Holy Roman Empire

On November 18, 1880, the Russian army captured Poznań, putting the Prussian forces in Warsaw at risk of having their retreat route cut off. The Russo-Prussian War was becoming increasingly clear.

Prussian Command in Warsaw

Upon receiving this bad news, Moltke was not surprised in the slightest. From the moment he refused to divide his forces to reinforce Poznań, he had prepared for the worst.

Shifting blame requires skill, and abandoning Warsaw was easier said than done. Without sufficient justification, it would be impossible to explain to the outside world.

During a military meeting, Moltke calmly stated, “The premature fall of Poznań threatens our rear and has rendered our plan to encircle and annihilate the Russian Third and Sixth Armies ineffective.

We now have no choice but to alter our original strategy. First, we must retake Poznań to secure our rear and then turn back to Warsaw to battle the Russians.

Currently, Poznań is occupied by the Russian Eighth Army, primarily composed of infantry, with a total force of nearly 200,000 troops. In terms of combat effectiveness, they can only be considered average among all Russian units.

However, the Russian Eighth Army is not fighting alone. The Russian Ninth Army is stationed less than 160 kilometers away from them. If we launch a counterattack, the enemy will undoubtedly send reinforcements.

You are all aware of the domestic situation. The combat effectiveness of newly formed units is questionable, and they cannot be deployed to the battlefield in the short term.

If we want to quickly reclaim Poznań from the enemy, we must deploy our main forces for this operation. Now, someone needs to remain in Warsaw to ensure its defense during the absence of our main forces.”

Staying behind to defend Warsaw was no easy task. The current battlefield situation was clearly unfavorable for the Prussian-Polish Federation. If things went smoothly, they might still have a chance to launch a counterattack. But if complications arose, the garrison forces would essentially be abandoned.

General Giovanni Ferrari, Commander of the First Army Corps, was the first to speak up, “We’ll stay behind. The First Army Corps has the strongest combat power and should be able to buy sufficient time for the main forces.”

This was not a mere display of bravado. The First Army Corps was undoubtedly the backbone of the Prussian forces. The stronger a unit’s combat power, the heavier the operational tasks it was typically assigned.

Unaware that the decision to abandon Warsaw had already been made domestically, General Giovanni Ferrari naturally stepped forward to take on this daunting responsibility for the greater good.

Moltke, however, immediately rejected the proposal, “Absolutely not!”

Moltke immediately explained, “It’s true that the First Army Corps has the strongest combat capability, but your expertise lies in offense, not defense. The upcoming operation to retake Poznań cannot proceed without the First Army Corps.

The defense of Warsaw this time will be extremely difficult. The Russians may become more desperate than ever, and we cannot allocate many troops to stay behind. Under such circumstances, holding Warsaw will require close cooperation with local militia forces.

A national mobilization order has already been issued, and Warsaw, along with its surrounding areas, can muster approximately 200,000 people. These forces have only undergone basic military training and cannot serve as the main combat force, but they can function adequately as auxiliary troops.

Given our limited manpower, we must maximize the combat potential of these forces. The goal is not to defeat the Russians outright, but to hold on to Warsaw. If we can do that, it will count as a victory.

Considering all these factors, the command has decided to assign the Third Army Corps, which has the strongest foundation among the populace, to defend Warsaw.

General Waszkiewicz, your task is to hold Warsaw under Russian attack for at least 40 days. Can you do it?”

The Prussian-Polish Federation had been established for too short a time. Although the Warsaw government was keen on promoting language and writing unification, progress had been slow due to the limited time and resistance from the Polish people.

With no standardized language and script, the Prussian forces had to organize their troops separately to ensure clear communication and effective command.

The Third Army Corps was primarily composed of Polish troops, with most soldiers coming from the areas around Warsaw. Being a locally recruited force, it naturally had a stronger connection to the local population than other units.

General Waszkiewicz’s expression turned grim. On the surface, it seemed like Moltke was asking for his opinion, but in reality, he had no choice but to comply.

The headquarters had already made its decision. What could he do besides follow orders?

Moreover, Moltke’s reasoning was sound. The Third Army Corps was composed of locals, and defending their own homeland was, after all, their duty.

Unaware that they were being set up as sacrificial pawns, Waszkiewicz felt little resistance to the assignment, treating it as just another mission.

