On November 18, 1880, the Russian Army captured Poznan, and the Prussian army in Warsaw was in danger of being cut off at any time. The war between Prussia and Russia became clear.
Warsaw Prussian Army Headquarters
Mao Qi was not surprised to receive the bad news. From the moment he refused to send reinforcements to Poznan, he had prepared for the worst.
There was a trick to being the scapegoat. Giving up Warsaw was not as simple as it sounded. Without a good enough reason, there was no way to explain it to the outside world.
At the military conference, Mao Qi said calmly, "Poznan fell early, and our retreat was threatened. The plan to encircle and annihilate the Russian Third and Sixth Armies has failed.
Now we have to change the original battle plan. We will first take back the Poznan area, ensure the smooth retreat, and then turn back to Warsaw to fight the Russians.
The Russian Eighth Army is occupying Poznan now. It is mainly infantry, with a total force of nearly 200,000 soldiers. Its combat power is only considered average among all the Russian Army units.
The Russian Eighth Army is not fighting alone. The Russian Ninth Army is less than 160 kilometers away from them. Once we launch a counterattack, the enemy will definitely send reinforcements.
Everyone has heard of the situation in the country. The combat power of the new troops is worrying, and they can't enter the battlefield in a short time.
If we want to take back the Poznan area from the enemy as soon as possible, we must transfer the main force to the battle. Now we need someone to stay in Warsaw to ensure that we don't lose Warsaw while the main force is away. "
Staying behind to guard Warsaw was not an easy job. The current situation on the battlefield was clearly unfavorable for the Prussian Federation. If things went well, they still had a chance to launch a counterattack. If something happened, the remaining troops would be abandoned.
The commander of the First Army, General Giovanni Ferrari, rushed to say, "Let's stay here. The First Army has the strongest combat power. It should be able to buy enough time for the main force."
This was not a show. The First Army was the absolute main force of the Prussian Army. The stronger the force on the battlefield, the heavier the combat mission.
Not knowing that the country had decided to give up Warsaw, General Giovanni Ferrari naturally took on this difficult task for the sake of the overall situation.
Mao Qi denied it immediately. "No!"
He then explained, "It's true that the First Army has the strongest combat power, but you are best at offense, not defense. Retaking the Poznan area is inseparable from the First Army.
The defensive battle in Warsaw this time will be very difficult to fight. The Russians may go crazy like never before, and we can't leave many troops behind. In this context, to defend the Warsaw area, we must work closely with the local militia.
The country has issued a mobilization order, and Warsaw and the surrounding areas can mobilize about 200,000 people. These troops had only received simple military training and could not be used as the main force. They could still be used as support troops.
In a situation where we don't have enough troops, we need to bring out the combat power of this troop. We don't need to defeat Russians, but we don't need to lose Warsaw.
After considering all the factors, the command center decided to let the Third Army, which had the best foundation among the people, stay in the Warsaw area.
General Waszkiewicz, you have to defend Warsaw for at least forty days under the Russian attack. Is there a problem? "
The Pobol Federation had only been established for a short period of time. Although the Warsaw government had the intention to unify the language, it had not been long enough. Coupled with the resistance of the Poles, it was only natural that they did not achieve any results.
The language was not unified, so in order to strictly follow orders, the Pu Army had to be organized separately.
The Third Army was dominated by Poles, and most of the soldiers came from the surrounding areas of Warsaw. Troops made up of locals had a better mass base than other troops.
Wahlkowis's expression was ugly. On the surface, it looked like Mao Qi was asking for his opinion, but he had no chance to refuse.
The command center had made a decision. What else could he do other than carry out the order?
Moreover, Mao Qi's reason was very good. The Third Army was a local, and it was right to defend their hometown.
Not knowing that he was going to be abandoned, Wahlkowis was not very resistant. He only treated it as an ordinary mission.
