Wild North America 1846

Chapter 537 The Magic Star in Destiny
The victories of the Pudan War and the Prussian-Prussian War enabled King William I of Prussia to win lofty aspirations and the enthusiastic support of the vast majority of the Junker military aristocracy. The royal family took advantage of the situation to strengthen its control over the army by various means.

Bismarck, who assisted the king in winning two wars, won the reputation of "Iron Prime Minister" and gained widespread prestige in Europe. He was regarded as one of the most capable political leaders in Europe.

Berlin, Army General Staff.

King William I of Prussia, Crown Prince Friedrich William, Prince Frederick Karl, Prime Minister Bismarck, and dozens of senior generals of the Prussian army gathered beside the large border sand table in the war room to conduct actual combat sand table deduction.

General Mao Qi, the chief of staff of the Prussian army in military uniform, held a long baton in his hand, pointed at the sand table, and said in a calm voice;

"According to the current situation of the French army, after comprehensive consideration, I guess;
Under the current passive situation, the French Empire will definitely try to use force to break the situation, take the lead in provoking war, and the direction of attack will definitely choose Alsace and Lorraine.

Especially near Strasbourg, where an attempt was made to cross the Rhine from the gentle mouth of the river.

Because this is a salient part of southeastern France, directly facing the inland hinterland of our country on the east bank of the Rhine.

If the attack is not far ahead, it will be able to cut off our north-south railway trunk line, posing a serious threat to the mobilization of our troops..."

The accurate judgment of the chief of staff, General Moltke, aroused whispered discussions among the Prussian generals below. Some agreed, while others had reservations, thinking that it should be treated with more caution.

After all, this is a major decision to determine the direction of the campaign. If the judgment is wrong, it may lead to a total loss.

And this crucial war, the Kingdom of Prussia has been preparing for it for a long time.

Even from the time of King Friedrich-William II and King Friedrich-William III, this fateful battle against the French Empire has been planned. This is the generation of King William I's father and grandfather. , it has been more than half a century.

The French Empire has always been a mountain on the road to the unification of the German nation, and it is also the biggest obstacle. It must be overcome in order to achieve the full revival and glory of the German nation.

The previous Pudan War and the Prussian-Prussian War were just two appetizers, and the Franco-Prussian War was the real French feast.

if something goes wrong
It will inevitably lead to a dangerous situation for the unification of the German nation, and it will affect the European situation in the next few decades or even hundreds of years. We have to be cautious!

Why did the French Empire have to cross the Rhine from Strasbourg?
Is it not possible to bypass the Belgian plain and attack the North German Confederation?

The generals' private discussions were heard, and William I's stern gaze touched Prime Minister Bismarck standing beside him.

From the eyes of the other party, William I could see that Bismarck, the iron-blooded prime minister who had always trusted him, fully supported General Moltke's strategic judgment.

The French emperor Napoleon III was called "the fox of the Tuileries Palace" or "the mysterious sphinx" by the European political circles, describing his inscrutable and unfathomable strategies, leading France from one glory to another. .

In fact

Many of these are the self-indulgence of the French public opinion media, which are mindless pursuits and sensationalism.

Of course, a wise political leader like Prime Minister Bismarck will not be swayed by him, which will affect his calm and correct judgment.

In the eyes of Prime Minister Bismarck
Emperor Napoleon III was a political speculator who was good at making money. He had neither superhuman military talent nor unrivaled courage.

The series of victories it has achieved in the colonial expansion of Europe and the world are all poor rewards for following the British buttocks.

May I ask, which victory of the French army was he personally commanded?

One of the most commendable feats of Emperor Napoleon III was to ignite the Crimean War in 1853 by angering the Tsarist Russian bear, thus breaking the Russian-Prussian-Austrian alliance and allowing France to break free from the shackles around its neck, thereby gaining Great development.

Others are lackluster.

The braggart Gauls were willing to make their Emperor Napoleon III look wise and powerful, but this did not affect the rigorous and realistic Prussians. William I and Prime Minister Bismarck saw through the impetuousness and quick success of the French court at a glance.

Its attempt to break the situation by force is clearly revealed, which can fully confirm the judgment of General Mao Qi, the Chief of Staff of the Prussian Army.

Or how to put it, the Germans are the magic star of France?

It is precisely based on the impetuous psychology of the Gauls that they will inevitably choose the most convenient, fastest and easiest line of Strasbourg to break through the Rhine defense line and invade the Kingdom of Prussia. The plain terrain here is conducive to the assault of the army.

on the franco-german border
In addition to the attack route of Strasbourg, the French Empire has two other attack routes. One is to go around the Belgian plain in the north and break into the territory of the Kingdom of Prussia.

The so-called circumvention of the Kingdom of Belgium is a false proposition, actually an invasion.

Everyone knows that King Leopold of Belgium is the cousin of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. The cousins ​​have been close since childhood. Invading Belgium is tantamount to slapping the British in the face, and it is very likely to attract armed intervention from the British Expeditionary Force.

