Trench Bolts and Magic

Chapter 200 The Revolving Door is Taking Shape

Upon hearing Crown Prince George's barely suppressed roar, Major General Schmidt von Nobelsdorf, Chief of Staff of the Fifth Army, gently pushed open the curtain of the temporary command post.

He was carrying a tray with a pot of freshly brewed black tea and two clean cups on it.

"Your Highness."

Nobelsdorf's voice was calm, as if nothing had happened outside.

Upon seeing the chief of staff, who had been specially dispatched by the General Staff to assist him, Georg took a deep breath and forcibly calmed the anger in his chest.

He always had to maintain some of the demeanor of a crown prince in front of Nobelsdorf.

"Schmidt, you've arrived." Georg's tone softened, but his face remained clouded.

Nobelsdorf placed the tray on the table, his gaze sweeping over the telegram that had been crumpled into a ball and then unfolded again.

He knew that His Highness the Crown Prince was reading the latest battle report issued by the General Staff, but this still puzzled him.

He had already quickly reviewed the reports he received today, and the battle reports were nothing short of "frequent victories."

From the First Army Group to the Fourth Army Group, they are all advancing triumphantly. By all accounts, this should be good news that should make people feel happy. How could it make His Highness so angry?

He picked up the teapot and poured boiling hot black tea into Georg's cup, the aroma of which instantly filled the air.

"Your Highness, is there a problem with the battle report?" Nobelsdorf asked softly.

Georg picked up his teacup but didn't drink it. He just looked at the red liquid swirling in the cup and sighed deeply.

"There is nothing wrong with the battle report itself. Schmidt, our army offensive is progressing well, even faster than planned, and I am certainly pleased."

This made Nobelsdorf even more puzzled.

Since everything went smoothly and you're in a good mood, who were you yelling at in the command post just now? Was it the air?
Georg seemed to sense his confusion, forced a bitter smile, and pushed the telegram over.

"Take a look for yourself, this is where the problem lies."

Nobelsdorf picked up the telegram, and when he saw the specific casualty figures for the training assault battalion in Charleroi, his brow furrowed slightly.

“One hundred and eighty-two people. Nearly one-fifth of the workforce was killed or wounded,” he read aloud softly.

"Yes, one-fifth!"

Georg's voice rose a few decibels again.

"What are those two guys, Bilo and Ludendorf, thinking? What do they consider the Training Assault Battalion? Expendables?!"

"That's a unit I built myself! Every soldier in it is a gem handpicked from the entire army! They are seeds for exploring new tactics for the future army! They're not meant to be thrown into the city to fight like ordinary infantrymen!"

Georg grew increasingly agitated as he spoke, and began pacing back and forth in the command post.

"No! I can't hand this unit over to them again! I'm sending a telegram to the General Staff immediately, requesting that the Training Assault Battalion be transferred to our Fifth Army Group! Place it under my nose, and I'll command it personally. Let's see who dares to act recklessly like this then!"

Nobelsdorf listened quietly as the Crown Prince vented his anger, without interrupting.

He knew that at this time, the crown prince needed a listener, not a rebuttal.

Once Georg had calmed down a bit and sat back down in his chair, Nobelsdorf slowly began to speak.

“Your Highness, I understand your feelings. The training battalion is your life’s work, and it’s understandable that you’re heartbroken to see it suffer such a great loss.”

He paused, then continued earnestly, "But my personal advice is that you'd better not do that."

"Why?" Georg looked at him, puzzled. "Are we just going to let them do whatever they want?"

"of course not."

Nobelsdorf shook his head, sat down in the chair opposite the Crown Prince, and continued:

"Your Highness, have you considered what the other generals in the army will think if you forcibly transfer the training assault battalion here now?"

Georg was stunned.

Nobelsdorf continued his analysis: "From the very beginning, the training assault battalion has received far more resources than other units thanks to your strong support—the best equipment, the best personnel, and the highest priority in logistical support. To be honest, there have already been some rumors circulating in the military."

