Video spoilers history, starting with the blitzkrieg on Poland

A new sky screen appears.

A COSER dressed in ancient Roman style, using crude special effects to fight with cold weapons.

Talking to the camera:

【Today we are going to talk about the Roman Legion. 】

[We all know that one of the most famous defeats in ancient Roman history was the ambush in the Teutoburg Forest that broke the defense of the great Augustus.]

【At most, three Roman legions were annihilated. 】

[Including auxiliary soldiers and the like, the maximum loss would be 30,000 men.]

[A battle with 30,000 casualties would be considered insignificant in ancient China.]

[Even if we take Rome itself as an example. ]

[During the Augustan period, Rome had 26 to 27 legions.]

[During the previous Roman Civil War, both sides had a crazy increase in their troops to 60 legions. ]

【Three legions were a heavy loss to the entire Roman Empire.】

[But it won’t hurt your bones. ]

[Why was Augustus so broken that he didn't shave for several months and looked haggard? ]

【There may be many reasons.】

[For example, the grand plan to conquer Germany was shelved. ]

[But one of the reasons may be that it is too expensive! ]

When most people think of a standing Roman legion.

[Most non-professionals often cannot even imagine the huge amount of resources required to maintain such a legion.]

[Because maintaining a standing professional army is not an easy task and the cost is certainly high. ]

【When I finally calculated it. 】

[I was completely shocked by the amount of resources required to maintain a legion.]

【I believe you will do the same. 】

[These resources are not only used to make weapons and armor. ]

[Also includes some things you wouldn’t normally think of. ]

[For example, how much food does an army need to survive? ]

[How many tons of precious metals are needed to pay the military? ]

[How many animals need to be slaughtered to manufacture equipment? 】

[Some of these resources number in the millions, which puts enormous pressure on local residents.]

[Similarly, this huge expense also explains why ancient and even medieval kingdoms almost never maintained standing armies.]

【Compare with ancient Rome. 】

[It is also hard to imagine how the Romans maintained about 30 professional soldiers.]

[Perhaps this is one of the many advantages of owning a huge empire spanning three continents? ]

Outside the sky.

Han Dynasty.

When Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, saw this question, he couldn't help but feel curious.

Liu Che looked at the map on the table, the symbols representing the Han army, and said thoughtfully:

"When two countries go to war, victory and defeat are common in the military."

"Even with the might of the Han army, we cannot guarantee victory in every battle."

"When fighting the Xiongnu, there were often heavy casualties."

"As for Augustus of ancient Rome, Tianmu introduced him as an emperor of great talent and strategy, who brought the Roman Empire to its peak."

"With its national strength so strong."

"The loss of three legions is a heavy loss, but it is not enough to make the emperor of such a huge empire wail and collapse like this."

"If it were me, I might be so angry that I would slam the table, but I would only think of fighting back immediately afterwards. I wouldn't go as far as Tianmu said and not even shave for months."

"I heard from Tianmu that the cost of maintaining a legion is extremely high."

"Well, let me see how expensive a legion in ancient Rome was."

"Even the great Roman emperor could not afford the consequences of the collapse caused by the loss of three legions."

Canopy.

[Come, let's take a look at the cost of building a legion. ]

[One of the special resources that was needed in large quantities was animal skins, which were essential for many of the Roman legion's equipment.]

[Archaeological discoveries of animal skins have allowed us to identify the specific types of skins used in ancient Rome.]

[The hides of calves and cows were used to make shoes for the army.]

【Since soldiers are required to undergo strict marching drills even when they are stationed.】

[So the shoes wear out at an alarming rate.]

[Considering that each soldier needs three pairs of shoes per year, a certain number should be reserved for emergencies.] [Experts estimate that a standing army needs at least 18000 pairs of shoes per year.]

[This means that each legion needs 1500 cow hides per year.]

[But shoes are far from the only leather products.]

[The tent and shield covers were also made of leather.]

[But this time, goat leather is used. 】

[Goat leather is much lighter than cow leather, but is about the same strength and durability.]

[It is estimated that 67500 goat skins were needed to make tents for just one legion.]

[12000 pieces are needed to make the shield. ]

[Even more shockingly, these items are not even absolutely necessary for the military.]

[The sheepskin shield cover was very effective in protecting the paint, wood and glue of the Roman long shield from moisture.]

【Its service life can be extended by several years. 】

[But this is more of a luxury than an absolute necessity.]

[It ensured that the Romans always had colorful, battle-ready shields.]

[Discolored shields can also be used. 】

[But at the peak of Rome, the goal was to ensure that the shield did not fade. ]

【This may be a kind of self-confidence. 】

[It is not absolutely necessary for troops on the march to have tents, because not all armies in history used tents.]

[That being said, there are some key advantages to owning a tent.]

[First, tents allow soldiers to rest better and protect them from bad weather, thus avoiding cumulative fatigue.]

[Secondly, tents help further protect valuable equipment such as military flags, composite bows and crossbows from wind and rain. ]

[Finally, setting up and dismantling hundreds of tents every day during marches and camps was a discipline requirement for the Roman legions in battle.]

[This helps them maintain the cohesion of the army.]

[After the fall of the Roman Empire, a similar degree of camp discipline did not appear again in Western warfare until the 17th century.]

[More important equipment included a kit for each infantryman to carry his gear, and a saddle for each cavalryman.]

[Both items are made of goat hide.]

[If we make a table listing all the equipment, number of units, and number of animal skins required for a full legion. ]

We will come up with a total.

[A total of 1500 cow hides and approximately 84000 goat hides are needed.]

[Assume that ancient Rome had 28 standing legions and 12 auxiliary troops. ]

[Of these, 75000 were cavalry.]

【Then the total demand for goat skins will reach an astonishing 2692000 pieces! 】

[Remember, these numbers do not include the Roman navy.]

[And these are just the initial numbers needed to form a field army. ]

[If we talk about maintaining these troops, we must also consider the lifespan of the hides.]

[Once the hide is damaged to the point of being unusable, it needs to be replaced.]

[Assuming the hide lasts about the same as a modern saddle, an average of 10 years.]

【Then we can estimate. 】

[An additional 269000 goat skins are needed each year.]

[Of course, 75000 cow hides are needed every year to make shoes.]

In many simpler war games, resources are simplified to basic resources such as gold, wood, steel, and oil.

But many settings are more detailed in the game.

Animal skins, leathers, furs, etc. will also be added to the resource list.

Many barrage masters also exclaimed.

《It's all real leather, it's so comfortable to wear.》

"Ah? Was there fake leather in that era?"

《An empire wrapped in animal skins!》

"This amount of leather consumed is really exaggerated."

Why not wear straw sandals?

"Since people can afford leather shoes, why should they wear straw sandals?"

"Straw sandals are far inferior to leather shoes. I might have to wear five pairs a year."

"During the Imperial period, the legions generally lived in stone barracks, but for the sake of marching, every 8 people were equipped with a tent. "

《Yes, I admire this kind of elite army.》

"No wonder in many games, besides wood, gold coins, and iron ore, the only other resources are fur." ​​(End of this chapter)