Chapter 553

The result of the Battle of East Prussia left Europe speechless. This result was too hard to accept. No one had expected Prussia to counterattack.

Many experts analyzed the situation logically and believed that the loss of East Prussia was due to Prussia luring the enemy in.

Stepping on the shoulders of the Russians, the Kingdom of Prussia became famous in one battle. Even the Commander-in-Chief Mao Qi became famous overnight and became one of the most powerful generals of his generation.

As the person involved, Mao Qi did not dare to take credit. He could swear to God that he had no intention of giving up East Prussia.

Did they really think that it was enough to recover East Prussia? Looking at the number of people left in the area, one could see how serious the problem was.

After recovering East Prussia, the population was less than 80,000. Before the war, there were more than one million people. Even if there were tens of thousands of people in the army, there were only a few hundred thousand people.

The remaining eight to nine hundred thousand people were wiped out in this war. Whether they died in the war or went to Austria's colony, for the Kingdom of Prussia, these people were lost.

Could it be that the Kingdom of Prussia still dared to ask Austria for people? The Government of Vienna was probably still thinking about whether to come over and ask for Silesia.

Wouldn't it be asking for trouble if they sent themselves to Austria at this time?

The Government of Berlin did not want to throw Silesia away. Austria had supported the Russians in the war and had already violated the original agreement.

But as everyone knew, the great powers were usually thick-skinned. Unless the Kingdom of Prussia produced evidence, the Government of Vienna would never admit to supporting the Russians.

As for why there were so many Arcana equipment in the Russian Army?

Russian and Austrian equipment came from the same source. This was the news that the whole world knew. It was normal for Arcana equipment to appear. It would be a problem if it didn't.

These were all produced by the Russians. The Russian Empire was the overlord of Europe. How could they not be able to get some weapons and equipment?

The strategic materials had the logo of an Austrian company, so it was even less worth mentioning. They were all imitations made by the Russians. Of course, the counterfeit goods were the same.

If you didn't believe it, you could go to the Russian Empire to check. The Tsarist government was very easy to talk to. At most, they would send potatoes to Siberia to grow.

Evidence? It was best not to take it out. If the cover was opened, it would not look good for everyone. It would be better to maintain silence.

The agreement was not written on paper. It was just a verbal promise. Wouldn't it be better to pretend that nothing had happened?

But the soldiers from the East Prussia region did not agree.

Their family members had gone missing, and now they were nowhere to be seen, dead or alive. Was he killed by the Russians, or was he tricked by someone else? There had to be a clear answer, right?

When the news spread that East Prussia had been voluntarily abandoned, everyone couldn't bear it any longer. Then a mutiny broke out. The tens of thousands of troops demanded an explanation from the Berlin government.

Mao Qi, the commander-in-chief, became a sinner in the eyes of many. If it wasn't for the fact that the military knew that the loss of East Prussia was an accident, William I was ready to make Mao Qi the scapegoat.

He definitely couldn't do that now. It would disappoint his subordinates.

Of course, before things could be explained clearly, the suspicion could not be eliminated. The blame still fell on Mao Qi, the commander-in-chief, but the responsibility was not pursued.

William the First was a smart man. Even if he wanted to destroy the bridge after crossing it, he would still have to cross the river and finish grinding the surface before he would take action.

The end of the Prussian war was only temporary. It was nothing more than winter coming and the war could not continue. There was still a test waiting for them next year. At this time, the military could not be offended.

Moreover, if William I couldn't see through such an obvious attempt to sow discord, how could he be a king?

The Government of Berlin immediately gave an explanation. They guaranteed that they did not deliberately abandon East Prussia. They also announced a strategic plan for the defense of East Prussia.

The general in charge of guarding the coastal area took full responsibility for the loss of East Prussia and was sent to the military court.

Then they announced the news that the people of East Prussia had taken refuge in the Austrian colony. They also invited religious figures to testify that most people were still alive.

William I promised that after the war, the government would pay to bring them back from overseas.

The noble officers also tried to persuade the soldiers: it was a time of war. East Prussia could become a battlefield again at any time. For the safety of the people, it was better to let them take refuge overseas.

This mutiny came and went quickly. While appeasing the morale of the army, they did not forget to direct the hatred to the Russians.

Many religious figures and people who did not evacuate were witnesses. It was all because of the Russians. They could not live anymore, so they ran overseas to take refuge.

William I was tired. He had to appease the soldiers and also the nobles. The Juncker nobles in East Prussia also suffered heavy losses. They sacrificed for the country, so they must be compensated after the war.

This was not the end. People died in war. Behind the glorious results, a large number of Prussia soldiers fell forever.

Berlin Palace. Looking at the increasing number of deaths, William I's heart was bleeding.

That's right, they won the battle of East Prussia. Not only did they recover East Prussia and occupied Lithuania, but they also drove back the Russian Army that attacked Poland. They even occupied a part of Belarus.

Of course, this was not because the Prussia army was so powerful that they could sweep away the Russians.

In fact, these territories were given by the Russians themselves. There was a saying: how much territory you can occupy on the battlefield depends on how much the enemy is willing to give up.

