Holy Roman Empire

Russian Army Command, Ivanov was immersed in the joy of capturing Poznan. It could be said that this was the greatest victory achieved by the Russian Army since the war began, and its strategic significance was in no way inferior to the recapture of Smolensk.

One needs only to open a map to know that Poznan is situated in the heart of the Polish Plain and is the most important transportation hub and industrial center between Prussia and Poland.

With the Russian Army’s occupation of this area, it also meant that they had severed the main artery connecting Warsaw with its rear, and the Prussian Army’s main force, led by Maoqi, was about to become isolated.

A young officer hurriedly came in to report, "Marshal, we’ve received news from the front. According to the airship reconnaissance, yesterday there was a large enemy force retreating from the Warsaw region, numbering in the hundreds of thousands.

The enemy’s marching speed is very fast, and they are suspected to be the main force; however, they did not carry heavy weapons, and it’s temporarily impossible to ascertain."

A shock went through Ivanov’s mind, and he thought to himself, "Not good, the enemy wants to escape." Then he hesitated again, since Maoqi was full of tricks and often surprised with his military tactics, no one knew whether this was a feint.

Airships could only do reconnaissance and it was difficult to discern whether the units below were indeed the main force. There were still a large number of local forces in the Warsaw region, which were fully capable of pretending to be the main force.

The same tactic was used by Maoqi in last year’s winter battle. Not long ago, in the battle of Warsaw, the enemy had used the same trick to deceive the Fourth Russian Army.

However, to give up just like that, Ivanov could not bear it. If the Prussian Army’s main force were let go now, it would be much harder to encircle them in the future.

After a moment of thought, Ivanov made a decision, "Order the Seventh Army to immediately dispatch cavalry deep into enemy territory for reconnaissance to confirm whether it is indeed the enemy’s main force.

Your journey continues with empire

Inform the Eighth Army of the news, and have them destroy the roads and bridges on the Prussian Army’s return path, preparing to intercept the enemy’s retreat to the west.

Order the Ninth Army to immediately head to Poznan and meet up with the Eighth Army to carry out the interception mission.

Order the Eleventh Army and Seventeenth Army to leave a small contingent of troops for defense, and the main force to promptly head to Poznan for reinforcements.

Order the Third Army, Sixth Army, and Seventh Army to close ranks immediately. As soon as it is confirmed that the enemy’s main force has left, launch an attack on Warsaw.

Order the Fourth Army and Fifth Army, which are currently in repairs, to be ready for combat at any time, ready to reinforce the Warsaw battlefield.

Order the Thirteenth Army and Fourteenth Army to abandon their original combat missions and cut off the connection between the enemy forces in Warsaw and those in the East Prussia region."

Ivanov was still the same Ivanov, and did not blindly order a pursuit just because the enemy might retreat.

The Prussian Army, to escape as quickly as possible, did not carry heavy weapons. If several cavalry divisions from the Warsaw region were to be dispatched, the likelihood of successfully intercepting them were still very high.

But what then if they were intercepted?

The Fourth and Fifth Armies in the Warsaw region were already decimated, and the Seventh Army had sustained great losses in previous battles, greatly reducing their combat effectiveness. The Third and Sixth Armies, which had prematurely ended their repairs, were also not at their peak combat strength.

Even if these armies did catch up, they were not strong enough to encircle and defeat the main Prussian force. Besides, to pursue, they must first deal with the Prussian troops left in the Warsaw region.

Considering the risks involved, Ivanov would rather choose a more conservative tactic by intercepting further away in the Poznan region.

While it was a safer choice, the success rate was also pitifully low. The Polish Plain was flat and devoid of natural defenses, leaving too many options open for the enemy.

Unless luck was on their side, the Eighth Army would hardly be able to intercept them. Ivanov’s order for reinforcements was not really to block the Prussian main force in the Polish region. Keeping them out of Poland was also a decent option.

Ivanov, who preferred to proceed methodically and steadily, did not mind first clearing the Warsaw region of enemies before concentrating forces to fight a decisive battle with the Prussian Army.

…

Vienna Palace, upon receiving the news of the Russian Army’s occupation of Poznan, Franz sprayed his tea out in shock.

Intuition told him that there was a serious problem here.

The strategic value of Poznan was something Maoqi could not be unaware of. No matter how scarce their forces were, it seemed impossible not to pay attention to such a strategic location.

