."

The Russians did not hide in the fortress bunkers. While the Prussian army launched a charge, the Russian army also launched a counter-charge, and tragic hand-to-hand combat broke out.

Shouts of killing and screams echoed constantly on the battlefield.Luke saw with his own eyes that a Prussian soldier was stabbed in the stomach by the enemy with a bayonet. While screaming, he held the enemy's gun tightly, just to create an opportunity for his comrades.

Once upon a time, he was one of them.It's just that because of better luck, he was lucky enough to make military exploits, and only then did he have a smooth journey all the way to the top.

Recalling the comrades who joined the army together back then, most of the familiar faces fell on the battlefield in the end.

To a certain extent, Luke's success all the way to success was also based on the background of the heavy losses of the Prussian army in the last war.

During the war years, the army talked based on its performance, and the influence of birth was minimized.

A large number of middle- and lower-level officers were killed in battle, and the army was expanded in time. Luke, a lucky man with military exploits, naturally stood out.

Seeing the increasing number of casualties, Luke gradually calmed down. He found that something was wrong. The Russian army seemed to be deliberately luring them to attack.

As night fell, the fighting ceased temporarily, leaving only wreckage on the ground.

In the headquarters, the more Luke thought about it, the more something went wrong. The Russians seemed to be deliberately fighting with them.

Suppressing his doubts, Luke asked, "Has the number of casualties been counted?"

Chief of Staff Pasqualino sighed and said: "The statistics show that 526 soldiers were injured and 248 soldiers were killed in the daytime battle. The strength of the two battalions was just like that."

Commander Luke stood up, took two steps and said: "There are two battalions again. From the beginning of the war to the present, the casualties of our 22nd Division alone are close to [-]. If the whole battlefield is like this, then this war I am afraid it will be unprecedentedly tragic."

Chief of Staff Pasqualino: "There is no way to do this. Wars are always cruel. The supplementary regiment sent to us by the headquarters has already set off and will arrive in a maximum of two days."

The Prussian army has also established a complete wartime replenishment mechanism. Usually, there will be no troops that are exhausted and have not yet been replenished.

Under normal circumstances, when the casualties of the troops reach a certain level, they will be replaced, and they will be repaired and replenished in the rear.

Of course, this rear is also relative, and it is still on the front line.When needed, you still have to go to the battlefield at any time.

After hesitating for a moment, Luke said again: "Forget it, it's not our turn to worry about these issues. Let's report our current situation truthfully!"

Tell High Command that we need heavy artillery.If there is not enough heavy firepower, we have no way to ensure that the enemy's fortress will be conquered within the specified time. "

There is no way, the Prussian army is out of luck.The train transporting artillery and ammunition was attacked by Russian airships on the way and suffered heavy losses.

Heavy artillery units are a scarce resource in any country. There are only a few heavy artillery regiments in the Pubo Federation, and one regiment was lost before going to the battlefield. Naturally, there is no way to replenish it within a few days.

Chief of Staff Pasqualino shook his head: "I'm afraid it will not be easy, so don't expect too much. There are only so many heavy artillery units in the country, and they are all sent to the front line now, and a new heavy artillery regiment is still being formed.

According to internal news, Krupp has sent technicians to repair it, and it will take at least a month to repair the damaged artillery.

Ideally, after about four weeks, we will be able to get heavy fire support. "

Luke frowned: "Can you ask the headquarters to coordinate and transfer the heavy artillery units that attack the surrounding area first.

Kovel is an important military area. If you win here, you will win the Warren area. Why waste your energy on small places like Kamen and Novowronsk! "

Chief of Staff Pasqualino: "This is a strategy formulated by the General Staff. As long as a multi-point assault is achieved in any place, it is a great victory."

Luke waved his hand: "Don't explain, old man. I know what's going on, it's just that headquarters isn't sure we can take Kovel.

If you really start from the overall strategy, Kovel is not that important, and Brest is the focus. "

"You understand best!" Chief of Staff Pasqualino replied calmly

Luke: "Okay, those questions aside for now. Have you noticed that something is wrong with the Russians, they seem to be not doing their best, and deliberately luring us to attack.

If they are fully fired, our troops will not be able to rush to their positions. Why should they make such worthless sacrifices. "

Chief of Staff Pasqualino nodded thoughtfully, then paused for a moment: "I want to see the number of casualties, maybe it can explain this problem."

Luke's face changed, and he woke up instantly.If the Russian army's firepower is fully fired, the Prussian army lacking heavy firepower will not be able to rush near their positions.

Seeing no hope of victory, the Prussian army naturally made meaningless sacrifices.If the Prussian army did not take the initiative to launch an offensive, what would the Russian army's record be?

Most of the Russian troops stationed in Kovel are second-line troops. This is not the main battlefield chosen by the Russians. The tsarist government gave them the order to stick to it.

"Damn the Russians, they are playing with fire. Aren't they afraid that we will break through their positions. You must know that such a battle is of no value to them at all."

Chief of Staff Pasqualino didn't answer. It doesn't matter what the Russians think. Anyway, as long as there is a slight chance to break through Kovel, they can't stop.

……

The Russian Army Command, Major General Arden Ivanov, who also looked at the casualty report, was in a much better mood.As the defensive side, you always have to take advantage.

"Fick, your proposal is great. Damn the Prussian barbarians, they were really fooled. They actually want to conquer Kovel in a whimsical way, it's just a dream!"

As a military observer sent by Austria, under normal circumstances, he cannot participate in the command of the Russian army, but there are exceptions to everything.

