Chapter 708 Collision of Thoughts

As the war has progressed to this point, the U.S. government can barely be considered to be doing its best.

The size of the army controlled by the federal government alone has exceeded 500,000, and the cumulative number of troops engaged in the war has even exceeded 600,000.

More than 300,000 of these 500,000 troops are distributed in the northeastern states to resist the attack of the main force of the coalition army.

The remaining 200,000 troops were divided into two groups, one to prevent the French from going north to threaten the eastern states, and the other to prevent the Australasians from advancing eastward.

Putting aside the stalemate on the frontal battlefield, the entire United States and even the world are currently paying attention to the advancement of Australasia and the French.

This can be considered the last chance for the United States. If the United States can successfully fend off these two countries, the remaining states may shelve the idea of ​​an independence referendum.

But if the United States cannot stop any of them, it is likely to face a more serious crisis.

Among other things, the states in the central region that are already facing the threat of war are definitely unwilling to continue.

After all, the U.S. troops are all fighting in the east, and the defensive force in the central part is very weak. It is impossible for the central states alone to resist.

As long as the central part of the United States falls, the remaining areas of the United States will really only have the original 13-state colonies and the Great Lakes Industrial Area. It is impossible to resist the Union Army by relying on these areas alone.

If this last life-saving straw cannot be grasped, perhaps the situation the United States will face is that states will become independent one after another and then be dismantled into multiple countries.

Naturally, General Pershing also understood the dire situation currently facing the United States. The troops he led never made a sudden advance, but steadily and slowly approached the front line.

The good news is that no enemy troops were encountered along the way, and the army's behavior was without any surprises.

But the bad news is that by the time General Pershing led the army to North and South Dakota, the Australasian army had already attacked the banks of the Missouri River.

The Missouri River is a tributary of the Mississippi River that runs north and south through the two Dakotas.

It was already the 1st when General Pershing arrived on the east bank of the Missouri River.

The rapid attack of the Australasian army obviously exceeded General Pershing's expectations, but there was no time to surprise General Pershing at this time.

After being stationed in a town on the east coast named after Germany's iron-blooded Prime Minister Bismarck, General Pershing immediately began to deploy defenses relying on the Missouri River from south to north.

The good news was that the Missouri River ran through both Dakotas from south to north, which was a good thing for General Pershing's defense.

Just deploy a defensive position from Williston to Bismarck to Yankton, and then make some defenses to the north and south, and you can build an excellent defensive front.

But the biggest problem currently facing General Pershing is that he has too few troops. An army of only 100,000 people cannot lay out this long line of defense.

You know, this line of defense runs through three states, with a total length of more than 600 kilometers.

One hundred thousand people were deployed, with an average of only 166 people defending per kilometer.

Coupled with the flanks and some reserve forces deployed in the north and south directions, the number of soldiers on the frontal defense line will only be smaller.

This also means that General Pershing must select a few key areas for defense, and can only adopt a patrol system in other areas, and pray that the Australasian army will not attack from there.

Too few Army personnel is a problem that the current U.S. government simply cannot solve. If it weren't for the huge financial promise, I'm afraid it would be difficult for the Army to gather these 500,000 people.

Although General Pershing specifically requested before leaving, the War Department must supplement General Pershing with 100,000 troops within two months.

But General Pershing knew that this was a task the War Department simply could not accomplish. Even if the Army Department is completed, the additional 100,000 people will definitely be new recruits who have not experienced training at all. They will play little role on the battlefield and will only increase casualties.

Although defensive warfare does not require elite soldiers, you must at least know how to shoot. You can't use the gun as a fire stick.

Especially in defensive warfare, trenches need to be constantly repaired. A soldier who doesn't know anything will only cause trouble.

Fortunately, General Pershing also had a relatively capable assistant, George Smith Patton Jr., and the deployment of the defensive front went smoothly, at least without any trouble.

However, because the number of soldiers was too small, General Pershing divided the total army of 100,000 into three parts.

The first section numbered about 50,000 people, nearly the strength of four divisions. These four divisions will be divided into combat units based on infantry regiments and deployed in key defense areas along the entire defense line.

The remaining two parts are a little more than one division. Their tasks are to defend the north and south sides respectively and to serve as reserve forces for war at any time.

