Reincarnated as Nikolai II

Chapter 113 Countdown (1)

a telegram came from billy.nôv(el)b\\jnn

he'd been sending telegrams to prevent war several times since the 23rd, but when i issued mobilization orders to respond to the ultimatum, billy became urgent too.

he seemed truly unwilling to war with russia.

though i drew a line saying mobilization measures were limited to the dual monarchy, billy seemed to find it hard to believe.

our week-long unceasing telegrams ended there.

july 28, the austro-hungarian empire began bombarding belgrade along with declaring war.

now neither he nor i can pull back.

august 1. billy, based on treaty, finally sent me a declaration of war and proclaimed general mobilization.

august 2, france also proclaimed general mobilization.

and the same day, august 2.

german forces stepped into luxembourg.

britain was still silent.

==

though i somewhat knew, i immediately felt how much of a mess this war was once it broke out.

to what extent? even after declaring general mobilization, countries don't know who they're fighting.

"opening the balkan front so suddenly? does emperor joseph truly think i'll stay still?"

austro-hungarian forces advanced to belgrade from july 28, leaving minimal defense on the polish border.

germany's london ambassador prince lichnowsky reported to his country that 'britain's participation is uncertain due to irish crisis.'

germany issued general mobilization but still wasn't certain if full-scale war with russia would open.

original history's russia also initially planned to just beat up the dual monarchy not germany, france half-doubted 'surely those bastards won't really kill belgium?' and belgium thinks no one will touch them if they declare neutrality.

while all telegrams in st. petersburg were about to burn out from overload, france decided to pull their border back 10km to avoid full-scale war with germany.

"these bastards still haven't come to their senses. after even issuing general mobilization, they waste a day and kilometers of front line like this?"

and the next day, august 3.

"fucking bastards! they secretly issued conscription orders!"

"they prepared alone then struck with war declaration!"

"too many enemies! retreat! retreat!"

yes. as of august 4, germany was already conducting war with 1.9 million troops secured.

considering the era, perfect collaboration between crazy administrative speed and high-level military.

given the dual monarchy had 450,000, france had 1.29 million though couldn't send to front while conscripting, belgium 186,000, serbia 190,000, germany's power shown right at war's start had to be overwhelming.

britain? britain also has 120,000 ground forces, but must be excluded as they show no signs of sending them yet.

and russia.

"first-class reserve mobilization complete!"

"first army through ninth army organization complete!"

"active army concentration in warsaw complete!"

same day august 4, completed first-class reserve mobilization filling 3.4 million organization.

this was an incomprehensible phenomenon even for aleksei brusilov who had been waiting for orders from above.

"major general lavr g. kornilov, now i see we prepared before german forces."

"since we started troop movement a month ago, isn't it similar?"

"no, if german forces decided on war as soon as crown prince ferdinand died, enemy forces should be packed in the east too."

currently russia has completed organization from first through ninth army.

though not all deployed to this poland front yet, it won't take long.

organization and deployment.

the problems armies suffer most immediately when war breaks out.

starting war with those problems nearly solved is beyond enormous merit - it's equivalent to holding initiative rights.

just looking at the eighth army responsible for warsaw's frontline. experience more on empire

'7th corps, 8th corps, 12th corps, 24th corps, and beyond that educational battalions, aviation detachments, spark units, auxiliary units, telegraph units, engineering units and numerous other units compose it.'