The sun never sets.

He proposed to reach an agreement between the Executive Committee and the Duma deputies and to establish a provisional revolutionary government by the Soviets, but he was unsuccessful.

The Mensheviks were the majority at this time, and the Bolsheviks were only a minority. In the election, the Mensheviks easily defeated the Bolsheviks and seized power. Subsequently, the Provisional Government asked Empress Olga to dissolve the illegal Tsarist government and sent a telegram to Britain and France stating that it would continue to fight until the final victory was achieved.

Britain and France could never allow Russia to withdraw from the war. On several occasions, the British and French forces were about to be defeated on the Western Front, but the Russian army launched fierce attacks on the Eastern Front again and again to rescue the British and French forces. If the Russian army withdrew from the world war, the German-Austrian coalition could transfer more than one million troops to the Western Front or the Southern Front.

In either case, it would be a disaster for the Allies.

Lin Yongchang ignored the demands of the Russian Provisional Government and the protests and threats of the Allies. He led his troops to continue to advance westward. By the end of March, the Polish division led by Rokossovsky had reached Yekaterinburg. From Yekaterinburg to Vladivostok in the east, the long railway line was under the control of the Sino-Russian coalition.

In the lands already controlled, the coalition forces implemented "land reform" with bayonets, nationalizing all the land and then distributing it equally to the peasants. This move aroused opposition from the landlords and nobles, who often shared the same identity.

The People's Army had rich experience in suppressing reactionaries in China, and the Siberian Army was also decisive in dealing with reactionaries. The landlords and nobles in the Asian part of Russia were unable to stir up any waves. After the peasants were given land, they all shouted "Long live Her Majesty Olga". The workers had jobs, could get bread and various consumer goods, and soon settled down.

Things were not all smooth sailing, there were problems of this and that, but they were not serious. After the establishment of the "All-Russian Extraordinary Commission for the Elimination of Reactionaries and Sabotage", more than 3,000 people were shot, and the remaining thing was to arrest people everywhere and send them back to work. It was not that there was a lack of manpower. China had three times the manpower of Russia. Even if all the workers on the railway line were replaced by Chinese, it would not be impossible, but the cost would be too high.

Moreover, workers cannot be left idle. A group of hungry young and middle-aged people are a dangerous destabilizing factor. They must be given something to do and their stomachs must be filled at the same time.

The Russian People's Party grew rapidly, establishing party organizations one after another in the vast land of the East. All towns and villages had party members and party groups, and wherever there were three party members, a party organization would be established. Because the Asian part of Russia was more backward and there were not many workers, the power of "land reform" seemed even greater.

Of course, many people died in the process of implementing land reform. Lin Yongchang's plan was to seize the property of big landlords and businessmen and distribute it to others. In order to protect their own property, there will always be people who will jump out.

"The Russians need a brutal ruler who can use a whip to guide them in the right direction," Lin Yongchang said to Olga. "But we can do things a little more cleverly. You can be the good guy, and I can be the dictator with the whip."

For those who jumped out, those who deserved to be shot would be shot, and those who deserved to be exiled would be exiled. Chairman Lin used to like to exile criminals, and Russia has a tradition of exile, so of course it should be carried forward.

The railway connecting Lianzhou and Urumqi has not been completed yet. It has only been built to Hami, and there are more than 600 kilometers of railway to be built. After reaching Urumqi, the railway will continue to be built westward. In addition, a highway is also under construction, which also requires a lot of manpower. The Anti-Counterrevolutionary Committee later reduced the number of death sentences, and most reactionaries were exiled to the Western Regions to build roads.

In the past, there were many places for exile, such as herding sheep in the northern desert, digging potatoes in Siberia, raising yaks on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and drilling for oil on Sakhalin Island. There were many options, but now there is only one option: to rob the Western Regions.

It is too inconvenient to have no railway. The Trans-Siberian Railway has limited capacity, so it is necessary to build another railway line to Central Asia. The central government has decided that after the railway is built to Urumqi, it will continue to be built westward, all the way to Iran.

Because of the Tianshan Mountains, the railway to Mashhad has to go around a long way, which makes the distance longer, but the construction difficulty is reduced. In the process of building the railway, the most difficult thing is to dig a tunnel in the mountains. It would be better if there were mechanical equipment, but often there are many places where mechanical equipment cannot be used, and it can only be knocked bit by bit by manpower.

When digging a tunnel, sometimes we can only advance one or two meters a day, and it is common to dig a tunnel for a year or two. It doesn't matter if we take a detour, as long as the speed of road construction can be increased. What we lack now is time.