After the defensive positions are fully deployed, the biggest task of the U.S. military is to quickly dig trenches and deploy related defense facilities.

General Pershing then had time to chat with his assistant, and asked his assistant what he thought of this war.

"George, do you think we still have a chance of winning this war?" In the Northwest Front Army Headquarters, the supreme commander of this army looked at his close assistant George and asked with a tired look.

George Smith Patton Jr. was silent for a long time, and then he looked at Pershing: "General, do you want to hear the truth or a lie?"

"Of course it's the truth. Why are you so polite after not seeing me for several years?" General Pershing said with a smile.

Before General Pershing retired, George was General Pershing's assistant. George, who has unique ideas, has always been reused by General Pershing, which also led to a good relationship between the two guys who were decades apart in age.

"I don't think there is a chance of winning, General." Hearing that General Pershing wanted him to tell the truth, George Smith Patton Jr. said very straightforwardly without any worries.

Although he had already had this speculation in his heart, General Pershing was still unwilling to accept such a result and asked: "Why do you think so? As long as we win this defensive battle, I think we still have a chance of winning. "

"In fact, everything is over long ago, isn't it? Your Majesty General." George Smith Patton Jr. looked at General Pershing and said with a helpless look: "When California announced the independence referendum, the destruction of the United States The countdown has already entered.

We may have had a chance of winning before, but after that, any state can hold an independence referendum, which also means that the federal government has lost control of the states.

We may be able to delay for a while, but this is not a good thing for the United States and all Americans, because such stubborn resistance will only increase casualties. "

General Pershing was silent. He had no reason or words to refute his assistant.

Yes, California's independence referendum seems to have opened Pandora's box, leaving all states in the United States facing a new choice, which is to vote for independence to avoid war.

The current situation has proven this. If conditions had not been negotiated with the coalition forces, I am afraid that most states in the United States would choose independence referendums to avoid this war that would only increase casualties.

So what if they could resist the Australasian army's attack?

Australasia has occupied several western states, and the division of the United States has become an established reality.

Regardless of whether procrastination will bring down the enemy, the American people in war zones are destined to be unable to bear such a heavy burden.

Moreover, the war casualties on the American side are not small. The current number of casualties has already exceeded 100,000.

Especially when most of the U.S. soldiers on the battlefield are new recruits, the U.S. side suffers the most casualties.

If this delay continues, the U.S. government may be able to survive, but for the American people, it will be another blow no less than an economic crisis.

What are they doing this for? Is it just to keep the U.S. government hanging on for a little longer?

But if you don't persist, doesn't this mean allowing your country to be invaded by the enemy? This is a shame for General Pershing, who is proud of his military status, and is absolutely unacceptable.

"That's enough, George." General Pershing interrupted George's move to speak and directly overturned the conversation: "As a soldier, I cannot accept allowing the enemy to invade my country. No matter what the outcome of this war is, , I can’t even betray the honor of being a soldier.”

George Smith Patton Jr. was stunned, but looking at General Pershing's determined look, he had no choice but to nod and say nothing.

George Smith Patton, Jr. had a deep understanding of General Pershing's character. For this traditional and stubborn general, since he wears the military uniform of the United States of America, he naturally has to devote everything to this uniform, even his life.

Naturally, such a stubborn guy cannot be persuaded by anyone, even Patton, who is highly appreciated by General Pershing.

It is worth mentioning that General Pershing and Patton almost became relatives.

Before the outbreak of World War I, General Pershing and Patton's sister Nita were passionately in love, and even developed to the point of getting engaged.

After the outbreak of World War I, the two agreed to get engaged after the war. Although the war came and went quickly, the two people who had not seen each other for more than half a year still failed to get together and eventually became ordinary friends.

This also caused Patton to miss the opportunity to become General Pershing's brother, and Nita has remained single to this day.

However, this kind of trivial matter does not matter to the open-minded Americans. Their current identities are still generals and subordinates.

Although General Pershing's attitude was resolute, his thinking was still influenced by George Smith Patton, Jr.

General Pershing, who ended the meeting, frowned. He could no longer see the future outcome of the United States. Can the United States continue to do so?

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