Holy Roman Empire

Don't expect the Ottoman Empire to complete such a difficult task. At most, it will cut off the logistics line to scare the Russians into retreating, and then the two sides will honestly start fighting for consumption.

……

Prince Wendisch Gretz said with a smile: "Your Majesty, the Ottomans have withdrawn their troops from Serbia. It seems that the Russians put too much pressure on them. Now they are preparing to concentrate their forces against the Russians and ignore these areas. .”

It can be seen that he is in a very good mood.The grievances between the Habsburg dynasty and the Ottoman Empire have been going on for hundreds of years, and it is refreshing to see the enemy's misfortune.

More importantly, of course, is politics.Don't look at the fact that Field Marshal Radeski is now the chief of staff. He, the Minister of War, did not respond. In fact, Prince Wendischgritz has been looking for opportunities to break the situation.

A military strongman is not equal to a political strongman. Archduke Karl is an example, and he went home to write a book in despair.

In fact, Marshal Radeski, who is highly respected in the Austrian army, did not do well in Austria before. He was not valued when he served in the local area for a long time, but was excluded from the core of power.

It's just that after Franz took office, the situation changed. In order to ensure the smooth implementation of the westward strategy, Marshal Radesky was transferred back to the central government as the chief of staff.

In this context, even if Prince Wendisch Gretz had ten thousand reasons, it would be useless. No matter what the reasons were, Franz would not be able to give up his support for Marshal Radeski at this time.

Knowing this, Prince Wendisch Gretz will naturally not make trouble.In fact, his relationship with Field Marshal Radesky deteriorated because of the power conflict between the General Staff and the War Department.

The ass decides the position. The General Staff and the War Department are originally checks and balances. If the relationship between the two parties is good, Franz will be replaced.

Overwhelmed by Field Marshal Radeski, Prince Windischgrätz had no choice.But now the opportunity has come. The Ottomans withdrew their troops from Serbia, which means that Austria can get large tracts of land without any effort.

The military's main combat faction is not so easy to suppress, and they don't know the real strategy of the Austrian government, so they naturally want to fight when a fighter opportunity appears.

At this time, if Marshal Radesky could not suppress his subordinates and brought the matter to the emperor, it would be a big loss; even if he suppressed it, the military generals would be dissatisfied.

Of course, Franz was well aware of this little calculation.But he didn't mean to interfere, these struggles can only be regarded as pediatrics.Prince Wendisch Gretz used an overt scheme, which fell within the scope of the rules.

It is better for ministers to fight each other than to collude and unite to fight against the emperor.Franz pretended not to see the secret struggles as long as he didn't delay the business, formed cliques without being open and aboveboard.

Where there are people, there are factions, and Franz would not expect the purity of the Austrian government bureaucracy.

Franz asked: "What about Belgrade, did the Ottomans give up?"

Belgrade has always been known as the gateway to the Balkan Peninsula. As long as it is mastered here, no one can ignore the opinions of Austria in the future affairs of the Balkan Peninsula.

But now the strategic center of gravity of the Austrian government is not in the Balkans, and the Ottoman Empire has stationed heavy troops there, so Austria did not capture Belgrade.

If the Ottomans voluntarily gave up, they could occupy it with eight thousand troops, and it was impossible for Franz to give up. Austria still had no shortage of such troops.

The more chips in hand, the greater the benefits that can be obtained after the war. Everyone understands such a simple truth.

Austria does not have such a good appetite for annexing the interests of the Balkan Peninsula under the condition of unifying South Germany.

Unless the Russians open up and can conquer Constantinople, then Britain and France will not break the Russian-Austrian alliance, and Austria will swallow the fat if it swallows it.

"No, but the Ottomans still drew troops from Belgrade, and now the defenders there have dropped to 2." Prince Wendischgritz replied

After wandering around for a while, Franz shouted, "Jenny, send someone to notify the cabinet and Marshal Radesky to come to the meeting."

