Wild North America 1846

Chapter 469 Adventure Plan

Prussian Army Frontline Command

King William, Prime Minister Bismarck, and senior officials of the Prussian army stood in front of the huge sand table, looking at the small flags on the sand table indicating the situation between the enemy and ourselves in silence, and the atmosphere seemed solemn.

On the southern front battlefield

The army of the ally Italy was defeated by the Austrian army in just two days. The proud Italian commander before the war sent an urgent request for help to the Kingdom of Prussia, which put the Prussian army, which was already very weak, in a dilemma.

To save or not to save?

"After all, we are military allies. We must save them...but not now." Prime Minister Bismarck said firmly.

He pointed at the battlefield situation on the northern front, raised his head and said to King William;

"The Elbe Army and the First Army invaded Saxony and Hannover with overwhelming force, and wiped out the clowns who followed the Austrian Empire to wave the flag. Now the attack momentum is booming.

This is a key step to achieve the reunification of the German nation. Any unexpected situation should not interrupt the military operations of the two armies mentioned above, but should continue to work hard to wipe out these countries that are dividing the German nation in one fell swoop.

The 160,000-strong Second Corps was responsible for containing the main force of the Austrian Army, which consisted of more than 280,000 men from six corps. By attacking more with less, the pressure on the shoulders was already huge, and it was impossible to mobilize the excess troops.

To reinforce the southern battlefield in Italy, we can only find ways to mobilize troops from within the country and strive to build a new regiment of 50,000 to 60,000 people within two weeks to be deployed on the southern battlefield to stabilize the festering situation there.

Your Excellency General Moltke, what is the opinion of the General Staff Headquarters?"

Prime Minister Bismarck called General Moltke, Chief of Staff. The experienced military commander took a step forward, took the small wooden stick like a band conductor from the lieutenant colonel's adjutant next to him, pointed to the terrain on the huge sand table and said;

“Your Majesty, Prime Minister;

If we want to launch a full-scale offensive on the northern battlefield, we must continue to increase our troops to strengthen our frontline attack power.

The General Staff Headquarters has made a complete plan for the second phase of the war. The top priority is to use the domestic well-established railway lines to transport troops forward. According to the transportation plan;

The Army Staff Headquarters will work closely with the railway department to dispatch a total of more than 810 trains to transport another 150,000 to 160,000 troops to the northern battlefield, including our allied soldiers. This plan has already begun to be implemented.

One week at the latest

Our army will gather enough troops on the front line to launch the second phase of the operation, hitting the enemy with rapid and uninterrupted violent attacks, destroying its effective strength, and forcing the Austrian Empire to admit defeat and withdraw from the war.

In order to achieve this strategic goal, we must make dangerous moves.

Now that the kingdom's three major corps have broken through into Saxony, Hanover and other places, the Elbe Corps and the 1st Corps will be concentrated in the Moravia region north of Dresden, thus joining together to form a force of about 19

~A large corps of 200,000 people (including subsequent reinforcements).

My plan is;

The Elbe Army and the 1st Army were ordered to advance along the Erzgebirge Mountains to the south of the mountain, and more than 25 people of the 2nd Army (note; the number of subsequent reinforcements) were ordered to cross the Sudeten Mountains and advance to the southwest.

The kingdom's three main armies "separately advance and attack together", fully breaking into the territory of the Austrian Empire, forming a large joint army with a strength of 450,000. The destination is to attack the main force of the Austrian army of more than 280,000 to 350,000 people in the Yiqin area (there may be some

Tens of thousands of reinforcements) formed a pincer offensive, using superior force to surround the main force of the Austrian army and annihilate it in one fell swoop.

Of course, this military plan is very risky.

If the Austrian Army relies on the favorable terrain to block attacks in the Erzgebirge Mountains and Sudeten Mountains, our army may suffer heavy casualties and delay favorable fighter opportunities, causing the entire combat plan to fail.

In addition, this plan will penetrate deep into the enemy's territory, which will cause the front to be too long and make the main army's logistical supply difficult to a certain extent.

After in-depth study, the General Staff Headquarters concluded that;

As long as the main Austrian army can be surrounded and severely damaged within two weeks, logistical supply difficulties will not break out on a large scale, leading to the failure of the entire military plan;

There are risks, but the benefits are greater.

When the Austrian Empire's allied armies retreated, they were in panic and did not leave any blocking forces in the Sudeten Mountains and Erzgebirge Mountains. The Elbe River Pursuit Corps had already penetrated deep into the mountainous areas. This is the biggest benefit at the moment.