"Many people are saying that this is nothing more than a 'toy army' for Your Highness the Crown Prince, a privileged 'royal guard' that looks good but is useless."

"Fortunately, the two battles in Liège and Charleroi have given the training assault battalion an irrefutable victory, silencing these people and shutting them up. At least now, no one dares to question the fighting capabilities of this unit."

"But if you were to immediately move it to your side for protection at this time, simply because it has suffered some casualties, then those previous rumors would probably resurface."

"People will say, 'See? This army is indeed the Crown Prince's private property. It can only fight when things are going well! When it comes to a tough battle, His Highness feels sorry for it and can't bear to part with it!'"

"In this way, the prestige that the training assault battalion has worked so hard to gain through blood and battle achievements will be greatly diminished!"

How can a unit that is considered to be 'privileged' truly 'teach' other units? And how can the officers and soldiers of other units sincerely learn their tactics?

These words left Georg speechless.

Although he was still angry, he knew that Nobelsdorf was right.

As the crown prince of the empire, he was an idealist, but he was not a fool either, and he understood the complexities of politics and human nature.

He sighed helplessly, leaned back in his chair, and rubbed his aching temples.

"So you mean, we're just going to let it go like this?"

“Of course not.” Nobelsdorf smiled. “Your Highness, I believe that if the Training Assault Battalion is truly to become a model of respect for the entire army, and to win the hearts and minds of everyone, then it must acquire more undisputed combat achievements.”

"War is the only standard for testing the quality of an army. Only those troops that survive the most brutal battlefields and continue to win are qualified to teach others."

"Of course, we must fight, but we must also replenish our forces! We must ensure that this force is always at its strongest combat capability! Personnel, weapons, and ammunition must be replenished with the highest priority. I believe that Generals Billow and Ludendorff, after the Battle of Charleroi, understand this better than anyone else."

Nobelsdorf looked at the Crown Prince and continued:
"The most appropriate time will be after we have completed the strategic objectives of this phase, such as after we have captured Paris, and then let the training assault battalion take a long break to summarize the tactical experience. Then we will start training 'seed troops' in batches for each army group."

Georg remained silent for a long time before finally nodding.

"You're right, Schmidt, I was a bit impulsive."

He had to admit that the chief of staff had considered things more thoroughly and calmly than he had. "However!"

He changed the subject, his eyes sharpening again.

"This can't just end like this! I may not transfer him back, but I have to send Bilo a letter and give him a good talking-to! Let him know just how valuable this unit is! If he dares to mess around like this again, I won't let him off the hook!"

Nobelsdorf smiled and nodded: "I believe that if you send the letter yourself, General Bilo will understand the proper measure."

Seeing that the Crown Prince's emotions had finally stabilized, Nobelsdorf knew it was time to discuss serious matters with him.

He stood up, walked back to the map, and his smile faded, replaced by a serious and focused expression.

“Your Highness, I actually came to see you because I have other matters to discuss. After these thirteen days of fighting, our entire right wing's advance can be said to have achieved the plan perfectly. The 'revolving door' envisioned by former Chief of the General Staff Schlieffen is now basically complete.”

His finger traced a huge arc across the map from north to south, representing the advance of the Saxon First, Second, Third, and Fourth Armies.

"Now, we've reached the most crucial part of the whole plan—closing the door."

"Our Fifth Army, and our Sixth Army on the right flank, as the 'pivot' of the entire revolving door, should, according to the original plan, be firmly fixed in their current positions to tie down the main force of the Gallic Army in the center."

As Nobelsdorf spoke, his expression began to turn serious.

"But this morning, the intelligence sent back by the frontline reconnaissance units was somewhat unusual."

"I deduce that the Gauls are massing up along the Metz-Verdun line. With their offensive against our Sixth and Seventh Armies in Lorraine making some 'smooth' progress, their Third and Fourth Armies are also getting restless and want to break through our lines."

