Holy Roman Empire

It is inevitable to increase troops on the front line. After winning this battle, the Russian army has suffered a lot of losses. If the war is to continue, reinforcements will definitely be needed.Frontline commanders have already requested reinforcements from home.

"Your Majesty, due to a wrong estimate in advance, we did not expect Britain and France to directly participate in the war, and we have hoarded a large amount of strategic materials in Ukrainian coastal ports.

Now the sea route is blocked, we can only transport supplies by land.Under the current situation, we can only supply 30.00% of the materials for the frontline army, and the rest must be purchased from Austria.

Our financial pressure is very high, even though Austria has provided us with a war loan of [-] million guilders, it will not last long. "Aristan Lee Lord, Chancellor of the Exchequer, reminded

In order to supply the front-line troops for combat, the Russians had to purchase a large amount of strategic materials from Austria. If they continued to increase troops on the Balkan front, military expenditures would continue to increase.

It's not that Aristanley Rhodes is opposing the increase in troops, he just raised the issue to avoid blindly making plans, so as to avoid embarrassment when there is no money to fight.

30 million Austrian guilders looks like a lot, but in fact it is a drop in the bucket on the battlefield. Now the total number of Russian troops in the Balkans has exceeded [-].

In a Bulgarian battle, the Russian army lost 4.5 people. Even if the gray animals were worthless, they would have to spend a pension.

If the battle is won, rewards for meritorious deeds are also indispensable, and these still require money.

Weapons and ammunition consumed on the battlefield, damaged weapons and equipment need to be replaced, these are all money.

Even if there is no war, the 30 army spends more than 400 million dong on food, drink, and sleep every month.It's not that the Russian army's standards are high, but that the cost of material transportation during the war is high, and once a fight starts, it will cost money like water.

In one battle in Bulgaria, the Russian army destroyed thousands of tons of ammunition. On average, it consumed nearly a hundred tons of ammunition every day. This item alone cost tens of millions of dong.

With so many messy expenditures added together, the military expenditure of the Russian army will not be less than 4000 million dong in a Bulgarian battle that lasted for more than a month, and this does not include salary expenditures.

The main funding for the war still needs to be solved by the Russians themselves, and the Austrian loan can only be used to make up for it, so the pressure on the Ministry of Finance is naturally great.

Nicholas I nodded. It is still effective to prepare for war in advance.At least in 1852, the tsarist government did not have to worry about financial problems.

Not necessarily if the war continues.The cost of war in the era of hot weapons has far exceeded that in the era of cold weapons.

"Then find a way to make a quick decision, try to defeat the enemy within the year, and leave no chance for Britain and France!

My Minister of War, how much more reinforcements are needed to end the war within the year? " Nicholas I asked with concern

After contemplating for a while, Asai Nicholas replied slowly: "Your Majesty, at least 30 additional troops are needed, and it is best to increase 40 troops just to be on the safe side."

In fact, Aser Nicholas didn't know what to do, the battlefield was ever-changing, the strength of Britain and France was not weak, and there was an explosive Ottoman Empire, who knew how many troops could end the war in a short time?

But since His Majesty the Tsar asked, he had to answer, otherwise he would appear incompetent.

Aser Nicholas is still a little level. He is not optimistic that the Russian army will be able to end the war within the year, and directly stated an impossible figure.

Before investing 30 troops in the Balkans, the Russian Empire has done its best.If this number is doubled, there will be no shortage of Russian soldiers, but the logistical supplies will be finished.

Even with the addition of Austria, the combined strength of the two countries will not be able to guarantee an army of 70 million to fight in the Balkans.

This is not a lack of supplies, but transportation cannot afford it.If fighting in the Danube River Basin, logistical supplies can still be guaranteed.

However, as the war progressed, the supply lines of the Russian army became longer and longer, and the distance from the Danube River became longer and farther.

Nicholas I was not a military rookie. As soon as the Minister of War's words came out, he knew that it would be impossible to end the war within a year.

