Chapter 410: Chapter 220: Shifting Situation and Major Orders
"What? The Russians have suffered heavy losses in their offensive on the Balkan Peninsula?" Carlo stood up in surprise, looking incredulously at Kadir, the director of the Royal Security Intelligence Bureau.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Kadir nodded, explaining, "The Russian forces and the Ottoman Army have engaged in fierce battles around Plevna. The Ottoman Empire has not been able to reclaim Puxika Pass, and the Russian forces have not been able to capture Plevna either.
According to telegrams from the front line, the Russian forces have launched three assaults on Plevna, all of which have failed. These assaults have cost the Russians over 50,000 troops, and their forces are now insufficient on the Balkan front line."
Carlo quickly stepped forward, taking the map of the Balkan Region, which was already prepared by Kadir. It was marked with the attack directions of the Russian and Ottoman forces, as well as the battle losses and remaining troop strength on both sides.
At the outbreak of the war, Russia mobilized seven armies with over 300,000 men on the Danube River front. With months of offensive, the total Russian casualties have approached 100,000, which is quite staggering.
Although some of the wounded may return to the front after treatment, that will take several months at the earliest.
Russia will fall into a state of emergency with no troops available within these months. Relying solely on 200,000 troops cannot achieve victory over the Ottoman Empire.
After all, the Ottoman Empire possesses more advanced weaponry, and being mostly on the defensive, its battle losses are fewer than those of Russia.
If the war continues in this manner, it is bad news for Russia. Losing 100,000 troops may not be crippling for Russia, but to defeat the Ottoman Empire, it might take losing several more hundred thousand troops.
With such massive troop losses, can Russia still secure the entire Balkan Peninsula after the war? A victorious Russia might provoke the jealousy of other great powers, but if heavily injured, even Austria-Hungary might covet a piece.
Carlo pondered, assessing the impact of the changing Balkan situation on Spain.
"Inform the Royal Military Factory and the diplomatic department, if the Russians want to maintain their offensive, they’ll need more troops and equipment, which is precisely our opportunity." Finally, Carlo made his decision.
Currently, changes in the Balkan situation do not affect Spain. Whether the Ottoman Empire or Russia ultimately wins, the impact on Spain is minimal.
Of course, Carlo hoped that Russia could secure the final victory, as this would divert most of the British attention.
For the British, a Russia that wins the Russian-Turkish War poses a greater threat. While Spain also has some risks, compared to a vast and populous Russia, Spain is clearly a level lower.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Kadir nodded slightly and respectfully withdrew.
As Carlo was quite surprised by the changes in the Balkan situation, over in Russia, Tsar Alexander II was even more astonished.
When Tsar Alexander II ascended to the throne, it coincided with Russia’s defeat in the ninth Russian-Turkish War. His father, Nicholas I, succumbed to the shock and passed away suddenly, leaving Alexander II with a lasting desire to avenge this defeat.
However, Alexander II also held many worries about the Russian-Turkish War. Fearing a repetition of his father’s fate, he certainly longed for victory over the Ottoman Empire, but he also dreaded another failure.
When news of heavy Russian military losses reached the front line, Alexander II’s resolve to fight was shaken. He believed the Russian forces had fallen into an extremely unfavorable and even dangerous situation, contemplating ending the war to prevent even greater failures.
Regarding the tsar’s wavering resolve, the current Russian Secretary of State for War, Dmitry Alekseyevich Milyutin, offered his opinion:
"Your Majesty the Tsar, I admit, continuing like this, our forces will face huge losses, and in the short term, they may be exhausted.
But this does not mean we can simply give up, or else we will inevitably face massive setbacks like in the previous war.
Behind our front-line forces, Romania has nearly 40,000 troops available to support us, and our borders have 70,000 reservists ready to be mobilized.
If we mobilize some of our reserves, not only will our front line not suffer a manpower loss, but we can even increase by 50,000 to 100,000 troops.
If we can break through the Plevna Fortress, the land ahead will be open, allowing us to completely open the path to Constantinople."
The Secretary of State for War, Dmitry Alekseyevich Milyutin, led the reform of the Russian army and was deeply trusted by Tsar Alexander II.
After Dmitry Alekseyevich Milyutin’s persuasion, Alexander II regained his confidence and reissued orders to the front-line commander, the old Grand Duke Nicholas.
At the same time, Dmitry Alekseyevich Milyutin also offered new advice: "Your Majesty, although our front-line has lost 100,000 troops, our manpower can be well replenished, and we need not worry about manpower in the short term.
If we can sign an arms trade agreement with countries like Spain, we will also have no worries about weapons and equipment. With troops and equipment, our front line will be as strong as steel, even with enough strength to reclaim the Plevna Fortress.
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