Chapter 127: North Rudin, South Lelouch
Lelouch’s analysis ultimately convinced Duke Rupprecht.
This led the Duke to decide to leverage the Baria Faction’s influence to persuade the General Staff Headquarters and the Emperor to adjust the plan and stop adopting Marshal Hindenburg’s strategic plan of “north-south pincer advance in the next phase to cut off the Polish salient.”
Instead, change to “utilize Germania’s local naval advantage relative to Lusha, advance on both wings along the coastline, and further expand the victories.”
Of course, this strategy did not mean they would never fight in the Polish region again, but rather that priorities must be weighed. Since the enemy anticipated that the army’s next phase would focus on attacking Poland and had already begun concentrating troops to defend there, there was no need for the army to stubbornly crash into that nail.
The next phase could completely target other places first, striking hard at the weak points in the enemy’s deployments. After beating the enemy into losing territory and direction, if the enemy wised up and transferred some troops from the Polish region to defend elsewhere, then seize the opportunity of their movement to strike at Poland.
In a word, analyze specific situations concretely, strike where the enemy is weak, emphasizing adaptability.
Of course, to execute this plan would require at least half a month’s preparation period. The previous campaign had just ended, and the troops were still quite fatigued, needing some rest. The materials needed for the new offensive also required time to deploy into position.
During this half month, they could persuade the high command while refining the staff plan.
Meanwhile, after Lelouch offered his stratagem, the Duke granted him half a month’s leave, allowing him free activity—especially since the Duke knew that to leverage the Empire’s naval advantage in the Baltic Sea, the enemy army’s mine problem must be resolved. And the Navy’s current mine-sweeping weapons seemed ineffective and needed improvement.
Lelouch had ideas and insights on this, so let him try freely. Moreover, he had strong relations with Vice Admiral Hipper and Admiral Spee, making him one of the few in the Germania Army with good Navy ties and multiple sea-land coordination experiences.
For battles requiring army-navy cooperation, Lelouch naturally needed to coordinate with the Navy. What the Duke could do was give him full authorization and endorsement.
……
After roughly dividing tasks with Lelouch, the Duke himself took a train back to Berlin to promote his strategic plan.
This strategic plan also gained support from the Duke’s second uncle, Old Marshal Leopold, commander of the 10th Army Group, as well as the Grand Duke of Württemberg, commander of the 4th Army Group. Thus, the plan sufficiently represented the stance of the entire Four Southern German States military group.
After submission to the General Staff Headquarters, Chief of Staff Falkenhayn deliberated repeatedly and found the plan reasonable. Compared to the previous plan submitted by Marshal Hindenburg, it was at least no worse.
The new plan’s only uncertainty lay mainly in the feasibility of “army-navy coordination”: whether the Empire’s Navy could, after advancing on both wings, control the water supply routes along the Baltic Sea and Black Sea Coast. If this could be ensured, the new plan would comprehensively surpass Marshal Hindenburg’s old plan.
Falkenhayn added his own endorsement and submitted it to the Emperor for approval.
After reviewing it, Emperor Wilhelm slightly furrowed his brow. As Emperor, he had many things to consider, not just military but also faction balance.
The three Army Group commanders from the Four Southern German States—two of them Marshals—strongly supported this plan, giving Emperor Wilhelm a sense of distaste for factionalism.
Although Germania had never had issues of military rebellion against superiors in its history and there was no need to worry about the army’s loyalty to the state, the Emperor always hoped his long-trusted direct lineage could control the situation.
After much deliberation, Emperor Wilhelm could not decide and forwarded the General Staff Headquarters’ opinions and others to frontline Hindenburg, hoping Hindenburg would respond to the strategic plan proposed by Leopold and Rupprecht, identify its flaws, and also learn from others’ strengths.
……
“Leopold and Rupprecht actually criticized our strategic plan before the Emperor! They’re afraid just because Nikolayevich has concentrated more heavy troops in the Polish region? They dare not attack Poland directly? And hope for Navy cooperation and two-wing advance?”
After receiving the Emperor’s decree, Marshal Hindenburg was quite unwilling and immediately showed it to his Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Ludendorff, and another key staff officer, Major General Mark Hoffmann.
“The Emperor seems worried that after the enemy strengthens forces, we cannot take the enemy in the Polish salient and hopes to continue deep envelopment from both wings—what do you think?” As the staff read, Marshal Hindenburg explained beside them.
Mark Hoffmann offered no opinion on this; his role in the 8th Army Group and the entire Eastern Front central sector was mainly tactical deployment. Whatever strategic ideas Marshal Hindenburg and Lieutenant General Ludendorff had, Hoffmann would refine them into specific troop deployments. But on grand strategy, Hoffmann never overstepped.