The other road is the dangerous and densely forested Baden Mountains in the south, where a few horse-drawn carriages can still pass, but the rugged mountain roads and endless forests are the nightmare of large corps assaults, and it was the first plan to be abandoned.

"...

In summary

I conclude that the French army will inevitably concentrate its superior forces, break through the Rhine defense line from Strasbourg, and invade the hinterland cities of our country on a large scale, so as to achieve the purpose of pulling and severely injuring our army.

Based on the situation of the French railway line, the staff headquarters came to the conclusion after careful calculation;
The Strasbourg railway is not capable of gathering all the main force of the French army. More than half of the French army... the number of people is about 15 to 18. They should get off at the Metz station in the hinterland of Strasbourg, a little north of the west of Strasbourg. , on foot.

In this way, the French Metz Group and the Strasbourg Group are bound to be separated by the Vosges Mountains, and this is the decisive opportunity we have been waiting for for a long time.

The main force of the French army was divided into two by the Luge Mountains, giving our army the best chance to defeat each of them..."

When General Mao Qi, Chief of Staff of the Prussian Army, introduced the situation, his face glowed with a strange look of confidence, which deeply attracted the senior generals present. This is the demeanor of a commander.

Combining the military strength and combat readiness of France and Prussia, the Prussian army has a great advantage.

The French army implements a standing army system. The experienced professional soldiers of the army have fought in Europe, Asia, and Africa for a long time. Their combat effectiveness belongs to the top level of the European continent.

However, the French military system does not have two levels of corps and divisions. The permanent organization is only at the level of combat regiments. It is difficult to ensure proper coordination and exert maximum combat effectiveness in a hasty formation during a battle.

The total strength of the French army does not exceed 57, the local combat army is only 33 to 34, and there are another 6 to 7 logistics and guard troops. There are more than [-] French troops scattered all over the world, which will not be useful when the war breaks out .

The Kingdom of Prussia learned from the advanced experience of the Tang Empire, and implemented a system of combining compulsory military service and professional sergeants across the country. Together with the North German Federal Army, the total wartime strength can reach more than 100 million.

More than 70 troops participated in the battle on the front line, which is more than twice the total strength of France.

Moreover, the Kingdom of Prussia has a complete reserve system, which can recruit a total of 245 million rural soldiers to participate in the war at any time. The pre-war materials are sufficient to cope with a large-scale war of attrition.

since this year
The Kingdom of Prussia has successively borrowed two huge loans from the Tang Empire, totaling 1.28 million Tang Yuan. Most of them have been converted into mountains of materials and transported to the ports of Bremen, Cologne and Frankfurt, becoming the stronghold of the Prussian army to defeat the enemy. backing.

The Supreme Military Conference ended in the evening, and all the senior generals of the Prussian Army were still in high spirits, gathering in twos and threes to discuss heatedly, without feeling tired at all.

Prime Minister Bismarck walked with His Royal Highness Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm. He took the initiative to ask: "Dear Your Highness, what is your impression of the Orientals during this visit at the beginning of the year?"

"Oh... There is a feeling of déjà vu, how should I put it... The rigor, hard work and even poor speech of the Orientals make me feel familiar. If it weren't for their black hair, black eyes and distinctive oriental language, I would have mistaken it for Hamburg or Holstein. Oh... by the way, they are very similar to the Finns, except for the eyes."

"It seems that I am not the only one who has such an illusion. My dear Highness, I have learned a lot there. Demon King Richard may be one of the most respected monarchs in this world. In many respects, he is no less than Bei Queen Victoria, who is respected by the British. Maintaining a close and friendly transatlantic relationship with Datang is beneficial to the Kingdom of Prussia."

"I agree with your point of view, my dear Prime Minister." His Highness Crown Prince Friedrich William stood up here, and smiled politely at the blood prince Karl who was walking by. continue to say;

"To tell you the truth, my wife, Princess Victoria, doesn't like this oriental country very much, especially the upstart-like grand royal garden and so many women. In her eyes, she is simply a licentious tyrant.

but must admit

The nobles and gentlemen in the delegation and I are very envious of this kind of life.

Maybe... this is the ultimate enjoyment!

It’s exciting to think about it. There are hundreds of beautiful women in the imperial harem of the Tang Dynasty, including Caucasian women, Oriental women and Spanish women. They can always obey the emperor’s call. There are also many young women in the palace. maid……"

His Highness Crown Prince Friedrich William became more and more excited as he spoke, and his eyes revealed a strange brilliance called a satyr. Prime Minister Bismarck had to cough twice, interrupted His Highness's unrealistic obscenity, and said;

"Forgive my dear Highness, I have no intention of disturbing your interest. Just in terms of maintaining the close relationship across the Atlantic, it is very important to both countries."

"OK, I think so too, my dear Prime Minister."

"That's good, we've reached an agreement."

(End of this chapter)