Holy Roman Empire -
Chapter 390: The Decisive Battle
After entering the 19th century, the international society became more and more interconnected, and the international situation became intertwined.
With the end of the American Civil War, the attention of Britain, France, Austria, and Spain shifted to Europe, increasing pressure on the Russian government.
The British government has begun planning to intervene in the Russo-Prussian War, attempting to use diplomatic means to force concessions from the Russian government and undermine Russian prestige.
It must be acknowledged that John Bull’s diplomatic tactics were formidable. The recently courted French government once again wavered, and the French loans to Russia were withheld.
This can’t be entirely blamed on the French. The performance of the Russian army on the battlefield was disappointing.
Initially, it was believed that the Russian government, with its maritime advantage, would mobilize troops to land and attack the Prussians from behind. However, due to issues with strategic materials, the Russian government was unable to organize a proper offensive.
Military observers around the world are now criticizing the Russian government’s strategy, belittling them as worthless.
Alexander II was greatly wronged. This war broke out too suddenly, and they really didn’t have time to prepare.
In St. Petersburg, faced with the increasingly dire international situation, Alexander II made a decision: to end the war swiftly.
The Russian government’s capability for secrecy was limited to fewer than ten people. Once the number of those in the know exceeded this, it was akin to a sieve.
Upon receiving this news, Franz’s first reaction was to be worried. Given the current situation, the eventual victor would absolutely be the Russians.
While the Prussians may have the advantage in exchange ratios, they still suffered significant losses over the past six months of war. They incurred casualties of 82,000 men, with 43,000 killed in action, 39,000 wounded or retired due to injuries, or captured.
The losses of their Polish allies were even more severe, with at least 150,000 troops lost. Due to internal chaos within the Polish provisional government, they couldn’t determine the exact losses, so Franz naturally couldn’t know either.
The combined losses of the Russians and the Danes were roughly equivalent to those of the Prussians and Poles.
If the war continued for at most another six months, the Polish uprising would collapse, leaving the Kingdom of Prussia to fight alone.
If Franz had been in command of this war, he would have targeted the Polish insurgents aggressively, used the navy to strike the Kingdom of Prussia, and weakened their war potential.
A decisive battle? After retaking Warsaw, controlling several rivers within Poland, and establishing a waterway connection to Austria, they could fight in any way they chose.
As long as there was sufficient logistical supply, the combat capabilities of the Russian army wouldn’t be lacking at all. With numerical superiority, they could easily defeat the enemy.
Now, rushing into a decisive battle would be very unwise militarily. Of course, the decision made by Alexander II was mainly for political reasons.
Under great pressure from domestic conservatives, rampant anti-Russian forces internationally, and financial constraints, the Russian government was under immense pressure.
Foreign Minister Wessenberg proposed, “Your Majesty, the Russians have approached us seeking assistance, hoping we can expedite the delivery of their order.
If all goes as planned, after delivering this batch of weaponry and equipment, it will be time for them to engage in a decisive battle with the Prussians.
The Foreign Ministry believes we can allocate a portion from our current stock of equipment and deliver it to the Russians ahead of schedule, facilitating this decisive battle to erupt before the onset of winter in Poland.”
Franz’s eyes lit up. This “winter” came just in time. Regardless of the outcome of this war, both sides would lose the ability to continue their offensives after winter sets in.
By the time they resume fighting the next year, everyone will have almost regained their strength. No, it should be said that it was the Russians that could regroup, while a defeat in this decisive battle would leave the Prussians in a tough spot.
Allocating equipment from the current stock was merely to maintain appearances. Reserve equipment also qualifies as current equipment, so there’s no issue.
Franz asked with skepticism, “Is there enough time? It’s already September. By the time it reaches the Russians in October, will they still have time for a decisive battle?”
Foreign Minister Wessenberg replied, “Indeed, time is a bit tight, but it should be sufficient with some effort.
The Russian troops near our border can be the first to receive the new equipment, enabling them to launch a counterattack. The troops in East Prussia will receive the equipment a bit later; casualties are not a concern as long as they are willing to endure it.
The pressure on the Russian frontline commanders is immense. Unable to withstand domestic pressure, the decisive battle will surely erupt before the end of the year.
When winter comes, at worst, this decisive battle will end inconclusively. Regardless, they must fight a battle to appease the conservatives back home.”
