Chapter 260
Chapter 260
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 260
Chapter Title: Staking Our Claim in Enemy Lands (1)
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One of the lessons I learned at the academy went something like this.
"Battles involving tens or even hundreds of thousands of troops are mere stepping stones for larger wars."
While saying that, the professor looked at us and explained further.
Winning a major victory against a large enemy force in a specific region forces the enemy commander to retreat and reorganize their units.
On the retreat, they pull in troops left behind in various castles and cities to fill their ranks. If they abandon those garrisons at the front, the soldiers left behind know no reinforcements will come anytime soon, so they often surrender unconditionally to the enemy.
Those surrendered troops become POWs for the duration of the war—effectively lost allies.
Because of this, once the enemy's main army retreats, most cities and strongholds they leave behind are stripped bare of soldiers, making their gates easy to open.
That's why large-scale field battles are akin to a game of territorial conquest. A single victory can topple countless castles without needing separate sieges.
For example, right after our win on the Osby Plains in the Kingdom of Stockholm, when we marched to Oslo Castle, we passed several fortresses.
By the time we arrived, not only were the administrators gone, but scarcely any soldiers remained inside.
As I mulled over these thoughts, the generals seated before me were engaged in a heated exchange of opinions.
"Major General Galant, we've dealt Warsaw a blow they can't recover from anytime soon. We can't miss this chance—we need to press the attack aggressively and seize as much as we can."
"So you're saying we should push all the way to Uts Fortress, when we've only just linked up one sea supply route through Gripino?"
"Uts will be empty anyway. It's worth a shot."
"War isn't an adventure, Brigadier Granbri."
In this atmosphere, field-grade officers like Laura didn't dare interject into the stars' debate.
The generals split into two factions.
One championed Major General Galant's idea of securing the land from Gripino westward to the Empire's border.
The other backed Brigadier Granbri's proposal to advance southward from Gripino.
Once the two sides had aired their views, all eyes—generals and field officers alike—naturally turned to me.
They wanted their commander to step in and synthesize the arguments.
I cleared my throat a few times to dissipate the heated tension from the strategy discussion, then spoke.
"Both Major General Galant and Brigadier Granbri are right. I'll make sure to note in your personnel evaluations after this campaign that both strategies were sound."
A faint smile crossed the faces of the two men in their fifties.
"That said, I believe fully consolidating the territory west of Gripino, as Major General Galant suggests, is our top priority."
"May I ask why you think so?"
"Our Reich Empire forces must prepare for the possibility of a protracted war. The reason? Grand Duke Warsaw hasn't proposed armistice talks yet."
If I were Grand Duke Warsaw, I'd face reality head-on and propose peace immediately to stem further losses.
But His Highness the Grand Duke—whether he's finally lost his mind or is too tangled in internal 'purges' amid total chaos to spare a thought for it—hasn't broached negotiations.
In such cases, even after a great victory, being the first to propose talks means bowing your head and forfeiting strategic advantage right from the start.
From the victor's position, offering to end the war and abandon the hard-won high ground soaked in our blood would harm the Empire.
That could be seen as treason against His Imperial Majesty the Emperor, so even as commander, I can't unilaterally end the war here.
The generals nodded, grasping my point.
"Assuming a long war, shouldn't our first task be securing the land west of Gripino entirely in our hands to ensure steady supply lines? Pushing for Uts to the south would leave us with only one sea route linking to Reich Empire reinforcements. And don't forget Warsaw's navy is still intact."
In a pre-modern society—or even after trains and trucks emerged—the most efficient way to transport massive cargoes remains shipping.
In the Reich Empire, with no electricity, no trains or trucks, and no asphalt or concrete roads, ships are undeniably superior for logistics.
Though Warsaw's army has suffered irrecoverable losses, their navy remains unscathed.
If our supplies of food, weapons, armor, arrows, and essentials are funneled solely through sea routes?
The Grand Duke would unleash his navy to plunder them all, and in the worst case, our Reich Empire forces would lose combat effectiveness from severed supplies.
The generals here realized this too, letting out heavy sighs as one spoke up.
"If sea supplies get cut off even once, it takes at least a month or two for the next shipment. Soldiers who look like they'll drop dead after skipping one meal... two months without materiel..."
"Our forces could end up trapped and dying in Warsaw. That mess on the Switserland Front..."
"Don't even mention it! Wasn't that the unprecedented disaster where His Imperial Majesty, then Crown Prince, nearly got captured by that bastard Duke of Switserland?"
An army stripped of combat ability is no better than a mob, whether 100,000 or a million strong—like the Tang Dynasty rabble.
I suspect Grand Duke Warsaw is banking on that, but no four-star general anywhere in Europa would make such a basic blunder.
Staff colleges drill supply maintenance into your skull; no one reaches that rank without headaches over single arrows or kilograms of hardtack.
The only one pulling such blunders is Lieutenant General Renya Mutaguchi of the Shadow Independent Army dispatched to Japan.
"Thus, to prepare for a long war, we must fully occupy the territory west of Gripino Fortress. We'll brace ourselves to outlast the Grand Duchy of Warsaw until it bleeds dry."
With nearly 80,000 combat troops lost, the Grand Duchy's morale must have plummeted below rock bottom—straight into the underworld.
If we signal our intent to fight on indefinitely, the nobles will band together, calling it madness and urging a halt.
The longer it drags, the better for Reich Empire forces.
Having crushed the enemy once decisively, we'll secure the land route from Gripino to the Empire.
In peace talks, we'll hold the threat of total war with fresh reinforcements at any moment.
"Any objections so far?"
The generals around me nodded in agreement.
"Then I'll now issue directives for the Warsaw Expeditionary Force. Eyes on the map."
As I pointed with my baton, all gazes followed.
"Detach each division to surround walled cities, urge surrender, and persuade them to open the gates. News of the 150,000 routed under Grand Marshal Tateusz should be widespread by now. Those left inside know no reinforcements are coming anytime soon."
For a successful defense, the garrison needs firm belief in incoming reinforcements.
If none come, they're just starving, terrified, haunted by fears of slaughter—with no hope to lift their spirits, they despair.
"So when we demand they open the gates, they'll comply eagerly. If they refuse, request support from me. I'll send appropriate forces."
Though I said that, there's over a 97% chance no such support will be needed. Still, preparedness for the unlikely is always wise.
"Once the gates open, strictly forbid all looting, violence, or breaches of military law. No drinking or whoring from the moment you enter. After Warsaw's troops evacuate, have the garrison units temporarily handle disrupted security and order. Pull the western territories fully into our fold. That is all."
Given our past plundering, to win hearts post-conquest, we must distribute survival essentials.
Food and necessities? Just requisition from Empire supply units—they'll provide plenty.
Because our Army Minister is none other than General Keitel.
Follow Kaemon, and supplies won't run dry lightly.