Franz didn't like to play tricks, but unfortunately, his strength didn't allow him to.
For example, right now, it was obviously an overt plot against Britain, France, and Russia, but somehow it became a conspiracy.
There was only a fine line between a conspiracy and an overt plot. There was no strongest one, and the most suitable one was the best.
If someone told Nicholas I Of Russia about Franz's plan, what would the result be?
The answer was: nothing would happen, and Nicholas I Of Russia would just laugh it off.
Between countries, they were using each other, and it was normal for them to plot against each other. Don't be stupid if you want to have close cooperation. This simply didn't exist.
Mature politicians only looked at what their allies did, and what the results would be. They would weigh the pros and cons to decide the relationship between the two countries, and not consider what the allies were thinking.
Therefore, one must have the ability to trick their teammates. If one's ability wasn't good enough, and you were tricked by your teammates, don't cry, there would be many more days of being tricked in the future!
For example, now that Franz was tricking Russia, as long as Austria fulfilled its obligations as an ally, it would be Russia's strongest ally, and the relationship between Russia and Austria would not be affected.
Even if Franz told Nicholas I Of Russia that Austria would send troops to help, the Russians wouldn't be surprised at all, but more likely to be shocked.
How much effort, how much spoils of war. This was the basis of the Russian-Austrian alliance. Once the distribution of benefits was out of balance, the alliance would lose its value.
The Russo-Austrian Alliance was an equal alliance, and there was no affiliation. If Austria fulfilled its obligations as an ally and took on more obligations, the final distribution of the spoils of war would naturally change.
Russia didn't need Austria's reinforcements for the war in the The Balkans, and the Tsarist government wasn't a master who loved gray animals. It was impossible to use benefits to reduce the casualties of the frontline soldiers.
Strategically speaking, if Austria attacked the Osman Empire, the best route to send troops was exactly the same as Russia's current route.
This was a logistical decision. Relying on the Danube Valley to transport strategic resources and kill their way into Bulgaria from the plains downstream of the Danube was much better than crossing the ravines from Bosnia-Herzegovina or Serbia.
What determined the outcome of this war was not how much territory the Osman Empire occupied, but whether they could conquer Constantinople.
As long as the Russians occupied Constantinople, the British and French navies could only retreat from the Black Sea. Otherwise, the Russians would block the Bosporus and they would be trapped.
After gaining control of the Black Sea, they would be able to transport logistical supplies by sea. With the national strength of Russia and Austria, it wouldn't be a problem for them to support a million soldiers to fight in the The Balkans.
Unlike now, no matter how hard the Russian Army worked, the most they could send to the The Balkans was only four to five hundred thousand soldiers. Any more than that and the Russian Army didn't even need to fight.
If it was the Austrian army, their numbers would be reduced by at least a quarter.
The Grey Beasts were known as the cheapest army in Europe for a reason. Their requirements for logistical supplies were the lowest among all the great powers' armies.
In modern warfare, weapons and equipment were outdated and there were fewer cannons, which also meant that the pressure on logistical supplies was low.
Did the Tsarist government lack soldiers?
If they lost a few hundred thousand, they could just replenish it with a few hundred thousand. If the Austrian army participated in the conquest of Constantinople, they wouldn't be able to monopolize the Black Sea.
National interests were very realistic. They shouldn't expect their allies to bring their own rations to help without a goal.
The Black Sea was very small, and the Russians had long regarded it as their own territory. They weren't willing to share it with Austria.
According to the current covenant, the Russians could get the greatest benefits. The price they had to pay was just the casualties of a group of Grey Beasts. The last thing the Tsarist government lacked was people.
…
Metternich said, "Your Majesty, Russia's envoy in Vienna looked for me yesterday. They intend to send more troops to the The Balkans and hope that we can provide more war supplies.
The initial judgment is that Britain and France's participation in the war prompted the Tsarist government to make this decision. It seems that they want to show the outside world their determination by sending more troops. "
Franz thought for a moment and said, "It's easy to provide strategic supplies. As long as the Russians are willing to pay, we can sell it to them.
Marshal, I want to know how many troops the FAO and Seman can send to the The Balkans. Can the Russians gain the upper hand after sending more troops? "
Marshal Radski calculated for a moment and replied, "Your Majesty, from a logistical point of view, the FAO and Seman can send no more than 800,000 troops.
