Holy Roman Empire

So cheating teammates must have a level, if the level is not enough, you will be cheated by your teammates instead, don't cry, there are still many days to be cheated in the future!

For example, Franz is cheating the Russians now, but in fact, as long as Austria fulfills its ally obligations, it will be Russia's most staunch ally, and the relationship between Russia and Austria will not be affected.

Even now that Franz told Nicholas I that Austria would send troops to help, the Russians would not be surprised at all, but more likely to be frightened.

As much as you put in, you will share as much spoils of war. This is the basis of the Russia-Austria alliance.Once the distribution of interests is out of balance, the alliance will have no value of existence.

The Russia-Austria Alliance is a treaty of equality and does not have any affiliation.If Austria fulfills its ally obligations and assumes more obligations, then the final distribution of spoils will naturally change.

In the current war in the Balkans, the Russians do not need Austrian reinforcements, and the tsarist government is not the one who loves gray animals.It is impossible to exchange benefits in order to reduce the casualties of frontline soldiers.

From a strategic point of view, if Austria attacks the Ottoman Empire, the best route to send troops is exactly the same as the current route of the Russians.

This is a logistical decision. It is much better to rely on the Danube River Basin to transport strategic materials and enter Bulgaria from the lower Danube plain than to go over the valley from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia.

What determines the outcome of this war is not how much territory the Ottoman Empire occupies, but whether Constantinople can be conquered.

As long as the Russians occupy Constantinople, the British and French navies can only withdraw from the Black Sea Strait, otherwise the Russians will block the Bosporus Strait, and they will become shackles.

After mastering the sea power in the Black Sea, logistics supplies can be transported by sea. With the national strength of Russia and Austria, it is not a big problem to support millions of troops to fight in the Balkan Peninsula.

Unlike now, no matter how hard the Russian army puts into the Balkan Peninsula, the maximum is 50 million troops. No matter how much more, the enemy will not need to fight, and the logistics will be dragged to death.

If the Austrian army had passed, this number would have been reduced by at least a quarter.

It is not for nothing that the Gray Cattle claim to be the cheapest army in Europe.Their requirements for logistical supplies are the lowest among all the armies of the great powers.

In modern warfare, the backwardness of weapons and equipment and the lack of artillery also mean that the pressure on logistical supplies is small.

Is the tsarist government short of soldiers?

Lost hundreds of thousands, at worst, add hundreds of thousands more.If the Austrian army participated in the capture of Constantinople, they would not want to monopolize the Black Sea Strait.

National interests are very realistic. Don't expect allies to bring their own dry food to help. There is no purpose yet.

The Black Sea is very small, and the Russians have long regarded it as their private land, but they are not willing to share with Austria.

According to how good the current covenant is, the Russians can get the most benefits, and the price they pay is nothing more than the casualties of a group of gray animals. The most important thing for the tsarist government is people.

……

Metternich said: "Your Majesty, the Russian Minister in Vienna approached me yesterday. They intend to increase their troops in the Balkans and hope that we can provide more war materials.

According to the preliminary judgment, the participation of Britain and France in the war contributed to the decision of the Tsarist government.It seems that they want to show their determination to the outside world by increasing their troops. "

Franz thought for a while and said: "The matter of providing strategic materials is easy, as long as the Russians are willing to pay them, we can sell them.

Your Excellency Marshal, I would like to know how many troops the British, French and Ottomans can devote to the Balkan Peninsula. Will the Russians gain the upper hand after increasing their troops? "

After some calculations, Marshal Radeski replied: "Your Majesty, considering logistics, the total force that the British, French and Ottomans can invest now will not exceed 80.

However, as the Russian army's front continues to advance, the more troops they will be able to invest. If there is a decisive battle in the coastal area, they may even invest millions of troops.

However, this is an ideal figure. To ensure that so many troops fight, the strategic materials needed are also a big problem.

The Ottoman Empire can solve two or three of them at most, and the rest needs to be shipped from Britain and France.

