Beiyang 1917

"Erich, even if the Chinese and the Japanese themselves can't make waves in Siberia, why don't we pluck out a few more pieces of fat from Russia, and turn around and head west in such a hurry?" Hindenburg smoked a pipe in one hand. , with a champagne glass in one hand, asked puzzledly.

"Dear Paul, I know that Germany has made a lot of money from the dead tiger of Russia on the Eastern Front, but for Germany, it must never forget the British and French on the Western Front, and the continuous leapfrogging. The Atlantic reinforces the US military on the western front, and according to the latest intelligence, the US military has already started a large-scale troop increase in Europe."

Ludendorff grinned helplessly and explained, regretting in his heart that his troops were not strong enough to keep fighting on both fronts at the same time, so he had to bite Russia for a while and turn around to deal with the troops on the Western Front. American, British and French.

"The Americans are embroidered pillows. The army formed by those farmers can't be called an army at all, and their Pershing Expeditionary Command landed in France at the end of June last year. It has been more than half a year now, and the main force of the US military has just arrived. How much did it come? Two divisions? Or three?"

It is normal for Hindenburg to look down on the U.S. military. In the past 100 years, Americans have never seen a war as large as the European War. The so-called war between them and Mexico did not exceed 10 people. They don't have any artillery or planes, and their rifles are actually p14s that were temporarily modified from the British standard.

"The industrial strength of the United States should not be underestimated. Since they declared war until now, more than 200 million soldiers have been recruited in the country. Paul, we must not ignore the new force of the United States on the Western Front. At this moment, Pershing already has Four U.S. divisions arrived in France, and one division of the U.S. military has the same size as the Chinese army, with a total of 28000 troops, which is equivalent to eight infantry divisions of ours or Britain and France!"

Ludendorff's expression was a little dignified. At this moment in the war, it is no longer something that can be settled between Germany and Austria, Britain and France. Now it is Germany, relying on the benefits and strength it has gained from defeating Russia on the Eastern Front, to turn around and face it. Against the three world-renowned opponents of the United States, Britain and France!

Especially the United States, if it cannot clean up Britain and France before the main force of the US military arrives in France, Germany is likely to miss the best chance to win this war!Only by winning can we sit down and seek a truce. The loser has no seat at the negotiating table!

"Okay, Erich, you know that I have no reservations about your support. The glory of the German Army depends on the next attack on the Western Front. I just hope you will think more carefully. You must know that the attack will always be more important than the defense. Big risk, especially when our strength and weapons are not dominant, I still think you are too serious about the arrival of the main force of the US military. If you launch an attack in a hurry and fail to take Paris in one go, then we will have to At the risk of the next Verdun!"

Hindenburg murmured that Ludendorff was the general he single-handedly promoted. In his eyes, Ludendorff was the best general and commander, whether it was his previous record on the Eastern Front or the Hindenburg Defense Line on the Western Front. Under the command of Ludendorff, the German army has an aura and heroism that spans Europe and looks down on the world.

But put aside Russia, the dead tiger on the eastern front that had already gnawed a few mouthfuls of fat, and turned around to beat up the new British and French troops hiding behind the solid trench defense line. Hindenburg always felt that Ludendorff was a little too hasty!

In fact, when Ludendorff turned the main force of the German army from Russia to the west, he sniffed out the conspiracy behind the recent actions taken by the Allied Powers regarding the situation in Russia. Due to geographical and territorial reasons, Germany and Austria could only concentrate their superior forces in one area. Maintain the advantage over Britain and France.

Although Russia is a dead tiger now, the territory of this dead tiger is really too big. Russia in 1918 was the largest country in the world. , is likely to fall into the trap of the United States, Britain and France.

Whether it is the Allied Powers or the Allies, everyone knows that the decisive battle must be on the Western Front. On the German-French battlefield, for Germany, taking Paris can force France to split or surrender, and then sit down as the winner to negotiate an armistice end the war.

For Britain and France, no matter how much Germany and Austria benefited from the Russians on the Eastern Front and how many new countries that declared independence and self-government were supported, as long as Britain and France break through the Hindenburg line of defense, the war will be completely over for Germany. Without the strategic depth of Russia, it can make great strides to retreat to the Urals and Siberia.

It is also impossible for Germany to drop Berlin for a strategic retreat like the Russians dropped Moscow. Germany has no way to retreat, either wins or fails, but there is no place to retreat!

The war went on for three and a half years, and Britain, France, Germany and Austria were all exhausted. Although Germany’s submarine warfare cost the Allies’ ocean-going fleets a huge price, the supply lines of Britain and France had never been cut off. Great Britain’s huge colonies around the world This makes this country much more resilient than France!

Ludendorff has full confidence in defeating France, but he does not have such great hopes for the surrender of the British on the other side of the strait. Of course, the Americans are businessmen. For President Woodrow Wilson, as long as Germany is willing to cease the war , the United States welcomes it with raised hands at any time, provided that Germany has to pay the price for the previous three and a half years of war.

And this price may far exceed the territorial resources and population that Germany snatched from the Russians on the Eastern Front.

Of course, Ludendorff’s deepest worry lies in the fact that the Bolsheviks caused waves in Russia and brought great changes to the world. It is very likely that this movement will continue to spread and infiltrate among the workers and ordinary people in neighboring countries. There was also a wave of strikes. Although the workers were immediately sent back to the workshop by the army, if things go on like this, who knows if Germany will become the next Russia?

That doctrine was born in Germany back then!Although people of insight in Germany are not overwhelmed by this point, every time everyone talks about the situation in Russia, the fear and sigh deep in their hearts are clear at a glance.

The main force of the German army must not sink too deep in the quagmire of Russia for too long. Finland, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Ukraine, Georgia, and Azerbaijan, countries that have declared independence and declared autonomy, are facing the mud-footed giant of Soviet Russia. Who knows what the Bolsheviks and their doctrine will turn Russia into?

Germany cannot take the risk of being assimilated or alienated together, this is not a purely national interest issue, this is an issue that subverts the entire ideology!

Because of this, at the beginning of March 1918, German Army Commander Ludendorff intensified his actions to transfer the main force from the east to the west, and of course, there were trains of grain and food brought back from the occupied Russian lands. <God! <At this critical moment, the unprecedented famine in Russia finally broke out in 3!

During the three and a half years of war, the large-scale mobilization and conscription of the Tsarist Russian government and the temporary government made the Russian army the largest army in the world, and at the same time caused the vast rural areas to lose their strong labor force. In the war, the Russian army was as high as 500 million at its peak.

Of course, in addition to Ludendorff's battle of fame on the Eastern Front, which was also the largest encirclement and annihilation battle in World War I, the main force of the Russian army that was encircled and annihilated in the "Battle of Tannenberg", the Second Army, In many Russian armies three soldiers sharing a gun was the norm.