Holy Roman Empire - Chapter 395

Chapter 395: Chapter 82: The Helplessness of the Chess Piece
The results of the Battle of East Prussia left Europe collectively speechless. This outcome was too difficult to accept; nobody thought that Prussia would actually make a comeback.

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Many verbose experts had confidently analyzed that the earlier loss of East Prussia was the Prussians luring the enemy deeper into the territory.

Stepping on the shoulders of the Russians, the Kingdom of Prussia gained fame in a single battle. Even the commander Maoqi became famous overnight, becoming one of the most dominant military leaders of the age.

As the person involved, Maoqi dared not take credit for this. He could swear to God that he never intended to give up East Prussia.

Do you really think just reclaiming the East Prussia region is enough? Look at how few people are left there, and you’ll see how serious the problem is.

After the recovery of the East Prussia region, the population was reported to be less than eighty thousand. Before the war, there were over a million people there, and even if tens of thousands were still in the army, that would only total around a hundred thousand.

The remaining eight or nine hundred thousand people were wiped out in this war. Whether they died in the blaze of war or moved to Austria’s colonies, for the Kingdom of Prussia, these people were a loss.

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Does the Kingdom of Prussia now dare to ask Austria for people? The Vienna Government is probably still wondering whether to come over and demand Silesia.

Wouldn’t it be asking for trouble to offer oneself up at this time?

The Berlin Government certainly doesn’t want to lose the Silesia area; Austria already broke the initial agreement by supporting the Russians in the war.

But as for the great powers, well, it’s commonly known—they usually have thick skins. Unless the Kingdom of Prussia can produce evidence, the Vienna Government will absolutely not admit to having supported the Russians.

Why did so much Austrian military equipment appear in the Russian Army?

Russian-Austrian equipment comes from the same origin, which is news known all over the world. It would be normal to find Austrian equipment; it would be a problem if it didn’t appear.

All these are produced by the Russians themselves. The Russian Empire is the master of Europe; how could they possibly fail to handle mere weapons and equipment?

If strategic materials show marks of Austrian businesses, it’s even less worth mentioning. Those are Russian imitations, and counterfeit goods are of course identical to the original.

If you don’t believe it, you can go check in the Russian Empire. The Tsarist Government is quite easy to talk to; they would probably just send you to Siberia to plant potatoes.

Have evidence? It’s better not to bring it out, as lifting the lid would make everybody look bad. Wouldn’t it be better to maintain a silent understanding?

The initial agreement wasn’t put on paper; it was a verbal promise. Isn’t it good to pretend that nothing happened?

Then, the soldiers from the East Prussia region couldn’t accept it.

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They lost their families and now there’s no sign of life or death. Were they eliminated by the Russians or lured away by someone? There needs to be a clear answer, right?

This news that the East Prussia region was deliberately abandoned made everyone even more intolerant. Then mutiny happened, and tens of thousands of troops demanded an explanation from the Berlin Government.

Maoqi, the commander-in-chief, became a sinner in the eyes of many. Had it not been for the military’s upper echelons knowing that the loss of the East Prussia region was an accident, Wilhelm I would have been prepared to make Maoqi the scapegoat.

Now, of course, that cannot be done; it would dishearten his subordinates.

Obviously, until the matter is clarified, this suspicion cannot be dispelled. The blame still falls on Maoqi, the commander, but no further responsibility will be pursued.

Wilhelm I is a wise man. You should not burn bridges or slaughter the donkey before you finish grinding the wheat or crossing the river.

The Prusso-Russian War is only temporarily on hold because winter has arrived and it’s impossible to fight, but there is another test waiting for them next year. At this time, the military cannot be offended at all costs.

Moreover, if Wilhelm I can’t even see through such obvious instigation, how can he continue to be King?

The Berlin Government made a clarification immediately, assuring that the East Prussia region had not been deliberately abandoned, and even disclosed the strategic plans deployed to defend it.

The generals responsible for defending the coastal areas assumed full responsibility for the loss of East Prussia and were sent to military tribunals.

Then the news of the East Prussia region’s population seeking refuge in Austrian colonies was released. Religious figures were invited to testify, proving that most of the people were still alive.

Wilhelm I made a promise that after the war, the government would fund the return of these people from overseas.

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Nobility Officers were also working on soldiers’ thoughts: During the war, the East Prussia region may become a battlefield again at any time, and for the safety of the people, it is better to let them take refuge overseas first.

This mutiny came quickly and dissipated even faster. While pacifying the military, the government also didn’t forget to direct hatred towards the Russians.

Many religious figures and civilians who hadn’t evacuated served as living proof, it was totally because of the Russians’ destructive actions that people couldn’t survive and fled overseas.

Wilhelm I was weary at heart, pacifying soldiers as well as the nobility. The Junker nobles from the East Prussia region also suffered heavy losses; this was a sacrifice for the nation, and compensation would certainly be given after the war.

That’s not all; war leads to death, and behind the magnificent victories, numerous Prussian soldiers had fallen forever.

In the Berlin Palace, looking at the constantly rising death toll, Wilhelm I’s heart bled.

Indeed, they achieved a complete victory in the Battle of East Prussia, not only recovering the East Prussia region and occupying the Lithuanian Region but also driving the invading Russian Army back from Poland and even seizing parts of the Belarusian Region.

Of course, it’s not that the Prussian Army was so formidable to sweep away the Russians like fallen leaves.

