Holy Roman Empire

If you read the history books, you will know that in the history of European wars, the French are a big boss. They are the most powerful country in Europe most of the time, and the French army is recognized as the number one in the world.

Facing such an enemy, one cannot be too cautious.

In fact, Feslav is not the only one who has such thoughts.When the war just broke out, the generals of the anti-French alliance were basically a little timid.

But all of this is in the past tense. With the outbreak of the war, everyone's awe of the French army quickly faded.

Yes, the elite of the French army is indeed powerful, but there are too few such troops, and more of them are ordinary troops with poor combat effectiveness.

This is the case in the European battlefield, let alone the Egyptian region.Except for the few elite local divisions, the remaining colonial troops are simply not enough to watch.

Because of the blockage of the canal, although the Middle East theater did not achieve much results, the brother troops in East Africa, West Africa, and North Africa are advancing triumphantly.

There is no way, the border line bordering Fao is too long. Although most areas are blocked by deserts, there are many areas without deserts.

The border stretched for thousands of miles. Even if the French government wanted to deploy heavy troops for defense, there were not so many troops to fill it in. The heavy responsibility of defense naturally fell on the colonial government.

Undoubtedly, on one side are the fiefdom nobles fighting for themselves, and on the other side are the native troops who are fighting for the French. The combat effectiveness and fighting will of both sides are not at the same level.

Victory is always the most morale booster. Admiral Feslav, who was worried about whether the French would cross the river, now only thinks about how to fight it.

……

In the command headquarters, Chief of Staff Von Francke said with a smile: "This is already No. 30 six telegrams suggesting blowing up the Suez Canal, my lord commander, now it is time to make up your mind."

Admiral Feslav glared at him angrily, rolled his eyes and said, "You think I don't want to, but the impact of blowing up the Suez Canal is too great.

It’s fine if we can’t use it ourselves. Anyway, the country has already prepared for it, and we don’t expect it to be used normally during wartime.

The problem is that when the Suez Canal was opened to navigation, we issued the Canal Eternal Neutrality Announcement, clearly declaring that the free navigation of the Canal must be guaranteed at any time.

Now because of the war, the canal is temporarily closed, and the country is under great diplomatic pressure.

If it is reported that we have blown up the canal at this time, the international public opinion that was originally favorable to us may be reversed in an instant. "

Like it or not, wars serve politics.As a high-level commander, Admiral Feslav must consider the political implications.

Don't look at the closure of the Suez Canal now. In fact, neither France nor Austria has publicly announced it, and some are just a proposal from the Binding Canal Company.

In theory, the Suez Canal is still free to navigate, and neither France nor Austria can block it.

Of course, as long as you listen to the roaring artillery fire on both sides of the strait, no hard-headed person would dare to pass through the canal at this time.

Not daring and not being able are completely different concepts. Now it is Fao who bears the international pressure together, because the war was started by the French, and most of everyone's grievances are directed at the French.

It would be different if the Austrian army blew up the canal. It was not the French who cut off people and money, but the Austrian government.

It seems that being scolded is just a small problem, but it is a deep analysis.That means that the international reputation that the government has painstakingly accumulated is directly destroyed.

The loss of international credibility will inevitably affect Austria's re-establishment of the international order after the war, and the benefits involved will be great.

Von Frank nodded, as if he accepted this explanation, but what he said next made Feislav almost dead.

"This is your problem. Who made you the commander? The staff is only responsible for formulating combat plans, and political influence has nothing to do with us."

Seeing the gloating chief of staff, Admiral Feslav just wanted to punch him, but he could only think about it.

Rules are rules, and the Austrian staff system has prohibited them from mixing with politics since its establishment.

If you really go to consider the issue from the political level, then you are not far from getting out.

This is part of the check and balance of power. It is mainly based on the lessons learned by the German General Staff of the former time and space when they seized power in World War I. It is a taboo that cannot be touched.

In fact, Admiral Feslav, the commander, was also restricted from being involved in politics, but his special status determined that he had to consider issues politically.

Issues that cannot be decided will naturally be reported.All decisions that may affect the future strategy of the empire can only be made by the Vienna government.

……

In the evening, rows of rafts were launched quietly, and Colonel Boardman came to the front line in person to do the final mobilization work for the sneak attack.

Looking at the young men full of vigor, Colonel Boardman neglected to feel that he was full of guilt.

To risk their lives knowing that there is little hope is murder in a sense.

But war is so cruel, in order to win the final victory, no opportunity should be missed.

Colonel Boardman's self-blame did not last long, and was quickly broken by a voice.

"Colonel, it's time to act. The enemy's searchlights have just passed and we only have 15 minutes."

