The sun shines on the earth, reflecting the snow and emitting a golden glow.

The snow on the ground, the frozen Neva River, swear that winter is coming, and St. Petersburg is still more suitable for snow.

In the past, when such good weather occurred, Alexander III would definitely take his family out and soak up the winter sun.

At this moment, the high-ranking members of the tsarist government in the palace of Gatchina gathered together to discuss the next state policy.

Foreign Secretary Oscar Jiménez: "Last night, the French Minister revealed at a banquet that the French government was preparing to increase its assistance to us.

As long as the troops on the front line conquer Herat, or the Wakhan Corridor, they will underwrite a billion francs of war bonds for us.

The intention of the French is very obvious, to weaken the British by our hand, and the Anglo-French alliance can be said to exist in name only.

Prior to this, the Austrian government had expressed a similar meaning, but the French were more anxious.

The British have done too many bad things in normal times, and now the whole world is full of their enemies. The current international situation is very favorable to us, and the next thing is up to the military. ”

Turning an enemy into an ally can be considered a miracle in the history of diplomacy. However, given the complex relationship between Britain and France, it is normal for such things to happen.

Britain and France are feuding, and there is no need for a reason to pit the British; If the French government had been wholeheartedly helping the British, that would have been a real problem.

War Minister Ivanov: "The front is going very well. We have pushed our fronts to Herat, a major city in western Afghanistan, and Kunduz, a transportation hub in the east.

At any point of breakthrough, we will take the initiative in the war. Judging from the current situation, the success rate of taking Herat, or the Wakhan Corridor, before the arrival of British reinforcements, is still very high.

The only problem that will test us now is logistics, which is becoming more and more sluggish as the front advances.

If this situation is not changed, it will not be long before the troops on the front line will have to stop and wait for supplies. ”

Anyone can shake the pot, not to mention that Ivanov is also the truth.

The smooth progress of the Russian army in the early stage was based on the situation of sufficient supplies, and with the outbreak of the war, the reserves before the outbreak of the war were depleted, and now they must rely on the rear to transport.

Hearing that the logistics supplies were not available, Alexander III's face suddenly turned ugly, and his murderous gaze turned to the logistics minister Argent, as if to say: You'd better give me a reasonable explanation, otherwise......

Argent, who had been prepared for a long time, explained unhurriedly: "It is not our responsibility to supply logistics and materials.

The road in Central Asia was not smooth, and guerrillas often sabotaged it, which seriously affected the progress of logistics and transportation.

There are also front-line troops who are constantly transferred, and many times the logistics department is not notified in advance, and the people below often have to run the wrong way, how can they not be slow? ”

Ivanov sneered: "If your logistics department can't do it, leave the matter of material transportation to our War Department, don't make so many bad excuses."

Guerrilla raids?

The military has cleared the surrounding resistance groups and deployed heavy troops along the way to protect the convoys.

Since the beginning of the war, the convoys have been attacked by the guerrillas seventeen times, and the maximum number of them is not more than 500 people, and nine of them were provoked by you.

In order to reduce the conflict, we have even relocated the indigenous people of the surrounding 30 kilometers, so that you can all go the wrong way.

As for not notifying you in time, that's all bullshit.

The large-scale transfer of materials by the Logistics Department requires your approval in St. Petersburg, and the head of the front line only has the right to transfer materials below the division level.

The situation on the battlefield is ever-changing, and our generals on the front line do not know what will happen next, and they need to improvise, how can they be notified in advance? ”

The conflict between the military and the logistics department is actually an extension of the contradiction between the military and the government bureaucracy, and in the final analysis, it is a struggle for the right to speak.

Logistics is the government's best means of restraining the military, and in the eyes of government bureaucrats, sacrificing a little efficiency in order to limit the military's expansion is not worth mentioning at all.

Especially after the invention of the telegraph, after the speed of information transmission accelerated, many countries in Europe increased the control of logistics materials.

Not to mention this era, even during World War II, the logistics systems of various countries were still in chaos.

It's not that you don't know how to solve it, but the problem is that once the government hands over logistics to the military, it loses its checks and balances on the military, and it is easy for the military to become bigger.

Although there are problems with everyone's logistics system, this is originally a worse era, as long as others are better, it will be considered a success.

Argent replied calmly: "Your Excellency, professional matters are still left to professional people.

IMHO, if you were left with the military to manage the logistics, the situation would only be worse than it is now.

Don't forget that in addition to distributing materials, the logistics department is more important to raise materials, which involves many problems.

As for the problem of untimely deployment, our logistics department is already trying to solve it, and the situation will improve after a while. ”

It is absolutely impossible to hand over the right to deploy logistics materials. If there is no such power, the logistics department will really be a wet nurse, or the kind without a salary.

In addition to the loss of power, what is more important is the loss of vital interests. The positions in the logistics department are all poor, and only by controlling the procurement and distribution of materials at the same time can we make a windfall from it.

In order to dissuade the military, Argent did not hesitate to make direct threats. Marshal Ivanov was clearly told that without the cooperation of the Logistics Department, the military would not be able to raise supplies at all.

The struggle of his men, Alexander III pretended not to see.

