Tomorrow's Ark, the journey of hardcore and ruthless people

The Land Fleet has the highest status among the armed forces of the nations of Terra; but the war on Terra is far from a naval battle on land.In addition to mobile cities that are rich in population and resources, small mobile towns, villages, and even various fixed settlements are still an important part of production.The extremely unbalanced distribution and extremely underdeveloped productivity make the line-filling infantry that can only catch up with hundreds of miles on foot exist at the same time as the huge land fleet.

The army and the fleet, at least in Terra, have a relationship of walking on two legs, and no one can do without the other.The army does not have the strategic mobility, protection, transport capability, and projected firepower of the fleet; the fleet is extremely limited in size, and its use is severely restricted by cost and the natural environment.

The Tribal Army has not yet formed an organized land fleet to appear on the battlefield; but when they use air power to carry out increasingly serious air threats to the land ships of the Ursus Empire, the Tribal Army Army relies on all aspects The advantage repeatedly crushed the Ursus Empire Army.

Due to the limitations of technology and industrial strength, although the Ursus Empire conceived a large number of fantasies about tanks and armored vehicles, it was still unable to make the lines on the drawing board come into reality in batches.The scale of tanks and armored vehicles that can be deployed is extremely limited, and the performance is completely unable to meet the needs of the battlefield. Even the infantry of the Civilian Army may not be able to bully them, let alone take them to the battlefield to fight against the round-headed five pairs of round heads of the Integration Movement.Until a sufficient number of practical chariots can be produced to replace them, the Ursus Empire can only continue to use cavalry as a mobile force on the battlefield.

What's more unfortunate is that because Ursas has its own national conditions, the individual anti-tank weapons developed and manufactured by the military industry are generally too heavy. Battlefield maneuvers are simply a joke about human life.Relatively speaking, the Ursus Empire does not cherish manpower so much, but this is not a problem that can be solved by filling in people.

Therefore, how to effectively establish a unit that can maneuver quickly on the battlefield and pose a threat to tanks and armored vehicles has become an unavoidable topic.The high-level leaders with wide-open minds and the grassroots who are more powerful than others all set their sights on the cavalry.

Everyone's thoughts are also very simple: horses are indeed the most effective means of small-scale personnel transportation at present.So what's wrong with letting the cavalry carry various anti-tank weapons as a mobile anti-armor force?

As soon as the top slaps the head, the bottom immediately starts taking action.In just a few months since receiving the order, a variety of simple anti-armor weapons have poured into the cavalry units.From reliable light anti-tank guns and field guns, to fairly reliable anti-tank guns and Molotov cocktails, to less reliable things.

Among these "unreliable" gadgets, the typical masterpiece is the "Spurt Thunderbolt", collectively referred to as Thorn Thunder.The thunderbolt consists of two parts: a mine body and a mine rod. The mine rod is a wooden stick. The mine body is conical. The thunder shell is made of metal and filled with explosives in the form of a hollow shaped charge.The top of the mine shell cone can be inserted into the mine rod by a metal tube and fixed with screws.There are three 15 cm long iron nails on the bottom of the mine body ring, which can provide a suitable explosion height for the hollow-charge armor-piercing warhead.

The method of using the stab thunder is "very simple": after encountering the chariot of the red rebels, the heroic imperial soldiers pulled out the safety pin, rushed to the side of the tank or armored vehicle under the hail of bullets, aimed at the iron king and stabbed it hard.The moment the three nails on the bottom of the mine collide with the armor, the inertial fuze installed at the junction of the mine body and the mine rod is activated under the action of vibration and inertia, thereby detonating the explosive.

The vicious red iron demon lay here, and the brave and fearless imperial soldiers were promoted to military gods, and they will live in people's hearts forever.Since there are not so many armor-piercing warheads in a hurry, the Imperial Military Industry Department also launched a simplified version: a wooden stick supports an explosive package, and the soldier ignites the fuse and rushes over with the explosive package... .