With the advent of the electric power era, it has naturally been applied to the military, such as searchlights on the battlefield.

The width of the Suez Canal is limited, and the light can directly shine on the opposite side, which naturally becomes a sharp weapon to prevent the enemy from sneaking at night.

"attack!"

……

Chapter 166 The passage filled out

The battle is still going on, and the sun has been falling scatteredly, reflecting the blood-red river surface, and the atmosphere looks weird, just like the river of hell.

The rafts crossing the river had already been lost in previous battles, and the enemy's position was still as stable as Mount Tai.

Even if a small group of troops completed the task of crossing the river, they were defeated by the tenacious resistance of the French army and were forced to return.

This is not being a deserter.According to European cultural traditions, soldiers who have run out of ammunition can surrender, and the Austrian army is no exception.

The soldiers who participated in the sneak attack had all undergone swimming training, and a Suez Canal couldn't stop everyone's footsteps.

What's more, there are scattered rafts destroyed by shells, which just serve as escape tools, so there is no need to surrender.

However, the return journey was not all smooth sailing. From time to time, French soldiers shot at the river.Fortunately, the French army has not been equipped with machine guns on a large scale these years, otherwise there would be no chance of retreating.

Putting down the binoculars in his hand, Colonel Boardman let go of his last luck, and his face became ruthless, as if he was engaged in a fierce inner struggle.

"Order the artillery, adjust the muzzle to aim at the river bank on the opposite side, and replace it with solid bullets to attack with all your strength!"

For the safety of the canal, from the beginning of the battle to the present, both France and Austria have been using flowering ammunition, and occasionally using solid ammunition, which is also aimed at the opposite fortress.

The chief of staff on the side reminded: "Colonel, the canal will be blocked if the embankment on the opposite side is knocked down. By then..."

Colonel Bodman waved his hand and interrupted: "Wrong, we are only attacking the enemy's fortress. The damage to the river embankment was deliberately blown up by the French before they fled."

This reason is very far-fetched, but Colonel Boardman can't care so much anymore, anyway, something is better than nothing.If the headquarters can't make up their minds, let him make up their minds for the headquarters.

Political issues are not what he should consider as a colonel. From a purely military point of view, Colonel Boardman's order is completely correct.

As for the follow-up question, it is necessary to test the diplomatic capabilities of the Austrian government and how thick-skinned the government is.

After struggling for a while, the chief of staff chose to compromise.The same order, issued by different people, has completely different political influences.

"The general will be outside, and the king's life will not be accepted."

Not empty words, the same applies in Austria.Moreover, the emperor has not issued an order prohibiting the destruction of the canal, and it is the Austrian government that requires the protection of the Suez Canal.

The theater command is a special organization during wartime. During the wartime, the military and political power on the front line can be grasped. As the commander, Admiral Feslav must consider the problem comprehensively, and he must consider the government's requirements.

But the middle ranks of the army like Colonel Boardman are different. They are only loyal to the emperor and do not need to be responsible to the government at all.

No matter how upset the government is, it cannot bypass the emperor and directly intervene in the army.

As long as the battle is won, the government can only hold back its opinions. No one in Austria can target heroes on the battlefield for no reason.

The risk in the real sense is still being defeated on the battlefield.

However, the enemy on the opposite side gave Colonel Boardman confidence. More than half of the defenders were natives. If he couldn't win, he would be ashamed to hang out in the army.

……

As a new round of bombing began, under the fierce attack of shells, the river embankment on the opposite side gradually began to collapse.

By the time the headquarters received the news, the deal was done, and there was actually no choice but to bite the bullet and go on.

Facing such an ending, Admiral Feslav wanted to cry, but just an hour ago, he had just sent a power call to ask the emperor if he should fill in a passage, and the result happened immediately.

It was too late to withdraw, and the urgent telegrams from the front line were delivered as soon as possible. Now Feslav bit the bullet and sent another telegram to explain.

As for whether the instigator, Colonel Bodman, is a hero or a sinner, this question still depends on the development of the battle situation, and Feislav has no intention of pursuing responsibility now.

Without any hesitation, Admiral Feslav made a decision: "Order the troops on the front line, stop being timid, and let me do what I want.

Now I have only one request, to cross the river in the shortest possible time and defeat the French on the opposite side, all according to the Suez Canal. "

If soldiers want to be strong, they still have to talk about their achievements.As long as the battle is won, these problems can only be regarded as the dust of the past.

……

Looking at the two completely different telegrams in the Palace of Vienna, Franz didn't know whether to praise Admiral Feslav for being obedient or criticize him for being stupid.

After thinking about it, Franz still felt that the high-level generals on the front line should be more obedient, after all, it is safe to use!

