Holy Roman Empire

Tell me about your plans.The enemy is not a fool, it is not that simple to go deep into the enemy's territory alone, if you are bitten by the enemy, you will be in big trouble. "

Alexander II didn't care about his reputation for a long time. Since he was already an enemy, he naturally wanted to weaken it as much as possible.He wouldn't mind a massacre if he didn't take into account the reactions of European countries.

Ivanov: "Your Majesty, this plan is to move both land and sea. On land, Cossack cavalry will pretend to be robbers and cross the border to wreak havoc.

The attack at sea is the same as the last war, but this time we have a special task. In order to avoid unnecessary trouble, some troops may need to pretend to be pirates.

We can issue a privateer license to encourage civilian armed forces to participate in the robbery of the enemy's coastal areas. It would be even better if we could attract real pirates to participate.

Considering the position of the Vienna government, the hostages taken by the pirates can be sold to Austrian colonial merchants. "

Kindness does not command soldiers, and in order to win the war, Ivanov has given up integrity.

After weighing the pros and cons, the room fell silent.There was neither support nor opposition.Obviously, everyone is an elite among the bureaucrats, and they are unwilling to stand out when they are responsible.

Alexander II gave everyone a hard look: "Why are you dumb? Whether it is support or opposition, you must have a clear attitude today."

After a pause, he added: "If you object, then come up with a better plan. The situation on the battlefield is critical, and there is not so much time for you to waste."

As a last resort, the Minister of Finance, Christan Val, stood up: "Your Majesty, Marshal Ivanov's proposal is very good, but there are some details that need to be improved.

It is not easy to go deep into the enemy's territory. If you are not careful, the whole army will be wiped out. How can we ensure the safety of the troops we send? "

agreed.There is no way, Christian Val is not good at fighting, and asking him to come up with a combat plan is completely embarrassing.

Ivanov said with confidence: "It's very simple. On the frontal battlefield, we have contained the main force of the Prussian army, and the enemy behind will not be too strong.

What's more, there are also airship reconnaissance, which can grasp the mobilization situation of the enemy's large forces and make timely adjustments.

As long as the troops attacking by sea and land do not go too far into the inland area, they can withdraw before the enemy arrives.We are just doing damage, we don't need to occupy places.

There are mainly Cossack cavalry on land, and they come and go like the wind. Only Polish cavalry can pose a threat to them, but their number is too small.

Because of logistics, we will control the scope of activities and will not stay away from the main force. "

This is all theoretical, and in actual combat, it is definitely not as simple as what Ivanov said.Among other things, as long as the Prussian army moves at night, the airship will not be able to detect it.

Even if the transfer of the Prussian army was discovered, high-altitude reconnaissance could not distinguish between the main force and the cannon fodder.If the Prussian army is willing, it is entirely possible to put on civilian uniforms and pretend to be an army.

Naturally, Marshal Ivanov would not speak out about these issues, otherwise something would happen again.He has absolutely no expectations of the military level of his colleagues.

……

The resolution passed, and Ivanov breathed a sigh of relief.Once this plan is launched, blood will flow in rivers, and the reputation of the Russian Empire will once again fall to the bottom.

No matter how beautified, this will be a dark history.

Chapter 237 Success is No Fluke

In the Palace of Vienna, Franz was holding a year-end meeting when a sudden telegram interrupted the meeting.

On November 1879, 11, the Russian army that reinforced Brest was ambushed by the Prussian army on the way, and a turning point appeared in the southwest battlefield.

On the surface, the Vienna government in the Russo-Prussian War only cared about the final result. The changes on the local battlefield were not enough to make everyone so prepared.

But the southwest battlefield is an exception.On the one hand, it was because the tsarist government mortgaged the land west of the Dnieper River to Austria. If these areas fell into the hands of the Popo Federation, it would be very troublesome for the Vienna government to collect debts in the future. (Ukraine only)

On the other hand, for export trade, the Tsarist government has been buying and selling in Austria since the outbreak of the war.

Once the Dnieper River is cut off and traffic is limited, the Russia-Austria trade will definitely be greatly affected.

In order to make war money, the Vienna government also made full preparations.Many state-owned enterprises have increased their production lines. If the trade volume between Russia and Austria decreases, these enterprises will suffer heavy losses.

It is related to vital interests, and the government naturally has to pay attention to it.As for the year-end meeting, it is important to say that it is important, and it is so important to say that it is not important.

The end-of-year meeting includes: a summary of developments in the political, economic, diplomatic, and military fields this year, as well as government plans for the coming year.

All departments have already done their homework, and now they are reporting to Franz, which is also preparing for the budget competition in the coming year.

Most of these plans revolve around national policies, and the core is originally led by Franz. When it comes to specific plans, he rarely intervenes, and the cabinet government is in charge.

……

Franz: "Chief of Staff, tell me about the current situation on the front line!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" replied Chief of Staff Albrecht

"Yesterday afternoon, the Russian army departing from the Volyn area to Brest for reinforcements was ambushed by the Prussian army as soon as they crossed the Pripyat River.

