Chapter 1,257 Eastern Front—Balkans 1
Chapter 1257 Eastern Front—Balkans 1
The battles that took place in the Balkans-Black Sea region also attracted the Kaiser's great attention. On the one hand, Turkey, as Germany's most important supplier of food and fuel, could never make any mistakes, and the other reason was that the British Royal Airways The strength of the fleet's combat power surprised the Kaiser. He did not expect that the British could severely damage an entire fleet simply by relying on aviation power!
These changes made the Kaiser feel uneasy. According to his past inertial thinking, after discovering that something was wrong, the Kaiser's first reaction was to go to Prince Ruprecht instead of discussing with the German General Staff around him... .... This is not just a matter of trust, but because the special status of the prince has divided the entire German army command system into two parts. One is the Western Front that can be directly commanded by the General Staff, and the other is Rupresch. The Eastern Front under special command. On the Eastern Front, the actual influence of the German General Staff was not high.
As for the Balkans front line? The Austro-Hungarian Empire was originally responsible here. After Prince Leopold drove out Romania, Germany was allowed to gain a foothold in the Balkans. In the foreseeable future, the only force Germany can use in the Balkans is Prince Leopold's Balkan Army. Therefore, the only way to resolve this matter is with Prince Ruprecht, and it is useless to find anyone else!
After the prince's personnel contacted the German base camp, the prince got on the train to Brussels the next day, and met with the Kaiser and the German General Staff staff on time at 9 a.m. on the third day... .. Discuss issues on the future Eastern Front and Balkan Front.
"I'm very uneasy now. The Allies seem to have decided to open a new battlefield and stab us in the weak spot. The Turks' combat effectiveness is not worth relying on, and our troops on the Western Front are difficult to mobilize. So. , at this time, I hope you can take on the new pressure." After the meeting began, the Kaiser said straight to the point.
"Holy shit, don't be so direct, okay?" The prince felt depressed. Originally, according to the prince's rhythm, after arriving in Brussels, the prince should have a private meeting with the Kaiser to discuss issues of mutual concern. , for example, the issue of troop strength on the eastern front, another example, the issue of the air force covering Turkey, etc. However, this time, the talks between the two parties will be formal talks. In this case, everything they say will be spitting and nailing! Just do what you say.
The prince doesn't mind taking up the Balkan theater, but if you don't give me additional troops and allow more than 600,000 people from the Bavarian Army and the Bohemian Army to fight on both fronts at the same time, then I'll have no choice but to... There's no way this can be done! What the prince wants is to defeat Russia this year. Within a period of time, the strategic goal can only have one direction! It is true that the Dardanelles is very important, and Turkey cannot collapse. However, if the prince cannot beat Russia to death this year, there will be too many variables in the later period. This was not a matter of the prince conserving his strength or bargaining with the Kaiser, but a strategic issue. That’s what it means to have your cake and eat it too!
“It’s a little difficult.
"The prince casually moved the meeting documents in his hand to one side, and then looked at the Kaiser, who was sitting on the main seat, and the Chief of General Staff, Xiao Maoqi, who was sitting on the right hand seat. The former had a normal expression, while the latter was slightly nervous. Princes rarely When giving advice, he rarely talks about difficulties, but as long as he gives advice, he must get something, and as long as he talks about difficulties, the probability of success is not high.
"Can the Polish Pocket Battle be slowed down for a while?" the Kaiser asked tentatively.
"There is no delay. Spring must begin. To be precise, as long as our icebreakers can clear a path in the Gulf of Riga, then the landing operation must proceed. Russia is a giant beast, and we must continue to bleed them. Everyone should It is clear how much supplies and troops we can replenish for every month of delay. Although Russia is far inferior to us, it is still very terrifying. If they choose to abandon Poland, they will fight a war of attrition with the Russians in the boundless plains of Eastern Europe. ? That is unimaginable." The prince answered decisively.
"The battle in the Balkans cannot be ended in a short time. If it is an open area, then the Bavarian Army can concentrate its forces and push forward to solve the battle. Whether it is Serbia or Greece, which is currently on both sides of the snake and mouse, I can solve it within 2 months. Completely solve the problem! But unfortunately, there are too many mountains in the Balkans. It will take a long time for us to defeat them, and it will not be easy for the opponent to defeat them. It is more suitable to defend in a suitable place to contain the opponent's forces, but it cannot solve the problem in a short time. "
"So, in the Balkans, our short-term goal is to obtain a good strategic position, and the long-term goal is to contain the opponent. This task is very luxurious for the Bavarian Army. The number of our troops is relative to the number we bear. The responsibility is very small. Don't you think so?" the prince asked.
When it comes to war, sometimes it is not military force that can solve everything. Don't talk about it now, let's talk about it after the Cold War. American imperialism is powerful, right? How was the Korean War going? How was the Vietnam War going? Is the Soviet Union strong? Being tricked to death in Afghanistan. It is true that there is a problem of investing troops and the state of the country, but it is undeniable that some terrains do seriously restrict the deployment of military power. If nothing else, what if we hit Greece? As long as Britain and France are unwilling to give up, the French Mediterranean Fleet can still provide strong support to the army. It's not that the German Army can't fight hard, but the gains outweigh the losses. With this investment and troop strength, it might as well be put on the Eastern Front to defeat Russia first.
The prince also has the same opinion. This year, the prince will not only kill the five Russian armies in Poland. In the east, he will go deep into the hinterland of Ukraine and completely smash the Russian granary. In the north, he will use the Gulf of Riga as a base to threaten St. Petersburg in the north. . And in the second half of this year, if there is spare power, the prince will also ask the Spey fleet to cooperate and send some troops into the internal and external Caucasus! Destroy the oil and coal fields here.
By that time, even if Russia still has a large amount of land and population, they are definitely not far from collapse! The food base is in a mess, important coal and oil production areas are lost, and a large number of troops are tied up in the capital, and the materials needed for these troops have to be transported from the distant Moscow region, Poland, and the Caucasus. Crushed!
Two updates today~~~! Please subscribe and reward~~~!