After a series of rainy weather, the Gallipoli coast finally cleared again, when the sun was shining on the beach and the sky and the sea in front of it turned into a blue curtain, and the seagulls soared and hissed in the sky, bringing the ocean to its most beautiful moment. Pen, fun, pavilion www. biquge。 info

However, in these turbulent times, this calm is only a false illusion.

Just on the skyline where the blue sky meets the clear water, some black phantoms slowly appeared, and as time passed, these black shadows became clearer and clearer, revealing their true posture.

These were a number of warships with sails outstretched, all of them large and densely packed on the sea, rushing towards the beach at full speed, and the array was unstoppable. The ships were graceful and well-lined, with sharp ramming horns piercing into the air, and above the towering masts, the flag waved proudly under the blue sky, showing the pride of the British Empire.

At this time, a large group of high-ranking officers of the French army had gathered on the beach behind the trestle, quietly watching these battleships that appeared under the sky, their expressions were serious, and the tassels and medals on their uniforms were dense, making this beach full of jewels that did not belong to it.

Slowly, the ships got closer and closer to the shore, and they waved their flags against the shore and then fired a cannon salute to salute the French generals on the shore.

Then, one after another, they dropped their anchors and docked at the trestle on the shore, just like the French expeditionary force that had come from afar, and then there was a commotion on the various warships, apparently preparing to disembark the soldiers inside the transports.

When they saw that the British had stopped the ship, the French generals stopped whispering, and the commander of the expeditionary force, Field Marshal Tréville, raised his hand and made a gesture.

"Bang!" The French officers and men on the shore fired a cannon salute.

Then, accompanied by the shouts of the officers to "play music", the military band began to play "God Save the Queen", welcoming the arrival of the British allies.

With the roar of the cannon salute and the accompaniment of the military band, a group of British officers in various uniforms stepped down from the ship, and then crossed the trestle to the French general.

The generals of the two armies faced each other, and the medals of fine clothing could not hide their respective arrogance, and the hot air seemed to suddenly freeze.

Not since the Battle of Waterloo had so many British and French generals faced each other, but the atmosphere was much friendlier than the unprecedented battle of 1815. Forty years ago they were bitter enemies, wishing that the other would die sooner, but forty years later they have become allies fighting side by side, unanimously making the enemy of another great power - the battle on the European continent is so dramatic!

After a moment of silence, the generals of both armies saluted each other almost simultaneously, and the air flowed again.

"I am Admiral Fitzroy-Somerset, Baron Raglan, Commander-in-Chief of the British Expeditionary Force." A tall, thin old man in a red military uniform with a Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath on his chest whispered in French to the French generals, "On behalf of Her Majesty, I extend my best wishes to you. ”

If you look closely, you can see that this general has only one arm, and this is the biggest mark left on him by his many years of fighting horses.

"I am Victor de Treville, commander-in-chief of the French Expeditionary Force." Field Marshal Treville, who was standing at the front of the line, picked up his marshal's staff and shook it slightly, and then replied to the British general gently and reservedly, "By order of His Majesty the Emperor, we will fight side by side with your army, and we will not withdraw until victory." ”

"Nice to meet you." Baron Raglan smiled, then stepped forward and, with his remaining hand, took Marshal Treville's hand.

"Nice to meet you." The marshal smiled similarly and shook the other's hand.

After the two commanders-in-chief shook hands with each other, the two formations of senior officers finally merged, and under the guidance of the French officers, the officers of the two armies began to walk towards the camp that had been prepared to receive the British generals.

To be the commander of the British Expeditionary Force, the sixty-year-old Baron Raglan and Admiral Fitzroy-Somerset was certainly a well-known figure, and in fact he was of great standing and prestigious in the British army - and like Marshal Tremier, he was one of the last vestiges of that glorious era of genius.

Fitzroy Somerset was born into an aristocratic family, he was the youngest son of the fifth Duke of Beaufort, because young sons were not allowed to inherit noble titles and titles, so he could only be called Lord Somerset when he was young, and according to the usual practice of nobles, he joined the army as a teenager.

