African Entrepreneurship Records 2

Chapter 1235 Unpredictable Development

Bulgaria was very important to the Allies. In addition to conquering Serbia with the Austro-Hungarian Empire, it was also an important chess piece to stabilize Romania.

Although the supreme ruler of Romania was the Sigmaringen branch of the Hohenzollern family, Sigmaringen could not have the final say in Romania.

In particular, Romania also had territorial disputes with the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which led many people in Romania to hope to join the Allied camp and obtain the Transylvania region of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, thus forming a Greater Romania.

Therefore, Romania's political stance is unstable, and Bulgaria, which borders Romania, becomes particularly important. It can threaten Romania's security from the rear. Of course, more importantly, Bulgaria has demonstrated its strong fighting spirit.

……

Edinetz.

Edinec is located on the northwestern border of the Moldova region. The capital of the Edinec District of Moldova in the past was the city of Edinec, which faces Romania across the Prut River to the west.

Since the beginning of the 19th century, Moldavia has basically fallen into the hands of the Russians, and Edinec in the northwest of Moldova is now the front line of the war between the Central Powers and Russia.

Now, as the Austro-Hungarian Empire turned from defense to offense and Bulgaria joined the war, this place became the first place that the Austro-Hungarian and Bulgarian coalition forces attacked.

The commander of the Allied forces, Austro-Hungarian General Kriach, was discussing combat matters with the Bulgarian representative, General Maklov, at the headquarters.

Kriach: "Russia is now in a state of decline. Whether it is the northern battlefield or the southern front, the coalition forces are in an advantageous position."

"Especially our German allies, who have achieved brilliant results against Russia over the past year."

"We can't just sit there and let Germany take the cake. This year we must not only take over the whole of Moldova, but also step up our offensive against Ukraine."

It can be said that after the Austro-Hungarian Empire reacted, its generals finally regained their touch.

In the early days, the Austro-Hungarian Empire lost all its face and was beaten by Serbia and Russia. However, after Rudolf took control of the army, the Austro-Hungarian military force was reorganized and finally turned the tide of the war a few months ago. It not only maintained the Eastern Front, but also counterattacked into Russia in early 1916.

In Russia, the Austro-Hungarian army was finally able to let loose. At this time, the army assembled by the Austro-Hungarian Empire had only one target, and that was the Russians.

In terms of attitude towards Russia, Hungary also actively supported Vienna. After all, whether it was eliminating the Russian threat or dividing the spoils after the war, Hungary, located in the eastern part of the empire, would bear the brunt.

When the two largest nations in the empire reached an agreement, the division within the Austro-Hungarian army naturally stopped, and they joined hands to face the great enemy Russia.

Of course, Kriach wanted to go further, but Markov's attitude was not positive, after all, neither Moldova nor Russia bordered Bulgaria.

The reason why the Bulgarian army supported the Austro-Hungarian Empire was that it had already boarded the pirate ship and had no choice but to continue the war.

Of course, participating in the war against Russia is not without benefits. The Austro-Hungarian Empire has already made its plan, which is to cede the southern coastal areas of Moldova to Bulgaria after the war.

This has a certain appeal to Bulgaria. After all, the Black Sea is to the south of Moldova. If Bulgaria can obtain southern Moldova, it may be able to expand its influence on the Black Sea, while at the same time attacking Romania from both sides and gaining more geopolitical security.

Of course, this idea was only somewhat tempting, so Bulgaria did not send many troops.

Markov said: "Although Russia is now in decline, it is undeniable that Russia's vast territory and population potential can continue to support their war of attrition with us, so we cannot take it lightly and should act with caution." Compared with the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Bulgaria's appetite is very small. Of course, this is aimed at Russia. If it is other countries in the Balkan Peninsula, such as Greece or Romania, then Bulgaria will definitely not be so conservative.

Bulgaria also has the dream of becoming a great power, so the land around Bulgaria is more attractive to Bulgaria. As for Moldova, it is at most a bonus.

Kriach said: "I think General Markov, you are still a little conservative. According to our intelligence, the current situation in Russia is not very good. There were many anti-war activities in their capital last month."

"This shows that Russia is now in a state of decline. Although Nicholas II of Russia and his generals want to continue the war, the gray beasts of Russia have shown great fear of war."

"As long as we achieve more military victories, Russia may collapse on its own. Russia's anti-war sentiment has reached its limit, so we should work together to undermine the Russians' confidence as soon as possible and let them know that this is a war that cannot be won."

“Only on this basis can we commit our troops to the Western Front and fight a decisive battle with Britain and France, thus laying the foundation for the overall situation.”

Kriach's meaning was very simple, that is, he hoped that Bulgaria would not conserve its strength. He also saw that the Bulgarians were not performing actively on the Russian battlefield.

Therefore, he emphasized that the current war is no longer a conflict between one country, or simply a few countries, but a conflict between two major camps.

Bulgaria is now in the same boat with Germany and Austria. If the Central Powers fail, Bulgaria will definitely be liquidated by the Allies after the war.

This really made Markov's expression become serious. He said to Kryach: "It would be best if the situation develops in the direction you said."

"If we are dragged down by Russia on the Eastern Front, we will indeed be in a very passive position in the war situation. After all, Germany, Britain and France are already in a stalemate on the Western Front."

Markov's words were actually quite euphemistic. Although Germany's combat effectiveness on the Western Front was good, it was actually inferior in strategy. After all, it was a war of attrition. Germany was definitely no match for Britain and France.

Britain and France could obtain cannon fodder and supplies from their colonies, while Germany faced tremendous pressure on material supplies.

The key to breaking the deadlock is Russia. Only by defeating this powerful enemy, even if Russia accepts a ceasefire, will it be great news for the Allies. Of course, if riots break out in Russia, the Allies will probably wake up laughing in their dreams.

If Russia really fails, the war situation will probably be really unpredictable.

Although Russia’s surrender in the previous life greatly eased the pressure on the Allies, it did not change the final outcome.

However, with the existence of a big country in East Africa, it is hard to say. If Russia really falls in World War I, it means that the blockade built by Britain and France in the previous life would basically be impossible to achieve.

After all, the Indian Ocean was also the British sphere of influence in the past, and it was almost unshakable. This meant that even if Russia withdrew from the war, Britain's blockade of the Allies would still be effective.

However, if East Africa joined the Allies, this blockade would basically be meaningless. As long as the Ottoman Empire did not fail, East Africa's supplies would continue to flow into the hands of the Allies from the Indian Ocean.

Of course, East Africa’s strategic choice is not limited to the situation in Europe, but rather depends on the attitude of the United States. Only after the United States takes action will East Africa make the final choice.

If the two countries join a camp separately, it will only expand the scope of the war. If the two countries join one side at the same time, victory will basically be secured.

(End of this chapter)