Franz began to mourn for the Russian troops at the front. Even if they win the war, their losses will be devastating. If they lose, the losses would naturally be even more severe.
Alexander II’s choice for a decisive battle at this time is likely out of desperation. If they had fought two months earlier and lost, the enemy could have advanced deeply into their territory, causing immense losses.
Now, it doesn’t matter anymore. Many regions of the Russian Empire have already entered winter. By the time this battle concludes, it would likely be November or December. Launching an attack on Russia during this season would certainly be suicidal.
Since the Russian government was not in danger, the losses of the Russian army were not within Franz’s considerations. He immediately made the decision.
“Deliver it at the fastest speed possible, and give the Russians an additional one million rounds of ammunition to express our stance.”
The adoption of Austrian equipment by the Russians also has its advantages, as Austria has long unified the caliber of ammunition. Even if the Russian army switches equipment now, the bullets can still be used interchangeably, so there’s no need to worry about sending the wrong ammunition by mistake.
……
The efficiency of the Austrian government was indeed very high. In just two days, they had mobilized three hundred thousand rifles from reserve equipment and quickly delivered them to the Russian-Austrian border.
Such a significant move couldn’t be concealed. Upon receiving the news, the Prussian Army Commander-in-Chief, Moltke, made a prompt decision to strike first.
On October 2, 1865, before the Russians could switch their equipment, the Prussian-Polish coalition launched a full-scale counterattack against the Russian forces on the Eastern Prussian, Belarusian, and Ukrainian fronts.
The decisive battle broke out ahead of schedule, drawing the attention of all European countries to this campaign.
If the Russians win, there is no doubt that the Kingdom of Prussia will be doomed. If the Prussian-Polish coalition emerges victorious, then the European landscape will be reshuffled.
In Sweden, King Charles XV resolutely rejected the Kingdom of Prussia’s proposal to jointly fight against the Russians.
While Sweden was also against Russia and even stood against them during the Near East War, supporting the alliance of Britain, France, and the Ottoman Empire, it did not mean they favored Prussia.
During the outbreak of the Prusso-Danish War, King Charles XV prepared to send troops to assist Denmark in defending Schleswig-Holstein to curb the ambitions of the Kingdom of Prussia.
Apart from the concern about being left isolated, this decision was also related to the prevailing Pan-Scandinavianism of the era.
(Pan-Scandinavianism advocated for a united Nordic state. Initiated in the 1840s in Skåne, it peaked in the mid-19th century. With Sweden and Norway already united under the Treaty of Kiel, only Denmark was left.)
Charles XV was one of the supporters of this plan, always wanting to merge Denmark, Sweden, and Norway into one country. If possible, he wouldn’t mind having Finland join as well.
During the First Schleswig War, Sweden sent troops to assist the Kingdom of Denmark. However, they were a step too late. By the time they arrived, the Russians had intervened, and Sweden was not able to participate in the war.
For the Second Schleswig War, Charles XV had also prepared to intervene with military force. Unfortunately, Denmark was defeated too quickly, and many in Sweden opposed military intervention. As a result, the interference came to nothing, dealing a heavy blow to Pan-Scandinavianism.
The Prussians’ desire to woo Sweden into the war was not without reason. The enmity between Sweden and the Russian Empire has a long history, and their relationship has always been hostile.
Furthermore, the Finns have long wanted to break free from Russian rule. They have proposed that if Sweden assists them in gaining independence, they are willing to join Sweden.
Efforts to promote a Prusso-Swedish alliance were also being vigorously pursued internationally by the British. The British government had long made promises, supporting Sweden’s annexation of Finland.
The French government also hoped for Sweden to absorb Finland, which would serve as a thorn in the side of Russia, and they were willing to assist in achieving this.
To weaken the Russians, even the Austrian government was willing to offer loans to Sweden. It can be said that the entire European continent wanted to see the Russians suffer.
Now that the Russian government has shown signs of fatigue, the main force of the Russian army has been tied down on the front lines. With support from the Finns, Sweden has a very high chance of successfully seizing Finland.
Both Finland and Sweden are easy to defend but hard to attack. Even if the Russians were to attempt a counteroffensive in the future, achieving any military success would be very difficult for them.
Despite all these favorable news, one fact cannot be concealed — the Russians are too powerful.
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