The Qing Dynasty is about to end

Chapter 824 Do you think that I, Helmut von Moltke, don’t understand Germanic learning?
On the afternoon of June 10th.

The Prussian commander-in-chief, Moltke, finally stepped on the charred land outside Vincennesburg with his boots. He raised his telescope and saw a slogan written in blood on the broken brick wall: "France will never be a slave." The handwriting was crooked, but it revealed a disturbing tenacity.

"Six days?" Moltke took off his monocle, his face calm as usual, "Three elite infantry regiments took turns attacking, but they couldn't even break through the outer wall?"

When Alfred von Waldersee, Moltke's right-hand man, handed over the damage report, he noticed that the chief of staff's fingertips trembled slightly. The figures on the report were shocking: the First Army suffered more than 3000 casualties in the Vincennes direction, consumed 3 rounds of artillery shells, but only advanced less than 1000 meters. In the Saint-Denis direction, the losses were 60% more!

Steinmetz's silver-plated pipe clattered between his teeth. "These Parisians are pouring out of the sewers like cockroaches. It's hard for our shells to destroy their sewers." He lifted the tent curtain and pointed to the northwest. "You should have seen the Saint-Denis train station. The French built a machine gun nest with rails and sandbags. Unless it is directly hit by a large-caliber shell, it can't be destroyed at all."

Moltke paced with his hands behind his back, and the bloody scenes of the American Civil War came to his mind. As a talented military strategist, Moltke had studied the American Civil War very carefully. Although the Americans could not produce offensive weapons such as Krupp's breech-loading guns, the firepower of the Northern Army of the United States was not weak. However, they suffered heavy casualties in front of the defense line composed of barbed wire, breech-loading guns, Mitre rifles, grenades, mortars, Napoleon guns, and trenches of the Southern Army. The weapons and equipment of the Paris defenders were much better than those of the Southern Army of the United States.

In other words, relying on the equipment at hand, the Paris defenders can fight a good defense battle. Even if the Prussian army is strong enough, stronger than the Northern Army of the United States, and can capture Paris, what is the cost?

Two or three hundred thousand casualties?
William I could not become the King of France and Germany could not take over much French territory. It would be good enough if it could take over the German-speaking area of ​​Alsace-Lorraine. If it took over more land, what would happen to the French people there? Kill them all? This is Europe!

So it was meaningless for Prussia to suffer so many casualties for a piece of Paris! If the losses were really too great, Austria, Bohemia, Croatia, Venice, and Austrian Poland might get into trouble again.

The tent was completely silent, with only the sound of Wasid flipping through documents. Moltke's eyes swept across the generals present - their faces were full of confusion and unwillingness. These Prussian elites were used to overwhelming victories, and the glory of the Battle of Sedan was still vivid in their minds, but now they were beaten to a pulp outside Paris.

“克虏伯工厂上月产量。”瓦西德的声音打破了沉默，“150毫米重炮12门，4磅和6磅后装炮合计45门，炮弹9.2万发”

"That's enough." Moltke interrupted, "I know Prussia still has some strength left. But Prussia is still a medium-sized country with a population of more than 2000 million! Our strength is limited, and we must use it prudently in the most advantageous direction."

Prince Albrecht, commander of the Third Army, suddenly slammed the table and said, "Do you want us to admit defeat? The Third Army has 100,000 soldiers..."

"Sit down!" Moltke's roar shook the tent canvas three times. "When did I say I would admit defeat? Prince, you don't think that I, Helmut von Moltke, don't know how to win?"

Prince Albrecht was indeed shocked. He slowly sat down and looked at Moltke.

Moltke walked to the map and pointed to the Palace of Versailles west of Paris. He said, "Paris is just a shabby big city filled with dirty and smelly refugees, at least 200 million in number. The Palace of Versailles is the face of France!"

Steinmetz was so shocked that his pipe fell to the ground: "You want to give up Paris and attack Versailles?"

A cold smile appeared on Moltke's lips: "What do you mean by giving up Paris? I never planned to seize Paris! What do I want Paris for? Give relief to 200 million refugees? The Palace of Versailles is our goal. It is a palace built with gold and treasures, and the works of art inside are priceless. If our king can be crowned emperor in the Palace of Versailles, the whole world will realize the power of the German Empire!"

Let William I be crowned as the German Emperor in the Palace of Versailles, and then pack up the treasures and works of art in the Palace of Versailles and take them away - who in the world would think that Prussia did not win the battle to Paris? That was a huge win!
It has to be said that the Prussian Chief of the General Staff, Mr. Moltke, had mastered the "Prussian Winning Theory".

The combat meeting lasted until late that night, and a combat plan imbued with Prussian winning tactics was finally drawn up.

According to the plan, the "feint attack" on Paris will continue - it was a feint from the beginning, it was fake, and it was normal that it could not be conquered!

