The sun never sets.

Chapter 576 New Plan

Before the outbreak of the European war, although Germany strengthened its naval power, it still lagged behind Britain in terms of the number of ships and displacement tonnage, and the caliber and number of artillery were also inferior to those of Britain. According to Akiyama Saneyuki and other ASEAN naval commanders, the German Navy should concentrate all its warships at the moment of the war and try to annihilate the Royal Navy's manpower. Even if it could not destroy a dozen battleships, it would have to destroy two or three heavy cruisers or armored cruisers.

But the Germans were unwilling to launch a sneak attack without declaring war, believing that it was against morality. The German navy was not built for a decisive battle, and Count Tirpitz never thought of defeating the British Royal Navy head-on. Kaiser Wilhelm II did not expect to win the war by relying on the navy. Like everyone else, he placed his hopes on the world's number one army. As long as the "Schlieffen Plan" could be successfully completed, France and Russia would have to withdraw from the war, and the remaining Britain would be unable to support itself.

The idea was good, but Moltke the Younger and the army betrayed the Emperor's trust.

The Schlieffen Plan had problems from the beginning. First, it took too long in Belgium, and then twice it drew troops from the most important right wing, which greatly weakened the offensive power of the right wing. The German army once reached the outskirts of Paris and could see the Eiffel Tower through a telescope. It was this short distance that became a natural barrier that the German army could never cross.

After the plan failed, Kaiser Wilhelm II was extremely angry. He was a very cunning monarch, but it was also true that he was irritable. "Ludwig has failed my expectations!"

The full name of Moltke the Younger was Helmut Johannes Ludwig von Moltke, the same name as his uncle Moltke the Elder, so William II called him "Ludwig". In anger, William II announced that he would remove Moltke the Younger from his post as Chief of the General Staff, and the head of the military cabinet, Marquis von Rücker, and the Minister of War, General von Falkenhayn, all agreed.

The army is a place that worships the strong. No matter what excuses Moltke the Younger had, failure is failure. After the outbreak of the war, German Emperor Wilhelm II handed over the command of the army to the General Staff headed by Moltke the Younger. Now that the "Schlieffen Plan" has failed, Moltke the Younger must bear the greatest responsibility.

In addition, Moltke the Younger did not make any military achievements, and his military ability could not convince other senior generals. Many marshals and generals had opinions about Moltke the Younger. Before, because he was promoted by His Majesty the Emperor against all odds, it was difficult for everyone to say anything. Now that William II has changed his mind, there is no need to be polite.

Moltke the Younger was not a man of strong and resolute character, which doomed him to not become a first-class commander, but Ludwig von Moltke was absolutely unwilling to resign because of defeat. He was already 63 years old, and if he was retired in such an ignominious and dishonorable way, his life's work would be wasted.

Therefore, even though Marquis von Rücker conveyed the news that His Majesty the Emperor wanted him to resign, Moltke the Younger decided to give it a last ditch effort. "I didn't lose," Ludwig von Moltke said to himself in the mirror, "I can lead Germany to the final victory!"

It was not someone else who helped Moltke the Younger regain his confidence, but General Erich von Ludendorff, who had performed brilliantly on the Eastern Front. Ludendorff was promoted by Moltke the Younger and Count Schlieffen, and Moltke the Younger also made great efforts in Ludendorff's appointment as the commander-in-chief of the Eastern Front.

After defeating the Russian army on the Eastern Front, Ludendorff did not continue the pursuit, but returned to Berlin. Germany could only choose one direction to attack, the Eastern Front or the Western Front. Either "defend the East and attack the West", or vice versa. Germany's national strength was not enough to support the simultaneous attack and victory on the Eastern and Western Fronts. From before the war to now, he has been advocating "defend the West and attack the East", and the situation since the war has proved that he is right.

After returning to Berlin, Ludendorff found Moltke the Younger, hoping that he would agree to the strategy of "defending the West and attacking the East". Moltke the Younger himself disagreed with this strategy. Over the years, he had devoted too much effort to the "Schlieffen Plan". The deployment, training, dispatch and mobilization of the German army were all based on the "Schlieffen Plan". How could it be possible to change the major strategic issues at will?

But the situation is different now. He has been forced into a desperate situation, the "Schlieffen Plan" has failed, and it is time to change the strategy.

Moltke the Younger put on his best military uniform, dressed himself neatly, and then went to the palace with Ludendorff to meet with German Emperor Wilhelm II. Ludendorff brought a new battle plan, of course, it was only a rough battle plan, and further improvement was needed to make it feasible.