All in all, a large number of cavalry were converted into mobile anti-tank units, dragoons, cuirassiers, chasseurs, hussars, and lancers without exception.Due to the rush of time, most of them are in the stage of transformational training. Several troops with relatively fast progress are on their way to the Western Front. Several cavalry divisions that are considered to be behind in training progress are incorporated into the Third Army to garrison Chernobog.According to the plan, they will complete the remaining training courses here.

After reading the relevant information provided by Valeri, Jiongjiong Youshen Frost Star saw Valeri's extremely dignified expression.

He said: "To be honest, there is another reason why I choose to help you: the sooner the Ursus Empire chooses to admit defeat, the fewer people will die."

**

After nightfall, the luxurious mansion of the mayor of Fort St. Jun was gradually filled with guests, and these guests were all the dignitaries and dignitaries of the Ursus Empire today.They have different personalities and different positions, but they live in the same circle.Today they returned to the capital from different corners of the empire, devoting their body and mind to the political arena of the empire—the purpose of the dinner was also the same.

In addition to His Majesty the Emperor and the busy civil servants, all the leading figures in Holy Castle gathered here.The elegant chatter of gentlemen and ladies was mixed with the loud music, and the shouts of servants.From time to time, loud announcements from the servants accompanying the guests came from the door: announcing the arrival of a minister, an officer, or a rich man who spent a lot of money to buy a noble title.The crowd sometimes gets slightly stirred by a series of noble titles, but most of the time the names are met with indifference or even contemptuous sneers, because people with high positions are not scarce here.Until the servant announced a series of titles in a long voice: "Count of Nizhny Novgorod, conqueror of the East Maru, defender of the Ursus Empire, Beowulf Ivanevich Oster Lord Lovesky is here!"

Like an electric shock, people turned their eyes to the door, only to see a visitor with an extraordinary bearing was already standing there.He was dressed like a hussar just returned from victory: a bright red coat over an embroidered uniform, with gold buttons and ribbons; Straight white breeches, and the chrome-plated spurs on the heels of the leather boots are shining silver; the earl is holding a tall military cap with long feathers in one hand, and pressing the other hand on the golden saber handle that has been polished and smooth by the palm of his hand, walking with his head held high. into the lobby.

The Earl's tempered body is insulated from his feminine beauty.The guests whispered to each other, discussing the resume, clothes and legends of the newcomer in the political field. Even the cross on his chest was rumored to be a victory medal bestowed by His Majesty the Emperor himself.

"Who is that person?" It was Valeria who said this, and she was the lover of the Marquis Kolchak, the mayor of St Junburg.Contrary to the name (note: it means strong in the Ursus (um, Ursas) language), she is plump and bony, with a seductive carcass looming under a dress of thin silk.

She waved a Yanguo-style folding fan, covering most of her fair face.It was this lazy mood that fascinated her lover.

"Ha, you mean Beowulf, the infantry commander of the Sixth Army? He is a big hit in the army! This guy defeated thousands of Eastern soldiers with [-] infantry a few months ago!"

"You're bragging again, dear." Valeria tapped her lover's shoulder lightly with her fan.

"Bragging? I swear to the Virgin Mary! His soldiers always get the best weapons, the best vehicles from the factory! The port officer - my brother saw him from the Kirilenko transport ship Up and down, as arrogant as if he were the commander of the fleet, and every time he won a battle, he gave half a gold ruble to each of the soldiers under his command!"

Seeing his lover's red lips parted slightly in surprise, Kolchak showed off the information he collected from the network even more vigorously: "Mr. Beowulf also insulted the empire's land battleships. In vain beatings on the horizon. The army he was about to build would move as fast as lead shot from a gun and be tough as steel when struck. The miniature engines he ordered from the factory could even pull people Fly to the sky!"

"It's really a shocking statement, but I don't think this Lord Beowulf is a reckless man who can only play with muskets and stirrups, but has some real skills." When the lover looked at Beowulf, the fiery eyes showed Kolchak felt a little jealous, "Honey, you go to join the army to fight, maybe you can win higher merit than him!"

"You're starting to talk nonsense too. I won't engage in such a dangerous and bloody job. You know, that guy just took advantage of bullying the little dwarfs in the east. Confronting the red rebels, but It's hard to say..."

