PS: Subscription supports genuine glorious

Duan Qirui, Feng Guozhang, Liu Buyun, Jiang Baili, Cai Yi and others successively came to the round table conference room of the presidential palace, Rong Rong also attended the meeting, and Song Xiaofei told Duan Qirui the news of the German occupation of Paris. At that time, Russia also declared war on Germany and Austria-Hungary, and the Allies opened up the Eastern Front. Song Xiaofei asked Rong Rong to give the generals present a general overview of the situation on the Eastern Front of the war.

Rong Rong began to report on the intelligence gathered by China's military observers sent to Europe. At that time, because China remained neutral, both warring parties wanted to win over China, and provided a lot of useful information to China's military observers. Rong Rong opened a topographic map of Europe, pointed to the topographic map with a military baton, and said: "Generals, you see, it turns out that Russia has a common border with Germany and Austria-Hungary, extending more than 1,100 miles, and after China and Germany divided Tsarist Russia, Russia's Polish province was ceded to Germany, and Germany's East Prussia, an eighty-mile-wide German territory, is sandwiched between Poland and the Baltic Sea. The Austro-Hungarian Habsburg royal family also had a vulnerable province, Galicia, whose rich lands were separated from the rest of the Austro-Hungarian Empire by the Carpathian Mountains. In mid-August, it was from these two places that the Russians began their attacks. ”

Feng Guozhang stood up and said: "I understand Russia's military mobilization capabilities. In my estimation, it will take at least 6 to 8 weeks for Russia to complete the assembly and sortie on the Eastern Front from the declaration of war and mobilization, why did the Russian army attack so quickly this time? ”

Rong Rong said: "Because it was the French who helped Russia formulate the battle plan this time. Russia's first plan developed with the help of France. Prepare for two possibilities. If Germany had attacked France first, Russia would have attacked East Prussia and Austrian Galicia at the same time. Another plan, purely defensive. Applicable to the initial forced advance of Germany towards Russia. Therefore, after the German army attacked Belgium, the French could not wait to ask Russia to send troops to East Prussia and Austrian Galicia according to the first plan. ”

Song Xiaofei said: "I also heard about it. Before the start of the war, the chief of the French General Staff Xia Fei went to Russia to brainwash the Russian General Staff and instill the idea that it must take the initiative to attack. At that time, Nicholas II, who was anxious to come out of the humiliation of the Sino-Russian war and the German-Chinese partition of Tsarist Russia, also appreciated the proposal to take the initiative to attack, and Nicholas II even said it openly. Russia will strike at Berlin, the heart of Germany! At the beginning of the war, the German offensive on the Western Front caused fear among the French. August 5, the third day of Germany's declaration of war on France. The French ambassador met with Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and earnestly pleaded with Nicholas II to order the army to take an immediate offensive, otherwise the French army was in danger of being annihilated. ”

Duan Qirui asked: "Why can France be so domineering and ask Tsarist Russia to send troops to East Prussia and Galicia in Austria?" ”

Rong Rong said: "Because before that, France had provided more than 100 billion gold francs to Russia. Help Tsarist Russia rebuild and arm its army. Britain was also persuaded to abandon war reparations. Nicholas II showed his loyalty to the Entente by supporting France. ”

Song Xiaofei said: "It seems that Russia is eating France's soft mouth!" ”

Rong Rong replied, "Yes." ”

Song Xiaofei said: "It is not at all surprising that Russia has joined the Entente. On the chessboard of military planning, the Russian 'steamroller' made France and Britain feel relieved. In the minds of the British and French, the Russian ** team was a behemoth, inevitably bloated and sluggish at first, but once fully mobilized and put into action, it was wave after wave of never-ending sea of people, no matter how big the casualties. will be indomitable, one after the other. Roll forward. In particular, the Cossack cavalry charged, with its earth-shattering murderous and ferocious cruelty, was deeply rooted in the hearts of the people in Europe. The European team against Russia has formed a concept, that is, the Cossacks plus the millions of strong, tame and obedient farmers who are not afraid to run out. ”