Concerned about the logistics, Waszkiewicz asked, “Overall, I have no issues. The Third Army Corps will do everything possible to buy time for the main forces. However, in coordinating with local units, who will hold the authority to command?” ṟ₳₦òβЁș

Pleased with this affirmative response, Moltke nodded in satisfaction and replied, “Command authority will, of course, rest with you. Until we launch the counteroffensive, the Third Army Corps will assume full military and civil authority over Poland.

These are extraordinary times, and they require extraordinary measures. Both local militias and government bodies will temporarily be under your control. As for how to fight this battle, headquarters will not interfere. I have only one requirement: you must hold Warsaw.”

Delegation of authority, complete and unprecedented delegation of authority. General Waszkiewicz was about to become the most powerful army commander in the Prussian-Polish Federation. Even Marshal Moltke himself did not have the authority to control the local government directly.

Waszkiewicz was not surprised. In times of war, anything was possible. Although the Prussian army had never taken over local administration before with this being a first, military involvement in civil governance had long become commonplace.

To win the war, the Prussian government had grown accustomed to turning a blind eye. As long as something benefited the war effort, it was permissible.

This first instance of military control over a local government would certainly not be the last. While it was a heavy blow to the authority of the government, everyone present was a soldier. Their positions naturally inclined them to support the military’s interests.

Waszkiewicz couldn’t hide his delight. Gaining command over the local militias was already an unexpected bonus, and now having authority over the local government as well meant his available resources would be significantly expanded.

With so many resources at his disposal, if he couldn’t hold Warsaw for 40 days, he might as well go home and take up farming rather than disgrace himself by staying.

Waszkiewicz responded confidently, “No problem. The Third Army Corps guarantees that we will complete the mission!”

Moltke glanced at Waszkiewicz, a trace of sympathy flashing across his brow before he quickly masked it. He then issued a solemn warning, “Don’t celebrate too soon. The Third Army Corps only has 156,000 troops. Even with the addition of the 200,000 local militia, our total forces amount to just over 60% of the enemy’s strength.

Even as defenders with the advantage of terrain, we are still at a disadvantage and must act with utmost caution.

The local militia was only recently formed, and many of them haven’t even completed basic military training. Don’t place too much hope in their combat capabilities.

The battlefield situation is ever-changing. These 40 days are just the minimum requirement. If unexpected events occur, no one can predict when we’ll be able to send reinforcements to Warsaw.”

“Understood, Marshal!” Waszkiewicz responded seriously, his expression carrying a hint of gratitude.

Since Moltke had taken over as commander-in-chief, he had shown consistent fairness toward the Third Army Corps, whether in terms of resource allocations or the assignment of operational tasks.

Defending Warsaw was the most challenging mission the Third Army Corps had been assigned since the war began. However, high risk also meant high reward. Difficult missions like this provided the best opportunities to achieve glory in battle.

Waszkiewicz was an ambitious man who didn’t shy away from challenges. He regarded Moltke’s warning as a gesture of concern from a commander for his subordinate, without a trace of doubt in his mind.

Moltke nodded in satisfaction as he said, “Very well. Since you’re so confident, the task of defending Warsaw is entrusted to the Third Army Corps.

Time is not on our side. As for the rest of the forces, pack up immediately and prepare to set out for Poznań at dawn tomorrow.

Due to limited rail capacity, heavy weapons and logistical supplies will be transported by train, while the troops will travel light and march on foot.”

The Prussian-Polish Federation’s railway network was relatively well-developed, but even so, it was impossible to transport hundreds of thousands of troops along with their supplies to a location hundreds of kilometers away in a short time.

Under these circumstances, priority was naturally given to transporting weapons, equipment, and strategic materials, while the soldiers had to march on foot.

Fortunately, Poland was not a large country. The distance from Warsaw to Poznań was less than 37 Prussian leagues (approximately 280 kilometers), which meant a lightly equipped force could theoretically cover the distance in about a week.

Of course, that was only a theoretical estimate. In practice, it would take longer. Large-scale troop movements were inherently slow.

Before reaching the battlefield, heavy weapons and supplies needed to be distributed to the troops, which would test the logistics system’s organizational capabilities.

If the logistics system failed to handle this efficiently, it would have been better to have the soldiers carry their own weapons and supplies from the outset to avoid delays and chaos.

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