Lieutenant Colonel Hutir interrupted, "Alright, stop playing. We don't need to liven up the atmosphere now. Let's think of countermeasures! "
Potiorek waved his hand helplessly. "Alright, Lieutenant Colonel. But given the current situation, I don't think there's a need to formulate a strategy.
If the main force of the rebel army is like this, you can imagine what the miscellaneous troops are like. It won't be easy to bring them to the battlefield.
Frankly speaking, I'm not optimistic about this mission at all. Now I completely agree with the governor that we should first learn how to survive on the battlefield.
Right now, the most important thing for us is to take command of the army and train this motley crew a little. At the very least, we have to teach them to listen to orders. "
Jokes aside, Potiorek wasn't that iron-headed to attack Cairo with a motley crew.
The French army was still very intimidating these days. No one dared to look down on them.
With the current strength of the rebel army, it would be a miracle in military history if they could burn the Nile Delta, let alone conquer Cairo.
The regular army had their own way of fighting, and the motley crew had their own way of fighting. They were all inexperienced fellows, so naturally, they didn't pay much attention to it.
Strategy and tactics were completely superfluous to a motley crew. They couldn't be realized at all.
Lieutenant Colonel Hutier nodded. "Since you can recognize this, it seems that my worries were unnecessary.
But it's not like we don't have a chance at all. Even if the main force of the French army can't win, it doesn't mean that we can't even beat the Egyptian colonial army.
When the time comes, let Mahdi hold the main force of the French army. We'll be in charge of destroying it.
I heard that Egypt is the most important cotton producer for the French. Destroying these plantations will probably hurt them for a while.
If we're lucky, we can encourage the Egyptians to join the rebellion. The effect will be much better.
If it really doesn't work, we'll find a chance to blow up the Nile River and create a man-made … "
…
Compared to the Austrians, the British were more serious. In order to create an opportunity to intervene in the Suez Canal, the Government of the United Kingdom directly sent a group of military instructors led by Lieutenant General Jarrett.
On one side was a fledgling military academy student, and on the other side was an experienced general. Any normal person would know what to choose.
Lieutenant General Jarrett did not disappoint Mahdi. He immediately came up with a perfect battle plan. At least, it sounded perfect.
The high-spirited Lieutenant General Jarrett held a baton and pointed on the map. "This is the core of Egypt, the Nile Delta, and also the focus of the French.
To get rid of the French, one must destroy their roots here. Without the support of the Delta, the cost of the French troops would at least double.
For France, Egypt was just one of their countless colonies. The Government of Paris could not invest unlimited resources.
As long as they felt pain and realized that colonizing Egypt was a mistake, the Government of France would weigh the pros and cons.
With our strength, it is unrealistic to directly take the Delta region from the hands of the French.
But we also have our advantages — the Nile.
Find a suitable place to build a dam and then explode it. The flood will drive away the French for us … "
It was a pure bluff, but the upper echelons of the Revolutionary Army loved it. The temptation to drive the French out of Egypt was too great, compared with the Austrians' proposal for a separate state.
In order to bluff the leader of the Revolutionary Army, Jarrett also put in a lot of effort and learned about the Egyptian region.
Only then did he come up with a perfect battle plan that increased the chances of Mahdi's Revolutionary Army winning by at least tenfold.
But it was useless. The success rate of driving away the Revolutionary Army was already zero. So what if it increased tenfold?
Unless there was a change in Europe, such as Paris being invaded in the original timeline, the Government of France would never give up the Suez Canal.
Half of Sudan plus Egypt had a total population of only a few million. The military strength was definitely not comparable to the Osman that was destroyed by the anti-Turkish Alliance.
Even if the cost of war would increase, how much could it increase? The revolution two years ago only made the Government of France poor. It did not mean that the French people had no money.
If forced, it was not impossible for the Government of France to commit genocide. As long as the military force was strong enough, the hidden danger of the colony was not a problem at all.
Listening to the beautiful blueprint described by Jarrett, Mahdi was tempted, but he still did not show it on his face.
For a leader, personal image was also very important. Once this plan was implemented, the Egyptian people who originally supported him were likely to change their stance.