"So, we are now facing a choice."

Nobelsdorf looked at the Crown Prince and said seriously:

"Should we continue to hold our ground, or retreat slightly to lure them deeper?"

"Retreat? Lure the enemy in?"

Crown Prince Georg's brow furrowed instantly.

He walked to the map, his gaze moving back and forth across the Fifth Army's defensive line.

“Schmidt, if we retreat, won’t the flanks of our Fourth and Sixth Armies be completely exposed to the Gauls’ attack? That’s too dangerous!”

As a crown prince who had received a full military education, he immediately recognized the enormous risks of the plan.

The flanks of an army are the most vulnerable points of any force.

Intentionally exposing the flanks of friendly forces to the enemy is an absolute taboo in any military textbook.

"Yes, Your Highness, you are right."

Nobelsdorf nodded, not denying the dangers of the plan.

"This is an extremely risky decision. If something goes wrong, our entire central defense could be torn apart, and it could even lead to the failure of the entire 'revolving door' plan."

His tone was calm, as if he were stating an objective fact.

“But,” Nobelsdorf’s tone shifted, a glint of excitement flashing in his eyes, “the higher the risk, the greater the reward often is.”

He used a red pencil to draw a large arrow on the map in the direction the Gauls might attack.

“Your Highness, you see, if we really lure the Gauls’ third and fourth armies out, they will fall headfirst into a trap we have prepared for them.”

"At that time, our Fourth Army, which is advancing rapidly westward, can clamp down on their flank from the north like a pair of pincers! And our Fifth Army can withstand their offensive head-on."

"Once this encirclement is formed, the main force of the Gauls will be completely surrounded by us! They won't even have time to break out to the west, because by then, the main force of our right wing will probably already be at the gates of Paris!"

Nobelsdorf's voice was filled with an irrepressible excitement.

This is an incredibly bold, even insane, plan.

But if successful, the results will be incredibly glorious.

They wiped out the main forces of two Gallic army groups in one fell swoop! This was enough to fundamentally shake the entire Western Front and tilt the scales of victory completely in the favor of the Saxon Empire.

Georg stared intently at the map, his mind racing.

He was not a bloodthirsty general, but he understood that war was a huge gamble.

To achieve the greatest victory, you must be willing to take the biggest bet.

Nobelsdorf's plan was like a devil's temptation, making him extremely interested.

"What are the chances of this plan succeeding?" Georg asked hoarsely.

"It depends on two things."

Nobelsdorf held up two fingers.

"First, will the Gauls take the bait? Judging from their performance in Lorraine these days, their commander Joffre is a staunch believer in 'offensiveism.' If we show any weakness, there's an 80% chance they'll pounce."

"Secondly, and most importantly, we need to determine whether our Fourth and Sixth Armies, on the flanks, are confident that they can protect themselves and even counter-encircle the pursuing Gauls after their flanks are exposed."

"This is a collaborative problem that requires a high degree of understanding and execution."

Nobelsdorf frankly stated:
"Therefore, I would like to request your authorization to immediately contact Duke Albrecht of the Fourth Army and Crown Prince Rupprecht of the Sixth Army to seek their opinions."

"If both of them are confident, then I think this 'luring the enemy deep into our territory' plan is worth the risk!"

Silence fell over the temporary command post, and Georg was struggling intensely inside.

As the commander of the Fifth Army, he was first and foremost responsible for his own troops.

If this plan fails, the Fifth Army will be the first to suffer, facing the danger of being breached from the front by a large number of enemies.

However, as the crown prince of the empire, he also had to consider the overall picture of the war. If the plan succeeded, the Saxon Empire would likely be the first to defeat the Gallo-Baltistan with minimal losses.

This would be an unparalleled honor for him and for the entire Weiting Dynasty.

(End of this chapter)