Rong Rong said: "That's true. The Russian Army was staggeringly numerous: 1,423,000 troops in peacetime; Once mobilized, the total number of available soldiers can reach 6.5 million. So France had high hopes for Nicholas II's promise to enter the war. I saw a report in The Times that the French ambassador to Russia, on his way to the Winter Palace, saw a regiment of Russian Cossack cavalry marching to the front. The Tsar invited the French ambassador to Russia to inspect the troops, and the ambassador agreed. During the parade, the commander of the Cossack cavalry regiment raised his arms and shouted: 'We will destroy those despicable German devils, and we will exile Kaiser Wilhelm to St. Helena (the same place where Napoleon was exiled)!' After shouting, the commander of the Cossack cavalry regiment brandished his saber and led his troops at a gallop. This scene gave the French ambassador a glimpse of the combat effectiveness of the Cossack cavalry regiment! Moreover, although the Tsarist Empire collapsed, the population was still nearly 100 million, and with a huge loan from France, Russia quickly restored its standing army to 1.4 million, and with a little conscription to 3 million, there were more than 2 million reservists. ”

Seeing that Rong Rong said that the Russian army was very strong, Feng Guozhang disagreed, stood up and said, "I have dealt with the army of Tsarist Russia. Although there are many Russian ** teams, I think they are all paper tigers. This roller is also paper paste. The combat effectiveness of the Russian army is too average. Russian officers were free to corporal punishment of soldiers, and there was a high level of hierarchy in the army. The officials add vodka to the mountains and seas every day, and the soldiers chew the black grins and cold water. On the battlefield, the officers have to always beware of the hateful bullets fired from behind. The training of the Russian army is even more cloudy, and there is not much left after the already small funds have been stripped at various levels, and many Russian soldiers have not let go of their guns when they retire. The level of equipment of the Russian army also lagged behind that of the Germans, mainly due to the lack of artillery and, in particular, the lack of heavy artillery. The Russian field army did not even have a password or a password staff, and the Russian high command did not seem to have thought of the need to train operators for such tasks. For example, I know Sukhhomlinov, the current Minister of War of Russia. He was a fat man in his sixties, he was not tall, with fine skin and white flesh, and was born with a cat's face and a neat snow-white beard. The whole body is full of charm, almost treacherous, and he wants to befriend a figure like the Tsar. And all of them were among them. In 1906, Sukhhomlinov became obsessed with the twenty-three-year-old wife of a provincial governor. He did everything possible to frame him, plotted a divorce, got rid of that husband, and married this stunning stunner as his fourth wife. He was born a lazy billet, and since then he has been pushing more and more official affairs to his subordinates. Sukhhomlinov likes to order fashion from Paris with his wife and go out to luxurious restaurants and restaurants. Hold a grand feast and dance. In order to satisfy her need for profligacy, Sukhhomlinov used the art of falsely reporting expenses at an early stage and prospered financially. He reimbursed the public for his travel expenses at the cost of twenty-four versts a day on horseback riding, and in fact he traveled by train. The proceeds of his embezzlement. That's a lot of numbers. Even more terrifying is his stubbornness, convinced that bayonets are better than bullets. Sukhhomlinov did not even run out of government funds for the production of arms. The Russians spread out 850 shells per cannon, in comparison. Germany had a reserve of 2,000 to 3,000 shells per cannon. One of the Russian infantry divisions had seven field artillery batteries. The Germans had fourteen infantry divisions. The entire Russian Army had sixty heavy artillery batteries, while the German Army had three hundred and eighty-one. At that time, the war was largely based on the contest of firepower between the two sides, and Sukhomlinov scoffed at such admonitions. Russia's dispatch of a large army to fight a modern war in Germany was a dangerous and extremely complex operation, which required some painstaking and careful organization, and under the unfavorable conditions of the different width and narrowness of the railway gauge, it was tantamount to death. The result? Tell us about the process. ”

