Chapter 825

Constantinople's Allied Forces Command. Logically speaking, the Allied Forces should be celebrating after seizing the Bosporus Strait. However, the reality was the exact opposite.

After seeing the statistics of the casualties, no one was happy anymore.

As the Russian Army had wasted a lot of time during the landing at Ava, it left enough time for the enemy to react. The Osman Empire had mobilized a large number of troops for defense.

The result of a head-on confrontation was heavy casualties. Relying on the advantage of equipment, the Russian Army won the battle, but the price they paid was not small.

The number of casualties was as high as 30,000, which was enough to prove the brutality of this war. If the casualties from the landing at Ava and other battles were added, the Russian Army's casualties had exceeded the 40,000 mark since the start of the war, with the death toll approaching 10,000.

Perhaps this number was not worth mentioning to the Russian Empire, but it was fatal to the expeditionary army which only had 150,000 troops.

Now, the morale of the Russian Army had dropped significantly. Victory could not change the aftermath of the heavy casualties. Even if the wounded were treated effectively, the number of Russian Army soldiers who could return to the battlefield would not exceed 20,000.

This meant that from now on, the Russian Army had permanently lost 20,000 troops. In the short term, the Russian Army could only mobilize 110,000 troops. Furthermore, they had to divide their forces to defend the Bosporus Strait, leaving them with less than 80,000 mobile troops.

As the commander of the Allied Forces Command, General Arest also felt the pressure. He did not care about the heavy casualties of the Russian Army, but he was worried about the upcoming battle.

The Government of Vienna's attitude was very clear. They wanted to win at the lowest cost. Placing a navy general in the position of the Allied Forces Command proved that the Government of Vienna did not attach importance to the battle in Asia Minor and had no plans to send troops.

As a soldier, no one wanted to lose a battle. Although the war was commanded by the Russians themselves and Arest did not need to be responsible for it, it would still affect his reputation if he were to suffer a defeat on the battlefield.

Of course, as a Marine Admiral, he did not personally command the war, so he could minimize the impact and not affect his career.

Arest warned, "General Ivanov, your strategic objective has been exposed. The enemy is ready and waiting for you to jump into the pit. Do you still want to continue?"

The word "you" was a clear indication of the relationship within the allied forces. The cooperation between Russia and Austria was no longer a close one.

Ivanov's expression changed and he looked a little embarrassed. They were originally prepared to show their strength to Austria through this battle, but the outcome was not worth mentioning.

If it wasn't for the appearance of the Austrian airship fleet at the critical moment, the war might still be ongoing.

Strength was the right to speak. The Russian army did not display outstanding combat strength, so their right to speak in the alliance was naturally affected.

Especially in the command center of the Allied Forces, the facts had proven that the Russian battle plan had failed. During the meeting, Ivanov 'voice became much softer.

"Your Excellency Commander, the Bosporus Strait has been taken, and the Sea of Marmara has been opened. The allied forces can enter the Black Sea at any time, and we can launch landing operations more flexibly."

"If you don't hit the wall, you won't turn back." Upon hearing this answer, Areste retracted the words he wanted to say and reorganized his words.

After a period of contact, Arest knew that Ivanov was not a fool. His military ability was also outstanding. The previous war was proof that the Russian Army did not make too many mistakes.

It could only be "political necessity" that forced him to continue a plan that was obviously wrong militarily, regardless of the actual situation.

Military necessity served politics. When it came to politics, right and wrong were no longer important.

The Tsarist government needed to open the Black Sea as soon as possible to ensure the normal flow of domestic exports. The Russian Army at the frontlines could only bite the bullet.

Heavy casualties? It didn't matter. The Russian Empire had plenty of people. Since the war resources were provided by the Austrians, the Tsarist government could afford the losses.

Arest could not stop their ally from having such a strong desire to fight. As long as the Russians were willing to risk their lives, the Government of Vienna would be willing to spend money.

"With your military strength, I'm afraid it's still not enough to complete the subsequent battle plan. Does your country intend to send more troops?"

Ivanov nodded. "Yes, Your Excellency. The Osman Empire has already reacted. To seize the Black Sea, we need at least 200,000 troops.

I've already requested 100,000 reinforcements. They are expected to arrive at the frontlines in two months. The only problem now is supplies.

In recent years, the Russian Empire has been lacking in financial resources. Now that the Russo-Persian War broke out, we can't afford it … "

After hearing this reply, Arest stood up with his back facing everyone, as though he was deep in thought.

Without asking, Arest knew that the Tsarist government was trying to get something for nothing again. The so-called 100,000 reinforcements were probably 100,000 strong young men.

If he guessed correctly, the Tsarist government wanted to use this war to train their troops in preparation for the Prussian war.

