Chapter 167: Everyone is Preparing

  Chapter 164: Everyone is Preparing

Making this decision, Franz also had no choice. The Austrian army had just suppressed a domestic rebellion, defeated the Kingdom of Sardinia, and interfered with the Papal States once in passing.

Now he had hundreds of thousands of veterans who had seen blood in his hands, and anyone with a bit of military common sense knew how precious veterans with rich combat experience were.

This meant that the Austrian Army’s combat power was at its peak, no worse than any other country’s army in this era.

If this time was missed, when the veterans who had seen blood were retired, then the Austrian Army’s combat power would slowly decline.

No matter how strict the training was, it wasn’t as effective as letting the soldiers walk on the battlefield. After a few victories, they became proud soldiers.

How could Franz give up such a great advantage? Besides, the veterans of the Austrian military were already old, and if they didn’t fight they wouldn’t even have a chance to play their part.

For example, Marshal Radetzky is eighty years old, even if he is old and strong, Franz is not assured that he will go to the front line to lead the troops.

At this time, this group of old men can still be in the staff scheduling command, if another ten or eight years, Franz will have to accept the reality of the Austrian generals withered.

This is a cycle, no country can remain at the top forever. If you do not complete the layout at this time, the risk of doing it again in the future will be greatly increased.

It wasn’t that there weren’t successors in the Austrian army, the problem was that famous generals were fought out on the battlefield. A general who hasn’t proven himself on the battlefield, who knows if he’s really capable or if he’s just talking on paper?

In the case of uncertainty about the strength of a general, the best thing to do is to fight dull battles and utilize the power of the country to extend past the enemy without giving them an opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

This was proved during the world wars, the Germans had the best generals in the world, with the most famous generals, but in the end they still lost, both world wars.

Austria obviously cannot have that kind of advantage until it has digested the South German region. You might be able to crush Prussia by national power, but don’t dream of crushing the French.

The end result was that Austria’s military budget was increased again in 1851, rising from the original 73,957,200 guilders to 112 million guilders.

With this kind of expenditure, the Austrian government would have to give up if it lasted at most three or five years without a war.

These increased military expenditures were for the army, the navy was not to be counted on, and there was no chance for them to perform, either westward into the German area or southward into the Balkan Peninsula.

The direct consequence of the increase in military spending was that Austria’s active forces were expanded to 512,000, while the civilian population also began to form a training reserve, this time the goal was not an annual increase of 200,000, in 1851 the reserve should be increased by 350,000 people.

When added to the 586,000 reserve troops already in existence, there were theoretically 936,000 reserve troops. In practice this was impossible, as every year 20,000 to 30,000 men were withdrawn from the reserve when they reached the age of majority.

These reserve forces cannot be trained in one year. According to past experience, reserve forces have been trained for more than three years before they can be comparable to recruits who have been in the army for one year.

Of course, there must be retired veterans in there to lead the way, otherwise this time would have to be greatly extended.

Participate in the reserve training of the young and strong, naturally, there are preferential treatment, for example: exemption from agricultural taxes on 3 hectares of land, training in the accident can enjoy the military pension treatment ……

The Austrian government’s sudden expansion of the army, naturally, is not chaotic, the foreign ministry also informed the Russians, since we are allies these issues still need to be communicated.

St. Petersburg

After receiving the Austrian notification, Nicholas I knew that his own strategic intentions had been exposed. There was no way around it. The preparations for war were so big, how could they be kept secret?

This is not a mythological novel, from the expansion of the army to prepare for the war, the preparation of materials, to the final launch of the war, involving millions of people, how can it be kept secret?

Even if the Tsarist government used the Far East strategy as a cover, it would not be of any use. The Siberian Railway has not yet been repaired, the hundreds of thousands of troops sent to the Far East, it is estimated that halfway on the road to starve to death almost.

If you open the map, you will know that the only place that can be worthwhile for the Russians to mobilize hundreds of thousands of troops to make things happen is the Ottoman Empire.

Nicholas I asked suspiciously, “Didn’t the Austrian government say that they wanted to recuperate and not use force for ten years, how come they couldn’t help themselves so soon?”

Foreign Minister Karl Worcel replied, “Your Majesty, Austria has come out of the civil war, and even because of the suppression of the rebel party, the government made a fortune and confiscated a large amount of property.

Our initial judgment is that the Austrians are preparing to pick up the advantage when we attack the Ottoman Empire, and the exact question of whether they are plotting the South German region, or the Balkan Peninsula is still uncertain.”

Shallow words, he would not dare to say that the Austrian government made a fortune by copying the homes of nobles. In case the tsar took an interest, he was going to be in bad luck.

The Russian Empire was also an aristocratic system, even more conservative than Austria. Therefore, the propaganda in Russia is the Austrian government to seize the rebel capitalists, the local nobles involved in the rebellion was a pass.

Nicholas I said indifferently, “This is a good thing, the Austrians moved, but also can help us share a little bit of pressure to see the British care about that side.”

Nicholas I had this proud capital, the reason why Europe has been stable in recent decades, in addition to the constraints of the Vienna system, more or more European countries have joined hands to suppress Russia and prevent them from expanding abroad.