Taking into account the cost of war, Britain and France are likely to choose to fight the Russians with cheap Ottoman cannon fodder.After the Russians have increased their troops, whether they can gain the upper hand on the battlefield depends on the proportion of the British and French troops.

Strategically, I don't think the Russians will be able to achieve their goals.Due to the loss of sea rights in the Black Sea, the supply of the Russian army mainly depends on the Danube River transportation.

However, as the front moves forward, the distance required for land transportation is also increasing.

In the decisive battle in Bulgaria, the Russians can invest up to 50 troops. If they go to the Istanbul area, the Russians can only invest up to 40 troops.

The actual situation may be worse than this. After all, the Ottoman Empire has operated in the Balkan Peninsula for hundreds of years. After the Russian army occupied these areas, it would be difficult to clear their local influence in a short period of time.

The Ottomans will definitely organize guerrillas to specifically destroy the supply lines of the Russian army and increase the difficulty of logistics transportation for the Russians.

The longer it drags on, the less likely it is that the Russians will win the war if it cannot be won quickly. "

Franz smiled slightly, which was exactly what he wanted.The Russians, who cannot win the war, are good allies of Austria.

Even under the pressure of Britain and France, Russia-Austria relations may go further.With a solid rear, Austria can farm with peace of mind.

Now Franz expects Nicholas I's will to be firm so that this war can last longer.

The tsars of all dynasties have set good examples. The Russians have a saying: "A tsar who has not fought the Russo-Turkish war must not be a good tsar!"

Russo-Turkish wars usually last for four to five years, basically once in a generation. Except for the last Russo-Turkish war, the shortest period is three years, and there are two times in more than ten years.

Militarily speaking, the chances of the Russians losing are very small.Attack if you win, defend if you can't win.

In a war of attrition, what the Russians can't afford to hurt is financial resources, and what Britain and France can't afford to hurt is manpower.

Mao Xiong lost hundreds of thousands of young and strong, and he could take out hundreds of thousands more. The nobles would not care about the casualties of soldiers; Britain and France lost hundreds of thousands of young and strong, so they had to consider the domestic situation.

As long as the Russians refuse to admit defeat and are willing to risk their lives, Britain and France will not be able to completely defeat them even if they try their best.

Unless Britain and France dare to attack the Russian mainland and fight all the way from the Baltic Sea to St. Petersburg, no matter how they fight in the Near East, they will die.

This also means that if the Russians cannot win the war in a short period of time, the factors that determine the outcome of the war are the tests: the financial bearing capacity of the Russians, and the ability of Britain and France to withstand casualties.

After all, this war is not as serious as the world war. Britain, France and Russia are not at the critical point of life and death, so everyone does not need to work hard.

Franz said coldly: "Use our strength to push again. The French have already played, but the British expeditionary force is still in the country. The stage has been set up. We can't let them miss this good show."

The integrity of John Bull is too low. If they are not pushed to the battlefield, maybe the London government will make the same choice as Austria.

Moreover, if the British are not allowed to experience the cruelty of land wars in advance, how can they be more peaceful in the actions behind Austria?

……

London

Due to the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in the Battle of Bulgaria, the British prepared a symbolic dispatch of [-] troops in advance, which obviously could not meet the needs of the war.

In the recent Paris negotiations, Palmerston had to increase the number of troops sent by the British from [-] to [-].

An army of [-] is a small problem for any country with a large army, and it can be assembled in ten and a half months, but it is different for the British.

Their pocket version of the army has a total of only 10,000+ people. It is obviously difficult to mobilize so many troops at once.

"Mr. Palmerston, why did you increase the number of troops without authorization? Do you know how much trouble this will cause us?" Secretary of the Army Maximi asked dissatisfied

Palmerston explained with confidence: "Mr. Maximilian, this is a political need. In the just-concluded war, the Ottoman Empire suffered heavy losses. According to our prior plan, it is no longer able to meet the needs of the war.

To curb the ambitions of the Russians, we must invest more power in the past.