Even if the main forces were insufficient, the second-line troops should have been fully staffed. Yet, only three under-strength second-line infantry divisions were deployed in the Poznan region, with just seven thousand men stationed in the city of Poznan itself.

```

This modest force might as well tell the enemy, "Our troops are weak here, come and attack quickly."

Franz asked, "Albrecht, what do you think Maoqi wants to do? Entice the enemy deep inland to annihilate Russia’s Eighth Army?"

Chief of Staff Albrecht smiled, "That might be a factor, but it’s more about preserving strength and getting out of that big pit in Warsaw sooner rather than later."

The Russians have too much of an advantage; the Prusso Federation stands no chance in a head-to-head confrontation. To turn the tables, Maoqi can only resort to unexpected tactics.

I’m not sure about the specifics, but militarily speaking, abandoning Poland to extend the Russian front does indeed increase the Prussian Army’s odds of victory.

The loss of the Poznan region also involves historical issues. Since the Vienna Congress in 1815, the area had been assigned to the Kingdom of Prussia, but the locals have never been very compliant.

To be precise, it’s the local capitalists, nobility, and intellectuals who are very dissatisfied with the Berlin Government.

On the surface, it’s the Berlin Government’s policy of national integration through Germanization in the area, but in reality, the Junker aristocracy has occupied most of the government’s interests, leaving these newcomers with leftovers.

In times of peace, these people can’t cause trouble, but it’s different in times of war, especially when it looks like the Russians are about to win, these disgruntled individuals naturally become active.

Perhaps, Maoqi wants to root out these hidden problems in one go, deliberately exposing them."

"Draw the snake from its hole, eliminate dissenters."

Franz was also well-versed in such matters. Political struggles are inherently brutal; if you can’t make them your own, you have to purge them.

The war has progressed to this stage, and the internal contradictions of the Prusso Federation have also accumulated to a pinnacle, just short of a spark to explode. Since Poznan has become a trouble spot, it naturally needs to be purged.

Looking at the map, Franz sincerely exclaimed, "Maoqi is really ruthless, abandoning the hundreds of thousands of troops in the Warsaw region just like that!"

There’s nothing wrong with this approach. As the saying goes, "Mercy does not lead an army." To win the war, there’s nothing you cannot abandon.

It seems like hundreds of thousands of troops have been forsaken, but in fact, the Berlin Government doesn’t lose out. The war has progressed to the point where the two sides are bitter enemies, and as long as there’s hope, the Poles will not surrender.

Most of these troops are locals, and it’s almost impossible to completely annihilate them in battle. Even if a victory is achieved, it will be very difficult to purge the local area after the war.

The Berlin Government just needs to play its part, and local guerrilla squads would be formed. Just think of the Cossack cavalry’s atrocities in the Polish Region earlier, and you’ll know how much the locals detest the Russians; there will be plenty of guerrilla warfare to come.

Finance Minister Karl laughed, "Your Majesty, Maoqi probably had no choice. The Warsaw region is not just about hundreds of thousands of troops; it also has a large number of refugees."

The war drags on without end, and these people cannot return home to resume production. The Prusso Federation cannot provide so many jobs; you could say the Polish Region is overpopulated with refugees.

Preliminary estimates suggest there are close to three million people relying on the Berlin Government for relief food, with about half completely losing their source of livelihood.

Maintaining millions of troops while also supporting millions of refugees, even with British blood transfusions, the Berlin Government’s finances cannot bear it.

By losing the Polish Region, they’ve also shed this heavy burden. On this issue, the Berlin Government must have played a disgraceful role."

Refugees are always a headache, and while Austria indeed accepts a large number of refugees, the colonial government is past the point of indiscriminate acceptance, having set up thresholds that block most people due to language barriers.

The British and French colonies and American Countries do welcome immigrants, but unfortunately, you have to buy your own ship ticket, and upon arrival, you need to find your own way to make a living.

Franz nodded, "This is a dilemma for the Berlin Government, but it probably won’t stump the Russians; they have plenty of experience in handling such situations, it’s just uncertain what Alexander II will do this time."

Aid is out of the question, as most of these refugees were created by the Russian Army. Even if the Tsarist Government spends money to help, it won’t win back people’s hearts. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Moreover, the Tsarist Government isn’t wealthy. Such a meaningless investment is definitely not something that Alexander II would do.

Expulsion might not be the best method, but it’s the most likely one for the Tsarist Government to undertake, just like during the second Near East War when the Russian Army expelled a large number of Ottoman People into the inland areas.

```