Holy Roman Empire

On November 18, 1880, the Russian Army captured Poznan, and the Prussian Army in Warsaw was constantly facing the danger of having its supply lines cut. The Prusso-Russian War had become clear.

Prussian Army Headquarters in Warsaw

Receiving this bad news, Maoqi was not surprised in the slightest. Since he had refused to divide his forces to reinforce Poznan, he had prepared for the worst.

There is an art to taking the blame, and giving up Warsaw isn’t as simple as saying it out loud. Without sufficient reason, there would be no way to explain it to the outside world. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

At the military conference, Maoqi calmly stated, "Poznan has fallen ahead of schedule, our rear is threatened, and the plan to encircle and annihilate the Third Russian Army and the Sixth Army has failed.

We now have to change the original battle plan, retake the Poznan region first to ensure our lines of communication are open, and then turn back to Warsaw for a decisive battle with the Russians.

Currently occupying Poznan is the Eighth Russian Army, mainly infantry, with a total force of nearly two hundred thousand. Its combat strength can only be considered average among all Russian forces.

The Eighth Russian Army is not fighting alone; the Ninth Russian Army is less than one hundred sixty kilometers away from them. Once we launch our counterattack, the enemy will certainly send reinforcements.

Everyone is aware of the domestic situation; newly formed troops’ combat effectiveness is worrying, and they cannot be deployed to the battlefield in a short time.

To recapture the Poznan region from the enemy’s hands as soon as possible, we must call up our main force to participate in the battle. Now we need someone to stay behind in Warsaw to ensure that during the main force’s absence, Warsaw does not fall."

Staying behind in Warsaw is no easy task. The current battlefield situation is clearly unfavorable to the Prusso Federation. If progress goes well, they might have a chance for a counterattack. If anything unexpected happens, the troops left behind will be sacrificial pawns.

The Commander of the First Army Group, General Giovanni Ferrari, quickly interjected, "Let us stay behind. The First Army Group has the strongest combat power and should be able to buy enough time for the main force."

This was not a show of vanity. The First Army Group was the absolute main force of the Prussian Army, and the stronger a unit’s combat strength on the battlefield, the heavier the combat mission it usually carried.

Not knowing that the domestic decision had already been made to abandon Warsaw, General Giovanni Ferrari naturally took on this arduous task considering the bigger picture.

Maoqi immediately rejected, "No!"

He then explained, "It’s true that the First Army Group has the strongest combat capability, but you specialize in offense, not defense. The upcoming operation to recapture the Poznan region also cannot do without the First Army Group.

The defense battle of Warsaw is going to be difficult. The Russians might attack with unprecedented ferocity, and we can’t leave too many troops behind for defense. To hold the Warsaw region under such circumstances, we must closely cooperate with the local militia.

A national mobilization order has already been issued. Warsaw and the surrounding areas can mobilize about two hundred thousand people. These troops have only received simple military training and cannot act as the main force but can suffice as auxiliary forces.

In the situation of insufficient troops, we must maximize the combat capability of this force. We do not seek to defeat the Russians completely, just to hold Warsaw and prevent its fall. That, in itself, would be a victory.

Considering all factors, the headquarters has decided that the Third Army Group, which has the best foundation among the populace, will stay behind in the Warsaw region.

General Vashi Kavis, you must hold Warsaw against the Russian attack for at least forty days. Any problems with that?"

The Prusso Federation was established too recently, and although the Warsaw government intended to promote language and script unification, there was not enough time, and the resistance of the Polish people naturally didn’t yield results.

Lacking unified language and script, for the sake of command efficiency, the Prussian Army had no choice but to organize separately.

The Third Army Group was mainly composed of Polish people, with most soldiers coming from around the Warsaw region. A unit made up of locals naturally had a better mass base than other units.

Vashi Kavis’s face looked somewhat unsightly. On the surface, Maoqi seemed to be asking for his opinion, but in fact, he had no chance to refuse at all.

The headquarters had made the decision; what else could he do aside of executing the order?

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Furthermore, Maoqi’s reasoning was quite sound—the Third Army Group consisted of locals, and defending their hometown was their rightful duty.

