The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

By this point, Bolivar was deeply regretful. He had no idea war could be fought this way; it was pure hooliganism. Fighting like this was no longer about the glory of victory, but rather a massacre. Traditionally, battles between two armies involved soldier versus soldier, general versus general, a head-on charge, a test of the bravery of the armies and the ability of the generals to march and fight. However, the field army had developed a different model of warfare, one that Bolivar now completely misunderstood. If Kulun hadn't been so far away, and if the enemy hadn't begun harassing them so late, the Russian army would have collapsed before they had made it very far.

Chapter 665: Second update!

The field army's relentless harassment and attacks inflicted heavy damage on the Russian army. Of course, even now, this was merely a minor nuisance for the Russian officers, as casualties were not particularly severe. However, the officers were unaware of the disconnect between their rigid hierarchy and the lower ranks, and these attacks were devastating to the soldiers' morale.

In addition, the army only marched a dozen or twenty kilometers a day. If a place was attacked by the field army, almost the entire army had to stop, otherwise there would be gaps in the troops, which the field army could take advantage of. There have been many cases where the troops were disconnected and the field army took advantage of the opportunity to inflict heavy casualties on the Russian army.

The Russian army had been on the march, terrified all the way, and at this moment, the soldiers were like frightened birds. Harassed day and night by the field army, something the soldiers had never experienced before, the Russian army could not rest properly. The Russian army had considered dealing with the field army's cavalry, but if a small group pursued, it would be a sacrifice for the field army. If a large group pursued, the field army cavalry would immediately rely on the support troops to intercept and escape. After more than ten days, many Russian soldiers collapsed from fatigue. Many Russian officers and soldiers were exhausted, with swollen bags under their eyes, sunken eye sockets, and the appearance of excessive indulgence and illness.

They say a day apart feels like three years. After so many days of marching, the Russian army felt as if thirty years had passed. If they persisted for a while longer, the old saying would truly come true: the fat will become thin, and the thin will die.

Although the cavalry soldiers of the field army were also very tired, they all laughed when they saw the situation of the Russian army. At this time, they also understood more deeply the essence of the sixteen-character formula mentioned by Zhang Yinghao, and knew that this was the winning method to defeat the enemy.

At this time, the Russian Ural Cossack Cavalry Corps was overwhelmed by its heavy workload. They not only had to guard the rear, but also had to guard the field army, and even engaged in close combat with the field army. As a result, many horses fell ill, and the entire cavalry corps suffered heavy losses. The field army cavalry, once mobile, became a garrison. Just as the Russian army was about to reach Kulun, the field army cavalry issued an order to annihilate the Ural Cossack Cavalry Corps to the greatest extent possible.

This time, the Field Army launched a sudden attack, sounding the call for a decisive first engagement against the Russian cavalry. This was the Field Army's plan: in this battle with Russia in Mongolia, it would be best to destroy the cavalry first. Caught off guard by the Field Army's cavalry's aggressive approach, the Russian cavalry suffered heavy losses, defeating a third of the Cossack cavalry in a single battle, a significant gain. Following this major operation, the Field Army's cavalry detached a portion of its forces immediately north to attempt to seize Russian supply lines, while the remaining cavalry units headed south to rest and await the Russian attack on Kulun.

The Russian Cossack cavalry had been crippled and was now unable to complete its mission of protecting the logistics line. This result made Bolivar very angry, but he had no choice but to ask for help from St. Petersburg, requesting more cavalry. Of course, Bolivar also knew the tactics of the field army at this time. If he had not been on the enemy side, he would have spoken in favor of the field army.

But as the enemy, the field army's strengths were his own weaknesses, and he felt deeply frustrated. He recalled how high-spirited they had been when the 200,000-strong army entered Mongolia. They had imagined that the great Russian army would sweep through and bring all of Mongolia under the Empire's control. But now, before even reaching Kulun, they had already suffered heavy losses. If things continued like this, their hopes of winning the war would become a dream.

"Damn it! Those cunning, despicable, shameless yellow monkeys only know how to launch sneak attacks and harassment. If they had the guts, they could just have a brawl between soldiers. What kind of skill is this kind of fighting?"

Faced with such a situation, Bolivar could only roar in frustration and anger at his subordinates.

At this moment, the thought of Russian defeat occasionally crossed his mind, making him even more uneasy. The most serious issue was that during the surprise attack, countless Russian supplies, especially food, were burned. Furthermore, the Russian army's march time far exceeded initial expectations, which greatly reduced their supply reserves.

