Just when Schlieffen was full of pride, a discordant voice suddenly came from beside him. He turned his head, only to see Qingying take a step forward and speak in a slightly puzzled tone, "Mr. Earl, I have a small question. If we amass such a powerful force on the right flank, then how can we ensure the speed of their march and the question of logistical provisions? ”

According to the plan, the right-wing cluster would need to sweep through Belgium and the French hinterland in just five weeks; In particular, the 1st Army, which had reached the northernmost point, had to travel a much longer distance each day, as it had to advance westward along the edge of the English Channel. And I doubt that Germany's logistical support system would be able to supply such a large army enough to meet the normal attrition required for a rapid advance through France. In 1870 we only used 250,000 troops, and this time we had 1.1 million troops on the flanks alone, but today's logistics system has not changed as much as it did then! If the Franco-Belgian armies had retreated and destroyed the bridges and roads along the way, it would have been difficult for me to imagine the supply of this right-wing army after it had penetrated deep into French territory. Qing Ying weighed the words and finally said the words that had been buried in her heart. At this moment, Qingying actually had some long-lost expectations and impulses in his heart: if he could convince Schlieffen head-on and make him doubt his plan, then the strategy of defending the west and attacking the east without losing money would be put forward naturally!

"On top of that, it's hard to keep us moving forward. This was not only due to the fact that the deeper we went into the French territory, the more difficult it would be for our army's supplies to reach the front line, but also because of the resistance that the French had to make. If the French and Belgian armies were to hold the forts, rivers and cities along the way, it would cause considerable hindrance and distress to our advance. After all, heavy artillery used for storming fortifications was difficult to maneuver quickly. And these big guys are absolutely indispensable to capture a well-defended fortress! Japan's one-year-long siege of the Russian fortress of Dalini is the most direct example of this. Once we were not able to quickly settle France within 40 days. Then the mobilized Russia will extend its ferocious and tyrannical claws to the holy East Prussia, and the British expeditionary force will land in a steady stream of French rear ports; Our Germany will be attacked on three sides, and this will undoubtedly be a disastrous situation for us. Qingying added.

To Qingying's surprise, Shi Lifen was surprisingly calm after hearing these words, and did not show any consternation and solemnity. He was silent for a long time, and then said to Qing Ying slowly: "I originally thought that His Highness did not have a deep understanding of the army's strategy, but what you said just now. But it undoubtedly hit the most lethal core of my plan. The rapid advance of 1.1 million and 250,000 people are indeed two very different situations, but they are not impossible to deal with. ”

"What's the solution?" Qingying and William blurted out in unison.

Shi Lifen's eyes suddenly revealed a fierce look, and said: "Raise war with war!" As soon as our troops set foot on the territory of Belgium, Holland and France, they immediately plundered all the supplies that could be used for military supplies, leaving nothing in their path. If Belgium can surrender without a fight, we will not only get a complete transportation hub in their country, but also collect all their defense stockpiles; In this way, the personnel in charge of logistics will only have to transport artillery, guns and ammunition, and the supply pressure will be greatly reduced, and the roundabout strategy of the entire corps will become feasible. ”

"My Count. The Prussian army was upright, loyal, brave and obedient, and had a high reputation and a proud and glorious historical tradition. And you're doing it to turn them into a gang of robbers! Hearing Schlieffen say such a conscientious strategy, Qingying didn't have time to speak, and William next to him couldn't help it in an instant. His face turned slightly red, and he said angrily in a tone full of anger: "Once we do this, we will fall into unprecedented accusation and isolation in the international community, and the entire civilized world will completely spurn us!" If the enemy is a barbarian from Africa and Asia, how can such a means be used in the white world, which also belongs to Europe? ”

