Chapter 151: Odessa Is Nothing, We’re Pushing Straight To The Dnieper River In One Go!
Lelouch only took half a night to pry open Admiral Eberhardt’s mouth.
Not only did he completely break his psychological defenses, making him willing to cooperate obediently.
Eberhardt even fantasized about possibly taking some position in the “Volgadamnian country” after Lusha collapses and the Tsar is killed.
Well, of course, the future “Volgadamnian people” definitely wouldn’t still be living from the Volga River downstream to the Caspian Sea coast. That area is Lusha’s great rear hinterland.
If the two countries and two peoples end up with deep hatred from killing each other in the future, the Volgadamnian people will definitely need to migrate to some land further west or further south, finding a place to build a country in the relatively sparsely populated southwestern border area destroyed after the war by Lushans, backing against Germania’s traditional sphere of influence for self-preservation.
But these are all too far-fetched.
In any case, the fact that Admiral Eberhardt started fantasizing about things so far off shows just how thoroughly he had submitted to Lelouch’s plan.
At this point, if Lelouch asked him to betray any military interests of Lusha, he would probably do it.
……
The next day at dawn, Admiral Spee had just woken up in the captain’s cabin of the Goeben.
He then saw Lelouch come in with several documents and pull out one to hand to Spee.
“This is a general description of the mine deployment outside Nikolaev Port. By following these coordinates, the fleet can take a safe route in and out of Nikolaev Port—is what Eberhardt confessed last night.”
Spee didn’t know what interrogation methods Lelouch used, but he was already quite satisfied with such results.
A mine deployment sketch, if genuine, would allow them to avoid slow mine sweeping and approach the port depths undetected.
Although the Empire already had heavy minesweeping chains, the suddenness of these two methods was vastly different.
“Congratulations, you succeeded in just half a night.” Admiral Spee sincerely praised.
Lelouch: “This is nothing yet. That old guy only remembers the safe routes outside Nikolaev Port. I’m still hoping he’ll hand over the safe route maps for Sevastopol and Yevpatoria.
But it’s too complicated; he can’t remember that much. We’ll have to wait until our army captures Odessa or Nikolaev, then seize them from the safes in their naval detachment fleet headquarters.”
Admiral Spee: “So what do you need the navy to do with this sketch now? Or should I handle it slowly at my discretion?”
Lelouch considered his wording, then pulled out two more documents: “Here’s also a list and a few letters.
The list has Admiral Eberhardt’s trusted confidants he thinks can be persuaded to surrender, plus other relatively reliable Volgadamnian officers in the Black Sea Fleet, and some close associates in Nikolaev Shipyard and Odessa Shipyard.
These letters are surrender secret letters he wrote personally, sealed with his private seal. They analyze how the Tsar is bound to fall, and after Lusha is beaten down, if it becomes a nation-state rather than an aristocratic state, Volgadamnian officials definitely won’t have a good future.
In short, we can take this opportunity when the Black Sea Fleet is smashed, enemy troops along the Black Sea Coast are panicking, and army-navy mutual suspicion peaks, to further intensify the sowing of discord. Try to make more enemy navy feel they will be purged, more enemy army feel the navy will stab them in the back so they dare not fight to the death and only want to flee…”
Admiral Spee listened with some discomfort and interrupted quickly: “Just tell me specifically what you want the navy to do, and have you gotten authorization from Marshal Rupprecht?”
Lelouch: “Of course, everything I do has been applied for and reported to the Marshal in advance. Though some details are adjusted, needing coordination of some resources, I’ll handle it soon.”
Admiral Spee understood and immediately arranged a large torpedo boat to send Lelouch ashore to coordinate resources everywhere and plot some things.
After landing, Lelouch quickly met Duke Rupprecht at the forward command post in Ovidiopol city, combining his latest gains from persuading Eberhardt to surrender, and formulated a discord plan to maximize mutual suspicion between Lushan navy and army.
Of course, this discord plan couldn’t directly collapse the enemy army, but it could maximally strike enemy morale and temporarily create chaos within enemy ranks. The final siege and annihilation tasks still relied on friendly forces fighting hard head-on, which wasn’t something Lelouch could handle.
