Chapter 530

Just as Austria was preparing to flip the table, the situation in Egypt had also changed dramatically.

No matter how much the British and Austrians tried to hold them back, the rebel army led by Mahdi still couldn't hold on under the French's all-out attack. The results were appalling.

If not for the 8th Division causing destruction everywhere during their retreat and blocking the Nile River, increasing the logistical pressure on the French, the French would have killed their way to the rebel army's base, Sudan.

In the 8th Division's command center, Fajinhan rushed in. "Lieutenant Colonel, something big has happened.

I just received news that Mahdi died last night. The cause of death is currently unknown, but it's suspected to be related to the inflammation of his wound. "

In order to survive on the battlefield, apart from having the ability to protect oneself, luck was even more important.

Mahdi was very unlucky. When he was patrolling the troops, he was hit in the left leg by a stray bullet that came out of nowhere.

The bullet didn't hurt his bones, but it left a hole in his thigh. With the medical technology of this day and age, this could only be considered a minor injury.

The bullet didn't hit a vital part, and as long as he received timely treatment, there was a high chance that he would survive.

However, Mahdi's luck wasn't good enough. This minor injury actually caused the wound to become inflamed.

In theory, inflammation wasn't a fatal injury, and most could be saved with antibiotics. If it really didn't work, he could still amputate his leg to save his life.

Unfortunately, this was the African continent that lacked doctors and medicine. The British and Austrians didn't have the luxury to send medical personnel to the rebel army. What was popular here was still …

In any case, Mahdi's body collapsed after a series of operations.

Mahdi's life or death wasn't important. The key was that he died at the wrong time. Hutier and the others couldn't be bothered to ask if it was another time to collect their lunchboxes.

But now was not the time. The rebel army had just suffered a heavy blow from the French, and they needed to boost their morale.

When it rains, it pours. Mahdi died at this time, and the rebel army didn't even have a flag bearer.

No matter who took over, no one would be able to convince them. Following this, there would definitely be a fierce struggle within the Revolutionary Army that revolved around the struggle for leadership.

Right now, the rebel army could really be said to be "besieged by enemies" and could be destroyed at any time.

After pondering for a moment, Hutier replied with a bitter smile, "This news came at the wrong time. Looks like our mission is over."

From the deep unwillingness in his tone and the hint of worry between his brows, it was obvious that he wasn't calm.

In an era of peace, it was too difficult for soldiers to achieve anything. The Egyptian rebellion was the best opportunity they had been waiting for.

Leaving now would certainly get a good evaluation, but it was only good. If he were to score it, he would at most get 80 points, which was a full 20 points away from the perfect score.

There was no other way. In terms of strategy, they had succeeded. They had succeeded in causing trouble for the French. But in terms of tactics, they did not have a single outstanding battle record.

The few victories they had were also obtained by relying on the human wave tactic. In almost every battle, the casualties on their side were several times that of the enemy.

The competition in the Austrian army was also very cruel, and they followed the natural law of respecting the strong. Naturally, such a battle record could not be shown to others.

Potiorek said, "We're going to leave anyway, so we might as well take advantage of the chaos to leave. If we delay any longer, we'll be witnessing a farce. "

The French army was pressing on, and the rebel army was already in danger. However, the higher-ups were still scheming and fighting for power.

As an orthodox soldier, Potiorek naturally didn't want to witness such a farce.

Especially if they continued, they might drag Austria down with them. All the more reason not to stay.

…

As expected, the rebel army's internal power struggle erupted as soon as Hutier and the others left.

If it wasn't for the French suddenly sending troops and forcing the rebel army to retreat again, there might have been a full-scale war going on within the rebel army.

Based on the principle of not letting the enemy get what he couldn't get, Lieutenant General Jarrett, who was an outsider, became the leader of the rebel army in a daze.

Of course, this "leader" was only in name. In reality, Jarrett couldn't control anyone. If he wanted to command the troops, he could only use weapons and equipment to tempt these fellows.

In the command center, Lieutenant General Jarrett, who had just taken over as the commander-in-chief, was busy cleaning up the mess.

