Chapter 687

On July 16, 1880, after ten months of hard fighting and hundreds of thousands of casualties, the Russian army finally conquered Ksmolinsk, and the European world was in an uproar.

This night, European politicians collectively lost sleep. Franz is also one of them. If it weren't for the exercise of his emperor's career for many years, he would not be able to hold a meeting overnight.

The location of Smolinsk determined the extraordinaryness of the battle. The Russian army has captured the fortress and has gained the strategic initiative.

The balance of war began to tilt, and the Russians, who already had the advantage of national strength, put this advantage even more.

Leaving an evening buffer, the next day, Franz held a high-level government meeting at the Vienna Palace.

To make a correct judgment, we must first understand the real situation on the Prussian battlefield.

After years of being an emperor, Franz no longer takes the historical data of his previous life seriously. He prefers to speak with facts and will not make judgments based on personal preferences.

...

Chief of Staff Albrecht: "In order to compete for Smolinsk, Prussia and Russia invested a total of 1.87 million troops, the Prussian army invested a total of 720,000 troops, and the Russian army invested a total of 1.15 million troops.

According to the analysis of the data provided by the Military Observer Mission, the preliminary analysis is only in the Smolinsk area. The total casualties between Prussia and Russia exceeded 700,000, of which the casualties accounted for about a quarter. The exchange ratio between the Prussian and Russian armies was about Around 1:1.3.

It can be said that both Prussia and Russia are doing their best for this battle. The war was very fierce. The fortifications in the Smolinsk area were very perfect, and the sudden loss was completely beyond our expectations.

The information in our hands is not complete to accurately determine the real reason for the fall of Smolinsk. Judging from the results of the Russian army, the Prussian army has suffered heavy losses, with more than 120,000 prisoners alone.

However, some members of the military observers raised objections. The ratio of old and weak among the prisoners is too high, not like the main force of the Prussian army, and even the second-line troops may not be counted.

We verified with the military observation group sent to the Prussian army that the Prussian army had indeed undergone a major defense change half a month ago. It's just that it's very secret, and the members of the observation team can't get close contact.

If these news are true, then the gold content of the "Smolinsk Victory" by the Russians will be greatly reduced.

We have not found any major moves by the Prussian army. Neither the southern or northern fronts have any intention of launching an attack. The real purpose of concentrating the main force remains to be studied. "

"The Prussian army deliberately abandoned Smolinsk", this inference made many people believe it, including Franz.

Judging from the situation on the battlefield, the Prussian army did not have to abandon Smolinsk at all. Relying on the local fortifications, even in another two or three years, the Russian army may not be able to conquer it.

In this context, it is not necessary to give up strategically important places and sacrifice a lot of cannon fodder troops.

"Luring the enemy to go deep" is not unthinkable, the problem is that the price is too tragic. Even a cannon fodder unit with low combat effectiveness is a valuable national defense force.

Franz asked: "What diplomatic activity has the Berlin government been doing lately?"

Franz couldn't help but doubt that the combined combat effectiveness of William I + Moqi was absolutely unquestionable. It was obviously not their fault to lose Smolinsk so easily.

It's not an accident, it's a purpose. In addition to "lure the enemy to go deeper", it is also possible to show the enemy's weakness to obtain more diplomatic assistance.

Foreign Minister Weisenberg replied somewhat embarrassedly: "Your Majesty, since the outbreak of the war, the diplomatic activities of the Pope Federation have never stopped.

According to the information from the embassies around the world, the ambassadors of the Commonwealth of Pubo will be in contact with dignitaries from various countries every week, even a small neutral country like Switzerland is no exception. "

This answer made Franz stunned, saying that the diplomatic activities that were promised have become daily activities here.

Every day I am in contact with dignitaries from all over the world. Who knows if there are any results?

Seemingly aware of the emperor's embarrassment, Wesenberg added: "By the way, not long ago, the ambassador of the Pubo Federation to the Ottomans had a secret talk with the sultan, and no one knows the details.

The Berlin government has also increased diplomatic relations with Central Asian countries and the Far East Empire, and seems intent on reorganizing the anti-Russian alliance.

There is no definite news yet, and it is estimated that it should not be very optimistic. There are a lot of internal problems in these countries, and anti-Russia is not active. "

The last time it was possible to form an anti-Russian alliance was mainly due to the British, and the Berlin government just followed suit.

Today is different from the past, the Russian Empire is no longer the main enemy of John Bull, and the London government will naturally not continue to spend a lot of money against the Russians.

Diplomacy also has costs, and if there are not enough benefits, why should everyone sacrifice their lives?

Neither the Central Asian countries nor the Far Eastern Empire had the courage to bite a piece of flesh from the bear, and they were satisfied that they could guarantee their own territorial integrity.

In Franz's view, instead of persuading these countries, it is better to send someone to lobby the Japanese government with a higher success rate, at least this one is adventurous.

Of course, this doesn't make much practical sense. The Far East is so remote that even if it were all lost, it would not affect the strength of the Russian Empire.

