Chapter 398 The Helplessness of the Chess Piece

The results of the East Prussian campaign left Europe collectively silent. This result is too unacceptable, and no one thought that Prussia would come to counterattack.

Many artillery experts also made a straightforward analysis, believing that the fall of East Prussia in front of them was because the Prussians were luring the enemy deeper.

Stepping on the shoulders of the Russians, the Kingdom of Prussia became famous in World War I. Even the coach Mao Qi became famous overnight and became one of the most powerful generals in the contemporary era.

As a party, Mao Qi did not dare to receive this merit. He could swear to God that he never meant to give up East Prussia.

Do you really think the East Prussia region will be recovered? You can see how serious the problem is by looking at how many people are left in the area.

After the recovery of East Prussia, the population counted was less than 80,000. You must know that there were more than one million people before the war. Even if there were tens of thousands of people in the army, it would add up to hundreds of thousands.

The remaining 800,000 to 900,000 people were reimbursed in this war. Whether they died in the war or went to the Austrian colonies, these populations were lost to the Kingdom of Prussia.

Does the Kingdom of Prussia dare to ask Austria for someone now? It is estimated that the Vienna government is still thinking about whether to come and ask for Silesia.

At this time, it is delivered to the door, isn't it asking for trouble?

The Berlin government didn't want to throw the Silesia region out. Austria's support of the Russians in the war had violated the original agreement.

But the great powers, as we all know - are usually thick-skinned. Unless the Kingdom of Prussia produces evidence, the Vienna government will never admit to supporting the Russians.

As for why there are so many arcane equipment in the Russian army?

Russian and Austrian equipment came from the same source, which is known to the whole world. Arcane equipment is only normal when it appears, and it is the problem when it doesn't appear.

These are all produced by the Russians themselves. The Russian Empire is the hegemon of the European continent. How can it be impossible to handle even the mere weapons and equipment?

It is even less worth mentioning that the mark of the Austrian enterprise appears on the strategic material. They are all faked by the Russians, and the knockoffs are of course the same.

If you don’t believe it, you can go to the Russian Empire to check. The Tsarist government is still very talkative. At most, it will send potatoes to Siberia.

Have evidence? It's better not to take it out. It's not good for everyone when the lid is lifted, so it's better to keep silent together.

The original agreement didn't fall on paper, it was just a verbal promise, wouldn't it be good to pretend that nothing happened?

Then, the soldiers from East Prussia did not agree.

Their family members have been lost, and now no one is alive or dead. Whether it was rubbed by the Russians, or was it fooled and ran away, there must be a clear answer?

The news that East Prussia has been voluntarily abandoned is even more unbearable for everyone. Then the mutiny happened, and tens of thousands of troops asked the Berlin government for an explanation.

Mao Qi, the commander-in-chief, has become a sinner in the eyes of many people. If it weren't for the fact that the top military officials knew that the loss of East Prussia was just an accident, William I was ready to make Mao Qi a scapegoat.

It's definitely not possible to do that now, it will make the subordinates chill.

Of course, this suspicion cannot be eliminated until the matter is clearly explained. The culprit still fell on the head coach Mao Qi, but the responsibility was not pursued.

William I was a wise man. He had to cross the river and demolish the bridge, unload the mill and kill the donkey. He had to cross the river and grind the dough before he started.

The end of the Russo-Prussian War is only temporary. It is nothing more than the fact that the battle will not go on in winter. There will be a test waiting for them in the coming year. At this time, the military cannot afford to offend.

Besides, if William I couldn't see such an obvious provocation, how could he be a king?

The Berlin government gave an explanation for the first time, assured that it did not intentionally abandon the East Prussia region, and also announced a strategic plan for the defense of the East Prussia region.

The generals who had been in charge of guarding the coastal areas took full responsibility for the loss of East Prussia and were brought before a military court.

Then, the news that the people of East Prussia had taken refuge in the Austrian colonies was released, and people from the religious circles were invited to testify to prove that most of them were still alive.

William I made a promise that when the war was over, the government would pay to bring them back from overseas.

The noble officers are also doing ideological work for the soldiers: now is the time of war, East Prussia may become a battlefield again at any time, for the safety of the people, let them take refuge overseas first.

This mutiny came and went faster. While appeasing the hearts of the army, it did not forget to direct hatred to the Russians.

Numerous religious figures and people who have not evacuated are witnesses. It is entirely because the Russians have gone against the grain that they can no longer survive, so they took refuge overseas.

William I's heart was very tired, and he appeased the soldiers, but also the nobles. The Junker nobles in East Prussia also suffered heavy losses. They sacrificed for the country and must be compensated after the war.

This is not the end, the war is to die, behind the brilliant victory, there are still a large number of Prussian soldiers fell forever.

Berlin Palace, watching the increasing death toll, Wilhelm I's heart is bleeding.

That's right, they won the East Prussia battle. Not only did they recapture the East Prussia region, they occupied the Lithuania region, but they also drove back the Russian army that attacked Poland, and even occupied a part of Belarus.

Of course, this is not the fact that the Prussian army is really so powerful that it can defeat the Russians with the autumn wind sweeping the leaves.

