I'm playing whack-a-mole in Siberia

Chapter 396 You can’t do loss-making business

It is true that the United States will not participate in the war, but between Japan and Russia, the United States will choose Japan.

The same goes for the UK.

With the relationship of the Queen Mother, Britain would not participate in the war, but Britain would also not support Russia.

It is precisely because of the support of Britain and the United States that Japan dares to challenge Russia.

What embarrasses the Russian Empire is that not only the United Kingdom and the United States, but also Germany and France, which had joined forces with the Russian Empire to intervene in the Liao Dynasty, also did not support the Russian Empire.

This is the consequence of the Russian Empire's occupation of Kanto.

In addition to the external environment, the domestic situation in the Russian Empire is actually not as optimistic as St. Petersburg thinks.

Last year alone, there were more than 200 peasant movements and worker strikes in Russia.

This was why Bezobrazov supported war against Japan, believing that the Russian Empire needed a small victory in order to restore order.

Witte was replaced as finance minister by National Bank Governor Pleske, who had conflicts with Witte on many issues, especially currency reform.

Although the artillery shells produced in Vladivostok have to be transited through the Ice City, it only takes up to 2 days to be transported to Dalini.

What is Nicholas doing at this time?

Also in early September, Witte, who had always insisted on postponing the war, resigned as finance minister, marking the Russian Empire's full shift to war.

Although the Russian Empire made huge profits from the Xinchou War, the operations of more than 2 Russian troops cost as much as million rubles, and the empire's finances were already overwhelmed.

This is based on the premise that the Trans-Siberian Railway is open to traffic.

But compared with Japan's intense preparations, the Russian Empire's preparations for war were a bit careless.

The Russian Empire was also preparing for war.

Nicholas was often inexplicably confident. He knew that there would be a war between Russia and Japan, but as for the right to declare war, Nicholas firmly believed that it was in the hands of the Russian Empire.

So Nicholas was not in a hurry. He even sent a telegram to the governors of various places, saying that it would not be too late to gather reinforcements for Kanto until next summer.

George couldn't care less about feeling sorry for Witte. At the end of September, the Third Division returned to Japan from Kuching, and the Japanese local army also began to gather. There are various signs that Japan is accelerating its preparations for war.

Since the year before last, Vladivostok's industrial capacity has officially surpassed St. Petersburg, becoming the region with the strongest industrial capacity in the Russian Empire.

The various supplies prepared by the Russian Empire were not ordered from Amur. Instead, they were produced in St. Petersburg and then shipped thousands of miles to Kanto.

It takes half a month for the artillery shells produced in St. Petersburg to be transported to Dalini.

How dare the little country of macaques take the initiative to declare war on the Russian Empire? War will only break out if the Russian Empire takes the initiative to declare war.

Now the Trans-Siberian Railway is open to traffic, but to cross Lake Baikal, you still have to rely on ferries.

The Circum-Baikal Railway will not be completed until next summer, and the Trans-Siberian Railway will be fully connected.

He went to Germany to visit his uncle Prince Goernst, to Potsdam to visit Wilhelm II, and to Poland for hunting.

After two military expansions, Japan's standing army alone now exceeds 30, and wartime mobilization exceeds at least one million. It is not known how long the war against Japan will last.

Considering that the Trans-Siberian Railway can only run three trains a day, no one can guarantee how long it will take to arrive.

Witte's new position is chairman of the Council of Ministers, an honorary position that carries no powers.

Under such circumstances, even Milyukyo could not understand why the War Ministry did not order from Vladivostok.

"What's so weird about this? Even if I give Kuropatkin a kickback, would he dare to ask for it?"

George was not surprised. Anyway, George didn't like the order volume. At this time in 1903, the Kanto Regular Army had 9.8 men, equipped with 148 artillery pieces and 28 machine guns.

George did not know how many artillery shells were stockpiled in Port Arthur. The War Department only added 120 rounds of ammunition for each artillery piece.

Since the Trans-Siberian Railway has not yet been opened to traffic, the War Department's combat plan is based on "holding tight and waiting for reinforcements".

George is not sure about other places. Lushun's defenses are all on the sea side, and the defense facilities on land are very weak. Once the Japanese army lands, not only will the connection between Lushun and Fengtian be cut off, but Lushun's defense will also have problems.

Milyutin sighed for a long time, and finally could only pray to God to bless the Russian Empire.

"Don't worry too much. You need to eat and sleep. We have to believe in Kuropatkin and Alexeyev. They are both excellent generals."

George comforted Milyutin and said that he was not worried. The Ministry of War made it clear that it wanted to hide the Amur Military District.

Even the Moscow Military District received partial mobilization orders to prepare for the war against Japan.

The Amur Military District, which is closest to Kantung, did not receive any orders, and George was happy and relaxed.

But George was not idle either. Before winter, he ordered all the Russians in Jeju to evacuate to Korea, leaving only a few Koreans behind.

If Japan wants to attack Dalini, Jeju is the place it must pass through, and it will definitely be attacked by the Japanese army.

George had also sent a telegram to Yangkov, who was the military general adviser in Korea, to remind Yangkov to beware of Japanese attack.

Japan is obsessed with Goryeo.

While Japan joined forces with Britain and the United States to intervene in Liaoning, it was also negotiating with the Russian Empire.

After the signing of the Treaty of Xinchou, Japan made contact with the Russian Empire, hoping to exchange Goryeo's privileges for the Russian Empire's privileges in Kanto.

This means that if the Russian Empire is willing to cede Goryeo to Japan, then Japan will recognize the Russian Empire's occupation of Kanto.

St. Petersburg was dismissive.

The Russian Empire occupied Kantō. When did it need Japan’s recognition?
After the Three Kingdoms intervened and returned to Liaoning, Japan made another request. This time, on the basis of Goryeo, it added privileges along the South Manchuria Railway.

St. Petersburg wouldn't even let Korea go, and the South-Manchuria Railway wouldn't even be considered.

A month ago, former Japanese Prime Minister Ito Hirobumi went to St. Petersburg in person, and negotiations are still ongoing.

Yankov was still very sober and returned directly to Vladivostok from Goryeo. He suggested to George face to face that once the war broke out, it would be best to abandon the Goryeo strategy.

Goryeo is located between Japan and Kanto. If Goryeo insists on fighting, then Goryeo will become a shield for Kanto.

The northern part of Goryeo is mountainous. Yankov suggested that once war broke out, the Goryeo army would withdraw to the northern mountainous area and use the favorable terrain of the mountainous area to deal with the Japanese army.

Otherwise, the price Korea would have to pay would be too high.

Goryeo now has only two divisions, with a total strength of less than 4.

If it wanted to withstand the Japanese attack, Goryeo would have to expand its army to at least 20 people.

Let’s not talk about whether it can be done. The cost of expanding the army by 20 people is enough to bankrupt the Goryeo government.

Without expanding the army, Yankov would not be able to achieve 40,000 against one million.

Then withdraw.

George is not pedantic and cannot do loss-making trading.

(End of this chapter)