Chapter 132: Forcing The Britannians To Sell Heads To Aid The Lushans
Lelouch was a man of his word. After reaching a tacit understanding for cooperation with Gustav of Krupp, he quickly called Duke Rupprecht and requested a batch of Eastern Front prisoners of war, saying they could be used for domestic heavy labor basic construction.
Of course, Lelouch would not directly tell the duke “all of this was headed by him himself.”
On the phone, he would only say “this project was suggested by Mr. Gustav of Krupp, and Grand Duke of Baden of the Prisoner of War Affairs Department also thinks this approach benefits the country and the people.”
Anyway, the general principle is that wherever he goes, he puts the names of other collaborators out front, and Lelouch himself does not take any credit at all; he does not need these empty titles.
Just like when eating with the World Bank president, saying he is Bill Gates’s son-in-law. When eating with Bill Gates, saying he is the deputy president of the World Bank.
Then, both identities might end up empty-handedly getting something for nothing.
Besides, Lelouch really has strength; he is not just empty-handedly getting something for nothing, but provides a bit more emotional value to those helping, giving them more “decision-making participation sense.”
Duke Rupprecht agreed very straightforwardly: “Since Minister Baden of the Prisoner of War Affairs Department can approve it, I definitely have no problem here. Of the 700,000 prisoners captured this time, there are tens of thousands of Romanians. Romania has now reformed and returned to the right path, and the prisoners have all been released back to serve as soldiers.
For the remaining Serbia and Lusha prisoners of war, if you want them, I suggest prioritizing the allocation of a portion of Serbia prisoners of war for labor. Before you asked me for people, I had already temporarily arranged for Serbia prisoners of war to participate in the reconstruction of war-damaged facilities in the Hungary region.
Still following your previous suggestion, having them build an oil pipeline from the Ploiești oil fields in Romania to Belgrade-Budapest-Vienna, and finally connecting to Prague and domestic pipelines.
If you want them, I can first allocate 100,000 Serbia prisoners of war for work. In the future, once the postwar facility repairs in Hungary are nearly complete, I can successively give you another 50,000 to 100,000 people. How does that sound?”
Lelouch quickly expressed thanks: “100,000 people is already great! Krupp’s side for the early stage construction of new steel mills, power plants, and railways also won’t use 100,000 laborers. However, won’t those Lusha prisoners of war be used for work? Does the top have other arrangements?”
Duke Rupprecht: “I was just about to talk to you about this. A few days ago, General Staff approached Minister Baden, hoping the Prisoner of War Affairs Department and the War Ministry Propaganda Bureau could jointly consider the reformation work for Lusha prisoners of war.
It’s also because you’re too capable, kid. At the end of the Battle of Ypres before, you came up with a set of rhetoric attacking the free market capitalists who haphazardly raise wages in the rear, making tens of thousands of Britannia prisoners of war hate their domestic free speculators and willing to surrender to us.
Now, approximately three divisions of Britannia-affiliated countries’ prisoners of war have been organized and filled into the Polish Theater for line-filling defense, consuming with the Lushans, and the effect is pretty good. The top has recently praised you for it.
So General Staff and the War Ministry are getting addicted to taking such small advantages and want to see if the Empire’s accumulated over 1 million Lusha prisoners of war, besides labor, can be pulled to the Western Front to fill the line against the Franks—making these guys fight offensive hard battles is definitely impossible.
But if it’s stable frontline line-filling combat, only defending existing positions, digging trench fortifications, fighting engineer tunnel warfare, these Lusha prisoners of war should still be usable, as long as they are backed by Empire elites with superior weapons in the second line for supervision. Just don’t know how to make those Lushans willingly serve the Empire.”
Lelouch thought about it; there was a way for this matter, although the success rate wasn’t high, but it had no cost, and the base was large. Moreover, he seemed to still be the deputy director of the Imperial Ministry of War’s Propaganda Bureau（ in charge of external propaganda） work, helping colleagues in the Prisoner of War Affairs Department with persuasion to surrender was originally one of his duties.
“I do have a bit of a way for this. I’ll write a detailed surrender negotiation plan later; it’s not something for one morning or evening. I think first we need to screen those prisoners of war to see if they hate the Tsar. In Lusha domestically, opponents of the tyrant were numerous over twenty years ago and are still increasing.
If the prisoners of war are screened out as opposing the Tsar, then separately hold them in a batch of camps, slowly tell them that as long as they serve the Empire, go fill the line defending against the Franks, when the time is ripe in the future, they will be released back to Lusha domestically to oppose the tyrant.
If the prisoners of war are screened out as supporting the Tsar, then separately hold them in another batch of camps, tell them that as long as they fill the line for the Empire defending against the Franks, they can smoke and drink vodka these few years, and after the Empire forces the tyrant to ceasefire in the future, they can also be released back to clean up the mess.
The specific rhetoric definitely won’t be that simple; I’ll sort it out slowly and discuss it with colleagues in the foreign propaganda section. But the thinking is along these lines.”
