Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

Chapter 536 048 How can one use the Thirty-Six Stratagems in order?

Arriving at the military camp, Bagration and Solovyov immediately changed their attitude. It was late at night and it was unlikely that anyone would come to inquire about the news, especially since the Finnish Division's military camp was always on high alert.

"Okay, now everyone is here. We only discussed the Aland Islands due to insufficient manpower. Now our goal, according to the latest plan, is to cross the strait and attack the Swedish mainland directly."

When Bagration said this, he was still full of confidence. Before the ice formed, he had already found out the situation of the enemy forces on the opposite side and the hydrological and meteorological conditions in the area.

"Finally, we have to fight again. Since the Kunev detachment was repelled, we have been fighting against the Finnish guerrillas for several months. If this continues, the soldiers will be tired and will not be able to fight."

"Yes, the enemy wants to wear us down, so they have been hiding in the forest. Because of the failure of the regular army, they have gradually come out of the mountains to surrender. If you give them benefits, these people may not agree. As for fighting, everyone must remember that our action this time is still very risky, so we must be fully prepared."

Little Kamensky also came today, but his division is a supporting force, not the main force in the attack on the Aland Islands.

When holding a meeting like this, it is still necessary to listen to the opinions of all parties. As for the Russian troops on the two wings, Shuvalov took the road north of the Gulf of Bothnia, Barclay wanted to launch an attack on the ice, and only Kamensky the Younger's troops remained in place after launching attacks on both the southern and northern wings.

Although Bennigsen's arrangement was a bit cunning, considering the Russian army's advantage in manpower and the need to fight in two key areas, it was understandable that the garrison at the junction had to remain.

But Kamensky had always been the main force in the previous battles against the Swedish army. Naturally, he had some opinions about being put aside.

However, Solovyov had a good relationship with him and was bringing fresh troops into the battlefield, so he couldn't say anything.

"But Your Excellency, what should we do?"

Some people may still ask, Bagration looked at the pair of Solovyov and Clausewitz. After all, the latter had just come from the Prussian Army. Given the local Russian army's exclusionary attitude towards Germans, if Solovyov standing next to them had not been the commander of this division, he would have had some opinions.

But after looking at the configurations of several groups, some people may have doubts, why did they get so many Germans here?
There is no way around it. In Russia's magical personnel relations, German and Polish officers with higher cultural levels are more likely to be promoted. On the main cavalry regiment side, there are more brave Russians.

The command organization also considered the convenience of communication, so German was naturally spoken more often on the battlefield.

Using French during meetings is also a need for "confidentiality".

The Russian army is now outside, apparently frequently adjusting its defense zone, training troops, and even holding banquets all day long. It seems that after winter, it has no plans to attack - after all, Finland's climate is also very cold, and the nights are relatively long, which is not suitable for launching any large-scale attacks.

"Next, Colonel Clausewitz of the Finnish Division will present our latest battle plan."

Clausewitz was not able to speak French fluently before being captured by the French, but during his capture, escape, and service at court, he at least became able to use it fluently.

"The whole plan is to quickly pass through the predetermined area and strike the Swedes' deep targets, so as to quickly deploy in the coastal areas of Sweden and threaten Stockholm."

Clausewitz also had to take into account the varying levels of French proficiency of the Russian generals and senior officers present, so he did not speak very fast.

As for what he was talking about, at first these Russian officers were worried that it would be another of the Prussian's fancy stuff.

However, when making the plan, the Finnish Division unanimously agreed that there was nothing wrong with Suvorov's way of sending orders, and that if they followed the "innovations" of the Prussian and Austrian armies in the anti-French alliance, something would definitely go wrong.

Moreover, when speaking in a language other than your native one, you always need to be concise, even though French, as the official language of courts in various countries, is still very universal.

As for the focus of this plan, it was that Bagration led the Russian troops originally in Abo and the infantry regiment reinforced from Helsingfors to carry out several back-and-forth changes of guard with the Finnish Division on the front and enter a state of rest and reorganization. Then, at the right time, when the Finnish Division set out to launch an attack from the north side of the Aland Islands, they would launch an attack from the front.

".The main purpose of attacking from both sides is to make it difficult for the defending Swedish army to take care of both sides. But before that, we must do enough strategic deception work, pretending that our army is preparing to cease fire and take a long rest, and the attack will only be carried out from the north."

"This sounds like the content in Count Solovyov's manual, because General Mark of Austria fell into the hands of the French emperor. It's a pity. Archduke Karl and the Count's military ideas are still very interesting. They were made public so quickly. Are we going to follow the strategies in it and carry out them one by one?"

Clausewitz stopped talking after hearing this. He also looked at Bagration and Solovyov to see what their opinions were at the moment.

"That may be true. If you assemble a machine, you may need to follow the instructions for the parts. But if we open any military theory book, no one fights according to the textbook. The only rule in war is..."

Solovyov was mentally prepared for the sarcastic remarks, so he tapped the table with his whip.

"The only useful rule in war is to win. In Poland we had crossed the marshes, filled up ponds and swamps with logs, and attacked the French in their rear. This time we even had an example to follow: the Swedes themselves."

"Is there still this?"

"If you are familiar with the Swedes, you should know that they once crossed the ice of the Baltic Sea to attack the Danes. The reason why we made such a smooth progress in Finland this time was that the King of Sweden and his army overestimated their own capabilities. On the one hand, they tried to resist possible attacks from France and Denmark, and on the other hand, they humiliated our country through diplomatic insults. In addition, they rejected our diplomatic proposals. Even if they accepted it at that time, we would not have to spend the winter in Finland and might still be at home."

