This battle may have been a German victory, but it was certainly a Russian disaster. More than 92,000 people were taken prisoner. An estimated 30,000 people were killed and missing. About five hundred guns of the Second Army were destroyed or captured. Gilinsky was concerned about Samsonov's fate and ordered Rennankampf to find the direction of the now-defunct Second Army. But Rennankampf turned around and fled, because the victorious Eighth Army concentrated fire on his troops. Two weeks later, at the Battle of Lake Masuri, the Germans cleared East Prussia of all Russian troops. Compared to the German casualties of 10,000, the casualties of Rennankampf's troops totaled 145,000. Hysterical about such disproportionate losses, Rennankampf abandoned his army and fled quickly back to Russia. Furious at his cowardice, Gilinsky sent a telegram to the Grand Duke, demanding that he be removed from office immediately. The Germans were not prepared for a war in which Russia would go to war in mid-August. However, because the Germans had two units to resist the Russians, the German army's resources were dispersed, which affected the war against the British and French forces on the Western Front.

In the Battle of Tannenberg, compared with the German casualties of 10,000, the casualties of Rennankampf's troops totaled 145,000. Hysterical about such disproportionate losses, Rennankampf abandoned his army and fled quickly back to Russia. Furious at his cowardice, Gilinsky sent a telegram to the Grand Duke, demanding that he be removed from office immediately. According to the commander of the Petrograd garrison, Noskov: "Rennankampf...... His march was interrupted in order to avoid aiding Samsonov. He was even accused of collaborating with the enemy: 'He's a German, what else can you expect him to do?' The commander-in-chief not only deposed Rennankampf, but also removed Gilinsky "because he had lost his mind and could not master the battle."

Moltke carefully chose the timing of the announcement of the victory to offset the defeat at Marne. When the news was announced, Hindenburg became an idolized figure in the carnival nation overnight. Hoffmann, who really deserved the victory, was overlooked, but Ludendorff, who had worked on Hoffman's strategy, shared some praise. However, Hoffmann's talent was not entirely unnoticed. He was promoted to major general, succeeding Ludendorff as chief of staff on the Eastern Front, but he continued to be dissatisfied with Hindenburg. After Hindenburg went to the German High Command, Hoffmann told those who came to the battlefield with a look of awe: "This is where the field marshal sleeps before the battle; This is where he slept during the battle; This is where he slept after the battle. ”

Hoffman also grasped the charismatic value of a hero's name. On 28 August, Ludendorff led his men to a small village called Flegnau, and he issued orders under the name of Samsonov a few hours before Samsonov's defeat. He and Hindenburg decided that the battle should be named after the village. Less than two miles away is the small village of Tannenburg. Hoffman proposed that there was no more appropriate name, since this was the scene of the battle of 1401, when the Teutonic Knights were defeated by the Poles and Lithuanians. That's how Tannenberg is remembered.

When Moltke informed Ludendorff that two corps and a cavalry division from the Western Front were on their way to the Eastern Front, victory was in sight. Influenced by Prittwitz's apprehensions, Moltke weakened his right flank and provided unnecessary support against Russia, a decision that gave the Entente ample strength to win at Marne. Perhaps this is the lost eastern corner of the war.

Unlike the Battle of Tannenberg on the Eastern Front, the Battle of the Marne ended in the defeat of the German army. The Anglo-French army advanced 60 kilometers on a 200-kilometer front, suffering 263,000 casualties and the Germans losing 220,000. There were mistakes on both sides in this battle: Moltke was far away from the battlefield, the situation on the front line was unknown, the command was improper, and the various army groups lacked coordination, which led to the bankruptcy of the quick victory plan; The Anglo-French forces were slow to move and lost their planes, allowing the Germans to preserve their strength.

"The Germans have already lost, and the next battle will do nothing but cost lives and national strength." In that conference room, those core generals and senior government officials listened to Boss Wu's analysis: "Yes, although the war only started a general battle, I can confirm that Germany has lost, if Field Marshal Schlieffen or, maybe Germany still has a chance to make peace by victory, but Moltke's indecision has no other way than to exhaust the last drop of German blood." Therefore, we must choose the right opportunity to join the Entente, and this principle is beyond doubt. And the best time to join is two years later, when the great powers of Britain, France, Germany, Russia and Austria are in a life-and-death dilemma, and our Wehrmacht can enter the war to obtain the greatest benefits at the minimum cost, and perhaps the opportunity to recover all the land and abolish all unequal treatment is at that time. ”

"Boss, then do we have to train and prepare for war?" Wu Ziyu saw Wu Chenxuan stop and hurriedly interjected, this time his own family Wu Luzhen recovered Qingdao, and he actually became a national hero without firing a shot, and even the British and Japanese governments came to the government to commend General Wu Shouqing's brilliant achievements, and the British also awarded him a Star of India medal. The Germans actually issued a message expressing their gratitude to General Wu Luzhen for not massively killing the lives of German troops and expatriates, but for giving appropriate treatment as prisoners of war. Of course, this kind of gratitude and instigation is simply blatant, and at the very least, it will make the Japanese feel more thorny, and it is inevitable that the yin and yang will be weird.

