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Volume 2 Beijing Story Chapter 236 The German Commander¡¯s Strategy

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    "Erich, even if the Chinese and Japanese cannot make waves in Siberia, why don't we carve out a few more pieces of fat on Russia and turn around and head west in such a hurry?" Hindenburg said, smoking a pipe in his hand.  , a champagne glass in hand, asked in confusion.

    "Dear Paul, I know that Germany made a lot of money from the dead tiger of Russia on the Eastern Front, but for Germany, what should never be forgotten is the British and French on the Western Front, and the continuous cross-border crossings.  The Atlantic is reinforcing the U.S. military on the Western Front. According to the latest intelligence, the U.S. military has begun a large-scale reinforcement operation in Europe. "

    Ludendorff explained with a helpless grin, regretting in his heart that he did not have enough troops to maintain the two fronts fighting at the same time, so he had to seize the time to turn around and deal with the Western Front after biting Russia for so long.  US, UK and France.

    "The Americans are embroidered pillows. The army composed of farmers cannot be called an army at all. Moreover, at the end of June last year, their Pershing expeditionary force headquarters landed in France. By now, more than half a year has passed, and the main force of the US military has  How many have been transported? Two divisions?"

    It is normal for Hindenburg to look down on the US military. In the past hundred years, Americans have never seen a war of such huge scale as the European War. The so-called war between them and Mexico did not exceed 100,000 people. The Americans even  There were no usable artillery pieces or aircraft, and their rifles were actually P14s that were temporarily modified from the British standard.

    "The industrial strength of the United States cannot be underestimated. From the time they declared war to now, more than 2 million soldiers have been recruited in the country. Paul, we must not ignore the new force of the United States on the Western Front battlefield. At this moment, Pershing already has  Four U.S. military divisions have arrived in France. The organization of one U.S. military division is the same as that of the Chinese participating army. There are 28,000 people in one U.S. military division, which is worth eight of our or British and French infantry divisions! "

    Ludendorff's expression was a little solemn. At this point in the war, it was no longer something that Germany, Austria, Britain and France could resolve. Now it was Germany who relied on the benefits and strength gained from defeating Russia on the Eastern Front to turn around and face the war.  Against the United States, Britain and France, three opponents that attract worldwide attention!

    Especially the United States, if it cannot deal with Britain and France before the main force of the US military arrives in France, Germany is likely to miss the best opportunity to win in this war!  You have to win the fight before you can sit down and seek an armistice. The loser has no seat at the negotiating table!

    "Well, Erich, you know that I have no reservations about my support for you. The glory of the German Army depends on the next offensive on the Western Front. I just hope that you will think more carefully. You must know that the offense will always bear more responsibility than the defense."  The risk is greater, especially when our troops and weapons are not superior. I still think you take the arrival of the main US military force too seriously. If you launch an attack in a hurry and fail to take Paris in one go, then we will have another chance.  Face the risk of the next Verdun!¡±

    Hindenburg muttered 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.  Defense, the German army under the command of Ludendorff had an aura and heroism that dominated Europe and looked down upon the world.

    "But putting down the dead tiger Russia on the Eastern Front who had already eaten several bites of fat, and turning around to beat 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 smelled the conspiracy behind the recent actions taken by the Allies to deal with the situation in Russia. Due to geographical and territorial reasons, Germany and Austria could only concentrate their superior forces in one area.  Advantages 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. If the main force of the German army blindly immersed itself in the Eastern Front and ate the greedy delicacies of Russia,  , it is very likely that we have fallen into the trap of the United States, Britain and France.

    Whether it is the Entente or the Central Powers, 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, so that it can sit down and negotiate an armistice as the winner.  End the war.

    For Britain and France, no matter how many benefits Germany and Austria took from the Russians on the Eastern Front and how many new countries declared independence and autonomy were supported, as long as Britain and France broke through the Hindenburg Line, the war would be completely over for Germany.  There is no strategic depth like Russia to retreat to the Urals and Siberia in large strides.

    It is impossible for Germany to abandon Berlin and make a strategic retreat like the Russians abandoned Moscow. Germany has no way to retreat, either victory or defeat, but there is no place to retreat!

    The war lasted for three and a half years, and Britain, France, and Germany and Austria were exhausted. Although Germany's submarine warfare cost the Allied ocean-going fleets huge losses,The price is high, but the supply lines between Britain and France have never been cut off. Great Britain's huge colonies around the world make this country much more resilient than France!

    Ludendorff had full confidence in defeating France, but he did not have that much hope in getting the British on the other side of the Strait to surrender. Of course, Americans were businessmen. For President Woodrow Wilson, as long as Germany was willing to armistice  , the United States welcomes it with both 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 concern still lies in the fact that the Bolsheviks have caused waves in Russia and brought great changes to the world. It is very likely that this movement will continue to spread and penetrate into workers and ordinary people in neighboring countries. Workers across Germany  There was also a trend of strikes. Although the workers were immediately sent back to the workshops by the army, if this continues for a long time, who knows whether Germany will become the next Russia?

    That doctrine was born in Germany!  Although the knowledgeable people in Germany are not angry about this, the fear and sigh deep in their hearts are clear every time they talk about the situation in Russia.

    The main force of the German army must not sink too deep into the quagmire of Russia for too long. Countries such as Finland, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Ukraine, Georgia, and Azerbaijan that have already declared independence and have declared autonomy are facing the clay-footed giant of Soviet Russia.  Encirclement network and buffer zone, who knows what the Bolsheviks and their doctrine will eventually do to Russia?

    Germany cannot take the risk of being assimilated or alienated altogether. This is not a matter of pure national interest, it is an issue that subverts the entire ideology!

    Because of this, in early March 1918, German Army Commander Ludendorff stepped up the action of transferring the main force from the east to the west. Of course, there were also columns of grain and food shipped back from the occupied Russian lands.

    Food is the overriding hard currency that stabilizes everything, in this spring of 1918!

    At the same time, as Germany plundered all the grain and food from the occupied Russian territory, and at the lean moment of spring, the unprecedented famine in Russia finally broke out in 1918!

    During the three-and-a-half-year war, the Tsarist Russian government and the Provisional Government conducted large-scale mobilization and conscription, which not only made the Russian army the largest army in the world, but also caused the vast rural areas to lose their strong labor force. The three-and-a-half-year war  At its peak, the Russian army had as many as 5 million people.

    Of course, in addition to Ludendorff's famous battle on the Eastern Front, which was also the largest encirclement and annihilation battle in World War I, known as the "Battle of Tannenberg" in history, the Second Army, the main force of the Russian army, was surrounded and annihilated in one fell swoop.  In many Russian army groups, it is common for three soldiers to share one gun.
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