He asked with some apprehension, "General, will this be too …"
Jarrett glared at Mahdi and interrupted, "War always requires sacrifices. It can be soldiers, but it can also be civilians. As long as we can win, these sacrifices are worth it. "
Without a doubt, he saw through Mahdi's true intentions. No one was willing to take responsibility for this kind of order that was bound to be criticized.
The seemingly indecisive question was actually making Jarrett the scapegoat. But for the British Empire's grand plan, Jarrett chose to endure it.
There was no need to be angry with a dead person. Anyway, the fate of this Revolutionary Army was already decided from the beginning.
After hesitating for a while, Mahdi said helplessly, "Alright then! In order to get rid of the French, we can only wrong the people in the downstream areas.
Abdullah, send someone to calculate the losses of the people. After we drive away the French, we will compensate them in the future. "
After making this decision, Mahdi seemed to be a lot more relaxed.
...
With the "perfect" battle plan, the upper echelons of the Revolutionary Army were even less concerned about the Austrian officers.
If it wasn't for the fact that Hutier and the others had the weapons and equipment they wanted and that they needed Austria's support, they probably wouldn't even bother to meet them.
"General, the French are powerful …"
Without waiting for Hutier to finish, Mahdi interrupted, "Lieutenant Colonel, we already have the perfect battle plan. For the sake of safety, it is not convenient to divulge it. Please forgive us."
The atmosphere in the room suddenly became awkward. Hutier was so angry that his good intentions were treated as ill intentions.
If it wasn't for the mission, he would have left in a huff. Even so, he was on the verge of exploding.
It was fine if he didn't accept the suggestion, but the phrase "perfect battle plan … for the sake of safety, it is not convenient to divulge it" was just short of writing the word "doubt" on his face.
As soon as he finished speaking, Mahdi realized that he had said something inappropriate. Some things could be thought of, but not said.
The speaker didn't mean it, but the listener did.
In any case, Hutier was angry and had already made a decision deep in his heart to not care about the life and death of the Revolutionary Army. In any case, their mission was to cause trouble for the French. No one asked them to protect the Revolutionary Army.
Mahdi tried to salvage the situation. "Lieutenant Colonel, I don't mean to doubt you. It's just that this is a serious matter, and we have to be careful. Please forgive us. "
With a cold laugh, Hutier said mockingly, "Of course, I completely understand Your Excellency's actions.
Anyone would keep this matter a secret from an outsider. After all, outsiders are unreliable. What if they go and inform the French? "
Seeing that the atmosphere had become even more tense, Mahdi realized the danger. He wasn't an ignorant fool. He knew very well how powerful the French were.
This was the African continent. The British had limited authority and were powerless against the French. Without Austria's support, it would be a joke for them to want independence.
He patiently explained, "Your Excellency has misunderstood. I don't mean to doubt you. If Your Excellency wants to know, you can refer to our upcoming military meeting. "
He really didn't suspect that Hutier would inform on them. In Mahdi's opinion, the reliability of the British and Austrian representatives on this matter was higher than the upper echelons of the Revolutionary Army.
The fact that these people could come here already showed the stance of the two governments. Informing on them was treason.
If the French could instigate the British and Austrian representatives, then it wouldn't be a matter of African independence. Instead, it would be a confrontation between the UK, Fao, and Austria.
The Great Powers also wanted face. The French couldn't accept the idea of interfering with their internal affairs. Similarly, Britain and Austria couldn't accept the French planting spies in their country.
If something like that really happened, Mahdi would wake up laughing even in his dreams. When the Great Powers started fighting, the French didn't have the time to care about them.
In fact, Mahdi received the British and Austrian representatives with great fanfare not only for military assistance, but also to show his subordinates.
There had always been problems with the internal structure of the Revolutionary Army, and various systems weren't perfect. The main bond that held the Revolutionary Army together was Mahdi's charisma.
This was clearly not enough. A person's loyalty couldn't stand the test. Once something happened on the battlefield, the Revolutionary Army could collapse at any time.
It was impossible to reorganize the Revolutionary Army in a short period of time. The French wouldn't give them that much time either.
It was very necessary to bring in external forces. Both Britain and Austria had thick legs. With the support of these two countries, it would undoubtedly increase the confidence of his subordinates.
