Holy Roman Empire

There is such a double sky of ice and fire on the battlefield.Grassroots officers die quickly and are promoted quickly. As long as they survive a few battles, promotion is a matter of course.

There is no need to worry about being blocked by the boss, because they have either been promoted, entered the hospital, or gone to see God.Anyway, the place is vacant.

Here, counterattacking from a soldier to becoming a general is no longer a myth.Anything is possible as long as the war lasts longer.

Captain Adler was not a military student, nor did he have any background. He became a company commander less than a year after the outbreak of the war.

In addition to flexible minds and excellent military qualities, luck is more important.If it weren't for the fact that he has both parents, a harmonious family, and lack of face-slapping villains, he would be a bit like a child of luck.

Although there are many reserve officers in Austria, at most they are assigned to the company and platoon level. In the context of the large-scale military expansion, Adler, a veteran, directly served as the squad leader.

This is not a big deal. The company Adler belonged to suffered heavy losses when he participated in the battle for the first time. The platoon leader and deputy platoon leader directly under the leadership either saw God or went to the hospital.

Adler was acting platoon leader before the battle was over.It has nothing to do with promotion, because all the higher ranks in his platoon have left the battlefield, and it is his turn to command according to the rules of the Austrian army.

After successfully completing the task and making military exploits, it is only natural for the agent to become an actual professor.After that, he made a few more military exploits, and Adler became the company commander in a daze.

Adler, an ordinary young officer who is not rebellious and has not achieved amazing results, has almost exhausted his luck here.

There is no way, not only is the demand for higher-level officers greatly reduced, but they no longer need to lead troops to charge, and the probability of being killed or injured is greatly reduced.

There are fewer pits, and the requirements are higher.In peaceful times, there are few people who have made military exploits. Naturally, those who have military exploits will be able to rise to the top, and those who are not capable can be cultivated slowly.

It's no longer possible, there are battle exploits everywhere.Unless the military achievements are amazing and can be promoted exceptionally, otherwise the professional knowledge assessment is indispensable.

After all, the more troops commanded, the higher the requirements for the officer's ability.Except for a few geniuses, most people have to be trained to be competent.

The full-scale counter-offensive has already begun, and the war is about to end. After the war, there will be a large-scale disarmament, and the training courses for grassroots officers will naturally cease to exist.

You can't just organize officer training and send them a discharge notice before the coursework is completed!

After all, it is not the real protagonist, and there are a bunch of similar templates in the Austrian army.

No matter how low the probability of occurrence is, once the number is enlarged, it will no longer be a minority.It can be said that everyone who survived the hail of bullets unscathed is a legend.

Looking back, Captain Adler scolded angrily after confirming the identity of the deceased: "Hold your head down, don't learn from that idiot Cole!"

sad?Maybe there is, but after a lot of experience, the nerves are numb.Perhaps in order to avoid being sad at this time, Captain Adler deliberately kept a distance from everyone around him.

Before Adler finished speaking, French bullets spewed out again.Although Gatling is not as useful as Maxim, it is still a great weapon when installed in a fortress.

With Cole's lessons learned from the past, and the whistling sound of bullets constantly ringing in everyone's ears, everyone buried their heads as low as possible.

Suddenly there was a loud "boom", and the two soldiers on Adler's right were blown to pieces, and half of their heads fell directly in front of Adler within reach.

Shaking his head, he finally woke up from the sound of the bombing, and saw the bloody head of his comrade in front of him, Adler almost vomited.

Suppressing the nausea and discomfort, Adler immediately ordered: "The enemy ahead has planted landmines, and we don't have any tools to remove them. Let's retreat first."

There is no doubt that this tentative attack failed.Not to mention not bringing demining tools, no matter how well prepared the tools are, they will not be able to withstand the fierce firepower of the enemy!

This was the Austrian army's own initiative, and the French were just following suit.Although the Maxim machine gun is too late to imitate, Gatling can also use it to make up the numbers.

The enemy is so well prepared, and it would be very unwise to use human lives to fill in the top. The Austrian military does not admire this kind of rote blood bravery, blindly pursuing victory and ignoring the lives of soldiers, it will be court-martialed.

The tentative attack failed, and Morkes did not feel lost.The sacrifice was not meaningless. Through the daytime temptations, the Austrian army had already figured out the French's external firepower deployment, laying the foundation for the next attack.

