Holy Roman Empire
Page 399
It's not that the Berlin government didn't stop it, the problem is that it couldn't be done at all.Crowds of fleeing people ran to the rear, which still brought a heavy economic burden to the Berlin government.
The coastal areas suffered the heaviest losses. Most of the port cities in the Pubo Federation were reduced to ruins under artillery fire, and very few surviving cities were also trembling.
These are just small problems. Since the Danes blocked the strait, the sea communication line of the Pubo Federation has almost been broken, and the strategic value of the port city has been greatly reduced.
The worst thing is that the Russians supplemented the loss of troops on the southern front, Moltke's plan to capture Kyiv went bankrupt, and now the Tsarist government is adopting the most conservative strategy to fight for consumption with the Pubo Federation.
Steady and steady, purely head-to-head, the Prussian army could not give full play to its tactical advantages.Even with a famous general like Moltke, he couldn't reverse the development of the battlefield in a direction that was not conducive to the Pubo Federation.
The bad situation on the battlefield has already affected the domestic atmosphere of the Pubo Federation. From time to time, there are voices against the war. Even the most optimistic people are worried about this war.
berlin palace
William I roared: "The war has progressed so far, we have lost 30 troops, but we have achieved very few victories.
The three months you promised me in advance to win the war, now three months and three months have passed, and the third three months are coming to an end, and there is no sign of victory.
Who can tell me how much I have to pay to win this war? "
It's not that William I didn't cultivate enough, it's just that the pressure has been too much recently.The performance of the Prussian army on the battlefield was far from meeting expectations.
The so-called "winning the war in three months" is actually just Moltke's southern line plan.In theory, as long as the trade line between Austria and Russia is cut off, they will win more than half of this war.
It's a pity that the combat effectiveness of the Russian army is much stronger than they expected.Maybe it is not as good as the Prussian army in the field, but the defense is still no problem.
There is nothing wrong with Moltke's painstakingly designed strategic plan, but the wrong target is used.If you change a country and kill 10,000+ troops at once, it will definitely hurt your muscles and bones.
It is a pity that when encountering Mao Xiong, the speed of annihilating the enemy is a little faster than that of the tsarist government.With a winter buffer, the tsarist government not only replenished the lost troops, but also increased the total troops.
Moltke bit the bullet and replied: "Your Majesty, the Russians are hurting others based on their own interests. The casualties of the Russian army are greater than ours. If this continues, even if the Russians can win the war, it will only be a miserable victory.
Now that the Russians have the upper hand on the battlefield, there is absolutely no need for the Tsarist government to choose a lose-lose style of play.
As long as we show our flaws at the right time, the Russian army will definitely not give up the opportunity.Once the Russians adjusted their tactics, our chance came.
In order to win this war, I suggest that if necessary, some areas should be abandoned, and the Russians should be lured out of the fortifications first. "
It is very difficult to make tactical adjustments involving millions of people and a front stretching hundreds of kilometers. The cooperation between the various troops will be "moving".
Organizational ability has always been the blemish of the tsarist government. Even after the reform of Alexander II, the organizational ability of the Russians is still slightly inferior.
On the battlefield, there is a comparison of who makes more mistakes, and who makes fatal mistakes.
Now the Russian army is defending in all areas except for attacking on the center line.Hiding in the fortress and not coming out may not be able to seize the opportunity, nor will it be a fatal mistake.
Mao Qi didn't want to fight to the death with the main force of the Russian army on the center line. It would not be able to use the maneuverability of the Prussian army, but it was simply a desperate struggle for comprehensive strength.
William I was uncertain: "Do you want to give up Smolensk?"
Smolensk has always been known as the gateway to Moscow. If it controls it, the Prussian army will have the initiative to attack Moscow.
After the outbreak of the Russo-Prussian War, the Russian army has been fighting here to ensure the safety of Moscow and avoid being divided into two by the Prussian army.
Moltke nodded: "Your Majesty, we have tried many plans, but the Russians just stayed inside the defense line and couldn't come out.
