Holy Roman Empire

There may be a lot of kindness, but there is still no demand for more.Originally, Ivanov also expected the Fourth Army to hold back the main force of the Prussian Army and buy time for the Russian Army.

Now the Fifth Army has been defeated and its organizational system has been disabled, and the Seventh Army has also suffered heavy losses. Even if the Third Army and Sixth Army arrive, the Russian Army will lose the ability to encircle and wipe out the main force of the Prussian Army.

At this point, there is no need for the Fourth Army to sacrifice.No matter how upset they are, Ivanov has to consider the political impact of the annihilation of the Fourth Army.

The middle-aged officer reminded: "Marshal, according to the information from the front line, the main force of the Fourth Army has been exhausted, and the total strength in the hands of General Opodo is less than 3. If you want to break through, I'm afraid..."

Ivanov said angrily: "There are not so many fears! The main force of the Prussian army is in Warsaw, and the enemy's total strength is only that many. Moltke is not a god, and he can't change the army.

Most of the people surrounding the Fourth Army were scumbags, and that idiot Obodo didn't notice that the main force of the enemy had left. If it was someone else, the situation wouldn't be so bad now. "

Shake the pot!

If you lose a battle, someone needs to take responsibility.The high-level officials of the Fifth Army and the Seventh Army, as the parties involved, will definitely not be able to escape.

Now that there is no accountability, let them continue to command the troops to perform crimes and meritorious deeds. This is the need of the war. After the war, the tsarist government will still settle the merits and demerits.

As the commander-in-chief of the Russian army, Marshal Ivanov also needs to take responsibility.At this time, you need to take the blame, and Obodo is the unlucky guy.

Of course, Obodo is not wronged.If he hadn't acted without authorization and disrupted the overall deployment of the Russian army, there would have been no such defeat in Warsaw.

……

Since the Battle of Warsaw started, Franz has been paying close attention.I have to admit that in this battle, the Prussian army played very beautifully, bringing their speed to the extreme.

In contrast, the performance of the Russian army is much worse.Especially in terms of cooperation, the Fifth Army was besieged by the Prussian Army, and the Seventh Army failed to rescue them in time. Before they could react, the Fifth Army would be finished.

If the Russians reacted faster or were more vigilant, the Fifth Army and the Seventh Army could cooperate closely and provide timely reinforcements. It would not be so easy for the Prussian army to win.

Chief of Staff Albrecht: "Your Majesty, the Russo-Prussian War is coming to an end. If there is no miracle, the defeat of the Prussian Federation is a foregone conclusion."

This conclusion surprised Franz.You must know that before the Battle of Warsaw, the General Staff concluded that Prussia had a [-]/[-] chance of winning. Now that the Prussian Army has won the Battle of Warsaw, not only did it not increase the chances of winning, but it decreased.

Franz asked suspiciously: "Why? The Prussian army won the Battle of Warsaw. They should have increased their chances of winning. How could it be..."

Albrecht explained: "From a tactical point of view, the Warsaw battle was won by the Prussian army very well, and the unfavorable situation in the Warsaw area was reversed in one fell swoop.

But the strategy is different. After the Battle of Warsaw, the Russian army lost its military advantage in the Warsaw area. Next, the Russian Third Army and Sixth Army may have to be more cautious.

It is almost impossible for the Prussian army to find opportunities to encircle and wipe out the remaining Russian troops.With Ivanov's style, the Russian army will probably not take the initiative to launch an attack next, but hang the Prussian army far away.

The Russian Third Army, Sixth Army plus the remnants of the previous Seventh Army and Fifth Army still have a total strength of 60.Defeating them is simply not something that can be accomplished overnight.

In the previous battle, the Prussian army was not without losses, and the strength of Moltke's troops may be almost the same as that of the Russian army.It is also difficult to divide troops to reinforce other battlefields.

Once the Prussian army divides its troops, these Russian troops will immediately rush over and seize the Warsaw area.

