The Prussian Army was on the move, but the Russian Army was not idle either. Perhaps learning from the lessons of the last war, the Russians were far more cautious this time.
No matter how the Prussians advanced, the Russians remained focused on Smolensk, defending other regions by relying on the fortifications they had built earlier.
From an observer’s perspective, the Russians’ strategy might appear conservative, but it was undeniably the safest choice.
Smolensk was the gateway to Moscow. Without securing it, the Russian Army could not risk advancing westward.
Anyone familiar with the Prussian Army knew they excelled at concentrating superior forces in localized battles for decisive victories. Their strengths included coordinated strikes, rapid breakthroughs, flanking operations, and swift, decisive engagements.
In the previous war, the Russians suffered greatly from these tactics, and now they were clearly determined to avoid repeating those mistakes.
A cautious, methodical approach was the best option. By focusing their forces in a single direction for a major offensive and defending other regions with fortifications, the Russians made it difficult for the Prussian Army to achieve a breakthrough, even with local superiority in numbers.
Defense inherently held the advantage over offense. With bunkers and strongholds as support, it was nearly impossible to breach Russian lines without a 2-3 times numerical advantage under normal circumstances.
In the Vienna Palace, Franz furrowed his brows as he studied the Russian military deployment map. The Russians were playing it safe, but what about the Prussian-Polish Federation?
What Franz truly wanted to see was a battle of evenly matched opponents. However, the Russians’ current tactics lacked sophistication and were instead focused on wearing down the Prussian-Polish Federation through attrition.“Albrecht, if you were in Moltke’s position, how would you conduct this war?”
After a moment’s thought, Albrecht picked up the pointer and tapped the map and explained, “Here lies Smolensk, situated in the middle of the Eastern European Plain, regarded militarily as the gateway to Moscow.
In recent years, both Prussia and Russia have built numerous fortifications along the border, and Smolensk is especially teeming with bunkers and fortresses.
If I were in command, I would directly hold my ground since the Russians are set on attacking Smolensk. Utilize the fortifications to deplete the Russian forces.
With the Russians defending other regions, the Prussians could do the same. After all, winter is fast approaching, and even if a breakthrough were achieved now, it wouldn’t be possible to expand the gains significantly.
The question of a decisive battle can be postponed until next spring. By then, the muddy roads will be the Russians’ greatest obstacle to troop movements.”
Albrecht paused before adding, “Actually, aside from the army, the navy could also be considered.
In recent years, Russia’s navy has been neglected due to financial constraints. While the Prussian-Polish Federation’s navy is also weak, they could turn to Britain or France for assistance.
By purchasing or leasing a fleet, they could launch a direct raid on St. Petersburg. If luck is on their side, the war could end within the year.
Even if the Russian government doesn’t capitulate, it wouldn’t matter. Losing the capital would surely shake the morale of the Russian troops on the front lines. RᴀℕöBЕs̈
To reverse the failure, the Russian government might even alter its previous strategy and order the frontline troops to engage in a major offensive. That would naturally create an opportunity for victory.”
Franz was taken aback, suddenly realizing that the Russians had such an obvious vulnerability. He couldn’t help but feel astonished.
After calming down, Franz shook his head and interjected, “Moltke wouldn’t do that, and the Junker nobility wouldn’t allow the glory of defeating Russia to go to the navy.
A raid on St. Petersburg would require close cooperation between the army and navy. The Prussian army has never undergone amphibious landing training. If there’s a lack of coordination, this plan would be doomed from the start.
Moreover, purchasing a fleet would create such a stir that keeping it a secret would be nearly impossible. Even if Britain and France cooperated, entering the Baltic Sea would expose the operation—unless they sent their own forces directly.”
The rivalry between the army and the navy was an unavoidable topic. Although the Prussian-Polish Federation’s army held an absolute advantage, the navy also had its supporters.
In the late 1850s, during the last wave of colonial expansion, Prussia joined the naval development frenzy and even built its own ironclad warships, securing a colony in Southeast Asia.
If the army hadn’t preemptively acted by launching the Second Schleswig War and causing the situation to spiral out of control, Prussia might have become a new colonial empire.
Even now, the industrial and commercial sectors within Prussia remain supporters of the navy. Though it was too late to carve out colonies, protecting overseas investments was still a pressing need.
In these times, international trade was challenging. Without a strong navy as a backer, nothing was easy to achieve. Even pirates choose their targets based on their opponent’s strength.
If one were to carefully analyze the data, it would become evident that the ships of a landlocked nation like the Prussian-Polish Federation faced accidents overseas at a rate several times higher than those of naval powers.
The losses suffered by capitalists were of no concern to the Junker nobility, whose core interests lay in land. If not for pressure from the Russians, they would have opposed the formation of the Prussian-Polish Federation altogether.
To prevent agricultural products from Poland from impacting domestic markets, tariffs still existed within the Federation.
In this context, unless absolutely necessary, Moltke, representing the interests of the Junker class, would never sacrifice class interests.
As for Britain and France directly intervening militarily, that was wishful thinking. While they supported the Federation, it didn’t mean they wanted to see Russia defeated outright. At least, the French merely hoped for a pyrrhic victory for the Prussian-Polish Federation.
Albrecht nodded and replied, “Indeed, if the navy were allowed to become the key to winning this war, it would be much harder to suppress its development post-war.
The Prussian-Polish Federation simply doesn’t have the resources to maintain a world-class army while simultaneously building a powerful navy.”
This issue wasn’t exclusive to the Federation, Austria faced the same challenge.
Sustaining both a world-class army and navy was burdensome, even for Austria. The annual budgetary disputes within the Austrian government were the clearest testament to this strain.
Failing to predict Moltke’s strategy was also understandable. Albrecht, as Austria’s Chief of the General Staff, lacked deep insight into the Prussian-Polish Federation and inevitably viewed matters through the lens of Austria’s military doctrines.
In reality, every country’s military strategy was shaped by its national strengths, leading to distinct operational tactics.
There was no absolute right or wrong, only what was suitable or unsuitable. A seemingly perfect tactic today might become obsolete within years, while an outlandish idea could turn mainstream just as quickly.
With the progression of time, such shifts would only become more frequent.
Franz asked nonchalantly, “Hmm, let’s set that issue aside for now. We’ll know the answer soon enough.
Let’s turn our attention overseas. How is the war in South America progressing? Are the British stirring up trouble again?”
Given his understanding of the British, if the British government didn’t take advantage of France and Austria focusing on Europe to gain an upper hand, it wouldn’t be John Bull.
Foreign Minister Wessenberg replied, “Yes, Your Majesty. According to the intelligence we’ve gathered, the British Pacific Fleet’s Second Naval Squadron is on its way.
If nothing unexpected happens, there’s a strong likelihood they intend to blockade the coasts of Peru and Bolivia, creating opportunities for Chile to win the war.”
Hearing this, Franz was deeply displeased, yet there was little he could do. Unless France and Austria intervened jointly, there was no way to stop the British.
In this era, Bolivia and Peru, aside from their large territories, were essentially small, powerless nations. Combined, their economies were still less than half that of Vienna’s.
Expecting France and Austria to join forces over such minor stakes was nothing short of a dream.
Europe was still the center of the world, and if interference in South America diverted resources and caused instability in Europe, it would be a catastrophe.
After a moment’s hesitation, Franz made his decision reluctantly, “Our influence in South America is limited, and without domestic support, it’s difficult to compete with the British there.
For now, let’s abandon our plans in South America. As long as our core interests aren’t directly harmed, let the British do as they please.”
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