Wild North America 1846

"Do you want to remove the experienced officers who have experienced the European war and come back to strengthen the teaching staff of Chang'an Lecture Hall and the construction of the army?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, I believe that the European War is coming to an end. The French Emperor Napoleon III is unwilling to continue launching the Kiev Campaign and expand the scale of the war against Russia. Instead, he prefers to wait for the results of the bargaining negotiations in Vienna."

Before Count Dai Changfu came here, he was fully prepared for the imperial questions, so he seemed confident and answered fluently. He continued;

"The land route from Kiev to Minsk, Belarus, is nearly 1,700 kilometers deep. Even if all the coalition forces fall, they will not be able to hurt Russia's fur. Moscow is still farther inland.

From a military perspective, the decision of French Emperor Napoleon III was wiser.

Judging from the current total strength of the coalition forces and the stalemate situation on the battlefield, the long road to Moscow will be a nightmare. No one is willing to devote all their national power to fight such a comprehensive war for the Ottoman Empire.

For allies like France, the Kingdom of the Tang Dynasty, and the Kingdom of Sardinia, the right solution is to accept things as they come.

France has broken free from the shackles of the European Holy Alliance. Our country has gained the trust of the United Kingdom and the understanding of its European partners. Trade and products can penetrate into the European market extensively.

Prime Minister Cavour of the Kingdom of Sardinia received the support of France and acquiesced in its action to unify the Italian Peninsula. The next step will be to face the Austro-Hungarian Empire occupying the territory of the Italian Peninsula.

Faced with the power of the Obsburg dynasty, the Kingdom of Sardinia must use sufficient military power to respond in order to have a chance to realize its dream of unifying the Italian peninsula, but that is not what we are concerned about."

"Where are the British?" Richard asked with a frown.

The most troublesome thing now is the British. Lord Palmerston, the British Prime Minister who came to power in February, is known for his toughness.

At the beginning of taking power

Then the grand-scale Battle of Chenaya River was launched. The expeditionary force of the Tang Kingdom broke through the snow-torn western mountainous area and defeated several Russian armies.

On the battlefield, he dealt a fatal blow to the main force of the Russian army in Sevastopol from behind, thus winning the entire battle cleanly and beautifully.

The capture of the Sevastopol Fortress became a turning point in the entire battle, freeing both sides from the quagmire of tug-of-war. It became increasingly clear that the coalition would win the entire war, and then defeated the Russian army again in the Battle of the Danube, forming a

Overall victory.

It was under the attack of internal and external troubles that Russian Tsar Nicholas I was betrayed by his allies in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. His sudden death and the succession of the new Tsar Alexander II opened the way for peace negotiations.

As a result, the British Prime Minister Lord Palmerston won high praise from Her Majesty Queen Victoria and widespread support from British subjects. His reputation has grown, and his popularity has even surpassed that of previous prime ministers.

Having tasted the sweetness, how could he be willing to give up?

Unfortunately, at the critical moment of pursuing victory, the commander-in-chief of the coalition forces, Lord Raglan, fell seriously ill and died of illness in March. He had to change his generals on the spot. His successor, Lord Simpson, was obviously unable to cope with the complex situation of the Crimean War and could only adopt conservative policies.

response.

From March to August, the coalition forces rested for half a year.

Sir Simpson is a fool, commanding an army of millions and doing nothing. Based on the principle of "doing nothing wrong", he has not launched any decent campaign for more than half a year, giving the Russians a precious moment of respite.

Even though Lord Palmerston, the Prime Minister of the Cabinet, was furious, Sir Simpson remained as steady as a rock, continuing to emphasize various difficulties while halting the advance.

until September

Under the coercion of the British cabinet, they launched a campaign to attack Ukrainian coastal cities. Unsurprisingly, they won a victory, and then rested.

Thus

Sir Simpson was really not put to good use, and Lord Palmerston, who was almost vomiting blood, could only prepare to change the commander again.

During this period, the energetic Datang Kingdom Expeditionary Force and the British Foreign Legion were not idle. In Crimea, 57,000 mixed-race newborns were born in Odessa. Almost every officer and soldier had a child. Some even

more than one.

Caucasian women with big bellies abound in Ukrainian coastal towns, and more babies are expected to be born by the end of the year and the beginning of next year.

Compared with the impoverished serf soldiers of Tsarist Russia, whether they were members of the Tang Kingdom's expeditionary force or officers and soldiers of the British Foreign Legion, their salaries and benefits were relatively generous. In addition, they were allowed to rob, so they could make some extra money.

Therefore, in the coastal areas of Ukraine where men are scarce due to the war, Chinese officers and soldiers who are generous and responsible have become popular, attracting moths to the flames of local women.