In the eyes of politicians, human lives were worthless. The Tsarist government probably wouldn't care about casualties if they could use Austrian resources to train an elite army.

After a while, Arest gave his answer. "This is already beyond my authority. If we want to increase supplies, we must get the approval of the Government of Vienna. "

Ivanov said somewhat anxiously, "Your Excellency, actually, we don't need the approval of the Government of Vienna. We just need to report some losses, and we can …"

Letting the Government of Vienna make the decision would involve diplomacy. Countries had always spoken in terms of benefits, and the Russo-Austrian Alliance was no exception.

This would involve the division of spoils of war in the future. Ivanov would rather have fewer supplies now than to let the Russian Empire pay a higher price.

The Russian army had always lived a hard life. The expeditionary force's logistics were provided by the Austrian army. This standard far exceeded the treatment of the Russian Army.

In the eyes of many Russian Army officers, this treatment was a complete waste of money. If they lowered the standard and reported more losses, the supplies for 150,000 troops would be enough to support the 230,000 Russian Army.

According to the Russian Army's usual practice, after the soldiers in front died in battle, the soldiers in the back could pick up their guns and continue using them.

Moreover, they could also seize some supplies from the battlefield. With everyone's cooperation, the problem would be solved.

Arest's expression changed greatly. The Russians could do such a thing, but he didn't dare.

Franz's supervision of the army was extremely strict. False reporting of losses and betraying the country's interests would be court-martialed. The benefits promised by the Russians were like a death warrant for Arest.

"No! General Ivanov, I'm warning you, this matter ends here. Please don't insult the honor of the nobility! "

With that, Arest slammed the door and left. He was truly angry. One careless move and he would be consigned to eternal damnation.

It wasn't easy to get to this position. Who knew how many people were eyeing him to replace him? Arest didn't want to be a stepping stone for others.

As for the benefits promised by the Russians, Arest was even more disdainful. If a high-ranking officer like him was a pauper, then how would the soldiers below him live?

…

Vienna Palace. Franz didn't feel the slightest bit surprised as he read the battle report in his hands. No matter how much the Osman Empire had declined, a rotten ship still had three catties of nails.

The Government of Sudan's previous reforms weren't completely useless. At least they had trained a modern army. Perhaps due to financial constraints, bureaucratic corruption, and other factors, the Osman Army wasn't strong, but how much better could the Russian Army be?

The Tsarist government had limited financial resources, and the Russian Army was also having a hard time. The information gathered at the frontlines had already shown that the Russian Army's training was severely inadequate.

Two rookie armies were pecking at each other. The Osman Army had the advantage in numbers, while the Russian Army had the advantage in equipment. It was normal for them to win the war and suffer heavy losses.

Franz was satisfied that the frontlines weren't defeated and Austria didn't have to send troops to clean up the aftermath. From Austria's standpoint, it was better for the Russian Army to be weaker.

"The Russians want to use our strength to train their troops. Perhaps they will use the need to rest as an excuse to constantly change their troops.

The Tsarist government is anxious. It seems that the Prussia people have given them a lot of stimulation. How do you think we should answer them now? "

Franz had subconsciously forgotten about the Tsarist government's desire to open up the Black Sea Strait. Compared to the hidden plan, it was only a trivial matter.

In the last Prussian War, most of the Russian Army soldiers were poorly trained, which was an important factor in the war's defeat.

A fall into the pit, a gain in your wit.

The Tsarist government wanted to train an elite army. This was the inevitable result. Now the Tsarist government's biggest problem was the lack of money. The war in the Near East became an opportunity for the Russians to train their troops.

Austria would pay for it anyway. They just needed to pay for it. Don't look at the heavy casualties of the Russian Army at the frontlines. Once they recovered, the combat power of the remaining troops would definitely increase.

Prime Minister Felix said, "Your Majesty, this depends on how much the Russians are willing to pay. Actual combat training is very costly. Soldiers can't serve for a long time. They will retire after a few years.

If the Prussian War doesn't break out in a short time, these soldiers can only impart experience. The Russian Army doesn't lack this kind of experience. The last war only happened a few years ago.

I think the Tsarist government wants to train a group of qualified officers through actual combat. As long as there are enough officers, it won't be difficult to expand the army. They can also guarantee a certain amount of combat power. "

Training officers was what Austria was doing. Gathering so many cannon fodder troops to the battlefield was for the officers to practice. Otherwise, the Middle East war wouldn't have dragged on until now. Jerusalem hadn't been captured yet.

The Russians wanting to train officers wasn't as simple as it seemed on the surface. It was also related to the future direction of Europe. For example, it increased the Tsarist government's chances of winning in the Prussian War.

…