Originally, according to the General Staff's calculations, the march from Irkutsk to Kulun would only take half a month, even if the field army blocked it. And capturing Kulun would only take a few days, so the supplies they brought would be more than enough. But now, countless supplies had been burned, significantly delaying the march, and they were still a day away from Kulun. This meant that upon arrival, they would have to launch an immediate attack on Kulun, achieving victory in a short period of time and seizing the supplies within. Only in this way could the Russian army hold out; otherwise, defeat was inevitable. At this point, Bolivar couldn't even imagine the consequences of defeat.

Admiral Bolivar thought to himself, "What can I do? What else can I do? There are only two options. The first is to speed up and capture Kulun as quickly as possible to obtain supplies. The second is to transport a large amount of supplies from the rear. Otherwise, if the attack on Kulun is not successful, the consequences will be very serious."

If Kulun could be successfully captured, the Russian army's supply shortage would be greatly alleviated, or even resolved directly. The supplies stored by the field army in Kulun would be sufficient for them to consume for a period of time. Even if the supply reserves in Kulun were not particularly sufficient, with Kulun as a foothold, the Russian army could easily deal with the remaining field armies.

Of course, even at this point, he still had immense confidence in his ability to capture Kulun. Even if he lost some soldiers along the way, once they reached Kulun, with the Russian Empire's vast military, they would surely conquer it. Kulun was no fortress like Vladivostok or Port Arthur, but a small, dilapidated steppe city on the plateau. He knew the enemy had only been in Mongolia for less than a year, and there was no way they could build Kulun into a fortress like Vladivostok.

After encouraging himself and strengthening his confidence, General Bolivar led his army on the arduous march towards Kulun while sending a telegram to Irkutsk, requesting Governor Anuchin to mobilize more war materials to ensure that the Russian army would not encounter any problems due to insufficient logistical supplies.

At this time, Zhang Feng was waiting in Kulun, feeling a little like the flowers had withered. He did not expect that the cavalry's harassment and blocking would be so effective. It slowed down the Russian army's journey by more than half, and also blew up and burned so much of the Russian army's supplies. It was really an incredible victory.

"Comrades, the Russians are about to reach Kulun. The cavalry have completed their mission very well. By the time the Russians reach Kulun, they will be almost dragged to death. It will be up to us now. We can send them to death then, so that they don't have to continue suffering in this world."

Hearing Zhang Feng's humorous words, everyone burst into laughter. The field army was composed of a group of young comrades, full of vigor and vigor, and they had never been tainted by bureaucracy in the army. They were truly a group of passionate young people, or perhaps it could be said that revolutionaries are always young and always striving...

"Based on the Russo-Japanese War and the recent Northeastern campaign against Russia, we've come to the conclusion that the Russians have excellent fighting capabilities, but their fighting spirit is weak. While the Russians are incredibly strong and obedient, they are ultimately a group of trained serfs and illiterate men who have just put down their hoes. Like the Beiyang Army, they value oppression and absolute obedience. In the words of the Chairman, they remain an army of divided power."

The soldiers below lacked initiative and were merely machines obeying orders. Under the mandatory orders of their officers, these "gray beasts" of the Tsar did dare to charge forward with their rifles. This means that the Russian army was very good at fighting with favorable conditions, that is, they were very good at bullying the weak, but they were not good at fighting against the weak. In an army full of oppression and strict hierarchy, once the army reached a certain level of difficulty, the soldiers would either flee secretly or rebel. Even if the individual training of such an army was better than ours, we would still be confident of defeating them. The reason why the Russian army was strong was because Russia could produce guns and ammunition, because war is all about logistics...

"Haha, these old Russians have been harassed by their cavalry comrades all the way. They can't eat or sleep well. At the same time, they have to worry about attacks from the field army cavalry all the time. Now the Russian army must be exhausted both physically and mentally. After they reach Kulun, we can't let the Russian army have a chance to rest. We must engage in battle with them immediately."

"Yes, Chairman, this sixteen-character formula is truly the only way to fight on home turf. Just this tactic of wearing out the enemy is not something that ordinary people can handle. However, when the enemy advances, we retreat. How, where, when, and what actions to take during the retreat all have their own rules. When we retreated from Maimaicheng, we sealed all the wells along the way. For a Russian army of over 200,000, simply getting water is a huge challenge."

"Yes, it's the same if the enemy is stationed there and we harass them. How to harass them, how to escape after the harassment, and how to support them when we escape all need to be considered clearly, otherwise we will easily be ambushed by the enemy. These are all things that we will never stop learning."