Since these Russian troops were temporarily drawn from various places and mixed together, the organizational relationship has not been straightened out. Thirty thousand Russian troops were defeated by a Prussian division, and the loss of troops was at least [-].

The remaining troops have become frightened birds and fled in all directions. A large number of weapons and equipment have been abandoned, and they have lost the ability to fight again in a short period of time.

Not counting these demoralized troops, the total strength of the Russian army in the Warren area has dropped from the initial 10.2 to 6.7, and its advantage over the Prussian army no longer exists.

If I were Moltke, I would give up Brest and focus my attack on Kovel.If you win here, it doesn't matter whether you take Kyiv in the east or Brest in the north.

However, the Prussian army only had an advantage in the southwest battlefield.The Russians in the north have already approached Riga, and the defense line of the Vizeme Heights is also in jeopardy; the central battlefield, Smolensk, has become a meat grinder.

Judging from the current situation, the Russians may adopt both sea and land.Relying on the superiority of the Russian navy, it is very possible to gain an advantage on the Baltic coast. "

Franz: "So Moltke must be under a lot of pressure now?"

Albrecht replied affirmatively: "That's right!"

If the Prussian army is unable to make a substantial breakthrough on the battlefield, the homeland is seriously threatened after the Russians take action in the Baltic Sea, and the naval faction within the Berlin government rises, then it will be lively.

Vital interests were involved, and when the people in the coastal areas made a fuss, the navy faction took advantage of the opportunity. Even Moltke, no matter how respected and respected he was, could not bear the pressure from all parties.

Franz secretly sighed, any famous general is always so powerless when encountering an internal crisis.Moltke's eagerness to open up the situation in the southwest battlefield is probably based on this.

Purely from the military point of view, in fact, let the Russian army enter the Polish area, and then find a way to encircle and suppress, the chances of winning will be even greater.

Not only does it have a solid mass base to rely on, but it also reduces the pressure on logistics and transportation, and even the front line is shortened, so that more troops can be invested in a decisive battle with the Russian army.

A good strategy in military affairs, but a failure in politics.If the Russians are really let in, the Poles will be at odds with them.

Foreign Minister Weisenberg reminded: "According to the information we have received, Russia's diplomatic work has also achieved a breakthrough.

They appear to be secretly promising the Danes, just a week after the Danish government submitted plans for naval exercises to the Nordic Federal Parliament.

If the plan is passed, the Pubo Federation's sea transportation channel will be cut off.The Russian bid should be high, and the Swede has already made a move, and the chances of passing are very high. "

The naval blockade will not kill the Pubo Federation. They can also borrow from the German Federal Empire to transport materials along the Elbe River.

But in this way, the logistical pressure will be greatly increased.The most important thing is the standing of the Nordic Federation. The diplomatic situation is very unfavorable to the Berlin government.

If the Pubo Federation is at a disadvantage on the battlefield, who can guarantee that the Nordic Federation will not make trouble?

The Danes have always wanted to take back the two duchies, as long as the Russians are willing to bid to buy the Swedes, everything is possible.

The complicated and confusing situation gave Franz a headache.Originally thought that the combination of William I + Moltke was already very good at fighting, but I didn't expect Alexander II to be easy to mess with.

In the last Russo-Prussian War, Alexander II hadn't grown up yet, so he could only be regarded as a semi-finished emperor. He was slightly inferior in the game. This time his comeback will be different.

Since the start of the war, Franz has not found any signs of an uprising in Russia, which is a remarkable achievement.

You know, the Tsarist government in modern times is a strange thing. Every time there is a foreign war, there will be uprisings in the country.

There were no problems, which means that Alexander II's reforms were successful.A stable Russian Empire, absolutely terrible.

After hesitating for a while, Franz said coldly: "For the time being, don't act rashly in diplomacy, unless the Nordic Federation directly participates in the war, or the battlefield situation is completely out of control, otherwise we will continue to maintain neutrality.

The staff department pays close attention to the trend of the war, and if it finds that any side may gain an overwhelming advantage, it must report to me as soon as possible.

Judging from the current situation, the Russians seem to have a better chance of winning, so let's wait for Britain and France to transfuse the Pubo Federation.

Once the balance of strength between the two sides is out of balance, they will secretly sell the Mark core machine gun technology to the weaker side, teach them to use trench tactics, and delay the war as much as possible. Mortars can also be sold. "

To maintain the balance of the battlefield, Britain, France and Austria also have a division of labor.For example, if the balance of power on the battlefield is broken, if the Popo Federation is weak, Britain and France will be responsible for blood transfusions; if the Russians are weak, Austria will be responsible for blood transfusions.

Anyway, whoever is weak supports whoever, and it is everyone's pursuit to make both Prussia and Russia lose.It is the common will of the three veteran empires not to allow the fourth pole to rise.

No, it should be said that it is the common will of France and Austria, and the British are not sure.Niu Niu's strategy in this regard is still rather vague.

For low-tech weapons, Franz never felt the need to keep them secret.It was not taken out in advance because it was not necessary.

In order to achieve strategic goals, throwing out a few technologies is nothing at all.If it weren't for performance issues, Franz was ready to throw away tank technology.

It's a pity that if this thing is thrown out, it will be difficult to play its due role.

