"Tang Lao Marfa, since the Battle of Brydenfield is so crucial, the Rakshasa Kingdom will not remain indifferent, will it? Crucially, the new tactics based on maneuver and firepower triumphed for the first time over the old tactics based on numbers and spears, showing that the quality of the reformed Swedish army was far superior to that of the old European armies. The so-called 'Protestant' alliance defeated the 'Catholic' alliance, and your Holy See should not just complain, but should find out the reason from the end of the Roman infantry phalanx and the rise of new firearms! Hongyi analyzed in depth.

"What you said is that I will definitely remind the cardinals of Rome, just say that this is a kind reminder from the great saint from the East, the royal Baylor, and you!" John Tong was very grateful.

"Hehe, I'm more concerned about how Rakshasa learned this from Gustav II and quickly applied it to his own!" Hongyi was unmoved, and told it according to his own understanding-

Under the influence of Sweden at that time, Russia had created six "European-style legions" at this time. Indeed, the composition of these legions was a departure from the old Russian army of the fifteenth century, and was more diverse, including the nobles who had lost their territories, the low-ranking boyars, the Cossacks, and the freedmen. But in fact, the legion prefers to recruit former high-society gentlemen who choose to go bankrupt, but there are only 60 such people in the legion.

More importantly, this new type of unit also introduced a new organizational structure of the army, in which each regiment replaced the original "hundred-man team" with a new type of "company", and each regiment had eight companies. Each company had 120 musketeers and 80 spearmen. The regiment numbered 176 officers, including a colonel, a lieutenant colonel, a major, a number of captains and a number of other junior officers, as well as a quartermaster, a medic, a secretary, and a number of sergeants, corporals, drummers and interpreters. And this, like the formation of the Gustav II legion!

As for the training of the Russian army at this time, it was usually to hire foreign officers, especially Swede instructors, who had just experienced the "Thirty Years' War" between 1618 and 1648, to supervise the training. Each company is to be led by its captain in the front while the other junior officers are responsible for the rear. The sergeant major was responsible for leading the spearmen in the legion, and the sergeants were flanked by the spearmen. The corporals were on the right side of the corps. The drummers were placed between the third and fourth rows of musketeers.

Meanwhile. Russia, following the example of Gustav II's Sweden, also began to create new cavalry and dragoon regiments called "Reiter". The cavalry was also sourced from freemen, low-ranking boyars, and other poorer nobles. Monasteries and aristocratic families who were not required to serve were also required to provide Reitel cavalry, specifically one for every 100 cubic yards of land, a traditional Russian feudal cavalry supply system. Each cavalry regiment had 12 companies. 167 people per company. Other than that. By this time, Russia had created an artillery battery with 12 light guns. At the end of the "Smolensk War" of 1632-1634 [1]. Russia had formed 10 of these new regiments, numbering more than 17,000 men, but they were quickly disbanded after the end of the war, in accordance with old traditions.

As for the so-called "standing army". Russia has already established its borders in the south. In response to the needs of the Tatars, the Russians created a total of about 8,000 dragoon and infantry regiments as border legions on the southern front, recruiting not only freemen but also serfs. This new type of "peasant army" was different from the previous troops that were called in the event of a war and went home to farm after the battle, but a formal standing army, and the soldiers received regular salaries, uniforms, weapons, and food. At one point, the total number of these frontier legions reached 13,000, but they gradually dwindled to less than 10,000. As for the famous Cossacks, Hongyi estimated that there were only 20,000 people in the Russian army at the moment.

In other words, nowadays, if the Rakshasa launches a big war, even if it is a war of the country, there should be no more than 60,000 veterans who can be used. With the addition of young adults across the country, the total number will not exceed 160,000! And the Eight Banners of the Qing Dynasty are 300,000 yuan! Hongyi boldly judged.

"The master is extremely accurate! But ......" While John Tang nodded yes, he seemed to think of something, and he didn't know whether to say it or not.