Even if they were confident, they didn’t think they could single-handedly take on the whole of Europe, so the Tsarist government of the Vienna era was quite peaceful.

After so many years, the Russians had long been impatient. At this time Austria again abandoned its previous position and agreed to their expansion into the Ottoman Empire.

After the signing of the Austro-Russian secret treaty, the last shackle that hindered their expansion had been opened, and the Tsarist government could no longer hold back.

By entering into an alliance with Austria, the Russians had no expectation of receiving Austrian military assistance, and the Tsar had no shortage of soldiers, so Austria only had to be a good nurse.

This is the Russians to Austria’s position, the two sides of the alliance is also done, in the east Russia and Austria to join forces to suppress the Kingdom of Prussia, the south to deal with the Ottoman Empire, that can be completely each fight each.

Neither Austria, nor Russia, on bullying the Ottoman Empire are not half heart pressure, do not think there is a need to form a coalition.

In fact, geographically, the two sides are not suitable for organizing a coalition army, which involves the problem of dividing the spoils after the war.

Don’t think that a secret contract can be fixed, these spoils of war are still more reliable to fight on their own. Otherwise, if there was a change on the battlefield and the originally reserved territory was not taken, would the original agreement still be valid?

If one side fought down the territory alone, then there is no need to say, whoever fought it down belongs to whoever, but if they fought it down together, all of them contributed their efforts, and there will be disputes when they share the booty.

In order to avoid this situation, both sides have made an agreement, each according to their own division of the sphere of influence to fight, if the boundary is crossed even if it is a waste of time.

Unlike what the later generations proclaimed, the tsarist government did not have the ambition to unify the European continent, what they wanted was to establish a consolidated hegemonic position in Europe.

It is not that they do not want to unify the European continent, but they simply can not do it. In addition to ancient Rome, the European continent has never been unified.

Napoleon is just expanding the territory, and then support the pro-French regime, did not go to unify the entire European continent, Nicholas I naturally do not think that Russia has the strength to unify the European continent.

This is also the Russian-Austrian alliance can be established as a prerequisite, if the tsarist government wants to unify the European continent, the history of the Hungarian revolution broke out, the Russians will not help Austria to suppress the rebellion, but to take advantage of the opportunity to fall on the well and directly crushed Austria.

……

It didn’t matter to the Russians that both sides were allies, they could care less about Austria’s expansion, but some people couldn’t help themselves.

The people who know you best are not necessarily your friends, but there must be your enemies. The Ottoman Empire was undoubtedly tragic, they were feuding with both Russia and Austria.

Watching the reaction of their two neighbors, the Sudanese government has been on fire. Abdul Mejid I dared to swear in the name of **** that these two neighbors were definitely unsettled.

There was no way around it, anyone in his position would think so, after all, they were all hundreds of years old enemies, who didn’t know who? Russia and Austria are traditional allies, and they are traditional enemies, what’s wrong with joining forces to fuck them?

Not to mention the two families coming together, even one-on-one one-on-one Abdul Mejid I said he couldn’t stand it.

Don’t think that with the reforms, the Ottoman Empire is considered a European power. The Ottoman Empire’s most central problem has never been solved.

On the surface they are also a modernized country, in fact, because of internal contradictions, the Ottoman Empire’s power is only fat.

Of course their two enemies, in fact, is not too strong. Both Russia, and Austria, outwardly appear to be stronger than they really are.

All of them were typical of external strength, except that Russia and Austria’s internal contradictions were suppressed, and they were stronger than the Ottoman Empire in this regard.

Regrettably, even on the surface, the Ottoman Empire was much weaker. Compared with the vast majority of small European countries, they are strong countries, and compared with any of the powers they are on the coffee table “cup”.

Abdul Mejid I asked with concern: “What did Britain and France say?”

The foreign minister’s face sank, so far away, cable telegraph and not connected, thousands of miles away from the matter of how he know?

But Abdul Mejid I is not to be messed with, compared to other countries in Europe, Ottoman ministers are the most insecure, pissing off the sultan is to lose his head.

“Your Majesty, no news has come back yet. But earlier, the Russians were making preparations for war as we informed the British, and the government in London has given a reply that they will be on our side once the Russo-Turkish war breaks out again.” Said the Foreign Secretary in a moment of inspiration

This news made Abdul Mejid I’s nervousness, a little bit better, but the worry was still there.

Even if the British supported them, they still couldn’t top it, right? One against two, the peak of the Ottoman Empire said no pressure, now they really can not stand.

“How are our preparations?” Abdul Mejid I asked.

The Minister of War hurriedly replied, “Your Majesty, as of now, we have expanded our army to 530,000, and we expect to expand it to 800,000 within the next three months.

Once the war breaks out, we can mobilize another 300,000 troops out, enough to deal with emergencies on either side.”

If there really were that many regular troops, then the Ottoman Empire wouldn’t have been pressed by the Russians in the Crimean War.

As an old empire that has already fallen, corruption and bribery, eating empty pay, selling military supplies …… this series of faults, the Ottoman are all the same.

Thanks to the book friends of the reward, plus more, currently owed 17 + 3-1 = 19 chapters, Hai Yue is very temperate, did not take two thousand words to make up the number!

(End of chapter)