The loss of the storm is too great, and it is completely worth the loss.In addition to abandoning Smolinsk and letting the Russian army come in, it will be difficult for us to break the current deadlock on the battlefield in the short term. "
There was no way, the gap in the strength of the two sides was too great, and the central offensive launched by the Russian army contained a large number of Prussian troops, and Moltke's mobile forces were limited.
Mao Qi, who was originally good at concentrating superior forces to fight the enemy decisively, found helplessly that he couldn't do it at all.Especially after the Russian army adopted the scorched earth plan, he dared not take risks.
Deploying troops in either direction could potentially displace hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people.
Certain sacrifices are acceptable if the war can be won.The problem is that such a war cannot be decided by one or two battles at all.
Annihilating tens of thousands of Russian troops and creating hundreds of thousands of refugees, whether it was a loss or a gain is hard to say.
Anyway, there must be sacrifices, it is better to make a big vote.If the enemy can be lured to go deep and use the advantages of local combat to wipe out the main force of the Russian army in one fell swoop, then no matter how big the loss is, it will be acceptable.
"How sure are you?"
William I hesitated, and this time he gambled on the fate of the country.Winning can certainly turn the tide of the war; if it loses, the Pubo Federation will come to an end, and whether it can keep the shrunken version of the Kingdom of Prussia is a question mark.
Moltke replied calmly: "Abandon most of Belarus and some parts of Poland, place the battlefield in Warsaw, and call on the Polish people to rise up against the Russian invasion. Our chances of winning are at least [-]%."
The war is a gamble, and the Pubo Federation is already on the weak side. It has a [-]% chance of winning, which is already a very high percentage.
With a "snap", King William I slammed the table.
"Bet!"
"Marshal, proceed according to your plan, the government will cooperate with your plan."
It's not that William I was decisive, but more that there was no way.At this point in the war, no one can hold back. Prussia and Russia must decide the outcome on the battlefield.
Even if William I was unwilling to gamble, the Junker nobles would help him make decisions.Just like the First World War in the original time and space, after the collapse of the Russian Empire, William II wanted to end the war halfway, and the Junker nobles directly emptied the emperor to continue the war.
The current situation is similar. With the outbreak of the war, the military has more and more power, and the government has become the logistics department of the army. The balance of power has long been broken.
As King William I, he often had to compromise with the military.
……
Chapter 257
On July 1880, 7, after ten months of hard fighting and tens of thousands of casualties, the Russian army finally captured Smolinsk, and the European world was in an uproar.
That night, European politicians lost sleep collectively.Franz is also one of them. If it weren't for the tempering of the emperor's career for many years, he couldn't help holding a meeting overnight.
The geographical location of Smolinsk determines the extraordinary nature of this battle.The Russians had seized the fortress and had gained the strategic initiative.
The balance of war began to tilt, and the Russians, who already had an advantage in national strength, made this advantage even bigger.
Leaving a night buffer, the next day, Franz held a high-level government meeting in the Palace of Vienna.
To make a correct judgment, one must first figure out the real situation on the Prussian-Russian battlefield.
After many years of being an emperor, Franz no longer takes the historical data of his previous life seriously. He prefers to speak with facts and will not take judgments for granted based on his personal preferences.
……
Chief of Staff Albrecht: "In order to compete for Smolinsk, Prussia and Russia have invested a total of 187 million troops, the Prussian army has invested a total of 72 troops, and the Russian army has invested a total of 115 million troops.
According to the analysis of the information provided by the military observation team, the preliminary analysis is only in the Smolensk area. The total number of casualties between Prussia and Russia exceeds 70, of which the number of casualties accounts for about a quarter. The exchange ratio between the Prussian and Russian armies is about Around 1:1.3.
It can be said that Prussia and Russia are doing their best for this battle. The war was fought very tragically. The fortifications in the Smolinsk area are very complete, and the sudden loss of the defense is completely beyond our expectations.
The information in our hands is incomplete, and we cannot accurately determine the real reason for the fall of Smolensk.Judging from the results of the Russian army, the Prussian army has suffered heavy losses, with more than 12 prisoners alone.