There is a contradiction between the management of soldiers and horses and the management of grain and grass, which is also what he is happy to see; If the two were like brothers, Alexander III would really not be able to sleep.

Seeing that the atmosphere was not right, Chancellor of the Exchequer Alisher opened his mouth and persuaded: "Okay, the logistics department has strengthened the power of the front-line deployment officers and is directly responsible to General Oginets to ensure the timely deployment of front-line materials."

In addition, the speed of domestic material transportation will be increased, and if the quantity is insufficient, it will be purchased from Austria, and in any case, every effort must be made to ensure the needs of the front-line troops. ”

Whether it is the logistics department or the military, they must rely on the Ministry of Finance to allocate funds.

Against this backdrop, the Chancellor of the Exchequer also acts as a lubricant to reconcile the conflicts between the various sectors. Although he does not have the name of the prime minister, he actually exercises some of the powers of the prime minister.

Marshal Ivanov did not fantasize about really getting the logistics rights, and what the military did not get during the Russo-Prussian War, it is even more impossible now.

As long as the front-line commander can have the right to temporarily deploy front-line materials and ensure the supply of materials for the troops, he will be satisfied.

Marshal Ivanov accepted, and Argent could not find an excuse to refuse, so he could only accept it head-on.

The chaotic deployment of materials is not that he deliberately delayed the military. The root cause of this is the lack of total supply of materials.

This involves a deep-seated reason, there are so many interest groups involved that Argent can only choose to cover the lid.

In the case of insufficient materials, it is inevitable to tear down the east wall and make up the west wall. In many cases, the wrong distribution of materials means that the bureaucrats on the front line are forced to delay the time under the pretext of issuing the wrong goods.

Anyway, the procedure for exchanging materials is very complicated, and time passes once it comes and goes.

The supplies that should have been for three months are likely to be distributed for two months, and the remaining one month will be saved.

No, I should say that I owe it. When it will be cashed out, it depends on the specific situation, anyway, as long as you don't play too much, there will be no big mess.

What to do with the Russian army on the front line with insufficient supplies?

The ancestors have long thought of a solution to this problem, just send troops out to rob it, anyway, this is the tradition of the Russian army.

Of course, this is also risky, during the First World War in the original time and space, because the war lasted too long, the Russian army could not find a place to grab supplies, and this routine collapsed and directly buried the Russian Empire.

After the hiccup, Alexander III laughed and said: "Now the situation is more and more interesting, the Austrians support us in the war against the British, and the French support us in the war against the British."

France and Austria actually wanted to go together, and I wouldn't believe it if there was no conspiracy behind this.

What do you think is the real purpose of France and Austria? What kind of benefits are enough for them to send us such a big bargain? ”

Suspicion is the instinct of the rulers, and the methods of France and Austria are not clever, and the traces of deliberately provoking the Anglo-Russian war are too obvious.

Knowing that there was a conspiracy here, the Russian Empire might have become a pawn, but for the sake of interests, Alexander III still chose to jump into the pit.

There is no way, the current international situation is very clear, and the road to the westward advance of the Russian Empire has been blocked.

There are lessons learned from the Russo-Prussian War, and even the most radical pro-war factions do not see a future for expansion into the European continent.

All that's left is to go north, south, or east. There is no doubt that there is no future in the north, the Arctic Ocean is not only ice but ice, and the only Nordic Federation is a hard bone.

Eastward expansion is not a good choice, the climate is too harsh. It takes a year to travel from the west to the east, which is not suitable for the operation of a large army.

Going south became the only and best option. Although we have to compete with the British, why not compete these days?

Even if he is a pawn, Alexander III must be a pawn that can jump off the chessboard at any time, and not be treated as an outcast by others in a daze.

Foreign Minister Oscar Jimenez: "Judging from the current international situation, France and Austria support us for a war with the British, and the Foreign Office believes that there are three main possibilities.

First, let us fight with the British and consume our strength, so that France and Austria can sit back and enjoy the war profits.

Judging from the current level of support given to us by the two countries, the suspicion of making war profits can be ruled out, and the funds they have provided to us cannot recover the cost of trade alone.

Second, use us to inflict heavy losses on Britain, and then divide Britain.

This is less likely. Although the French repeatedly promised that they would choose an opportune time to go to war with the British, they demanded that Austria declare war on the British first.

We have tried, and the Vienna government is not ready to turn against the British, let alone go to war.

Third, France and Austria want to use the war in Afghanistan to drag us and the British so that they can take action on the European continent.

It is still uncertain what the specific action will be. Judging from the performance of France and Austria, we can judge that the French government is more eager. The Austrian government has shown relative lukewarm, and it seems that they have not yet made up their minds.

Based on this, we can preliminarily judge that France and Austria have not reached an agreement, and even the strategic objectives of the two countries may conflict this time.

Personally, I think the goal of France and Austria should be Central Europe.

Austria wanted to take the opportunity to unify the German region, but they did not have the bottom in their hearts, they did not grasp the unification under the obstruction of the French, and they were unwilling to give up this opportunity.

The French attempted to use this opportunity to expand into Central Europe, with the aim of annexing Belgium and parts of the German Confederation.