It is the Nordic Federation and the Ottoman Empire that are really capable of helping the Berlin government. It's a pity that the Danes made trouble in the former, and the tsarist government made a promise, which could not be pulled at all.

Not to mention the latter, the Sultan is busy with internal reforms, no matter how much he wants to take revenge on the Russians, he still has more than his heart.

insufficient.

Prime Minister Felix: "If this is the case, the possibility of the Berlin government getting a lot of foreign aid is very small. Britain and France cannot invest indefinitely, they must consider how to recover the cost.

Can we think that Mao Qi is repeating his old tricks, trying to follow the example of the last war to abandon the East Prussia region, increase the logistics supply line of the Russian army, and lure the Russians into a decisive battle with them? "

No one stipulates that the same tactic cannot be used twice. In fact, on the battlefield, no matter what the tactic is, as long as it is effective, it can be used continuously.

Whether it is repeated or not, whether it will be seen as flaws, these are not problems, there is always only one core - winning the war.

Chief of Staff Albrecht: "This possibility cannot be ruled out. Strategically, this is a conspiracy.

Even if the tsarist government knew about the plan of the Commonwealth of Pop, it was impossible to order the Russian troops on the front line to stop because of the risks.

However, although their plan is good, it is difficult to say whether it will be realized or not. There are risks here, and it is impossible for no one in the Russian army to find out.

As long as you are a little careful, move steadily and step by step, and don't leave any chance for the Prussian army, the situation will be very different. "

Having said that, Albrecht suddenly chose to shut up. "Slow and steady, step by step" is simple to say, but it is not simple at all.

This world has never lacked idiots, and there is no shortage of utilitarian masters in the army. Faced with the temptation to be delivered to your door, can everyone resist?

War should serve the whole, and conversely, the part also affects the whole. As long as there is a problem in one place, the originally flawless strategic plan will become riddled with holes in an instant.

Albrecht has absolutely no confidence in the Russian military's ability to execute. Not to mention the Russians, the army of any country in this era cannot guarantee that all officers have a big picture.

Franz waved his hand: "Stop, this issue ends here. If the Prussian army lured the enemy to go deep, now it is the tsarist government that should have a headache.

Of course, Alexander II may still be celebrating victory. But I think someone will remind him, after all, they have already lost once and should have learned their lessons.

Now let's discuss how to deal with the next changes in Europe. "

"Long-term plan", unfortunately, this thing has long since ceased to exist. The foreign policy of the Vienna government has always been adjusted according to actual needs, and any foreign policy has practical effect.

This time is no exception, because the Prussian-Russian war is full of uncertainties, and several more plans need to be prepared.

Which set of plans to use will need to wait for the dust to settle before choosing the plan that best suits Austria's national interests.

...

After winning the "Victory of Smolinsk", the Russian army did not stop. Instead, it took advantage of the victory to pursue and capture Minsk. The troops pointed directly at Warsaw, the capital of Poland, and the Prussian-Russian war seemed to become clear.

In the Russian army headquarters, Marshal Ivanov was staring at the map in a daze, and there was no joy of victory on his face.

A middle-aged officer walked down the aisle with a document and reported: "Marshal, the Seventh Army sent a telegram to urge logistics supplies."

Ivanov turned around, paused and asked, "Where did the Seventh Army go?"

"The Seventh Army is advancing along the Bug River. It has passed Sarnaki and is less than 200 versts from Warsaw," the middle-aged man replied.

I found Sarnaki on the map, and after scrutinizing it for a while, Ivanov sneered: "It's already a flat river in front of you, and it's almost going to Warsaw, but the enemy hasn't intercepted it yet?"

Before waiting for the middle-aged man to reply, Marshal Ivanov said again: "Mao Qi's appetite is really big enough, and an army can't satisfy his appetite, isn't he afraid of being choked to death?"

It is the enemy who knows himself best. Mao Qi became famous in the last Russian-Prussian War, which naturally became the focus of the Russian army.

The information collected by Ivanov has been detailed to where Mao Qi went to kindergarten. This is an exaggeration. Kindergartens are not popular these days.

However, Mao Qi's life, hobbies, and military style were all recorded. Similar information is not only being collected by the Tsarist government, but also by many European countries.

Knowing more, naturally some people have developed targeted tactics. The tactics the Russian army is using now actually have the intention of restraining Mao Qi.

Facts have proved that this conservative strategy is really effective. Relying on the strength of the army to fight steadily, even a military strategist like Mao Qi is powerless, and he has to have the current tactics as a last resort.

After pondering for a while, Marshal Ivanov said: "Order the Seventh Army to stop advancing, find favorable terrain nearby to build fortifications, and wait for the arrival of logistical materials.

The Sixth Army was ordered to advance to the Lithuanian area, the Northwest Front was ordered to launch a full-scale counter-offensive, and the Southwest Front was ordered to feign the Warren area..."

After several orders were issued, they did not enter Warsaw. Encountering a steady and steady opponent is trouble. Even if the Prussian army has opened the door, Ivanov decided to take down the enemy on the right flank first.