Beiyang 1917

"Comrades! Members of the Central Committee! I suggest that, taking advantage of the good opportunity of Kolchak's teeth being knocked out and being severely injured, our troops assembled in Nizhny Novgorod and the Third Army will launch a counterattack together and take Cheboksa If the Third Army did cause more than 5 casualties to Kolchak's White Guards during the two-day battle, I don't think there is any reason for us not to take advantage of the victory and fight back!" Soviet Russian Central Committee member, editor-in-chief of "Pravda" Bukharin waved his hands emotionally and shouted. (.) High-speed update

When this guy yelled, several other central committee members, such as Bubnov and Zinoviev, nodded in agreement frequently. Even Dzerzhinsky, who was always calm, nodded slightly. Fu Ze and Sverdlov looked at each other, as if they were asking each other for their opinions.

"Comrades! Please listen to me! What Vladimir Ilyich said just now is very correct. If every army of the Volga Front Army is as brave and capable as Berzin's Third Army, we will definitely be able to defeat the enemy. Kolchak and his White Guard regime!

However, comrades, I feel that it is far from the time to launch a counter-offensive. The situation in front of us is still grim. Kolchak still has at least 15 main forces left on the northern line. Mountains can easily supplement and strengthen the front-line forces, and the forces we have assembled in Nizhny Novgorod include 5 divisions of the Fifth Army, 4 worker divisions in Nizhny Novgorod and 3 garrisons in Moscow. Division, add up to only about 12 people.

There are less than 5 troops left in the Third Army. According to Comrade Bukharin, although we are not inferior in overall strength, the Fifth Army has just been rebuilt with Tsarist Russian prisoners of war, and its combat effectiveness and morale are average. However, the morale of the four temporary worker divisions in Nizhny Novgorod is good, but they lack training and commanders, and their guns and ammunition are not neat.

Of all the troops assembled in Nizhny Novgorod, only the three garrison divisions in Moscow have stronger combat effectiveness, and the third army that has just retreated will obviously not be able to take on greater responsibilities without replenishment and rest! "

"Comrades, I think that just because the Third Army achieved great results, we should not ignore that they also suffered heavy casualties. For the next phase of the battle plan, I suggest that the Volga Front Army should study it seriously. The top priority is not Anxious to counterattack, but to take advantage of the plan to defend Nizhny Novgorod to consolidate and restore our army group. Although Kolchak was taught a lesson, his spirit has not lost, and he will launch more attacks. Crazy attack, and we must not take it lightly!"

The words of Trotsky, chairman of the Supreme Military Council, poured over the heads of all the central committee members present like a basin of cold water. When Bukharin heard the words, his face turned pale and pale, and he muttered unconvinced,

"The art of war says, take advantage of the victory and pursue it once and for all. Now is Kolchak's weakest time. If he waits for the reserve army to be reinforced from Kazan, the opportunity to fight will be lost! What's more, we have the Tenth and Eighth Army Groups in the south, as well as the cloth army. The cavalry army that Johnny is forming can be strengthened together to encircle the White Guards of Cheboksary!"

It is not unreasonable to say Bukharin's words. Although the troops assembled on the northern line in Nizhny Novgorod are all newly formed divisions, their combat effectiveness is low, and the command system needs to be strengthened, the Tenth Army and the Eighth Army on the Southern Front The group armies are all the main force of the original southern front army. The tenth group army has 8 divisions and the eighth group army has 4 divisions. There are only 12 divisions and 12 main forces inside and outside.

If we can take advantage of the good time when Kolchak's main force marching westward stopped to take a breather after the heavy casualties in Cheboksary, let the Tenth and Eighth Army go north to outflank the opponent's rear and attack their flanks, maybe, it can be done in one go Surround and destroy Kolchak!

"Comrades, of course you should listen to Lev Davidovich and Yakov Mikhailovich on military matters, and even more so to the commanders of the Front Front, but Nikolai Ivan The starting point of Comrade Norwich's suggestion is also good. I am a layman in the military. Do you think his suggestion is feasible? I believe that the central committee members here hope that the Kolchak gang will be wiped out as soon as possible, and the lost Take the land back."

Ulyanov, chairman of the Central Committee of Soviet Russia, pondered for a while, then looked up at Trotsky and Sverdlov. Obviously, Comrade Chairman, like several other central committee members, was suggested by Bukharin Attracted.

Sverdlov looked embarrassed, his bowl was full of delicious food, and his mouth was full of words. According to his own true thoughts, he certainly hoped that the newly established Volga River Military Region and the Front Army would win many battles under his leadership. Erchak beat them up and wiped them out cleanly, but judging from the feedback from the front line, the three infantry divisions of the Tenth Army may not be able to take advantage of the two Cossack cavalry divisions of the White Guards when they go north.