We must invest enough troops into the depths of the mountains before the enemy can react, quickly remove the few enemy castles that may occupy difficult terrain, and open up a path to victory.

Should this military plan be implemented?

We still ask for His Majesty the King's permission. As for the army, the Royal Government also needs to organize a horse-drawn carriage transport team with sufficient strength to continuously transport supplies to the front line through mountainous roads to relieve worries."

The biggest problem of whether to make a decision or not was presented to King William. He folded his hands in front of his chest with a frown and stared at the huge sand table, falling into a dilemma.

This military plan is not risky, but extremely risky.

If the entire Prussian army rushes into the mountains and suffers a defeat, the countless efforts that the Kingdom of Prussia has invested over the past decades will be wasted. This is no joke.

Even if they break out of the mountainous area, whether they can successfully surround and severely damage the main force of the Austrian Army Corps is still a matter of uncertainty.

The so-called two weeks in General Moltke's mouth meant that after defeating the main force of the Austrian army, he pursued the victory and occupied a large area of ​​Austria's food-producing areas, and provided food to the enemy.

July is the summer harvest season, and its significance is self-evident.

If we really expect the government to organize 100,000 civilians to transport food to the front line, the rugged and dangerous mountain roads will be a huge insurmountable obstacle.

In these days, mountain roads were only rugged trails that could barely be passed by horse-drawn carriages. It was purely fanciful to expect that they could provide the combat logistics needs of more than 400,000 troops.

What's more, the ammunition and food carried by the soldiers, as well as the materials transported by the army's baggage carriages, may be dangerous for two weeks, and it will be over in almost 10 days.

The Duke of Oldenburg was a senior Junker military aristocrat. After careful consideration, he said: "General Moltke, can you be sure that the fleeing countries did not leave any dangerous mountain passes behind?"

"Indeed, the news from the frontline corps shows that even a small number of troops left behind cannot stop the advance of our main corps."

"That means there are indeed remaining troops stationed in the mountainous area, although the number is not large."

"Your Excellency, Duke, as of now, I am convinced that Prince Benedy of the Austrian army has not realized the importance of this and has not sent troops to garrison mountain castles and dangerous passes. This is our biggest opportunity, and we must seize it firmly.

, if we miss it... it will drag the war into a longer stalemate."

"But we can't take too many risks and put the fate of the entire country on the line. General Moltke, don't forget the famous Battle of Austerlitz commanded by French Emperor Napoleon, which is a classic example of dealing with the split-attack Austrian and Tsarist armies."

The Battle of Austerlitz was a complete victory in 1803 when French Emperor Napoleon commanded the French army to defeat the main forces of Austria and Tsarist Russia in the third anti-French alliance.

Dividing the troops means great risks. If the Austrian army seizes the opportunity to divide the troops and defeat them one by one, the Prussian army will be in an extremely difficult situation.

Because of the mountain barrier, the main forces of the three major corps cannot fight together. Whether the Austrian army faces the Elbe River Corps, the 1st Corps, or the 2nd Corps, they will have a superior force and geographical advantage.

When the time comes, it will be a matter of two minds who surrounds whom.

The Prussian army attacking along the valley also had a huge disadvantage, that is, once the Austrian army discovered the Prussian army's combat intention and sent the main force of the corps to block the mountain pass, it would be really doomed.

The Prussian army was limited to narrow valley passages and could not gather a wide enough front to meet the enemy. They could only add fuel to the fire and sacrifice their lives. No matter how powerful their combat effectiveness was, they would not be able to unleash their power, and they would really be in a deadlock.

These words spoken by the Duke of Oldenburg also worried King William.

You cannot hope that the commander-in-chief of the Austrian army is a fool and is at the mercy of the Prussian General Staff Headquarters.

While considering the huge benefits, you should also consider the huge risks. What should you do if you lose?

This was where King William hesitated. It was easy to make a decision, but the serious consequences caused him to think carefully.

Adhering to the tradition of the Junker military aristocracy, King William has been hanging out in the military camp since he was 9 years old. He was known as the "Prince of Shotgun" when he was young. He is familiar with military command, so he is particularly cautious in important joints that determine the fate of the country.

He remained silent for a long time, and the solemn atmosphere in the headquarters was suffocating.

Prime Minister Bismarck waited a moment and couldn't help but interject;

“Your Majesty;

I still remember that in 1859, I served as ambassador to the Tang Empire. Facing the American Civil War that lasted for several years, the Tang Empire was fully prepared to intervene in the war.