Lieutenant General Ludendorff was very unwilling; after reading, he immediately said bitterly: “Old Marshal Leopold can propose such a plan? I don’t believe it! I’m not disrespecting that old Marshal, but he was already a General during the Franco-Prussian War—a predecessor who became General over 40 years ago. What does he know about army-navy coordination? Does he know the difficulties involved?
In my view, this strategic suggestion from the Barians is just proposed by Duke Rupprecht. Putting Old Marshal Leopold first on the endorsement list is merely leveraging his prestige—and perhaps the true proposer of this plan is that Corporal-turned Ollie, Lelouch Hunt!”
“Ahem… Erich, mind your words. If calling by full name, it should be Lelouch von Ritter Hunt, or just Lelouch directly. You wouldn’t want others omitting ‘von’ from your full name either.” Marshal Hindenburg still upheld noble decorum, subtly reminding his Chief of Staff.
Corrected, Ludendorff felt slightly deflated, subconsciously sighed, and dropped the issue.
He himself had only become nobility this year—specifically, on March 22, 1915, when Emperor Wilhelm granted him knighthood, adding “von” to his name.
Before that day, his name was Erich Ludendorff; after, Erich von Ludendorff.
The reason for the ennoblement was naturally the Tannenberg Victory and Masurian Lakes Victory last year, annihilating over 400,000 Lusha troops.
Ludendorff had long resented not being nobility early on, which delayed his merits and promotions. He didn’t care about nobility per se, but if he had been nobility at the war’s start, his rank might have been one higher, giving him a chance to command an army in the Tannenberg campaign and earn immense military merit.
Instead of, as now, borrowing others’ shells and indirectly commanding by serving as Chief of Staff to Marshal Hindenburg.
Because of this background, Lieutenant General Ludendorff was very sensitive to the exploits of that Colonel Lelouch who rose on the Western and Southern Fronts. When he first heard of Lelouch, Ludendorff keenly sensed the guy resembled his younger self: from humble origins, climbing rapidly through stratagems.
But that kid’s luck was far better—Ludendorff was already 50, only catching the war at 49, rising from Colonel to Lieutenant General in a year.
While the other was only 25! Joining the army at 24, becoming Colonel from Corporal in a year!
Truly a guy born for war, everything timed perfectly.
In Germania’s staff circles today, it was well-known there were two rising stars: North Ludendorff, South Lelouch.
Lieutenant General Ludendorff was Marshal Hindenburg’s brain trust, while Lelouch was evidently Duke Rupprecht’s brain trust.
Lelouch had not yet seen Lieutenant General Ludendorff as a rival; feeling young and inexperienced, he needed to grind slowly and still viewed the other as a senior figure. Perhaps in another year or two he’d consider it.
But Ludendorff already vaguely felt “this young one cannot be underestimated,” developing competitive vigilance to ensure he advanced faster.
In this situation, Ludendorff increasingly wanted to prove his stratagem best, unwilling to heed advice and give up.
“Your Excellency Marshal! I still believe our own plan is best! Though Nikolayevich has recently strengthened the Polish direction, the Lushans are numerous but lack courage.
Their Northwestern Front was just annihilated 500,000 by us, and the Southwestern Front nearly wiped out. Even if Brusilov escaped with 5 divisions of veterans and gets fresh reinforcements, can he change the situation?
Better to create an opportunity: soon, along the East Prussia and southern Lithuania border, find a weak point in the Lushan defense line. Then, using their attempted north offensive as pretext, after repelling it, counterattack south.
If in such circumstances we seize towns like Suwałki and Augustów, opening a small breach at the northern root of the Lushan Polish salient, establishing a bridgehead to Białystok, the Empire’s high command will naturally value our plan.
Even if strategic goals aren’t perfectly met, a well-prepared probing offensive will yield a good exchange ratio, annihilating some Lusha troops to bolster our prestige. It can also be framed as ‘aftermath of the Lithuanian Campaign,’ with frontlines unstable post-prior advance, needing mutual adjustment.”
Marshal Hindenburg listened carefully; initially worried Ludendorff, eager for merit, planned to act independently.
But hearing on, he confirmed the other wasn’t blinded by competition; everything was justifiable, with rhetoric and retreat paths arranged.
Previously, while the Empire fought the Hungarian Campaign on the southeast front, the northeast also fought the Lithuanian Campaign, which ended over a month earlier. Troops had rested some time.
But a reshuffle after a month’s fighting was normal, as “aftermath” of the prior campaign—as long as results were good, it was military merit benefiting state, army, and individual.
Ultimately, Hindenburg approved Ludendorff’s plan execution, treating it as “follow-up victory expansion attempt of the Lithuanian Campaign.”
