Chapter 1931 A Seemingly Reasonable Judgment
"Of course, some people will say that if the Germans attack us, the British can attack the Germans to disperse our pressure. This theory is fine, but in fact, the British army, which has not rested for a winter, is simply unable to break through the Germans. The Germans can easily block the opponent without even mobilizing the reserve team, so this kind of style of play is actually useless. Therefore, I am not optimistic about the support that the British gave us this time.” Foch The marshal expressed his opinion very tactfully, that is, it is really impossible to consider the suggestion from the other side.
"Everyone, although the current situation on the battlefield is very bad, we should not overestimate the strength of the Germans. On the other hand, the Prussian Army on the Western Front is exhausted after a winter of fighting, and they No reinforcements have been received for more than 2 months, and what about the Bavarian Army? They are indeed strong. And the combat tasks in winter are not heavy, but their transfer also takes time, and the efficiency of the German railways is also declining. As for the Austrians ? They can't even beat the Russians, and they're here just as a bonus!"
"Just 3 days ago, General Haig, the commander of the British Expeditionary Force, came to my office in person. He said that in the next month, the British army will add 300,000 reinforcements! They are all ANZAC! The British have already Willing to give up the Middle East and North Africa. Help us defend the French mainland with all our strength, and there are a large number of laborers from India to supplement our labor losses. General Haig has shown his determination to advance and retreat with France. And he is willing to put some British troops on our side under command."
"If this is a deal, look at our favorable conditions. The civil strife in Germany has not subsided, the losses of the German army on the western front have not been replenished for a long time, and the British continue to increase their troops. It is true that we did not break through the other side's defenses in winter, but The combat power of the German army is not as strong as before. They are also human beings, and they will also be fatigued and collapsed. The reinforcements of the Bavarian Army can at most allow part of the German army to rest, and their offensive power is also very limited. So, everyone. We should at least for Fight for a brilliant tomorrow!" Gallieni said affectionately.
As the French Minister of War, this buddy also has military accomplishments. He grasped a problem very well, that is, the Germans did not rest this winter. Moreover, the internal chaos did greatly reduce Germany's combat effectiveness. From a common sense, an excellent military strategist should allow the German army on the western front to enter a rest period of 2 to 3 months before continuing to fight. This is a relatively safe approach.
It is true that the entry of the Bavarian Army to the Western Front is indeed good news for the Germans. However, the proportion of the Bavarian army entering the western front is actually not high compared to the entire German army on the western front. The German army on the western front is about 2.8 million, and the Bavarian army expected to enter the western front is 600,000 to 800,000. (including Air Force)
"If I were that prince, I would have the Bavarian Army replace part of the German army on the Western Front. Let the entire German army rest. Then attack when the entire army is at its peak. Although Joffre mentioned that the German army will rest, but It is estimated to be only one month, and I can only say that this time is too short." Gallieni said.
"You mean, does this prince know nothing about soldiers? Are you kidding me?" Pétain sneered.
"He must know the soldiers, and I don't think he will make such a mistake. Then there is only one question now. Will the information he revealed during the contact be a smokescreen? To intimidate us?" Gallier Ni said.
Gallieni's logic chain is also very complete. It is a reality that the situation of the German Army on the Western Front is not good. It is no problem for Ruprecht to be a famous general. It will take time for the entire German army to recover. According to the prince's previous performance,
He never fought uncertain battles, so he shouldn't drive tired troops to attack the strong defense line actively, and the reason why he claims to launch the final attack now is probably a bluff!
In fact, Gallieni's idea made some sense. If only part of the Bavarian Army entered the Western Front, the prince would not have enough confidence to launch an offensive. But with the heavy artillery and air force of the Austro-Hungarian Army, the prince's confidence has increased a lot, and when the navy transfers the Mackensen Army from the Eastern Front to the Western Front, then the chances of winning are quite high! You know, Mackensen can easily provide more than 300,000 elite Prussian troops! With the help of the navy, maneuvering is also no problem!
The problem with Gallieni is that he underestimated the heavy artillery and air force of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and ignored Mackensen's possible support! In fact, this is unavoidable, because during the civil strife in Germany, the Mackensen Army, which was originally loyal to the Kaiser, did not return home, subconsciously making the French think that this army was either caught in the quagmire of war or lacked mobility. And really just because the Navy didn't cooperate.... And now that the biggest problem that bound the Mackensen Army has disappeared, this East Prussian powerhouse can naturally come to the Western Front!
This is also Ruprecht's biggest hole card, but unfortunately, the French don't know it! In fact, during this contact, the prince himself was very moral, and nine out of ten sentences were true! (Of course, the most critical sentence may have some problems, and it also hides part of the truth.) However, the proper hiding of the truth gave the French unrealistic fantasies, and then completely crushed the French hopes in actual combat. Isn't this a cool thing?
Gallieni's words made the entire venue fall into silence. The well-founded analysis made Marshal Foch shake a bit, although the marshal still firmly believed that his judgment on the overall situation was correct. But also unwilling to give up that last chance!
And the point is, this time the British can really talk about confiding their hearts! They are actually willing to include part of the British army under the command of the French army! This is really full of sincerity. If the British reinforce 300,000 troops this time, no, they don’t need that much, just 200,000. Then the defensive situation of the French army will change a lot, because this is the Anzac Army! In terms of personnel combat effectiveness, it is definitely the highest level among the Allied forces!
(Historically, the courage and morale of the officers and soldiers of the Anzac Army was very good, and the full manpower rate was higher than that of the normal British army. There were even many Anzac soldiers who prepared their own horses to join the British army. This is appropriate Proper British loyalist!)
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