Mainly the territory west of the Rhine, where there were coal mines that the French needed the most, to make up for their shortcomings in resources.

Of course, this is just speculation, and the French government may not have such a big appetite.

After all, the strength of the German Confederation is not weak, and Austria is on the side, so it will definitely send troops to intervene. In terms of strength, the French did not have a good chance of winning against the German-Austrian coalition.

Unless the French can make a quick decision and create the established fact of the occupation of the said territory before Austria sends troops, they will use the Rhine to block the German-Austrian army. ”

Strategic plans are not something that can be hidden, no evidence is needed, as long as there is a motive, and there is no doubt that both France and Austria have the motivation to expand into Central Europe.

While waging war with the British, the tsarist government did not neglect its concern for the European continent.

In fact, if it weren't for the fact that France and Austria were to contain each other on the European continent, the tsarist government would not have dared to go south.

War Minister Ivanov shook his head: "I agree with Your Excellency's judgment that the third scenario is the most likely.

However, I have a different opinion on the specifics. It is true that France and Austria are interested in the Central region, but the strength of the German Confederation is not weak.

Austria wanted to annex the German Confederation, and it could do it from within through political means, and there was still some chance of success.

If the French were to storm the German Confederation, even if Austria did not intervene, they would have lost a few teeth.

It is impossible for the French government to fail to see this, and it is better to retreat and annex Belgium than to take risks without being sure. ”

Because of the Russo-Prussian War, the tsarist government's assessment of the combat effectiveness of the German states was all raised to a higher level.

On paper, the current German Confederation is not weak.

Its military strength is similar to that of the former Pop-Poland Federation, its total economic output is second only to Britain, France, Russia and Austria, its heavy industry is equal to that of France, and its population is more than 25 million.

Marshal Ivanov did not think that the French would gnaw on this hard bone, especially since there was a lion ready to hunt behind this bone.

In contrast, the annexation of Belgium is much less difficult. No one knew about Biomiyo, and on the face of it, the annexation of Belgium would offend the British.

But as far as Anglo-French relations are concerned, offended is offended. Even the issue of war bonds to the Russians was done, and what else did the French dare not do.

Foreign Secretary Oscar Jimenez shrugged: "Marshal, the French are not as rational as you, they have always regarded themselves as the number one army in the world.

If you haven't been to France, you probably don't know that the French are particularly arrogant. Ever since Napoleon III, the French government has been promoting the doctrine of the invincibility of France.

Many French people still think that they are invincible in the Napoleonic era. Even if we defeated them in the war in the Near East, it didn't change all that. ”

The war in the Near East could not be counted, Britain, France and Russia all regarded themselves as victors, and the only one who admitted that they were the losers was the Ottoman Empire, which had disappeared into the long river of history.

Oscar Jimenez could talk about the war in the Near East, but Marshal Ivanov did not have the face to mention the war in the Near East.

Although the Russian army did win a strategic victory, it lost tactically. The so-called victory was completely based on human life.

The battle loss ratio of the Russian army is impossible to see at all. Many times, twice the strength of the Russian army was also pressed to the ground and beaten by others.

In the eyes of an orthodox military man like Marshal Ivanov, it was not a victory for the Russian army, but a shame.

Sensing that the atmosphere was not right, Alexander III spoke: "Well, the size of the French appetite is only a small question.

Although I don't want to admit it, the balance of power between the four major European powers has indeed been broken in recent years, and we are the weakest one.

The British, French and Austrian are all superior to us, and we are now able to compete with the British for the Afghan region, which is also the result of Franco-Austrian support.

But if France and Austria can provoke us to war with the British, so as to reap the benefits of the fishermen, why can't we follow suit?

The Central European question is the core contradiction between France and Austria, whether Austria wants to unify the German region, or France wants to move eastward into Central Europe, as soon as one of them takes the first step, a fierce conflict will erupt.

Now that we are at war with the British, France and Austria have no worries. If we push from behind, the possibility of a war between them is very high.

As long as the war is used to defeat both France and Austria, we have a chance to reassert our superiority on the continent, and no matter how bad it is, we can pull them on the same page. ”

Anyone can pit teammates, France and Austria can use the Russian Empire as a pawn, and Alexander III can also fight back.

Britain and Russia have already started fighting, and the two countries will definitely suffer heavy losses after the war. If the strength of France and Austria is not consumed, then the power gap between the four great powers will be completely widened.

Foreign Minister Oscar Jimenez reminded: "Your Majesty, in the event of a war between France and Austria, we lose foreign aid.

Without the support of France and Austria, and on our own, the battlefield in Afghanistan would be ......"

Alexander III interrupted: "Don't worry, provoking a Franco-Austrian war is not an overnight thing.

Even if action is to be taken, it is when the dust is about to settle on the battlefield in Afghanistan. Until then, we are all good allies.

Now what we have to do is to ask for loans and supplies from France and Austria as much as possible, and if they want us to sell our lives, then we must come up with benefits. ”

Hearing this explanation, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. It doesn't matter if you provoke a Franco-Austrian war, as long as it doesn't affect the Afghan battlefield.