Moltke did not dare to give up the Warsaw area, and if he lost the Warsaw area, he would lose Poland.Neither political nor military influence can be afforded by the Berlin government.

Before the war, the general staff judged that the Pubo Federation had a two-point chance of winning. It was based on the premise that the Prussian army won the Warsaw battle. Moltke must kill the Russian Third Army and the Sixth Army together.

Under normal circumstances, this is an almost impossible task.Moltke should have realized that he was not sure, so he would act in advance, not giving the Russians time to gather their troops. "

From a military point of view, Moltke's approach must be correct.When the Russian army is assembled, even if it is delivered to their door, they will not be able to eat it. It is undoubtedly the most correct choice to strike first.

The correct choice does not equal the final victory, and the gap in strength cannot be made up by individuals.

If you only consider the military, it is the best choice to abandon the Warsaw area now, kill the Russian army on the southern front first, and then come back for a decisive battle.

In fact, it can't be done at all.There are still a large number of Polish soldiers in the Prussian army. If Mao Qi dared to abandon Warsaw without a fight, the Polish soldiers were about to mutiny.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Karl questioned: "I'm afraid this is not necessarily the case! The Pubo Federation has been fully mobilized, many retired veterans have returned to the army, and students from the military academy have also graduated early and entered the army.

These newly formed troops are undertrained and their combat effectiveness is worrying, but they can always be used to defend the city and delay time. "

Albrecht nodded: "Berlin may be able to hold it, but Poznan will definitely not be able to hold it. At this point in the war, the Poles are already unreliable.

The Russians had a naval advantage in the battle of East Prussia, and the Prussian army had no chance of winning. Failure was only a matter of time.

The Pubo Federation can't afford to lose. No matter where the Russians break through, the Prussian army in the Warsaw area will become a lone army. "

People's hearts are the most complicated, and loyalty is also valuable.

People are more willing to believe what they see than what the government says.The Russians are all at the gates, and the government still says that persistence is victory. Who would believe it?

The Pubo Federation has only been established for a few years, and the national loyalty has not had time to be cultivated at all.When people's hearts are disturbed, they are "birds in the same forest", flying separately when disaster strikes.

The tsarist government has not ruled Poland for a day or two, and it is not completely without foundation in the local area. It is normal for capitalists and nobles to secretly collude with the Russians for their own interests.

……

After a little thought, Franz made a decision: "Since the overall situation has been decided, let's not intervene. Let the Immigration Agency be prepared, and a new round of immigration is about to break out.

This immigration is unusual. There are a large number of retired soldiers. We must do a good job of screening to prevent extremists from mixing in. "

There is no way, the European ideological circle is a mess these days, all kinds of ideas are rampant, and more than 80.00% of them are utopian.

Especially in war-torn areas, there is a high incidence of various extremist ideas.Austria absorbed immigrants to develop the colonial economy, not to test new ideas.

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

……

Chapter 275 I have to bear the blame

The Berlin Palace just finished a celebration banquet. As the protagonist of the banquet, Moltke was specially kept by William I.

The guests dispersed, and William I's joy disappeared.It can be seen that the understatement and confidence just now are all pretended.

As the king of the Popo Federation, William I knew better than anyone the crisis he was facing now. The Battle of Warsaw was only a tactical victory and did not reverse the unfavorable situation on the battlefield.

It's just that the people need confidence and victory. In order to stabilize people's hearts, there is this self-deceiving celebration banquet.

William I asked with concern: "Marshal, when will the Battle of Warsaw end?"

"do not know!"

The three ordinary words are a bit heavy to be used here.It seemed that all the strength in Moltke's body had been exhausted, and his expression darkened instantly after he finished speaking.

This is the real answer. When the Battle of Warsaw will end is no longer up to the Pubo Federation. The right to decide has long been transferred to the Russians.

After a pause, William I added his tone: "What if I insist on a time?"

Moltke shook his head: "Your Majesty, this is not something I can decide! To end the Battle of Warsaw, it depends on whether the Russians agree or not.