Rong Rong replied: "Yes, the Russian army has a lot of shortcomings. Inadequate training. Supplies were scarce, and the generals were incompetent. Poor organization. But Britain and France do not care about these shortcomings of the Russian army, and even whether Russia can win or not, Britain and France do not care. They only hope that when France is attacked by Germany, Russia will be thrown like a cannonball, with a loud bang, even if Russia is crushed, Germany will at least have to lack arms and legs, and be able to contain part of Germany's troops. Tsar Nicholas II also wanted to reap the benefits of the war. After the outbreak of the war, the tsar appointed his cousin Grand Duke Nicholas as commander-in-chief of the Russian army, and despite the many problems of the Russian army, the Grand Duke Nicholas assured the French ambassador that in order to keep his promise to start the operation on the 15th day after the mobilization order was issued, he would not wait for all the troops to be assembled, and prepared to send two army groups to attack East Prussia first. ”

Song Xiaofei laughed and said, "The commander-in-chief of the Russian army is Grand Duke Nikolai?" I had met this man, he was tall and handsome, and he was the most admired man by the young men of Russia at that time. Why? Not because of his talents and merits, but because he hated the attitude of the Chinese and Germans. In the minds of the Russian indignant youth, he was a true patriot in the imperial family, the only man. It's a pity that this person has nothing to show for himself. ”

Rong Rong replied, "That's true. Nicholas II was cowardly. After he learned that he was appointed commander-in-chief of the Russian army, he cried for a long time, he knew that he was not capable of completing the task assigned by his eldest nephew, and there were few capable people under him. Still, he had good luck. The main force of the German army stationed in East Prussia was the 8th Army, with a total of only 4 and a half armies and 1 cavalry division, plus the garrison of Königsberg, which was only equivalent to a Russian army group. Moreover, the commander of the German 8th Army, Colonel-General Prittwitz, was only a courtly favorite of Wilhelm II. The man was far more famous for his good food habits than his military talents, hence the nickname 'Fat Fellow'. ”

Song Xiaofei said: "The supreme commanders of both sides are rice buckets, and this war is interesting. I heard that Prittwitz's high position was a reward for his frequent remarks to the emperor at the dinner table, and the chief of the general staff, Schlieffen, thought he was incompetent, and for many years wanted to remove him, but because he was so popular with the emperor, he could not be replaced. East Prussia is the northeastern equivalent of the Manchu Qing Dynasty and is the birthplace of the German Empire. In 1701, the first monarch of the Hohenzollern royal family was crowned to the Prussian throne in Königsberg, the capital of the region. In this land, farmsteads are rich, pastures are extensive, cattle of Holstein are grazing, pigs and chickens are running about in stone-walled yards, the famous Traknen stallions breed a steady supply of horses for the German army, and the large estates there are owned by the Junker aristocracy. Since the Teutonic Knights were entrenched in 1225, the region has been under German rule for 700 years, with the exception of a few Polish rule. Did the Germans lose East Prussia? ”

Rong Rong replied: "Prittwitz saw that the Russian ** team was outnumbered, several times that of the German army. He hastily withdrew his troops from Poland, and he advocated holding on to East Prussia, where along the Angrap River. All the way through the Insterburg Gorge, the fortifications have been carefully constructed; In the eastern swampy areas, roads are built with causeways that are raised above the ground, so that the enemy can be restrained on narrow embankments above the level. In addition, the entire East Prussian railway network was crisscrossed, and the defenders were easily moved from one front to another. Attack any of the enemy's wings. ”

Song Xiaofei said: "Retreat without a fight." This Prittwitz is such an idiot! ”

Rong Rong said: "When the rude shouts of the Russian Cossack cavalry spread throughout East Prussia, the Germans were extremely shocked. They originally wanted to concentrate their main forces on the Western Front, but they didn't expect these barbarians to come so soon. On August 12. Just after dawn, the Russian 1st Army entered East Prussia under the leadership of General Leinkampf. On August 19, the 2nd Army under General Samsonov also moved out. According to the operational plan of the Russian base camp, the 1st Army cut off the German army from Königsberg from the north. The 2nd Army cut off the Germans from the Vistula. Encircled and annihilated the German 8th Army in the East Prussian salient, and then took Berlin directly. This was the first time since the end of the Napoleonic Wars that a Russian team appeared on German territory. ”

Feng Guozhang asked, "What was the result of the battle?" ”