What's more, the two most elite main divisions of Kolchak's Kazan White Guards, mainly composed of officer corps and cadets, are still eyeing Kazan and have not been dispatched. If we look at the experience of forming worker divisions in Soviet Russia, According to the mobilization ability of the All-Russian Provisional Government, as long as there is food and weapons, a reserve force of 10 people can be rearmed in Kazan at any time.

It's just that the battle has only been fought for two days. At this time, it is too hasty to let the Tenth and Eighth Group Armies go north to carry out the encirclement of the Volga Front Army, which was originally carried out in the final stage of the decisive battle?

Trotsky was very clear-headed. With his full support at the beginning, Voroshilov's surprise was that the Soviet Red Army gave up the defense on the south bank of Kazan and retreated the main force to Nizhny Novgorod. After Germany, the campaign plan to change Nizhny Novgorod into the new Tsaritsyn was successfully approved and passed by the Soviet Central Committee and the Supreme Military Council.

Seeing that the battle had only been fought for two days, Trotsky basically felt that it was impossible to change the style of battle, so seeing that Sverdlov looked at him as if he was a little hesitant, Trotsky decided to Then he said,

"Yakov Mikhailovich, comrades! It's only been two days since Kolchak dispatched troops. Although the battle was frustrated, the morale of the White Guards is high, and the Cossack White Guards have many cavalry units and are highly mobile. I think we are now It is too early to use the two strategic reserves of the tenth and eighth group armies in the south, and it is easy to startle the enemy.

Comrades, not long ago, Comrade Voroshilov, the former enemy commander-in-chief of the Volga Front, repeatedly emphasized in explaining his campaign plan that Cheboksary is only 120 kilometers away from Kazan and 220 kilometers away from Nizhny Novgorod. The distance to Moscow is 768 kilometers.

Therefore, it is definitely not wise to put the battlefield of the decisive battle in Cheboksary, we should attract the opponent to Nizhny Novgorod!In this way, his logistics supply and transportation lines are lengthened, and our own logistics support lines are shortened. This way, the battle can be fought smoothly!As long as we hold our breath, defeating Kolchak is inevitable!I am afraid that we will not be able to hold our breath! "

Trotsky's words were thought-provoking. Ulyanov walked to the map with his chin in his hand and looked at it. Sverdlov folded his arms and raised his head to think hard. Several other central committee members also heard the words. Silence fell.

After a long time, Sverdlov, the head of the Volga Military District and the Front Army, finally said with difficulty, "I tend to support Comrade Lev Davidovich's opinion. It will take time, although there is not much difference in the strength of the two sides on the northern front, but the opponent has the mobile force of 7 cavalry divisions, if we counterattack now, it is bound to become a field battle, in this case, our chances of winning are not great!"

"The Tenth and Eighth Armies are the main forces of the Front Army. They can go into battle without being reorganized. Why don't they go north?" Ulyanov asked unwillingly.

"Vladimir Ilyich, Lev Davidovich's opinion is correct. In fact, Comrade Voroshilov, who is in charge of the front enemy's command, also holds the same opinion. It is not time to counterattack now. On the one hand, the tenth The [-]th and [-]nd Army Groups had just gone north from the south, and they were tired and exhausted from the journey. On the other hand, the [-]th and [-]th Army Groups were all infantry, dealing with Kolchak's cavalry in the plains, and their efficiency was very low. , the team will be held back! The battle is not easy!"

Sverdlov's thinking has also been completely opened up at this moment. The more he thinks about it, the more he feels that it is far from the time to use the [-]th and [-]th armies. To the east of Moscow, there are only the third, eighth and eighth armies. A dozen of these armies have fought wars, and the newly reorganized Fifth Army and Workers' Division in Nizhny Novgorod can barely do enough defensively. If they fight offensively and in field battles, they must not be the main opponent of Kolchak's White Guards!

"In this case, the opinions will be unified. My suggestion, of course, is just a suggestion. Please consider the comrades in charge of the campaign command of the Volga Military Region and the Front Army, continue to implement the original campaign plan, and seize the time to consolidate the city defense of Nizhny Novgorod. Replenish personnel, ammunition, and weapons to the Third Army as soon as possible, and at the same time, the reorganization of the Fifth Army must also hurry up. We will turn Nizhny Novgorod into the next Tsaritsyn and wipe out Kolchak Under the city!" Ulyanov waved his arms.

"Okay! Let's do it!" Trotsky and Sverdlov said in unison.