Holy Roman Empire

The changes on the Prusso-Russian battlefield attracted Franz’s close attention. Although he didn’t believe the Prusso Federation could turn the tide, the outcome of war was never certain.

One only need to open a history book to know, records are created by people. Classic cases of the few defeating the many throughout history:

The Battle of Julu, the Battle of Weishui, the Battle of Guandu, the Battle of Red Cliffs, the Battle of Yiling, the Battle of Fei River, the Battle of Salamis, the Battle of Issus, the Battle of Agincourt, the Battle of Crécy...

There were simply too many, and the victors of these classic battles all had one thing in common—a "famous general."

Although the Prussian Army was at a disadvantage, it was not without the strength to fight, and with the genius commander Maoqi, victory was indeed possible.

Franz’s worries didn’t last long before he convinced himself. The reason was very simple: "Maoqi is only one, but Ivanovs could be mass-produced."

In the army, "fools and geniuses" were the minority; most officers were ordinary people. As long as the commanders didn’t make a mess, letting them fight predictable battles in an orderly fashion, there really wasn’t a problem.

Maoqi could make a move to calculate against the Fourth Army, but could he also anticipate every move of the divisions and regiments below?

Across a front of thousands of miles, most of the time it was these division and regimental level officers who commanded, and although the quality of Prussian officers was slightly superior, this advantage was offset by the numerical superiority of the Russian Army.

A commander-in-chief could only centrally direct and command major campaigns; the smaller campaigns still depended on these ordinary officers. Deciding the outcome was not solely about command; the quality and quantity of soldiers were also key factors.

Small victories could accumulate into a major one, and when fighting steadily, what’s tested even more is strength.

The Russians launched three major offensives at once, and even Maoqi, as formidable as he was, could only pay attention to one battlefield. Those who could achiee victory by commanding from behind the lines without a full understanding of the front were the stuff of "myths."

Without the ability to make precise calculations and without understanding the true situation on the front lines, how could one deploy troops accurately?

Some might say that you can understand front-line situations through reports conveyed by "telegraph," but in reality, it’s just not feasible; many things can only be understood by seeing them firsthand.

An army is made up of people, and where there are people, there are societies, and where there are societies, there are disputes. Telegrams, muddled with various interests, in reality, had obscured much.

Franz asked, "Albrecht, are the Russians about to give up on the Fourth Army?"

It wasn’t that Franz couldn’t see what was happening, the issue was that it was hard to believe that an army of more than a hundred thousand could just be given up on so easily.

Let’s put it this way, the Fourth Army alone would rank in the top ten armies of the world. In all of Europe, only France, Austria, Russia, and Poland had standing armies exceeding two hundred thousand.

Albrecht shook his head and replied, "Yes, and no! It can only be said that Ivanov made the most correct choice.

Strategically speaking, the most important thing for the Russian Army right now is to launch an offensive on the southern front, to leave the Prussian Army no time to prepare.

If they were to abandon the offensive on the southern front to rescue the Fourth Army, the key to deciding the victory of this war would shift to the Warsaw battlefield, which is precisely what Maoqi would want to see."

Albrecht paused, then picked up a baton to point at the map: "Your Majesty, look, this here is Warsaw, right at the center of the battlefield.

Before this, the Russians had not planned to have a decisive battle here and had not stockpiled materials around Warsaw. Once the Russian main forces gathered, logistics would become a major problem."

Franz nodded, understanding that Warsaw’s central strategic position was significant, and the Prusso Federation had long turned it into a fortified city.

Sufficient defenses were one thing, but the issue was that the logistical lines for the Russians had been extended. To the north, there was the Baltic Sea, and to the south, Austria; supplies were easily obtainable, except for the Warsaw region, which relied on land transportation.

Ordinarily, this might be okay, but with winter approaching, it was impossible for the Russians to sustain the demands of an army of millions.

There was no choice, as the Fourth Army being surrounded and the Vistula River falling into Prussian hands meant that the only water route was no longer reliable.

Even retaking it would be useless, as destruction is always easier than construction. Simply causing some havoc in the river channel to obstruct ship traffic was too easy.

Albrecht: "Aside from strategic needs, the Prussian Army might also use the Fourth Army as bait to lure the surrounding Russian forces and encircle them for an attack.

Ivanov was very cautious in using his troops, always preferring a steady and secure approach. He has always intentionally avoided such high-risk battles.

It seems like he is abandoning the Fourth Army, but in reality, he has already begun the rescue, only in a roundabout way."