Beowulf passed through the crowd with fiery eyes, and took a seat out of the way.Although the mayor's wife tried her best to persuade him to sit in a high-ranking seat, he insisted on sitting in this place where he could breathe.

"How would you like some borscht, my honorable count?" The mayor Kolchak himself, who, unlike his mistress, was tall and thin, as if dried out, was serving him. "I heard that you just returned to Fort Saint Jun from the front line today, and it's been a long journey. If you don't mind, I have some secluded rooms in my house for you to rest."

Beowulf could not help being flattered by the courteousness of this dignitary, but he responded with equal courtesy: "I am very grateful to your lord for your kindness, but after the banquet I must go back to my quarters, where I have been staying in the barracks. "

"Your Majesty, your Majesty, you actually live with those low-status soldiers? They are all stupid and cunning guys who will tarnish your noble status. Ladies from the upper class are gathered here tonight, why don't you and them..."

"Well, my dear lord." Beowulf interrupted the overzealous mayor with a smile, defending his subordinates. "They are not stupid or cunning. As long as I provide them with delicious food If I offer them food, they will be submissive. If I promise them medals of merit and gold rubles, they will fight bloody battles all day."

Beowulf motioned to a servant to remove the borscht that had not even touched his lips on the table, and drank ice-cold kvass.

"Ivan's family spoiled his doorman!"

A mocking voice came from not far away. The source of the voice seemed to have gray and thin hair, deep-set eyes, and two green eyes staring straight at Beowulf—it was the commander of the Sixth Army Land Fleet, Ki Lilenko.

Beowulf didn't even look back as if he didn't hear, and continued to chat in the social arena.

"Perhaps you love the soldiers too much, sir." The one who said this was Vasily, the commander of the city defense of St. Jun's Castle who joined the table. "I very much agree with your military theory, but in my opinion, the soldiers only need to master some Necessary skills. And you read to them, arrange entertainment, and even - give physics lessons? And those sweet and buttered bread, meat, fresh fruits and vegetables. The emperor is on top, and the ruble disappears from your fingers like running water. .”

The mayor also joined the topic: "Your Excellency Vasily is right, and the empire's fiscal deficit is increasing year by year. Even the little mayor like me feels nervous. The Minister of Finance even proposed to reduce public lighting by two hours in winter. In order to save electricity... It is said that the rebels in the northwest are getting stronger and stronger, and I am afraid they are the biggest threat to the empire."

The mayor lowered his voice when he mentioned this mysterious gang of rebels, because even Pravda was deaf and dumb about it, and the news from the Western Front was only the unhealthy frivolity on the pages.

"Your concerns about funds are reasonable, but doing things as before will be outdated, my Mr. Vasily and Lord Mayor. The builders of the pyramid will never be slaves, but only a group of cheerful free people. "Beowulf started his strange talk again, "New weapons and new tactics, how can a group of empty-minded slaves not be able to exert their power? The firepower of this group of rebels is indeed relatively powerful, so I have to evacuate the soldiers, Lest one deadly bomb blast the attacking fist into scrap. As for the question of funds - I have proposed to His Majesty the establishment of a tobacco and alcohol monopoly in Ursus, which would bring hundreds of millions of gold rubles annually to the treasury. Supplement. Ah, by the way, would you like to have one? This is a rare treat produced in Crocodile Bay in southern Colombia."

Beowulf didn't take out the most popular lighter, but lit a cigar by candlelight.

"But this will offend the interests of many people. As far as I know, as far as tobacco is concerned, I have to find a lot of smuggled tobacco every day, and they come in various grades and flow to various places-from the cheapest on the street. The luxury of having a cigarette in your mouth, not to mention alcohol! It is an indispensable drink for every Ursus.”

The commander of the city defense turned to another topic: "I heard that His Majesty is handing over the funds to Grand Maester Nevsky, and his factory is producing an amazing rocket, one shot is enough to blow up a battleship ten miles away! "

At this time, the commander of the city defense was searching for the scarce knowledge in his stomach.