"Yes, if we save the people but lose the land, we will save both the people and the land. If we save the land but lose the people, we will lose both the people and the land. If we were not so focused on training our troops, we would have continued to retreat and sent out cavalry to continuously attack the enemy's logistics. We could have won without fighting."

"We can't let the Russians go to southern Mongolia either. If they do, the people will definitely suffer. The population density there is incomparable to that of northern Mongolia. Moreover, we have relocated people from northern Mongolia to the south. As the saying goes, it's easier to invite a god than to send him away. If the Russians occupy northern Mongolia for a long time, or even immigrate here and gain a foothold, it will be difficult to drive them away..."

Hearing this, everyone nodded. It was indeed true. Without the resistance of the local people, it would be very easy for the Russians to gain a foothold in northern Mongolia. If they could not defeat the Russian army, the field army's migration of herdsmen to the south would be a bad move. They would even have to bear the responsibility for the loss of territory and would eventually be nailed to the pillar of shame in history.

Everyone felt the weight of the topic, aware of the responsibility on their shoulders. The Chief of Staff had no choice but to change the subject and say, "I wonder how the situation will develop if the Russians lose over 200,000 troops?"

"We don't need to worry about that. I think the Chairman should have already made up his mind, otherwise he wouldn't have predicted this war so long ago."

"But I think the Russians have suffered a lot from our cavalry all the way here. Coupled with the shortage of supplies, they will definitely attack us frantically when they reach Kulun, trying to seize our supply reserves in Kulun. So, I think we should set up some more foxholes outside to dampen the enemy's morale."

"We can set up some blocking points and let the Russians have a taste of the sweetness of occupying some positions. That way, they'll become even more frenzied. But for now, should we tell the cavalry comrades heading north to take it easy? If the Russians turn around and flee now, we won't be able to catch up."

"He certainly wouldn't run away. The Russian army mobilized a large force to attack Kulun, but they fled without firing a shot. Today's Russian generals don't have that kind of courage and guts. Besides, Russia still has an emperor. Sometimes the emperor's face is the most important thing. He can tolerate defeat, but if he runs away like this, Nicholas II will definitely kill the Russian leader Bolivar. For the Tsar, sometimes political correctness is more important than victory or defeat."

"Indeed, Bolivar and his men must give the Tsar an explanation. After all, the Russian army leaders are responsible to the Tsar. As the saying goes, a general is subject to his orders while on the battlefield, but how many good outcomes will come from those who disobey the emperor's orders? So we must learn from this lesson. The role of the army is to defend our country and the fruits of our revolution. Our People's Liberation Army is responsible to the people. These principles must be understood by every soldier..."

For Tsar Nicholas II, Russia could be defeated by Japan, or even by China, a country he despised, but he would never allow the Russian army to flee without a fight. That would not only disgrace the soldiers, but also slap Nicholas II in the face and undermine the foundation of his rule. Emperors often valued their reputation more than the lives of their soldiers, because if a soldier died in battle, they could always recruit more. In the eyes of the emperor, these soldiers were merely expendable. However, if an emperor completely lost face, it would mean the end of their political career, and they would never be able to hold their heads up again.

Since the Sino-Russian war began, the field army has quickly gained a decisive advantage on the battlefields of Northeast China. At this point, the Russian army has not only lost a large number of soldiers in the Far East, but more importantly, it has also lost the Chinese territory it had painstakingly acquired over decades. If the Russian army fails to avenge its previous defeat in Mongolia and completely defeat the field army, but instead flees without a fight, then Russia will truly lose face, the Russian army will become a laughing stock worldwide, and Nicholas II will inevitably abdicate!

Tsar Nicholas II, far away in St. Petersburg, was keeping an eye on the developments of the Mongolian war while suppressing the rebellion at home. He was completely disappointed with the situation in the Far East. Governor-General Ruzhsky's ability to hold Vladivostok was a major achievement for Russia. As long as Russia had a foothold in the Far East, it could recover those territories once Russia had recovered.

As for the Mongolian battlefield, Nicholas II was extremely confident. You have to know that Russia is now in a very difficult situation due to the influence of the domestic revolution. Being able to gather these hundreds of thousands of troops is already the money that Russia has earned by selling its liver and kidneys. With such a large army, it should not be a problem to defeat the field army in the Mongolian region. The only problem is how to recover the Far East now. Even if the Russian army defeated the field army in Mongolia, Russia would not be able to recover the Far East in a short period of time. However, as long as the field army is defeated, the face lost before can be recovered, and it will be much easier to ask France for a loan. With money, why would the Tsar still worry about not being able to defeat China?