However, some members of the military observer group raised objections.The proportion of old and weak prisoners is too high, unlike the main force of the Prussian army, and may not even be counted as a second-line force.
We verified with the military observation team sent to the Prussian army that half a month ago, the Prussian army did undergo a major defense change.It's just that it was carried out very secretly, and members of the observation team had no way to get in close contact.
If these news are true, then the gold content of the Russians' "Smolensk Victory" will be greatly reduced.
We have not found any major moves by the Prussian army, and neither the southern nor the northern fronts intend to launch an offensive. The real purpose of concentrating the main force remains to be studied. "
"The Prussian army deliberately abandoned Smolensk", this inference made many people unbelievable, including Franz.
Judging from the situation on the battlefield, the Prussian army did not need to give up Smolinsk at all.Relying on the local fortifications, even in two or three years, the Russian army may not be able to conquer them.
In this context, it is simply unnecessary to abandon a strategic location and sacrifice a large number of cannon fodder troops.
"Luring the enemy to go deep" is not unheard of. The problem is that the price is too tragic.Even a cannon fodder unit with low combat effectiveness is a valuable national defense force.
Franz asked: "What diplomatic activity has the Berlin government been doing lately?"
Franz couldn't help doubting that the combined combat power of William I + Moltke was absolutely beyond doubt. Losing Smolensk so easily was obviously not a mistake they should have made.
It wasn't an accident, it was on purpose.In addition to "luting the enemy to go deeper", it is also possible to show the enemy's weakness and win more diplomatic aid.
Foreign Minister Weisenberg replied with some embarrassment: "Your Majesty, since the outbreak of the war, the Pubo Federation's diplomatic activities have never stopped.
According to information from embassies around the world, the Pubo Federation's foreign ministers are in contact with dignitaries from various countries every week, even small neutral countries like Switzerland are no exception. "
Franz was stunned by this answer. How did the diplomatic activities that had been agreed upon become daily activities here.
We are in contact with political leaders from various countries every day, who knows if there will be any results?
Seemingly aware of the embarrassment of the emperor, Weisenberg added: "By the way, not long ago, the Pubo Federation's envoy to the Ottomans had a secret meeting with the Sultan, and no one knew the details.
The Berlin government also improved diplomatic relations with the countries in Central Asia and the Far East Empire, and seemed to intend to reorganize the anti-Russian alliance.
There is no definite news yet, and it is estimated that it should not be very optimistic.There are a lot of internal problems in these countries, and anti-Russia is not active. "
The last time an anti-Russian alliance was able to be formed was mainly due to the British, and the Berlin government just followed suit.
Today is different from the past, the Russian Empire is no longer the main enemy of John Bull, and the London government will naturally not continue to spend a lot of money against the Russians.
Diplomacy also has costs. If there are not enough benefits, why make everyone work hard?
Neither the Central Asian countries nor the Far Eastern Empire had the courage to bite off a piece of meat from a bear, and they were satisfied if they could guarantee their own territorial integrity.
In Franz's opinion, instead of convincing these countries, it is better to send people to lobby the Japanese government with a higher success rate. At least this person is adventurous.
Of course, this doesn't make much practical sense.The Far East is too remote, even if all of them are lost, it will not affect the strength of the Russian Empire.
It is the Nordic Federation and the Ottoman Empire that are really capable of helping the Berlin government.It's a pity that the Danes made trouble for the former, and the tsarist government made a promise, but it couldn't be pulled at all.
Not to mention the latter, Sudan is busy with internal reforms, no matter how much it wants to avenge the Russians, it is more than enough.
Prime Minister Felix: "If this is the case, the possibility of the Berlin government receiving a large amount of foreign aid is already very small. It is impossible for Britain and France to invest indefinitely. They must consider how to recover the cost.
Can we think that Moltke is repeating his old tricks, trying to follow the example of abandoning East Prussia in the last war, increasing the logistics supply line of the Russian army, and luring the Russians to fight them decisively? "
No one stipulates that the same tactic cannot be used twice. In fact, when it comes to the battlefield, no matter what tactic it is, it can be used forever as long as it is effective.