Wahlkowis asked with concern, "I have no problem with it. The Third Army will try to buy time for the main force. But to cooperate with the local troops, who will command? "
After getting a positive answer, Mao Qi nodded with satisfaction. "Of course, the command is yours. Before we launch a counterattack, the Third Army will take over all military and political power in the Polish area.
This is a special time, and we must treat it differently. Whether it is the local troops or the local government, they will be under your control for the time being.
The command center will not ask how this war is fought. I only have one request, and that is to defend Warsaw. "
Delegating power, delegating power to the greatest extent. Wahlkowis was about to become the commander of the most powerful army in the Pubo Federation. Even Marshal Mao Qi did not have the power to control the local government.
Wahlkowis was not surprised. Anything was possible in times of war. Although the Pubo Army had not taken over the local administration, and this might be the first case, the military's interference in local affairs had long been rampant.
In order to win the war, the Government of Berlin was used to pretending to be deaf and dumb. As long as it was beneficial to the war, they could do it.
This was the first case of controlling the local government, and it would definitely not be the last.
This was a bad start, and it was undoubtedly a heavy blow to the authority of the government. However, the people sitting here were all soldiers, and their positions determined that they had to lean towards the military.
Wahlkowis's face was filled with joy. It was a pleasant surprise to be able to get the command of the local troops. Now that even the local government could be controlled, the resources that could be mobilized had greatly increased.
With so many resources, if he could not hold on for 40 days, then he could go home and farm, lest he embarrass himself by staying here.
Wahlkowis answered with certainty, "No problem, the Third Army will definitely complete the mission!"
Mao Qi glanced at Wahlkowis, and a hint of sympathy appeared on the tip of his eyebrows, but he quickly concealed it and warned earnestly, "Don't be too happy too early.
The Third Army only has 156,000 people. Even with the addition of 200,000 local troops, the total strength is only about 60% of the enemy's.
Even as the defensive side, we are still in a disadvantageous position, and we must be careful.
The local troops have just been formed, and many people have not even completed basic military training. It is best not to have too much hope in combat power.
The situation on the battlefield is ever-changing, and this 40 days is only the minimum time limit. If something happens midway, no one knows when we will be able to reinforce Warsaw. "
"Yes, Marshal!" Wahlkowis replied solemnly.
There was a hint of gratitude on his face. Ever since Mao Qi became the commander-in-chief, he had taken good care of the Third Army. Whether it was the replenishment of supplies or the assignment of combat missions, he had not treated them differently.
Defending Warsaw was the most challenging mission the Third Army had received since the start of the war. However, high risk also meant high reward. This kind of difficult mission was also the easiest to obtain military merits.
Wahlkowis had his own goals, and was not afraid of challenges. He only regarded Mao Qi's warning as the commander-in-chief's concern for his subordinate, and did not doubt it at all.
Mao Qi nodded in satisfaction, "Very good, since you are so confident, the mission of defending Warsaw will be handed over to the Third Army.
We don't have much time left. The rest of the troops, pack up immediately and set off for Poznan tomorrow morning.
Due to the limited railway capacity, heavy weapons and logistics will be transported by train, and the troops will set off on foot with light equipment. "
The railway facilities of the Pubo Federation were relatively complete, but no matter how complete it was, there was no way to transport hundreds of thousands of troops and logistics resources hundreds of miles away in a short period of time.
Under such circumstances, in order to save time, it was natural to prioritize the transportation of weapons, equipment, and strategic resources. The soldiers still had to march on foot.
Fortunately, the area of Poland was not large. From Warsaw to Poznan was less than 37 Pri (about 280 kilometers), and the troops would only need about a week to travel light equipment.
Of course, this was a theoretical figure. In reality, it would definitely take longer, and the combat speed of a large army could not be fast in the first place.
Before arriving at the battlefield, the heavy weapons and logistics resources must first be distributed to the troops, and this needed to test the logistical organization ability.
If the organization ability was not up to standard, and these tasks could not be completed in time, then it was better to let the soldiers carry the weapons, equipment, and logistics resources on the road, so as to avoid confusion and waste time.
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