1850 American Gold Tycoon

Chapter 654 Thin White Line

The overall idea of ​​the Python Plan in Liang Yao's hand is the same as that of the Python Plan proposed by Scott in history, but there are some differences in details.

This Python Plan emphasizes the use of the water system of the Mississippi River Basin and the existing railway network to build a complete defense system in the central frontier area, in order to achieve the strategic goal of containing the forces of the West in the North Platte River Valley.

"Scott wants to realize his Python Plan, at least he has to take over the whole of Texas." Kruger saw the flaws of the Python Plan at a glance and added, "In addition to the Pacific Railway, we can also establish a connection with the South through the Gard Railway."

Kruger admired Liang Yao's strategic vision very much. When the Gard Railway Plan was proposed, not many people were optimistic about and supported the construction of the Gard Railway. Most people believed that a Pacific Railway would be enough to connect the East and the West. The economy in the South is relatively backward and the population is sparse, and the economic benefits of building the Gard Railway are really limited.

Kruger even suspected that Liang Yao had expected such a day, so he ignored the cost and rushed to build the Gard Railway before 1860.

"Scott, the old fox, should be able to see this problem, but he is temporarily powerless." Liang Yao looked around at the senior generals of the American Republic Defense Army present. What made him feel gratified was that many new faces appeared. The group of young people who were sent to West Point Military Academy and Virginia Military Academy gradually began to take up the responsibility of the army.

"If the intensity of the Crimean War is the same, how long can we continue to fight with our current ammunition reserves?"

"Three months." Elvis gave a rough answer after a rough calculation, but he still added, "But considering that our opponent is the Northern Federal Army, our ammunition reserves can at least support us to fight a high-intensity war for 5 months."

Elvis once led a military inspection team to Crimea for inspection. This war was the most intense war in Europe in recent years.

Liang Yao compared this war in North America with the war between the European powers. Does Liang Yao think that the intensity of this war will be comparable to the war between the European powers?

This is unbelievable to Elvis. After all, since the advent of the industrial age, no region has been as intense as the European continent. The civil war in the Qing Dynasty was large in scale, and perhaps it could be compared, but in essence, this civil war was still a war between classical war and modern war, not a war in the industrial age.

"You mean, the Northern Federation Army is not as good as the Russian army?" Liang Yao asked back.

"No, sir, according to my investigation, the quality of the Northern Federation Army is worse than that of the Russian army, but it cannot be compared with the Russian army in terms of scale." Elvis said.

The current federal army is lame, but no matter what, the industrial level of the Northern Federation is stronger than that of the Russian Empire, and the quality of the soldiers is better than that of the Russian army's serfs. Therefore, Elvis still believes that the Northern Federation Army is still stronger than the Russian army.

"It depends on the mobilization level of the federal government." Kruger thought for a long time before speaking.

"The last time the federal government implemented a full mobilization was more than 40 years ago. If the federal government's mobilization capabilities remain at the level of more than 40 years ago, the federal army will not be a threat. If the federal army can reach the mobilization capabilities of second-rate European countries, the federal army will be able to compete with European armies except Britain and France."

Obviously, Liang Yao is more satisfied with Kruger's answer. Mobilization capabilities are an important criterion for testing a modern country.

More than 40 years ago, the United States was generally an agricultural country. Its organizational mobilization capabilities during the Second War of Independence were undoubtedly disastrous, so it was not unfair for the United States to lose to Britain in that war.

As for the two more recent Mexican-American wars, the United States had not yet reached the level of nationwide mobilization, so Kruger had no idea about the mobilization capabilities of the United States in the industrial age, so he did not dare to make a rash judgment.

But as Liang Yao, who knew more than a hundred years later, has a clear understanding of the mobilization capabilities of the United States in the industrial age.

Under Lincoln's organization, the Northern Federation certainly had the mobilization capabilities and organizational level of a second-rate European power, or even close to that of a quasi-first-rate European power.

It's just that the first general mobilization of the United States was for the civil war. I don't know whether this is a blessing or a curse. At least for the American citizens at this time, at least for the southern citizens, it is unfortunate.

"Within three months, formulate a plan to annihilate the Northern Army of the Kearny Fortress Group and Omaha. Within five days, I want to see your battle plan." Liang Yao issued an order.

The existing ammunition and military supply reserves can fight a three-month high-intensity war, which does not mean that the National Defense Army of the Republic of America can only fight for three months. It is just limited by the transportation capacity of the Pacific Railway and the limited production capacity of the North Platte Arsenal. The subsequent offensive will definitely slow down compared to the early stage of the battle.

After the meeting, Liang Yao asked Zeiss to send a telegram to Robert Lee and Davis, revealing to the South that they will launch a military operation in the near future, giving the southern high-level a reassurance.

The indecisive attitude of the southern high-level made Liang Yao despise the slave owners in the South. He knew what the slave owners in the South were thinking.

It's nothing more than hoping that the support of the European powers and the Western Front battlefield can share their military pressure.

Wanting independence without shedding too much blood, how can there be such a beautiful thing in the world? After all, these people in the South are still a group of guys who can't accomplish anything big.

Do these guys really think that their position as the origin of cotton is irreplaceable?

"The thread of cotton is very thin and fragile, so fragile that a three-year-old child can easily break it. At the same time, it is the thickest and most powerful rope in the world. As long as we want, this thin cotton thread can suffocate the whole world!"

At the same time, thousands of miles away in Richmond, the president of the Confederacy, Davis, was giving an inflammatory speech in Congress, showing his congressmen what he called white gold in his hand.

"The cotton textile industry in Lancaster, Derbyshire, Cheshire and other places in England is in an unprecedented period of prosperity. What has created this prosperity?"

"It's cotton!" Senator James Henry Hammond from South Carolina answered first, "To be precise, it's cotton that is cheaper than India and Egypt!"

Hammond is a staunch secessionist, as well as an influential southern politician and plantation owner. In his early years, he was famous in the South for his "King of Cotton Theory".

The so-called "King of Cotton Theory" is an extremely popular economic and political belief in the American South in the mid-19th century. It believes that cotton is the core of the American economy and even the global economy, and emphasizes the important position of the southern plantation economy in the world economy.

This concept can be briefly summarized as follows: the world economy depends on Britain, the British economy depends on the cotton textile industry, and the British cotton textile industry depends on the cotton imports from the South. Rounding off means that the world economy depends on the cotton of the South.

Southern plantation owners believe that European countries, especially Britain, which relies on cotton imports, have to support the South in the war, or at least ease the conflict through mediation.