The French agreed to an additional 12 troops, which, together with the 5 they had already committed to the field, made a total of 17 troops.In this case, we also have to increase the number of troops sent.

Moreover, the 2 troops on the battlefield are really too dangerous, and the entire army may be wiped out if you are not careful.

If it is an 8 army, it will be much safer. You don't have to worry about being swallowed by the Russians, and your army department doesn't have to worry about it all the time. "

After hearing Palmerston's explanation, Maximi became even more angry.He admitted that compared with the Royal Navy, the British Army is really weak.

But it would be too much to despise them like this.You must know that the combat effectiveness of the British Army is not bad, it is only because of its small number that it cannot be ranked among the great powers.

"Mr. Palmerston, are you questioning the combat effectiveness of the army?" Maximi stared at Palmerston with red eyes and questioned.

It's okay to think about these things, and it would be too much to publicly slap the army in the face.The strength of the British Army is not good, which is caused by too little military expenditure, not because they do not work hard.

Realizing that he had made a slip of the tongue, Palmerston immediately made amends: "No, Mr. Maximy. On the contrary, I am very optimistic about the combat effectiveness of the Army.

As the saying goes, the greater the ability, the greater the responsibility on the battlefield.If we have too few troops, it is easy for the Russians to take advantage of our loopholes. "

He himself did not believe what he said. Even if Britain sent the least troops in the alliance, the task of being cannon fodder would still fall on the Ottomans. How could it be possible for the British army to take risks?

Maximi snorted coldly: "Hmph!"

This little episode is over.

Prime Minister John Russell changed the subject: "Mr. Maximy, our allies can't wait. How long will it take for the Army to be ready?"

John Russell despised the performance of the Ottoman Empire.

How can I say that it was a great empire that beat up the entire European society back then, but now it is so easy to be beaten on the ground by the Russians, it is simply embarrassing to the ancestors.

Contempt is contempt, now everyone is still an ally, in order to deal with the common enemy, those who should join forces must join forces.It's just that the Ottomans' right to speak in the league has dropped by two levels again.

Maximi had been waiting for this sentence for a long time, and he replied from the side: "Your Excellency Prime Minister, let's expand the army!"

This is an embarrassing topic, because the British's center of gravity is tilted towards the navy, which has caused the number of the army to keep falling.

If the 10,000+ army wants to maintain a vast colony, how many troops will stay in the country?

If [-] troops are deployed, they can still squeeze out.If [-] troops were transferred, all the local troops would be taken out in one go.

The mainland must keep the army, even if it is to suppress the Irish region, the domestic army cannot be withdrawn.

The number of armies in overseas colonies is not large, and there is no possibility of transfer.Of course, the British have a large number of colonial troops, and if they can make up for it, they can be assembled soon.

John Russell rubbed his forehead, and then asked, "How much are you going to expand your army?"

Maximi replied with a smile: "Not much, our Army Department's requirements are not high, we only need to expand the number by 12."

Hearing this number, John Russell shook his head and said, "Mr. Maximi, there is no problem in expanding the army by 12, as long as you can convince Congress."

Maximi blushed, and if it was that simple to convince Congress, the number of the British Army would not be so small by now.

In this era, as the only industrial country among the great powers, plus the world's largest colonial power, the British Empire is truly rich and powerful. Even if it raises an additional 10,000+ army, it is not a problem.

Maximilian said calmly: "Your Excellency, the army has limited strength and too many places to guard, and the total number of troops remaining in the country is only over 7.

It is already very difficult to mobilize [-] troops. If I mobilize [-] troops, even if I count all the cleaners in the Ministry of War, it will not be enough. "

This is a good opportunity to expand the army, and the Ministry of the Army will naturally not give up.Every military expansion is accompanied by a lot of benefits, and Maximi naturally wants to fight for it as much as possible.

"However, 12 military expansion at one time is still too much. I have no way to convince the Congress. It is still the same sentence just now: as long as you have the ability to persuade Congress, then there is no problem." John Russell objected without changing his face.

