Chapter 707 Refugee Crisis

Russian army command, Ivanov is immersed in the joy of capturing Poznan. This can be said to be the biggest victory the Russian army has achieved since the start of the war, and its strategic significance is no less than the recovery of Smolinsk.

When you open the map, you will know that Poznan is located in the center of the Polish Plain, and is the most important transportation hub and industrial center between Poznań.

The occupation of the Russian army here also means that they cut off the main artery connecting Warsaw with the rear, and the main force of the Prussian army led by Mao Qi is about to become a lonely army.

A young officer came to Huihui in a hurry to report: "Marshal, there is news from the front line that according to the airship investigation, a large group of enemy troops evacuated from the Warsaw area yesterday, with the number of hundreds of thousands.

The enemy's marching speed is very fast, it is suspected that the main force, but they do not carry heavy weapons, it is temporarily uncertain. "

Ivanov was startled and thought to himself, "No, the enemy is going to run away." Then he hesitated again, Mao Qi was tricky, and the use of troops was often unexpected, and no one knew whether it would be a false shot.

The airship can only reconnaissance, and it is difficult to distinguish whether the main force is below. There are also a large number of local troops in the Warsaw area, which fully possess the ability to pretend to be the main force.

The same strategy was used by Mao Qi in the winter battle last year. In the battle of Warsaw not long ago, the enemy deceived the Russian Fourth Army by repeating the same trick.

But just giving up like this, Ivanov is not reconciled. If the main force of the Prussian army is released now, it will be difficult to encircle and destroy them in the future.

After thinking for a while, Ivanov made a decision: "Order the Seventh Army to immediately send cavalry to investigate the enemy's territory to determine whether it is the main force of the enemy.

Report the news to the Eighth Army, and have them destroy the roads and bridges on the way back to the Prussian Army, and prepare to intercept the enemy's return from the west.

The Ninth Army was ordered to immediately go to Poznan to join the Eighth Army to jointly carry out the interception mission.

The 11th Army and the 17th Army were ordered to leave a small number of troops for defense, and the main force went to Poznan as soon as possible for reinforcements.

The Third Army, Sixth Army, and Seventh Army were ordered to approach immediately, and once it was determined that the main force of the enemy had left, they immediately attacked Warsaw.

Order the Fourth Army and the Fifth Army, which are being repaired, to be ready for battle and to reinforce the Warsaw battlefield at any time.

The 13th Army and the 14th Army were ordered to abandon their original combat missions and cut off the connection between the Warsaw enemy forces and the East Prussia region. "

Ivanov was still the same Ivanov, and he did not blindly order the pursuit because the enemy might retreat.

In order to seize the time to run away, the Prussian army did not carry heavy weapons and equipment. If all the cavalry divisions in the Warsaw area were sent out, the success rate of intercepting them was still very high.

The question is how can it be stopped?

The Russian Fourth Army and Fifth Army in the Warsaw area were abolished, and the Seventh Army was also severely damaged in the previous battle, and its combat effectiveness was greatly reduced. Also not in peak condition.

Even if these troops caught up, they did not have the strength to encircle and wipe out the main force of the Prussian army. What's more, in order to pursue the pursuit, it is necessary to solve the Prussian army left in the Warsaw area.

Considering the risks involved, Ivanov preferred to choose a more conservative tactic and intercept further afield in Poznan.

Safe is safe, and the success rate is pitifully low. The Polish plain is flat, and there is no danger at all, and the enemy can choose too many paths.

Unless the luck is overwhelming, the Eighth Army can't stop it at all. Ivanov's order of reinforcements did not really want to intercept the main Prussian army in Poland, and blocking them outside Poland was also a good choice.

Ivanov, who likes to fight steadily, doesn't mind first clearing the enemy in the Warsaw area, and then concentrating his forces on the decisive battle with the Prussian army.

...

The Vienna Palace received the news that the Russian army occupied Poznan, and Franz spit out a sip of tea.

Intuition tells him that there is a big problem here.

The strategic value of Poznan, it is impossible for Mao Qi not to know. No matter how the military is in short supply, it is impossible to ignore such a strategic location.

Even if the main force is insufficient, the second-line force must be replenished. However, three disgruntled second-line infantry divisions were deployed in the Poznan area, of which only 7,000 were stationed in the city of Poznan.