The Russian Army marching from the east and north towards Warsaw would surely bind a large portion of the Prussian Army, leaving Maoqi with no extra forces to annihilate the Fourth Army in the short term.

While maintaining the encirclement, the actual number of Prussian troops able to engage in frontline combat was not much greater than that of the Fourth Army.

As long as the commanders of the Fourth Army are not stupid and stabilize the morale of the troops, there is no immediate danger of annihilation for the time being.

Just yesterday, the Tsarist Government rented a hundred transport airships from us, presumably to supply the Fourth Army.

If all these airships are used for the Fourth Army, they will be able to drop over a hundred tons of supplies daily, and together with their own carried supplies, with a bit of luck, they might last until reinforcements arrive." Experience tales with empire

In the matter of "morale and fighting spirit," one has to admire the Russians. Being besieged is no big deal; as long as supplies are sufficient, Mao Xiong retains its combat effectiveness.

Perhaps influenced by Russia’s unique culture or maybe it’s the soldiers’ thick nerves, the Russians truly live up to the name of a "fighting nation."

Even so, Albrecht still did not hold a favorable view of the Fourth Army. The reason was obvious; it was all theoretical, and the Prussian Army was not going to sit idly by while the Russians transported supplies.

|How much supplies can actually be delivered under enemy interception is an unknown.

Of course, being intercepted is not the worst thing. This day and age, the effectiveness of anti-air firepower is limited, and as long as the airships don’t recklessly fly at low altitudes, they are not so easily shot down. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

The best method is airship against airship, but it takes time to launch an airship, and unless you happen to bump into one, by the time you take off, they’ve already fled.

Against this backdrop, "luck" becomes the key factor in deciding the fate of the Fourth Army. However, relying on luck is in itself an unreliable approach.

"Ivanov has already made his move, so what could Maoqi be thinking at this time? Surely he wouldn’t stir up so much trouble just for the sake of one Fourth Army, would he?" Franz asked, puzzled.

Albrecht waved his hand and answered with some difficulty, "Your Majesty, you’re overestimating Maoqi. No matter how capable he is, he’s just a common man.

No matter how cunning his strategies, they only work if the Russians fall for them. Ivanov’s command of his troops is very stable, indifferent to whatever bait is put out.

Without underhanded tricks coming into play, strength is what ultimately determines the outcome of the war. As long as the Russians don’t mess up, winning the war is almost certain.

For Maoqi to turn the tables, he would need to quickly win the battle of Warsaw and then rapidly move his troops to cut off the Russian Southern Army’s supply lines, engaging in another encirclement battle.

I’m sorry to say, militarily, this is almost impossible. The Russians are not fools; there’s no need for a decisive battle in the Warsaw region, just stalling for time until a breakthrough is achieved in the southern front is sufficient."

Franz asked uncertainly, "Really?"

Albrecht nodded very confidently. This question was a common issue among transmigrators, a sense of extra apprehension toward historical figures of great repute.

In the original timeline, Maoqi was placed on a pedestal, and Franz had heard so much about him that he was left with an impression of "invincibility."

Although after transmigrating, having met numerous famous people lessened this impression considerably, the underlying apprehension had not completely dissipated.

Albrecht naturally did not know about these things. He could not understand Franz’s excessive concern.

After thinking for a while, Franz replied dismissively, "I understand. Maybe I’ve been influenced by reading too many newspapers from the Prusso Federation, they praise him too much."

...

As an onlooker watching the Prusso-Russian war, there are flaws everywhere, and problems keep arising for both sides, with innumerable mistakes being made.

However, these are the views of laypeople. In reality, there is a lot in this war that is worth learning from.

The greatest impact on Europe is the training of military personnel, and the Prusso-Russian war is a watershed for the cultivation of military talent.

Before this, when European countries trained military personnel, with the exception of junior officers, they aimed to cultivate famous generals.

However, the phenomenon of a "famous general" is something you can encounter but not seek, and too reliant on luck. The most troublesome aspect is that no one knows their true caliber until they have been tested by the fires of war.

The Prusso-Russian war taught the world that in the Age of Hot Weapons, the "aura of famous generals" is fading, and that strength is the key to deciding the outcome of a war.

Indeed, a "famous general" can improve the odds of victory, but when the scale of war rises to the level of millions, an individual’s power on the battlefield is just too insignificant.

Especially for a great country like Austria, rather than gamboling on the possibility of a "Maoqi-style genius" emerging, it is better to train thousands upon thousands of steady officers like Ivanov.

If the quality is not enough, make it up in quantity; enhancing the overall military literacy of officers is far more valuable than fostering one or two "famous generals."