Chapter 99: Political Surrender vs Strait Navigation
St. Petersburg Hermitage, although it is midsummer now, it seems that it is still the twelfth lunar month, without a lot of warmth, Nicholas II's gloomy face directly pulled the temperature down! &1t;/p>
Since the beginning of summer, Nicholas II has never been in a better mood. There's no way the bad news on the front line keeps coming, especially in the last half month, the situation on the battlefield has taken a turn for the worse. &1t;/p>
Just after Nicholas II received the battle report again, the rough roar sounded again: "Waste, all of them are a bunch of waste! &1t;/p>
Even if it was 700,000 pigs, it was impossible for the Germans to catch them in such a short period of time, but the 700,000 Russian troops became captives of the Germans in just three days! &1t;/p>
Now the whole world is watching our joke, a group army actually surrendered as an organization? &1t;/p>
God! The largest surrender in history was actually created by us! Has the great Russian Empire really fallen? It's just..."&1t;/p>
It's no wonder that Nicholas II was so angry. In just half a month, the total loss of the Russian army was as high as 1.8 million. It has not recovered yet, and has been hit hard again. &1t;/p>
On July 3, 1916, the German army broke through the defense line of the Russian Northern Front. &1t;/p>
On July 6, the northern front with a total strength of more than two million people was divided into two, and the northern defense line of the Russian army collapsed! &1t;/p>
On July 9, the German Sixth Army completed its penetration of the Northern Front, and nearly one million Russian troops fell into the encirclement of the Germans. &1t;/p>
On July 10, the German army once again broke through the defense line of the Russian and Western Front. &1t;/p>
On July 10, General Alexei Andreyevich Polivanov, commander of the Russian Northern Front, ordered the surrounded troops to break through, but ended in failure! &1t;/p>
On July 15, under the condition of running out of ammunition and food, the Russian Second Army was forced to surrender to the German army. They also surrendered together with part of the first, fourth, and fifth armies, with a total number of 700,000. &1t;/p>
...&1t;/p>
The Russian army has set another world record. The number of troops who surrendered in one battle exceeded 700,000! &1t;/p>
Nicholas II didn't care about the loss of the army. The key point was that the battle on the Eastern Front was powerless. Even though the Russian army still had more than 3 million troops on the front line, they were still powerless to block the advance of the Allies! &1t;/p>
The prime minister bit the bullet and said, "Your Majesty, let's find a way to deal with the aftermath now!"&1t;/p>
Nicholas II sneered and said, "The aftermath? How to deal with the aftermath? Do you still have a way to turn defeat into victory?" &1t;/p>
Obviously, Nicholas II was stimulated now, and his anger had buried his reason. The failure of this battle was not just an ordinary defeat! &1t;/p>
This means that his ambitions have died young. The performance of the Russian army on the front line has made everyone see the reality of the Russians. Under such circumstances, do you still want to dominate the European continent? &1t;/p>
Don’t talk about hegemony, you can’t even persuade Bulgaria to establish a Slavic empire. The Austro-Hungarian Empire is an obvious example. Hungary and Austria have similar strengths and become a dual empire.
Then a lot of national power was consumed in internal friction, which was definitely not what Nicholas II wanted. &1t;/p>
The Minister of the Army thought for a while and said: "Your Majesty, find a way to stop the loss! Now immediately withdraw all the troops on the front line, and we will rebuild the defense line from the rear. &1t;/p>
Although we do not have the ability to defeat the Germans alone now, as long as the Allies win the final victory, we will win! &1t;/p>
Now our top priority is not to investigate why it failed, but to build a defense line again to block the front of the German-Austrian coalition forces! "&1t;/p>
Perhaps he had vented enough, Nicholas II calmed down, ignored the Minister of the Army, instead turned his attention to the Chief of Staff, and asked, "What is the plan of the General Staff?"&1t;/p>
The chief of the general staff has cold sweat on his forehead. Anyone with a little military common sense knows that the Russian army has missed the best time to retreat. &1t;/p>
If the Allies retreated to their original lines of defense before the Allies counterattacked, the Germans would not have won so easily. &1t;/p>
It is a pity that for the so-called politics, the Russian army chose to build a defense line in situ to block the attack of the German and Austrian allied forces, and gave up the previously built fortress trenches, and finally paid a painful price! &1t;/p>
Now it is obviously impossible to defend on the line of defense that has been built before. Many areas of the original line of defense have already fallen! &1t;/p>
The retreat of the entire army proposed by the Minister of the Army to establish a line of defense again has become the best choice for the Russians. &1t;/p>
The chief of staff said with a trembling voice: "Your Majesty, the staff plans to send the two million troops that have just been mobilized in the country to re-establish the defense line in the Central Russian Highlands, but it will take time. &1t;/p>
Therefore, the staff planned to let the front-line troops alternately cover and retreat, and resisted and procrastinated. And give up the northern part of Romania and hand over the defense to the Bulgarians! &1t;/p>
