Rise of Australia

Chapter 449 The Sorrow of the Austro-Hungarian Empire

Nivelle's so-called spring offensive is already very large on the surface.The outstanding army of France alone is as high as hundreds of thousands, including the British Expeditionary Force, the Balkan Allied Forces and the Italian Army. The total number of troops dispatched by the Allied Powers will be as high as more than 300 million.

You must know that this was not long after the Battle of Verdun and the Battle of the Somme had just ended. Britain, France and Germany had already suffered a large number of casualties. It was the result of the efforts of the entire Allied Powers to dispatch an army of this size for a new round of battle. .

It can be said that, apart from Russia being in a defensive posture among the five powers of the Allied Powers, Britain, France, Australia and Italy all dispatched considerable troops to participate in this battle.

It is precisely because of this that countries attach great importance to this upcoming battle, and even regard it as an opportunity to resolve this war.

At present, countries are already urgently transporting supplies and ammunition to the front line, and they are waiting for a real full blow in a few months.

Because of the emphasis on this battle, the efficiency of transportation resources in various countries is very efficient.Even Australasia is frantically using transport ships and airships to transport supplies to the Balkans.

At present, the Australasian Expeditionary Force has stockpiled 200 million rounds of artillery shells. These shells will become a sharp weapon to destroy the defenses of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Germany.

For the Allies, the current life of the Austro-Hungarian Empire is very difficult.Even because the old emperor Franz I had just passed away not long ago, the government that originally supported the war in the country was gradually split into two factions, one faction firmly supported the continuation of the war, and the other believed that the Austro-Hungarian Empire needed more at present. At that time, peace was far more important than war.

Karl I obviously did not have the prestige of the old emperor, but he was also the emperor of Austria, the king of Hungary and the king of Bohemia, but Karl I did not have much say in the imperial government or the government of the Kingdom of Hungary.

Coupled with the fact that Karl I's character and peace-loving ideas have always been disliked by many war-fighting factions, his sense of presence in the government is even lower.

If the old emperor had not left enough prestige in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, I am afraid that what the Austro-Hungarian Empire is arguing about now is not the main war and the main peace, but the monarchy or the republic.

For the Austro-Hungarian Empire, although the war between the Anglo-French coalition forces and Germany last year basically did not implicate itself, the offensives of Italy and the Balkan coalition forces on the southern border were real.

Although the combat effectiveness of the Italian army is not strong, the Italian equipment is not weak.Coupled with the Balkan coalition led by the Australasian army with stronger equipment and combat effectiveness, the Austro-Hungarian Empire has been struggling to cope, and even lost a large amount of land, including Sarajevo, very quickly.

Fortunately, the main attack direction of the coalition forces on the Balkan front is the Bosnia region. Otherwise, the Hungarian Kingdom government, which is worried that the Hungarian region will be captured, will probably urge the imperial government to step up the peace talks.

No one can guarantee whether the enemy's army will plunder in its own area.If the Hungarian region is really in danger of being captured, the Hungarian government will definitely surrender soon.

Although the coalition forces on the Balkan front chose to attack the Bosnia region as the main force, the Hungarian region does not have to worry about the danger of being captured for the time being.

But the problem is that Bosnia and Trieste are the only outlets of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. If the Bosnia region falls, it also means that all the outlets of the Austro-Hungarian Empire will soon fall.

If there is no outlet to the sea, the navy will either be captured or have to fight the enemy desperately.

Once the Austro-Hungarian Empire loses its access to the sea, it also means that the Italian army will merge with the Balkan front allied forces.

This was a fatal blow to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Not only the Hungarian region, but even the Austrian region are likely to fall.

With the successive defeats of the Austro-Hungarian Empire on the southern front, the drawbacks of the repressive policy adopted by the Austro-Hungarian Empire in Yugoslavia have gradually emerged.

Under the call of Serbia, a large number of Serbian-Bosnians took up their spears and joined the team against the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which quickly strengthened the strength of the Balkan front.

Even in areas that have not been patronized by the Balkan coalition forces, there have been many Yugoslav uprisings against the tyranny of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Especially after the death of the old emperor Franz I, these people did not have a high opinion of the new emperor Karl I.

The only option for the Austro-Hungarian Empire at present is to turn to its powerful ally, the German Empire.

It is worth mentioning that, shortly after Karl I succeeded to the throne, he dismissed Konrad, chief of the general staff of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

In fact, Conrad's various campaign decisions since the outbreak of the war are still very good, but his attitude that he must use it for himself is not welcomed by Karl I.