Whether to repeat or not, whether people will see the flaws, these are not problems, there is always only one core - to win the war.
Chief of Staff Albrecht: "This possibility is not ruled out. From a strategic point of view, this is a conspiracy.
Even if the tsarist government knew the plan of the Popo Federation, it was impossible to order the Russian troops on the front line to stop because of the risks.
However, although their plan is good, it is difficult to say whether it will be realized.There is a risk in this, and it is impossible for no one in the Russian army to discover it.
As long as we are a little more cautious, advance steadily and step by step, and leave no chance for the Prussian army, the situation will be very different. "
Having said that, Albrecht suddenly chose to shut up. "Steady and steady, step by step" is easy to say, but it is not simple at all in practice.
There is no shortage of idiots in this world, and there is no shortage of utilitarian masters in the army. Faced with the temptation of being sent to your door, can everyone resist it?
War should serve the overall situation, and conversely, the part also affects the whole.As long as there is a problem in one place, the originally flawless strategic plan will instantly become riddled with holes.
Albrecht had absolutely no confidence in the execution capabilities of the Russian army.Not to mention the Russians, the military of any country in this era cannot guarantee that all officers have a view of the overall situation.
Franz waved his hand: "Stop it, let's stop here. If the Prussian army lures the enemy to go deep, it is the Tsarist government that should be troubled now.
Of course, Alexander II was probably still celebrating the victory.But I think someone will remind him, after all, they have already lost once, and they should have learned a lesson.
Now we still discuss how to deal with the next changes in Europe. "
"Long-term plan", unfortunately this thing has long since ceased to exist.The foreign policy of the Vienna government has always been adjusted according to actual needs, and any foreign policy has effectiveness.
This time is no exception, because the Prussian-Russian War is full of uncertainties, and several more plans need to be prepared.
It is still necessary to wait for the dust to settle on which plan to adopt, and then choose the plan that best suits Austria's national interests.
……
After achieving the "Smolensk Victory", the Russian army did not stop. Instead, they took advantage of the victory and pursued the opportunity to capture Minsk. The soldiers pointed directly at Warsaw, the capital of Poland, and the Russo-Prussian War seemed to become clearer.
In the general headquarters of the Russian Army, Marshal Ivanov was staring at the map in a daze, with no joy of victory visible on his face.
A middle-aged military officer walked forward with a document and reported: "Marshal, the Seventh Army has sent a telegram to urge logistics supplies."
Ivanov turned around, paused and asked, "Where did the Seventh Army go?"
"The Seventh Army marched along the Bug River, and now it has passed Sarnaki, and it is less than 200 versts away from Warsaw." The middle-aged man replied
I found Sarnaki on the map, looked at it carefully for a while, and said with a sneer, "There is already a flat river in front of us, and we are almost reaching Warsaw. The enemy hasn't stopped yet?"
Without waiting for the middle-aged man to reply, Marshal Ivanov said again: "Moltke's appetite is really big enough. If an army can't satisfy his appetite, isn't he afraid of being choked to death?"
The enemy who knows oneself best is the enemy. Moltke became famous in the last Russian-Prussian War, and naturally became the focus of the Russian army.
The information collected by Ivanov has been detailed to where Moltke went to kindergarten.This is an exaggeration. Kindergartens are not popular these days.
However, Mao Qi's life, hobbies, and military style are all recorded.Similar information is not only being collected by the Tsarist government, but also in many European countries.
Knowing more, some people will naturally develop targeted tactics.The tactics currently adopted by the Russian army actually have the intention of restraining Moltke.
Facts have proved that this conservative tactic is really effective.Relying on the superiority of troops to fight steadily, even a military strategist like Moltke is helpless, and he has to use the current tactics as a last resort.
After contemplating for a moment, Marshal Ivanov: "Order the Seventh Army to stop advancing, look for favorable terrain nearby to build fortifications, and wait for the arrival of logistics supplies.
Order the Sixth Army to march towards the Lithuanian region, order the Northwest Front Army to launch a full-scale counter-offensive, and order the Southwest Front Army to pretend to attack the Warren area..."
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