After brief preparation adjustments, Ludendorff on July 8 organized part of the Germania 9th Army Group from the small towns of Marijampolė and Kalvarija on the old East Prussia-Lithuania border, launching a small-scale southern enveloping probing offensive.
The battle lasted nearly a week, ultimately succeeding through Germania Army’s hard power and Lushans’ recent two major defeats causing shaken morale, ammo shortages, etc. Ludendorff achieved some breakthrough, seizing Suwałki north of the Polish-Belarusian border marshlands.
But when Ludendorff’s troops tried advancing slightly through the marshes to attack Augustów, they soon met setbacks. Germania Army logistics lagged, and casualty exchange ratios worsened.
The Lushans quickly reinforced defenses; General Brusilov, just withdrawn from the Southern Front to Poland, arrived with two corps.
More unexpectedly for Germanianians, the Lushans broke from distrusting Poles, hastily conscripting masses of locals to hold to the death. Though weapons scarce—scarce as one gun per two men—the mobilization efficiency was terrifying, conjuring over 100,000 cannon fodder effortlessly.
After desperate, casualty-ignoring plugging, Brusilov actually beat Ludendorff back, failing to occupy Augustów.
Only after this clash did Marshal Hindenburg and Lieutenant General Ludendorff realize the enemy opposite was no pushover—General Brusilov had fought in Carpathian and Hungarian directions, under Southwestern Front, never facing Hindenburg/Ludendorff before.
Hindenburg had thought all Lusha generals worthless, like last year’s Tannenberg-killed Lusha 2nd Army Group Commander General Samsonov.
Now he realized Lusha had capable generals too. Previously crushing Samsonov was luck—picking a soft fool. Luck didn’t last forever; they finally met a tough one.
“This Brusilov has some skill. Heard the entire Southwestern Front was encircled and annihilated by my 6th and 10th Army Groups—thought their generals all trash… If he has this ability and Marshal Leopold still easily beat him down, doesn’t that mean Old Marshal Leopold’s ability far exceeds ours?”
For the first time, Marshal Hindenburg and Lieutenant General Ludendorff sincerely had this thought.
It felt like Tian Ji’s horse race, alternating high-mid-low horses. Thought self was ally’s top horse facing enemy’s top. After switching, realized prior foe was enemy’s low horse—victory somewhat unchivalrous.
Ultimately, the offensive ended hastily by July 20. Germania Army, relying on hard power, achieved 1:6 exchange ratio, annihilating 50,000 Lusha troops and 90,000 local Polish new-mobilized cannon fodder, at 22,000 own losses.
Fortunately, Germania still had unique sulfonamide; with this anti-infection wound medicine, over 5,000 of 10,000+ wounded were saved, reducing permanent Germania losses to 17,000.
17,000 for 140,000 enemies was tactically decent, but only 50,000 were regular Lusha casualties; the rest 90,000 cheap temporary Poles. So not much gain. Especially the 5,000 saved weren’t immediately battlefield-ready—at least a year out—and high command didn’t know salvage numbers post-battle.
More critically, Hindenburg and Ludendorff’s expected strategic results weren’t easily achieved; unable even to take Augustów alone, let alone Białystok.
Per prior plan assessment, northern forces needed ability to independently take Białystok for “north-south full strike to hopefully envelop at Brest.”
Without envelopment, it became war of attrition not annihilation; even with multiples exchange ratio, such costly attrition wasn’t worthwhile.
This forced Hindenburg to concede to the Emperor, suggesting “adopt Marshal Leopold and Marshal Rupprecht’s stratagem.”
Emperor Wilhelm saved Hindenburg face; seeing 22,000 exchanged for 50,000 Lushans plus 90,000 local Polish recruits, didn’t pursue “independent action” suspicions. Treated as if nothing happened, truly just “Lithuanian Campaign aftermath”—no merit, no fault.
The Emperor consulted General Staff Headquarters; Chief of Staff General Falkenhayn comforted him, urging positive view:
“Your Majesty, I believe slowing the Polish offensive is absolutely beneficial without harm to the Empire. Lushans now desperately defend Poland at all costs, conscripting locals as cannon fodder—locals will surely resist.
Yet no overt resistance signs mean Lushans used even harsher iron fists. Likely, shrewd, wavering Poles were specially targeted.
Long-term, this benefits the future ruler of Poland. But Lushans’ scorched-earth tactics may not hold Poland, potentially paving for Empire—why not grant more patience, letting Lushans stir greater local resentment?”
Emperor Wilhelm had to admit the logic: Lushans’ desperate defense cost their long-term local rule viability.
If so, what harm in giving them months or half a year more?
“Well said. Fully execute per Marshal Leopold’s offered stratagem, shelve Marshal Hindenburg’s plan entirely.”
Germania’s war machine finally began operating around the stratagem Lelouch offered through Duke Rupprecht and Marshal Leopold.