Kirilenko would not allow anyone to offend his beloved fleet - as well as the huge amounts of tobacco and alcohol smuggled on warships: "That's nonsense. How can those fireworks-like things compare with the power and accuracy of cannons? How can you guys compare?" Ever heard of any major battles that were not dominated by landships?"

And another officer further stimulated this arrogant fleet commander inappropriately: "Ha, you may have delved too deeply into the artillery battle. I saw that thing exploded like a naval gun at the test site. It was so earth-shattering. It only needs a big firework and a simple iron frame for one shot. There is also a buzzing magical flying machine, which advances in the air at ten times the speed of a land ship. What is even more amazing is that there are still With 100lb bombs and rockets attached, one dive can turn the range into a sea of ​​flames. Besides, don't forget, we used to use black powder, but in the last two short years everyone has used the latest Thanks to that amazing factory, nothing is impossible.”

"Boy, you are from the fleet!" An angry Kirilenko stared fiercely at this stupid goose who didn't know which side to stand in.Kirilenko is not only the fleet commander of the Sixth Army, but also holds a high position in the Land Naval Academy for a long time, and is like a father in the eyes of many fleet officers.There are as many captains and gunners trained by him as there are stars.But this guy didn't think of him, and instead spoke for the boy who was born in cavalry, which made him lose his momentum in the debate.

The mayor hurriedly came out to smooth things over, these competitive warriors made him extremely headache: "Well, brave gentlemen, whether there is such a magical creation or not, our monarch and his warriors can win the war. He stood up and raised his glass, "Cheers to His Majesty the Emperor! Cheers to Ursus' victory in the Eastern Kingdom!"

"Long live the Emperor! Long live Ursus!" A symphony was played from the cups inlaid with gold and silver, and the beautiful words in the hall came one after another, and the dinner reached its climax in the frenzied mood.Until dawn, the shouts of drunken people, the roar of bands crashing on the shore, and the mournful trill of the tenor of the army choir continued to be heard from the Mayor's Palace in St Junburg.

On this night, the cold wind from the north roared and raged in the city.The dome of the cathedral gleamed with a dead brilliance in the first snowstorm of the winter.

On the streets of Fort St. Jun, the professional body collectors are planning where more dead bodies will gather after such a snowfall tonight.

In the yellow mud ditch of the garbage dump outside the city, the Imperial Bureau of Public Safety and Order - "Oklana" is shooting the origin stone miners and dry port workers.Most of them are inclined towards the integration movement.These people who were tied up were escorted to the slope of the ditch in groups of two.Okrana's agents fired directly at them with pistols and rifles, and the cold wind stifled the sound like sparks blowing out a cigarette.

In the trenches on the east bank of the Don River, the officers and soldiers of the Imperial Army who did not dare to light any bonfires under the threat of artillery strikes from the Nationalist Army and night planes were frozen into popsicles by the biting cold wind.The hands of the Cossack holding the handle of the rifle were black with cold, his eyes were watery with cold, and his legs were completely frozen...

PS:

The enemy of all students, the evil final exam is coming (Sad)

Chapter 24 Analysis and Arrangement

They are different from the high-ranking nobles in the empire who are "ignorant of worldly affairs".The senior military and political officials who make up the Ursus Empire War Council are anxious.

Emperor Fyodor stared at the messy color blocks on both sides of the long table, feeling an indescribable sense of powerlessness in his heart.

The embarrassing situation that the Ursus Empire has centralized but not fully centralized has many manifestations in the imperial society.For example, the uniforms of each group army are different in shape; among them are the suits and dresses of government departments...

Consistent with the messy uniforms, the representatives of all parties in the War Council also had extremely confused attitudes towards the war:

"Everyone, hesitation will lead to the destruction of the empire, we can only fight to the end!"

There was a "boom" on the conference table, and the man in a suit supported the table with one hand and patted the thick document with the other. He stood by the table and scanned the crowd: "If the war is stopped now, all the efforts so far will be in vain. The citizens will not accept this kind of thing! It is even more impossible for the soldiers who fought bloody battles on the front line to accept it! This is simply a stab in the back!"