The Russian Army's main force was hit hard and their morale was low. The Prussia army naturally followed behind and took over the territory.

If they really fought all the way, how could they advance two to three hundred kilometers in half a month? This was not the era of the Blitzkrieg, where one could only march on two legs to fight a war.

The results of the battle were glorious, but the losses were also terrifying. Behind the victory, the Prussia army also paid a heavy price. In the battle of East Prussia, the Prussia army lost 142,000 soldiers.

Among them, 74,000 died in battle, 38,000 were disabled due to injuries, 3,216 died of diseases and accidents, and 27,000 were injured.

This was not all. From the start of the war until now, the Prussia army had lost more than 280,000 soldiers.

In addition to the losses of the army, the civilian losses were even greater. The Russian navy's attacks on the coastal areas also caused a lot of casualties. If the Austrians were included, the total number of people was close to a million.

Of course, including the newly occupied areas, the total population still increased. However, these new people did not agree with the Kingdom of Prussia.

But William I was confident that there would be no harm without comparison. With the Tsarist government as a reference, he believed that the people would make the right choice.

As long as they assimilated for ten to twenty years, these new people would be the foundation of the Kingdom of Prussia. In this aspect, the ancestors had already set an example.

The most important problem now was to expand the results of the war and to end it. The Kingdom of Prussia was too small and had to expand.

Since they had already offended the Russians, it would not matter if they offended them further. The best choice was to extract as much meat from the Russians as possible to strengthen the Kingdom of Prussia.

As long as they were strong enough, even if the Russians wanted to take revenge, it did not matter. The Kingdom of Prussia had never been afraid of war, even against the Russians.

…

"Your Majesty, winter has arrived. We cannot continue the war now. I suggest that we give up the Lithuanian region and withdraw the troops back to East Prussia to defend."

Prime Minister Frank's words interrupted William I's imagination and pulled him back to reality.

"Reason? You should know what it means to give up the Lithuanian region politically, right? "

In terms of military affairs, defending the East Prussia region was of course the best choice. They could directly use the domestic railway to transport supplies.

Defending the Lithuanian region was different. The supply line had increased by more than two hundred kilometers and there was no railway connecting the country. The logistical pressure would be greatly increased.

But in terms of politics, occupying the Lithuanian region meant that the Kingdom of Prussia had the upper hand in this war. Not only could it boost the morale of the troops, but it could also make the financial backers increase their investment.

In William I's view, the winter in the Lithuanian region was not too cold. The Prussia army could also withstand it. There was also a river in the country, which could reduce the logistical pressure. Defending the Lithuanian region was not a big problem.

Prime Minister Frank said cautiously, "The war has progressed to this point. We also have to consider the aftermath. It is better to stop while we are ahead and negotiate with the Russians to protect the fruits of our victory.

If we occupy the Lithuanian region, the Tsarist government will not negotiate with us. Even if it is for the sake of face, they will not stop the war at this time. "

This was not just about face, it was also related to the personal prestige of Alexander Ii Of Russia. He could not tolerate losing the war and going to the negotiation table.

If they really lost and there was no chance to turn the tables, then it did not matter about prestige. If they did not want to admit defeat, they still had to admit defeat.

But the Russians did not really lose the war. They just lost a battle.

Prime Minister Frank obviously did not want to fight to the death with the Russians. He intended to use this opportunity to stop while they were ahead. Annexing the territory of the Russians had never been within the scope of his plan.

William I replied with a bitter smile, "Prime Minister, the war has reached this point. If there is not enough profit, what can we do to explain to the country?

Moreover, the assistance of the British is not easy to get. The Government of London supports our annexation of the Baltic Sea region. It is not just support.

If we can't do it, then without the support of the British, what should we do in the future?

From the moment the military started this war, we were just pawns, not flag bearers. A chess piece cannot lose its value. Otherwise, it will become an abandoned chess piece. "

Fighting to the death with the Russians was not what William I wanted. Reality told him that he must fight to the death with the Russians.

The victory of the Battle of East Prussia strengthened the determination of the pro-war faction. The power of the radical groups increased sharply. They wanted to seize benefits from the war.

A mere Kingdom of Denmark would not be able to satisfy their appetite. Moreover, the Kingdom of Prussia did not dare to annex the entire Kingdom of Denmark. At most, it would take a piece of land.

Up until now, the Kingdom of Prussia was already in debt. The financiers would not let them stop.

Now, not only did the British need them to fight to the death with the Russians, but the French and the Austrians also needed them to continue to weaken the Russians. If they could not do this, then the Kingdom of Prussia had no value to exist.

Prime Minister Frank did not know this. That was because from the beginning, he was in the anti-war faction. The countries did not contact him.

After the outbreak of the war, the military occupied the dominant position. The government was only an assistant. He, the Prime Minister, was marginalized.

He was not ousted because William I did not want to see the military dominate. Even if he kept Frank to occupy the position, he was not willing to hand over the position of Prime Minister to the military.

Hearing this news, Prime Minister Frank's face was ashen. He left the palace in a daze.