The last monarch of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, who is well-known in later generations, did not hesitate to completely shatter the last hope of saving the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

The ability of Conrad's chief of staff is still very good. In history, he has repeatedly hit the offensive of the Italians, allowing the Austro-Hungarian Empire to linger for more time.

Some historians and military strategists even believe that he is a very good strategic genius, but limited by the weak military strength of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Of course, these discussions are now moot.Conrad, chief of the general staff, was demoted to commander-in-chief of the Trentino front and removed from the top ranks of the Austro-Hungarian military.

In the imperial palace in Vienna, Karl I was looking at the battle report in his hand in a panic.The battle report pointed out that both the Italians and the Balkan coalition forces are mobilizing frequently, and it is expected that a large-scale battle will be launched in a short period of time, and the staff is requested to make preparations in advance.

If it was just the Italian attack, the Austro-Hungarian Empire would be able to resist it.

If there is also an attack from the Balkan coalition, especially the Australasian army, at least a sufficient number of German troops are needed to defend against their attack.

But the problem is that the support army sent by the Germans to the Austro-Hungarian Empire has only one army group, because two armies were drawn from the previous Battle of Verdun and the Battle of the Somme.

At present, there are only three armies left in this group army, and the total number is only about 15.

The Balkan front currently has a total of 80 combat troops, plus more than 50 Italian troops, adding up to 130 million combat troops.

At present, all the troops of the Austro-Hungarian Empire are only about 150 million, and they are restrained by Russia and Romania with 40 and 20 respectively. Coupled with the defense forces in other areas, the number of troops that can really be used does not exceed 80.

Even with the addition of the German army, the total number of troops that the Austro-Hungarian Empire can mobilize will not exceed 100 million, and there is still a lack of corresponding weapons, equipment and supplies.

"Your Excellency, Chief of Staff, is there any good way to solve the predicament we are about to face?" Karl I looked at the new chief of staff of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Walder Staten, expecting this general who had just been promoted by him able to have good opinions.

"Your Majesty, we can mobilize less than 80 troops. It is difficult to defend the Italian and Balkan fronts with our own strength. In addition, the current frontline troops lack supplies, and the frequent defeats lead to the collapse of the army. better results in defensive battles," said Ward Steinden, Chief of Staff of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Knowing that the Austro-Hungarian Empire is a multi-ethnic country, the proportion of the population of any one of my ethnic groups is dominant.

This also led to a wide variety of nationalities that formed the Austro-Hungarian army, including Germans, Hungarians, Bohemians, Italians and Yugoslavs.

A small number of elite troops are mostly composed of Germans, and the combat capabilities of these troops are at a first-class level.

But there is also a considerable part of the army composed of chaotic multi-ethnic groups, communication between each other is a problem, and the commander's military orders cannot be better conveyed in the army.

With the repeated defeats of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, it is difficult to guarantee that the soldiers of these other nationalities are still loyal to the royal family and the empire.

Especially the Bosnians and Italians, who will obviously be more loyal to Serbia and Italy than to the Austro-Hungarian Empire that invaded their territories.

Although the Austro-Hungarian Empire can mobilize as many as 80 troops, the number of troops that can be truly trusted is definitely not more than 50.

If the troops composed of those Bosnians are allowed to exchange fire with the troops on the Balkan front, I am afraid that the surrender of these Bosnians will be unstoppable.

Therefore, the first thing the Austro-Hungarian Empire has to do is how to prevent the army composed of these ethnic minorities from confronting the enemy head-on.

"Your Majesty, I suggest a certain scale of deployment with the southern German army. If at least 15 to 20 divisions can be exchanged with the German army, the problems I face will be alleviated to a certain extent." Waldstein suggested. .

It is definitely more reliable for the Germans to fight the Balkan front army and the Italians than the Austro-Hungarian army to fight these people.

First, the multi-ethnic chaos in the Austro-Hungarian army is already a serious problem, and second, the combat capabilities of the soldiers of the Austro-Hungarian Empire are far inferior to those of Germany.

But because of this, Karl I had some worries: "Your Excellency, will the Germans really agree to our request? You know, there is still a big gap between our army and the German army in terms of combat effectiveness. It's not good for the Germans to do it."

"They will, Your Majesty." Waldstein said firmly: "If the Germans don't want to see us withdraw from the war because of defeat, they must accept our demands. We are not only fighting for ourselves, but also for The whole Confederate nation fought."