The steam engine tank with a big brain hole is too big, slow, very inflexible, and easy to become the target of artillery.

Tanks powered by internal combustion engines have insufficient performance, are expensive and cost-effective, and cannot be used at all.

Austria can't afford it, and Franz doesn't think Prussia and Russia can afford it.Besides, they couldn't produce an engine either.

Although the internal combustion engine has been around for some years, it is actually still a high-tech thing.

Except for Austria, which has gone a long way in this area because of Franz, other countries have not invested much research and development funds at all.

Science and technology are all piled up with money. Without capital investment, it is naturally difficult to achieve results.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Albrecht replied

The episode passed, and Franz asked again: "How is the situation in South America? Have the Chileans released our ship?"

The London government pretended to be an ostrich and handed over the seized ship to the Chileans. Naturally, Austria took advantage of the Chilean government.

Bullying the weak and fearing the strong has always been the true nature of the great powers, and asking for compensation from the British and asking for compensation from the Chilean government are completely different concepts.

Foreign Minister Weisenberg said with a smile: "The three South American children are still fighting, and there should be no winner in the short term.

Things have gone much better since the British handed over the seized ship to the Chilean government.The only problem now is that the supplies on the seized ship are gone, and we are negotiating compensation with the Chileans.

If it hadn't been for the sudden intervention of the British, we would have signed an agreement with the Chilean government by now.

Perhaps the British were too greedy, which aroused the dissatisfaction of the Chilean government. They all wanted to introduce the power of us and the French to check and balance the British. "

This is good news. Although Chile's saltpeter is not the only one, and Austria has also discovered some saltpeter mines in the colonies, in terms of cost, it is still the cheapest to import Chilean ore.

As for the conflict between the two countries, it is not worth mentioning in the face of interests.Thinking of this, Franz suddenly found that this Chilean government was not easy.

Selling well to France and Austria seems to have betrayed national interests, but in fact it laid the foundation for winning this war.

If they didn't get rid of the two big hooligans in advance, even if they defeated Peru and Bolivia, they wouldn't be able to reap the benefits.

There are too many examples of winning victories on the battlefield but spitting out the spoils in diplomacy.

The Chilean government obviously understood the nature of the great powers, and took advantage of this ship seizure incident to take timely remedial measures.

Franz couldn't help sighing: No country is lucky to stand out.

Chapter 238 The War Without Gunsmoke

1879 was a turning point for the whole world. Both politics and economy were affected by the Russo-Prussian War.

Affected by the tense situation in Europe, both France and Austria were staring at the European continent and did not go out to do anything. The British only had a foot in South America, and their main energy was also on the European continent.

None of the three big hooligans did anything, let alone other countries.

These days, the political sensitivity of colonial empires is very high, and the tension in the European continent is not concentrated on the mainland. What if the situation gets out of control?

Colonial empires do not do anything, which is undoubtedly good news for those precarious independent countries, and they can finally live a comfortable life for a few days.

The Russo-Prussian War started, and even the conflicts between Britain, France and Austria were suppressed.For common interests, the three major powers stood together early on.

Of course, this alliance of interests is not reliable. Once major changes occur in the international situation, or the power of the three countries is out of balance, this alliance may collapse at any time.

If the impact of the Russo-Prussian War on the international situation is more after the war; then the impact on the world economy will be immediate.

Many industries have been affected, and almost every field has been affected. Among them, agriculture, manufacturing, finance, and service industries have enjoyed the greatest dividends.

In the capitalist economic world, a new round of prosperity has begun.The most typical example is that the agricultural crisis has disappeared, the overcapacity of the manufacturing industry no longer exists, and the prosperous economy has directly promoted the development of the financial industry and the service industry.

Although the war has just begun, and the biggest dividend brought by the war has not yet fully exploded, the capitalists are full of confidence.

A large amount of hot money has poured into the market, and the economic environment suddenly improved.Job advertisements can be seen in the streets and alleys, and the wages of workers in fields related to the war have risen slightly.

According to statistical data, in November alone, the new investment in Austria was as high as 1.6 million Aegis, an increase of 70.00%[-] compared with the same period last year.

Most of this part of the funds flowed into the manufacturing industry, and factories sprang up one after another. Obviously, investors are very optimistic about this opportunity.

Not only Austria, but the whole European continent.Capital is like crazy, constantly pouring into all walks of life, wanting to get a share of the Prussian War.

Looking at the statistical data, Franz frowned: "The market is too hot now. Although the war consumes a lot, the wallets of Prussia and Russia are somewhat...

Neither Britain, France nor us will provide them with unlimited funds.Before long, a new round of overcapacity will erupt, and the post-war European economy may be crying. "

Minister of Economy Reinhard Haldergen explained: "Your Majesty, this is an inevitable law of economic development. In the previous wars, many people made a lot of money. They have been blinded by interests and ignored the existence of risk.

Not only at home, but throughout the European world.According to the estimates of economic experts, in the last two months, the new investment in Europe has increased by at least 50.00% compared with the same period last year.

Post-war overcapacity will become a common problem for all European countries.This is a huge trouble, but also a huge opportunity.