"General, I just received news. The higher-ups of the 8th Division have all disappeared. It seems that the Austrians have chosen to give up on the rebel army. "

With a bang, the documents on Jarrett's desk flew out.

There was no doubt that this was a shocking piece of bad news for Lieutenant General Jarrett.

After losing Austria's support, the possibility of the rebel army making a comeback was even slimmer.

Unlike ordinary missions, Lieutenant General Jarrett sincerely hoped that the rebel army could succeed. Ever since the great victory in Aswan pushed him into the ranks of the world's most famous generals, Lieutenant General Jarrett had been inseparable from the rebel army.

Famous generals needed to be supported by achievements. No other achievements could be compared to defeating the French.

In life, fame and fortune were the two words.

Lieutenant General Jarrett couldn't be forced, especially after obtaining it. He didn't want to lose it.

After all, the great victory in Aswan was too exaggerated. The rebel army's casualties were much higher than the French's.

If it weren't for political needs, this kind of lose-lose strategy really wouldn't be presentable.

No one liked this kind of ruthless commander, especially the middle and lower level soldiers. No one wanted to be betrayed.

Returning home with this achievement, other than gaining fame, Jarrett wouldn't actually gain much. In fact, he might even be left idle.

Anger couldn't solve the problem. Unless Britain and Austria directly intervened, the outcome of this rebellion was already decided.

Originally, Jarrett's plan was to provoke a conflict with the Fao and drag Austria into it. In the current international environment, as long as there was a fuse, the possibility of a conflict between the Fao and Austria was as high as 80%.

After calming down, Lieutenant General Jarrett realized that it was impossible. "Jack, get ready to pack up. We have to leave as soon as possible.

We have to do it secretly and not attract the attention of these … people. Remember, everything in the warehouse must be taken away. "

If it was just to escape, there was naturally no need to pack up. It would be better to leave quietly.

Obviously, Lieutenant General Jarrett wasn't a person with clean hands. He took advantage of his position to obtain a lot of benefits.

Egypt was an ancient civilization with a rich history. Gold, silver, and jewelry were indispensable, and there were countless antiques and cultural relics.

The latter, in particular, had no value in the eyes of the rebel army's higher-ups. Since Jarrett liked them, they naturally had to give them away.

If they didn't please this person in charge, who knew if they would be put in a difficult position when distributing the aid supplies.

Now that they were about to escape, Jarrett couldn't forget about these gains. He even wanted to take it a step further and prepare for the rebel army's collection.

The young officer, Jack, shook his head. "General, we have too many things. We need at least dozens of carriages to transport them.

I'm afraid it will be difficult to leave quietly without alerting the rebel army's higher-ups with so many things. "

The most pretentious sentence Jarrett had ever heard was "having too much money is also a kind of trouble." He never expected to encounter it himself.

Escaping with dozens of carriages would not be able to hide it from the rebel army's higher-ups. Even the hostile French probably wouldn't be able to hide it.

Once the news was exposed, it would be a question whether they could keep their lives, let alone escape with the goods.

Lieutenant General Jarrett angrily rebuked, "Idiot, when did I allow you to escape directly?! Without the protection of the army, these things will only hasten your death. "

Jack wasn't angry at being scolded. He asked with a grin, "Uncle, what's your plan?"

Jarrett glared at his nephew and snapped, "Shut up. Remember to call me General. If you still want to advance in the army, don't expose our relationship. "

Like most of the European armies in this era, the British army naturally had a lot of nepotism. However, such things could only be understood and not explained.

In order not to agitate the ordinary people in the army, these second generations had to keep as low a profile as possible while enjoying these benefits.

If their connections were exposed, it wouldn't be a big deal in the short term. However, they would inevitably be looked at differently during the subsequent promotions.

It didn't seem like a big problem since ordinary people could only be envious, jealous, and hateful. However, in reality, it would cause endless trouble. Being used by competitors to stir up trouble during a promotion was the last straw that broke the camel's back.

As for the evacuation plan?

What kind of plan was needed? Wouldn't it be better to just escape with the army?

As long as they crossed the border and entered British Africa, they would be safe.