Britain and France have sea power. Even if the Russian army occupies the Balkan Peninsula, they can land at any time as long as they want. How easy is it to end the war?

Moreover, although the Ottoman Empire was decayed, there were still three catties of nails on the rotten ships, and the fighting power that erupted at the critical moment of life and death should not be underestimated.

Foreign Minister Karl Wossel said with a wink: "Mr. Aser, the reality does not allow us to invest so many troops in the Balkan Peninsula. This plan seems feasible, but in fact it is not feasible.

If the war cannot be won in the Balkans, can we make a breakthrough in the Caucasus?

Victory in any direction can hit the confidence of the Ottoman Empire.As long as this decaying empire crumbles, we have won this war. "

Breakthrough in the Caucasus, no problem!It's just that one mountain top has been conquered, and there is another mountain top.

With unremitting efforts, it will take three to five years at the fastest, and ten or eight years at the slowest. As long as they persevere, they will be able to grind the Ottoman Empire to death sooner or later.

The prerequisite is that the tsarist government can sustain it, and don't put yourself in it before the end of the war.

Although the reality is cruel, ideals still exist.

While launching the Bulgarian battle, the Russians did not ignore the Caucasus region, but due to geographical constraints, they invested less energy there.

As the situation in the Balkans continues to deteriorate towards the Ottoman Empire, the Sudanese government will definitely have to send a large number of reinforcements from the Asia Minor Peninsula, and the number of troops that can reinforce the Caucasus will be reduced by then.

This is also an opportunity for the Russians.It is difficult to fight all the way from the Caucasus to the Bosphorus, but it may not be impossible to reach the Asia Minor peninsula.

Successive defeats on the front lines of any country will affect domestic stability, let alone the decadent Ottoman Empire?

With the influence of the Russians among the Orthodox Christians and the unpopularity of the Ottoman Empire, it seems that it is not too difficult to plan several national uprisings in the face of continuous failures on the front line.

In case the national uprising succeeds, the Ottoman Empire will come to an end.Without the support of this local snake, it is simply a dream for Britain and France to defeat Russia in the Near East.

Since it is idealism, it is natural not to pursue perfection.As long as it is theoretically feasible, Nicholas I readily approved Karl Wurser's proposal.

It is true that His Majesty the Tsar is wise if he succeeds, but if he fails, he will lose a batch of gray animals. The most important thing in Russia is people.

Nicholas I had no reason not to do something with low risk and high return.

Chapter 68 Everyone's Playing Borrowing Knives

With clear water, blue sky and green grass, a hundred flowers bloom in Vienna.

Vienna in May is full of flowers. The streets and alleys are always full of flowers. It seems that Viennese people like to grow flowers.

Schönbrunn Palace is full of blooming flowers, adding a different style to the refreshing May.

Reading, viewing flowers, making tea, and concerts are all Franz's hobbies. If there are no two little lolitas to follow, it is actually good to enjoy dancing, especially the one with long legs.

Definitely just an artistic appreciation, Franz's private life is pretty decent.He has never fooled around with rich and noble ladies, has no bad habits, not even a lover, and can be called a moral model among nobles.

If it wasn't for him hugging the two little lolis left and right, then it would be even more proof of this point.

It's normal for aristocrats to have a little messy private life.Life is so tiring, and you have to intrigue every day, so you need to relax properly.

Franz is already considered very virtuous, at least he hasn't caused any court scandals yet, he just fooled the two little girls, it's not worth mentioning at all.

The court rules of the Habsburg dynasty are still very strict, and the two little girls who received court education together were deeply touched.

Although princesses are not as demanding as princes, they still learn too much compared to ordinary people.

Princess Helen is okay, she got used to it quickly and enjoyed it.Princess Sissi was miserable, and the happy childhood life bid farewell to her.This is undoubtedly a terrible news for a girl who yearns for freedom.