There is order in learning, and specialization is key. In this Black Sea Campaign, Lelouch’s greatest contribution was psychological warfare.
It was also thanks to facing an enemy like Lusha, a centrifugal clay giant with feet of clay. If twenty years later, making Lelouch deal with those monolithic faithful nations, such discord tricks wouldn’t work.
……
Two days later, the intense assault battle on the front of Odessa city was still ongoing.
Both sides paid at least four-digit daily battle deaths, and more wounded.
A new behind-the-lines landing harassment plan was freshly ready.
Lelouch urgently recruited some freshly brainwashed Volgadamnian soldiers from the sailor prisoners salvaged after sinking the Lusha Black Sea Fleet, making them turn from dark to light again.
Under Lelouch’s organized external propaganda offensive, these people also realized the Tsar was doomed, and Volgadamnians continuing loyalty to Lusha would bear no good fruit. So they were sincerely willing to fight for their own people, no longer bound by that old-style feudal loyalty to the Tsar.
After urgently brainwashing these soldiers, Lelouch found several recently captured Lusha supply ships, still flying Lushan flags, loaded with some core soldiers who spoke Lushan language, mixed with these new turncoats, preparing a landing raid on Nikolaev Port Area and shipyard zone.
For this raid, Lelouch didn’t plan to rely purely on force; he also had copies of Admiral Eberhardt’s surrender letters slightly reprinted, to create chaos and force surrender of some port guards and shipyard workers in Nikolaev city.
Considering paper letters hard to deliver, and to protect the Eberhardt chess piece temporarily not using leaflet drops, Lelouch decided to send short-range naval cipher telegrams within 50 km outside the port, using the Black Sea Fleet cipher book confessed by Admiral Eberhardt. The content could include some inside secrets between Eberhardt and his subordinates to enhance credibility.
With such multi-pronged approach, taking Nikolaev Port and shipyard amid chaos shouldn’t be difficult.
But taking the port wasn’t Lelouch’s ultimate goal; his main aim was to create the stereotype that “everyone in the landed Black Sea Fleet might rebel,” making remaining non-rebelled Black Sea Fleet sailors also discriminated and suspected, distrusted by Lusha top brass, further cyclically reinforcing Lelouch’s propaganda work.
This was also the most common phenomenon before any feudal dynasty collapsed. Perhaps few in the Western world at the time studied these issues, but in the Eastern world with dozens of dynastic changes, any history-reading scholar understood the principle.
So Lelouch, an Eastern soul well-versed in the Twenty-Four Histories, had a great advantage in orchestrating these matters.
How many ancient dynasties truly fought to the last moment before collapsing? Mostly only during a few foreign invasions were resistances firm, as Gu Yanwu said: there are those who lose the country, and those who lose the world in dynastic changes.
If merely “changing the dynasty name,” once more than half the realm is lost, the former emperor universally suspects subordinates’ loyalty, subordinates feel universally endangered, the latter half proceeds quickly.
But ancient Western world rarely had grand unified dynastic changes; most ancient Western states fell to other countries, not their own people.
This also left Western historians and political practitioners lacking experience in this area, not knowing how to beat a dying drum and accelerate a feudal empire’s death on the verge of dynastic change.
And historically, later scholars who learned from World War I lessons, thinking they understood, veered to the opposite extreme.
It must be said, in this aspect, Western historical lesson researchers were far inferior to the East.
Even the principle that “every dynasty, to avoid the previous one’s downfall mode, overcorrects to another extreme and self-destructs”—known to Eastern middle schoolers—they didn’t know.
Eastern middle schoolers know the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms fell because “the one with strongest troops and horses becomes emperor,” so Song overcorrected, disarmed itself, and fell.
In the West, researchers learned from “overestimating Lusha’s cohesion in World War I, should not have followed that idiot Schlieffen’s plan but returned to Moltke the Elder’s east-attack west-defense strategy,” then rashly thought “USSR is just a rundown building, one kick on the door and it collapses.”
World War I overestimated a feudal empire’s cohesion, World War II underestimated a new organizational form’s cohesion.