"But what? Please also ask Lao Marfa to tell the truth! "Great, there is really first-hand information that the vast amount of information of later generations does not have! Hongyi asked eagerly.

"Master, according to the letters of the brothers from Macao, it seems that since last year, there seems to be a terrible disease epidemic in the country of Rakshasa...... It comes with filthy rats or squabble, with initial symptoms of a lump in the groin or armpit, followed by horrible blue-black patches on the skin. Almost all patients die tragically within three days...... It's terrifying...... It seems that God has appeared to punish the so-called Orthodox Christians who are not determined in their hearts. However, the old minister was not sure that what he said in the letter was very accurate. "Tang Ruowang really doesn't dare to talk in front of the omniscient Xiao Xuanye now.

"A terrible disease? Could it be...... Black death? black-death？ Hongyi was surprised, or overjoyed!

"Exactly, my little master! Fearsome...... Black death! While John Tang promised, he couldn't help but draw a cross on his chest.

Speaking of this Black Death, it is actually the bubonic plague, one of the most serious plagues in human history, especially in the history of medieval Europe. During the outbreak of the Black Death in the 14th century, more than 30% of Europe's population died at its hands. At that time, Europeans must have heard of the Black Death!

However, Hongyi only knew that by the seventeenth century, several "Black Death pandemics" in Europe were not as large as those in the fourteenth century. Some of the more famous are the Italian plague of 1629-1631, the Great Plague of London of 1665-1666, the great plague of Vienna of 1679, the Great Plague of Marseille of 1720-1722, and the plague of Moscow of 1771. But there is no clear record that Russia is also experiencing a Black Death plague at the moment, that is, in 1655!

"Your Jesuit brothers said they didn't say when the plague started?" Hongyi asked tentatively.

"Oh, Merciful Mother......" John Tong replied, slowly recovering from his prayers, "he said that last year it had already flooded Moscow in Rakshasa, and that two or three out of ten of its inhabitants would have been killed......

"Last year? In 1654? Twenty-three out of ten? Hongyi's eyes widened, staring at Tang Ruowang, and he didn't know whether it was sadness or surprise, just repeating these two data.

"Yes, my master."

"Good! …… It's terrifying! Hongyi blurted out a "yes", and immediately remembered that in front of a Jesuit priest who flaunted himself for his kindness, he must not be insensitive and hurriedly changed his words.

In fact, he had a different analysis in mind - the general Black Death would have spread for two to three years, during which time Moscow's population would have plummeted by a quarter even if the mortality rate was calculated at 25% instead of 30%! The plague did not fear the powerful, nor did it dislike the rich and the poor, and the various citizens of Russia fell in droves, and the military replenishment of Muscovy became a big problem.

"yes, it's horrible. The old minister will make a prayer service for them. "John Tang didn't know what Hongyi really thought at this time.

"Well, hard work old Marfa. May your Lord bless these poor Orthodox. ”

After all, I'm going to bless them, what will I do next? Hongyi really feels that he is "extremely black"!

(Chapter to be continued)

"A limerick poem. Hidden Head

Reading literature and reading history is only a long breath

I was saying that there was an opportunity back then

The layout is a long-cherished wish

It's hard to come and go

Get up and spend a hundred years

Point out the suffering and diseases of the world

The edge of the town was razed to the sea

Wen'an Wuding tears of joy

[1] The Smolensk War (1632–1634) was an armed conflict between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Tsarist Russia. In October 1632, Russia launched the war to retake Smolensk, which had once been a Russian possessions. Although the two sides won and lost each other in the various minor battles of the war, the main Russian forces surrendered in February 1634 and the Treaty of Pojanovka was signed. In the treaty, Russia recognized the sovereignty of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth over Smolensk, but in fact this treaty lasted only 20 years, and then a new Polish-Russian conflict broke out, which led to the loss of control of Smolensk by the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth again. (To be continued......)