Holy Roman Empire

Austria's national policy is also established around this center.First, it split the United States on the other side of the ocean, and then snuffed out the budding Italy.

Then play abolished the awesome Prussia, and weakened the Russian Empire by the way. It was not until the outbreak of the Anglo-Russian War that Austria really got rid of the situation of being besieged.

Although the policy pursued by the British government is "only eternal interests, no eternal enemies", it does not mean that it is possible to become an ally just after fighting to the death.

The government can be shameless, but the people cannot accept this shocking reversal.Even if interest groups suppress public opinion, the Russians must cooperate.

If the Russians won the war, going south to India would be the future national policy of the tsarist government, and no one could stop it.

Unless the British can back down, the two countries will have to die.

It would be impossible for the Russians to lose the war, and Franz had made up his mind to support the tsarist government in the fight.

The big deal is that in the later period, Austria will provide money and supplies, and the Russians will send troops to spend it with the British.

If one year is not enough, it will be two years, and if two years is not enough, it will be three years to five years. If there is no bloodshed, this war will not stop at all.

When the war was over, Britain and Russia were almost exhausted.For a long time to come, they will not be able to intervene in European affairs.

……

Franz: "Sell the mortar we just equipped to the Russians. Afghanistan is mostly mountainous. They need a light artillery."

The British Empire has a solid foundation and has not suffered heavy losses.To make them both lose, Franz had to find a way to strengthen the strength of the Russians.

Originally, Franz planned to give the Maxim machine gun to the Russians, but considering the poor logistics of the tsarist government, he decided not to cause them any trouble.

More black technologies, needless to say, are reserved for the enemies of Austria, and cannot be exposed for the time being.

The only thing that can be played in advance is this kind of mortar with little technical content. The original space-time was also made by the Russians, and it was directly refitted on the battlefield with retired naval guns.

Minister of War Feslav reminded with some embarrassment: "Your Majesty, the Russians introduced the mortar production line as early as three years ago, and now many troops have already assembled."

The Russia-Austria alliance is not an alliance in a simple sense. Since the first Near East War was taken away, Russia's armaments have begun to be Austrian.

After a long period of running-in, the Russians also learned to be smart, but they imported all the weapons that the Austrian army equipped on a large scale.

Mortars, a low-tech, simple-to-operate, and versatile weapon, have not been classified as classified armaments since their birth, and the military has long since installed them.

In fact, any weapon used on a large scale cannot be kept secret.

After all, weapons and equipment also need time to be adjusted before they can exert their power. They are not issued to soldiers and can be used for combat immediately.

The Maxim machine gun was not installed immediately, because the Austrian army has already equipped Gatling, and similar weapons are upgraded and replaced, and the running-in time will not be long.

In fact, the weapons and equipment that Austria really keeps secret are planes, tanks, and armored vehicles. To be precise, the planes are not kept secret.

It's not that I don't want to, it's that I can't do it at all.Tanks and armored vehicles can also be developed secretly in a small corner, and the test flight of an aircraft must go to the sky, right?

The test flight of the plane is hundreds of miles, such a long distance, it is a dream to not be seen.

Instead of hiding it to attract attention, it is better to put it outside for people to watch, and you can also charge tickets.

Anyway, what is disclosed is only the first-generation product, which can be manufactured by all major industrial countries.If there is no in-depth research and development, it means that everyone has not realized the value of the aircraft.

As for tanks and armored vehicles, they are laboratory products in the true sense, and they all bear the brand of automobile research and development center to the outside world.

A purely private enterprise that has nothing to do with military industry.Even the research and development funds were paid by Franz himself, and he did not pay the bills from military expenditures.

Not to mention the outside world, even the top officials of the Austrian government don't know about this thing, and even the military only a few participants know about it.

……

Franz asked suspiciously: "The Russians value armament so much?"

In his subconscious mind, the tsarist government did not pay attention to the upgrading of armaments.

Because of the relationship between military expenditures, the Russian military is also not active in this regard. Unless it is necessary to change, generally speaking, it is possible to save as much as possible.

In the past 20 years, the Russian army has purchased second-hand equipment from Austria. Especially during the Russo-Prussian War, the Russians even directly swept the goods.

The purpose is to save expenses. After all, second-hand weapons and equipment are cheap enough. Generally speaking, there are only [-] to [-]% off the price of new equipment, and some weapons can be bought at [-]% off.

Although it is a bit old, as long as it is well maintained, it can still be used for many years. It is most suitable for the army without money.

Weissenberg, the foreign minister who knows the Russian Empire best, explained: "Your Majesty, there is no contradiction between the tsarist government's lack of money and the introduction of weapons production lines.

In fact, every time we sign an arms purchase contract with the Russians, we attach huge kickbacks.

In order not to let the tsarist government find out, the bureaucrats in charge of procurement even required all contracts to be taxed according to the transaction price.

The kickbacks returned to them are not directly given to cash, but are completed through secretly benefit transmission.