The Russian Fourth Army and Fifth Army are disabled, and their Seventh Army still maintains a certain combat effectiveness. The Third Army and Sixth Army are on their way and will arrive at the front line in a short time.

This is just the beginning. As far as I know, the Russians still have seven new armies, and the enemy can at least transfer four armies to the Warsaw battlefield.

Even if they are all cannon fodder, we cannot defeat them in a short time.What's more, the enemy is not in a hurry for a decisive battle now, so it is even more difficult for us to take the initiative to attack.

From a military point of view, the enemy has entered our hinterland, and the Warsaw area has lost the value of continuing to guard.

If possible, I suggest abandoning the Warsaw area first, concentrate our forces to resolve the crisis on the northern and southern fronts, and concentrate on defending the Kingdom of Prussia. "

Seeing that William I did not speak for a long time, Moltke knew that he hesitated, and continued to add: "We retreated to the Kingdom of Prussia. In addition to resolving our strategic passivity, we can also use German nationalism to influence the decision-making of the Vienna government.

Austria's support for the Russians is not without a bottom line. If they find out that the tsarist government has the intention to occupy the German region, the situation will change.

Without the support of the Austrians, the tsarist government could not last long.As long as they have no money in their pockets, the war will be over.

If things go well, we may still be able to encircle and annihilate the main force of the Russian army in Prussia and regain the lost ground. "

On the surface, Austria's support for the Russians is to eliminate the competitor of the Pubo Federation and clear internal obstacles for the unification of the German region.

Once the Russians show interest in the German region, it will take minutes for Russia and Austria to turn their faces.Even if the government can take care of the overall situation, nationalists will stir up disputes.

William I shook his head: "This is the worst plan, it is easy to give up the Polish region, but it is difficult to get it back.

You have personally experienced Ivanov's military style. How likely do you think he is to be fooled?

If the Russians continue to fight steadily, we won't be able to last long. Maybe we will be exhausted before the Tsarist government's wallet is exhausted.

Besides, do you really think that the Russian Olympics will turn their faces immediately?Alexander II was not stupid, no matter how much he coveted the territory of the German region, he would not show it now.

If I were to take the position of Alexander II, I would lose all of the Prussian German territory to Austria to repay the debt in exchange for the full support of the Vienna government.

Maintain a good relationship between Russia and Austria, hide behind Austria after the war to recuperate and recover its strength, sit and watch the situation in Europe, and wait for the next change in Europe.

It is unrealistic to drive a wedge between Russia and Austria, but there is a chance to win the support of other countries, at least the British can increase their investment.

It's a pity that Denmark has fallen to the Russians, otherwise it would be a good move to lease the Royal Navy and surprise St. Petersburg. "

The Berlin government has conducted in-depth research on the relationship between Russia and Austria, and finally came to the conclusion that Russia and Austria will eventually turn their backs, but this time is not now, but the time of future European hegemony.

The Russo-Prussian War was not over yet, and no matter how tough the tsarist government was, it was impossible to immediately join the struggle for European hegemony.

This means that the conflict between Russia and Austria will break out, and there will be a long time.In a short time, the Pubo Federation will still be the first target of the Russians.

In fact, there is another reason why William I did not say it, that is, now he is not only the king of the Kingdom of Prussia, but also the Kingdom of Poland.

Once he gives up the Polish region, it will be impossible for him to gain the recognition of the Polish people in the future.

Politics is cruel, if there is no overturn, it will be fine, the situation will not be worse; if the Prussian army overturns on the battlefield and regains the lost ground, he, the king of Poland who gave up the Polish region, will do it.

When the time comes to rebuild the Pubo Federation and ease the relationship between Pubo, he, the king, must take responsibility.Abdicating the throne is the best ending, or he might die prematurely.

In the face of interests, nothing is impossible.Now that the war has progressed, William I's control over the country has essentially fallen to its lowest point.

In this context, it is okay to abandon the Warsaw area, but this order cannot be issued by him, and someone must be blamed.