However, as the Russian Army continues to push forward, they will be able to send more troops. If it's a decisive battle in the coastal area, they may even send millions of troops.
However, this is an ideal number. To ensure that so many troops fight, the strategic supplies needed are also a big problem.
The Osman Empire can at most solve two to three of them. The rest will need to be transported from Britain and France.
Considering the cost of the war, Britain and France may choose to arm the cheap Osman cannon fodder to fight against the Russians. Whether the Russians can gain the upper hand on the battlefield after sending more troops will depend on the proportion of the British and French troops.
From a strategic point of view, I don't think the Russians can achieve their goal. Due to the loss of the Black Sea, the Russian Army's supplies mainly rely on the Danube River.
However, as the battlefront moves forward, the distance that needs to be transported by land will continue to increase.
The Russians can send up to 500,000 troops in the decisive battle in Bulgaria. If it's in the Istanbul area, the Russians can only send up to 400,000 troops.
The actual situation may be even worse than this. After all, the Osman Empire has been in the The Balkans for hundreds of years. After the Russian Army occupies these areas, it will be difficult to remove their influence in a short period of time.
The Osman will definitely organize guerrillas to destroy the Russian Army's supply lines and increase the difficulty of Russia's logistics.
If they can't end the war quickly, the longer it drags on, the lower the possibility of the Russians winning the war. "
Franz smiled slightly. This is the result he wanted. The Russians who can't win the war are good allies for Austria.
Under the pressure of Britain and France, the relationship between Russia and Austria may be further improved. With a stable rear, Austria can farm with peace of mind.
Now Franz is looking forward to Nicholas I Of Russia's determination so that the war can last longer.
Every generation of Tsar has set a good example. There is a saying in Russia, "A Tsar who hasn't fought in the Russian-Turkish war is definitely not a good Tsar!"
The Russian-Turkish war usually lasted four to five years. Basically, it was once in a generation. Other than the last Russian-Turkish war, the shortest was three years, and there were two that lasted more than ten years.
From a military point of view, the possibility of the Russians losing is very small. If they can win, they will attack. If they can't win, they will defend.
In a war of attrition, the Russians can't afford to lose their financial resources, while the British and French can't afford to lose their manpower.
If the Hairy Bear loses hundreds of thousands of young men, they can still take out hundreds of thousands more. The nobles won't care about the casualties of the soldiers. If the British and French lose hundreds of thousands of young men, they will have to consider the domestic situation.
As long as the Russians don't admit defeat and are willing to fight with their lives, the British and French can't completely defeat them even if they use all their strength.
Unless the British and French dare to attack the Russian mainland and fight all the way from the Baltic Sea to St. Peter's Castle, no matter how they fight in the Near East, they can't kill the Hairy Bear.
This also means that if the Russians can't win the war in a short time, the deciding factor of the war is to test the financial endurance of the Russians and the ability of the British and French to bear casualties.
After all, this war is not as serious as the World War II. The British, French and Russian countries are not at the point of life and death, so there is no need for them to fight with their lives on the line.
Franz said coldly, "Use our strength to push again. The French are already on the field, but the British expeditionary force is still in the country. The stage is already set. We can't let them miss out on this good show."
John Bull's moral integrity is too low. If they don't push them to the battlefield, the Government of London might make the same choice as the Austrians.
Moreover, if they don't let the British experience the cruelty of the land war in advance, how can they make the Austrians behave in the future?
…
Due to the Osman Empire's defeat in the Battle of Bulgaria, the British prepared to send out 20,000 soldiers as a token, but it was obviously not enough to meet the needs of the war.
In the negotiations in Paris not long ago, Palmerston had to increase the number of British soldiers from 20,000 to 80,000.
80,000 soldiers is a small problem for any large land country. It can be gathered in ten days to half a month, but it is different for the British.
Their pocket-sized army only has a few hundred thousand soldiers. It is obviously difficult to transfer so many soldiers at once.
"Mr. Palmerston, why did you increase the number of soldiers without permission? Do you know how much trouble this will bring us?" War Minister Macksimi asked unhappily.