Chapter 70 Dilemma

On June 1852, 6, the British Parliament passed the "Army Expansion Act".

The 12 military expansion proposed by Maximi was still discounted, and the shrewd members of Congress limited the final military expansion to 8.The reason is naturally that armaments should be carried out according to actual needs, and taxpayers' money should not be wasted.

This frugal sense of ownership directly led to the British Army dragging its allies back in the Near East War.

Compared with the slow-moving British, the French are much more efficient.After confirming the increase in troops, Napoleon III embarked on the road of exploding troops, and the total strength of the French army jumped to 62.

It seems that the invincible France that traversed Europe back then is back.Apart from bears, Europe has the largest standing army.

In order to expand France's international influence, Napoleon III was very active this time. While expanding his army, French reinforcements had already started from home.

At this time, the military power of the French mainland has dropped to its lowest point. Although the number of troops has increased, veterans and recruits are completely different concepts.

After the end of the Anti-French War, the Orleans Dynasty slowed down the development of the French Army in order to ease international pressure, and only retained a small number of elite troops, which recovered after the Great Revolution.

Napoleon III's talent was not in the military. When expanding the army, he ignored the construction of reserve forces and the rationalization and reform of the mobilization mechanism.

In the Franco-Prussian War in history, the French admitted defeat after losing the first battle.It was because France's mobilization mechanism was not perfect at the time, and it was not able to mobilize enough troops in time to defend Paris.

This is the weakness of the French development model. Most of the country's core industries are placed around Paris. Once Paris falls, it will be difficult to make a comeback.

After the Battle of Bulgaria, the Russian army pushed the front to the Balkan Mountains, and it was time to test the Russians.

At this time, disagreements occurred within the Russian Balkan Expeditionary Force. The generals headed by General Bach Ivanov advocated conquering Sofia first; .

The ultimate strategic goal is the same - to conquer Constantinople and block the Bosphorus.

The reason for arguing to conquer the Sofia area first is that the Ottoman Empire has just experienced a major defeat, and its troops in this area are weak and the military difficulty is low.

Sofia is the most influential city in Bulgaria. Once conquered here, the political influence is very important, and more Bulgarians can be called to rebel against the Ottoman rule.

There is another reason that cannot be said, that is, after conquering Sofia, even if the Russian army failed to conquer Constantinople, it still occupied more than half of Bulgaria, laying the foundation for the next war.

This is the power of tradition. This is the ninth Russo-Turkish war. Many people think that if the Ottoman Empire cannot be destroyed, there will definitely be a tenth Russo-Turkish war in the future. It is also very important to plan ahead.

Swallowing the Ottoman Empire in one bite is just idealism. Not many people really think that Russia can swallow the Ottoman Empire in one bite.

It is enough to shout political slogans. The Russians have been shouting the slogan of the demise of the Ottoman Empire for nearly a hundred years, and the Ottoman Empire is still standing there.

The reason for advocating to go directly to the Edirne area is: in order to hurry up, this is the shortest route to conquer Constantinople. Taking advantage of the fact that the main reinforcements from Britain and France have not arrived, the chances of attacking Constantinople in advance are better.

Of course, the chances of winning are great and the risks are great. If they don’t occupy the surrounding areas, the Ottoman army is likely to outflank the Russian army’s rear. If they fail to capture Constantinople, there is a risk of annihilation of the entire army.

The troubles of the Russians did not concern Franz.Whether the Russian army will be completely wiped out, he is not worried at all.

In the case of the Ottoman Empire, unless it was a trick, no matter how good the tactics were, they would discount them when implementing them.

In theory, if they cut off the Russian army's logistical supply line at any key point in the middle, they will win the war.

But the unit responsible for carrying out the task must also have a strong enough combat power, otherwise it will be overthrown by the Russian army in a few moments, so what's the use?

Not only that, but also the close cooperation of the surrounding Ottoman army and local governments.As long as there is a problem in one link, it is impossible to close the door and beat the dog.