In the coalition headquarters, Admiral Morquez asked: "How is the formation of the Italian Army?"

How could the war to liberate Italy lack the participation of Italians?At this time, the value of the Italian independent organization was reflected. Every time the Austrian army occupied an area, it recruited troops under the banner of an independent organization.

In order to fully respect the feelings of the Italian people, these troops are divided into regions.For example: National Independence Army of the Kingdom of Sardinia, National Independence Army of Lucca, National Independence Army of Modena, National Independence Army of Parma, National Independence Army of Tuscany, National Independence Army of the Papal State, National Independence Army of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies...

No matter how big it is, every Italian state has a national independence army, which takes everyone's face into consideration.

Whether the Italian independent organization is willing to accept it is not important anymore.Accepting is naturally hello, me, hello, everyone. If you don't accept it, Morks doesn't mind appointing a commander directly.

Anyway, there are a lot of Italian nobles who have defected, and they can always find someone who is willing to cooperate.The Italian independence organization, which is in a state of disunity, has a reputation among the people, but it does not have much appeal among the nobles.

In order to restore the country, even Vittorio Emanuele III, the boss, chose to compromise, let alone the little pawns below.

A burly middle-aged officer replied: "As of now, the National Independence Army of the Kingdom of Sardinia has 20 people, the Papal State Independence Army has 8 people, and the other independent armies are still empty. There are less than 1 people.

If we want to form it, we have to wait for us to occupy these areas.Judging from the current situation, it is mostly hopeless. "

So far in the war, the main achievements of the Austrian army on the southern front are on the border between the Papal State and the Kingdom of Sardinia, and the National Independence Army formed is naturally dominated by the people of these two countries.

In order to reflect the equal status of the Italian states, the troops of each country cannot naturally be mixed.The polarization in the number of people just came out.

Empty armies will definitely not be able to go to the battlefield. No matter how much they need cannon fodder, it is impossible for Morks to consume all the seeds of "allies".

Moreover, these seeds are the nucleus upon which future state governments will be built.In order to balance the strength of the states in the Italian region, Austria's support is too late, so how could it be given up?

After contemplating for a while, Morkes shook his head: "28 people is still a little small. I'm afraid it will take tens of thousands of people just to take Turin City. There are still a series of cities waiting for us to conquer.

Continue to increase the intensity of conscription in the local area. In addition to promoting national independence, you can also promise land, tax exemption, and pensions to the soldiers. The specific figures are up to you, as long as it is tempting. "

In order to recruit more Italian cannon fodder, Morquez has given up the bottom line and directly made promises for these state governments.

As for whether it can be fulfilled, it depends on the integrity and governance capabilities of these state governments. Anyway, this is a fight for the independence of the Italian nation, and it is impossible for Austria to pay for it.

Chapter 2

Continuing with the conscription, Vittorio Emanuele III naturally had no objection.Only enough troops can drive out the French and restore the Kingdom of Sardinia.

After struggling for so many years, I finally saw the dawn, and now I can't give up no matter what.In order to win the final victory, it is worth paying a little price.

Besides, the battle was not fought in vain.The Vienna government had long ago made a promise that all participating countries would share the spoils based on their contributions to the war.

Thanks to the reputation that Franz has built up over the years, everyone recognizes this commitment very much.

The French have a big business, and if they leak out a little bit, it will be enough to feed the Kingdom of Sardinia.The only prerequisite is: they must have meritorious deeds.

The boss always has this attitude, let alone the people below.Hurry up to finish the war and divide the fruit is the kingly way, and everything else is trivial.

In order to get rid of the French as soon as possible, everyone's performance on the issue of conscription is naturally extremely positive.

As for the promise made during the conscription, no one cared.You must know that in the past, in order to call on the people to rise up and drive away the French, the conditions promised to go out were even more favorable.

Whether it can be fulfilled or not, I don't know if they didn't think about it, or they didn't think about it on purpose, or they weren't ready to honor it at all.

It doesn't matter, what you pay for will be rewarded.Seeing the cooperation of the Italians, Morks naturally wanted to reciprocate. Except for the supreme command, the rest of the powers were naturally delegated.

Let a group of idealists, speculators, and talkative parties command an army, and what will happen in the end is none of Morks' business.