"Ludwig wants to see you?"

William II's anger had not yet subsided. He waved his arms angrily, "I don't want to see him!"

"Your Majesty, General Ludendorff is here too."

Ludendorff was once sent to the Far East to help the Chinese set up a general staff. In the Far East, Ludendorff and Hoffmann and others came into contact with new military theories and saw

He realized the power of trenches combined with machine guns and heavy artillery. Later, he simulated the war in Europe with the Chinese General Staff and concluded that the Western Front would inevitably become a long-term trench war.

The army's offensive was extremely dependent on the power of heavy artillery, but heavy artillery could not keep up with the speed of the infantry's advance. Mechanical traction could carry 150mm howitzers forward, but those with a caliber of 280mm or more could not be used. After leaving the railway line, super-heavy artillery could hardly move at all.

According to the results of the war game simulation conducted by Ludendorff and his colleagues in Taiyuan, with the existing weapons and equipment conditions, Germany only had one chance to achieve a quick victory. If the most fierce attack failed to flatten France, the next step should be to adopt a defensive position on the Western Front and then launch an offensive on the Eastern Front.

Ludendorff's pre-war predictions became a reality, and his brilliant victory against Russia on the Eastern Front greatly enhanced his reputation and prestige. William II did not want to see Moltke the Younger again, but he could not shut Ludendorff out.

His Majesty the Emperor hesitated for a moment, then said, "Let them in."

Soon, Moltke the Younger and Ludendorff appeared in front of William II. The German Emperor first congratulated Ludendorff, "That was a great victory!" Then he said to Moltke the Younger: "Night Raid Group: Lu 949, 36135 Ludwig, do you have anything else to say?"

Moltke the Younger remained calm and said, "Your Majesty, General Ludendorff has brought a new battle plan. He will explain it to you in detail."

"Oh, go ahead."

Chapter 577: Secret Weapon

Ludendorff explained the new strategic concept in detail to Wilhelm II, which can be simply described as "picking the softest persimmon first". The new strategy is feasible for Germany, but there are also many problems.

"Defeat Russia first...How long will it take to defeat Russia?"

"Judging from Russia's previous performance, it may only take six months to defeat Russia. If the Russian army avoids fighting, it may take up to nine months..." Ludendorff paused, "If the Russians are determined, it may take a whole year."

Taking Paris could force France to withdraw from the war, but Russia was different. Even if St. Petersburg was occupied, the Russians might not surrender. During the Napoleonic Wars, the Russians even set fire to Moscow themselves, just to leave no place for the French army to rest. When Ludendorff privately discussed with Moltke the Younger, he was somewhat pessimistic and said that it might take 18 months to completely crush the Russian resistance.

William II was still very interested in Ludendorff's promise, but when he heard that it would take so long to completely defeat Russia, he immediately showed a look of disappointment on his face. After the war broke out, Britain burned 500 million pounds a day, and Germany's military expenditure was about the same. As the number of troops increased, military expenditure continued to rise.

According to Ludendorff's plan, it would take a year just to defeat Russia. How much would it cost? Defeating Russia did not mean the end of the war. The British and French forces were the biggest forces in the Allied Powers. Even if Germany won the war in the end, it would almost go bankrupt.

"But this is the only way the German Empire can win!"

"We have Zeppelin and Bertha! The despicable British and the cowardly French can't stop us!"

Ludendorff said seriously: "In fact, they blocked it."

"........."

Ludendorff proved his command ability in East Prussia, but there were many marshals and generals above him who disagreed with changing the strategy to "defend the west and attack the east." For decades, the goal of the German Army was to defeat France first. Without shedding blood, it was difficult to break the inertia formed over the past decades.

The German high-ranking officials refused to "defend the west and attack the east" because of Italy. Before the war, Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy formed the Triple Alliance, confronting the Allied Powers composed of Britain, France and Russia. But after the war really started, Italy "remained neutral", claiming that the "Triple Alliance" was only for defense.

Italy is different from the United States. Although the United States secretly colluded with Germany, it did not sign a treaty. Italy joined the "Triple Alliance" and then turned against it. The Germans hated Italy's betrayal, but at the same time they were worried that Italy would join the Allied Powers, so they could only temporarily stabilize this fence-sitter.