"But then the Swedes might also know what we are going to do."

"So, we have to use the method of 'hiding the truth' to deceive the Swedes and make them think that we will not attack from the Aland Islands. In the near future, we will hold a reception and keep the military operations secret. We can make a gesture that the troops will stay in the towns near the coastline for the winter and replenish the warehouses here, mainly with food supplies."

This is the attitude, and everyone understands it. "It's a good idea. The brothers can have fun in the barracks for a few days."

"But keep it secret! The general and the other regiment commanders can also attend the reception in Abo and have in-depth exchanges with the local Swedish nobles. If anyone leaks any information, he will be punished like this table."

Then Solovyov drew the "Chasik" saber from his waist and chopped it across the table.

I have to say that his training over the years was not in vain, as he cut off the corner of the table with just one knife.

Those who have read the Russian version of Romance of the Three Kingdoms probably know what he means. If this battle can be adequately prepared and successfully carried out, the commanders and the brothers below will not be short of medals and bonuses.

Therefore, no one bothered about this issue. Bagration also added: "This operation is still very critical. You can control your private parts, but you must control your mouth. What's more, the girls here are okay. Some of them are even stronger than those in your family. You have considered it clearly."

As for himself, his acting was just right.

In addition to the reception, Solovyov also sent some officers, dressed in various civilian clothes, to survey the current freezing conditions along the coast.

December is indeed not suitable for action because the ice is not that solid. Based on the hydrological and meteorological conditions, we have to wait until at least early January before we can take any action.

This time is estimated according to the Gregorian calendar commonly used in Western Europe, not the Russian calendar. If it were the Russian calendar, it might be delayed further.

It seems that the arrangement of the two receptions is quite appropriate, respecting local customs and celebrating the New Year according to the calendar used by the Russians themselves.

By the end of 1808, all over Finland, lights and decorations were hung, streets were renovated, and oil lamps were used for night lighting. It seemed that the Russian army was indeed celebrating the New Year.

At this time, Gustav IV in Stockholm received a report that the Russian army was indeed resting and seemed to have no plans to advance in winter.

Even the courtiers around him expressed this view. After all, the distance of the Swedish army's cross-ice attack was shorter than the distance of any possible attack point of the Russian army at present.

Therefore, the Swedes were relatively relaxed in their vigilance. Although they deployed several regiments including the Södermanland Regiment in the Åland Islands to protect the gateway to Stockholm, the plan to further increase troops was stopped.

Through the latest intelligence, they learned that the Russian army has been busy resting and replenishing winter supplies recently, but the speed of stockpiling ammunition has slowed down significantly, and many troops have even gone to the north, and supplies are also going there.

On the surface, this is the situation now. Gustav IV even feels that after this winter is over, perhaps he can continue to fight the Russian army. After all, in the north, Sanders has withdrawn his main forces. The losses of more than 10,000 people are mainly garrisons in various fortresses, including a guards regiment.

The Russian army just followed the deployment obediently, changing guards and training every day. The officers were active in the city of Abo, as if they were preparing for the winter and had no intention of launching any action before the next spring.

In this relaxed atmosphere, people could indeed feel confused. Even Soloviev, who had made a name for himself in Poland, brought his mistress from St. Petersburg to Finland with his troops. He also held a literary salon in Abo to discuss poetry and observed the beauty of the local noble ladies in Abo.

Well, if this news reaches Shlisselburg, no matter how tolerant Katya is, she will be somewhat angry when she knows that her husband has contact with women beyond her permission.

However, Solovyov also made arrangements in advance. Madame Recamier had visited his home, and during these days, Solovyov also sent his adjutant back to deliver a letter to explain the situation.

These Swedish girls in Finland all look so ugly. Apart from their plump bodies, big breasts and big butts, they don't have any obvious advantages. This doesn't suit his taste, and he's just creating a cover.

Even though they were younger and more energetic than Madame Recamier, their conversation, knowledge and etiquette were still far behind the capital of Finland, which was still very small compared to some other places.

There was one thing that made him curious, that is, there were many people in Abo who were inclined towards reform and revolution, even among the nobility and the church in the Swedish Estates General.

It is no wonder that Baron Armfeldt, who has considerable power locally, still chooses to serve in Stockholm, and sometimes even goes abroad.

This man's background is not simple. He is the great-grandson of General Amfeldt during the reign of Charles XII. Solovyov is also trying to find out some information related to the Swedish upper class.

Next time I call, I will know who to contact for negotiations and see if there have been any changes compared to when he was in Sweden a few years ago.

He was also trying to understand the various factions in Sweden. After all, the situation in Stockholm had been changing since Gustav IV took power.

As for the generals of the Swedish army, in addition to Baron Amfeldt, he also noticed that Baron Essen had a distant relative serving in the Swedish army, and currently seemed to be holding the rank of general.

This is not surprising. If the Baltic Germans did not join the army of the German principalities, whoever occupied their territory would have priority to join this army.

Otherwise, when Solovyov was looking at the roster at the General Staff Headquarters, he would not have been able to arrange a set of German army lineups for the "Barbarossa Plan". Even the commander of his own direct command was named Loeb, and he had seen Bock, Manteuffel, Balck, Meyer, and Goering before.
If we go to Poland, maybe we can find a Rommel somewhere.

The upper nobility here were often of German descent in the 19th century. Among the ethnic groups in the Baltic region, only Lithuania could be said to be a nation-state. The other two could not even be said to be local ethnic advantages. This seems a bit ridiculous in the 21st century. Remote farming technology is indeed advanced, which can make people confuse right and wrong.

(End of this chapter)