After so many years of the Russia-Austria alliance, the Vienna government has also cultivated a large number of pro-Austrians in Russia, and Major General Arden Ivanov is one of them.

Fick and Arden are classmates, and graduated from the Austrian Army Academy together. Because of their good relationship, Fick was sent here as an observer.

Also a student of the Austrian Army Academy, there is also the difference between a scumbag and a top student.

For outsiders like Arden who come to Gilded, the school's requirements are naturally not so strict, as long as they can get by.

Foreign monks are good at chanting sutras, and Arden, who went abroad for gold plating, naturally made great progress after returning to Russia.

In contrast, Fick, a high-achieving student, was only a major.No way, the competition in the Austrian army is much fiercer.

After the reform of the military system, there will be no front-line promotion in the Austrian army. Unless they have made military exploits, they can only take it one step at a time.

This is when the royal family began to lead by example. Crown Prince Frederick served for several years and was still a major, not to mention the people below.

Seeing the high spirits of his classmates, Major Fick was very envious. There is no soldier who doesn't like being a general.

Even if his background is not bad, Fick cannot guarantee that he will be able to become a general in his lifetime.Austria has thousands of officers born every year, but not necessarily a general.

This is the case in peaceful times, no matter how good you are, it is difficult to have a chance to perform.If you can't show your abilities, how can you prove that you are better than others?

Fick rolled his eyes: "What's there to be excited about? You must know that you are on the defensive side. Now the exchange ratio is almost 1:1. It's already very embarrassing!"

Arden said indifferently: "No, this is already very good. In the last Prussian war, the exchange ratio between us and Prussia was faster than one to two on the whole.

Being able to take advantage of it now, even with the advantage of defense, is a great victory.

The population of the Russian Empire is more than twice that of the Pubo Federation. As long as this situation continues, the final victory will definitely belong to us.

What's more, the division in my hand is a patchwork of second-line troops. If it were replaced by the main force, I would have ordered a counterattack long ago. "

Fick did not object, and the combat effectiveness of the Russian army was still good.Although it is not as good as the Prussian army in training and lacks in organization, it is really excellent in other aspects.

Especially in terms of resilience, the Russian army is one of the best in the world.As long as there is a stutter, the troops that can fight are really rare.

After hesitating for a while, Major Fick reminded: "Arden, are you sure you want to continue? If you follow the current style of play, even if you kill the enemy, your division will be exhausted."

Although he was the one who suggested it, Fick didn't like this kind of meaningless consumption.He wouldn't have come up with such a bad idea if it wasn't for the country asking them to find a way to make the Russians bleed as much as possible.

Arden smiled slightly: "Wars always require sacrifices. As long as we can win, it doesn't matter if the casualties are a little bigger."

The position of the station is different, and the way of thinking about the problem is also different.Arden was not a fool, so he could naturally see that Fick's suggestion might be malicious, but he didn't care.

In his opinion, as long as he wins, sacrificing some gray animals is not worth mentioning at all.

Chapter 233 Add Blockage

Just when everyone thought that the Prussian-Russian War had reached a stalemate, on November 1879, 11, a Prussian army division suddenly bypassed Kamen and went straight to Pinsk.

After the outbreak of the Russo-Prussian War, Franz has been paying close attention, and occasionally sent airships for high-altitude reconnaissance.

Austria is the country with the most developed airship technology, and the most advanced reconnaissance airship can operate at an altitude of up to 8000 meters.

Anti-aircraft weapons are still underdeveloped these days. As long as they are above 3000 meters, no anti-aircraft machine guns or artillery pose any threat.

There is no security threat, and Austrian airships naturally often go deep into the airspace of other countries.At first Franz was not used to this kind of domineering style, but seeing that the neighbors didn't respond, he gradually got used to it.

At an altitude of several thousand meters, if you don't use a telescope, many people will think it's just a bird, and the chance of being discovered is still very low.

Even if it is discovered, it can be presumed that the pilot lost his way.Anyway, this kind of thing often happens, especially the airships of small European countries, flying out of their own airspace.

The change of the Prussian army caught the pilot's attention, and after reporting it, it caught the attention of the idle and boring Franz, who directly called a meeting of the staff on duty.

"Everyone has read the information, what do you think Moltke's purpose is?"

No matter what reason Franz paid attention to this issue, everyone was still very excited to be able to show his ability in front of the emperor.

General Morkes, deputy chief of staff: "Your Majesty, the real target of the Prussian army should not be Pinsk, this may be to distract the Russians.

Pinsk is located on the main river route, about 180 kilometers away from Brest, which is already considered the rear.It is a very bad choice in the military to go deep alone.

Even if the Russians are not discovered in advance, there is still a regiment of troops stationed in Pinsk, even if it cannot stop the attack of the Prussian army, it is still no problem to delay it for a few days.

Once the surrounding Russian army reacted, the Prussian army would be finished.Unless they can conquer Pinsk within a day and rely on local fortifications to defend for more than a month, they will have strategic value.

The risks involved are too great. As a famous European general Moltke, it is impossible not to know, so his real target can only be Brest. "

A staff officer objected: "It doesn't have to be Brest, maybe Moltke is the Pripyat River. Of course, this possibility is very small. It is the dry season, and even if the damage caused by blocking the river course not big.

I think it is more likely that it was just a feint, deliberately attracting the attention of the Russians, and covering the real strategy of the Prussian army.

As for the penetration into the rear of Brest, it looks very good, but what is the use of only one infantry division? "

……