World War I self-destructed from overly thorough mobilization, Ludendorff’s too thorough “total war” mobilization. World War II feared wolves ahead and tigers behind, lest people bear slightly more burden and explode, timidly entering wartime economy only in 1944.
If they had experienced over a dozen grand unified dynastic “name changes” like the East, they would know “learning from previous dynasty can’t be too ruthless, can’t switch from flooring accelerator to flooring brakes, let alone from hard left rudder to hard right.”
……
Under Lelouch’s experience far surpassing Western historians and political practitioners in “how to accelerate a feudal empire’s internal collapse process.”
His plan quickly achieved relatively perfect progress.
Rommel led that vanguard landing force, plus homeland soldiers who spoke Lushan language, and the latest turned Black Sea Fleet Germanic sailors, quietly followed the pre-reconnoitered safe route on August 10 evening, sailing several supply ships flying Lushan flags, and approached Nikolaev Port.
Actually before acting, Admiral Spee had mineswept to confirm once, and indeed found no mines on the route, proving Eberhardt’s safe route info was correct.
After docking, the first batch ashore even wore Lushan uniforms, and the pre-port message was “a transport convoy intercepted by Germania Navy far out at sea, had to flee back to our mine zone, requesting temporary shelter.”
In short, exploiting Lusha sailors’ panic and management chaos to land amid confusion.
Don’t scorn Lusha navy’s lax management; mainly Black Sea Fleet’s main warships were all sunk, remaining sailors and ground crew temporarily reassigned.
Personnel heavily drawn to assist army, Nikolaev even short on port authority staff. Management chaos normal in such case.
Ultimately, Rommel surprise landed successfully, and simultaneously had nearby ships’ radios send naval cipher telegrams ashore, hoping Nikolaev’s small group of Eberhardt’s old subordinates could see the situation clearly.
Of course, Nikolaev city had not only reassigned Lusha sailors, but also army.
Romanian Front Army had cumulatively deployed one corps’ strength in defenses around Nikolaev.
For that army part, Lelouch showed no mercy, directly using those 3 pre-dreadnoughts with 240mm main gun groups and 150mm secondary gun groups full fire to blast.
With Black Sea Fleet failing to block Rommel’s landing, navy old hands panicking, army caught off-guard and bombarded, the situation in Nikolaev quickly descended into chaos.
This city was still rear area after all, 100 km from Odessa front, and deep in a gulf; local garrison truly didn’t expect a raid.
Rommel took just one night to control port area and shipyard, then started fierce battle with city enemies.
Throughout, thousands of original Black Sea Fleet sailors and leading officers seemed to realize Tsar’s cause lost, persuaded by old commander’s cipher telegram, willing to turncoat and surrender on the spot.
Shipyard and dock workers had no loyalty to Tsar, smoothly surrendered.
Warfire instantly spread along entire western Kievan Rus’ Great Plain coastline; Lushans thoroughly stunned, realizing any Black Sea coast port, enemies could land from any point, impossible to defend everywhere.
Though as early as July 28 they first faced landing at Dniester River Estuary.
But now only August 10, with World War I Lusha military machine’s adaptation speed, not thinking countermeasures against landings or targeted deployments in two weeks was normal.
Eating same loss twice isn’t rare.
……
Next day, Romanian Front Army headquarters in Odessa city.
Front Army Commander General Evert exploded instantly upon hearing Nikolaev raided.
“Impossible? Enemies passed at least 60 nautical miles of minefield silently to land directly in Nikolaev Port? And with ships flying our flags, first ashore soldiers including many speaking Lushan language?”
General Evert, never experienced special operations, completely couldn’t imagine.
Enemies’ fancy tricks too many too frequent, his brain couldn’t keep up.
After hours of mental chaos, he barely concluded: massive traitors in navy! They’d do anything to topple Tsar, even betray country!
Increasingly frightened General Evert involuntarily did what Lelouch hoped: immediately disarm those thousands of original sailors and navy ground crew just conscripted as city defenders in Odessa, revert to logistics to prevent turncoating!
Because their former comrades, those Black Sea Fleet original sailors in Nikolaev, had mass defected!