In fact, these territories were all ceded by the Russians themselves. There is a saying that goes well: How much territory can be occupied on the battlefield depends on how much the enemy is willing to give up.

The main force of the Russian army was severely damaged, and the army was disintegrated and defeated all the way. Naturally, the Prussian army followed behind to take over the territory.

If it really went all the way, how could it be possible to dash two or three hundred kilometers in half a month? This is not the era of the Blitzkrieg. Fighting by marching on two legs can't be rushed.

The results were brilliant, and the damage was terrifying. Behind the victory, the Prussian army also paid a heavy price. The Prussian army lost as much as 142,000 in the entire East Prussian battle.

Among them, 74,000 were killed in battle, 38,000 were disabled due to injuries, 3,216 died of diseases and accidents, and 27,000 were wounded in need of long-term training.

This is not all. From the outbreak of the war to the present, the total loss of the Prussian army has exceeded 280,000.

In addition to military losses, civilian losses were even greater, and the Russian navy harassed coastal areas, causing them no small casualties. If you count those who were robbed by Austria, the total number is approaching one million.

Of course, including the newly occupied areas, the total population still increased. However, these new people did not agree with the Kingdom of Prussia so much.

William I, however, was confident that without comparison there would be no harm. With the tsarist government as a reference, he believed that the people would make the right choice.

As long as they have been assimilated for more than ten or twenty years, these newly added people are the cornerstone of the Kingdom of Prussia. The ancestors have already set an example in this regard.

The most critical issue now is to expand the results and end the war. The Kingdom of Prussia is too small and must be expanded.

Now that the Russians have been offended, it is okay to offend a little deeper. It is the best choice to dig as many pieces of meat from the Russians as possible to strengthen the Kingdom of Prussia.

As long as their own strength is strong enough, even if the Russians want revenge, it doesn't matter. The Kingdom of Prussia was never afraid of war, even against the Russians.

...

"Your Majesty, winter has come, and the war cannot continue now. I suggest to give up the Lithuania area and withdraw the troops to the East Prussia area for defense."

Prime Minister Frank's words interrupted William I's imagination and brought him back to reality.

"The reason? You should know what it means politically to give up the Lithuanian region?"

Military, of course, defending the East Prussia region is the best choice, and can directly use domestic railways to transport materials.

The defense of Lithuania is different. The supply line has been directly increased by more than 200 kilometers, and there is no railway to connect the country, so the logistical pressure will be greatly increased.

Politically, however, the occupation of Lithuania marked the upper hand of the Prussian kingdom in this war. Not only can it stimulate the morale of the military, but it can also increase the investment of the sponsors behind it.

In the view of William I, the winter in Lithuania was not too cold, and the Prussian army could bear it. There are also rivers in the territory to reduce the logistical pressure, and it is not a problem to hold the Lithuania region.

Prime Minister Frank said cautiously: "Now that the war is going on, we also have to consider the aftermath. It's better to go ahead and negotiate with the Russians to keep the fruits of our victory.

The tsarist government will not negotiate with us if we occupy the Lithuanian region. Even if it is for face, they will not stop fighting at this time. "

This is not just face, but also related to the personal prestige of Alexander II. Losing the war and going to the negotiating table is not something he can tolerate.

If you really lose, and there is no chance of a comeback, then it doesn't matter what prestige, if you don't want to admit it, you still have to admit it.

But the Russians didn't really lose the war, they just lost a battle.

Prime Minister Frank obviously did not want to fight with the Russians to death, and planned to take advantage of this opportunity to close it as soon as possible. The annexation of Russian territory was never in his plans.

William I replied with a wry smile: "Prime Minister, the war has reached this point, if there is not enough profit, what can we tell the country?

Moreover, the British aid is not easy to get. The London government supports our annexation of the Baltic Sea region, not just support.

If we can't do it, then without the support of the British, how will we go in the future?

Since the military started this war, we have only been a pawn, not a standard bearer. A pawn cannot lose its value, otherwise it will become an abandoned pawn. "

Fighting with the Russians to the end was not what William I wanted. The reality told him that he had to fight to the end with the Russians.

The victory of the Battle of East Prussia strengthened the determination of the main war faction, and the strength of the radical groups increased sharply, and they wanted to gain profits in the war.

A mere Danish kingdom simply cannot satisfy their appetite. Moreover, the Kingdom of Prussia did not dare to annex the entire Kingdom of Denmark, and at most it would cut a piece of land.

The war has been going on until now, the Kingdom of Prussia is already in debt, and the financiers will not let them stop.

Now it's not just the British who need them to fight the Russians, the French and the Austrians also need them to continue to weaken the Russians. If this is not done, the Kingdom of Prussia has no value in existence.

Prime Minister Frank didn't know, that's because he was an anti-war faction from the beginning, and the countries didn't have contact with him.

After the war broke out, the military dominated, the government was just playing, and he, the prime minister, was marginalized.

He was not ousted, because William I did not want to see the military family dominate, even if

It is to keep Frank to occupy the position, and he is not willing to hand over the position of Prime Minister to the military.

Hearing this news, Prime Minister Frank's face turned ashen, and he left the palace reluctantly.