Relying on this covert method of accepting bribes, the Russian military's international procurement department became the most incorruptible department in the tsarist government, and even set a historical record that no one was held accountable for corruption and bribery for ten years. "

After hearing this explanation, Franz rolled his eyes directly.Sure enough, the tsarist government was still the tsarist government he was familiar with, and the bureaucrats were still rude when they made money.

The current change is nothing more than a long-term contact with Austria, learning the money-making skills of the Austrian bureaucrats, making progress compared with domestic counterparts, and knowing how to do it quietly.

It is conceivable how terrifying the combat effectiveness of the evolved Russian bureaucracy will be.

With the supervision ability of the tsarist government, the international procurement department of the Russian military mostly cannot be supervised by relying on the transfer of benefits, otherwise it would not be able to become the most incorruptible department in the Russian government.

Even because of the imperfection of the law, many hidden ways to make money may not constitute crimes in the Russian Empire.

After making money, these bureaucrats have also played a role, at least they have played a role in promoting the upgrading of Russian military weapons and equipment.

No, it should have contributed to the upgrade of the Austrian army's weapons and equipment.

Because of industrial technology, the production cost of Russian weapons has always been high, not only the rate of defective products is high, but even the performance of the products is not stable.

Whether it is a bureaucrat in a state-run military factory or a capitalist in a private military-industrial enterprise, they all pay attention to maximizing their profits.

Buying a production line is just a show to cope with the inspections above, so as to grab orders from the government.

The cost of organizing production by yourself is too high. In order to reduce costs and reduce the risk of accidents, everyone tacitly chooses to smuggle.

Don't think that if there is a problem with the Russian military's weapons and equipment, there is no need to be held accountable.It's just that compared with other countries, the Russian military's ability to withstand is higher, and the failure rate is too high to be held accountable.

In fact, during the Russo-Prussian War, many capitalists lost their heads because of this.Most of the state-owned military enterprises in the hands of the tsarist government were confiscated from their homes at that time.

In the beginning, everyone followed the rules and imported all new equipment. Later, in order to obtain greater profits, everyone tacitly chose to replace it with cheaper second-hand equipment.

Anyway, just put it another way, second-hand equipment does not exist, it is pure Russian imperial products.

It looks a bit old-fashioned, but the arsenal is serious and responsible, and has passed thousands of quality tests for each weapon.

If you are not satisfied, there are still weapons and equipment that have just left the factory to choose from, but they have not been tested for performance, and the quality cannot be guaranteed.

This multiple-choice question is easy to do, and everyone knows how to choose after the trial.Even if he knew there was a problem, there was no problem for Lu Bu's sake.

In order to meet the needs of customers, the Austrian military has advanced the replacement time of weapons to ensure that it does not look too old in the hands of the Russian army.

In fact, even if it is sold at a discount according to the international transaction price, this price is enough for the production cost of weapons, and some weapons can still be profitable.

In a sense, this is also a win-win option.The Austrian military saved military expenses, the quality of weapons guaranteed by the Russian military, and the Russian bureaucrats and capitalists made money.

If such a thing happened in Austria, Franz would definitely go on a killing spree, but when it happened in the Russian Empire, he chose not to see it.

After all, the Russian bureaucracy is good for Austria.If one day Russia and Austria turn their faces, the military industry system of the Russian army will immediately show its original shape.

……

On the Afghan battlefield, it has been a week since the war broke out, and the sneak attack expected by the tsarist government naturally failed.

The British generals were not idle. They had built a defense line on the border early on, and the scouts were scattered everywhere, not giving the Russian army a chance at all.

However, it is strength that determines the outcome of the war. After a week of fighting, Anderhui has become shaky.

This is not the core of the British defense. From a strategic point of view, the best offensive route for the Russian army is to attack Herat along the Khali River, and then go upstream into the hinterland of Afghanistan.

However, Admiral Oginets is not an ordinary person. Herat is naturally one of the offensive ranges, but the breakthrough is placed on Anderhui.

In the temporary headquarters of the Russian army, Admiral Oginets asked with concern: "Has the Afghan resistance organization been contacted?"

Undoubtedly, the Afghan resistance group is also an important force in his strategic plan.

In his opinion, the Afghan resistance organization can make hundreds of thousands of British troops helpless, and its own strength is definitely not weak. It is a pity not to use it.

Colonel Loznisa, the young officer in charge of the contact work, replied helplessly: "Your Excellency, the contact has been made.

It's just that there are unexpectedly many resistance organizations in Afghanistan. There are 27 resistance organizations we have contacted alone.

Judging from the intelligence we have collected, there are no fewer than one hundred resistance organizations in Afghanistan, and there may even be more than two hundred.

Nominally, they are led by the Emir King, but in fact these organizations have long since acted on their own, and they are not restrained at all.

Because of religion, the relationship between these resistance organizations is not very harmonious, and it is almost impossible to integrate them. "

"One hundred", "two hundred", these numbers directly refreshed Admiral Oginets' three views.According to his estimation, there are at most two or three Afghan resistance organizations.