When the Russian People's Party established grassroots organizations, the most important thing was to restore order, get factories and railways back to normal operation, and let farmers hurry up to start spring ploughing. It can be imagined that the situation in Russia would not be stabilized in a short time. In chaotic times, food is as hard currency as arms.

Chapter 616 The Next War

Berlin, Imperial Palace.

Ludendorff no longer had the high spirits he had when he first became the Chief of the General Staff, nor did he have the elation he had after defeating Romania and plundering a large amount of food, oil and other supplies. Now he was exhausted and his brows were furrowed unconsciously.

It was obvious that the current situation was extremely unfavorable to Germany and the entire Allied Powers.

In the Battle of Jutland last year, the High Seas Fleet sank 14 warships of the Royal Navy, with only half the casualties of the Royal Navy. The German government therefore claimed victory. However, after the Battle of Jutland, the High Seas Fleet no longer dared to engage in a decisive battle.

These things happened before Ludendorff became the Chief of the General Staff, and they were the Navy's business, not his. Anyway, no one expected the Navy to defeat the British from the beginning. But the Army's performance was not satisfactory either, which was the reason why Ludendorff was frowning.

In 1913, the German army was still stronger than the British and French forces, not to mention the Russian army, but that was based on a 1:1 ratio, or at least a small difference in strength. But the fact is that the Allies had far fewer troops than their opponents, which led to the Allies only being able to win on one or two battlefields, and being beaten badly in other areas.

By the end of 1913, including all fronts, the Allies had 425 divisions, while the Central Powers had only 331 divisions. The strategic initiative shifted to the Allies. Even if the German army reached the gates of Paris, and even if the German-Austrian coalition won a brilliant victory in Romania, it still could not change the extremely unfavorable situation of the Central Powers in terms of strategy.

Ludendorff adopted the strategy of defending the west and attacking the east, and seized a large amount of strategic materials for the Allies, but the domestic shortage of food and other consumer goods became more and more serious. Fortunately, the winter finally passed and the country was able to continue to operate.

After the beginning of the year, when the ice and snow had not yet melted, Ludendorff commanded the German army to launch a series of offensives on the Eastern Front, annihilating more than 100,000 Russian troops and releasing Vladimir Ilyich back to Russia in an attempt to disrupt the domestic situation in Russia. The General Staff's plan was successful, and unrest, or revolution, broke out in Russia.

However, the General Staff's plan also failed. After the revolution in Russia, the last huge force that had not yet joined the war also joined the fighting in Europe. Although ASEAN did not declare war on the Allies, the situation was still not optimistic.

Russia's new tsar declared that he would withdraw from the world war, which was good news for Germany. However, the armistice conditions conveyed by Olga I through the Chinese Embassy in Germany were: no cession of territory, no compensation, and the border between Russia and the Allies was restored to the state before the war in 1911.

But this was unacceptable to the German High Command. The German army had suffered more than 1.2 million casualties on the Eastern Front, consumed countless supplies, and now occupied large tracts of Russian land. How could it be possible to unconditionally restore the borders before the war?

Even if Olga I later said that Romania could be excluded from the armistice conditions, it would not work. Germany had to obtain millions of tons of food and various strategic materials from Russia to continue the war. But if the war continued, the Eastern Front would continue to involve the Allies, especially the German army's manpower, and China and the entire ASEAN might become Germany's enemies in the future.

At this time, the United States had joined the Allies for various reasons, and American soldiers were being transported to Europe in an endless stream, and had even taken on the task of defending a section of the front. Wang's division's battles were as unreliable as ever, but no matter how scumbag the US army was, it was much stronger than the Italian army.

The most important thing is that the Americans brought a $100 billion loan to the Allies. Even if the U.S. military's combat effectiveness is a little worse, it doesn't matter. With so much money and American manpower, the German army can be exhausted. The German army's technical and tactical level is one level higher than that of the U.S. army, but its manpower is almost exhausted. If the United States really transports a million troops to Europe, it will be difficult for the German army to continue to launch a large-scale offensive on the Eastern Front.

The western front may not be able to be defended, and the eastern front is also full of problems. If ASEAN also declares war on the Allies, then Germany will be at war with the whole world. The only person who had ever done such a feat before was Empress Dowager Cixi in the Far East. As a result, Empress Dowager Cixi died and her country was destroyed, making the world laugh.

Ludendorff frowned and thought for a while. The current situation was very tricky. Only with the determination to cut off one's arm could one win in the chaos. Ludendorff had a good idea, but unfortunately, except for Hoffman and a few others, no one thought he was right.