The plan is always unable to keep up with the rapid changes. Austria stopped after occupying the two principalities in the Danube River Basin. This can also be explained as sitting on the mountain and watching the tigers fight.

Now that the Ottoman Empire has withdrawn its troops from Serbia, Austria does not send troops to occupy it, that would be too weird.Not to mention the Russians, even European countries will be suspicious.

But along the way, Austria occupied more and more land in the Balkan Peninsula.Then the problem came out. Originally, the southward strategy was just to cover the westward strategy, but it turned out to be a fake show.

Don't think that eating more meat is a good thing, and it may make people fat. Losing weight is the most troublesome thing.

The same is true for Austria now. If it takes more and more at this time, will European countries agree after the war?

Jealousy can twist people's hearts. If everyone is jealous, Austria will have no friends. Franz doesn't want to be in that passive situation.

But the problem now is that the situation on the battlefield is not under Franz's control at all.The Ottomans are too timid, and they don't have the fighting spirit of their ancestors at all.

Even if they symbolically formed a group of militiamen to show off their momentum, Franz could pretend to be deceived, and did not discover the enemy's conspiracy in time, which delayed the opportunity of the war.

Now it's good, the Ottomans have withdrawn their troops in a very lonely way, and Franz is in a dilemma.

Chapter 71 The Osmophobic

Abdul Mejid I couldn't understand Franz's troubles. If he knew about Austria's plan, he wouldn't have to give up the Serbia region.

In fact, the territory abandoned by the Sudanese government this time is not only the Serbia region, but the Bosnia and Herzegovina region is also within the scope of abandonment.

The reason is very realistic - I can't keep it.

Since they knew they couldn't hold it, why should they waste their troops in vain?The Ottoman government made what it believed to be the right choice, concentrating superior forces to defend against Russian attacks.

As for Austria, after occupying Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, the front line was too long, and it was too late to stabilize the rear. How could it continue to attack?

Britain and France have made a promise to the Ottoman government: as long as they defeat the Russians, they are sure to be on the negotiating table and let Austria spit out everything they eat.

With so many favorable conditions, of course Abdul Mejid I had to concentrate his forces to fight the Russians.

In order to delay the speed of the Austrian army, when the Ottoman army retreated, it also destroyed the roads and bridges along the way, burned the granary, and recruited a large number of young and strong to leave.

……

Constantinople

Staring at the large map on the wall, King Abdul Mejid I sighed. He was unwilling to give up his ancestral inheritance, but the reality couldn't help him.

Abdul Mejid I never fully believed in the promises of Britain and France. For example, now-the reinforcements promised by the British have not arrived in full.

Of the [-] reinforcements agreed upon, only [-] have arrived. Let's talk about the remaining troops after they have expanded their army. They really can't get them out now.

This is true, the British Army really can't send so many reinforcements, and the London government really didn't intend to cheat teammates this time.

As for Palmerston's promises in the Paris negotiations, how could the French be fooled into contributing otherwise?

Didn't you see that the French army has been fooled over now?In order to achieve a brilliant result, Napoleon III dispatched all elite troops, and did not bring recruits to make up for it.

Abdul Mejid I calmed down and asked, "Have all the camps of the Allied forces been arranged?"

"It has been properly resettled. We have evacuated the surrounding residents. We must ensure that there will be no chaos." Minister of State Bisara Mehmed replied solemnly

The British and French armies of this era had strict military discipline when they were at home, and they were no different from bandits and robbers when they went abroad. Robbery was also an important business for them.

When the first batch of French reinforcements arrived, the Ottoman government suffered a loss, and now it is natural to learn a lesson.

Abdul Mejid I did not mean to despise the military discipline of the British and French troops. In fact, the military discipline of the Ottoman Empire was even worse.The Anglo-French allied forces obeyed the rules at least when they were at home, and the Ottoman army was a scourge in the country.