However, so much time had passed, and the Russian army still had not reached Kulun, which made Nicholas II somewhat impatient. The withdrawal of troops had left many places empty, and workers' strikes, demonstrations, and even riots were everywhere. Russia was in a state of turmoil, like a huge powder keg.

Fortunately, Russia still had some capable officials to keep it alive, such as Pyotr Arkadyevich Stolypin, one of Russia's greatest statesmen. He had earned Nicholas II's favor the previous year for suppressing a peasant uprising and this year served as Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior. However, following Nicholas' orders, after consolidating his position, he launched a coup d'état, disbanding the State Duma, establishing a network of military tribunals, and brutally suppressing the workers and peasants, thus initiating the "Stolypin period of reaction" and stifling Russia's first democratic revolution. He also implemented land reforms, which enabled millions of peasants to leave their villages and become rich peasants, revitalizing the economy. This reform is known as the Stolypin land reforms...

Chapter 666...: First update!

Besides its prominent figures, Tsarist Russia also vigorously promoted nationalism, galvanizing patriotic fervor among the masses and urging them to serve the Tsar. Due to historical and persistent propaganda, the great powers viewed China as a fat pig to be slaughtered at any moment. Now that this pig had unnecessarily resisted and even suffered a blow, this angered the Russians, who generally looked down on the Qing people in the Far East. Tsarist Russia also vigorously promoted patriotism and unity, which greatly galvanized popular patriotism and won over some, turning them to foreign policy in the hope of ending domestic strife and unrest. Furthermore, the PLA's "barbaric" wartime violations of treaties with the great powers divided some Russian revolutionaries into defenders of the nation, allowing the Tsar to focus on the war in Mongolia with relative ease.

Of course, the Tsarist revolution lacked a strong and stable leadership core, a unified program of action and ideology, and could not have succeeded. Lenin said that without revolutionary theory, there can be no revolutionary action. Theory guides practice. Without a revolutionary theory to serve as a banner to awaken the masses, the Russian Revolutionary Party was doomed to failure.

Indeed, while the Field Army liberated the Far East, and while Russia was also imperialist, it was also a nation with a glorious history, unwavering in its pursuit of territorial expansion, awakening nationalism, and developing a distinct national character. Naturally, the Russians were reluctant to see their territory seized by China, much like the fat once swallowed. Many, even the revolutionary party, argued for a united front against the invaders, prioritizing victory over the Chinese invaders. Fortunately, despite their anger, the vast majority of Russians, like most Chinese, still viewed the Far East as a barren land of ice and snow, with little regard for it, and little understanding of the vastness of Siberia's importance to Russia. Otherwise, Russian revolutionaries might have abandoned the Russian Revolution and rushed directly to Siberia to fight the Field Army.

"Your Excellency, Minister of War, when will our heroic Imperial Army be able to capture Kulun, eliminate the yellow monkeys there, and teach those bastards a lesson?"

The main force of the Russian army had already set out from Irkutsk, and the Tsar knew this. However, until now, there was still no news of victory from the front, which made him lose his patience.

"Your Majesty, General Bolivar is on the march with his troops and has not yet reached Kulun."

Army Minister Sukhomlinov had no idea what to do about Bolivar's marching speed, and he already knew that the Russian army had encountered harassment from the field army and suffered heavy losses, so he could only bite the bullet and speak.

"What? Still marching? How is that possible? You said they were still marching half a month ago, and you said they were still marching a week ago. Now they are still marching. What is going on?" Nicholas II said with a suspicious look on his face.

Sukhomlinov wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "Your Majesty, Admiral Bolivar has sent word that the Chinese have dispatched a large number of cavalry to harass the Imperial Army, slowing down their advance. However, our Imperial Army has now reached Kulun, and upon arrival, they will immediately launch an attack. I believe we will soon receive news of victory."

He could only report to Nicholas II that the Russian army's marching speed had been affected. As for the losses, he absolutely would not report them, otherwise who knows what Nicholas II would do. After all, the ministers did not agree to send troops to Mongolia for this war. Mongolia was vast and sparsely populated, making it difficult to maintain a military presence, and they also had to be constantly on guard against Chinese surprise attacks. But since the Tsar was determined to teach the Chinese a lesson and establish Yellow Russia by force, everyone had no choice but to follow his lead.

That's right, it was nonsense. The value of those territories in the Far East hadn't yet become apparent, and for Russia, it was a losing proposition. Losing hundreds of thousands of soldiers for a piece of barren land was simply not worth it. Furthermore, Russia had always considered itself a European nation, its people, and its core was in Europe. There was no need to mobilize millions of soldiers for a small piece of territory. It would simply be a loss.