It is expected that tens of thousands of expeditionary troops will go out, and after the war is won, they will bring back hundreds of thousands of troops (excluding the British Foreign Legion for the time being).

There is no need to worry about the officers and soldiers of the British Foreign Legion. The British always take good care of their own people. The British Empire has too many good places in its colonies all over the world, whether it is South Africa, Canada, or the British Straits Settlements.

, India, Australia, Europe or Egypt, you can arrange a job anywhere.

Why do the British continue to fight?

This is based on Britain's interests. Britain must restrict Tsarist Russia to the area east of the Neva River, completely abolish Tsarist Russia's Black Sea Fleet and cede Tsarist Russia's areas along the Black Sea, including Crimea.

The mouth of the Russian Danube and southern Bessarabia must be ceded to Moldavia, Kars in the Russian Caucasus must be returned to the Ottoman Empire, and Russia must be ordered to give up its right to protect the Orthodox Church in the Ottoman Empire.

Russia has used its right to protect Orthodox Christians in the Ottoman Empire countless times as an excuse to launch a Russo-Turkish war. This time, it wants to nip the danger in the bud.

only do this

Only in this way can the Tsarist Empire's hands extending to the Caucasus and Danube be cut off, and its huge power be shielded in the inland areas and must not spill out.

only do this

Only then could we cut off the westward expansion process of the Tsarist Empire for more than 200 years, and spit out the European territories and dependencies it had swallowed up, including the suzerainty of Russian Serbia, Wallachia and Moldavia, which still belonged to the Ottoman Empire.

At the same time, Russia is not allowed to set up defenses on the Aran Islands in the Baltic Sea, and Russian forces are not allowed to enter the Baltic Sea.

only do this

Only by keeping Tsarist Russia firmly in the interior of Eastern Europe and further weakening its influence on Europe can Britain continue to maintain its status as the arbiter of today's world, maintain its status as the arbiter of Europe, and maintain its status as the world's hegemon.

As for these European territories, such as Serbia, Wallachia, Moldavia, the mouth of the Danube and southern Bessarabia, the British looked down upon them.

The British would rather hand over the jurisdiction of the corrupt and pro-British Ottoman Empire than hand over these European territories to the greedy Russians. This is a strategic firewall.

How can we achieve the above-mentioned harsh requirements without beating the greedy Tsarist Empire painfully and heartbreakingly?

If it is not resolved this time, will there be another Crimean War?

Related issues have been discussed countless times. As the Chief of Staff of the Army, Count Dai Changfu naturally knows a lot about this.

Faced with His Majesty's question, he thought carefully and replied: "Your Majesty, I believe that without the full assistance of the French Army and the British Army alone, it will be difficult to continue to advance deep into Ukraine and Belarus."

"Then do you think... Napoleon III can refuse His Majesty Victoria's request?" Richard continued to ask.

Count Dai Changfu was stunned by the question. After thinking about it seriously, he shook his head and replied, "I can't refuse. Under the current European situation, if France wants to end its isolation in Europe, it can only pray for the help of the British Empire."

Cooperation, cooperation between Britain and France should be the basic policy of Napoleon III and cannot be violated."

"Yes, who can refuse the British?" Richard sighed lightly.

In the mid-19th century

Only then can we deeply realize that the terrifying dominance of the British Empire spread almost all over the world. This is different from the military bases and allies of the United States all over the world in later generations. These are all colonies and protectorates of the British Empire.

With the lofty prestige of the British Empire, it could almost call on all European countries and mobilize most of the world's forces. The Crimean War only showed the tip of the iceberg.

Everyone is longing for the friendship of the British Empire. King William I of Prussia married the British eldest princess Elizabeth for the crown prince, hoping to gain British support and acquiescence through the Anglo-Prussian marriage, unify the vassal states of South Germany, and compete with the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

for the rise of Germany.

The French Emperor Napoleon III longed for the friendship of the British Empire, also in order to break the isolated encirclement since 1815, while fighting against his old enemy the Kingdom of Prussia, and at the same time win a broader development space for France.

Tsarist Russia also longed for the friendship of the British Empire, but the British did not like it at all. Instead, they were beaten and restrained, and marriage was even impossible. This was an eternal pain in the hearts of the Romanov dynasty.

in coalition forces

Although there were more French troops involved in the war, the only real commander was the British, formerly Lord Raglan and now Sir Simpson. This is the unquestionable leadership of Britain.

Queen Victoria and Lord Palmerston of the United Kingdom advocated the continuation of the war and urged the coalition forces stationed in Varna to take action as soon as possible. The replacement of the British commander-in-chief has been put on the agenda, and the result will be seen soon.

