In the Poznan command center, Mao Qi was busy holding a military meeting to discuss whether or not to recapture Poznan.
Geographically, Poznan was in the center of the Polish Plains, a transportation hub, and an industrial center. Naturally, it was better to control it.
Poznan's location on the Polish Plains had nothing to do with its strategic location. As a hinterland city, Poznan didn't need to worry about external threats and naturally didn't have many fortifications.
On the surface, it should be easy to conquer. But in reality, it was the opposite. The Russian Eighth Army was holed up in the city and had driven all the civilians out of the city in order to defend the city.
In the future, this might be a good thing. It meant that the Russian Eighth Army didn't have to worry about civilian casualties and could go all out.
But it was different in this era. The power of cannons was limited. To destroy a city, it required a lot of ammunition and time.
In order to buy time for the Warsaw garrison, the Russian Army left behind a lot of artillery ammunition when they retreated. They didn't have much ammunition with them.
Even if they could get supplies from the country, it wouldn't work. The Russians clearly wanted to fight in the streets. This wasn't something that could be ended in a day or two. The Russian Army didn't have enough time to waste here.
The Government of Berlin ordered them to return quickly and deal with the Russian Army that was about to reach the foot of Berlin.
As for the Poznan battlefield, only the military was still working hard. Most people in the Government of Berlin weren't thinking about defeating the Russians. Instead, they were thinking about how to preserve their strength so that they could negotiate with the Russians and fight for a decent ending.
This was Europe's tradition. If you lost a war, you would negotiate. Most of the time, it was ceding territory and reparations. It was rare for a country to be destroyed.
The politicians knew very well how strong the power that didn't want them to fall was. It wouldn't be long before the Great Powers intervened. As long as the Russian Army was still there, they would have a chance to bargain.
Not only was the country urging them, but there wasn't much time left for the Russians on the battlefield. The Russians' reinforcements were coming.
A staff officer said, "The situation is very clear. The Russian Ninth Army is only a day's journey from Poznan. If we want to recapture the Poznan area, then we need to either heavily injure or destroy them.
The Russian 9th Corp had about 200,000 soldiers. It wouldn't be difficult to defeat them, but it wouldn't be possible to devour them in a short period of time.
From the intelligence reports, the Russian 9th Army was very cautious. Neither a sneak attack nor an ambush were possible.
What's more, there were still the Russian 11th and 17th Armies behind them. They had already sped up their march and would arrive at the frontline in half a month at most.
If we want to recover Poznan, we must finish it before Russia's reinforcements arrive. It's almost impossible to accomplish without paying a heavy price. "
Pu Jun was also a human. Even if their combat power was stronger, they would still tire and die.
Swallowing 400,000 Russian Army in one go, even if they could divide them into two parts, would still result in heavy casualties.
Whether they would have to pay a loss of 100,000 or 200,000, no one could answer this question.
In short, if the Prussian army suffered heavy losses, it would be difficult for them to deal with the Russian Army.
Up until now, the war between Prussia and Russia had been somewhat similar to the Chu-Han struggle for hegemony. Mao Qi and Xiang Yu had won many battles.
Unfortunately, although they had won many battles, the number of enemies did not decrease. Instead, it increased, while their own soldiers continued to decrease.
If they won a few more battles, Mao Qi would have no soldiers to use. Such a strange thing made people speechless.
A middle-aged officer retorted, "This war must be fought. If we go back with our tails between our legs, not only will the morale of the army be affected, but the Poles in the Warsaw area will probably surrender to the Russians.
Now we need victory to inspire the people and let them see the hope of victory. Otherwise, there's no way to continue this war. "
The most important thing for people was to have hope. No one would be willing to continue a war that they knew was doomed to fail.
Warsaw was the capital of the Polish Kingdom. The Government of Berlin could accept the fall of Warsaw, but not the surrender of the Poles. The political significance of this was too important. It was equivalent to shaking the foundation of the Polish Confederation.
Perhaps in the eyes of ordinary people, this war was going to be lost anyway. Why should they care about the areas that were destined to be lost?
Of course, this could not be done politically. The war between Prussia and Russia was still ongoing. The Government of Berlin still needed the Poles to fight for them, so that they could better fight the Russians.
Under such circumstances, the flag of the Polish Confederation could not be lost. If this flag was lost, the Government of Berlin would lose the legal basis to rule over the Polish area. The number of people who were willing to fight for them would be greatly reduced.
The Government of Berlin was willing to make an exception to let the military control the Warsaw area. The most important reason was that the pro-war faction in the army was stronger. They would not easily compromise with the Russians.
Mao Qi waved his hand to stop the quarrel. "This war must be fought, but we have to be selective.
We don't have time to waste with the Russian Eighth Army that is holed up in the city, but the Russian Ninth Army that has come to our door must be defeated.
Otherwise, if we retreat, they will join forces with the Eighth Army in the city. Together with the reinforcements coming later, the total strength of the Russian Army will be close to 800,000. This threat is too big.
Although the domestic mobilization has been completed, we still lack time to reorganize the troops. Defeating the Russian Ninth Army and severely injuring the enemy's reinforcements, we can at least buy two months. "
On the battlefield, time was life. Two months naturally could not allow the Polish Confederation to return to its peak, but at least it could gain the strength to fight.
Unlike an ordinary officer, Mao Qi thought more deeply. The cruel reality told him that it was not only the victory that determined the outcome of the war, but also the overall strength of the country.
Ivanov used practical actions to teach him a lesson. As long as the country was strong enough and had enough troops, there was no need to be afraid of losing on the battlefield.
People died in war. Losing the war could also deplete the enemy's strength. On the battlefield, winning first didn't mean winning. The final winner was the winner.