"Damn those yellow monkeys! They defeated the Japanese before by sneak attack, and later they defeated the imperial soldiers in the Far East. Now they are still using the same method to deal with the imperial soldiers who are entering. They simply don't dare to confront the Russian Empire head-on, so they can only use such despicable tactics. However, in the face of absolute strength, any conspiracy and trickery will be useless, and the final victory will definitely belong to the Russian Empire." Group number of this book: 775111838

Anyone of this era, any military strategist, even one with a passing understanding of military strategy, would describe the Field Army's strategies and tactics as scheming, despicable, and cowardly. However, they fail to understand that the Field Army's strategies and tactics are the ultimate formula for weak nations to triumph over strong ones, and small nations to triumph over large ones. Why did Afghanistan become the graveyard of empires? Even a power like the United States was helpless against the pervasive security war. This is even more so when the Field Army, with its powerful organization and leadership, employs cavalry harassment and surprise attacks, which are even more invincible.

Just when the Tsar urged Bolivar again, after such a long march, General Bolivar finally arrived in Kulun with the main force of the Russian army, which was exhausted from travel. The offensive and defensive battle around Kulun, which was famous both at home and abroad, began.

"Kulun, we are finally here. This place will be named after me, and this battle will mark the beginning of the Empire's conquest of this ancient country!"

Despite the puffy bags under his eyes and the weariness that marked his face, Admiral Bolivar's eyes seemed even brighter, burning with a blazing fire of ambition. Conquering China was something every powerful nation in the world dreamed of, yet no nation had ever managed to pull it off.

The force defending Kulun City was only one-sixth the size of the Russian force, commanded by Zhang Feng. The field army's final batch of supplies had been transported to Kulun a few days earlier using the newly invented flatbed carts equipped with bearings from the Liberated Areas. At this point, one side was well-rested, while the other, having just endured a long march, was exhausted to the point of exhaustion. One side had ample supplies, while the other was suffering from significant depletion and a lack of logistical support.

Looking at Kulun in the distance, General Bolivar waved his hand and ordered with a heroic look on his face: "Order the entire army to camp and be prepared to guard against sneak attacks by those yellow monkeys. Rest for a day, and the day after tomorrow morning, we will launch an attack on Kulun and take it down in one fell swoop!"

Although their food and other supplies were expended more than anticipated, it would have been best to launch an immediate attack on Kulun, striving to capture it sooner and thus gain a sense of security sooner. However, the officers and soldiers were too tired, and to attack Kulun under such circumstances would undoubtedly be to send them to their deaths. Therefore, even if they were short of time, they did not need a day.

Even though General Bolivar never cared about the lives of these Tsarist beasts, even if they were cannon fodder, their death had to be worthwhile! Furthermore, Kulun had already been well-defended by the field army, and was now waiting for the Russian attack.

After General Bolivar gave the order to set up camp, he immediately convened a meeting of officers. Fearing surprise attacks and artillery bombardments from the field army, the Russians had set up their headquarters far from the battlefield. At this point, General Bolivar paid no attention to the situation in Kulun or the field army's preparations. They possessed an absolute advantage in manpower; even with a massive attack, they could certainly break through Kulun's defenses.

"Your Excellency Lieutenant General Ivanovich, how about letting your 16th Army carry out the attack the day after tomorrow morning? At that time, I will concentrate the artillery of the entire army to provide you with support. If you can break through the defense line of those yellow monkeys, I will personally recommend you to His Majesty the Tsar." said General Bolivar.

"No problem, Commander. My army will surely be able to tear through the defenses of those yellow monkeys."

A middle-aged soldier with a long beard said nonchalantly. He saw the field army's fortifications with utter disdain. Although he'd been through a lot on the way, he didn't think the field army could be their opponent in a head-on confrontation.

"Very good. I look forward to your victory." General Bolivar nodded. Meanwhile, Zhang Feng and his men watched from afar as the main Russian forces continued to pour into the area surrounding Kulun. The Russians seemed to have no concept of "encircling three sides and leaving one behind." Upon arriving at Kulun, over 200,000 troops completely surrounded the city. Furthermore, the Russians began digging trenches outside, completely encircling Kulun.

At this point, the field army troops deployed in the Kulun trenches had reached their highest state of combat readiness and began taking turns resting. Since it was still unknown whether the Russians would employ a strategy of breakthrough or a full-scale offensive, they deployed troops evenly in each direction, leaving two divisions in reserve, ready to reinforce the battlefield at any time. The specific deployment of the frontline troops was determined by their commanders, but the principle of heavy firepower at the front and light manpower at the back remained unchanged, and Zhang Feng would not interfere for the time being.