Although there are many states in Italy, there is a huge gap in strength among them. The Kingdom of Sardinia, the most economically developed kingdom, can surpass the sum of the small states in the central and southern regions.

From an overall point of view, the best way to stabilize the situation in Italy is to balance the strength of the various states in Italy. It is absolutely necessary to weaken the Kingdom of Sardinia.

Now is the best opportunity to take over the capital of the Sardinian Kingdom. No matter how you say it, the Sardinian Legion is duty-bound.

Conscription belongs to conscription, but the flames of war cannot be stopped.The bones of Turin are not easy to chew. Before the recruitment of cannon fodder is completed, it is impossible for the Austrian army to fill the hole with its own people.

The infantry can't go up, but the artillery can play freely. Coupled with the airships and planes in the sky, the French army in Turin will have a hard time.

For air defense needs, the French command has been moved to the basement.This made Marshal Adrian, who thought highly of himself, very embarrassed.

However, it is no longer a matter of face, but whether Turin can be kept and the Italian region can be kept.

Don't look at the fact that the Italian region needs industry but no industry, and needs resources but no resources. It is like a burden on France. In fact, it is also the backbone that supports the French Empire, and its importance is second only to that of the mainland.

From a strategic point of view, without the Italian region, the French navy can only circle around at home, and Mediterranean hegemony has nothing to do with them.

From an economic point of view, the Italian region provided France with a cheap labor and commodity market.Without Italy, France's sluggish manufacturing industry is not far from closing its doors.

The economic and strategic impact is great, but the political impact is even more deadly.Originally, the current situation was not optimistic, and if there was another big defeat, no one would be optimistic about them.

If no one is optimistic, no one will invest.You must know that the French government is trying to pull the British into the water. If the Italian region is lost, the British government will not be able to jump into this pit no matter how hard it is.

Besides, with the previous series of failures, the domestic situation has become unstable, and if the Italian region is lost, who can guarantee that there will be no revolution in the country?

In order to avoid the worst situation, the Paris government ordered to defend the Italian region early on, and Turin is the most important link.

Marshal Adrian asked, "Are you all ready?"

The middle-aged officer replied confidently: "Don't worry, Marshal. We have made full preparations. No matter how powerful the enemy's armored forces are, they will be meat on the chopping board once they enter the city.

Every street, every alley, and every building in Turin will become the burial ground of the enemy. "

In order to defend Turin, the French army also made full preparations.Not only did they deploy heavy troops and build complete fortifications, but they also had secret weapons prepared by the Paris government.

War is the best driving force to promote the development of the military industry. After the European war broke out, the French did not sit idle. Various new weapons emerged one after another, but they were covered up under the Austrian aircraft and tanks.

Of course, new weapons are not necessarily battlefield weapons, and most new weapons are the fate of a one-day trip to the battlefield.Only weapons that have been tested in actual combat can become real battlefield weapons.

Marshal Adrian was not moved by the assurances of his subordinates. Holding Turin can only ensure that the enemy cannot be defeated quickly. If the enemy wants to, they can still advance all the way to southern Italy.If you want to win, you still have to take the initiative.

There is no doubt that it is impossible to attack now.Before there is no way to deal with the enemy's armored forces, it is impossible for the French army to send heads.

……

In London, the situation on the European battlefield has reversed, and the British government has also been put into a state of distress.

The Russians were enough for them, but before the British government could take action, Spain and Switzerland joined in; before they could react, they were suddenly told that the French army was about to lose.

Looking at the analysis report in his hand, Gladstone couldn't help asking the soul torture from the bottom of his heart: "Is this the performance of the French?"

You know, France is known as the world's number one army power, and it has also been recognized by countries all over the world.Before the war broke out, the French military had a lot of slogans, such as "military parade in Vienna within half a year", "end the European war in three months"...

Judging from the current situation, the French should not be talking about going to Vienna for the military parade, but going to Vienna to watch the military parade.

Army Secretary Rosario: "Unfortunately, Prime Minister. As hard as it is to believe, it is true.

The French played a bunch of shit on the battlefield. Except for being caught off guard by the anti-French alliance at the beginning of the war, they had no record.

According to the analysis of the Military Situation Observation Group, after the war broke out due to the rapid expansion of troops, the combat effectiveness of the French army declined all the way.The original advantage in combat power gradually turned into a disadvantage.

