Cutting 1719

Chapter 685 All For Silesia

In Yining City, patches of low and neat houses stretch out into the distance. Bricks, tiles and concrete construct a rather novel architectural style design, which seems to have a little traditional Chinese color, but also has some ideas from the trendy construction industry. , a faint smog floated in the air, carrying a slightly pungent smell.

This is not the unique temperament of Yining City, but the general appearance of major central cities in Dachu.

Ning Yu passed through the main road in the center of the city on a royal chariot, but he couldn't help sighing. The changes brought about by industrialization are by no means one-dimensional, but a unified, standardized, and slightly industrial aesthetic.

For some people who like the so-called idyllic scenery and primitive simplicity, industrialization naturally destroys the beauty of diversity in their hearts. However, in the eyes of people in this era, unique diversity is not attractive, but this industrial taste is what makes them more attractive. Reveals strength and beauty.

At least from the perspective of Elizabeth, who was sitting on the side, she felt very envious of the current development of Dachu, "I thought that some industrialization could only be seen in places like Nanjing, Shanghai, and the capital, but I didn't expect that in this Dachu In the borderlands of Chu, you can actually see this kind of scene. Today's Great Chu is really too powerful."

This is indeed her true feeling in her heart. After all, compared with the ever-changing Great Chu, Eastern Russia has not undergone great changes. Due to the climate and geography, Eastern Russia at this time is only a relatively closed inland country. The ocean makes them more conservative, so changes are very slow. Except for some merchants from Dachu every year, they basically have no business exchanges with other countries.

Ning Yu said with a soft smile: "This time I come to Yining, I also hope to achieve a regional free trade agreement with Eastern Russia through the Western Regions and Mongolia, so that more business travelers can enter Eastern Russia, and also allow Eastern Russian businessmen Walking into the Great Chu to achieve mutual communication will also be of great benefit to Eastern Russia.”

Elizabeth slightly raised her head and looked into the distance, her eyes seemed to have penetrated the imperial chariot, she saw the distant homeland and St. Petersburg, and sighed in a low voice, "Your Majesty, the future Russia belongs to Peter, he is your son, It is entirely possible that Ning's blood can become the master of this great empire, and he will become the prince's good friend and helper, so you don't need to be so guarded against Peter."

Ning Yu sneered in her heart. Elizabeth never gave up the idea of ​​unifying the two Russias. She even planned to use Ning Chengguang to play the card of affection and interest in exchange for Da Chu's support, but this made Ning Yu vigilant. Although Jurisprudentially speaking, Ning Chengguang is indeed a descendant of Romanov, but it is still unknown whether Ning Chengguang can really wear the crown of the tsar, at least the conservatives in Russia will definitely not agree.

Now that Elizabeth uses such vain things to fool herself, she will naturally not be recognized by Ning Yu.

"Elizabeth, you should understand that the two Russias are not just two Russias, but the dividing line between Eastern and Western civilizations. If either side has a unified idea, it will only lead to cruel wars between the East and the West. , and the battlefield will only unfold in Russia at that time, I believe this is not what you want to see."

There was some warning in Ning Yu's tone, and then he said slowly: "Of course, Cheng Guang is my son, and I won't treat him badly. Although he doesn't have a unified Russia, he has at least half of it, and in the future I will Will make up for him in other ways.”

Seeing that Ning Yu still did not let go, Elizabeth was naturally a little disappointed, she sighed faintly, and pulled down the car window.

The next day, Ning Yu took Elizabeth, Ning Chengguang and others to the No. 20 Seventh Division stationed in the Western Regions for inspection. This division is one of the four divisions currently stationed in the Western Regions and has always played a role in guarding Central Asia. In addition, it will serve as a reserve team and enter Eastern Russia at a critical time, so it is a border division with high-intensity training all year round.

The rumbling thunder sounded from a distance, and Ning Yu, who had been in the military for many years, and Ning Chengguang, who had studied in a military academy since childhood, could naturally hear that it was not thunder, but the sound of large-caliber artillery firing.

"Is this the latest rifled gun installed by Da Chu?"

Ning Chengguang said curiously, this is not a secret, Da Chu's research on rifled guns has been going on for a long time, but it has only recently started to be installed.

Ning Yu nodded, and said: "Yes, it is indeed the 25-year-old rear-mounted rifled gun of the Great Chu Revolution. Its power and range have been effectively upgraded, but the cost of this kind of artillery is relatively expensive. After the complete installation, I am afraid that it will take at least 35 years of innovation before the full installation can be realized.”

