The Rise of the Empire

"Save Russia, give us three months of breathing time, otherwise the entire Eastern Front will collapse!" The Russian ambassador to France almost said it in a pleading tone when meeting French President Armand.

Only three weeks after the war began, the Bavarian and Bohemian legions fought a famous border battle with the Russian Fifth and Sixth Army on the German-Russian border. The entire campaign lasted 18 days. Russia successively invested 2 armies with a total of 22 infantry divisions and 6 cavalry divisions. The total strength reached a peak of nearly 500,000. The Bavarian and Bohemian armies gathered a total of 21 divisions with a total of 450,000 frontline troops, and 3 aviation regiments, a huge battle group with a total of 600 aircraft.

In this earliest and largest coordinated ground battle in history, under the command of Prince Ruprecht, the two German and Austrian armies annihilated a total of 15 Russian infantry divisions and 4 cavalry divisions! A total of 350,000 enemies were wiped out! As many as 90,000 people were captured! According to the description in the German official newspaper, the captured officers filled an area of ​​​​five football fields, and the captured soldiers made the newly occupied land of Germany no longer worry about the lack of labor force. Although it is a bit exaggerated, the huge losses cannot be tolerated. Doubtful.

Along with the loss of these troops, the loss of equipment from the two armies and the defense forces made the Russians even more heartbroken. The two armies had a full complement of 1,300 artillery pieces of various types before the war. After other troops joined in, the number of artillery pieces increased. 300 doors added. However, after the war, only 400 artillery pieces were built. In other words, after the end of World War I, the Russians lost 1,200 artillery pieces, which was the equipment of more than 200 artillery batteries. Excluding those that were destroyed, the Russians lost 1,200 pieces of artillery pieces. It is estimated that the Bavarian Army captured at least 500 artillery pieces of various types.

In addition to troops and equipment, the Russians also lost more than 20 large warehouses originally located on the border and in shallow depths, including hundreds of thousands of tons of grain and various military supplies. and approximately tens of thousands of livestock. After the battle, the Russians estimated that these supplies alone would be enough to support Ruprecht's troops for more than half a year, or that an additional 200,000 troops would not be a problem.

After the battle, the Russians lost nearly 30,000 square kilometers of territory, and the Bavarian and Bohemian legions were deeply wedged into Russian Poland. The entire eastern front battlefield is divided into two sections. On the northern front, two Russian armies are confronting Mackensen, one at a time. Originally, the Russian army on the northern front was prepared to make a bold move, but now they are in the grip of the opponent. Under the offensive, he no longer had the courage to continue attacking. If the Bavarian Army chooses to go north after resting, then the Russians' best choice is probably to get out of the way immediately.

On the southern front are four other Russian armies, which are fighting fiercely with the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Their situation is better than that of their brothers on the northern front. The Bavarian Army is relatively far away from them. If nothing else happens, the winner should be decided on the southern front before the opponent completes their preparations. But even if the Russians defeated the Austro-Hungarian fleet, they still had to face Ruprecht's forces. So what if 2 armies can be drawn out? It was just the result of repeating the border battle again.

"Even in the best case scenario, that is, after the battle is over, if the Bavarian Army does not take any action on the Eastern Front within 3 months, we will be able to recover the previous battle losses. And if we respond well to the battle, we will not lose. In terms of strategy, we do not lose in numbers. Our tactical system lags far behind our opponents. Equipment, coordination, quality, etc.! After they launch an attack, our best way is to retreat, so that we can throw away less troops. It’s very difficult for us to do it.” Looking at the shocking loss,

Kuropatkin wrote this in a letter to the Russian Emperor.

"If the Bavarian Army continues to attack, then in order to reduce losses, the Northwest Front Army must retreat, give up some territory, and then level the front. The troops begin to dig trenches and build fortifications on the spot to defend against the opponent's attack, and even stop when necessary. We will launch the offensive on the southern front and deploy troops to make up for the shortcomings on the northern front." Ivanov had even prepared for the worst, giving up all strategic offensive and switching to strategic defense. This plan seemed to Nicholas II Almost unacceptable!

In other words, no matter how hard you fight, you can't win. Unless there is a short period of time for Russia to readjust, which includes building up its air force and armored forces, strengthening its artillery, and concentrating its forces. Only with a huge military advantage and new equipment can we compete with our opponents.

So now comes the problem. Will Ruprecht give the other party time to breathe? According to Russian estimates, the maximum losses of the two armies of Bavaria and Bohemia did not exceed 80,000 casualties, most of which were wounded. If only in terms of personnel and equipment, the replenishment speed will be very fast. In other words, if there is no external force, theoretically the Russians cannot delay it for so long.

Of course, the actual situation will not be as direct as the Russian ambassador said, to the extent that Russia needs to be saved. After all, Russia still has vastness and depth. After all, it has a population of hundreds of millions. After all, it can be considered a great power. As long as it has internal stability, it will not collapse. As a diplomat, it is almost a compulsory course to learn to make fun of things, especially when you are poor! Therefore, when the Russian ambassador met with the French President, he strongly requested that the French army launch an offensive in the border area so that part of the Bavarian Army could move westward to reduce the pressure on Russia.

"We will consider your country's request carefully, but we are also under great pressure. They have concentrated 7 of the 9 armies on the Western Front. Soldiers from both sides are almost next to each other on the front. We are already at the border Blocking the opponent's attack on the line, we will soon launch a counterattack to drive the Germans out of French territory, and it is even possible to directly liberate Belgium. Your country only needs to persist, and the war will soon be over It's over, believe me." French President Armand said.

"Then I await news of the victory of your country and the British Empire on the Western Front." The Russian ambassador complimented.

Just when the history of the Eastern Front had undergone major changes, some changes had also taken place on the Western Front. In this dimension, the German raids encountered some troubles in the border areas, which the Germans did not expect. . In the border battle that Ruprecht expected, Germany not only failed to repel France, but was defeated half-heartedly, and some fronts even shrank back. This made all the top German military leaders, including the prince, feel nervous! Damn it! Something is wrong!

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