Palmerston explained confidently, "Mr. Macksimi, this is a political necessity. In the battle that just ended, the Osman Empire suffered heavy losses. According to our original plan, it is no longer enough to meet the needs of the war.
In order to curb the ambitions of the Russians, we have to send more forces over.
The French agreed to send another 120,000 soldiers. In addition to the 50,000 they have already sent to the battlefield, they have a total of 170,000 soldiers. Under these circumstances, we have no choice but to increase the number of soldiers.
Moreover, it is too dangerous to send 20,000 soldiers on the battlefield. If we are not careful, we can be completely wiped out.
If it is 80,000 soldiers, it will be much safer. We don't have to worry about being swallowed by the Russians, and the Ministry of War doesn't have to worry about it all the time. "
Hearing Palmerston's explanation, Macksimi's anger grew. He admitted that compared to the Royal Navy, the British Army is really not good enough.
However, looking down on them like this is too much. After all, the British Army's combat power isn't bad. It is only because they are too few in number that they can't be ranked among the great powers.
"Mr. Palmerston, are you questioning the combat power of the army?" Macksimi glared at Palmerston with bloodshot eyes.
It is fine to think about these things, but it is too much to publicly slap the face of the British Army. The British Army's lack of strength is caused by the lack of military funds. It is not because they do not work hard.
Realizing that he has misspoken, Palmerston immediately corrected himself. "No, Mr. Macksimi. On the contrary, I am very optimistic about the combat power of the army.
As the saying goes, the greater the ability, the greater the responsibility on the battlefield. If we have too few soldiers, it is very easy for the Russians to take advantage of us. "
Even he did not believe what he said. Even if the British Army sends the least troops in the alliance, the role of cannon fodder will still fall to the Osman Empire. How can they let the British Army take the risk?
Macksimi snorted coldly. "Humph!"
This small interlude was over.
Prime Minister John Russell changed the topic. "Mr. Macksimi, our allies can't wait any longer. How long will it take for the army to be ready?"
John Russell is very contemptuous of the Osman Empire's performance.
No matter what, they were a great empire that beat up the entire European society. Now, they are so easily beaten up by the Russians. This is a complete disgrace to their ancestors.
Although he despises them, they are still allies. In order to deal with a common enemy, they still have to work together. However, the Osman Empire's authority in the alliance has dropped by two levels.
Macksimi has been waiting for this for a long time. He replied from the side, "Prime Minister, let us expand the army!"
This is an awkward topic. Because the British Army's focus is tilted towards the navy, the number of land troops has been unable to increase.
A hundred thousand land troops have to maintain the vast colony. How many troops are left in the country?
If twenty thousand soldiers were to be deployed, they could squeeze their way out. If 80,000 land troops are transferred, all the troops in the country will be sent out in one go.
They definitely have to leave troops in the country. Even if it is to suppress the Irish region, they can't transfer all the troops in the country.
There are not many land troops in the overseas colonies, so it is impossible to transfer them. Of course, the British have a lot of colonial troops in their hands. If they can make up the numbers, they can quickly gather them.
John Russell rubbed his forehead and asked, "How much do you plan to expand the army by?"
Macksimi replied with a smile, "Not much. Our requirements for the army aren't high. We just need to expand by another 120,000 troops."
Hearing this number, John Russell shook his head and said, "Mr. Macksimi, it's not a problem to expand by 120,000 troops as long as you can convince the Congress."
Macksimi's face turned red. If it was so easy to convince the Congress, the British Army would not be so small now.
In this era, as the only industrial country among the Great Powers and the world's number one colonial power, the British Empire is truly rich. It is not a problem even if they have to raise another 100,000 land troops.
Macksimi said calmly, "Prime Minister, the army's military strength is limited, and there are too many places to guard. The total number of troops left in the country is only about 70,000.
It's already very difficult to transfer 20,000 troops. If you want to transfer 80,000 troops, even if I include the cleaners in the army, it won't be enough. "
This is a good opportunity to expand the army, so the army will naturally not let it go. Every expansion is accompanied by a large amount of benefits, so Macksimi naturally has to fight for it as much as possible.
"But expanding the army by 120,000 at once is still too much. I can't convince the Congress. Again, as long as you have the ability to convince the Congress, it won't be a problem," John Russell objected without changing his expression.
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