At a time when Britain was experiencing its most formidable challenges, the Emperor Napoleon, leading his flesh-and-blood empire, prepared to fight it to the death, vowing to take the world from its grasp, and the young Lord Somerset, like so many of his contemporaries, was involved in this desperate struggle.

In 1808 he was appointed aide-de-camp of Sir Wellesley, the future Duke of Wellington, and from that time on he associated his reputation, his future and even his life with the giant of English history, and he followed Sir Wellesley on his conquests, from Portugal to Spain, to Belgium and finally to France.

It was in the Battle of Waterloo that the Duke went down in history that Lord Somerset followed the Duke and lost his arm, and also won the reputation of saving the Empire, becoming one of the heroes worshiped by the British.

After that campaign, he was briefly appointed secretary of the embassy in France before being transferred back home. Then, with the Duke of Wellington becoming Commander-in-Chief of the Army in 1827, he continued to follow the Duke of Wellington, silently assisting him in the management of the British army.

After the death of the Duke of Wellington last year, he became one of the most prestigious men in the Army, officially named Baron Raglan by the British government, and from then on he would be the founder of a new line of nobility in Britain.

And after the British government went to war against Russia, he certainly became the commander-in-chief of the British expeditionary force.

As a witness of that era, he himself was a witness to history, and now that he has become a new writer, he is not alarmed.

This veteran from the Duke's family is personable, but he is stiff and cold, quite in line with the British ideal of a resolute and resolute aristocratic image. He was also surrounded by a large group of aristocratic officers, such as the Earl of Lucan, who wore a hussar uniform and a hat with feathers on his head, and the bearded Earl Cardigan, who wore a military uniform.

This group of British aristocratic officers, like their predecessors and juniors, could be calm to the point of insensitivity, ready to sacrifice their lives and those of their subordinates for the British Empire, such a group of people who faithfully opened up the territory for the Empire and guarded the largest family business in human history.

Having faced the most dangerous situations and defeated the most formidable enemies, they are now confidently engaged in a new war, with no doubt that they and the Empire will be able to defeat the terrible Bear - and it will be worth it, no matter what the cost.

Along the way, naturally, the two commanders-in-chief began to talk.

"Sorry, we're late." Baron Raglan smiled and said to Marshal Treville, "But rest assured, we will never be late for battle. ”

Because of some necessary diplomatic procedures, the British government, even if it was itching, still held its temper and honestly went through the diplomatic process, until the Russians rejected the ultimatum submitted by the British ambassador, they declared war on Russia, and then concentrated their fleet and marched towards Turkey, so the British army was much later than the French army.

"You're lucky, it's always good to be late." Marshal Tréville also replied with a smile, "We have done a little construction in this desolate place, and can entertain you on good terms—if you had arrived first, I am afraid you would not have been able to drink a good Bordeaux on the first day." ”

"Oh! That's great! "Baron Raglan looked pleasantly surprised." I envy you French, who never delay enjoying the war! I haven't been able to dine pleasantly with the French for many years since I left Paris, and I can't wait to have lunch with you, Marshal. ”

"We are equally brave and good at fighting, but we are different from you in this regard." Marshal Trevier was still smiling, "So rest assured, whatever we can enjoy, we will share with you." ”

"You have gone too far, and we are equally hospitable, Your Excellency." Baron Raglan shook his head and denied the marshal's claims, "We have never treated your colleagues harshly, and even your Imperial Majesty we have always treated with courtesy...... God testifies that we have never treated Him badly, and I wonder why so many gossips slander us, which is a great insult to our reputation. ”

This sentence made Marshal Tréville stop for a moment.

Admittedly, contrary to many rumors, the Emperor Napoleon was not abused by the British when he was exiled to St. Helena, and his living conditions were very good—and it is even more nonsense that he was poisoned with arsenic by the British.

Of course, Baron Raglan was not so harsh, in fact he wanted to defend the reputation of the British, especially his old boss, the Duke of Wellington, in front of the French. In 1815, it was the Duke's efforts to keep the captured Emperor from being killed, but he was later secretly slandered, and he was outraged by the accusations that the British had mistreated the Emperor.