But Ludendorff knew that was his only chance of victory.

Thinking of this, he became a little indignant again. If he had listened to him earlier, he would have forced Russia to withdraw from the war. How could there be so many troubles? However, things have come to this point. Complaining is useless. He can only find ways to solve the current problems.

He didn't think that if he had taken action against Russia earlier, China would have intervened earlier. Maybe he thought about it, but humans always like to find reasons in others.

The aide-de-camp came over from the corridor and said, "General Ludendorff, General Hindenburg, and gentlemen, His Majesty has arrived at the Palace of Sanssouci."

Ludendorff looked at Hindenburg next to him. He didn't get along with him, but he didn't care. The Chief of the General Staff was the pinnacle of all German soldiers. No matter who sat in the position of Chief of the General Staff, he would have to face the envy and jealousy of others. He also knew that there was a small group in the army called "Anti-Night Raid Group: 6949, 36135 Ludendorff", just like the previous "Anti-Falkenhayn" group.

This is normal, don't worry about it.

Ludendorff stood up

He came, straightened his uniform, held his head high, and strode towards the corridor. Hindenburg, Seeckt and others followed, forming a long line according to their ranks and positions. The German army had strict discipline and clear hierarchy, which was reflected in all aspects of life.

Prussia was a country owned by the army, and now the German Empire is the same. The power of the Junkers has penetrated every aspect of the country, and even William II has to consider the opinions of the officers. If it weren't for the internal struggles among the Junkers, they would have sidelined the German Emperor William II in a matter of minutes.

Sometimes, Ludendorff would wonder if he was pushed to the position of Chief of the General Staff because he was not of the same kind as the real Junkers, just like his predecessor, Ludwig von Moltke.

However, this thought came and went quickly, and Ludendorff felt that his ability was fully worthy of the position of Chief of the General Staff. He adjusted his mood and prepared for the next war.

Chapter 617 New Strategy

Ludendorff needed to convince Kaiser Wilhelm II and other colleagues that this was another battlefield, even more dangerous than the real battlefield. There were always ways to fight the Allies, but when it came to formulating strategies, he had to face his own people, and he couldn't just pull out a gun and shoot them all.

This was a very important meeting that would determine Germany's future strategic direction. Ludendorff, Moltke the Younger and others had discussed it for a long time and made full preparations. However, others were also prepared, and the outcome was still unknown.

In the past six months, Ludendorff's strategy of "defending the west and attacking the east" has achieved great success. The food seized from Romania and Russia has greatly alleviated the Allies' food shortage.

But from another perspective, Ludendorff's strategy failed. The United States had directly joined the war, and China had also intervened in Russian affairs, and Germany's strategic disadvantage became increasingly obvious.

Before putting forward his plan, Ludendorff reported, ".......Our military industrial production capacity has increased by 17% over the previous year.......Fourteen new tanks have been produced, and by the end of next month, the number of tanks will exceed one hundred......"

Like the British, the Germans were also piling up the armor and firepower of tanks. They did not regard tanks as a mobile combat weapon, but rather positioned them as mobile artillery platforms that provided fire support to infantry. At a time when trench warfare is very popular, this idea cannot be said to be wrong.

After all, the purpose of the tank was to break the stalemate of trench warfare. After the Panzer I was smashed by the British and French forces in various ways, the Germans launched the "Panzer II" project.

With a more powerful engine, thicker armor, a thicker gun barrel and more machine guns, the "Panzer II" is not a product of meticulous craftsmanship, nor has it undergone systematic rigorous testing. It is just an enlarged version of the "Panzer I".

The weight of the "Panzer II" reached 120 tons, more than twice that of the "Panzer I". That's not all. German engineers are developing an ultimate weapon that will change the situation of the war. They want to increase the weight of the tank to 120 tons in one fell swoop. It sounds outrageous, and it is actually outrageous, but the Germans just like this kind of thing. They not only want to build a -ton tank, but also prepare to build a super cannon that can directly bombard Paris from Versailles.

The General Staff even gave it a name, "Paris Cannon", which sounds like what it is for. The Germans, who are trapped both internally and externally, are now obsessed with various doomsday weapons and ultimate weapons, because under normal circumstances, they have no chance of winning.

"...But we have lost many well-trained officers and NCOs...A large proportion of the newly recruited soldiers are older reservists and young people who have not reached the conscription age. They not only lack military training, but also lack physical strength..."

