Holy Roman Empire

Now they are fighting for the Ottomans in the Balkan Peninsula. Regardless of the possible geographical environment and acclimatization and other factors, morale alone cannot reach the peak. If they can exert eight or nine points of their combat effectiveness, they are well-trained.

This comprehensive assessment, which changes from time to time, is still reliable in Franz's view.

The combat effectiveness of any army is not constant, and only in the most suitable environment can it exert its maximum combat effectiveness.

Franz asked suspiciously: "Your Excellency Marshal, the Montenegrin army is powerful, I can accept it.

But the combat effectiveness of the British army is higher than that of the French army. How did this conclusion come about?

From the analysis of the record, the French are obviously superior to the British, and this group of lobster soldiers has almost no record of shooting. "

Marshal Radesky explained: "Your Majesty, the British Army has always been small in number, but their training is no worse than that of any country.

Of course, this factor can only prove that the British army is well-trained, and it cannot be said that the British army is more effective than the French army.

The fundamental reason is that Napoleon III was eliminating dissidents and taking advantage of the opportunity of the war to replace some high-level officers.

This kind of personnel transfer will inevitably affect morale in the short term, and it will take time for new officers to take office, and the combat effectiveness of the French army will be reduced in the short term.

On the Balkan Peninsula, the morale of this French expeditionary force was not high, and the combat effectiveness it could display was also compromised.

Based on these factors, the General Staff believes that their combat effectiveness is now inferior to that of the British.

This is not absolute. If these French generals have stronger command ability, they can make up for this gap. After all, the British commanders are a group of rookies. "

Franz nodded. This evaluation of combat effectiveness can only be used as a reference.If you take it seriously, prepare to be slapped in the face. There are ever-changing changes on the battlefield, and there has always been a saying in the military—the weak defeat the strong.

Franz said with a smile: "So, the two sides in this battle are still evenly matched, and it will not be possible to tell the winner in the short term.

If the Greeks suddenly broke out and attacked the logistics of the coalition forces, if the coalition forces were caught off guard, the Russians would have a greater chance of winning? "

Foreign Minister Metternich explained: "Your Majesty, the Greeks are probably hopeless.

Although they chose to form an alliance with the Russians for their own interests, the Greek government did not want to be enemies of Britain and France.

They wanted to be like us, just go to war with the Ottomans and stay neutral in the fight between the British and French and the Russians.

In this battle, the Greeks may not have the guts to attack the logistics lines of Britain and France. Even if they participate in the war, they will only attack the surrounding land, which will not help the overall situation. "

Apart from sighing a pig teammate, Franz can do nothing.

Austria did not send troops to fight against Britain and France, because the number of troops in the Balkans that could support the battle was limited, and Mao Xiong's soldiers were full.After increasing the number of troops, the logistics are screwed.

There is also the distribution of benefits after the war.Now Austria's main contribution is logistics, so it is reasonable to distribute the benefits according to the prior agreement after the war. The Russians have done their best to get the biggest share of the benefits.

If Austria acts as the main force, the Russians will not be able to swallow all the benefits they want now, which is unacceptable to the Tsarist government.

In addition to these special circumstances, there is another crucial condition, that is, Austria has the strength to be neutral. No matter how upset Britain and France are, they can't help Austria.

It's different if it's a Greek. The British don't mind teaching this disobedient brother a lesson.Once small countries stand in line, there is no room for maneuver. Don't expect Britain and France to listen to their explanations.

The correct approach of the Greeks is: either do not do it, or do it absolutely.At both ends of the snake rat, no matter what the final result is, they will not have good fruit to eat.

After contemplating for a moment, Franz said: "Then let's wait a little longer, the railway from Vienna to Salzburg has started laying tracks, and it will be open to traffic by the end of the year.

The railway from Munich to Salzburg has also completed roadbed construction. Technically speaking, temporary tracks can be laid in most parts of this section of the railway.