However, the marshal seems to be different.

Like most Englishmen, Baron Raglan was reserved and polite, hiding a pride that could not be concealed, which did not please Marshal Treville.

Moreover, the defeat of France by the British and the exile of His Majesty the Emperor has always been a pain in the hearts of French soldiers, and now it is mentioned so intentionally or unintentionally, which makes the marshal feel a little dissatisfied in his heart, but he also knows that the overall situation is now important, so he did not have a seizure.

"His Majesty the Emperor is equally full of respect for the British." Finally, he replied, "The past is really memorable. But I think reality is more important to us, and the Russians are not going to make it easy for you these days, and I think we need to have a good discussion. The fact that you were able to bring the British troops over gave us a great deal of confidence. ”

"We will never have the military genius and foresight of Emperor Bonaparte and the Duke of Wellington." Baron Raglan shrugged his shoulders and seemed a little absent-minded, "But fortunately, we at least have enough intelligence to be able to fight according to the principles of warfare prescribed by these geniuses...... What I learned from the Duke of Wellington is that we should always be mindful of concentrating all our strength, and then prepare to go to a decisive battle with the enemy and defeat them through a brave battle. ”

"It just so happened that I learned the same doctrine from His Majesty the Emperor." Field Marshal Trevier smiled, "His Majesty the Emperor admires the need to gather forces quickly and then seek to crush or annihilate the enemy, and I see no reason why we should not follow their teachings. ”

Of course, Britain and France did not just follow the teachings of the emperor and duke, they followed military logic, thousands of miles away, their logistics supply will definitely be seriously disrupted, so they both hope to be able to fight the Russians as soon as possible, and then defeat the Russian army, forcing the Russians to sue for peace and accept the terms of peace negotiations between the two governments.

However, although they all agree on the most basic principles, they still have major differences.

"Thank God we all have good teachers." Baron Raglan nodded. "Well, please accept our plan, we are late, but we have been planning for this for a long time......"

"I think you'd better go our way, sir." The marshal calmly replied to him, "After all, we have sent more troops than the British. ”

"But the British, who will be the main force of the navy, and who maintain a grand alliance for the coalition, should not be forgotten for their foresight." Baron Raglan shook his head, clearly disagreeing with the marshal's opinion.

"Sir, we are going to fight side by side!" The marshal was a little upset. "And I'm a marshal."

"Yes, I think, the most important thing is that I will fight side by side with you and then win the final victory." Baron Raglan was also a little unhappy, "I'm glad I can help you regain your lost honor in Russia. ”

"What do you mean by that?" The marshal finally couldn't help himself and raised his voice, "I have fought bravely everywhere and have never lost my honor and dignity, but you, if the Prussians are a few hours late...... I didn't even know if I would see you today? ”

"I know you're a brave general, but where were you at Waterloo? I haven't seen you! Baron Raglan said coldly and calmly, "I would not mind if you were there, and I would not mind treating you with the same courtesy when I took you captive, so that you could experience the generosity of the British." ”

"You...... Your attitude makes people a little confused, don't you think that cooperation is not important to us? The marshal frowned, as if in anger, "If you continue to face us with such an attitude, then it is a pity that we will not be able to effectively coordinate with you!" ”

"Then I will also tell you that it is impossible for the British army to obey the orders of the French army, and that the people of Britain will not accept such an arrangement." Baron Raglan was equally-for-tat.

The two bad old men glared at each other like this, which made the officers next to them feel surprised and embarrassed, this is their commander-in-chief! What if there is a real fight?

But the dispute between the two commanders is not just a personal matter between the two old men, but is interspersed with their different command systems, guiding ideologies, and, more importantly, the arrogance and dignity of the two armies.

And more importantly, the question of dominance, neither side wants to be controlled by others, so it is better to appear tough at the beginning.

After staring at each other for a long time, Marshal Trevier finally sneered.

"You're a stubborn old fellow."

"Aren't you the same?" The baron laughed too.

"Let's have lunch, then, at least on the alcohol." The marshal made an inviting gesture.