Rong Rong replied: "On August 18, the first battle between the two sides took place, and since the German army did not intend to entangle at the border, Leningkampf repelled the German 1st Army and began to penetrate deep into East Prussia. On 20 August, the Germans launched an offensive against the Russian 1st Army at Gumbin. At first, the Germans fought quite easily. But the Russian army launched a powerful counterattack. First the German 1st Army was repulsed, and then the German 17th Army was also severely defeated. The German 17th Army suffered more than 8,000 casualties. The Russian army also captured 1,000 people and captured 12 artillery pieces. At the same time, the German 20th Army engaged in skirmishes with the Russian 4th Army and, having learned of the defeat on the main battlefield, also retreated. But Leninkampf did not take advantage of the victory to pursue, but stopped where he was to rest. At this time, Prittwitz was shocked to receive the news that the Russian army had succeeded in attacking. He immediately ordered the entire army to continue its retreat to the upper reaches of the Vistula. Schlieffen was furious and could not bear it anymore, so he replaced Prittwitz as commander with Hindenburg and Ludendorff as chief of staff from Wadsey, and set a strict military order to devote all his troops to annihilate the Russian army that first entered the range of German artillery. ”

Song Xiaofei said: "Ludendorff was chosen to succeed Waldzer as chief of staff of the Eighth Army, because Schlieffen appreciated his record of turning defeat into victory in Liège, right?" ”

Rong Rong said: "Yes, Ludendorff learned of his promotion on August 22, when he was in the Second Army in Bilo, near Namur. Ludendorff immediately got into a staff car and sped towards Koblenz. On the evening of Koblenz, the Kaiser and Schlieffen received him and gave him a brief briefing. Three hours later, he took a special train to the Eastern Front, where Hindenburg met him. Hindenburg and Ludendorff reused a young lieutenant colonel, who was an expert on Russian affairs in the German General Staff. Lieutenant Colonel Hoffmann, whose job was to study what kind of battle plan Russia would use in the event of a war against Germany. Hoffmann was in his thirties, with a burly build, a large, round head, and short, Prussian hair, so short that his scalp was exposed, making him look bald. He was easy-going, but he was by no means reluctant. He wears a pair of black-rimmed glasses, and his two jet-black eyebrows are curled from side to side. After graduating from the General Staff College in 1898, Hoffmann was sent to Russia as an interpreter for six months, then worked for five years in the Russian section of the General Staff under Schlieffen before serving as a military observer for Germany during the Russo-Chinese War. He returned to his old business and studied the Russian battle plan. A colonel of the Russian General Staff sold a copy of his country's battle plan for a high price in 1902. He also intercepted reports that the Russians were transmitting non-coded telegrams, so the Russian army was bound to suffer a crushing defeat. ”

Song Xiaofei said: "The Russians are really stupid. Military telecommunications do not know how to use passwords. What was the situation? Let's talk about it. ”

Rong Rong said: "The beginning of dawn on August 27 was the end of the world for the Russian army, when the First Army of the Russian army shelled Samsonov's left flank in the Ustau defense area. The German signalmen intercepted Samsonov's telegram for help, but Gilinsky and Liannian Kampf ignored his pleas. Hungry and demoralized, the Russian army inevitably broke up. Panic and flee. Despite the danger to his troops, Samsonov ordered his central forces to attack, causing a brief period of unrest for the Germans. But hungry and confused Russian troops. Let them be hunted like a flock. The Germans, who stretched for forty miles, had only to point the circle of prisoners to these brave men, who had fought to the point beyond their endurance. The Russian Second Army suffered all losses: of the commanders of the five armies, two were captured, and three were immediately removed from their posts due to incompetence. Samsonov did not suffer the same fate as they did, and on the evening of August 28 he broke into the forest alone. Raising his pistol to his temple, he pulled the trigger and committed suicide. Two weeks later, at the Battle of Lake Masuri, the Germans cleared East Prussia of all Russian troops. Leninkampf's troops suffered a total of 145,000 casualties. Leningkampf, hysterical about such disproportionate losses. Abandon his army and flee back to Russia. ”

Song Xiaofei said: "In other words, the German army has achieved a complete victory on the Eastern Front until now? ”

Rong Rong said: "That's true. When the news is published. Hindenburg became an idolized figure in a carnival nation overnight. Hoffmann, who really deserved the honor of this victory, was overlooked. But Ludendorff, who had scrutinized Hoffman's strategy, shared some credit. However, Hoffmann's talent was not entirely unnoticed. He was promoted to major general. ”

Song Xiaofei fell into deep thought, his face was heavy, now history has completely changed, so far, the German army's Schlieffen plan has basically succeeded, and the German army has achieved great victories on both the Eastern and Western Fronts. Well, next. In the battle of Galicia, will the Germans send troops to reinforce the Austro-Hungarian army? Will the Austro-Hungarian army, under the command of Archduke Ferdinand, still suffer a crushing defeat?