With Nikolaev ex-navy as example, Odessa, Yevpatoria, Sevastopol original navy old hands naturally untrustworthy. In such chaotic times, caution prevents great mistakes.
General Evert’s action further intensified Lusha navy-army conflict around Black Sea.
Originally Evert just wanted quietly disarm one unit, emergency measure, no intent to widen scope.
But with Lelouch opposite, watching their moves.
With external propaganda genius Lelouch magnifying glass in hand, any overreaction by General Evert would be instantly seized and amplified by Lelouch.
……
Just hours after Evert’s blunder, Germania 6th Army forward command post in Ovidiopol.
Upon getting news, Lelouch immediately found the Duke, pitching next countermeasure:
“Perfect, our plan advances. Now Evert disarmed first unreliable ex-navy unit; we publicize Evert distrusts all navy.
Even publicize Tsar distrusts all Black Sea Fleet personnel, or further, Tsar’s mystic Rasputin just astrologized for Tsar, saying killing all Black Sea Fleet traitors will turn empire’s crisis to safety!”
Rumor content’s absurdity doesn’t matter; rumor-mongering costs nothing.
Duke already accustomed to Lelouch’s thinking pace these days, understood his overall plan well, so not surprised again, just nodded silently to let Lelouch proceed:
“Same rule: frontline battlefield not your concern, focus energy on rumor-mongering.”
Lelouch boldly continued orchestrating per his ideas.
August 12, terrible rumors spread via all channels among Lusha defenders in Odessa and Nikolaev cities.
Specific channels included Germania soldiers’ frontline shouts, infiltration by disguised Lusha soldiers and civilians, even original Lusha Black Sea Fleet radio cipher calls to surrender.
Content clearly divided; rumors too circuitous not for ordinary soldiers’ frontline shouts.
Germania Empire had some intelligence and propaganda setup anyway; Lelouch didn’t need to handle details.
Germania had many spies in Lusha; though usually low efficiency, key moments, with Lelouch providing propaganda copy, they found ways to disseminate.
Lelouch just needed to order using his authority as Deputy Director of Imperial Ministry of War Propaganda Bureau in charge of external propaganda work, no need to manage how subordinates executed; those were black-box resources for him.
In short, within two days, among Lusha officers and men spread “who betrayed Tsar, sparking this navy defection wave.”
All pointed to already dead Odessa Detachment Fleet commander Major General Lugin and his small circle—of course, Lusha army didn’t know Major General Lugin dead, thought him salvaged and captured by Germanics.
Just as Black Sea Fleet Commander-in-Chief Admiral Eberhardt, salvaged by Germanics, thought dead by most.
With Admiral Spee’s fleet good secrecy—not letting prisoners ashore—Lushans couldn’t know who lived or died.
With Black Sea navy-army conflicts escalating, Romanian Front Army Commander General Evert dared not stay silent, especially with army situation increasingly dire; he needed a scapegoat.
Thus, this rumor went straight from Evert without detailed investigation to Petersburg, to Tsar.
Nicholas II furious upon seeing: Black Sea Theater worsening so fast these past weeks because Lugin was traitor, colluding with anti-Tsar forces!
Tsar finally enraged, ordered severe punishment of Major General Lugin’s clan.
Though Lusha lacked “exterminate three clans” penalty, exiling Lugin’s entire family to Siberia and executing a few key ones was doable.
Necessary in wartime to soothe morale, prevent Romanian Front Army disheartening.
All settled by August 15.
But then Lelouch’s more vicious follow-up struck in chain.
He launched mass surrenders at other wavering Black Sea Fleet officers, especially Eberhardt’s direct subordinates. With Lugin’s death, remaining non-defected Black Sea Fleet rear garrisons destabilized, everyone endangered.
More Black Sea Fleet mine deployment maps offered by turncoats to Germania Army; Admiral Spee split forces for more harassment, intercept more Black Sea convoys, even with cooperating surrendering enemy sailors, launched more widespread small landings.
Dnieper River Estuary south bank, Crimean Isthmus, even some small ports on Crimean Peninsula, sprouted Lusha sailor “righteous armies” responding to Germanics.
