Franz did not like to play intrigue and trickery, but unfortunately his strength did not allow it.

For example, now, the calculation of Britain, France, and Russia is obviously a conspiracy, but I don't know how it has become a conspiracy again.

There is often only a thin line between conspiracy and conspiracy, there is no one that is the strongest, and the most suitable is the best.

What would have happened if someone had told Nicholas I about Franz's plan?

The answer is: nothing will happen, Nicholas I will just laugh it off.

It is normal for countries to use each other and to have calculations with each other. If you want to work closely together, don't be stupid, it doesn't exist.

Mature politicians look only at what their allies do and what the consequences will be, weighing the pros and cons to determine the relationship, rather than what the allies are thinking.

So the pit teammates must have a level, if the level is not enough, but the teammates will be pitted, don't cry, there are more days to be pitted in the future!

For example, now Franz is cheating the Russians, but in fact, as long as Austria fulfills its obligations as an ally, it is Russia's staunchest ally, and Russian-Austrian relations will not be affected.

Even now that Franz told Nicholas I that Austria was going to send troops to help, the Russians would not be surprised in the slightest, but more likely to be frightened.

As much effort as you contribute, you will share as much spoils as you want, and this is the basis of the Russian-Austrian alliance. Once the distribution of interests is unbalanced, the alliance will have no value in existence.

The Russo-Austrian alliance is an equal pact and does not have any affiliations. If Austria had fulfilled its obligations as allies and then assumed more obligations, the final distribution of the spoils would have changed.

Now in the war in the Balkans, the Russians do not need Austrian reinforcements, and the tsarist government is not the lord of the gray cattle. It is impossible to exchange benefits for the sake of reducing the casualties of front-line soldiers.

Strategically, if Austria were to attack the Ottoman Empire, the best route would be exactly the same as that of the Russians.

This is a logistical decision, and it is much stronger to rely on the Danube valley to transport strategic materials from the lower Danube plain to Bulgaria than to cross the ravine from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia.

The outcome of the war was determined not by the capture of the Ottoman Empire, but by the capture of Constantinople.

As long as the Russians occupied Constantinople, the British and French navies could only withdraw from the Black Sea straits, otherwise the Russians blocked the Bosphorus, and they would become turtles in the urn.

After mastering the sea power in the Black Sea, logistics supplies can be transported by sea, and with the national strength of Russia and Austria, it is not a big problem to support a million-strong army to fight in the Balkans.

Unlike now, no matter how hard the Russian army invests in the Balkans, the number of troops invested in the Balkans is only four or five hundred thousand at most, and no matter how much the enemy does not need to fight, the logistics will be dragged to death.

In the case of Austrian troops, this number would have been reduced by at least a quarter.

It is not for nothing that the gray cattle claim to be the cheapest army in Europe. Their logistical supply requirements were the lowest of all the great powers' armies.

In modern warfare, the backward weaponry and the lack of artillery also mean that there is little pressure on logistics and supply.

Was the tsarist government short of soldiers?

Hundreds of thousands have been lost, so it's a big deal to add hundreds of thousands. If the Austrian army had been involved in the capture of Constantinople, they would not have wanted to monopolize the Black Sea straits.

The national interest is very realistic, do not expect the allies to bring their own dry rations to come and help, there is no purpose yet.

The Black Sea is very small, and the Russians have long regarded it as their own territory, but they are not willing to share Austria's share.

According to the current covenant, the Russians can get the maximum benefit, and the price paid is nothing more than the casualties of a herd of gray cattle, and the last thing the tsarist government lacks is people.

……

Prime Minister Felix said, "Your Majesty,"

Metternich said: "Your Majesty, yesterday I was approached by the Russian envoy in Vienna, who intended to increase the number of troops in the Balkans and hoped that we would be able to provide more war materials.

Preliminary judgment is that the entry of Britain and France into the war contributed to this decision of the tsarist government. It seems that they want to put pressure on Britain and France by increasing their troops. ”

Franz thought for a moment and said: "The matter of providing strategic materials is easy to do, as long as the Russians are willing to give money, it is good to sell them."

Your Excellency Marshal, I would like to know how many troops the Anglo-French Ottoman side can devote to the Balkans, and whether the Russians will have the upper hand after the increase in troops? ”

Marshal Radetzky pondered for a moment and replied: "Your Majesty, from a logistical point of view, the total number of troops that the Anglo-French Ottoman side can put into it now will not exceed 800,000.