If Ludendorff's plan was implemented, a large number of troops would have to be transferred to the Eastern Front. Russia's transportation conditions were very bad, and it was not enough to have combat troops alone, but also logistical troops that were several times more than the combat troops.

Italy’s position was unclear, so how could Germany dare to transfer a large number of troops to the Eastern Front?

Ludendorff had a solution to this problem. "Carry out a real general mobilization. I mean, expand the army to 600 million people, plus logistics and munitions departments, a total of 1200 million troops are needed!"

Upon hearing that 600 million combat troops were going to be deployed and an equal number of logistical troops would be mobilized, William II, Moltke the Younger, as well as Seeckt and Falkenhayn who came after hearing the news, were all stunned.

Before the war, the German Army had 80 standing troops. After a month of fighting, the total strength of the German Army had risen to more than 200 million, which made the government feel that it could not bear it anymore.

Ludendorff, on the other hand, wanted to expand the army to 1200 million in one go, which meant that all adult men were sent to the battlefield.

War Minister Erich von Falkenhayn could not help but say: "Germany is not China. We cannot mobilize such a large army!"

This Erich (another Erich) was a famous German general, known for his military talent that was even better than Moltke the Younger. The offensive on the Western Front was frustrated, and the threat from Russia on the Eastern Front was becoming increasingly serious. Falkenhayn still advocated attacking the West and defending the East. He believed that Russia had depth and abundant human resources and could not be completely defeated. In order to avoid Napoleon's fate, the German army should focus on the Western Front. Because France on the Western Front had been weakened and had limited military strength, Falkenhayn advocated dealing with France first.

"Our attack has failed at the Marne!"

Ludendorff said: "The French and British lost a lot of troops, but they will be replenished soon!"

"We can beat the French!"

Falkenhayn said confidently: "We have a secret weapon!"

"Secret weapon?" Ludendorff looked at Moltke the Younger, who had a thoughtful expression.

Falkenhayn described the secret weapon to Wilhelm II and others, "a new type of shell filled with chlorine gas. Given the right conditions, it will . . . "

Poison gas bombs were not invented by the Germans, nor were they first used by the German army. Such an evil weapon was of course the masterpiece of the British. The British used poison gas bombs in the Boer War and when beating Muslims in the Middle East, but those were just minor incidents.

Germany's chemical industry was more powerful than Britain's, and it could produce more poison gas bombs. In addition to chlorine, Germany was also developing a new poison gas that could cause greater damage. The progress of science and technology is always reflected in weapons first, and humans are always very creative in killing their own kind.

Just talking about it cannot express the power of poison gas bombs. Falkenhayn took His Majesty Hangdi and Ludendorff to the shooting range. A dozen goats were tied up and put on the ground, crying non-stop. "Baa, baa, baa", "Baa, baa, baa", they may not be very smart, but they also realized that the situation was not good.

Several cannons fired at the target area. After a "bang, bang, bang" sound, the shells fell to the ground. There was no fire or explosion, but a dull sound. Then, yellowish gas leaked out from the broken shells, shrouding the shooting range in a gloomy fog.

The goats screamed louder and louder, and they kept struggling on the ground. After a few minutes, the screams gradually faded. The death of more than a dozen goats was very miserable, but the people watching did not feel sympathy. After the start of the European war, tens of thousands of people were killed and wounded at any time. The commanders and generals' jobs were to kill people, and they would not feel sympathy for humans, let alone goats.

Another hour later, when the chlorine gas was blown away by the wind, the soldiers entered the shooting range, followed by His Majesty the Emperor and other generals. After observing the miserable death of the goat, Ludendorff admitted that the gas bomb was likely to break the balance of power on the Western Front.

Chapter 578 Does Not Count

Falkenhayn and others placed their hopes on poison gas bombs and were determined to give it a go on the Western Front. The Germans had come up with many new things in the war, including Zeppelin airships and flamethrowers, and now poison gas bombs. War is the best way to promote scientific and technological progress, and this sentence still applies today.

After seeing the power of poison gas bombs, William II was also inclined to fire another shot on the Western Front. But in this way, Moltke the Younger's plan failed. His back was still straight, but his spirit was visibly weakened.

In just one hour, he was almost defeated. Fortunately, there was Ludendorff, who won the last bit of dignity for him. William II's anger came and went quickly. He remembered Moltke the Younger's obedience to him, so he said: "Then you go to the Eastern Front."