When winter comes, we will launch a counter-offensive to regain the lost ground. At that time, I believe that Britain and France are also ready, and Bulgaria should also solve the Ottoman Empire. At that time, the three fronts will attack together, and the Germans will not be able to handle it even if they have three heads and six arms! "&1t;/p>
It has to be said that Mao Xiong is domineering, and the staff department dares to give up millions of square kilometers of land directly after formulating a strategy, which is the only one in Europe. &1t;/p>
Nicholas II's expression was very embarrassing now, he had to admit that the plan of the staff department was very feasible, and the real strength among the allies was the German family. &1t;/p>
Austria-Hungary and Italy did not perform very well in this world war, and any one of the Quadruple Entente was better than them. &1t;/p>
Now it is equivalent to the German family singled out the British + o.8 France + o.6 Russia, and they still have the upper hand on the European continent, which has to be admirable! &1t;/p>
However, the weakness of the Germans is also obvious. Fighting on two fronts caused the dispersion of troops, and the positions could not be taken care of, and decisive victories could not be achieved on both fronts. &1t;/p>
At the same time, the Allied Powers had an absolute advantage in the navy and blocked their overseas material transportation channels. Now, except for the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark, and Norway, the five countries can continue to trade, and the other international trade channels of the Germans have been cut off. . &1t;/p>
Once a protracted war breaks out, without enough strategic materials, the Germans will definitely not be able to survive! &1t;/p>
However, the most correct choice in military affairs does not mean that it is also correct in politics, and it may still be disastrous! &1t;/p>
Obviously, the negative impact of giving up a large amount of territory, even if it is only for a short time, may shake the ruling foundation of the tsarist government. &1t;/p>
Nicholas II also became anxious at this time, he didn't know what to do, and asked unwillingly: "Is there no other way?"&1t;/p>
The chief of staff thought for a while and said: "Unless Britain and France launch a full-scale counter-offensive on the western front right now, forcing the Germans to draw troops from the eastern front, there is still a chance!"&1t;/p>
...&1t;/p>
While the Russians were preparing for a strategic retreat, the Germans far away in Berlin were now hesitating whether to defeat the Russians all at once. &1t;/p>
Don't look at their brilliant results on the front line, but the losses of the German-Austrian coalition forces were not small. The number of casualties reached nearly 600,000 in just one month, and the number is still increasing by 20,000 to 30,000 people every day! &1t;/p>
If this continues, when they kill the Russians, the German-Austrian coalition forces will suffer heavy losses. It will be difficult to win this war by killing the French in the following war! &1t;/p>
So Falkenhayn, the German chief of staff, suggested to Wilhelm II that he should take advantage of the fact that the Russians were now seriously weakened and try to win over them politically to lure the Russians out of the war. &1t;/p>
History is always an amazing coincidence. In history, after the defeat of the Russian army on the Eastern Front, the Germans threw an olive branch in an attempt to get the Russians out of the war. . &1t;/p>
In this time and space, the situation of the Allies is more severe than in history. It is not surprising that some people advocate luring the Russians to withdraw from the war. &1t;/p>
William II asked cautiously: "Is it possible for the Russians to withdraw from the war?"&1t;/p>
The impact of this incident was too great. Once the Russians withdrew from the war, the German-Austrian Allied Forces could be sent to the Western Front to attack Britain and France in a surprise attack. &1t;/p>
The sudden increase of two or three million troops on the Western Front is definitely unstoppable by Britain and France. Once the defense line collapses, the French will be finished. This can basically declare that the Allies have won the war. &1t;/p>
Prime Minister Theobalden von Batemann Hollwig thought for a while and said: "Whether we can succeed or not, it is worth a try!"&1t;/p>
We can even acquiesce to the annexation of Romania by the Russians, or lure them to attack Afghanistan and threaten the British India! "&1t;/p>
The conflict between Germany and Russia is not serious now, and the two sides can compromise completely. Paying some price to let the Russians withdraw from the war will not damage the core interests of the Germans. &1t;/p>
William II thought for a while and didn't find any problems, so he said: "Well, send someone to talk to the Russians first, and the conditions are easy to negotiate.&1t;/p>
As long as the Russians can withdraw from the Allied Powers, we will support them in obtaining India. Even if they want to continue to expand in the Far East, we can also acquiesce! &1t;/p>
Even if they still want to get Constantinople, it is acceptable to enter the Mediterranean, but they need to do it themselves! "&1t;/p>
Everyone's face changed. The conditions offered by William II this time are really too generous. If it is raised before the outbreak of the world war, there is a real possibility that the Russians will join the Allies. &1t;/p>
The Minister of the Army, who was born as a Junker nobleman, objected: "Your Majesty, we have promised the Russians so many benefits. Are we not fighting this war for nothing? We fought desperately, but let the Russians take the biggest cake. It's really..."&1t;/p>