Duan Qirui saw that Song Xiaofei's face was a little wrong, and spoke first: "President, isn't it expected that the German army captured Paris and won victory on the Eastern Front, and it can be said that the Schlieffen plan was successfully implemented for the time being?" Why do you look surprised? ”

Song Xiaofei asked Duan Qirui: "What do you think the German army will do next?" What will happen to the battle? ”

Duan Qirui said: "I think the German army will take Verdun next, and second, it will take Antwerp in Belgium." ”

Jiang Baili also felt that the German army was really fierce, and it would be like a bamboo all the way to take France and the whole of Belgium easily. The generals present had a lot of discussions, but only Cai Yi did not say a word.

Song Xiaofei asked Cai Yi: "Songpo, what is your opinion?" ”

Dressed in his brand-new lieutenant general's uniform, Cai stood up and said, "I think the Germans will fight a protracted battle with the British and French troops at Verdun." Although France lost Paris, the government is still there, it has not yet announced its surrender, and the industrial base is still there. The Germans were now a tired division, deep into French territory, and the logistics were difficult to keep up with, so it was already like the end of a strong crossbow. Moreover, I have heard that recently the old king of Belgium, Leopold II, has announced his abdication and handed over the remaining territory of Belgium to the young crown prince Albert, that is, Albert I, and the German army is already approaching the English Channel, and the British will no longer sit idly by and will certainly help the Belgians. Antwerp is not so easy to win either. ”

Song Xiaofei also had a big brain when he heard Cai Ye say this: France was already a powerful industrial power in 1908, and with the defense system that had been operating for many years, even if the attack failed, the defense could always be done. France still has a large number of adult men who have participated in the reserves, as long as the French government is not willing to surrender, as long as the French people still have the will to fight, then France can always form a new army and fight into battle, not to disarm a big country like a cat in a bag, and the new young king of Belgium, Albert I, is not a coward, on the contrary, he has good military qualities and leads the Belgian people to fight to the end. The war on the Western Front will definitely not end there. Once a protracted war was ensued, the Royal Navy of the British Empire could easily block Germany's sea lines of communication, leaving Germany in a shortage of supplies. And, in addition to the idealistic speed of the march, the Schlieffen plan almost ignored the logistical issues. Schlieffen used a logistical supply formula that was forty years behind, and the amount of ammunition that the Germans planned to consume was based on the experience of the Franco-Prussian war, which was completely unreliable. Because during these forty years, the large amount of equipment of magazine rifles, machine guns and rapid-fire guns increased the firepower, but also increased the rate of ammunition consumption. In order to improve the logistical supply capacity, the ratio of men to horses in the army has been reduced from 4:1 to 3:1, and horses need a lot of fodder, which undoubtedly increases the pressure on logistics supply. In other words, the Schlieffen plan itself was flawed with a number of loopholes that made a quick fix impossible. The Schlieffen plan can be said to be a mess in terms of logistics, and the actual war situation proves this. The Germans had won the Battle of the Marne, and they were probably no longer able to advance. Moreover, the Schlieffen plan underestimated the serious consequences of the British army's entry into the war. Overall, the Schlieffen plan had two major mistakes: one was a fanatical quest for perfect victory, and the other was a constant response to change. Therefore, it remains to be seen whether the German army will be able to support the Austro-Hungarian army in the future and what the outcome of the war will be in the future.

After some discussion, Song Xiaofei still decided that China would remain neutral for the time being, because China has the advantage of labor costs, arms are cheaper than the United States, and have a great competitive advantage, and Song Xiaofei also ordered all state-owned military factories throughout the country to produce at full capacity, make a lot of money, and continue to develop and improve China's industrial strength. (To be continued......) u