…
On December 12, 1880, the Government of London issued a call for peace to Prussia and Russia. The Government of Berlin responded positively, but the Tsarist government rejected it.
Now that the war had progressed to this point, it was no longer something that could be stopped if one wanted to. The Tsarist government had sacrificed too much for this war. It was not easy to see the dawn of victory. If they stopped now, who would pay for the losses of the war?
The Russian's refusal to give face naturally angered the Government of London. Before they could take action, news of the fall of Warsaw came. The war between Prussia and Russia was completely clear.
After the withdrawal of the main Prussian force, the situation in Warsaw became dangerous. Although the Poles resisted very tenaciously, they still couldn't make up for the difference in strength.
After a month of resistance, the Russians still tore through the defense line and entered the city. Now they were fighting in the streets.
What happened later was no longer important. Everyone knew that the Warsaw battlefield could not be turned around. The surrounding areas had all fallen. Without waiting for reinforcements, it was only a matter of time before the defenders in the city were destroyed.
From the moment the city fell, everyone tacitly agreed that Warsaw had changed hands.
The fall of Warsaw also meant that the Kingdom of Poland had fallen. The main Prussian force had already withdrawn. The military impact was still within control, but the political impact was much greater.
This meant that the once prominent Prussia Federation had collapsed. The remaining Kingdom of Prussia could not support the status of a major country, and the Russians would not give them a chance.
Under the general trend, Mao Qi's performance in the Poznan area was not eye-catching. Even though he had severely damaged the Russian Ninth Army, it did not change the decadence on the battlefield.
…
In St. Peter's Castle, Alexander II Of Russia was holding a celebration banquet in the Winter Palace.
At this point in the war, both Prussia and Russia were tired. The only difference was that the Prussia Federation was dying, while the Russian Empire was only tired and could hold on for a while longer.
It was different from the last time he returned to St. Peter's Castle. This time, Ivanov received the grandest welcome from the Tsarist government. It was as if his popularity had improved overnight, and there were many visitors.
He was not in the mood to care about these trivial matters. After resting at home for a night, Ivanov once again entered the palace to report the next battle plan to Alexander II Of Russia.
…
Alexander II Of Russia asked doubtfully, "Marshal, are you sure you didn't make a mistake? We're not going to follow up the victory at this time and are going to rest and reorganize the troops?"
Ivanov answered with certainty, "Your Majesty, our soldiers have been fighting at high intensity since the beginning of the war and are very tired.
Especially the main force, many of them have suffered serious casualties. If we want to restore our combat effectiveness, we must rest and reorganize. Now that the enemy has suffered heavy losses, it is the best time for us to rest and reorganize the troops. "
Alexander II Of Russia questioned, "But if we stop now, it will give the enemy time to breathe and increase the difficulty of the next war."
Ivanov explained, "This will not affect the victory of the war. The Prussia Federation is no match for us, and the only remaining Kingdom of Prussia is even less of a match for us.
Up to this point in the war, the Prussia Federation has suffered more than three million casualties, and the death toll alone is as high as one million, half of which were soldiers from the Kingdom of Prussia.
No matter what the Government of Berlin thinks, they can't continue the war. The quality of the soldiers that the enemy has mobilized has been greatly reduced. Even if they recover their strength, their combat effectiveness will be greatly reduced.
There is no need for us to continue taking risks now. Let the troops rest and reorganize for a month, and then concentrate millions of troops to suppress the enemy. The odds of victory will be much higher than now. "
Different people's words carried different weight. After recovering Lithuania and Poland, Ivanov's image as a "famous general" had taken root in everyone's mind.
The only regrettable thing was that Ivanov consumed a lot of troops. Behind the victory, there was always a large amount of material consumption and casualties.
But this was not a big deal. With the lesson from the last Prussian war, Alexander II Of Russia was a lot more patient. A steady general like Ivanov was his favorite.
After hesitating for a while, Alexander II Of Russia made a decision, "Okay, let the troops rest for a month first.
But my Marshal, we still need to end the war as soon as possible. The longer it takes, the easier it is for something to happen.
We just rejected the British's mediation, and I'm afraid they won't let it go. If the Great Powers pressure us together, the government won't be able to hold on for long.
Moreover, the government's financial situation is very bad. If we delay for too long, we are likely to go bankrupt. "
It was not that they might go bankrupt, but they were destined to go bankrupt. The Government of Berlin was also poor, and it was impossible to get war reparations from them.
For this war, the Tsarist government had already incurred a huge debt, and the interest alone was an astronomical figure. The newly recovered Poland and Lithuania would have to spend a huge amount of money to rebuild after the war.
From the beginning, Alexander II Of Russia was mentally prepared for financial bankruptcy. He had already experienced it once, so he didn't mind going through it again.
Unfortunately, this time was different. Most of the debts were mortgaged, and there was no way to renege on the debt. Unless it was necessary, the Tsarist government wouldn't let its finances go bankrupt.
Ivanov nodded awkwardly. He really didn't know how to answer this question. Promising to end the war early. Sorry, this was impossible.
The war wasn't a child's play. How could it end early just because he said so? This kind of thing couldn't be promised. If it affected the government's judgment, the consequences would be disastrous.
Specifically, he could refer to "round toot". He used the mythical strategy of "pacifying Liao in five years" to fool the emperor. Not only did he get himself killed, but he also put the fate of the Ming Dynasty on the line.
Not to mention the financial problem, it was something that even the government couldn't handle. As a soldier, he was even more confused. Ivanov, who was self-aware, selectively ignored Alexander II Of Russia's expectant gaze.
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