Holy Roman Empire

Chapter 196: Passing the Buck

Vienna

At the Austrian General Staff Headquarters, Marshal Radetzky was currently convening a group of officers for a practical analysis of the ongoing Balkan campaign.

They were examining the gains and losses of the warring factions based on the intelligence available, seeking to draw lessons from the situation.

In situations like these, those not directly involved often have a clearer perspective.

As spectators, the Austrian General Staff, a group of pencil pushers, criticized both sides of the conflict as having no merit whatsoever.

Russians: Strategic mistakes, did not break through the weak Ottoman forces and instead clashed with the French. Evaluation: Commanders lack military knowledge and flexibility.

Allied Forces: Ambiguous command authority, constant internal conflicts, mutual hindrance, and failure to leverage their numerical advantage. Evaluation: Inevitable result of multinational cooperation, unsolvable by manpower.

Commonalities: Severe bureaucracy, chaotic command, and inadequate logistics systems.

Comprehensive Combat Power Assessment:

French: 9.4

British: 9.6

Russian: 7.8

Montenegro: 10.5

Ottoman: 5

Sardinian: 5

Seeing this assessment report, Franz’s expression was quite interesting. The British army’s combat power surpassing France’s was likely something few could accept.

Even more peculiar was that the combat power of the Montenegrin forces has unexpectedly exceeded that of the major powers.

The rest seemed relatively normal; the Ottoman and Sardinian forces were considered weak with a combat power of only 5, a view widely accepted by the Austrian military.

The Greeks have not yet joined the war, making an accurate assessment impossible. The Bulgarian guerrilla forces, not being regular army units, have also been excluded by the staff.

Seemingly aware of Franz’s doubts, Marshal Radetzky explained, “Your Majesty, the Montenegrins have the strongest fighting spirit. Every Montenegrin undergoes military training from childhood, with training no worse than any nation’s armies. Coupled with the weapons and equipment we provide, their potential combat power is truly astonishing.”

People unafraid of death could not have too poor combat abilities. If well-trained soldiers were equipped with advanced weapons, it was not surprising for their combat power to exceed expectations.

However, this kind of exceptional combat power also depend on the circumstances. Currently, the Montenegrins were fighting for revenge, and their morale was high, naturally resulting in extraordinary combat power.

If the time and place were different, this Montenegrin force might not have such combat power.

Similarly, if the British and French forces were fighting on their home soil, resisting foreign invasions, their combat power could also be exceptional.

Now, as they fight for the Ottoman Empire in the Balkan Peninsula, setting aside factors such as geographical environment and acclimatization and other factors, their morale alone cannot reach its peak. If they can exert 80-90% of their combat effectiveness, they could already be considered well-trained.

In Franz’s view, this constantly changing comprehensive assessment was still reliable.

The combat power of any military force was not constant; it can only be maximized in the most suitable environment.

Franz asked in puzzlement: “Marshal, I can accept that the Montenegrin forces have formidable combat power. However, how was the conclusion reached that the combat power of the British forces surpasses that of the French?

Analyzing their achievements, it is evident that the French are clearly superior, and the British forces hardly have any notable achievements.”

Marshal Radetzky explained: “Your Majesty, the British army has never had a large number of troops, but their training is not inferior to any other nation.

Of course, this factor only proves that the British forces are well-trained, and it does not necessarily mean they are superior in combat power to the French.

The fundamental reason lies in Napoleon III’s purging of dissidents and using the opportunity of war to replace some high-ranking officers.

Such personnel changes inevitably affect morale in the short term. New officers need time to adapt, leading to a temporary decrease in the combat power of the French forces.

On the Balkan Peninsula, the morale of this French expeditionary force is not high, and as a result, their projected combat power is reduced.

Based on these factors, the General Staff believes that their current combat power is not superior to that of the British.

However, this is not absolute. If the French commanders have stronger leadership, they can compensate for this gap. After all, the British commanders are mostly novices.”

Franz nodded, acknowledging that this assessment of combat power could only serve as a reference. Taking it too seriously would likely lead to being proven wrong on the battlefield. The battlefield was ever-changing and there has always been a saying in the military — the weak can defeat the strong.