Since it has been decided to launch another offensive on the Western Front, there will be fewer resources available on the Eastern Front. Ludendorff can keep the Russians out of the border with the existing forces, but the problem lies in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The Habsburg family's crown was obtained through marriage, and fighting is not their strong point.

The Russian army won in East Prussia and was almost annihilated by Ludendorff, but it was very powerful in the battle against Austria-Hungary. Well, it was not so smooth, the Russian army still looked clumsy, and in the Battle of Galicia, the Russian army suffered more than 200,000 casualties, but the Russians inflicted nearly 400,000 losses on the Austrian army and occupied most of Galicia.

The strong and the weak are revealed by contrast. Compared with the German army led by Ludendorff, the Russian army is naturally not good enough, but compared with the Austrian army, the Russian army is very powerful. The Austro-Hungarian Empire ranked higher than the Russian Empire among the great powers, and its economy was better than that of the Russian Empire, but when the war really started, it was immediately beaten back to its original form.

The Austro-Hungarian Empire was now Germany's only ally. It could not bear to see the Habsburg dynasty being defeated. It had to send reinforcements to save the Austrian army. William II prepared to send Moltke the Younger to the Russo-Austrian front.

But Moltke the Younger refused the appointment, saying that he wanted to stay in East Prussia and discuss strategic matters with Ludendorff. After being the Chief of the General Staff, how could he lower his face to be the Chief of Staff of the Austro-Hungarian Empire? Since he couldn't continue to stay in the position of Chief of the General Staff, he might as well

Forget about retirement and pave the way for Ludendorff.

The German army also had a tradition of seniority. No matter how well Ludendorff fought in East Prussia, he could not have surpassed so many people to become the Chief of the General Staff. There were too many Junker officers, many of whom had been in the army for their entire lives. It made no sense to give the opportunity to a junior like Ludendorff. Moreover, Ludendorff's family was not of high status, not a real wealthy family.

He had encountered a lot of opposition when he was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the Eastern Front, but William II forced the appointment through against all odds.

"Then you should go to East Prussia!"

William II was still angry with Moltke the Younger, but he did not take it too seriously when he saw that the other party was unwilling to go to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. After seeing the power of the poison gas bomb, the Emperor became excited again. He talked to his marshals and generals about the glorious deeds of Frederick the Great and the wonderful scene when the Prussian army passed through the Arc de Triomphe. William II saw the hope of victory again, but Ludendorff was skeptical about the poison gas bomb.

The technological level of Britain and France was not weaker than that of Germany. In some aspects, such as British shipbuilding technology and French rapid-fire guns, they were superior to Germany. Could the new weapon, poison gas bombs, really crush the French resistance? Putting all hopes on a new weapon was not a safe approach. What if the effect of the poison gas bombs was not as good as expected?

Ludendorff was very pessimistic about this, but his status and prestige were not high enough, and no one would listen even if he spoke out. The crow that always announced misfortunes would be annoying.

Before leaving Berlin, Ludendorff visited the Chinese embassy and contacted some Chinese generals with whom he had worked before. Because of the transfer of key military technology to the United States, the Sino-German military cooperation broke down and the Chinese military group withdrew. After the war broke out, China sent a military observation group.

Contacting the members of the Chinese Military Observation Group was not only Ludendorff's own wish, but also an order from the High Command. Germany was already in a very disadvantageous position strategically. The Triple Alliance was already a little bit inferior to the Allies, and Italy's betrayal of the alliance made the Allies' strategic advantage even greater. Now Germany urgently needed more allies. In addition to China, Ottoman Türkiye was also a target for Germany to win over.

"The Schlieffen Plan has failed," Xu Wuji pressed the steak with his fork and then cut it slowly with his knife. "The war is inevitably going to be protracted. This is the conclusion we reached a few years ago."

When in Taiyuan, Ludendorff gave lessons to Chinese generals and officers. Xu Wuji had also listened to the lessons of German instructors, so he always respected Ludendorff. "Is Germany ready for a long war? I remember that Germany had always been a grain importer before the war. Now that British warships have blockaded the Atlantic, the route for importing grain has been cut off. I'm afraid it won't be long before Germany will face famine."

Upon hearing this, Ludendorff thought to himself: It’s not that famine is about to happen, but that there is already a problem of food shortage.

Germany was highly industrialized, with a small agricultural population. As soon as the war started, it felt the hardship of material shortages, but the government suppressed the relevant news. He was silent for a while, then said: "If China launches an attack from the east, we can defeat Tsarist Russia within half a year."