At the same time, Albrecht's Third Army will be deployed north of Saint-Denis, and then advance westward along the right bank of the Seine, approaching Versailles! This Versailles is located 20 kilometers west of Paris, on the left bank of the Seine, and the Seine has a big bend to the north of Versailles, which is only seven or eight kilometers away from the Palace of Versailles. If the Third Army crosses the river at this big bend, it will not be far from Versailles. Therefore, the Third Army will deploy heavy artillery at this bend of the Seine, pretending to be ready to force a crossing, and attract the defenders of Paris to stretch their defense line along the left bank of the Versailles River.

On the southern route, the Second Army, led by Prince Karl Frederick, would continue westward to the Seine River, build a pontoon bridge in the Courcouronne area, cross the river, and then head straight to the Palace of Versailles to seek a field battle with the Paris defenders.

If the Paris defenders dare not fight in the open, then the Palace of Versailles will be occupied by the Prussian army and Paris will be surrounded.
"Remember this date!" Moltke finally wrote the words "December 1867, 12" on the plan. "It is very likely that our king will be crowned as the emperor of all Germany at the Palace of Versailles on this day. This will be the greatest victory in German history!" The door of the Paris Workers' Association headquarters was pushed open, and Dombrovsky and Rigaud rushed in with gunpowder all over their bodies. The conference room suddenly became quiet, and more than 1 pairs of eyes stared at their surprised faces.

"The Prussians have stopped their assault!" Dombrowski's voice sounded like a bell celebrating victory. "The intensity of the bombardment of Vincennes and Saint-Denis has dropped by 80%."

With a "click", the coffee cup in Blanqui's hand fell on the table, and the eyes of the chairman of the Supreme Revolutionary Committee turned red.

Moore rushed to the window and pulled open the heavy velvet curtains. The eastern sky was no longer dyed red by the artillery fire, with only sporadic flashes of fire flickering from time to time.

"Oh my God," murmured Economic Commissar Varlan, and this staunch revolutionary who had never believed in religion actually made the sign of the cross.

Baudin had already pounced on the typewriter, his fingers dancing on the keyboard: "The front-page headline of the Paris Daily - 'The National Army won on two fronts: Vincenbourg and Saint-Denis! The fangs of the Prussian beast have been broken!'"

"Not enough!" Moore pressed down the typewriter, "Add specific figures - 30,000 Prussian troops annihilated, 100 heavy artillery pieces destroyed! Tell the workers in Lyon and Marseille that Paris was not only defended, but also launched a counterattack!"

Prince Napoleon stared at the battle map in silence.

His finger slowly slid from Vincennesburg to the northwest, stopping at the abrupt bend of the Seine River. "Something is wrong," the prince suddenly grabbed the magnifying glass, "Moltke has so many troops, he can't give up easily, otherwise the whole world will witness the defeat of Prussia."

"Versailles?" Garibaldi narrowed his eyes. "Do you think Moltke might send troops west along the right bank of the Seine to raid the Palace of Versailles?"

Rigo took off his belt, revealing his sweat-soaked shirt: "Comrade Commander-in-Chief, you may have guessed it. The scouts reported that a large number of Prussian troops are bypassing Saint-Denis and advancing westward along the Seine River, pulling a lot of cannons!"

The conference hall was in an uproar. Versailles, the evil den inlaid with gold and jade, the luxurious palace built by Louis XIV with the blood and sweat of French peasants, has long been a symbol of French power and wealth. If Versailles was to be taken by the Prussians, who in the world would still think that the Prussians suffered a great loss under the city of Paris? Who would still believe that 30,000 Prussian troops were annihilated?

"We must send reinforcements immediately!" Blanqui slammed the table and stood up.

"Wait." Prince Napoleon waved his hand and said, "Comrade Chairman, don't you think this is a good opportunity to attack halfway across the river?"

"Halfway across?" Blanqui turned his head and looked at his "foreign consultants" Hu Wansheng and Garibaldi.

Hu Wansheng nodded and said, "It is indeed an opportunity. If our six shallow-water heavy gunboats can wait until half of the Prussian army has passed, we can rush upstream and cut them off in half."

Garibaldi frowned and said, "If the Prussians want to raid Versailles, they don't have to do it so loudly. Why don't they send a small elite force to sneak across the river and catch us off guard?"

Blanqui frowned and said, "What should we do? We can't just watch the Prussians cross the Seine and take over the Palace of Versailles. The Palace of Versailles is an important stronghold west of Paris. Once it is controlled by the Prussian army, Paris will be at risk of being surrounded."

"Of course we have to rescue them," Garibaldi said, "but I don't think Prussia is that stupid. I suggest we test them."

"How?" asked Prince Napoleon.

"Move five divisions out of Paris with great fanfare and set up an ambush in the woods on the left bank of the Seine, north of Versailles," Garibaldi said. "If the Prussians really want to launch a surprise attack, they will definitely stop after we discover their plan. Otherwise..." The Italian military genius' gaze slowly swept southward along the Seine.

(End of this chapter)