William II interrupted: "It also depends on whether the Russians don't have such a good appetite! In this war, our strategic goal is to kill the French, and then negotiate with the British to end the war! &1t;/p>
Once the Russians invade India, let the British figure it out! It is best to let them fight for India and consume each other's strength. "&1t;/p>
...&1t;/p>
Can the wishful thinking of the Germans work? It will take time to verify this issue. From the perspective of interests, it may be more cost-effective for the Russians to withdraw from the war to preserve their strength. &1t;/p>
The prerequisite is that Mao Xiong does not have the ambition to dominate the European continent, otherwise there will be no possibility of relaxation between Germany and Russia. &1t;/p>
As soon as Germany and Russia started to contact, Ferdinand received the news. As a bystander, he watched all this happen quietly, as if he didn't know anything. &1t;/p>
He knows that even if the Russians want to withdraw from the war now, they must pull Bulgaria to withdraw together, otherwise what will they use against the more powerful Germans after the war! &1t;/p>
One of the most critical reasons for Britain and France to persuade the Russians in history is that the Germans are too powerful. Once they are allowed to integrate the European continent, the Russian Empire can only exist as a second-rate country! &1t;/p>
In the end, Ferdinand decided to stab the Germans, disclose the information to Britain and France, and let them mix it up. &1t;/p>
Anyway, when it comes to diplomacy, since Prime Minister Bismarck, the German diplomacy has been offline, and now they have John Bull around, it is impossible for them to succeed! &1t;/p>
...&1t;/p>
Ferdinand asked with concern: "Chief of Staff, is our army ready? When can we land in Italy?" &1t;/p>
Chief of the General Staff Imya Dimitev said with confidence: "Your Majesty, the army has long been prepared. We only need your order, and we can attack at any time!" &1t;/p>
Ferdinand nodded in satisfaction and said, "Well, then, order Lieutenant General Walicot to get up and land on the 6th as soon as possible, and let him choose the specific time and place!"&1t;/p>
Ferdinand was self-aware. He knew that due to the foresight factor, his strategic level might be 90 points, but his actual military command ability might only be 50 points, so he never intervened in the command of the frontline troops. &1t;/p>
Especially in this kind of landing operation, there are more practical issues to consider, including weather, sea waves, changes in the enemy's troop deployment, etc., which may affect the success of the landing, let alone intervene. &1t;/p>
"Yes!" The Chief of General Staff replied sonorously. &1t;/p>
After the short military meeting ended, Ferdinand was relieved again. Presumably, after the Italians withdraw from the war, the main fighters among the Russians will also be rejoiced! &1t;/p>
After all, this is a political battle. As long as the landing is successful, the Allied forces will burn the war to Rome, and the vacillating Italian government will probably succumb. &1t;/p>
As for whether the Italians will desperately resist, this is irrelevant. Anyway, only five Bulgarian infantry divisions participated in the Landing Army of the Allied Powers this time, and the remaining 16 infantry divisions were all British and French colonial cannon fodder. &1t;/p>
Cannon fodder troops can be consumed at will, which is already a consensus of everyone. After all, for John Bull, even the loss of a million colonial troops would not have as much impact as the loss of 10,000 native troops. &1t;/p>
...&1t;/p>
In the midsummer of July, Ferdinand was hiding under a tree to enjoy the shade, and now he misses the days of air conditioning very much. Where is it like now, the old-fashioned electric fan kept ringing, irritating his ears constantly. &1t;/p>
Xiang Constantine suddenly came to the palace and brought him good news, or it is more appropriate to say that the good news of the Russians! &1t;/p>
"Your Majesty, we have cleared the Dardanelles, and navigation can resume now. The Bosporus Strait is expected to be cleared and resume normal navigation in two months!" &1t;/p>
Ferdinand stood up from the chair and said, "Okay! Send a telegram to St. Petersburg immediately and tell them the good news!"&1t;/p>
After the outbreak of the World War, the Ottoman Empire knew that its navy was not strong enough, so it blocked the Dardanelles and the Bosporus Strait neatly, and cut off the Russian sea transportation in a violent way. &1t;/p>
Without this sea route, the materials provided by Britain and France could only be transshipped through Bulgaria's domestic railway, which obviously would delay a lot of time. &1t;/p>
Originally, it only took two or three days to complete the transportation task by sea, but it was impossible to complete the transportation by railway in less than ten days and half a month! &1t;/p>
This also has to take into account the capacity of the railway. Many times when the supplies arrive, they have to wait in line for the train. &1t;/p>
Well now, the Dardanelles are open to navigation, and the supplies can directly arrive in Constantinople, and then transfer them there, which saves at least half of the time, and there is no need to wait in line for the train! &1t;/p>
Obviously, this is undoubtedly good news for the Russians, which means that the material assistance they will receive later can be greatly increased! &1t;/p>
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