Very resolute, very stubborn, it is the speech that the military always makes. If it is really from the soldiers—especially the generals of the Fourth Army, it can be understood. The brains of the imperial soldiers are generally not as big as the medals.And the Fourth Army is known as the dog of bereavement: the troops were completely wiped out by the red elements, and all the territory fell into the hands of the integration movement.There are only a bunch of remnant soldiers and defeated generals living under the fence, relying on the emperor's grace to live.Therefore, it has become one of the most loyal group armies to Fyodor.But there is a prerequisite for this matter, that is, the emperor supports their biggest principle: to fight back to their hometown.

However, the person who made the above statement was actually a civilian government official and a senior minister in charge of foreign affairs.Did he drink too much Vodka and hallucinate?Or is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs planning to change its brand and join the military next door?

Before His Majesty the Emperor could fully understand the matter, as soon as the people from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sat down, another man stood up from his seat——

"The Home Office shares the same view."

The man's tone was not fierce, but gentle and gentle like a spring breeze, but his words were full of gunpowder: "If the truce must be achieved under such conditions, even if peace is obtained, the empire will lose its future."

Fyodor looked at the document at hand: it was the terms of the peace talks between the Empire and the Integration Movement after their initial contact.In terms of formal official diplomatic documents, the length of a piece of paper is obviously too short, so this is a summary of the conditions for the red-headed people.

First, immediately cease fire across the entire line of actual contact between the two sides;

Second, renounce the exercise of sovereignty over Ursus territory controlled by the integration movement;

Third, recognize the power of the integration movement to implement regional autonomy and retain the armed forces, and conduct negotiations on ownership and border division at an appropriate time——

In the final analysis, it means that the empire officially recognizes the integration movement and recognizes the de facto independence of the areas controlled by the integration movement.As for whether the Ursus regions that implement the integrationist system are sovereign independent states or imperial administrative regions with autonomous rights.Let's discuss it slowly after the armistice.

To be honest, currently Fyodor himself does not reject such conditions.The power of the reunification movement is really incredible, and so far, it has been a posture of ease, and its ability can be said to be bottomless.And the empire is exhausted enough to describe:

Money, resources, and human lives are constantly being swallowed up by meat grinder-like wars and disappear without a trace.Now this country has reached the point where all the young and strong labor force has been scoured, and it is beginning to consider letting women and the elderly enter the factory, considering letting children produce the necessities of life, and considering declaring the decree of the liberation of the infected and giving them the farmland to cultivate.

The empire is already a critically ill patient, and it is the kind of choice between conservative treatment and the machine in the intensive care unit.

Some people are also asking, for example, the representatives of the officers and officers of the First and Second Group Armies who were transferred from the fierce Western Front to the confrontational Northern Front because they were quite defeatist after being beaten: "What does this mean?"

Perhaps eating too many red-headed cannonballs and bombs made these two representatives look forward to peace for a long time.So the soldiers were genuinely confused when they discovered that political bureaucrats were scoffing at the armistice.

"What do you mean? You are still soldiers, do you really not understand?"

After realizing that the worldviews of the two sides have no intersection, the diplomat sighed: "The red heresy is allowed to steal the country, the criminals who rob and murder go unpunished and enjoy the stolen goods with peace of mind, but the victims don't even get compensation... ..no one will accept this ending."

Fyodor is not stupid.After being reminded of his thoughts, he turned his head a little and realized the problem:

The backbone of the Ursus Empire is the "nobles".

The group of nobility is also complex.Just as the contradiction between the big bourgeoisie and the petty bourgeoisie is not necessarily smaller than the contradiction between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat; the military and political aristocrats who can directly participate in the country's decision-making, and the distance between the small and medium-sized local aristocrats very big.

The Ursus Empire is at a stage where the germs of capitalism are beginning to emerge.The aristocrats who started to enter industry and commerce and transformed into the emerging bourgeoisie are not yet powerful enough.The main force of the empire was still the rural landlords and even serf owners and nobles.These people have seen the armor swords and halberds used by the ancestors in the hall of the manor since childhood, heard the stories of the ancestors who killed and fought for the "emperor and the empire", and received the strictest military education of the nobility. , Being so influenced and grown up, what choices will they make and what kind of people will they become?The answer is self-evident.