Battle at this stage, Lusha Romanian Front Army ground defenses totally collapsed.
Now impossible to distinguish enemy from own, safe from unsafe. Any seaside spot might have own people suddenly rebel responding to enemy.
Ultimately Romanian Front Army abandoned Odessa on August 16; General Evert led one corps remnants north fleeing toward Kyiv.
August 20, two divisions remnants guarding Nikolaev fled east and north to Dnieper east bank, preparing reorganize defense on Dnieper, link with local second-line troops.
Not that Germania army siege power so fierce, but Lusha army morale already rock-bottom, didn’t want to fight.
Originally officers feared baseless retreat bringing military law execution by firing squad. But now excuse: “navy betrayed, stabbed army in back, that’s why couldn’t hold,” so of course flee.
Also Lelouch giving low-morale Lusha army a step down.
Germania Army advanced triumphantly; Duke Rupprecht connected all previous multi-point infiltration landing zones into one, not only taking entire coast from Odessa to Dnieper River Estuary, but crossed estuary further, controlling entire Crimean Isthmus.
Cut land link between Lusha troops on Crimean Peninsula and Kievan Rus’ Great Plain, pushed to Yevpatoria Port on Crimean Peninsula.
Lusha Army on Crimean Peninsula left only last throat-hold fortress Sevastopol unbreached.
Earlier Germania air raids destroyed heavy coastal defense batteries here. But Sevastopol operated over 50 years by Lushans; in 1854 war, Franco-British alliance besieged nearly a year to take.
So even cut off aid, with some local navy defecting, Sevastopol plus Kerch Peninsula still had half an Army Group, total 4 corps 200,000, could continue hold out.
But after reaching here, Duke Rupprecht not hasty to take fortress quickly. Lushans had no Black Sea Fleet left; just old nest empty port useless, dead fruit on withered vine.
Lushans want hold for relief, let them.
Their land link to Kievan Rus’ Great Plain cut; Germania Army just hold Yevpatoria to Crimean Isthmus line, rely on terrain confront Lusha Army, high walls deep trenches, wait Lushans attempt breakout or supply, die batch by batch on defenses, bleed Lushans continuously.
Or Lushans might luckily try night dark civilian ships cross Strait of Kerch, sea route to Kerch Peninsula with reinforcements and supplies.
But Germania Navy held absolute Black Sea sea control; even 10 nautical miles wide Strait of Kerch, Germanics could intercept enemy supplies at sea, perhaps bleed more lucky enemies.
Black Sea Campaign at this stage basically achieved strategic goals.
Further deep attacks into Kievan Rus’ black soil Great Plain need troops rest, forward stockpile supplies, even wait armored cars and tanks etc. new weapons equip units.
At least a month’s preparation needed.
Don’t see current Germania Army victory momentum in Kievan Rus’ War Zone as blooming flowers fiery oil.
All built on absolute Black Sea sea control, bringing “as long as operating Black Sea western coast, logistics no issue.”
Once leave coast deep inland, logistics would collapse. Rash sustained offense quickly exhausts; must build up strength and reprepare.
Meanwhile, enemies wouldn’t watch Germania Army achieve on Eastern Front south road.
Since Black Sea Campaign started, southern Mediterranean Theater Britannians anxious lest Lusha Black Sea sea control total collapse, future sea relief routes choked.
So as early as Lelouch helped Rupprecht take Nikolaev, southern Dardanelles Strait landing campaign formally launched.
Originally Britannia Naval Minister Walton Spencer wanted more prep, thought late August suitable for landing.
But scared by Germania’s Kievan Rus’ blitz progress, Walton rushed, forced troops launch Gallipoli Peninsula landing on August 15—about same day as Odessa fell here.
Luckily Ottoman Empire Army defending Dardanelles Strait and Gallipoli Peninsula gave force.
Plus Germania-assigned Ottoman Chief of Staff General Zanders highly capable.
So currently Ottoman Army could hold off Britannia and Italy landing troops awhile on own.
（Note: The following figure shows the latest controlled line changes map after Black Sea Campaign ended.）