Even if the enemy is dead and the net is broken, blocking the Danube and the Rhine, the logistical problem can also be solved. "

Franz is not worried about the military strength of the South German states.No matter how hard these state governments try, they can't hold back the number of leading parties underneath.

The topic of unification has been heated up. In this era, everyone still doesn't know a word-kidnapping by public opinion.But in fact, most of the middle and lower class people in these small states are influenced by public opinion.

When the Austrian army came to fight, this concept would disintegrate the army's will to fight.Those who surrender can confidently say: We are not surrendering, we are doing our part for the unification of the country.

The only risk is logistics. The Bavarian government chose to block the Danube and the Rhine directly. The Austrian army can only rely on land transportation for logistics supplies, which is a headache.

It's too late to wait for the railways in Bavaria to open to traffic, but it doesn't matter. You can also work around it and lay temporary tracks on the completed roadbed.

Because of the terrain, such short-distance railways may only be tens of kilometers, tens of kilometers, or even small sections of several kilometers, which cannot be connected.But Franz didn't care so much anymore, it was better than nothing.

No matter how troublesome it is to transport materials midway, it is faster than carrying them on the shoulders.Every minute on the battlefield is precious, and the relay transportation mode of the Principality of Montenegro can also be followed by Austria.

……

Balkan Peninsula

The war has entered a stalemate. The Russians cannot defeat the coalition forces, and the coalition forces cannot do anything to the Russians.

The embarrassment to both sides of the war was that the two most outstanding armies on the battlefield were the Bulgarian guerrillas and the Montenegrin Principality army.

On October 1852, 10, the Montenegrin army conquered the Shkoder Fortress, which was heavily guarded by the Ottomans, and opened the door to Albania.

In the next month, the Montenegrin army swept all the way again, and half of Albania fell into their hands.Fortunately, fighting in these places is not the core, and it cannot affect the overall situation.

The performance of the Bulgarian guerrillas was also very stealthy.In the Sliven area, they fought against the Ottoman army, and from time to time they went deep into the rear to do things, which brought great trouble to the logistics and transportation of the coalition forces.

In the Sofia area, the Bulgarian guerrillas penetrated the Sardinian army's defense line and penetrated to the rear of the coalition forces.

If the British hadn't reacted quickly this time, quickly mobilizing heavy troops to organize a counterattack and defeat them, the coalition forces in the Sofia area would have been dumped.

If the regular army is broken up, it will become a rout.But they were originally guerrillas. After being defeated, they naturally swam up, causing the coalition commander Montes to collapse.

There is no way, the Ottomans are not strong enough, and they agreed to fight on the mainland, but instead they fell into the vast ocean of people's war.

After these Bulgarian guerrillas broke up, they went deep into the Bulgarian region, using the support of the local people to attack them from time to time.

Up to now, the logistics transportation of the coalition forces, Montes, dare not use the Ottomans to escort them.If there is no escort of more than [-] British troops, it will be given to the enemy.

Not long ago, [-] Ottoman troops escorted over strategic supplies, but were robbed by guerrillas on the way.If it weren't for Sofia's abundant reserves, the coalition forces would be starving.

Even if heavy troops were sent to escort the goods, one hundred or eighty British soldiers fell on the battlefield behind each successful delivery of supplies.

Of course, the enemy died more, but in exchange for British soldiers and guerrillas, Montes felt that he was at a disadvantage no matter what.

Montes said angrily: "Let the Ministry of Foreign Affairs send a note to the Sudanese government and ask them to encircle and suppress the guerrillas as soon as possible. We cannot let these people affect our logistics transportation."

It's not that he doesn't want to send troops to encircle and suppress the guerrillas. The problem is that the Russian army on the opposite side is still watching. As long as he dares to send the main force of the British army, the Russians will immediately pounce on him.

But the guerrillas can't let it go, if they continue to plunder like this, the logistics of the coalition will collapse sooner or later.

Materials that could have arrived in a week now take at least ten days.Casualties and material losses are increasing every time materials are transported.

Then the heavy task of encircling and suppressing the guerrillas can only be handed over to the Ottoman government. They are local snakes, and it is just right to do this job.

