February 8, 1917. Watermark Advertising TestWatermark Advertising Test "We will use practical actions to show the world that the pace of the German Army's offensive is unstoppable, we will capture Brussels, we will capture Paris, and even London!" The whole of Europe will be prostrate at the feet of the German Empire, and the whole world will have to operate according to the will of our emperor! Moltke Jr. said confidently at the last high-level meeting of officers.

Although Wilhelm II and the German top brass thought that they were now full of good cards, and although they believed that victory was beckoning to them, Wilhelm II was still a little hesitant in the final decision, whether to take Tirpitz's suggestion and let the High Seas Fleet fight the Grand Fleet directly to force the British to withdraw from the war, or to directly kill France through a land offensive? As China and Germany diverged over Russia, Germany's supplies from China plummeted. This has to be said to be a big blow to Germany! After all, Germany could not be self-sufficient in resources, and could only survive on stocks and what was looted from Russia. This makes it ...... offensively Wilhelm II preferred to attack either the navy or the army, which would cost less.

The two sides were at loggerheads, but Wilhelm II was still inclined to the army, on the one hand, he was more confident in the army's combat effectiveness. After the first two years of fighting, the German Army blocked Britain and France with its left hand, and pushed Russia down with its right hand. On the other hand, although the navy won more and lost less, but on the whole it still tended to be inferior, although Tirpitz repeatedly asked for war and said that the navy was sure to defeat the Grand Fleet, but out of the cherishing of the golden warship, Wilhelm II was still very hesitant. At this time, the fact that China was preparing to attack Russia added some bargaining chips to the army.........

"We must let the world know that the German Army is strong, and we must intimidate other potential adversaries by defeating Britain and France in a clean campaign. Now our military power on the Western Front is at its peak. And Britain and France have been consumed for more than 2 years. In this case, I think we can and must solve France in one fell swoop. The Eastern Front is not over, and the probability of China using force against Russia is getting bigger and bigger, as is well known. If we want Russia to be our strong bulwark to the east, we must contain the pace of Chinese expansion. ”

"If we really help the Russians against China. This is too costly for us, and the Chinese Army is definitely not comparable to the Russians. Even the British and French were not necessarily comparable to the Chinese Army at this time. The troops trained by the Russians in China have always caused us all kinds of problems, and now they still insist on fighting. Coupled with the supplies needed to fight in Russia and the tragic road situation, the logistical pressure and material consumption caused by the large corps fighting deep into the Russian hinterland were too great, so in order to avoid this situation. I think it is necessary for us to tell Huaxia through a campaign that it is wrong to be hostile to us! And with the sharp decline in China's exports to Germany. Our army will not be able to maintain such combat effectiveness for a long time. So we had to attack while the saber was still sharp. Moltke ......... admonished.

I have to say that Moltke's exhortation really touched the Kaiser a lot, and it was not a joke to fight with China again in Russia. The Germans could deliver a devastating blow to France, which lacked depth, with elite infantry, excellent armor and good equipment, but such an attack was nothing for China, after all, the depth of the Western Front was extremely small. Paris was basically within the strike range of the German armored forces. Relying on Europe's convenient transportation network, the German Army was able to maneuver quickly and quickly occupy key areas of France. But what about Huaxia? In the vast expanse of Eurasia, the distance between cities was measured in hundreds of kilometers, which was far beyond the depth of the attack of the German armored forces at present, and was dragged down by the miserable traffic. It was difficult for Germany to even guarantee the supply of the large army, let alone fight offensive after offensive! …。

What is even more terrifying is that China has already shown the potential of a superpower at this time, with a population of hundreds of millions, relatively developed industry and agriculture, almost the largest land area in the world, plus a firm and efficient government and a strong army that can be called first-class in terms of size and quality, plus an absolutely decisive and wise leader. Wilhelm II really didn't want a large-scale conflict with China, and if he could deter China by destroying France's military might in one go, I am afraid that he could really achieve the goal of surrendering without a fight, which the navy could not do. After all, the competition between the two sides in Russia is based on the ......... of the army, not the navy.

Wilhelm II agreed to the request of the German War Ministry...... It was decided to launch an unprecedented offensive on the Western Front. And decided to concentrate all the armored forces to launch a surprise attack on France, but then this proposal was opposed by the War Department, on the one hand, Peng Yi and the Germans conducted a deduction that year left too deep an impression on the German Army. This style of play, which was to devote all its strength from the beginning, was undoubtedly a desperate gamble, and it was impossible to deal with unexpected situations without sufficient reserves, and coupled with the hilly terrain of the northeastern part of France and the pressure of logistics and transportation, the Germans felt that even with full participation, they would not be able to make full use of the advantages of these forces. So the Germans took out about 9 panzer divisions to prepare for this spearhead, and the rest of the troops were used as reinforcements and reserves.

On the infantry and artillery side. The Germans concentrated nearly 1.5 million troops on the front line of operations, including a full 5 army groups and units directly under the army. How to spread such a large force in a narrow area and provide it with adequate supplies is a difficult problem. Britain and France were not stupid either, and before the Germans attacked, they had already withdrawn from vulnerable places. In addition, a series of defense systems and fortified areas were built on the Dutch-Belgian border. and damage to areas that may be lost, such as transportation hubs or basic livelihood facilities, as well as fortified walls. And this is undoubtedly quite unfortunate news for Germany. This means after breaking away from the domestic railway lines. The Germans had to use their own legs or the wheels of their trucks to complete the rest of the journey. This was undoubtedly a great challenge for capacity, but the Germans had no choice but to ......... the battle.

When Moltke confidently gave orders to his subordinates, he was full of confidence, and in fact the German Army was indeed the elite of a hundred battles, and on February 10, 1917, the entire German Army on the Western Front would attack, and their target was Paris, the capital of France! For this reason, Kaiser Wilhelm II personally named the battle the Emperor's Offensive! The expectation and confidence in it speak for themselves.

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