Zhang Feng immediately decided to go all out. This was because the Russians were already exhausted physically and mentally by the field army's cavalry. Even a brief rest would not allow the soldiers to recover. However, precisely because of this exhaustion, the Russians would be eager to defeat the field army and gain precious rest time. Coupled with logistical difficulties, the Russians would inevitably seek to achieve victory in a single battle, rather than engaging in a war of attrition.

Therefore, when the Russian army just started to attack, it must have been powerful, it must have rushed and attacked fiercely, it must have wasted artillery shells and bullets, and it must have had strong attack power. The Russian army would want to capture Kulun as quickly as possible in the shortest time.

However, the greatest victory would be to resist the initial waves of their attacks, wear down the Russian army's morale and ammunition, and make them realize that they could not capture Kulun in the short term. The Russian army's combat effectiveness would inevitably be greatly reduced. Furthermore, the field army never distinguished between old and new units; it always used a model where veterans led new recruits, allowing them to enter the battlefield early, experience the cruelty of war, and allow these soldiers to properly adapt to the war environment.

Watching the Russian troops set up camp in an orderly manner, Zhang Feng took a deep breath and said, "Comrades, the Russian army has arrived. It will soon be our turn to fight. Everything is up to you comrades."

"Guaranteed to complete the mission!"

"Commander-in-chief, don't worry. It's impossible for the Russian army to break through our defense line. Unless the Russian army steps over our dead bodies, they will be beaten to a bloody pulp on our defense line." The division commanders and political commissars immediately expressed their opinions and said confidently.

If a division commander isn't familiar with his troops, he's unfit to be one. The political commissar would have already reported this to the Military Commission. Warfare doesn't tolerate the slightest bit of luck or carelessness; it concerns the lives of soldiers and their families. In wartime, the outcome is a matter of life and death. If you're not up to it, then you step aside. It's that simple. No one would take their own life lightly.

Zhang Feng was quite confident in the Field Army's combat effectiveness. Judging from the results of its battles against the British, Japanese, Russian, and other armies, its combat effectiveness, while not first-rate, was certainly not far behind. Perhaps there was still some lag in individual soldier quality, or perhaps a slight gap in knowledge and experience. However, the soldiers of the Field Army were generally from good families, possessing excellent qualities such as hard work and perseverance. With the support of a strong political commissar system and relatively sufficient weapons and ammunition, the Field Army's combat effectiveness was already comparable to any world-class army!

Even though Chairman Zhang Yinghao had said the German and French armies were incredibly powerful, Zhang Feng sometimes felt that even compared to the world's best armies, they weren't much different. As for the Russian Army, Zhang Feng saw no fundamental difference between it and the Qing Dynasty's Beiyang Army: a bunch of serfs. Without a supervisory team, rigorous training, and logistical support, it was essentially garbage.

In fact, the Beiyang Army and the Russian army were very similar, as the Beiyang Army was an army built on money and strict discipline, which Zhang Feng was very familiar with. Therefore, in Zhang Feng's view, even if the Russian army had an absolute advantage in manpower, it would not be able to break through the field army's defense line.

Zhang Feng had attended Zhang Yinghao's lectures on the subject. He knew that as firearms grew in quantity, quality, and power, they eventually replaced cold weapons. Firearms completely dominated warfare, and tactics based on them emerged, much like the emergence of the bayonet that displaced the spear. Tactics must evolve with weaponry, and thinking must keep pace with the times. Falling behind on either side would be irresponsible to the lives of soldiers and would inevitably lead to unnecessary losses.

Chapter 667: First update!

By this time, Zhang Feng had conducted a thorough investigation of the Tsarist Russian army and had a relatively good understanding of it. To minimize casualties and better utilize firearms, the depth of the infantry formations became increasingly shallow, ultimately evolving into linear tactics. Despite Russia's continued expansion, its army's combat philosophy remained relatively backward, believing that one or two decisive battles could determine the outcome of a war—an outdated concept. Tactical training was also backward. To train the troops to blindly obey the Tsar, the army required rifles to be polished to a shine, but not to fire accurately. Everything was geared toward review, not actual combat. Due to the advancement of firearms, European armies gradually adopted the new skirmish line formation after the 19th century, while Russia persisted in using the outdated, dense column formation, resulting in heavy casualties during the war.

The lessons learned from the defeat in the Crimean War forced the Russian ruling class to follow the lead of Western capitalist countries and abolish serfdom. At the same time, Russia also underwent military reforms. War Minister Dmitri Milyukin played a significant role in these reforms, earning them the name "Milyukin Reforms."