Unfortunately, this is only in theory, the reality is very cruel.

Major General Eberron of the British Army said disdainfully: "Your Excellency, the Ottomans may not be able to count on them.

In order to encircle and suppress this guerrilla, the Ottomans have already invested [-] troops, and now there are probably half of them left.

This bunch of idiots are not made for war at all, and they are scared to pee when they hear the gunshots. Relying on them to encircle and suppress the guerrillas is just a dream. "

This is an exaggeration, and the Ottoman army was not that wasteful.The fundamental reason for the low combat effectiveness of these armies was that the main forces of the Ottoman Empire were devoted to the battlefield.

The Caucasus region has invested 40 troops, and the Balkan Peninsula has lost more than 40 troops. Now there are more than [-] Ottoman troops fighting bloody battles on the battlefield.

They still have an army there?The war has progressed to the present, and the Ottoman Empire has fully demonstrated its strength. This is already the largest force that the Sudanese government can mobilize.

Now, in order to encircle and suppress the guerrillas, they have improvised an army of [-], saying that this is the army is completely looking up to them.

Most of the people here are young men who have been captured, and the morale of the army has no morale.Learning how to shoot a gun is considered to have completed the training, and then sent directly to the battlefield.

The weapons and equipment are also old antiques that were eliminated earlier, and many weapons are a round older than the soldiers.

The firepower of this regular army is at the same level as that of the guerrillas, not even comparable to some guerrillas.

Montes said angrily: "Trash! How did the British Empire find such an ally? It's a shame.

Urge the French, let them fight the Russians as soon as possible, what do they want to do so dawdly, do they still want to stay in the Balkans for Christmas? "

……

Chapter 84 Breaking New Fronts

Constantinople

Abdul Mejid I's face was gloomy and terrifying. This Balkan battle may be just a small episode for Britain and France, but it will be fatal for the Sudanese government.

For this war, the Ottoman Empire has tried its best.There is no doubt that they only have so much strength.

Millions of troops were mobilized back and forth, regardless of the combat effectiveness, anyway, all the wealth of the Ottoman Empire was involved.

As a result, the situation on the battlefield made Abdul Mejid I very disappointed.Originally, the coalition forces should have a slight advantage, but unfortunately, this advantage disappeared after the battle for command between Britain and France.

Eliminate the contradiction between Britain and France?Stop dreaming. The two world wars in history were a matter of life and death. Britain and France could hold each other back. Now you still expect them to cooperate sincerely?

Abdul Mejid I said in a deep voice: "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs contacted the London government and the Paris government to tell them that if they continue to preserve their strength on the battlefield, we will lose this war."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Foreign Minister Faad replied

Don't look at the fierceness of the war now. In fact, the British and French casualties are not large. The main casualties on the battlefield are the Ottoman troops.

Since the British put guns on the necks of the Ottomans and forced them to consume the strength of the Russians on the battlefield, the French naturally didn't mind following suit.

In the Sliven area, the Russians first caught the French and beat them up. In order to preserve their strength, the French naturally used the Ottoman army as cannon fodder.

Anyway, the Ottomans are now begging Britain and France for help. Even if they go too far, the Sudanese government can only endure it.

The battle has been going on so far, the British and French attrition is less than 15.00%, which also includes non-combat attrition, while the Ottoman army attrition is more than 20.00%.

Under normal circumstances, with such a large casualty, the Ottoman army should have collapsed long ago, but it is different with the supervising team.

To some extent, it is also positive for Britain and France to put guns around their necks and force them to go to the battlefield. At least it caused a lot of casualties to the Russians.

The Minister of War, Mudra, suggested anxiously: "Your Majesty, let the British and French increase their troops. According to the current situation, it is impossible for them to cooperate well. The only way to win this war is to rely on absolute strength.

The battle has progressed to the present, and we are already at a disadvantage. Even if the British and French troops are willing to fight hard, it will only end in a loss for both sides. "

Abdul Mejid I sighed and said with a wry smile: "It's not that simple, this battle is not that important to Britain and France, even if it loses, it won't hurt.

