Chapter 61
Chapter 61
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: What is War? (2)
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"There are definitely cases where you inflict heavy casualties on the enemy in battle but still end up losing strategically. But is it really okay to interpret things that way?"
"But nothing the Lieutenant Colonel said seems wrong, does it?"
"I think so too. Applying the theory Professor Gupta mentioned, the reasons for wars I couldn't understand from the academy papers suddenly make perfect sense."
At the Imperial Academy, students' knowledge would still be immature, and their grasp of real battlefield principles too shallow, so they wouldn't have followed lectures like this.
But these were elites who had clawed their way through fierce competition from the academy to the Staff College.
Seeing them debate and apply even the most basic concepts I tossed out—it made teaching feel truly rewarding.
Still, instead of letting my chest swell with pride, I stood at the podium, faced them, and said,
"Attention, everyone. The ten-minute break is over. Let's begin the next lesson."
An hour ago, when class started, their curiosity had been more about the genius who earned a barony at twenty-one and rose to lieutenant colonel.
Now, they were completely immersed in this lesson introducing bold new theories.
As a teacher, I couldn't help loving this ideal scene—it even made me wonder for a moment if I should settle in as a professor.
"With about two hours left in my allotted time, I'll base the lesson on the battles in Visocia. You've all read the rough reports on those battles, I assume?"
These reports were Class 3 classified, off-limits to regular academy students, but these were the stars of tomorrow.
Of course they had access, and to survive the competition, they'd pored over every detail.
"Today, I'll show a prime example of how even a battle victory—driven purely by the enemy commander's resolve—can turn to strategic dust. Everyone knows Checovia's Commander-in-Chief Nikolai retreated to Visocia Fortress without a second thought after his defeat, right?"
As expected, every student in the lecture hall shot up a hand, signaling they'd read it.
"Good. Let's dive in. Because of Commander-in-Chief Nikolai's choice, the Reich Empire faced a crisis where we'd gain zero ground on the Checovia front. Or rather, strategically, it nearly became a draw—mutual losses, a double defeat. That's a perfect case proving how much power a commander's will to fight can wield."
Digging deeper into the situation, Nikolai—that bastard—was just a cowardly dog of a commander-in-chief who fled without fighting to the end when defeat loomed.
If that mutt's plan had worked...
Argh, no point thinking about it since I'll cover it in the lecture anyway, damn it. Just recalling it sours my mood.
Nikolai, the punk who rolled into med school on exam luck only to flunk every class in his second year.
But it could serve as a fine example of what happens when a commander clings on with unbreakable will.
"When His Highness the Crown Prince feigned retreat to lure Nikolai's fifty thousand, then wheeled back for a countercharge—while Major General Ludwig's 8th Division successfully raided the enemy main force—the enemy had already lost over thirty percent to death or missing. They were practically annihilated, barely a fighting force anymore. Retreat was their only option."
So Nikolai, like some Joseon king who ditched his people faster than light to flee, abandoned his headquarters as commander-in-chief and bolted.
Normally, with their damn leader deserting, organized retreat would've been impossible—we could've just hammered them one-sidedly and feasted.
"Narrowly viewed, our Imperial forces had inflicted massive damage, so we'd just maximized kills on the enemy troops underpinning their combat ability. But let's widen the lens."
With that, I sketched a rough map of the battlefield and around Visocia Fortress, then continued.
"'Annihilating' the enemy usually means thirty percent killed or critically wounded. Push a pursuit and you might get near half dead or deserted. The rest slip away due to our limits and the terrain, heading straight for Commander-in-Chief Nikolai's Visocia Fortress."
The students' faces slowly hardened as they heard that.
Because if Nikolai had baited us into a siege...
The Crown Prince's army, fresh off a huge field victory, would've faced a grueling siege.
No matter how crushed and demoralized, twenty-five thousand defenders in a fortress aren't falling to forty thousand easily.
Military doctrine teaches this:
'Sieges need at least three times the numbers. Encircle or abandon. Otherwise, you're done.'
It's gospel in the Imperial military manual, unchanged since it was written.
Then I roughly drew the map around the Empire and pressed on.
"As you see, the Empire's geography leaves us ringed by foes: the Franco Republic, Checovia, Swichiland, the Warsaw Kingdom, and more. A prolonged war, and they'd exploit the gap. To them, a drawn-out siege weakens us, boosting their odds."
We outmatch any one-on-one in national power and military might, but two-on-one stretches our lines, strains supply, and tips the scales.
Defeat looms, like the Empire after the prime minister's death—blood and iron clotting our veins.
No total war means no total collapse, but we'd still get pummeled similarly...
"If two fronts open, the worst happens: we lose territory to others. We'd avert that somehow, but the Empire might've ended negotiating from Visocia on lousy terms despite the great victory—ceding only half the region, say."
If Checovia's grand duke had real diplomatic chops, he'd have rallied two or three nations to threaten war.
We might've fled with just reparations covering losses.
Best not go there.
Time to praise our Crown Prince.
Repay favors twofold—that's a vassal's duty.
"But I spotted the defenders at the enemy HQ lacking desperation. It hinted Nikolai had ditched it. When I reported that, His Highness didn't ignore a mere major's word. Result? Nikolai got nabbed fleeing, died a craven coward, and the Reich Empire claimed overwhelming victory."
Had Nikolai escaped, the Crown Prince and his faction would've eaten crow.
War's a gamble—losers lose all—but thinking how close chills me.
"Even a commander-in-chief's will can flip the tide like that, so we must always crush the enemy's resolve in war. That ends today's lesson. Want more on eroding enemy combat ability? Keep taking my class."
As I finished, the oldest-looking major stood, saluted, ending my debut lecture.
Then murmurs rose as students clustered.
"Pull out the map—let's analyze again."
"Today's the day to change electives, so we can skip the next one."
"Lieutenant Laura was the professor's aide in the field—grab her for details."
Even back home, grade hounds reviewed during breaks after class. Staff College's no different.
With that thought, I left.