Is there anyone more suitable than Moltke now?

In order to win the war, the front-line commander ordered the abandonment of Poland, which made perfect logic.

As for Moltke, he will be criticized after the war, and even be notorious.William I may wish to make his reputation even worse. No emperor likes his courtiers to make great achievements.

If it wasn't for implying that Moltke was scapegoating, William I would not have said ambiguous words at all, and the last complaint was even more redundant.

The plan to attack St. Petersburg was not implemented, not because the Danes fell to the Tsarist government, but the most important thing was that the British lost the chain.

There are many reasons why the London government is unwilling to make such a big investment.

Domestically: the opposition party obstructs; internationally: France and Austria hope that the British will abide by the rules of the game, and the Nordic Federation does not want to see the British extend their influence to the Baltic Sea.

If it is to safeguard Britain's own interests, the London government may not hesitate.The problem is that the London government is naturally unwilling to make them pay such a high price for the benefit of the Pubo Federation.

No matter how much debt there is, it is useless. Financial groups can influence politics, but it does not mean that they can make decisions for the government. It is not the capitalists' turn to be the masters these days.

After contemplating for a moment, Mao Qi smiled bitterly and said, "I know what to do."

After finishing speaking, Moltke turned around and left the palace without even a polite farewell.

From beginning to end, William I did not stop him.The rift has widened. There is no way to do it. Since Ron's death, there has been a gap in the relationship between William I and Moltke.

Without lubricants, the conflict between the Pubo federal government and the military has intensified.William I wanted to play with political balance, and it was inevitable to support a weak government against the military.

As the leader of the military, Moltke naturally became the vanguard of the conflict. There were many conflicts, and the deterioration of the relationship was inevitable.

William I now let Moltke take the blame, not only because of the needs of the situation, but also as a continuation of the political struggle.

Otherwise, the government can also take the blame, but the Berlin government is already weak, and if it takes the blame, it will be even more unable to compete with the military.

After the unhappy meeting ended, Moltke rushed back to the front line overnight by special train.On the surface, it seems that the front line is urgent, but in fact it is also a silent protest.

Who made this scapegoat, he couldn't refuse it?It is not easy to be the boss of the military, and the overall interests of the military must be considered.

The right to speak of the army is based on victory. The Pubo Federation is a country owned by the army. If it really loses the war, the military led by the Junker nobles will suffer the most.

From a purely military point of view, only by abandoning Warsaw and retreating to the Kingdom of Prussia will there be a chance of survival, and Moltke must do it based on this one.

If he offends the Poles, he is still a high-ranking marshal. At worst, he will be criticized a few times, and his reputation cannot be eaten; if he loses the war, he will be nothing.

Get angry, that's impossible.Now if you are angry and refuse to retreat to defend Warsaw, you are not acting angry, but gambling your life.

The Tianzhu country thief is not the patent of the Japanese. In fact, the Kingdom of Prussia is the originator, but it is not so crazy.

……

Chapter 276

On November 1880, 11, the Russian army captured Poznan, and the Prussian army in Warsaw faced the danger of being cut off at any time, and the Prussian-Russian War became clear.

Warsaw Prussian Command

Moltke was not at all surprised to receive this bad news.From the moment he refused to divide his troops to reinforce Poznan, he prepared for the worst.

There are also skills in taking the blame. Giving up Warsaw is not as simple as it sounds. If there is not enough reason, there is no way to explain it to the outside world.

At the military meeting, Moltke said calmly: "Poznan fell ahead of time, our rear was threatened, and the plan to encircle and annihilate the Russian Third Army and Sixth Army went bankrupt.

Now I have to change the original combat plan, first take back the Poznan area, ensure the smooth flow of the rear, and then turn around and return to Warsaw to fight the Russians.

Now occupying Poznan is the Russian Eighth Army, mainly infantry, with a total strength of nearly 20 troops, and its combat effectiveness can only be considered mid-level among all Russian troops.