Chapter 296 The Tsar's Roar

The destruction of the Russian Guards 2nd Army and 9th Army in the Kingdom of Poland was a serious blow to the Russian Army and even Russia as a whole. You must know that the total strength of the four group armies that were destroyed was more than 900,000, which is already equivalent to 65% of the standing army of the Russian Army. Not to mention, there is also the 2nd Guards Army, which is regarded as the elite of the Russian army.

If Russia did not have a huge population to support it, losing so many troops would directly cause Russia to lose a complete defeat in this war. But even so, such a loss was unacceptable to Tsar Nicholas II.

No, after learning that the 2nd Guards Army and the 9th Army were destroyed, and the defenders in Warsaw voluntarily surrendered to the Germans, Nicholas II could no longer hold back his suppressed anger. In the office of the Winter Palace, he roared directly.

"Why? Why did the army fail again? We have already lost 900,000 people to the German 8th Army. You know, that is just an army with less than 200,000 people. Could it be that the fighting power of the Germans is really so strong that one can outnumber ten?" Nicholas II yelled hoarsely with red eyes.

A group of senior Russian military and political officials bowed their heads and said nothing. Especially the generals of the army, their faces were flushed. Obviously, they were all ashamed of such a result. Although they are well aware that the combat effectiveness of the Russian Army has not been very good. However, with the war like this, they still don't know where to put their old faces.

Nicholas II was very angry and didn't understand why his army was so bad. Nearly a million troops were wiped out within a month. Especially since they were all done by the German 8th Army, which made him feel even more ashamed. If the Russian army has a million soldiers, and even the German army of 200,000 can't fight, then how can Russia continue to fight this battle?

After a while, Nicholas II finally vented his anger.

"Everyone, our army has suffered heavy losses on the front line. How should we fight this battle?" Nicholas II stared at a group of ministers, his eyes full of unkindness.

"Your Majesty, I have to admit that we have suffered a disastrous defeat in this war. The fighting power of the Germans has far exceeded our expectations. We originally thought that the Germans would place their main force on the Western Front. It is an opportunity. But I never thought that a German army would be so powerful." Grand Duke Nicholas, the commander-in-chief of the Russian army, looked helpless.

As the commander-in-chief of the Russian army, Grand Duke Nicholas undoubtedly has an extremely deep understanding of the combat effectiveness of the Russian army. Although, the combat effectiveness of the Russian army is definitely not in the forefront among the great powers. However, it would be unfair to deny the combat effectiveness of the Russian army in this way. The combat effectiveness of the German army is of course the best in the world. But if it has twice the force advantage, the Russian army can still win. No matter how bad it is, it can be resisted. But this time, the combat effectiveness of the German army was completely extraordinary.

"Your Majesty, the German 8th Army we are facing should be the most powerful army in the German Army. The commander of this army is the Crown Prince of Germany. According to the information we have obtained before and the information collected on the battlefield The equipment of this regiment is very sophisticated and its firepower is very strong. An infantry division has more artillery and machine guns than our army. It is conceivable that with such powerful firepower, their combat effectiveness will soar. level," said Russian Army Minister Sukhomlinov.

It is no secret that the German army is equipped with advanced equipment. In particular, the 8th Army was built by Qin Tian into a force with the best firepower in the world, and Nicholas II also knew about it. At first, he thought it was because the German crown prince had too much money and had no place to spend it, so he used so much money to build a luxurious army. If this money is used in Russia, they can arm at least four army groups. Nicholas II confidently believed that the four Russian armies could definitely defeat the German 8th Army.

But now, reality slapped him hard. The four Russian armies, including an elite army, were all eaten up by the German 8th Army.

"I brought you here not to hear how powerful the Germans are. After we lost four armies, the frontline is very empty. Now, what should we do? If the Germans launch an attack If not, we will have no way to stop their attack!" Nicholas II said with a serious face.

The mobilization has not yet been completed, and the standing army has suffered heavy losses, the vast territory of western Russia is almost undefended. Once the German army launches an offensive, it will surely be able to break through and let Russia fall into a large area of ​​territory.

Each of the Russian tsars had an obsession with the land that others could not understand. So did Tsar Nicholas II. He absolutely cannot allow the territory of Russia to fall.

"Your Majesty, most of our mobilization has been completed. Soon, we will have enough troops to send to the battlefield. Therefore, there is no need to worry about insufficient troops. Of course, the combat effectiveness of the newly formed troops is bound to be inferior to that of the standing army." Yes. Therefore, we must have a sufficient force advantage to be able to confront the Germans. Therefore, I suggest that we start the second phase of mobilization immediately and increase the total strength of our army to more than five million. " Nicholas II said with a serious face.

Nicholas II frowned. If so many troops were to be mobilized, it would definitely cost a lot of money. However, when you think of how powerful the German army is, if you don't mobilize a large number of troops, you will not be an opponent of the German army at all. Therefore, Nicholas II did not object to the second stage of mobilization.

"If the Germans attack us, how should we hold them off?" asked Nicholas II.

"Your Majesty, the Germans should not launch an attack on us in a short time. Their strength is too small, only one legion. The successive wars must have caused them a lot of losses. Even if the losses are not large, but Weapons and ammunition also need to be replenished. Tired soldiers also need time to rest. Therefore, we still have enough time." Grand Duke Nicholas said.

After hearing this, Tsar Nicholas II was relieved.