Austria-Hungary is currently Germany's only ally and, apart from Germany, the only member of the Allied Powers.

If the Austro-Hungarian Empire withdraws from the war, it will not be as simple as Germany fighting alone.

First of all, the number of great powers in the Allied Powers is only one, which is five times that of the five Great Powers in the Allied Powers.

Secondly, even a big power like Austria-Hungary could not resist the attack of the Allied Powers, so which country would help Germany?

As long as Austria-Hungary surrenders, in the eyes of other countries, it is only a matter of time before Germany surrenders.

As a staunch ally of Germany, the Austro-Hungarian Empire has long been bound to Germany in terms of interests.

The surrender of the Austro-Hungarian Empire will cause a severe blow to Germany at home and abroad. This is something the Germans absolutely do not want to see, and they will not sit still.

Hearing what Walder Staten said, Karl I nodded in relief, and then asked solemnly: "Your Excellency, Chief of Staff, please tell me the truth, there is still a chance of us winning this war." How big is it?"

"Your Majesty, I dare not deceive you. At present, the possibility of victory for the Allies is less than 30.00%, and it will only happen when Britain and France make major strategic mistakes. In addition, if the United States can strongly support me, and at the same time If we find a way to get Russia out of the war, and instigate one of Italy and Australasia, it may be possible to achieve a positive victory in this war." Walder Staten thought carefully for a while before replying with a wry smile.

The Allies were cut off from overseas supply lines by the Allied Powers, which is equivalent to the Allied Powers taking the lifeline of the Allies.

Unless the Allies were able to end the war in a short period of time, there was little hope of final victory in this war.

Karl I nodded with such an expression, and finally asked: "If it's just us? I mean, without including the Germans, how likely are we to win a partial victory and end this war? "

"If you don't rely on the Germans, Your Majesty, the probability of our victory is not more than ten percent. It would be easy if it was only the Italians. We are also facing the attack of the Australasian army, and those damned The Balkan coalition forces, as well as the Russian army that pinned us down. We cannot defeat them with our own strength, and it is impossible to make peace alone under the premise of victory." Waldstein continued.

"So, is it almost inevitable for us to lose this war?" Karl I breathed a sigh of relief as if relieved, and said involuntarily: "Continuing the war is also a loss, and maybe we will also face the threat of being vassalized by the Germans after the war." Risk. You know, we are now fully dependent on the Germans. Without the Germans, we can't do anything. So is this war still necessary? Even if we win in the end, it won't be us who will get the fruits .”

Hearing Karl I's rebellious remarks, Waldstein's face changed, and he said quickly: "Your Majesty, you should not say these words lightly, because it is easy to be used or even impeached by those damned guys in the government."

If it was the old emperor Franz I, even if he insulted the government directly, he would not have to worry about impeachment by the government.

After all, the old emperor has enough prestige in the empire, and his status cannot be easily shaken.

But Karl I was different.As the emperor who has just succeeded to the throne for more than two months, Karl I has no cronies in the government, and in the military, he has just supported Wald Staten, who is loyal to him, as the new chief of staff of the empire.

Under the premise that the military has not fully loyal to itself and the government has not fully recognized itself, if such anti-war and government policy remarks are frequently mentioned, it is very likely that Karl I’s prestige in the government will be greatly damaged, and he may even be directly rejected. The people in the government are empty.

As for Wald Staten, who was single-handedly promoted by Karl I, he obviously didn't want to see his back thigh lose power.

"Don't worry, Chief of Staff, I'm just talking. If it's possible, who wouldn't want to see the Empire win?" Karl I patted Waldstein's shoulder with a smile, and paused the battle that was caused by Walder Staten. A very taboo topic for Destoiden.

Although Karl I was a pacifist, at least his mind was not confused to an extreme.

Although the attack of the Allied Powers put the Austro-Hungarian Empire in crisis, it was also an opportunity for the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

If the Germans can be used to win the war and stabilize the southern border, the Austro-Hungarian Empire will have enough confidence to negotiate with the Allied Powers and strive for peace with little loss.

For the current Austro-Hungarian Empire, being able to withdraw from this war at a relatively small cost is definitely more cost-effective than continuing the war.

If the war was not ended soon, Karl I even believed that sooner or later the people in the country would overthrow the government and overthrow him, the emperor who had just ascended the throne.

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(End of this chapter)