The Rise of the Empire

"General Joffre, I have to say that your performance disappointed us. Except in the early stages of the war, when you successfully blocked the German offensive, nothing you did was right! You made the Kingdom of France the most powerful country in the world. The elite and most important armored forces were concentrated on the center line, but suffered heavy losses."\u003c/p\u003e "And the northern front did not have enough troops to deal with the German offensive. Then you transferred troops from the originally consolidated southern front to participate in the so-called counterattack, but now, the counterattack in the middle has not only failed, but has allowed the opponent to continue to penetrate deeper! And now, the worst thing has finally happened! The Germans’ iron hoofs have passed through the defenses on the southern line, which means more Many territories fell. Well, tell me, General Joffre, who should be responsible for these mistakes?" French Prime Minister Joseph Caillaux personally came to the French Supreme Command to question Joffre. \u003c/p\u003e"What we need to consider now should not be who will bear the responsibility, but how to solve the problem. Naturally, I will bear all the responsibility for this defeat. If you can find someone who can replace me, then I can hand over the rights now, and if you can't find it and still have a little bit of trust in me, I hope you can give me a chance to make amends." Xiafei said calmly. \u003c/p\u003eIt's too late to say anything now. Sometimes the gap between the so-called famous generals and mediocre people is not so obvious. Making a mistake or having a slight deviation in the estimation of the situation may lead to unpredictable consequences, and this For once, Joffre's only mistake was to underestimate the strength and strategic direction of the Germans. \u003c/p\u003eHe originally thought that the two German army groups on the northern front would continue to advance towards Paris. After all, occupying the capital of a European power was too attractive to the Germans. Even Xiafei could not guarantee that if the battle really happened, If the war started in Paris, what would happen to the will of the French people? Therefore, he specially designed a defensive line like an iron wall for his opponent, waiting for the opponent to run into it. Then he mobilized his mobile troops to launch a counterattack on the Germans' fragile center line. \u003c/p\u003eBut what he didn't expect was that the Germans gave up after just one try on the northern front. Then, after leaving enough troops for defense, they brazenly marched south! Moreover, the German Fourth Army Group, which had been dormant on the southern front, also launched an attack at the same time! In field conditions, the French army was defeated on the center line, and the defenses on the southern front were crumbling due to insufficient troops. \u003c/p\u003e"Tell me your opinion." Prime Minister Joseph said. \u003c/p\u003e"The troops on the southern front should retreat immediately! At least the troops in the Verdun area must evacuate quickly. The Germans are advancing very fast in the middle. Once they complete the rendezvous with the troops on the southern front, the entire Versailles will become an isolated island and remain in the The troops and artillery there will also become meaningless. Just a siege can collapse the defenders! Since we are destined to be unable to defend these places, why should we shed more blood?" Xiafei said. \u003c/p\u003e "If our troops cannot stop the German attack even if they are squatting in a solid defense line, then how can we build a defense line in the wilderness that can stop the German attack?" Joseph said very puzzledly. . \u003c/p\u003e "This issue is not something we can discuss now, because our fortress area is destined to be undefendable. The Germans will soon go around to the back of Verre and other fortresses. This fortress has lost its function. Compared with the fortress and The loss of arms and our personnel are also very valuable. France has only a population of 40 million, while Germany has a population of more than 70 million! If we want the war to continue, then we must let these young men come out."\u003c/ p\u003e "We can concentrate the withdrawn troops on the Belfort generation. In this case, Belfort and other areas will at least be stable.

The troops don't need to retreat much, but they can shorten the front line greatly. "As Chief of General Staff, Pétain once again sided with Xiafei at this time. He is also very dissatisfied with the current situation, but it must be admitted that this is the best result. With the fall of a fortress area In exchange for the survival of hundreds of thousands of troops.\u003c/p\u003e "Believe me, Mr. Prime Minister, we can completely take back these places in the future. Our Russian allies have made important progress in the Galicia region. If the Germans do not return aid, , then the Russians may spend their New Year this year at the Hoffmann Palace in Vienna. After the German army returns, we can launch a counterattack and retake the position! "Pétain said.\u003c/p\u003e "Haha, at this time we still have to rely on the Russians. Just two months ago, we could pat our chests and assure the Russians that the Western Front would be fine. but now……. "Joseph couldn't help but smile bitterly. This gap is really big.\u003c/p\u003e "This time it was the Bavarian Army that broke the balance on the battlefield. Because of their arrival, the armor strength and air force of the German army on the Western Front increased by at least 40%. The maneuverability has also increased by at least 30%! As a kingdom with an area of ​​just over 70,000 square kilometers, I think Bavaria's military strength accounts for at least a quarter to a third of Germany's military strength! And if this force goes to the Eastern Front, then Britain and France will have the advantage on the Western Front! "Peitain looked at the hesitant Joseph and added another fire!\u003c/p\u003e "It seems that there is some truth in what he said. "Joseph nodded. He also found an excuse for the British and French forces on the Western Front. The Germans concentrated all their forces on the Western Front. The Russians on the Eastern Front obviously failed to fulfill their obligation to contain the German army. Such a failure is justified. It's excusable. And such a victory of the Germans cannot be replicated, unless the Russians are completely killed... And Joseph does not think that the Germans can do many things that Napoleon the Great, who made all Europe surrender to his feet, could not do. Arrive.\u003c/p\u003e "In that case, let's start taking action. The German troops on the northern front will not launch any more large-scale attacks. I will transfer some troops from the northern front to stabilize the front. The areas near Verdun will Troops evacuated from the fortress complex. Then we re-established our defense lines at Saint-Dizier and Mircou. "Xiafei issued his last order as the commander-in-chief of the French army!\u003c/p\u003e With the issuance of this order, the Sword of the Holy Angel combat plan initiated by Germany finally came to an end. The two sides in the north and east Although the Lutheran army broke through the French defense line, it could not encircle and eat the entire French army. The battle eventually turned into a rout. But even so, the French still had 20 divisions in the second stage of the battle. Being wiped out, severely damaged, or forced to move to the rear to rest. From a tactical point of view, this exchange ratio is very good!\u003c/p\u003e The second update~~~! Please subscribe and reward~~~!!! \u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e