Chapter 907: Armored Forces on the Line

  Chapter 889 – Armored Forces on the Line

While snubbing Switzerland, Austria took the same routine to snub Spain, only with more favorable conditions and more lenient requirements.

Although the board duck empire has fallen, at least is a member of the powers. Small profits can not be bought, the big price Austria is not willing to pay.

So can only reduce the requirements, do not need them to send troops to participate in the war. As long as the border to the French to add to the blockade, and so on the big picture has been finalized, and then go up to make up the knife on the line.

If the French win, then as nothing happened, do what you want to do.

Anyway, even the military expenses are given by Austria, and the interest-free loan in front of them is the appearance fee for the Spaniards.

It’s a sure thing, don’t even worry about losing money.

The only trouble is probably offending the French, but they were offended by the foreign policy shift before, and they don’t care to do it again.

As a member of the Great Powers, Spain can still afford this little thing.

In addition to pulling in the West and Switzerland, Austria is also PRing other European countries.

Although because of the geopolitical relationship, these countries can not participate in the war, can be used to strengthen the momentum is still good.

In contrast, the French response is much slower. It is not that the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs is useless, mainly because the historical legacy is too serious.

Already exposed Central European strategy, caused the European countries vigilance, directly increased the work of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs difficult.

Despite the French government’s repeated denials, but the action of expanding the army and preparing for war can’t fool anyone. Compared to the promises of the French, people prefer to believe what they see.

In particular, the British involvement made the situation more intricate, and many people feared the outbreak of a full-scale war on the European continent, i.e.: the Anglo-French Alliance vs. the Russo-Austrian Alliance.

The flurry of the international situation caused Alexander III in St. Petersburg a great deal of distress. Want to provoke the French and Austrian war is not false, but definitely not now.

Since the situation in Europe after the tension, the price of strategic materials began to skyrocket, doubled are not a few.

The price is high tsarist government can only bite the bullet to buy, and even have to stockpile some, or else the European war really broke out, then it is money, but also can not buy goods.

Affected by rising prices, the last two or three months, the tsarist government’s military expenses increased dramatically.

Alexander III: “Are the French willing to accept our mediation?”

Undoubtedly, to calm this storm, the key to the problem still lies with the French. As long as the French government was willing to give up its central European strategy, this war could not be fought.

Foreign Minister Oscar Jimenez shook his head, “Accepting it is the same as not accepting it.

The French government promised to give up the Central European strategy, but they put up the condition that the two countries of Belgium and Germany would cede several coal mines on the border as compensation.

Judging from the present situation, it is simply impossible for the governments of Belgium and Germany to make such a large concession. Austria’s attitude of not sparing a fight provides them with confidence.”

Rather like the situation before WWI, both the Allies and the Entente had the confidence to win the war, and whoever wimped out was a grandson.

Although the two countries of Belgium and Germany were weak, they had many allies! Not to mention that most countries in Europe are in favor of their resistance to aggression, just Austria a backing, they have and the French hard top of the bottom.

Compromise, to put it simply. Than Germany and the two countries of nationalism have risen, really if the French made concessions, the domestic population of the spittle, can be buried in the government.

Belgium and Germany can not give in, the Paris government can not stop. Now to stop the domestic economic crisis will immediately break out, may be another Paris revolution.

Thinking through all this, Alexander III cursed: “Damn Englishmen, will play these dirty tricks.”

Do not need evidence, from the beneficiary point of view analysis, know and the British can not get out of the relationship.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs give me a way to delay the outbreak of the continental war, no matter what method you use, coercion, intimidation can be, you must delay the outbreak of the war until the second half of next year.”

There is no way, if the continental war breaks out immediately, the war in Afghanistan, which is in sight of victory, will become confusing.

Although Alexander III has confidence in the Russian army, but can not help the British have money, the battlefield can not win people can keep dragging on.

Without the support of the gold masters, the Tsarist government’s purse alone could not last long.