As for the self-assertive Colonel Boardman, that's even less of a problem.As a pure soldier, only considering issues from the military point of view, this is exactly what Franz wanted.

He would rather deal with the aftermath of these simple guys than turn the front-line generals into politicians who look forward and backward, the latter means disaster.

Before Franz could call back, everyone in the cabinet came to the door. You could tell from the expressions on their faces that everyone was in a very bad mood.

Thinking about it is also true, the international political advantage that has been painstakingly created is now completely disrupted, and it will be unhappy for anyone to put it on.

"Your Majesty, what happened in the Middle East theater..."

Before Weisenberg could finish speaking, Franz interrupted: "Okay, I already know about the Suez Canal.

At this point, it is useless to say these things, even if it is to be held accountable, it will be a matter after the war.

It is urgent, everyone should find a way to wait later!The French are not terrible. With the masters in Paris holding back, even if someone in the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs finds a problem and wants to take advantage of the opportunity to make trouble, they will be bad things by these guys.

The trouble is the British, don't forget that not long ago they were still instigating European countries, wanting to join forces with other countries to co-manage the Suez Canal.

The benefits are touching, and everyone has long coveted the fat of the Suez Canal.

It's just that the Suez Canal has been jointly controlled by us and the French before, and countries have to hold back their ambitions.

Now that this incident has happened, the British have more reasons to demand international condominium. It is not known how many countries will be persuaded by the British. "

Changing the topic, Franz has already practiced the basic skills of the emperor's career for many years.Anyway, he is the emperor, and it is impossible for his subordinates to lose face and insist on one problem.

Now is a time of war, and internal conflicts must never erupt, so it is better to provoke external conflicts.

Now that the war has progressed, Franz can see that no matter how powerful the butterfly effect is, it can't change this is a worse world.

Looking at the performance of the French, we can see that so many opportunities have been created for them, and now they have not killed Belgium and reached the hinterland of the German region.

That being the case, it’s okay to wrong the British again, anyway, they are still fighting against the Russians, even if they end up in person, it is impossible to abandon India to help the French.

Moreover, this may not be wronged. With John Bull's style, it is almost inevitable that this kind of thing will happen.

Taking the topic off topic, the foreign minister who was originally angrily trying to find bad luck in the Middle East theater had to calm down and think about countermeasures.

After a while, Foreign Minister Weisenberg said slowly: "Your Majesty, the British government has always been eyeing the Suez Canal, and they will probably not let go of this opportunity to attack.

Judging from the current international situation, the four countries of Belgium, Germany, Montenegro, and Greece are our allies, and they will certainly not respond to the call of the British.

Due to their geographic location, Switzerland and the Netherlands should not stand in line until the outcome of the anti-French war is unknown.

The French wanted to monopolize the Suez Canal. Before the failure of the European Continental War, most of the French government also opposed the international condominium canal.

In a short period of time, the British will at most set off some public opinion and cause us some trouble, which is not enough to form an absolute advantage. "

The international situation is still so chaotic, there is no absolute friend or foe in front of interests, there are only common interests.

Russia and Austria are still allies, but on the issue of the Suez Canal, Weissenberg is not sure whether the Tsarist government will support Austria. After all, it is impossible for the Vienna government to share the benefits of the canal with them.

On the contrary, the French, who are at war, agree with Austria on this issue and will definitely oppose the international condominium of the Suez Canal.

Prime Minister Karl: "As long as we can defeat the French on the battlefield, all this is not a problem.

At that time, we can use the interests of the French to buy Spain and Switzerland, plus the independent Italian states and our current allies, the European continent is what we say.

But before that, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs still cannot relax its vigilance, especially since the war in Afghanistan has eased recently, it must be more careful. "

There is no way, there are no eternal friends in international politics, only eternal interests.No betrayal happened, it was only because there were not enough bargaining chips to promote the betrayal.

Now that Austria is vying for European hegemony, the Austrian government has to be vigilant, because there are enough chips on the table.

Regardless of France, which is directly at war, Britain and Russia, which are qualified to compete for hegemony, may also jump out to pick peaches at critical moments.

If you look at the military operations in Austria, you will know that the African battlefield and the battle for the Suez Canal have not mobilized troops from the mainland, and all the troops responsible for the implementation are colonial troops, or troops mobilized from Africa.

Of the more than 300 million troops mobilized one after another, only the hundreds of thousands of troops on the southern front actually went to the battlefield. The rest of the troops, except for the reinforcements of the million-strong army in Central Europe, are still at home.

It stands to reason that as long as all these troops are dispatched, the current combat needs can already be met.However, the follow-up mobilization work is still in progress.

Of course, there are reasons for worrying about the French bursting out and losing the front line, and there are also factors of distrust of the Russians.