The main goal of the French Emperor Napoleon III has been achieved, Russia and Austria have turned against each other, and the noose around France's neck has broken and can no longer be maintained.

But if Napoleon III wanted to continue to maintain the painstaking cooperation between Britain and France, he had to follow the British baton. France had no right to refuse. He could only approve the continued operations of the coalition forces. Not only did the war not stop, but it also expanded.

"The idea of ​​the Army General Staff Headquarters is good, but don't rush this moment, just wait. At this sensitive moment, I don't want to stimulate the nerves of the British and cause some unnecessary trouble." Richard thought for a moment.

, made the final decision.

"Your Majesty is wise, but the humble minister failed to consider it." Earl Dai Changfu saluted respectfully and replied.

Richard looked at him and asked, "The Ministry of War plans to send experienced officers back to China. This idea is good, but now Europeans' eyes are fixed on the Crimean War, and every move will be amplified and speculated on.

Always be wary of Europeans' petty ideas.

We have made so many efforts in the past. In the end, we should not get a bad reputation of conserving our strength and not sending out troops. Even a few speculations may ferment in the future.

The issue must be considered comprehensively. The experienced officers and soldiers of the expeditionary force are our precious assets. From the military's own perspective, it is also right to consider it.

Standing at a higher level, it may not be appropriate.

How about this

Some more tactful methods can be adopted, such as arranging for some officers and soldiers to study at nearby European military academies, such as Royal Sanchester Military Academy in the UK and Paris Military Academy in France, to deepen their understanding of Europe and war.

War is a continuation of politics, and today Europe and even the world are the center stage. Understanding the situation in Europe will help our officers understand war more deeply.

The number of people in this group should not be too large. It is appropriate to have 400 to 500 people. They should be dispersed to study in European army and naval academies, so that they are not noticeable.

The British are also willing to strengthen their influence on the military of the Tang Kingdom and will provide convenience in this regard.

Another group of elites can be mobilized to join the expeditionary force training regiment and staff headquarters. This group can mobilize more than a thousand people to deepen officer staff training and observe actual combat examples. It is also a process of further education.

Secondly, for some military departments that want to retain top-notch and outstanding elite veterans, they can be centralized and transferred to a certain unit, such as the Second Division or the Third Division, and they can arrange combat tasks for this unit with a little care.

There are many ways, just make fine adjustments within the expeditionary force and try to minimize the impact, do you understand?"

"I understand. Please forgive me for being stupid and unable to share your Majesty's worries. Please punish me." After your Majesty's advice, Earl Dai Changfu suddenly felt enlightened and at the same time felt ashamed.

Compared to His Majesty's cunningness, I really look like a fool.

Richard waved his hand disapprovingly and said, "As a military commander, just be self-denial and serve your duties faithfully. You don't need to think about other intrigues or blame yourself. If you have nothing to do, just go down and do it accordingly."

"I obey the order." Earl Dai Changfu bowed respectfully and stepped down.

Looking at his retreating back, a smile appeared on the corners of Richard's lips.

For a wise monarch, what is needed is not self-assertive and ever-changing subordinates to control the military, but an extremely loyal and capable military commander. Count Dai Changfu is such a candidate.

As the first subordinate to follow him, Earl Dai Changfu has become his fanatical follower over the past 10 years.

His ability is relatively mediocre and he doesn't have enough resourcefulness, but he has high prestige in the army, strong execution ability, and can firmly keep the kingdom's army in good faith. These are enough.

No matter how loyal his men are, Richard will not hand over the power of the army to Earl Kahn or Earl Harry Fraser. Instead, he will gradually reduce his military power, train new people, and reduce it to the Army Staff Headquarters or Chang'an Martial Arts Hall.

Senior sinecure.

Non-my family, its heart must be different.

Compared with the army, Richard's selection criteria for the commander of the navy are different. Count Pan Hengchen is witty and courageous, has strong decisiveness, and has excellent military command level and ability. He is more than one level higher than Count Dai Changfu.

Count Dai Changfu can only serve as an army division commander at best, but Count Pan Hengchen can be a commander in charge. His experience in conquering the Hawaiian Islands and Panama can prove this, and he can completely defend one side.

This is because naval commanders often have to operate far away from the central center. In an era when information transmission is extremely inflexible, they need to make decisions independently to avoid missing fighter opportunities.

Moreover, with the current size of the Tang Kingdom's navy, it would not be able to make waves.

"It is reported that Count Pan Hengchen has entered the palace..."

"The humble minister obeys the decree."