Franz chuckled, “So, it seems that the two sides in this battle are evenly matched, and it’s difficult to determine a winner in the short term.

If the Greeks suddenly unleash their strength and launch a surprise attack on the logistics of the allied forces, wouldn’t the odds favor the Russians even more if the allied forces are caught off guard?”

Foreign Minister Metternich explained: “Your Majesty, I’m afraid the Greeks cannot be relied on. Despite aligning with Russia for their own benefit, the Greek government does not want Britain and France as enemies.

Like us, they prefer to only engage in war with the Ottoman Empire, maintaining neutrality in the conflicts between Britain, France, and Russia.

In this battle, the Greeks likely lack the courage to raid the British and French supply lines. Even if they participate in the war, their actions will likely be limited to the surrounding territories and contribute little to the overall situation.”

Other than expressing frustration at having pig teammates, Franz was powerless.

Austria did not send troops to battle with Britain and France because the Balkan Peninsula could only support so many large armies, and the Russian Bear had already taken all available slots. Increasing the number of troops would only lead to logistical challenges.

There was also the issue of post-war benefit distribution. Currently, Austria’s main contribution was in logistics. According to pre-arranged agreements, benefit distribution after the war would be rationalized based on each country’s contribution. Since Russia exerted the most significant effort, it was reasonable for them to receive the largest share of benefits.

If Austria took on a leading role, Russia would not be able to obtain all their desired benefits, which was something the Russian government could not accept.

Apart from these special circumstances, there was a crucial condition: Austria had the strength to remain neutral. Even if Britain and France were dissatisfied, they could not do anything about Austria.

This was different for the Greeks; the British wouldn’t mind giving them a lesson for not being obedient. Once a small country took a side, there was no room for maneuvering, and Britain and France wouldn’t care about their explanations.

The correct course of action for the Greeks was either not to take sides at all or fully commit. Being indecisive would not lead to favorable outcomes, regardless of the final results.

After a moment of contemplation, Franz said, “Then let’s wait a bit longer. The railway from Vienna to Salzburg has already started laying tracks and is expected to be operational by the end of the year.

The railway connecting Munich to Salzburg has also completed its roadbed construction. From a technical standpoint, temporary tracks can be laid in most areas of this railway section.

Even if enemies make an all out last stand, blocking the Danube and Rhine rivers, logistics can still be resolved.”

Franz wasn’t worried about the military strength of the Southern German States. Regardless of the efforts made by the governments of these states, their widespread underground collaborators could not be resisted.

The topic of unification had already been heatedly discussed, a term from this era that people weren’t yet aware of — public opinion hijacking. In reality, the lower and middle-class populations of these small states were largely influenced by public opinion.

When Austrian troops arrive, such notions would undermine the combat morale of the armies. Those who surrender can boldly claim: We are not surrendering; we are contributing our efforts to national unification.

The only risk lies in logistics. If Bavaria chose to do everything possible to resist them, directly blocking the Danube and Rhine rivers, Austrian troops could only rely on land transport for supplies which would be troublesome.

Waiting for Bavaria’s domestic railways was too slow, but that was okay. They can also work around it and lay temporary tracks on completed roadbeds.

Due to the terrain, these short-distance railways may only cover small sections of several dozen kilometers, a dozen kilometers, or even just a few kilometers, making it impossible to connect them. However, Franz can’t afford to consider all these details. Having something was better than nothing.

Relay transportation of supplies may be troublesome, but it’s faster than manual labor. Every minute on the battlefield is precious, and Austria can emulate the relay transportation model of the Principality of Montenegro.

……

Balkan Peninsula

The war entered a stalemate, with neither the Russians able to defeat the allied forces nor the allied forces able to overcome the Russians.

What was embarrassing for both sides was that the two most outstanding forces on the battlefield are the Bulgarian guerrilla forces and the army of the Principality of Montenegro.

On October 1, 1852, the Montenegrin army achieved a remarkable victory by capturing the heavily guarded Scutari Fortress (Shkod?r Fortress), the gateway to Albania, despite being outnumbered.