Milyukin's military reforms addressed the conscription system, military structure, command system, weaponry, troop training, and officer training. Their goal was to build a modern Russian army, a tool for the Tsar to implement his foreign policies both internally and externally. In tactical training, Milyukin addressed the Russian army's previous emphasis on formalism and implemented new practices. To improve soldier quality, a campaign to eradicate illiteracy was also launched. Before the reforms, only 10% of soldiers could read and write. To improve literacy, company schools were established, with platoon and company commanders serving as instructors. Infantry literacy training units were also established. By the mid-70s, the infantry literacy rate reached 36%.

These reforms were not without success. In the subsequent Russo-Turkish War, Russia achieved a military victory over Turkey. However, the remaining representatives of serfdom within the ruling class firmly opposed the reforms, primarily fearing that the nobility would lose their privileged position in the military. Consequently, the reforms faced significant resistance, resulting in many incomplete measures.

Before the Russo-Japanese War, rapid industrial and technological developments led to significant military reforms. However, the Russian ruling class focused its military efforts primarily on addressing domestic class conflicts, neglecting its modernization. For more than 20 years, from the Russo-Turkish War to the eve of the Russo-Japanese War, the Russian military experienced slow development, remaining extremely backward and ill-prepared.

At the same time, conservative and backward ideas dominated Russian military thought at the time. Genrikh Reyer and Hemiil Dragomirov were the most influential. They emphasized the initiative of officers and soldiers, but they overestimated the role of moral factors. They believed that the fundamental principle of military training was to cultivate willpower. Tactically, they emphasized bayonet combat and downplayed firepower.

Under conditions where rapid-fire weapons were used extensively, he required soldiers to move in a standing position, believing that leaping, crawling, and earthwork were cowardice. He even opposed the Russian army's use of rapid-fire weapons such as machine guns. He attempted to transfer Suvorov's combat and training principles to the imperial era.

As a result, many senior Russian officers worshipped cold weapons and fantasized about "lowering their heads, rushing into the enemy group, cutting the enemy into pieces with a knife to the right and a knife to the left." These had serious consequences many times in the Russo-Japanese War. The Russian machine guns achieved certain results in the Russo-Japanese War, but because they were considered light artillery, their performance was limited.

In contrast, the Japanese army, as Kuropatkin had described, suffered heavy losses during the Russo-Japanese War due to their dense formations. However, their tactical thinking was still more advanced than that of the Russian army. To minimize casualties, they generally avoided frontal attacks and instead employed flanking and circuitous tactics. They also placed great emphasis on firepower, especially crossfire.

On the other hand, the Japanese army still retained the ability to use hand-to-hand attacks. Before an attack, the Japanese army typically conducted a lengthy artillery preparation, then launched the attack using dense skirmish lines. Even in battles with heavy casualties, such as the siege of Port Arthur, the Japanese army employed improved tactics such as tunnel blasting, parallel trenches, and close-range fortifications to mitigate losses to a certain extent.

The Field Army kept detailed records of the combat performance of the Japanese and Russian armies in Northeast China, and the Field Army's subsequent rapid victory in the Far East was largely due to these studies of the Japanese and Russian armies. Furthermore, Zhang Feng didn't believe the Russian army had already corrected their outdated tactics; they were likely still using the same tactics used during the Russo-Japanese War.

The Russians, hampered by the Field Army's cavalry's delayed march, had given the Field Army ample time. Although the defenses at Kulun were nearly complete, they spent several more days, just in case, adding 25,000 baggage soldiers to the construction of the defense system. Finally, before the Russians reached Kulun, they completed the construction of a defensive trench at the outermost perimeter, and the baggage soldiers withdrew from Kulun.

The Russian army rested for a day, and the weather was clear, perfect for launching a large-scale offensive. A fierce battle was about to unfold on the Mongolian steppe.

Early in the morning, the Russian artillery positions were bustling with activity. Russian artillerymen rolled 76.2mm field guns and 105mm howitzers into the hastily constructed artillery positions. Each infantry division in Tsarist Russia consisted of an artillery brigade, each with six batteries, each manning eight M1902 76.2mm field guns. This meant a single brigade had 48 guns, providing formidable firepower. As for 105mm howitzers, they were much scarcer. As for larger caliber guns, they were too heavy to transport to Mongolia without heavy-duty vehicles.

The Tsarist Russia was well aware of Kulun, so the Russian officers believed that Kulun had no strong walls or permanent reinforced concrete fortifications. Even the 76.2mm field guns were enough to break through these fortifications. Therefore, the current artillery was more than sufficient.