These simple but firmly identified with the empire, the small and medium-sized nobles who love the empire are the main source of the backbone of the empire's armed forces and administrative institutions.Although these people also felt damaged in the war, the rural areas are relatively self-sufficient and live in areas less affected by the war than the cities, and they are a class occupying a higher ecological niche in the rural areas.Moreover, the land reform and the integration movement of the government into the villages are at odds with these guys.So, they are still quite supportive of the war.

The empire accepts the truce - the powerful Ursus Empire, "you are the enemy of Ursus and Ursus is the enemy of you are two concepts", and the group that should "share X with the pack beasts in the northwest tundra" The red-headed "*wife" compromised—this was a heavy blow to their hearts.

In other words, "emotionally unacceptable."

Emotionally unacceptable is not something to be said lightly.This is the opinion of a whole group, a significant portion of Ursus.

Moreover, although sentiment and public opinion are important, there are more important things:

The political officer who had just agreed stood up, with an excited look and an impassioned voice: "Everyone, do you know the current public opinion? Now that we accept such humiliating conditions, what will the subjects of the empire who have lost their loved ones and endured material deprivation think? How will they react when they face a more difficult life after the armistice? When they ask us why we don't strive for better conditions even though it seems we haven't lost yet, can we justifiably tell them that this is already the case? Best terms'?

"If you accept this condition, not only will the finances go bankrupt, but the national credit will also collapse together! Do you know how many banknotes are currently in circulation in the market? When the national credit collapses, those banknotes that have value because of credit guarantees will become Replying a worthless piece of paper means that the entire nation will go bankrupt overnight! Do you want to watch them starve to death on the side of the road, or rise up to riot?!"

People are nodding, especially bureaucrats at the Treasury Department.Fyodor showed a bitter smile, and the chairman of the Imperial Council, Werther, who was looking at the emperor, also had the same expression.

In the final analysis, it is still a matter of finances and money.

The Ursus Empire has been isolated by the world for a long time, and now no political entity chooses to conduct international trade with them-this is because Atlas has used various means to make waves in Terra's international trade market, and would rather Harming others and benefiting oneself will also cause trouble for Ursas; on the other hand, any caravan and merchant ships going to Ursas will encounter unimaginable attacks. After everyone falls asleep for some reason, there are only a few necessities left. Merchants or crew members appeared in the nearest settlement.The cargo and even the entire land cargo ship disappeared without a trace.

Atlas mercenaries and Renlian combat infantry: Yes, what's going on?

War expenditures and import and export restrictions have almost sucked up the savings of the economy of the Ursus Empire, and now it can only rely on printing a lot of money to stabilize the market-in fact, inflation should have erupted in this country long ago, but Ursus Empire A food and daily necessities rationing system was implemented, and citizens of mobile cities were encouraged (and threatened) to use their income to buy war bonds. The paper money issued was equivalent to a circle and returned to the bank account.The citizens holding piles of bonds are barely able to maintain their food and clothing, they still maintain so many small hopes for winning the war, and they still have so little confidence in the stack of printed materials in their hands.

But the No Limit Street Fighting Championship in Chernobog is clearly a red flag.

To be fair, the Ursus Empire is definitely not weak.Under the pressure of the war and the manipulation of the new emperor, the empire brought a considerable amount of power to the central government. Even the thorns of the various armies were beaten by the militia, the demand for new weapons and other factors. To varying degrees, they fell in love with the emperor.The empire's progress is not only water-cooled heavy machine guns, but also total warfare and credit currency.

These things are powerful throughout Terra.Just like the earth next door, there are only a few countries that can play bureaucracy neatly in the 21st century, and the rest are either in the mid-century enfeoffment system or they are still playing tribal chiefdom system. Tell them "anti-bureaucracy" is in Versailles of Versailles.

But these are not enough.