In the following month, the Montenegrin army continued its sweeping advance, gaining control over half of Albania. Fortunately, these areas were not strategically crucial, and their capture didn’t significantly impact the overall situation.

The performance of the Bulgarian guerrilla forces also stood out. In Sliven, they pressed against the Ottoman forces, occasionally infiltrating their rear and causing significant trouble for the logistical transport of the alliance.

In Sofia, the Bulgarian guerrilla forces successfully broke through the defense lines of the Sardinian army and infiltrated into the rear of the allied forces.

If the British hadn’t reacted quickly, swiftly mobilizing heavy forces for a counterattack that crushed them, the allied forces in Sofia would have been surrounded.

When regular troops are scattered, they become disorganized. However, since these were guerrilla forces, after being dispersed, they naturally reverted to guerrilla tactics, causing considerable distress for the alliance commander FitzRoy Somerset.

Nothing could be done. The useless Ottomans turned what was supposed to be a local conflict into a people’s war.

After scattering, these Bulgarian guerrillas penetrated deep into the region of Bulgaria, using local support to sporadically strike at them.

At this point, FitzRoy Somerset dared not use Ottoman escorts for the logistics transport of the allied forces. Anything less than 2,000 British troops escorting them would be like providing supplies to the enemy.

Not long ago, when 5,000 Ottoman troops were transporting strategic supplies, they were directly plundered by guerrilla forces midway. If not for Sofia’s abundant reserves, the allies would have starved.

Even with powerful escorts, each successful supply delivery came at the cost of 180 British soldiers.

Of course the enemy deaths were higher, but trading British lives for guerrillas was always a loss in FitzRoy Somerset’s eyes.

FitzRoy Somerset angrily said: “Have the Foreign Ministry communicate with the Ottoman government to quickly suppress the guerrilla forces. We cannot allow these people to affect our logistics transport.”

It’s not that he didn’t want to send troops to suppress the guerrilla forces, but the Russian forces on the frontline were still watching. As long as he dared to send out the main British forces, the Russians would immediately pounce.

However, the guerrilla forces couldn’t be left alone either. Allowing them to rampage like this would eventually lead to the collapse of the allied forces’ logistics.

Originally, supplies that could be delivered in a week now took at least ten days. The casualties among the personnel transporting supplies and the loss of materials were constantly increasing.

Therefore, the task of suppressing the guerrilla forces had to be handed over to the Ottoman government. They were the local overlords and were well-suited for this job.

Unfortunately, this was only in theory. Reality was harsh.

British Major General Eberron contemptuously said: “Commander, I’m afraid the Ottomans cannot be relied upon. To suppress this guerrilla force, the Ottomans have already deployed 50,000 troops, and now there are probably only half of them left.

These guys are useless in battle; they wet their pants at the sound of gunfire. Relying on them to suppress the guerrillas is nothing but wishful thinking.”

This was an exaggeration. The Ottoman troops were not that useless. The reason these forces had such poor combat abilities was that the Ottoman Empire’s main forces had been committed to the battlefield.

They have deployed around 400,000 troops in the Caucasus and lost over 100,000 in the Balkans. Currently, there are still over 400,000 Ottoman troops fighting bloody battles on the battlefield.

Where could they find more troops? With the war progressing to this stage, the Ottoman Empire has already exhausted its strength. This is the maximum force the Ottoman government can mobilize.

Now, in order to suppress the guerrillas, they’ve hastily assembled another 50,000 troops. Calling them a proper army was giving them too much credit.

Most of these people were conscripted laborers with no military spirit or morale. Once they learn how to shoot a gun, they were considered to have already completed training and are then sent directly to the battlefield.

Their weapons and equipment were all outdated relics, with many weapons being older than the soldiers themselves.

This regular army’s firepower was on par with guerrilla forces, and in some cases, even inferior to some guerrilla units.

FitzRoy Somerset angrily said: “Worthless! How could the British Empire have such an ally? It’s downright embarrassing. Urge the French to quickly engage the Russians in a decisive battle. What are they dragging their feet for? Do they still want to spend Christmas in the Balkans?”

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