From the looks of it, the effect was very obvious. Ever since the British and Austrian representatives arrived, the morale of the Revolutionary Army quickly stabilized.
Those who were originally wavering and ready to defect to the French also stopped their steps of defecting.
To be able to establish an independent country, no one was willing to be enslaved.
After all, the colonial rule these days was very cruel. In front of the colonists, these local bigwigs could have their heads removed at any time.
No one wanted to continue living in a precarious situation. Seeing hope, everyone was willing to give it a shot.
Hearing this explanation, Hutier's expression softened a little, but he still didn't give Mahdi a good look.
"There's no need, General. I have no interest in your plan. I only joined because we have a common enemy.
You have been to Europe, so you should know that we have a feud with the French. We are happy to do anything that can cause trouble for the enemy. "
There was no need to talk about friendship. That was too unreliable.
After the rise of the House of Habsburg, Sudan became the territory of the Osman Empire. They stood on the opposite side, and there was no such thing as friendship.
Compared to friendship, hatred could actually shorten the distance between the two sides. Anyone who understood European history would know how the feud of "Fao" came about.
The two countries had been at war for hundreds of years and were still at war. Before the battle for supremacy in Europe was completely decided, both Fao and France had the motive to stab each other in the back.
The Revolutionary Army wanted to overthrow the rule of the French and also stood on the opposite side of France. With a common enemy, both sides had the conditions to get close to each other.
At this point, Mahdi already understood Hutier's intentions, but this was within his bottom line.
Mahdi echoed, "Yes, it's to get rid of our common enemy.
However, Lieutenant Colonel, we are currently in a bit of trouble and need your help.
You know that the Revolutionary Army has just been established, and the internal structure hasn't been perfected yet. We also lack outstanding officers.
I know that you are a top student from the Austrian Army University, and I would like to ask you to help train the 8th Division and temporarily act as its commander. "
After a pause, Mahdi added, "The 8th Division is a new unit and lacks weapons and equipment, so …"
On paper, the total number of the Revolutionary Army had exceeded 100,000, and they were organized into eight infantry divisions based on the European countries. In reality, only Mahdi's 1st Division had seen blood.
The rest of the troops were formed by the Revolutionary Army that came to seek refuge later on. The composition was complicated.
The 8th Division was the newly formed unit, and its combat power was at the bottom of all the Revolutionary Army. Its equipment was a mess.
There were more than 9,000 people in the division, but they only had 800 rifles in total. Now that they were given to the Austrians, Mahdi was even prepared to take back the only 800 rifles he had.
There was no other way. The Revolutionary Army lacked weapons and equipment. It was true that Britain and Austria supported him, but unfortunately, the weapons and equipment of Britain and Austria didn't grow on trees.
Before they saw the results, the amount of investment from both countries was very limited.
The British provided 7,500 rifles, 300 pistols, five field cannons, and some ammunition. It was barely enough to equip an infantry division.
The aid that Austria provided was about the same as the British. The military aid from both countries added up was only enough for two infantry divisions. The rest had to be figured out by themselves.
Before they proved themselves on the battlefield, it would be difficult for the Revolutionary Army to receive more aid.
Mahdi had given the 8th Division to Hutier to command because he had no other choice. How could a unit with 10 people without a single gun go on the battlefield?
From Mahdi's perspective, the Austrian officers wanted to go on the battlefield because these restless young people wanted to prove their abilities on the battlefield and earn the capital to be promoted.
Since these people wanted to achieve results on the battlefield, they had to first solve the problem of the 8th Division's weapons and equipment.
Even if these people were embroidered pillows and useless on the battlefield, he could still pick up some of the weapons and equipment for free.
If the Austrians could train the 8th Division, he would only be happier.
The French counterattack was coming, and Mahdi would not give up any chance to increase the strength in his hands.
As for the trouble they would face in the future, that would be after they chased the French away. If they failed, there would be no future for them.
"Happy to help! We can think of a way to solve the problem of the equipment. "
After thinking about it for a while, Hutil agreed without hesitation. It was just weapons and equipment. That was a small problem.
Everyone had a quota in their hands. It was just an infantry division, and they didn't need many weapons. They just had to make up for it.
It was not easy to have a chance to practice in actual combat. Giving up a portion of retired weapons and equipment was nothing.
…
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