Unaware that he was being made into a sacrificial pawn, Vashi Kavis’s aversion was not strong and he simply treated it as a normal assignment.

Concerned, Vashi Kavis asked, "Overall, I have no problem. The Third Army Group will do its best to gain time for the main force. However, to cooperate with local forces, who will have command authority?"

Having received an affirmative response, Maoqi nodded with satisfaction, "Of course the command authority belongs to you all. Before we launch our counterattack, the Third Army Group will take over all military and administrative power in the Polish region.

"This is a special period; it must be treated specially. Both the local troops and the local government are temporarily under your control."

"How this war is fought is not the concern of the headquarters. I only have one demand, Warsaw must be held."

Delegation of power, the utmost delegation of power. Vashi Kavis was about to become the most powerful Commander of the Prusso Federation’s military groups. Even Maoqi, the Marshal, did not have the authority to control the local government."

Vashi Kavis did not feel surprised; during times of war, anything was possible. Although the Prussian Army had never taken over local administration before—this might be the first case—military intervention in local government affairs had long been rampant."

To win the war, the Berlin Government had grown accustomed to turning a blind eye. As long as it favored the war, any action was permissible."

The control over local government was a first but would undoubtedly not be the last.

Setting such a poor precedent was undoubtedly a heavy blow to government authority. However, all sitting here were military personnel; their positions demanded a bias towards the military side."

A look of joy crossed Vashi Kavis’s face. To gain command over local troops was an unexpected delight, and now that he could even control the local government, the resources available to him would significantly increase."

With so many resources, if he couldn’t hold out for 40 days, he might as well go home and farm, lest he stay and make a fool of himself."

Vashi Kavis answered with certainty, "No problem. The Third Army Group guarantees to complete the task!"

Maoqi cast a glance at Vashi Kavis, a trace of sympathy showing in his eyebrows before quickly being concealed, as he warned with earnest gravity,

"Don’t celebrate too soon. The Third Army Group has only 156,000 men; even with an additional 200,000 local troops, the total strength is still only slightly more than half of the enemy’s.

Even as the defending side, holding the geographical advantage, we are still at a disadvantage and must be careful and cautious.

The local troops have only recently been formed; many haven’t even completed basic military training, so you had better not have too high hopes for their combat effectiveness."

"The battlefield situation changes unpredictably; 40 days is only the minimum duration. If any contingencies arise, no one knows when we might be able to reinforce Warsaw."

"Yes, Marshal!" Vashi Kavis replied seriously

His expression carried a hint of gratitude. Since Maoqi had taken over as the commander-in-chief, he had taken good care of the Third Army Group, never showing any bias in distribution of supplies or military tasks.

Defending Warsaw was the most challenging task the Third Army Group had received since the war began. However, high risk also meant high reward. Such difficult tasks were often where military merits were most easily earned.

Vashi Kavis was ambitious and did not fear challenges. He took Maoqi’s warning as nothing more than the commander’s concern for his subordinate; it did not provoke any doubts in him.

Maoqi nodded in satisfaction, "Good. Since you have such confidence, the task of defending Warsaw is entrusted to the Third Army Group.

We don’t have much time left; other troops, pack up immediately, and set out for Poznan first thing tomorrow.

Due to the limited capacity of rail transport, heavy weapons and logistical materials will be transported by train, while the troops will march lightly equipped."

The railroad facilities of the Prusso Federation were already relatively well-developed. However, no matter how advanced, they were incapable of transporting hundreds of thousands of troops and their logistical materials hundreds of miles away in a short time.

In this context, to save time, priority was naturally given to the transportation of weapons, equipment, and strategic materials, while soldiers still had to march on foot.

Fortunately, Poland was not very large. From Warsaw to Poznan was less than 37 Prussian miles (about 280 kilometers), and the troops would take roughly one week to march lightly equipped."

Of course, that was theoretical data. In practice, it would undoubtedly take longer since the operational speed of large military groups was inherently slow.

Before reaching the battlefield, heavy weapons and logistical materials must be distributed to the troops first, an act that would test the organization’s logistical abilities.

If the organizational capability was lacking, and these efforts were not promptly completed, it would have been better for the soldiers to carry their equipment and supplies from the start to avoid confusion and time wastage.

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