Germany was in a state of general hunger. If you don't have enough food, you will lose your strength. The people were starving, and so were the troops. Generals and senior officers could still drink wine, but the daily rations for the soldiers below were being reduced again and again.

The German army's initial performance on the battlefield was significantly better than that of the British and French coalition forces, not only because the German army was well-trained and had higher technical and tactical levels, but also because the German army generally took drugs. Germany's chemical industry was very developed, surpassing Britain and the United States, and it developed several stimulants. Giving them to soldiers during the war could make them tireless in a short period of time, and even not afraid of pain, life and death, and their subjective initiative was greatly improved.

But drugs are not a panacea. Without enough food, drugs cannot boost the morale of the German army. When the drugs are taking effect, you feel like flying, but after the high, you will feel empty, lonely and cold.

As the frequency of drug use increased, the effect of stimulants became less and less effective, and the duration of their effects became shorter and shorter. In addition, the Allies also imported a large number of stimulants from a certain Eastern power, and the German Dali Pills had lost their advantage. Britain, France and other countries not only imported the Shengong Dali Pills, but also started to produce them at full capacity after obtaining the formula, and then used them for all soldiers on the front line.

On the Western Front, it was a group of drug addicts killing each other. Trench warfare was so brutal that most people couldn't survive without drugs.

Ludendorff's report continued, ".

.......The number of troops sent by the United States to Europe has exceeded 400,000........", because of the Philippine War, the United States in this time and space can send hundreds of thousands of troops without mobilization, "...The number of troops sent by China to Russia exceeds one million. There are reliable sources that the East Asian Alliance headed by China will continue to invest one million troops........."

After Ludendorff finished speaking, there was silence in the palace for a moment. The U.S. military announced that it would send one million troops to the Western Front, while the Chinese had already sent one million troops and would send another million.

“Are the Chinese going to swallow up Russia?”

William II raised the question and soon got the answer, "No, what they want is joint rule." Joint rule was popular in Europe for a while, and the Habsburgs were the best at it. The Austro-Hungarian Empire was initially a joint rule of Austria and Hungary, and later it became an empire.

"If the Ministry of Foreign Affairs proposes to divide Russia equally with China, will the Chinese change their minds?"

Ludendorff shook his head. “Lin would never do that.”

William II sighed, "So, my generals, do you have any good ideas for the current situation?"

Ludendorff looked at Hindenburg, Seeckt and others, and since none of them were willing to speak first, he threw out part of his plan. "Achieve a ceasefire on the Eastern Front as soon as possible, then transfer troops to the Western Front, and take the initiative to launch an attack before the main force of the US military arrives..."

There seemed to be a sneer coming from the side, but Ludendorff just pretended not to hear it, "............As long as we can capture Paris, we can end this war."

Hindenburg had much more seniority than Ludendorff. He became a general in 1903 and had always considered the position of chief of the general staff to be his own. However, after Count Schlieffen left office, the Emperor appointed Moltke the Younger as chief of the general staff, followed by Falkenhayn. When Falkenhayn was the chief of the general staff, Hindenburg and Ludendorff and others formed an "anti-Falkenhayn alliance" and worked together to get Falkenhayn, who had suffered a defeat, out of office.

But what Hindenburg never expected was that his junior Ludendorff would become the new Chief of the General Staff, which almost made him angry.

Now that Ludendorff had proposed a new strategic plan, Hindenburg began to pick on it in a cold tone, "First, how can we achieve a ceasefire on the Eastern Front? Which government should we negotiate with? The Provisional Government in St. Petersburg, or the Soviet government led by Vladimir Ilyich? Or the Russian tsar?"

Chapter 618: Conversation

There are now three governments claiming to represent the Russian people: the Provisional Government, the Soviet Government, and the Government of Tsar Olga. These are only the three largest. In the vast territory of Russia, there are also large and small Dumas and local organizations.

The provisional government was composed of liberals, big landowners and big businessmen. They said they would continue to fight the Allies until victory was achieved. For the members of the provisional government, winning the world war and then enjoying the rich spoils was the most wonderful thing. As for how many people would die in the process, that was not in their consideration.

The Tsarist government of Olga did not intend to continue to fight Germany to the death, but wanted to withdraw from the Allied Powers and stop the war with the Central Powers. However, the armistice conditions proposed by the Tsarist government of Olga were an unconditional ceasefire and the restoration of the national border to the state before the war in 1911.

But how is this possible? After more than three years of fighting, the military casualties on both sides alone amounted to four to five million. If we count the poor civilians who died in the war, as well as those who died from hunger, cold and other factors brought about by the war, the number could be tens of millions.