Oscar Jimenez replied, “Your Majesty, I am afraid this is difficult to do.

If we did have the strength to intervene before the Afghan war broke out, we could calm both sides down, but I’m afraid the French won’t buy it now.”

It wasn’t that the Russian Empire didn’t have enough face, the key was that the timing was wrong, and several of the countries involved were expanding their armies in preparation for war.

All that was missing from the outbreak of war was a fuse. It simply wasn’t something that could be stopped just by wanting to.

Delaying the outbreak of war is easy to say, but we have to consider the actual situation! If possible, the French would like to delay until the British and Russians are both defeated.

The problem is that the strategy of Central Europe was exposed in advance, not waiting for the French government to prepare, it has been publicized.

Look at the neighbors to expand the momentum to know, really if we delayed to the second half of next year, may be than Germany and the two countries really get two million troops.

Even if they are two million pigs, but also not a moment to be able to finish killing. So many troops, enough to hold out until the arrival of Austrian reinforcements.

Unable to make a breakthrough in a short time, the war will become a war of attrition. For France, a war of attrition is a disaster.

……

The war was imminent, and Franz could not care less about secrecy. The armor and tanks that have been hidden for a long time have come out of the laboratory and officially entered service in the Austrian army.

Without any delay, Franz directly ordered the formation of six armored divisions and four tank brigades.

Not Franz discrimination tank troops, mainly this year’s tanks, are snail-like speed, combat value is far less than the armored car.

Take the v3 tanks in service now as an example, the limit speed per hour, are only 12 kilometers.

This is still the theoretical value, in no obstacles on the flat ground to run out, the actual combat can run out of 8 kilometers per hour, that are God bless.

In contrast, the armored car is much faster, 50 or 60 kilometers per hour to run, the limit of speed up to 94.7 kilometers per hour.

In addition to speed, the failure rate of tanks is also much more than armored vehicles. On average, after running for one or two hundred kilometers, they need to be repaired once.

There are so many disadvantages, tanks can still be installed, naturally also has its unique advantages.

That is, it is more resistant to beating than an armored car, and when it comes to destroying enemy fortifications, breaking through trenches, barbed wire, and machine gun fire points, tanks are virtually invincible, at least in this day and age.

Of course, it can also bully the enemy’s infantry and cavalry in a duel, just press all the way through, the blow to military morale is huge.

Having inspected the freshly minted armored units, Franz’s heart was in the right place.

Despite the fact that the armored units were very young and the military had no experience in using armored units, the enemy was a bunch of infantry and cavalry!

Even if France is good at imitating and following the trend, it is too late to copy now. Austria engaged in more than ten years of armored forces, not they can catch up in a short time.

Looking at the armored troops that were drilling, Franz asked with concern: “How much longer will it take for the armored troops to form combat power?”

Minister of War Fislav: “Armored units are a newborn technical service, we have never been in contact with them before.

It’s been less than a month since the unit was formed, and I’m afraid it will take at least a year for it to become combat effective.

However, the enemy we’re facing this time doesn’t have armored units, we’re only dealing with French infantry and cavalry, so another month or two of training will be enough to make it work.”

Strength and weakness were all relative, and if it was an evenly matched battle, it was natural to face it in peak condition.

But now it was armored troops against flesh and blood, even if they were not in peak condition, they could likewise be hung.

Franz nodded: ”We still have plenty of time, even if war breaks out, the armored troops don’t need to be the first to go to the front line.

Take your time drilling according to the normal schedule, the armored units will not have combat missions in the next three months.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!” Archduke Friedrich replied

There was no doubt that this armored unit was the most important type of soldier in the Austrian army, and it was only natural that this type of unit would be given to one of their own to command.

Anyway, no one had any experience in commanding, they didn’t even have anyone to learn from, they needed to figure it out from scratch, promoting young officers was a must.

Against this background, Archduke Friedrich did not need to continue to hone in East Africa, directly Franz transferred back, ordered to form this armored group army.

(End of chapter)