ushernet Chapter 97 Orbit Deviation (7)
Chapter 97 Orbit Deviation (7)
the great war. or world war 1.
this massive whirlpool is not simply an upgraded version of the russo-japanese war.
if it were merely that, a single war couldn't have finished four empires, dragged emperors to the ground, and replaced ruling parties and regimes of 8 out of top 10 countries except america and japan.
this 5-year war is one where you regress even in victory, and lose everything in defeat.
then is there nothing to gain even in victory? that's not true.
"competitors decrease."
though people say war causes intertwine with all sorts of incidents and national situations, in one word, it's just due to neo-imperialism.
yes, great powers' expansion.
that imperialism blooming since 18th century gunboat diplomacy with clipper ships before ironclads.
imperialism is an unstoppable flow of the era. just look at us who jumped in this game late - isn't the imperialist wave strengthening with our whole country going crazy about asian expansion?
even if war devastates countries and tens of millions die, human greed has no end.
this war is fought for the right to unleash that greed.
losers will lose their nation's future in all forms - territory, colonies, reparations.
winners will flourish further based on what losers spit out.
that was probably what great powers thought during the great war era but.
reality is different.
"even victors collapse, losing power to maintain empire let alone expand."
if the war had ended in year 2-3, perhaps france and britain would have pursued world management holding greater colonies and firmer western european leadership, but they collapsed spectacularly. like defeated germany.
yes, even victors couldn't fill the vacuum of four collapsed empires!
in the end only japan and america who just watched prospered, colonies started watching for independence chances, and european division stole their leadership.
after this war, it becomes hard to find history of european powers joining forces to check other countries like during the boxer rebellion.
then what lessons do these series of thought errors give me?
first.
the great war isn't a war to win.
it's a war to endure.
i'm embarrassed to say this too, but in great war era russian empire, there was only one person who succeeded in offensive plans.
the person called one of russian empire's three great generals along with mikhail golenishchev-kutuzov of napoleonic wars and peter rumyantsev of seven years' war and russo-turkish war.
aleksei brusilov. continue your journey with empire
perhaps because his whole family from grandfather, father, to relatives was extraordinary, he was born with innate military talent.
chance is just 42 days. around 50 days considering german army withdrawal from western front.
what does this mean?
"i'm not telling you to do it alone. i too will maintain continuous interest and various staff from kuropatkin's general staff will join. why, want to refuse?"
"...i will follow your majesty's orders."
"good, that's an imperial general."
if germany activates the schlieffen plan.
we too must activate a similar schlieffen.
early war.
one offensive chance.
when over 80% of enemy forces move to france and defense tactics and doctrine aren't yet ripe.
after 250 years, poland will become one again.
==
the tsar's orders to kokovtsov were very detailed and practical.
rather than questioning such specific orders, kokovtsov could see the tsar was seriously preparing for war.
though half a year passed since selection and start of term as prime minister, those knowing the tsar's grand plan didn't exceed twenty.
naturally those few had to work without rest.
"a fund... you say? for when st. petersburg stock exchange crashes?"
"yes, think of it like wife's pocket money for comparison."
"prime minister, if you're speaking about united states' panic, our empire won't have such thing. from start their stock prices jump up and down daily but our securities trading volume isn't that large."
"just do it when told."
france is a world-renowned investment country.