When the time was right, they united with the South and brazenly launched a full-scale war against the United States of America.

I personally greatly admire the tough tactics of Emperor Richard of the Tang Dynasty, his sharp sense of war like a wild wolf, and even more admire his courage to decide to take action when the southern government faced the crisis of total defeat.

you also saw

As a result, the Tang Empire gained the eternal friendship of the Confederate States of America, reaped huge war dividends, and truly established its position as the hegemon of North America.

In many cases, it is not necessary to invest when you are sure of it. The greater the risk, the greater the return. This is true in ancient and modern times.

I dare not say whether Prince Benedy will divide his troops to guard the dangerous passes of the mountains, or whether he will block the exit of the valley and put our army in great danger.

But I firmly believe in the strong combat effectiveness and strong fighting spirit of the Prussian army, I firmly believe that decades of hard work will not be in vain, and I firmly believe that military geniuses like the French Emperor Napoleon are not everywhere. May God bless Germany!"

King William took a deep look at his Prime Minister Bismarck and saw the strong fighting spirit in his eyes. This also aroused a fire in King William's heart. How could he be willing to drag the war into a long-term stalemate?

The current situation is that the Prussian army must cross the mountains to penetrate deep into the hinterland of the Austrian Empire and attack the main force of the Austrian Empire's legion, which adheres to the concept of "defense first".

It is not surprising that the Austrians did this. They were waiting for other European powers to participate before launching a comprehensive counterattack.

The Russians must not be able to count on them. Nicholas I was so angry that his good brother, the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph, died of a brain haemorrhage. Now that his body is still cold, how could his son Alexander II send troops to rescue the Austrian Empire?

The problem is that;

As long as the war is delayed, French Emperor Napoleon III will definitely send troops to intervene, and Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph is 100% sure of this.

It is no joke that the situation in Europe can affect the whole country. The French will never think that the Kingdom of Prussia will destroy a number of German states, thereby emerging as a powerful unified country in Europe and laying the foundation for France's disaster.

The French Third Reich had many followers in North Germany, which was also an area where French influence penetrated deeply. Marriage and family relationships were constantly being cut off and messed up. This alone was enough for France to take action.

From the perspective of national strategic interests

Napoleon III finally broke the shackles of the Alliance of Three Emperors, but he was unwilling to have another strong rival emerge in northwest Europe to compete with France for continental hegemony.

Therefore, France has carried out military mobilization within the country, and a steady stream of troops is converging on the Franco-Prussian border, and has exerted tremendous pressure from the national level. All this pressure has been piled on the shoulders of Prime Minister Bismarck.

The biggest problem now is time, what is lacking is time.

Because the Austro-Prussian War broke out so suddenly, the French army was not mobilized very quickly.

Many French officers and soldiers on leave were on their way to the barracks, and the French troops fighting in the colonies could not be mobilized for a while. The local French troops alone were not enough to launch a full-scale war.

It took time for France to mobilize, and it also took a long time for the factories to switch to a wartime system. This gave rise to the strategic thinking of "defense first" as the main force of the Austrian Imperial Army. It tried its best to bring the war into a stalemate and wait for the military intervention of the European powers.

Chief of Staff Moltke's risky military plan was the most advantageous plan to break the Austrian army's illusions. It would severely damage the main force of the Austrian army in the shortest time, lay the foundation for victory, and leave no time for the French to intervene.

"Are you confident? My Excellency, Chief of Staff." King William asked with a solemn expression.

General Moltke instantly felt the heavy pressure. The hope of the entire Kingdom of Prussia to unify the German region was on his shoulders. He nodded firmly and replied, "Your Majesty, you can believe in this Prussian army. It has

The best military mobilization system in Europe and firm belief will definitely bring you the victory you desire."

"Then it's decided. Let's implement the combat plan formulated by the General Staff Headquarters. The sooner the better."

"As you wish, my noble Majesty."

Finally, the second phase of the overall military plan of "split attack" was finalized, and everyone present breathed a sigh of relief.

from now on

It is about to enter a state of tension all night long. The Elbe River Corps, the 1st Corps and the 2nd Corps are deep into the mountains. The General Staff Headquarters has to issue hundreds of important orders, related to the order of battle, troop dispatch, material supply, marching sequence, etc.

etc., every aspect had to be sorted out clearly, it was so busy that my feet hit the back of my head.

If you don't think carefully and 450,000 troops are crowded on the narrow mountain path, shouting at the sky and the earth, it will be a complete disaster.

(End of chapter)