Perhaps from the perspective of Britain and France, the cost of war will be lower if the battlefield is placed in the coastal area, or a battle to defend Constantinople is fought.

Even because of the lengthening of the front line, the Russians' logistical pressure has increased greatly, the number of troops that can be put into the front line will inevitably decrease, and the chances of winning the coalition forces will increase. "

Britain and France could do this, but the Ottoman Empire could not.If the Russians were sent to the coastal areas for a decisive battle, the elite areas of the Ottoman Empire would become battlefields.

In the end, even if they won the war, the foundation of their rule in the Balkans was over.Not to mention regaining the lost ground, it is not easy to keep the current actual control area.

The reality is so cruel, Britain and France only joined forces with them to attack Russian talents, and the life and death of the Ottoman Empire was not within their consideration at all.

After paying such a high price for this war, there is no benefit at all, and it may take more than half of the Balkan Peninsula. It would be strange if Abdul Mejid I had no grievances.

However, the conflict between the Ottoman Empire and the Russians was too deep. Even if the Sudanese government wanted to admit defeat, the Russians would still come to beat them, so they had to follow Britain and France to do their best.

……

London

The war in the Balkans became stalemate, and the British government became a headache.Don't think that because they are rich and powerful, they can be ignored.

From the perspective of interests, it is the best choice to end this war as soon as possible and let the British Empire devote its energy to colonial expansion.

After more than half a year of dawdling, the army promised by the United Kingdom was finally in place, and the last batch of reinforcements had departed from the British Isles to the Balkans.

This support force was strongly requested by Lieutenant General Montes on the front line. He no longer believed that the Ottomans could wipe out the guerrillas, and he was not sure when the French would be able to defeat the Russians.

The face of the British Empire cannot be lost, and the face of the Army cannot be lost either.For the sake of face, the status of the Army in the country, and future military expenditures, the bureaucrats of the British War Department were rarely efficient.

Theoretically speaking, the arrival of the [-] British troops on the front line is very likely to break the deadlock on the battlefield, but the British government is still not confident.

Since the Anti-French War, the Russian Empire has been the most powerful country on the European continent and the world's largest army power.

The London government has no confidence in their own army. They don't think that this little army can break the situation. Even the London government has never asked the army to take the initiative to attack.

From the perspective of the British cabinet, Britain is not an army power in the first place, as long as it is not ashamed on the Balkan battlefield, the heavy task of defeating the Russians should be done by the French and the Ottomans.

Prime Minister John Russell asked: "The war situation in the Balkans has reached a stalemate. Unless the coalition forces increase their troops again, they will not be able to win in a short period of time. What do you think?"

Foreign Secretary Palmerston suggested: "Your Excellency, this situation is mainly due to the fact that the Russians have been carefully preparing for this war for more than two years, and the coalition forces are rushing to fight.

There is also the position of the Austrian government, which is beyond our expectations.The Vienna government actually gave up restrictions on the Russians and provided them with logistical supplies.

We have already sent people to contact the Vienna government, and their attitude is very firm.Before listening to our conditions, he directly expressed his neutral attitude.

We made them deny strategic supplies to the Russians, and they refused us on the pretext of free trade. "

"Free trade" was proposed by the British, and they didn't expect to get revenge on themselves so soon.But they can't object yet, this is the national policy of the British Empire.

In this year, there is no restriction on the export of strategic materials by neutral countries, at least there is no mandatory binding force. Austria is now doing business with the Russians in an aboveboard manner.

Palmerston once wanted to go to the Austrian market to sweep goods and cut off the supply of Russians.After thinking about it, he gave up. The domestic capitalists are not easy to mess with.

If the London government buys the goods of the Austrians instead of theirs, it will be fatal for these people to make a fuss.

Admiral James Graham, a political ally, said: "Mr Palmerston was right that the situation was caused by our miscalculation of the relationship between Russia and Austria.