Actually, these territories were let go by the Russians themselves. There’s a saying that rings true: the amount of territory you can occupy on the battlefield depends on how much the enemy is willing to give up.

The main force of the Russian Army sustained a heavy blow, and their morale shattered as they retreated in disarray, naturally leaving the Prussian Army to simply follow behind and claim the territories.

How could they have possibly advanced two to three hundred kilometers within half a month if they had continued to fight? It wasn’t the era of blitzkrieg, with marching and fighting on foot, one couldn’t hasten even if they wished to.

The triumph was brilliant, but the casualties were dreadful. Behind the victory, the Prussian Army also paid a heavy price, losing as high as 142,000 in the entire East Prussia campaign.

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Among them, 74,000 were killed in action, 38,000 were disabled due to injuries, 3,216 died from disease and accidents, and 27,000 injured needed long-term convalescence.

And that wasn’t all; since the outbreak of the war, the total military losses of the Prussian Army had already exceeded 280,000.

Apart from military losses, civilian casualties were even greater. The Russian navy’s raids on the coastal areas also brought significant death and injury. If the plundering by Austria during the chaos were added, the total number would be close to a million.

Of course, accounting for the newly occupied territories, the total population still increased. However, these new subjects did not identify as much with the Kingdom of Prussia.

Yet, Wilhelm I was confident that without comparison, there would be no hurt. With the Tsarist Government as a reference, he believed that the people would make the right choice.

With just assimilation over ten to twenty years, these new subjects would become the cornerstone of the Kingdom of Prussia; their ancestors had already set an example in this regard.

Now, the key issue was expanding the victory and ending the war, as the Kingdom of Prussia was too small and had to expand.

Having already offended the Russians, it mattered little if they offended them even deeper. It was best to carve as many pieces of flesh as possible from the Russians to strengthen the Kingdom of Prussia.

As long as its own strength was powerful enough, even if the Russians wanted revenge, it wouldn’t matter. The Kingdom of Prussia never feared war, even when facing the Russians.

…

“Your Majesty, winter has arrived, and warfare can no longer be continued. I suggest abandoning the Lithuanian Region and withdrawing our troops to the defense of the East Prussia region,”

Prime Minister Frank’s words interrupted Wilhelm I’s reverie and pulled him back to reality.

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“And what’s the reason? You should know what it means politically to give up the Lithuanian Region,”

From a military standpoint, defending the East Prussia region was certainly the best choice, as it allowed direct use of domestic railways for transportation of supplies.

Defending the Lithuanian Region was different; the supply line would extend by more than two hundred kilometers without any railway connecting to the interior, greatly increasing logistical pressure.

Yet politically, occupying the Lithuanian Region signaled that the Kingdom of Prussia had the upper hand in this war. It would not only boost military morale but also encourage the financial backers to increase their investments.

Wilhelm I believed that the winter in the Lithuanian Region was not too cold, and the Prussian Army could endure it. There were rivers within the territory to alleviate logistical pressure, so holding the Lithuanian Region was not an issue.

Prime Minister Frank spoke cautiously, “The war has progressed to this point, and we must consider the aftermath. It might be better to quit while we are ahead and negotiate with the Russians, securing our fruits of victory.

If we occupy the Lithuanian Region, the Tsarist Government will not negotiate with us. Even for the sake of saving face, they would not agree to a ceasefire at this time.”

It was not just about saving face but also related to Alexander II’s personal prestige. Losing a war and going to the negotiation table was not something he could tolerate.

If he truly lost the war without any chance of a turnaround, then personal prestige wouldn’t matter; even without wanting to concede, he would have to.

But the Russians had not truly lost the war, only a single battle.

Clearly, Prime Minister Frank did not want to continue clashing with the Russians to the bitter end and saw the opportunity to capitalize and pull out. Swallowing Russian territory had never been within his plan.

Wilhelm I responded with a bitter smile, “Prime Minister, if there aren’t sufficient gains after fighting to this extent, how do we justify ourselves to the nation?

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Moreover, support from the British doesn’t come easily. The London Government supports our annexation of the Baltic region, and it’s more than just support.

If we cannot achieve this, then without the British backing us up, what path will we follow in the future?

Ever since the military initiated this war, we’ve been a chess piece, not a flag-bearer. A chess piece cannot afford to lose value, lest it become a sacrificial pawn.”

Duking it out with the Russians until the end was not what Wilhelm I had in mind. Yet reality told him that they must fight the Russians to the bitter end.

The victory in the East Prussian campaign had stiffened the resolve of the War Party, and the influence of radical groups surged as they sought to reap benefits from the war.

The Kingdom of Denmark alone could not satisfy their appetites. Moreover, the Kingdom of Prussia dared not annex the whole Kingdom of Denmark, at most just a portion of it.

The war had placed the Kingdom of Prussia deep in debt, and the financiers would not allow them to stop now.

It wasn’t just the British who needed them to fight the Russians to the death; the French and Austrians also needed them to continue weakening the Russians. If they failed to do that, then the Kingdom of Prussia would have no reason to exist.

Prime Minister Frank was unaware, as from the start, he had been part of the Anti-war faction, and other countries had not made contact with him.

After the outbreak of the war, the military took the leading position, and the government was merely assisting them, putting his role as Prime Minister on the sidelines.

The reason he wasn’t ousted was that Wilhelm I did not want to see the military become all-powerful, preferring to have Frank occupy the position rather than turn over the post of Prime Minister to the military.

Receiving the news, Prime Minister Frank left the Palace with a dead-gray face, looking utterly disconsolate.