However, as the Russian front continues to move forward, the more troops they can invest, and if there is a decisive battle in the coastal area, they can put in millions of troops.

However, this is an ideal figure, and the strategic materials needed to ensure the operation of such an army are also astronomical.

The Ottomans were able to solve two or three layers at most, and the rest needed to be transported from the British and French mainland.

Considering the cost of war, Britain and France are likely to choose to arm cheap Ottoman cannon fodder and fight the Russians. Whether the Russians can gain the upper hand after the increase in troops depends on the proportion of British and French troops.

Strategically, I am not optimistic that the Russians will be able to achieve their goals. Due to the loss of sea power in the Black Sea, the supply of the Russian army mainly depends on transportation on the Danube.

However, as the battle lines moved forward, the number of distances required for land transportation increased.

In the decisive battle in Bulgaria, the Russians could commit up to 500,000 troops, and if they reached the Istanbul area, the Russians could only commit up to 400,000 troops.

The reality may be even worse than that, given that the Ottomans had been operating in the Balkans for hundreds of years, and it would be difficult for the Russian army to clear its influence in the region for a short time after the occupation of these areas.

The Ottomans will definitely organize guerrillas to specifically disrupt the supply lines of the Russian army and make it more difficult for the Russians to transport logistics.

If a quick victory is not possible, the longer it drags on, the less likely it is that the Russians will win the war. ”

Franz smiled slightly, and that was exactly what he wanted. The Russians, who could not win the war, were good allies of Austria.

Even under pressure from Britain and France, Russian-Austrian relations could go further. With a solid rear, Austria can farm with peace of mind.

Now Franz was expecting Nicholas I's determination to make the war last longer.

Tsars of all generations have set a good example, and the Russians have a saying: "A tsar who has not fought in the Russo-Turkish war must not be a good tsar!" ”

The Russian-Turkish war usually takes four or five years, basically once a generation, except for the last Russo-Turkish war, the shortest is three years to start, and there are two more than ten years.

Militarily, the Russians are very unlikely to fail. If you win, you will attack, and if you can't win, you will defend.

In the war of attrition, what the Russians could not afford to hurt was financial resources, and what Britain and France could not afford to hurt was manpower.

The woolly bear lost hundreds of thousands of young people, and he could take out hundreds of thousands, and the nobles would not care about the casualties of the soldiers; Britain and France lost hundreds of thousands of young people, and they had to consider the situation at home.

As long as the Russians do not admit defeat and are willing to fight with their lives, Britain and France will not be able to completely defeat them even if they use their strength to eat.

Unless Britain and France dare to attack the Russian mainland, from the Baltic Sea all the way to St. Petersburg, no matter how they fight in the Near East, they will not be able to kill the hairy bear.

This also means that if the Russians cannot win the war in a short time, the factors that determine the outcome of the war are the tests: the financial capacity of the Russians, and the ability of Britain and France to bear casualties.

After all, this war is not as serious as a world war, and Britain, France, and Russia have not reached the point of life and death, so everyone does not need to work hard.

Franz said coldly: "Mobilize our forces and push again, the French have already played, but the British expeditionary force is still in the country, and the stage has been set up, so they can't be absent from this good show." ”

John Bull's discipline was so low that if they were not pushed into battle, the London government might have to make the same choice as Austria.

Besides, how could the British be able to settle down in the Austrian operations later without letting the British feel the cruelty of the land war in advance?

……

London

Due to the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in the Battle of Bulgaria, the British prepared a symbolic dispatch of 20,000 troops in advance, which obviously could not meet the needs of the war.

In the recent negotiations in Paris, Palmerston had to increase the number of British troops from 20,000 to 80,000.

80,000 troops is a small problem for any army power, and it can be gathered in ten days and half a month, but it is different for the British.

Their pocket-sized version of the army, with a total of only 100,000 troops, is obviously full of difficulties in mobilizing so many troops at once.

"Mr. Palmerston, why do you want to increase the number of troops without permission, do you know how much trouble it will cause us?" War Secretary Maximi asked dissatisfied

Palmerston confidently explained: "Mr. Maximie, this is a political necessity. In the war that has just ended, the Ottoman Empire suffered heavy losses, and according to our prior plans, it was no longer able to meet the needs of the war.