In contrast, the situation in Austria is much better.They have a large reserve force, as well as a large number of reserve officers, capable of forming combat effectiveness in a short period of time.

In addition to the backwardness of the mobilization system, the French also lagged behind in the research and development of weapons and equipment. Aircraft, tanks, and new machine guns were all made by the enemy.

In the case of being completely behind, the French army's current record is already very good.

Facts have proved that modern warfare can no longer be won by bravery, and we must pay attention to the overall development of the army. "

This is the truth. Although Rosario is suspected of laundering the ground for the French army, it is still true in general.The defeat of the French army on the battlefield was indeed based on the dual effects of the system and weapons and equipment.

As for the purpose, it is clear that apart from military expenses, there is nothing that can make the Minister of War work so hard.

Today is not the same as in the past, and now Britain also faces threats on land.Not to mention Austria’s threat to the Cape of Good Hope, it can only be considered a small profit, not enough to drive the Vienna government crazy; Russia’s threat to India is different, but whenever there is an opportunity, the tsarist government will definitely not let it go.

With the lessons learned by the French, the British government also had to strengthen its army building, otherwise they would suffer a big loss in the next Anglo-Russian war.

Gladstone frowned. Now he really didn't have the heart to entangle in the issue of military spending. No matter how great the threat from the Russians was, it wouldn't break out anytime soon. On the contrary, the European war could change dramatically at any time.

"I'll find time to discuss the issue of army building later. The French government has asked us for help many times, and it seems that they can't fight anymore.

For the balance and stability of the European continent, we must quell this war as soon as possible and preserve the vitality of the French. "

"A truce" is easier said than done.The anti-French alliance has already taken advantage, and it is obviously difficult for them to let the French go.

If the anti-French alliance did not have an absolute advantage on the battlefield before Russia, Spain, and Switzerland joined the war, the British government would intervene forcefully, and it might still be possible to rely on international mediation.

It's different now. Three of the five major European powers have declared war on the French. Even if Britain wants to form a team to mediate, they can't come up with a decent lineup.

The disputes between the great powers are not easy to mix, and small countries may get involved first, and they may get involved first.Apart from Britain, there is no second country in the European continent that is qualified to mediate.

Even if the scope is enlarged to the whole world, no one will buy it if it is not the big powers.

Foreign Minister George shrugged and said: "This is difficult to do. The advantages of the anti-French alliance are too obvious, and the Austrians will certainly not give up this opportunity to weaken their competitors.

The most troublesome thing is that the ability of the Habsburg dynasty to attract allies is so powerful that all major countries on the European continent have become members of the anti-French alliance.

This is just the beginning. As far as I know, they are still wooing Portugal, the Netherlands, and the Nordic Federation.Based on the performance of the French on the battlefield, no one can guarantee whether these fools will join the anti-French alliance.

Now if you want to keep the vitality of France, unless the Paris government surrenders immediately, use the chips they have in their hands to fight for part of their own interests.

Everyone knows how arrogant the French are.Even if the Paris government is willing to compromise, the French people will not agree.

With a series of failures on the front line, the rule of Napoleon IV has begun to become unstable. At this time, if he compromises with the anti-French alliance, a revolution may break out in France. "

This is not alarmist talk, the domestic situation in France is indeed very dangerous.After the outbreak of the European Continental War, Austria banned grain exports while driving up prices internationally.

International prices have risen, and as an importing country, France's domestic prices have naturally followed suit.The capitalists also took the opportunity to make a lot of money in the country, and ordinary people became the biggest victims.

If the French army has been victorious on the battlefield, it will naturally be able to suppress these contradictions; unfortunately, the French army has suffered setbacks, and the contradictions that were suppressed in the past can no longer be suppressed.

Chapter 2: The Tsarist Government with Big Ideas

The British government has been messed up, not to mention the French government.I have been at a loss for a long time, and I have no idea how to end it next.

As a party, Napoleon IV received more bad news.On the surface, the French army regrouped again after its defeat, but the outside world did not know the painful price the French army paid for it.

Retreating in a defeat is not an easy task.The enemy is not a fool, and will definitely take the opportunity to expand the results of the battle.In order to withdraw smoothly, survival by docking the tail is a must.