Skip class?If there are [-] students in a school, it doesn't matter if one student skips class; if you are the only student, if you skip class, then the teachers are not allowed to have a collective holiday?What's more, in the palace, the security is heavy, where else can he go?

Although palace life is comfortable, it is not free, is it?For Princess Sissi, this is undoubtedly a kind of torture.

Her arms can't hold her thighs, whether she is willing to study or not, her mother, Princess Ludvika, has already made the decision for her.

If it weren't for the family's poor financial situation, Princess Sissi would have received these educations long ago.These court etiquette lessons are the basic knowledge that nobles must master.

Princess Helen and Franz were together, which was arranged by Empress Dowager Sophie, in the name of cultivating their relationship in advance.Princess Sissi joined in for the pure reason of skipping class.

The world is so magical, and the fate of the three people has been mixed together.It's hard to say what happened afterwards. In short, Franz hooked up with two little girls at once.

Of course, in this era, their age is not too young.Princess Helen is almost 18 years old, and Princess Sissi is also 15 years old, and they have reached the age to talk about marriage.

For all this, their mother Princess Ludvika is happy to see it.The unequal status, wanting to promote this marriage, and something else happened are too common in the royal family.

As for Empress Dowager Sophie, it doesn't matter even more, the son belongs to her, and the niece belongs to someone else's family.As long as there is no royal scandal involving pregnancy out of wedlock, she won't care so much.

Of course, Franz will not admit his evil thoughts. In a big sense, this is to confuse the enemy and make the Kingdom of Bavaria relax its vigilance. After all, the royal families of the two countries are about to marry, so there is no need to worry?

From a small perspective, he was saving underage girls.The origin of the Bavarian royal family determines that their marriage will be used for marriage.Based on Princess Sissi's character, it is decided that marrying anyone will not lead to good results.

Freedom is too much of a luxury for the great nobles. From the moment they are born, they have shouldered heavy responsibilities.

The 19th century was the last glory of the aristocrats. At this time, smart people knew that danger was approaching.One wrong step, and an ancient family will come to an end.

It is already a tragedy if you are not good at politics. If you are not firm in your stand, and you are easily influenced by others to participate in politics, then the final result can only end in tragedy.

If there is an addition of reluctance to have children, it is estimated that no family can accept it.Love will always be obliterated in the face of reality, so how can you keep your face easy to grow old?

……

Prime Minister Felix said: "Your Majesty, the Bulgarian battle is over, and the final result is not unexpected. The Russians defeated the Ottomans.

However, the performance of the French this time is very surprising. They actually sent reinforcements to the Balkans so quickly. It seems that Napoleon III has stabilized the country. "

It is normal for the Russian army to defeat the Ottoman army. Although the Russian army is a mob, it is also a brave mob. Against the Ottoman army, which is also a mob, it will naturally have the upper hand in the battle.

In terms of weapons and equipment, Russia and Ottoman are considered bad brothers, and everyone is equally backward.Whose weapons and equipment are more backward depends on the integrity of the bureaucrats.

The high efficiency of the French government once again proves that the efficiency of making decisions by one person is much higher than that of hundreds of people making decisions together.

The London government had just persuaded the Congress to send troops, and the French sent the troops to the battlefield. This is enough to show that Napoleon III's control over the French government has reached the point of making a decision.

But these were minor problems. Franz didn't care about the French's housework, and he couldn't intervene anyway.

"How is the combat effectiveness of the French army? Is there anything that needs special attention?" Franz asked with concern

Marshal Radesky analyzed: "Your Majesty, the combat effectiveness of this French expeditionary force is still good. According to the information we have collected, it can be confirmed that the [-] French troops are the most elite troops in the French Army.

It seems that Napoleon III spent a lot of money this time in order to achieve a good record.

But now he should feel pain in the flesh. Although the French army played a higher exchange ratio on the battlefield, it is not worth the loss for them.

In the Battle of Razgrad, the French army directly lost almost one division of elite troops, and these elite soldiers were not so easy to replenish.