The German government will never agree to an unconditional peace with Russia.

Most people in the Soviet government also disagreed with ceding territory and paying compensation, but Comrade Vladimir Ilyich had a different view. He pretended to change his mind and regretted it later... Just sign the treaty first and then tear it up.

Going back on one's words and having double standards are all standard traits of imperialists. Comrade Ilyich has a flexible way of doing things and a moral bottom line. Can the imperialists touch them, but the Bolsheviks cannot?

For the German government, Vladimir Ilyich, who was willing to cede territory and pay compensation, was the best choice. They sent Comrade Ilyich back to Russia, originally just wanting to disrupt Russia's rear, but now the situation has changed and the German government wants more.

"We must continue to attack Russia in order to bring about changes in Russia that are favorable to Germany."

"Soviet? No, they're not the best choice."

Ludendorff shook his head, "The Bolsheviks are too weak, they won't last long." After a pause, he continued: "We should negotiate with the Tsarist government!"

Empress Olga gained the loyalty of most of the generals and had China's support, so she was able to suppress both the Provisional Government and the Soviets.

Wilhelm II, Hindenburg and others all agreed with this view. The gap in power was so great that there was no suspense about the outcome. "The Chinese must have been waiting for this opportunity for a long time!"

"Who says it's not?"

"It is reported that the Japanese government has discovered a huge iron ore mine in Australia with astonishing reserves!"

William II waved his hand in annoyance, calming the crowd that was talking.

Calm down, "Germany cannot accept unconditional peace! If the Tsarist government cannot give Germany satisfactory compensation, then we cannot negotiate with it, even if the Tsarist government has China's support behind it!"

"What your Majesty said is absolutely true!"

"If the Russians don't give us adequate compensation, we'll take it ourselves!"

Someone suddenly came up with a new suggestion: "Germany can help the Russians resist China's aggression!"

This suggestion brought silence to the palace. William II was surprised at first, then he laughed, "Yes, this is a good idea, we can try it."

Kaiser Wilhelm II was known for his frivolity and temper, but these were just appearances. He was a pragmatist. As long as it worked, he didn't care about the means or his own reputation. Help Russia resist China's aggression? This suggestion is very interesting.

Ludendorff frowned and said to His Majesty the Emperor: "Tsarist Russia can provide us with food and its strategic materials as long as we can provide hard currency such as gold and silver."

The foreign minister immediately stood up and said, “We have not received such news.”

Ludendorff glanced at the Foreign Minister and said lightly: "This was proposed by Tsar Olga's envoy during a secret contact."

"Even so, I can't agree to this!"

"If we give Russia a chance to catch its breath, it will eventually lead to great trouble!"

"We must completely resolve the threat on the Eastern Front!"

What the Supreme Command needed was a fragmented Russia. Russia was broken, but the giant Sino-Russian Union appeared on the east side of the World Island, which was a greater threat than Russia. The General Staff pessimistically believed that once Tsar Olga cleaned up the mess in Russia, tens of millions of Sino-Russian troops would come from the east.

Because of the war, China's steel production has surpassed Germany. If Japan, North Korea, Siberia and Russia are added, the steel production of the Eastern Bloc exceeds that of Germany by at least 30%. Germany is not only fighting on the Eastern Front, but also on the Western Front, which consumes more energy.

Wilhelm II asked Ludendorff, "Can't we get more from Russia?"

"Perhaps, but..." Ludendorff asked, "Your Majesty, do you still remember the Sino-Russian War ten years ago?"

In fact, the Sino-Russian War began 15 years ago, when Empress Dowager Cixi declared war on all nations. It was a preview of the world war, with trenches, heavy machine guns, mortars, mines, barbed wire, and the current trench tactics and [infantry infiltration], all appearing in the Sino-Russian War.

How could William II not remember? Germany lost a marshal at that time, and later had military cooperation with the People's Party. "I remember that General Ludendorff went to help the Chinese establish the General Staff in 1901."

"Yes," Ludendorff nodded. "The war lasted for four years. The Chinese were in a very unfavorable situation at the beginning, but they persisted in fighting and raised guerrilla warfare to a strategic level."

William II understood what Ludendorff meant. "You mean the Tsarist government will use the same tactics against us? But we are not the Tsarist Russian Army. The German Army is much stronger than the Tsarist Russian Army!"

"Guerrilla warfare, or something else, with China's support, the Russians can keep fighting us. Whether it's manpower or steel, we have no advantage at all."