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, a stray bullet flew out of nowhere and hit his left leg.
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 was only a minor injury.
As long as the bullet didn't hit a vital part, as long as it was treated in time, there was a high chance of survival.
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 antibiotics could save his life. 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. Next, there would definitely be a fierce internal struggle for the leadership of the rebel army.
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, Hutir replied with a bitter smile, "This news came at a bad time. It looks like our mission is about to end."
From the deep unwillingness in his tone and the trace of worry between his brows, one could see that Hudi Er was not calm.
In times of peace, it was too difficult for a soldier to make a name for himself. The Egyptian rebellion was the best opportunity they had been waiting for.
If he left now, he would receive a decent evaluation, but that was only decent. 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 didn't have any outstanding results.
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, "Since we're going to leave anyway, we might as well take advantage of the chaos to leave. If we delay any longer, we're going to witness a farce. "
The French army was pressing on the border, 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, as soon as Hutir and the others left, the internal power struggle in the rebel army erupted.
If the French hadn't suddenly sent troops and forced the rebel army to retreat again, there might have been a full-scale battle within the rebel army.
Based on the principle that he couldn't get what he couldn't get, Lieutenant General Jarrett, who was an outsider, became the boss of the rebel army in a daze.
Of course, this "boss" 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 guys to sell their lives.
In the headquarters, Lieutenant General Jarrett, who had just become the acting commander-in-chief, was currently 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 turning the tables was even smaller.
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, and the rebel army suffered much more casualties than the French.
If it wasn't for political needs, this kind of lose-lose strategy really couldn't be put on the table.
No one liked this kind of ruthless commander, especially the middle and lower level soldiers. No one wanted to be betrayed.
If Jarrett returned to his country with this achievement, other than gaining fame, he wouldn't actually gain much. 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, we have to take everything in the warehouse with us. "
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 used his position to gain 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 to him.
If he didn't please this person in charge, who knew if he would make things difficult for him when it came to distributing the aid.
Now that they were about to escape, Jarrett couldn't forget about these gains. He even wanted to go one 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 probably 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 reprimanded. 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 matter 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.
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