It's just that the difference between the two sides is that the Sultan of the Ottoman army can still be restrained, but he can't command the British and French troops at all.

Abdul Mejid I continued to ask: "Britain and France have not yet negotiated, who will be the commander-in-chief of the coalition forces?"

The alliance between Britain, France and the Ottomans is different from the alliance between Austria and the Russians. If they want to cooperate with each other, the command of the coalition forces is a big problem.

On this issue, the Ottoman Empire originally had the right to speak, but after the failure of the Bulgarian battle, this right to speak disappeared.

Facing the two big bosses of Britain and France, the Sudanese government can't afford to provoke either, so silence is golden.

The hundreds of years of feud between Britain and France, the hatred between the people of the two countries has accumulated, and it cannot be untied by a single order from the government.

The French broke the British dream of the mainland, and the British broke the French dream of hegemony.The two sides have been fighting for hundreds of years, and it is no longer clear which is right and which is wrong.

Now the French believe that their army has the highest combat effectiveness in the world, because they have obtained the supreme command of the coalition forces.

Napoleon III wanted to improve France's status in the world and gain political prestige for himself, so the French had to fight for the command of the coalition forces.

The British believe that: they are the world's hegemon, (although it has not been recognized yet) the comprehensive national strength is the world's number one, the world's boss will naturally have the style of the world's boss, and the British cannot give up command.

The British do not want to be commanded by the French, and the French do not want to be commanded by the British.This is not only the case at the top, but also the soldiers below.

Although we are allies, the officers and soldiers of the two armies just don't like each other.It's good to be cold-browed, and fights happen from time to time when there is disagreement.

Then, Sultan Abdul Mejid I had a headache. The two bosses were arguing endlessly, but the battle was still going on!

The Russians stopped their offensive, not because they stopped fighting, but because they were preparing for a new campaign.While seizing the time to transport strategic materials, let the rest troops wait for reinforcements.

"No, the representatives of Britain and France are still arguing." Foreign Minister Ade replied with a wry smile.

It's not that he doesn't work hard. Since the Austrian government secretly stirred up public opinion in Britain and France, this issue has become sensitive, and neither government of the two countries dared to make concessions easily.

In the words of The Times: Don't let the Frenchie shit on us!

The French media also made similar remarks. The position of a coalition commander has now risen to the status of the dignity of two countries.

This situation was unexpected by everyone.If this kind of thing had been known earlier, the two governments would not have been arguing on this issue at all, giving the opposition a chance.

Austria is not yet that capable of manipulating public opinion in Britain and France, only their domestic forces can do it.

Being able to cause trouble for one's political opponents is also a politically correct thing, and they have no reason not to do it.

Abdul Mejid I sighed: "Ah!"

He also said: "Tell the representatives of Britain and France that if they still cannot reach an agreement, then form a joint command of the three countries, and one person from each of our three countries will jointly command.

If it still doesn't work, then divide the troops and each command their own troops, as long as they cooperate with each other! "

Obviously, Abdul Mejid I also knew that these were two bad ideas.But there is no way, the Ottoman government has no way to persuade Britain and France.

It is imminent to start the war again, and the issue of command authority has not yet been resolved. Once the Russians launch an attack, they will suffer a big loss.

In any case, let's establish a coalition command first.It is really impossible to divide the troops to fight, and Abdul Mejid I can accept it.

Anyway, the British have only [-] troops here now, and the main forces of the war are still the Ottoman army and the French army, and the British are responsible for beating the side drums.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Fuad replied

……

都灵

Since the overall failure of the Ossa War, Charles Albert, the unlucky king, was abandoned by the people of Sardinia, and his son Vittorio Emmanuel II succeeded him.

Unlike in history, what Charlie Albert left behind this time is a super mess.

Not to mention the huge foreign debt owed, being patronized by the Austrian army again, the domestic economy of Sardinia has been devastated, and it still has not come out of the shadows.