With such a small amount of troops, it is almost enough to tell the enemy that our troops are weak here and come over to attack.

Franz asked: "Albrecht, what do you think Moltke wants to do? Lure the enemy in and prepare to eat the Russian Eighth Army?"

Chief of Staff Albrecht said with a smile: "There may be factors in this regard, but it should be more to preserve strength and jump out of the big hole in Warsaw earlier.

The advantages of the Russians are too great, and there is no chance of winning against the Popo Federation head-on. To make a comeback, Mao Qi could only make a surprising move.

I don't know exactly what it is, but from a military point of view, abandoning Poland to stretch the Russian front can indeed increase the odds of the Prussian army.

The loss of the Poznan area also involved problems left over from history. Since the Congress of Vienna in 1815, the area has been assigned to the Kingdom of Prussia, but the locals have not been very convinced.

To be precise, the local capitalists, aristocrats, and intellectuals were very dissatisfied with the Berlin government.

On the surface, it was the national integration policy of the Berlin government, which promoted Germanization in the local area. In fact, the Junkers aristocrats occupied most of the government's interests, and these latecomers did not get the leftovers.

In normal times, these people can't make trouble, but the war years are different, especially when the Russians are about to win, these frustrated people will naturally become active.

Perhaps, Mao Qi wanted to pull out these hidden dangers at one time and deliberately let

They are exposed. "

"Let the snake out of the hole and clear the dissidents."

Franz is also familiar with this kind of thing. Political struggle is inherently cruel, and there is no way to become one's own person, so it can only be washed away.

At this point in the war, the internal contradictions of the Popo Federation have actually accumulated to a peak, and there is only one fuse that is about to explode. Since Poznan has become a hidden danger, it is natural to clean it up.

Looking at the map, Franz sighed sincerely: "Mao Qi is really ruthless. The hundreds of thousands of troops in Warsaw gave up when they said they gave up!"

There is nothing wrong with this approach. As the saying goes, "kindness does not lead the army", in order to win the war, there is nothing that cannot be given up.

It seems that hundreds of thousands of troops have been abandoned, but in fact, the Berlin government is not at a loss. The two sides have been deeply feuding in the war. As long as there is hope, the Poles will not surrender.

Most of these troops are locals, and it is almost impossible to annihilate them in World War I. If we can't wipe them out, even if we win, it will be very difficult to clear the area after the war.

As long as the Berlin government sends people to intervene, the local partisans are born. As long as you think about the atrocities of the Cossack cavalry in Poland in the early days, you can know how much the local people hate the Russians, and the guerrilla warfare in the back will be worth fighting.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Carl smiled and said: "Your Majesty, I am afraid that Mao Qi is forced to do so. There are not only hundreds of thousands of troops in Warsaw, but also a large number of refugees.

The war has not ended, and these people cannot return to their hometowns to resume production. The Commonwealth of Poland cannot provide so many jobs. It can be said that there are refugees everywhere in Poland.

Preliminary estimates suggest that nearly three million people receive food aid from the Berlin government, and about half of them have completely lost their source of livelihood.

While raising millions of troops and millions of refugees, even if there were blood transfusions from the British, the Berlin government's finances could not bear it.

Losing the Polish region also lost this heavy burden. On this issue, the Berlin government should have played a disgraceful role. "

Refugees are always the most troublesome. Austria accepts refugees on a large scale. Unfortunately, the colonial government has passed the era of starvation and has set a threshold. The language barrier has stopped most of them.

British and French colonies and American countries welcome immigrants, but unfortunately they have to buy their own ferry tickets and find ways to make a living when they get there.

Franz nodded: "This is a problem for the Berlin government, but it should not be difficult for the Russians. They have rich experience in dealing with it, but they don't know what Alexander II will do this time."

Relief is impossible. Most of these refugees were created by the Russian army. Even if the tsarist government paid for relief, it could not regain popular support.

Moreover, the tsarist government was not rich, and Alexander II would definitely not do such a meaningless investment.

Massacre is the last option, involving millions of people, and it is estimated that the Russians may not succeed.

Expulsion may not be the best way, but it is the most likely choice for the tsarist government. Just like the Second Near East War, the Russian army expelled a large number of Ottoman people into the inland areas, artificially created a great famine and hit the Ottomans hard. empire.