The research and development of the rear-loading rifle has indeed continued for a long time. The project has been completed since the 18th year of innovation, but there are too many technical difficulties to be solved, so it took a full six years to complete the initial research and development in the 24th year of innovation. , After a year of technical testing, the finalization was completed, and there was a Type 25 rear-loading rifled gun.

The innovative 25-year-old breech-loading rifle has improved the breech block so that the shells can be filled by the back-loading method. In addition, it also innovatively adopts the winding method, that is, it is different from the previous integral cast iron artillery, and uses wrought iron The outer jacket wraps the steel inner cylinder, which greatly increases the strength and toughness of the gun body, and can reduce the weight of the gun body under the same chamber pressure.

In addition, the rifling has also been upgraded. It uses a helix, and the shell has changed from the original round shape to a cone-headed cylindrical elongated explosive bomb. In this way, the spiral rifling can make the projectile rotate, stabilize the flight, and improve the performance of the gun. The power and shooting accuracy increase the range of the artillery.

Of course, Ning Yu didn't know the details of these detailed technical factors, and Ning Chengguang just asked, and soon a burst of urgent assembly horns sounded, and behind the hillside, groups of National Defense Forces wearing red uniforms Soldiers are rushing towards the assembly point, with field bags on their shoulders, muskets in both hands, and dragon logos embroidered on their caps.

Soon, Ning Zhuyan, the commander of the No. 20 Seventh Division, walked up quickly. He wore a colonel's rank on his collar and four golden ribbons on his cuffs. He stood in front of Ning Yu and the others, and walked a Solemn military salute.

"Report to Your Majesty, Ning Zhuyan, commander of the No. 20 Seventh Division, has reported for duty. All 20 officers and soldiers of the No. 300 Seventh Division are conducting military exercises. Your Majesty, please issue an order."

"Go ahead."

Ning Yu ordered in a light tone, and then Ning Zhuyan gave a military salute, turned around and made a gesture towards the distance, while Ning Chengguang and Elizabeth looked at the military exercise in the distance curiously. The Great Chu military exercise, which they only had the chance to see after many years, was naturally very attractive.

The sound of artillery fire in the distance sounded again, and the booming sound was accompanied by the new combat methods of the National Defense Forces, just like this, which was displayed in front of everyone. The skirmish tactics and the trench warfare method made Ning Chengguang and Elizabeth face a trace of Astonished, they vaguely realized that the situation of the future war had changed.

In the 32nd year of innovation (1755), since the end of the Austrian throne, Europe has enjoyed three years of peace, but during these three years, Europe has not solved any substantive problems, but only shaken some of the fundamental problems of the countries ——For example, the status of Austria in Bohemia and Italy is unstable, while Prussia has repeatedly suffered huge losses due to Silesia, and the status of Hanover, India and America has declined due to the war between Britain and France.

On the bright side, although the "Aachen Treaty" was signed, it was not very binding, and at this time Europe was no longer in balance, and nationalism began to appear in Britain, France, and Prussia. There is a strong demand for war under the emotions, they want to get back some things they want to get back!
Britain hopes to seize French colonies in India and the Americas, while France hopes to annex Hannover, the hereditary territory of the British king in Europe, and protect French colonies in the Americas and East India. Prussia wants to annex Saxony and bring Poland into its own Austria is a vassal state that hopes to recover Silesia, which has been taken by Prussia for 15 years.

"I'd rather sell the last dress than give up Silesia!"

Maria Theresa is undoubtedly an empress comparable to Wu Zetian. Although she promised to cede Silesia to end the war in the previous negotiations, the blood of Habsburg in her bones prevented her from really giving up at all. It is to regard peace as a truce. For her, in addition to restoring Austria's strength, she has been making crazy preparations for war these years.

As the Queen of the Holy Roman Empire, Maria Theresa has been recognized by all Austrians. With the help of the Advisor Minister Haugwitz, she decisively promoted relevant administrative reforms during the war, starting in 1745 The Theresia Academy was established, allowing some ordinary but talented civilians to enter the administrative organization, and also carried out reforms for the peasants, thus rapidly restoring Austria's national strength.

Of course, the most worth mentioning is that Maria Theresa attaches great importance to the army. She often inspects the army camps in person, uses her royal and female status to encourage more people to participate in the army, boosts the morale of the soldiers, and Let the Prince of Liechtenstein voluntarily spend 20 property to form a fully equipped artillery unit for her.

And all this is to take back Silesia!

(End of this chapter)