The legendary Prime Minister Cavour stepped onto the stage of history under such a background, but unfortunately he is not a god, and faced with this super mess, he is also very headache.

develop?This problem has nothing to do with the Kingdom of Sardinia for the time being, let's recover first!If domestic problems cannot be solved, then what development is there to talk about?

"What? Prime Minister, you actually want to go to war with the Russians?" Vittorio Emmanuel II almost roared

Since the Osa War, Vittorio Emmanuel II has been full of war shadows, and now he heard that Cavour was going to war with the Russians, and immediately broke out.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" replied Prime Minister Cavour

Vittorio Emmanuel II asked angrily: "My Prime Minister, are you sure you are not joking?"

Prime Minister Cavour replied without changing his face: "Your Majesty, of course this is serious. How could I make a joke about such a thing?"

Vittorio Emmanuel II questioned: "Crazy! For no reason, why are we going to war with the Russians? Do you have a grudge against the Russians?"

There is no conflict of interest between the Kingdom of Sardinia and the Russians, and Vittorio Emmanuel II really couldn't find a reason to beat the Russians.

Prime Minister Cavour explained unhurriedly: "Your Majesty, I have no grievances with the Russians. Even if I find them unhappy, it will never rise to the level of hatred.

Now Britain, France and Ottoman countries are all at war with the Russians, we want to seek help from Britain and France, this is the opportunity.

Join this war and seek an opportunity to ally with Britain and France.Use this war to get out of the economic crisis at home and get us out of it. "

Vittorio Emmanuel II thought about it seriously. Although Prime Minister Cavour's proposal is a powerful and unconstrained style, it may not be impossible for the Kingdom of Sardinia.

The Kingdom of Sardinia is far away from Russia, so there is no need to worry about the military threat from the Russians. Even if they offend the Russians, they are not afraid of their retaliation.

Vittorio Emmanuel II shook his head and said: "This is not enough, just the opportunity to form an alliance with Britain and France is of no value to us.

Now we have no bargaining chip in our hands to negotiate with Britain and France, and we are not qualified to intervene in the interests of the Near East.

Using war to get rid of the economic crisis, my Prime Minister's current Kingdom of Sardinia would have difficulty getting an infantry division equipped.

Don't you ask Britain and France to provide us with weapons and equipment, and if you take their weapons and equipment, that is to send the boys to the battlefield as cannon fodder. "

The reality is so cruel, the strength of the Kingdom of Sardinia is too weak.After the Orsa War, even the army was disbanded.This was not forced by Austria, but by finances.

The British are not charitable. Loans and interest are not less than a penny, and must be returned on time. The Kingdom of Sardinia has no money to develop the army.

Anyway, the British have protection for national defense. They only need an armed force capable of stabilizing the country, and the police force is enough.Now the only army in the Kingdom of Sardinia is the King's Guard.

Prime Minister Cavour said passionately: "Your Majesty, I know that British and French weapons and equipment are not easy to obtain, and I don't want to let the boys go to the battlefield as cannon fodder, but now the country needs it!

If the support of Britain and France cannot be obtained, the Kingdom of Sardinia will not have the opportunity to develop and grow.The blood of the Ossa War has not yet been dried. With our own strength, we will never be able to avenge the Austrians.

They leave..."

Vittorio Emmanuel II said dissatisfied: "Stop! Prime Minister Cavour, I don't want to listen to your long speech.

You have been promoting revenge against Austria all day long. Are you worried that the Austrians will forget about us and remind them to be vigilant. Is there still an enemy in Italy?

In the Ossa War, the Kingdom of Sardinia lost 11 brave soldiers, [-] civilians, and more than [-] wounded. The economic losses were even more immeasurable, and the entire Kingdom of Sardinia was crying.

War casualties coupled with the deterioration of the economic situation, from 1848 to the present, the total population of the Kingdom of Sardinia has dropped by 67.