To curb the ambitions of the Russians, we must invest more forces in the past.

The French agreed to add another 120,000 troops, which, together with the 50,000 troops they had already committed to the battlefield, made a total of 170,000 troops. In this case, we also had to increase the number of troops.

Moreover, the 20,000 troops on the battlefield are too dangerous, and if you are not careful, you may be wiped out.

If it is 80,000 troops, it will be much safer, and you don't have to worry about being swallowed by the Russians in one bite, and your War Department doesn't have to worry about it all the time. ”

After listening to Palmerston's explanation, Maximi's anger increased. He admits that compared to the Royal Navy, the British Army is really out of control.

But it would be too much to despise them in this way. You must know that the combat effectiveness of the British Army is not bad, but because the number is too small, it is not ranked among the great powers.

"Mr. Palmerston, are you questioning the Army's combat effectiveness?" Maximi asked, his eyes reddening, glaring at Palmerston

Just think about these things, it's too much to openly slap the army in the face. The British Army's strength is not good, which is caused by too little military spending, but it is not their own lack of effort.

Realizing that he had lost his words, Palmerston immediately remedied: "No, Mr. Maximie. On the contrary, I am optimistic about the combat effectiveness of the Army.

As the saying goes, the greater the ability, the greater the responsibility on the battlefield. If we have too few troops, it is easy for the Russians to take advantage of them. ”

He didn't believe it himself, even if Britain sent the least troops in the alliance, the task of being cannon fodder would still fall on the Ottomans, how could the British army take risks?

Maximi snorted coldly: "Hmph! ”

This little episode is over.

Prime Minister John Russell shifted the subject: "Mr. Maximi, our allies can't wait, how long will it take for the Army to be ready?" ”

John Russell was very contemptuous of the performance of the Ottoman Empire.

How can I say that the great empire that was also beating the entire European society back then, and now it is so easily beaten to the ground by the Russians, it is simply a loss of the face of the ancestors.

Despise is contempt, now everyone is still allies, in order to deal with the common enemy, it is still necessary to join forces. It's just that the Ottomans' voice in the alliance has once again dropped two notches.

Maximi had been waiting for this sentence for a long time, and he replied from the side: "Your Excellency, Prime Minister, let's expand the army!" ”

This is an awkward topic, because the British's center of gravity is tilted towards the navy, which has led to the number of land forces not rising.

In order for the army of more than 100,000 to maintain a vast colony, how many troops will remain in the country?

If 20,000 troops are transferred, they can still squeeze out with a squeeze. If 80,000 troops were to be transferred, all the local troops would be taken out in one go.

The army must be left on the mainland, even if it is to suppress the Irish region, and the domestic army cannot be drained.

The number of armies in the overseas colonies was also not large, and there was no possibility of transfer. Of course, the British had quite a few colonial troops in their hands, and if they could be filled, they could be made up quickly.

John Russell rubbed his forehead and asked, "How much are you going to expand?" ”

Maximi replied with a smile: "Not much, our War Department's requirements are not high, as long as it is expanded by another 120,000." ”

Hearing this number, John Russell shook his head and said, "Mr. Maximmee, there is no problem in expanding the army by 120,000, as long as you can convince Congress. ”

Maximi blushed and persuaded Congress that if it were so simple, the British Army would not have been so small in number now.

In this era, as the only industrial country among the great powers, plus the world's first colonial power, the British Empire was really wealthy, even if it raised an additional 100,000 troops, it could not be considered a problem.

Maximi said calmly: "Your Excellency, the strength of the army is limited, and there are too many places to defend, and the total number of troops remaining in the country is only more than 70,000.

Transferring 20,000 troops is already very reluctant, and if I transfer 80,000 troops, I won't be able to make up enough even if I count all the cleaning workers at the War Department. ”

This is a good opportunity to expand the army, and the War Department will naturally not give up on it. Every expansion of the army is accompanied by a large number of benefits, and it is natural for Maximi to strive for it as much as possible.

"But a one-time expansion of 120,000 troops is still too much, and I can't convince Congress, or what I just said: As long as you have the ability to convince Congress, then there is no problem." John Russell objected without changing his face