After all, too many organizations will lead to the dispersion of forces, it is difficult to cooperate with each other, and it is impossible to exert the maximum combat effectiveness.

The reality is just the opposite. The Afghan resistance organization is in bulk, without any overall planning and doing their own thing, which also makes the British tired of coping.

"If they are integrated, wouldn't it be possible to..."

As soon as this tempting idea was born, it was snuffed out by Admiral Auchinets.The purpose of the Russian army coming this time is not to send warmth to the Afghans.

Essentially, both Britain and Russia are aggressors.It's just that the British now occupy the Afghan area, and the Russian army naturally doesn't mind raising the banner of liberating Afghanistan.

Once the British are driven away, the Russian army will also occupy the Afghan region. This is the national policy that the tsarist government has set.

In this context, the Afghan resistance organization can only be used as cannon fodder, and it will still be cleaned up in the future. To strengthen their strength is to cause trouble for themselves.

Chapter 133 Anderhui's Fall

The plan to integrate the Afghan resistance organization was abandoned, but those who should be supported still need to be supported. The Russian army still needs these people to add chaos to the British.

As for the troubles that may exist in the future, they will be something after the victory of the war, and they will not be able to take care of them in the short term.

What's more, there are so many resistance organizations in Afghanistan, there will always be a few [-]-year-olds, and the division and wooing will be settled. Deep down in his heart, Admiral Auchinets despised the British severely.

With the support of the Russians, Afghan resistance groups became more active.

Destroying roads today, blowing up bridges tomorrow, occasionally firing sniper shots, and attacking a wave of transport convoys made the British army miserable.

Anderhui, guarding the city Colonel Macau just wants to cry now.The Russians didn't want to attack strategically important places, but they wanted to break through here, which really made him speechless.

In the headquarters of the Ninth Indian Colonial Division, Colonel Makau asked haggardly, "When will the reinforcements arrive?"

Before the young officer in front could answer, the sound of artillery fire rang out again, and the Russian army began to attack the city again.

Hearing the sound of gunfire, Colonel Makau's expression darkened instantly.Only two days after the defense of Anderhuis started, the Ninth Division has lost more than a thousand people.

Colonel Makau didn't care about the casualties of soldiers. As a pure Englishman, he never regarded Indian soldiers as his own, and he didn't feel sorry for the loss no matter how heavy it was.

But the problem is that the morale of the army can't be hurt. If it is the main force of the British army, it can grit its teeth and persist if it loses [-] to [-]%.

It's a pity that this is the Indian colonial division, and the morale of the army is unstable after only hundreds of casualties.

If it wasn't for defending the city, the fortifications gave everyone a sense of security, and the supervising team was strong enough, the army would have collapsed long ago.

Noticing the grim look on the division commander's face, the young officer replied nervously: "Master commander, we sent out the messengers for help, and they should be able to reach Mazar Sharif this afternoon.

Theoretically speaking, the reinforcements could arrive in five days at the earliest.

However, the general headquarters is in Kabul, and without an order from the headquarters, the Fifth Division stationed in Mazar Sharif may not send troops.

If the fifth division does not send troops, it can only wait for the order from the headquarters.It will take another week for the communications troops sent to the headquarters to arrive in Kabul, and it may take half a month for the reinforcements to arrive. "

Without considering other factors, it is still valuable for the tsarist government to start the war in advance purely from the military point of view.

Before the war started, the British army in Afghanistan had been busy destroying the guerrillas, and the British army guarding the front line was seriously insufficient.

Even the general headquarters is located in Kabul, and in the event of an emergency, it is simply impossible to coordinate the joint operations of the British troops on the front line.

According to the plan of the British army, the war will break out in the spring of next year.With such a long preparation time, temporary telegraph and telephone lines have been laid, and the headquarters can coordinate and command even if it is located in the rear.

It's a pity that the plan didn't change quickly. Now the communication between the various units of the British army can only be done by communication soldiers.

As for Feige's biography, that only exists in novels.Not to mention whether the pigeons will encounter danger on the way, whether they can find a place is a problem, the most important thing is that the British army is not equipped with this thing.

Colonel Makau gave up the last sliver of luck in his heart, not to mention waiting for half a month, even if it took five days, the Ninth Division might not be able to hold it.

Moreover, these are theoretical figures.Reinforcements must be dispatched immediately after receiving the request for assistance, so that the reinforcements may arrive five days later.

In practice, this is impossible.According to the usual practice, everyone's first reaction when encountering such a thing is to verify the accuracy of the news, and then hold a meeting to discuss it.

When a decision can be made depends on the responsibility of the commander.If you are timid and fearful, you will not send troops without an order from the headquarters.

After hesitating for a moment, Colonel Makau said slowly: "Order the troops to stand firm until night, then withdraw to the second line of defense."

Colonel Macau had no choice but to be thankful that he was cautious enough to deploy a few more lines of defense, and now he can still retreat steadily to delay time.

It's a pity that there are too many enemies on the opposite side, no matter how well prepared they are, they can't stop the absolute strength of the enemy.