Xu Wuji laughed, "Teacher, what you said is not realistic. General Li, you know?"

"Which General Li?" There are many generals in China with the surname Li.

"General Li, Big Eyes."

"Oh, I know Li Dayan. Is he still in Mashhad?"

Unlike Xu Wuji and Wang Hu, Li Dayan has no good feelings towards the Germans. He is not targeting Germans specifically, but thinks that all foreigners are bad. Li Dayan is a typical Chinese hero, spending money like water and killing people like flies. No matter if they are foreigners or Chinese, as long as they deserve to be killed, he will never show mercy.

In Central Asia, there is a saying among Muslims that "killing Christians does not count as murder." Li Dayan has taken this saying to heart, believing that killing foreigners does not count as murder.

"Well, General Lee is still in Iran, and he is strongly opposed to the plan to attack Russia."

Ludendorff was a little surprised. "I remember that General Lee liked war,"

"You are right. General Lee likes to fight, but he is also opposed to a full-scale war with Russia. Do you know why?"

Chapter 579 Hero

Ludendorff did not answer. Xu Wuji waited for a while and then answered himself, "Because Russia is too deep and vast, and the traffic conditions are poor, there is no reliable means of transportation. The fastest way to get from Chang'an to Moscow is not to go west, but to go east to Harbin first, and then take the Trans-Siberian Railway connecting Vladivostok. Oh, this is without considering sea transportation."

"Most of the Asian part of Russia is barren, and it is difficult to supply it." Ludendorff sighed, "But as long as China joins the war, even without actually launching an attack, Russia will definitely fail."

“Maybe, but why would China do this?”

Xu Wuji's question was very sharp, "What can Germany give to China?"

"After defeating Britain, all of Asia will become China's sphere of influence!"

"That is not something I can consider, teacher. You know, I am just the leader of the military expedition team."

Russia's elite are in Europe. Even if they join forces with Germany to defeat Russia, they won't gain much.

There are few benefits. Why would you want to wallow in the mud when you can make a lot of money just by watching the fire from the other side of the river?

Xu Wuji smiled and asked, "Will the General Staff continue with the original strategy, or will they change their strategy?"

Ludendorff said in the same tone: "Xu, you know, I can't say it."

"Well, then, say something. What do you think of Italy's neutrality?"

I am not sleepy when I talk about this......Ludendorff rarely scolded the Italians, but "we cannot push Italy to the side of the Allies."

"Italy will join the Entente sooner or later."

"At least they're not enemies yet."

The war in Europe was fierce, with tens of thousands of shells leading the way for each attack, and lives turned to ashes in flames and explosions. The war in Mexico was a different situation. There were no major decisive battles, no large-scale artillery bombardments - there were once, but not now - only guerrillas attacking the US military everywhere.

After the fall of Mexico City, Wang Hu broke out of the city with more than 300 people and planned to continue retreating to the east, but the Americans withdrew most of their troops, so he changed his mind and chose to stay in Mexico.

Because of his skin color, Wang Hu's work in establishing a base in Mexico progressed very slowly. The locals would become suspicious when they saw him and the volunteers. "Those who are not of my race must have different hearts" is not unique to the Chinese. Also because of their different appearance from the locals, Wang Hu's small unit was easily surrounded and suppressed by the US military. With a Chinese face, he would naturally attract the hatred of the US military.

Wang Hu was almost surrounded by the US military several times, but fortunately his men were all elite, and they immediately ran away into the woods and climbed the mountains when they found out something was wrong. After being chased by the US military several times, Wang Hu felt that he couldn't go on like this, and he had to mobilize the people. With the hundreds of people under his command, he could at best be the leader of a vibrant social group.

If you want to make Mexico a place where the Americans bleed, you must cooperate with the local powerful factions. But the warlords in Mexico all have their own little calculations, and they don't look like they are going to do big things. After those leaders have a piece of territory, they start to indulge in extravagance, and many of them choose to go along with the Americans. Wang Hu looks down on all those people.

Apparently, there's no way to save Mexico with those bugs.

I need to find a hero. He should be a man, preferably Hispanic, over 30 years old, hate Americans (crossed out), have ideals, aspirations, a certain level of education, at least be able to read "Selected Works of Lin Yongchang", and have a strong character.

Wang Hu sketched the person he was looking for, but the question was, where could he find such a hero? Those warlords were unreliable, so should he look down upon them?