At 6:00 AM, the sky was already bright and the Russian army had completed its preparations for the battle. At 6:30 AM, Lieutenant General Ivanovich gave the order and the attack began.

In this era, when armies fought, artillery would always be deployed first, as long as conditions allowed. This was the most basic operation. Therefore, the Russian army immediately began its artillery bombardment. The rumbling sound of artillery fire could be heard from the Russian artillery positions, and at the same time, shells exploded in the front-line positions and in Kulun City.

The Russian artillery bombardment began, and hundreds of Russian artillery pieces began to roar. "Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The muzzles of the guns blazed with orange flames as shells whistled towards the distant field army positions, emitting a sharp, piercing whistling sound as they streaked through the air at high speed.

At this time, the soldiers of the field army were already in the anti-artillery caves. There was no one else on the field army's position except the soldiers who stayed behind to observe the enemy situation.

"Artillery fire, take cover!"

The Russians opened fire, and the number of soldiers on the position dwindled again. They all retreated into their dugouts or lay flat at the bottom of the deep trenches. Although they were earthen fortifications, the dugouts built by the field army were of high quality, easily able to withstand several rounds of fire from the Russian 76.2mm field guns or 105mm howitzers. As for the few soldiers lying at the bottom of the trenches, as long as they were lucky enough not to be directly hit by a shell, they would not be in danger of death.

“Boom! Boom! Boom!”

Dust flew and shrapnel flew everywhere. However, it was all in vain.

The bombardment of the Russian army was very fierce.

The roars were fierce, as if venting their anger and dissatisfaction. However, the casualties they inflicted on the field army were very limited. Whether it was the officers and soldiers of the field army hiding in the anti-artillery holes or the trenches, the casualties were not heavy.

The Russian army, numbering over 200,000 men, dispatched over 100,000 troops and hundreds of artillery pieces into the battle. The artillery rained down upon the fortress of Kulun, a city of small size and low-rise buildings. In a half-hour bombardment, a single cannon unleashed five or six hundred shells, pockmarking the ground. The buildings within Kulun were constantly being blasted, crumbling and collapsing, billowing into billowing clouds of dust.

Perhaps Bolivar really wanted to capture Kulun in one go, so he spent a lot of money and fired artillery shells at Kulun without any cost. The Russian troops who were preparing to attack were all smiling, and some were even quite dissatisfied, and "complained", thinking that the army did not need to attack at all and could go straight in to collect the bodies.

After the bombardment, Ivanovich gave another order and the Russian exploratory troops immediately

There were not many soldiers in the first attack. Their first goal was to check if the enemy had been killed by the explosion. The second goal was to find out the enemy's firepower point if there were any survivors.

The Tsar's gray beasts formed a horizontal column that was getting closer and closer. Zhang Feng couldn't help but curl up the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a mocking smile. Seeing this situation, Zhang Feng immediately knew that the Russian army's tactical thinking was indeed still very backward.

Although he only knew from Chairman Zhang Yinghao's teaching that the armies of European powers all adopted this horizontal attack mode in the early days, he did not expect that the Russian army has not changed much until now. It seems that the inherent things are really not so easy to change unless they are beaten to a bloody pulp.

Zhang Feng didn't know that not only had the Russian army remained largely unchanged, but later, during World War I, the British suffered an even more devastating defeat at the Battle of the Somme. In this battle, the British launched a full-scale assault on German positions at Loos. The British soldiers were arranged into ten columns, each containing a thousand men. Then, these Brits simply charged forward.

Seeing the British attack, the Germans were both delighted and apprehensive, as even target practice wasn't this easy. Thus, the German machine gunners unleashed a frenzy of slaughter. Ironically, this idiotic attack lasted three weeks, resulting in 1.6 deaths and 2.5 wounded. The Field Army had also engaged in this same horizontal formation when it entered Tibet to resist the British invasion. At the time, the Field Army had little experience in formal large-scale combat, so they were forced to fight a brutal battle against the British.

In Europe, during the Crimean War, the British and French allied forces also used this tactic to defeat the Russians in Crimea. After the Crimean War, the Russians learned from their mistakes and carried out military reforms. Unexpectedly, the reforms still used the same tactics: artillery bombardment, soldiers charged, and soldiers charged, and then artillery bombardment.

The city was in ruins, under intense artillery fire. The Russian commanders thought that under the fierce artillery bombardment, Kulun had suffered heavy casualties, even corpses were everywhere, and there was little resistance. The troops could easily capture Kulun. In fact, the Russian army did not know that the previous artillery attack was so powerful and the actual results were very small.