"Your Majesty, the situation I am facing in Germany is no longer a situation in which you can freely choose whether you want it or not, but it is necessary and only to do so." Schlieffen took out a handkerchief from his cuff, wiped the punctuation that Wilhelm had sprayed on his face because of the roar, and said in a tone that was neither humble nor arrogant: "Because once the war turns into a protracted tug-of-war, then the political and economic order of the empire will be on the verge of unsustainable collapse in a few years, not to mention that Britain may become our enemy and impose a strict naval blockade on Germany!" The only way for us to achieve victory is to checkmate our opponents with all our might at the outset, in order to guarantee victory before the finances go bankrupt and the regime collapses. Therefore, if we want to win a quick victory, we cannot break through head-on, and if we cannot break through head-on, we can only use Belgium to flank and outflank, and it will be difficult to ensure the speed of the advance of the large corps, and it is difficult to ensure the speed of the march, so we can only take the extreme plunder of war to ensure that our army can sweep away France according to the established plan! There is no other way, and this is the only inevitable choice for us. ”

William fell silent and did not say a word for a long time. Qingying coughed lightly and said, "Mr. Earl, why can't we think about the problem from a different angle?" Today, France is no longer our only target, and Russia in the east seems to have become a good target for attack! ”

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"The biggest reason why we chose France as the target for the breakthrough before this was that Russia was a huge country with a huge population and resources, and it was difficult for us to get any benefit from this European steamroller. Today, however, the situation is very different. Russia's formidable army has become history, and their clumsy performance on the Manchurian battlefield has been completely displayed in front of the eyes of the world, and the evaluation of the combat strength of the Russian army sent back by the front-line observers after a year of consideration and investigation is also direct and ironclad evidence of the strength of this group of Maozi. If we kick the door of this seemingly tall and majestic house in Russia, we will find that it is a pile of dead black wood that has been eaten to the bones! ”

Qingying's voice trembled slightly, and there was a trace of excitement and excitement in his words: "The fighting quality of the German army is the best in the world, far surpassing that of impostors like Japan, who steal from us to learn from them; And we have the most meticulous and efficient General Staff, and the outstanding commanders produced in the cradle of Prussia are innumerable. If we can launch an attack on Russia at the outbreak of war, then with our absolute superiority in rail transport and rapid mobilization, it will be enough to beat the Russian army, which has not yet had time to mobilize, into a leper dog! Even if Russia had 2.5 times the population and army of ours, it would definitely not be an opponent of Germany. ”

Schlieffen shook his head and said softly: "Through this Russo-Japanese War, I naturally saw the weak status quo of the Russian army, and also understood that this group of guys posed a far less threat to us than before. It was precisely for this reason that I dared to leave only nine divisions of defense in East Prussia and concentrate all my main forces on attacking France. Your Highness, if we choose to attack Russia, we can certainly guarantee victory on the Eastern Front, but how can we guarantee victory in the entire war? As I said before, it only takes 15 days for France to mobilize for war and launch a large-scale attack on us, while Russia has an infinite space and several times the number of troops in Germany, and it is not known how many years it will be before they are brought to peace. At that point, we will find ourselves in a difficult situation where the Eastern Front and the Russians are attritional, and the Western Front is faced with a difficult situation in which the French will break through the line at any moment. ”

"What if our offensive on the Eastern Front can force Russia to withdraw from the war within two years, and the defense on the Western Front will make it difficult for France to advance an inch?" Qingying threw this almost inevitable situation to Schlieffen.

"If both of these goals can be achieved, then it is not impossible to attack Russia mainly. With the Western Front as rock solid and the Eastern Front as a succession of victories, the Empire's war machine could hold out for 2 years. The problem, however, is that there is no guarantee that both of these goals will be achieved at the same time, and even one of them will be ineffective. Schlieffen replied patiently. In his opinion, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was a scum who knew nothing about the army: the idea of fending off a million French troops while still defeating Russia, which could mobilize 6 million troops, was a terrible idea. The Seven Years' War brought Frederick the Great's prestige, but it also brought the whole of Prussia to the brink of destruction, and 20 years of peace-building did not restore the country to its pre-war level. Germany's national power simply did not allow for such a strategy of fighting a war of attrition with France and Russia, and a protracted war would make the entire empire unsustainable, so it was necessary to win the war at the outset. What to play for 2 years? The war, which lasted more than 2 months, was a great crime against the country and the nation!

The corners of Qingying's mouth curled slightly, and she smiled: "The issue of Russia withdrawing from the war within 2 years will be put aside for the time being." Mr. Count, let us prove through battle a line of defense that is stronger than steel. (To be continued......)

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