"The soldiers have to be trained, but I'm afraid that the real opponent we take over may not be Germany." Wu Chenxuan's words made all the generals stunned, and they remembered the cruelty of the trench warfare on the Western Front in the base of World War I. In that kind of meat grinder-like battlefield, life is the cheapest consumable, and your own subordinates can't be trapped in it. But who else could it be if the opponent was not Germany?

Japan? Everyone suddenly understood that the head office had just said that he would recover all the land and abolish all unequal treatment, so Russia, which occupied Siberia, was still an Entente power, and he could not be touched for the time being, and Japan was the only country that could compete with China for territory.

"The Seventh and Ninth Group Armies should properly carry out training and material preparations for operations in cold areas, and the Eighth Army should conduct training in amphibious operations, which will not take too long.

"The battle can be won, the general seat, we promise to complete the task." The three generals, Du Zicheng, Wu Shouqing, and Lan Jihao, stood up and saluted. Xiao Mingfeng and Wu Ziyu looked at each other anxiously, and the other sat upright, but the pencil in his hand had already become two.

"Hehe, Huaiyuan, the Central Group Army will continue to carry out special combat training, and in the future, your group army will be the main body to organize the participating army, and the other troops will be assigned to you to send troops to the European continent, so you have to be careful about how to fight on the Western Front."

"Guaranteed to complete the task, total seat. Thank you, thank you. Looking at Xiao Mingfeng, who was incoherent, everyone laughed, this guy is a martial madman, a five-spine-and-six beast who doesn't fight. Wu Chenxuan looked at Wu Ziyu, whose eyes did not blink, and took a sip of tea lightly before speaking: "The Tenth Group Army will recruit elites in Guangxi and Xiangxi, and in the future, the southwest mountains and jungles will be the places where you will make contributions." ”

"Yes, Lord." Wu Ziyu also clarified his own development direction, and said that he had to ask the general seat for more places for the children of Guangxi Xiangxi to enter the military academy, well, maybe the Guangxi children in the military academy can find a few available talents. I have to say that Wu Ziyu's mind is always one step ahead of others, and when the Eighth Group Army went to the military academy to pick up troops in order to cross the sea to fight, he found that the military cadets from Hunan in Guangxi almost let Wu Ziyu wrap up, and the angry Wu Luzhen went to his own house to smash and rob him, but Wu Ziyu was kind of talkative, good wine and good tea, but he didn't give it to people, and Wu Luzhen had to wait for the next class of Guangdong and Fujian military academy students to graduate before he had enough manpower. Thanks to the late start of the Taiwanese campaign and the fact that the Airborne Forces took the lead, the Eighth Army was given the opportunity to be fully prepared.

"Boss, in this Pyongyang negotiation, the British and Japanese sides may propose to let us choose a side, how should we express our position?" Lu Zhengxiang can regain Qingdao by betting this time, although it is a joke, but the people's ability to this foreign minister is miraculous, saying that Lu Zhengxiang seems to be the reincarnation of Kong Ming, Zhuge was reborn, and the Confucianism of the tongue war group put little Japan into a sleeve and forced the Germans to spit out Qingdao City.

"Brother Zixin. When you go to Pyongyang for negotiations this time, it is estimated that the British and Japanese sides will definitely use the issue of Qingdao's status as a threat to join the Entente. You can use the conditions we have negotiated for the commercial export of labor and the participation of the Air Force in the war. In addition, our army will also send observers to the front line to observe, and you can suggest that if Britain and Japan think we can participate in the war, we will choose when to participate. If Britain and Japan force us to enter the war, then you think that Britain, Japan, and other Entente countries must first return the territory and wealth they have seized in China. Wu Chenxuan said that he did not shy away from other people, and he also hoped that others could put forward some opinions, and the military unreservedly supported Lu Zhengxiang's actions, and could support him if necessary.

"Brother Zixin, now is Britain, France and Japan are begging us to send troops, it's not time for them to carve up Shenzhou, why be polite to them. If you really can't do it, you slap the table and say that I can't agree to this condition, and if you agree, you will become a traitor. If you leave, it will work, they don't dare to push you too much, maybe you can negotiate a good price. Zhang Nanjiang suddenly interjected.

Lu Zhengxiang touched his beautiful mustache and asked with a puzzled expression, "Brother Renjie, which country's negotiation trick is this, I haven't thought of such a negotiation method throughout the diplomatic history of ancient and modern China and foreign countries?" ”

"Brother, this has been repeatedly verified by practice, and you can believe that I am right. Brother, can I still pit you? ”

"That's right. I'll give it a try. Lu Zhengxiang knew that Zhang Nanjiang had always been wise, so he did not doubt him.

But then Zhang Nanjiang's muttering almost made Lu Zhengxiang pour a cup of hot tea into his nose: "Our nanny uses this trick every time she buys vegetables, and she always sells it fresh and cheap, saving a lot of money." ”

"Brother Renjie, can we be reliable?" Lu Zhengxiang, who wanted to cry without tears, said in his heart.