Elite troops are not so easy to train. There are very few troops in the French Army with this kind of combat effectiveness, and they are now being consumed on insignificant battlefields.

Not to mention playing a 1:1.3 casualty ratio with the Russians, even if it was a 1:3 exchange ratio, the French would suffer a lot.

If this French army does not blindly invest in the battle and fight the Russians without adapting to the environment, their results will be even more brilliant.

In a confrontation on the frontal battlefield, an elite division of [-] is enough to defeat a [-] Russian army.

If this French army can arrive half a month in advance and be used as the main force in this battle, the outcome of this battle may change. "

Franz nodded noncommittally. These French troops are indeed elite divisions. The heavy losses now obviously weaken the combat effectiveness of the French army.

But if you want to say that Napoleon's flesh hurts, that's not necessarily the case.These elite divisions were accumulated by the July Dynasty, and they are also loyal supporters of the July Dynasty.

If it weren't for King Louis Philippe's constant tricks, he didn't mobilize these troops immediately, otherwise with these troops, it would be easy to suppress the rebellion.

For the country of France, these troops are the most important national defense forces, but for Napoleon III personally, these troops are a hidden danger.

It is probably also Napoleon III's established strategy to consume these troops on the battlefield for his own benefit.

The current situation is completely in the interests of Napoleon III.

The French army on the front line, even in a disadvantageous state, was still able to achieve a high exchange ratio, which gave him a lot of political points.

Through this war, the number of these troops has been severely reduced. To regain their combat effectiveness, it is necessary to recruit new recruits.

As long as he makes good use of this opportunity, Napoleon III can support his younger brother to take over the position and slowly control this army.

As for the decline in combat effectiveness, it is not worth mentioning in the face of loyalty.Franz is likely to make the same decision if he changes places.

Felix asked tentatively: "Your Excellency Marshal, if we find a way to annihilate these troops, how much impact will it have on the French military power?"

Marshal Radesky thought for a moment, and then gave the answer: "These troops account for about two layers of the French military's current military strength.

However, this does not mean that the tens of thousands of French troops are the two-tier military strength of the French. They can also mobilize the whole country, but the combat effectiveness of the newly mobilized troops is very low. "

France is not a small country, and its own military strength is not weak.It is very rare to be able to weaken the enemy's strength so much in a short period of time.

Prime Minister Felix shook his head and said: "If that's the case, then this matter is not worth our participation. It's better to leave this enemy to the Russians to solve it. I think they will like it.

Now this French expeditionary force has only [-] combatants left. If there are a few more battles with the Russians, it will almost be lost. "

The French invested too little force in the Balkan Peninsula, even if the entire army was wiped out, it would not hurt, and it would not seriously hurt their vitality.

At this time, the best choice for Austria is not to let the Russians eat up the elite French army in one go, but to use this as an introduction to encourage Britain and France to continuously invest their troops in this war.

A big defeat is likely to make Britain and France stop, so it will not be possible to use the Near East War to consume the strength of Britain, France and Russia.

Napoleon III can use the knife of the Russians to eliminate dissidents, and Austria can also follow suit.Use the power of the Russians to attack Britain and France, and then use the power of Britain and France to attack the Russians.

Chapter 69 Time to test

Franz doesn't like to play tricks, but unfortunately his strength doesn't allow it.

For example, right now, the plan to plot against Britain, France and Russia was obviously an overt conspiracy, but somehow it turned into a conspiracy again.

There is often only a thin line between conspiracy and overt conspiracy, no one is the strongest, the most suitable is the best.

What would happen if someone told Nicholas I about Franz's plan?

The answer is: nothing will happen, Nicholas I will just laugh it off.

It is normal for countries to use each other, and to have calculations against each other.Want close collaboration, don't be silly, it just doesn't exist.

Mature politicians only look at what their allies have done and what the consequences will be, and weigh the pros and cons to determine the relationship between the two countries, rather than considering what their allies are thinking.