In this world, there is definitely no one else who can, like Lelouch, know how to utilize different factions of Lushans—anti-tyrant and pro-tyrant—to each complete suitable tasks.
After all, right now there is no second person who can predict that several years later the tyrant will be shot by his own people.
However, this matter is not good to discuss in detail; Lelouch himself knows in his heart, and in the future, he can slowly form surrender negotiation rhetoric documents.
He does not expect this screening and targeted persuasion to win over many people. But considering the Lushans’ attitude of indifference to life and death, as long as giving them a bit of immediate enjoyment benefits, or painting a pie of taking down the tyrant, the cooperation probability should still be a bit higher than with Britannians.
The Empire has already captured over 1 million Lusha prisoners of war, just this campaign on the Southern Front captured around 300,000. Even if only screening out two or three tenths willing to help fill the line, that can save 300,000 Germanic Tribe lives.
As for the weapons for these line-filling troops, just use the previously captured Lusha weapons and ammunition, without consuming Germania’s materials for production—perfect on both ends.
The remaining nearly 1 million people, if they ultimately refuse to cooperate, then make them do hard labor farming, or targetedly allocate them to build railways, steel mills, thermal power plants, motor factories. If really not, then dig trenches or do transport.
The duke listened to him speak clearly and logically, so he confidently handed this task to him.
Lelouch took on the task, just casually giving a wry smile: “At the beginning of the year, when persuading Britannians to surrender, there was still some prospect; now this task is bigger, but even if done well, there’s no prospect. The top has already stuck on my age and resume; still too young, too sharp and attracting hatred.”
The duke of course could hear the meaning in his words; this clearly meant he felt that at nominal 25 years old, stuck by age restrictions for promotion, whether military rank of colonel or administrative position of deputy director, both were temporarily hitting the ceiling.
Although the nobility title of hereditary knight of the Baria Kingdom was given, it couldn’t be moved in the short term. Yet Lelouch’s merit-making speed was too fast, always finding ways to make merits, no matter how much he did, he couldn’t be promoted.
Fortunately, the duke absolutely trusted him and thought for him of fourth and fifth paths for rewards besides military rank, administrative level, and nobility title:
“Look at your little ambition, just staring at military rank and official position! Sometimes, rank and position are nominal, power is real. I know your abilities; even if you’re just a colonel, within our 6th Army Group, as long as you perform well, what’s wrong with giving you over-equipped real power?
I was just pondering something recently. In the Lviv campaign before, didn’t you save over 80,000 allied prisoners of war? Over 40,000 Germanias and 40,000 Bohemians and other ethnic groups. Later, after annihilating the Lusha Southwestern Front, we saved another over 20,000 Hungarian prisoners of war; adding up and deducting Lviv campaign casualties, still nearly 100,000 people.
The parachute regiment you originally led can also be considered the great benefactor who saved these 100,000 people. I don’t want to return these prisoners of war to the Austrians; I want to directly keep them under our command. Considering my special relationship between Baria and Austria, this can be done, after all, all fighting the same enemy country, and Austria’s army is originally willing to accept our command.
So, I plan to organize these 100,000 people into an extra-independent army, nominally not directly under my 6th Army Group jurisdiction, but in fact will always cooperate with my 6th Army Group operations, and required military supplies and equipment all borne by Baria Kingdom finances. This way, if the Empire in the future wants to dispatch part of the 6th Army Group troops to other theaters, at least these 100,000 people can’t be drawn away.
The new independent army’s corps commander will be served by the original Army Group 2nd Corps Commander, Lieutenant General Karl Ludport. Your former superior, Major General Lister, will also be transferred to the independent army to serve as division commander of the Bohemia division.
And considering future airborne operation opportunities are becoming fewer and fewer, enemies will guard more against paratroopers, your parachute regiment won’t have much performance opportunity later, better gradually convert to other troops. Nominally, I can give you a ‘training parachute division’ title, but in fact personnel only two regiments, equivalent to other countries’ brigade.
Then, incorporate this division into the independent army, as the initial core backbone of those 100,000 troops. Because the vast majority of those 100,000 prisoners of war were saved, and you also led them to fight Lviv, incorporating your regiment into this independent army can better ensure the independent army’s loyalty.
Additionally, I already talked with Lieutenant General Kusmanek whom you saved; he is also disillusioned with Austria’s army system and willing to fight together with the Empire, after all his name also has von, he is also a Germanic Tribe noble. So, I temporarily plan to have him first serve as deputy corps commander of the independent army.
I believe in his ability and loyalty, but others may not. First let Karl be corps commander for a few months, then transfer him away, let Kusmanek continue as independent army corps commander. At that time, promote Lister to deputy corps commander, and you might be able to solidly command a full-strength division—as long as you perform well enough in the subsequent autumn offensive.”
Duke Rupprecht painted a big pie, depicting Lelouch’s subsequent military career prospects very brightly.
Military rank, position level, nobility title indeed can’t be promoted, but real power can be. Even if he is still a colonel, as long as under the duke, the duke wants him to actually lead a brigade, he leads a brigade; wants him to lead a division, he leads a division.
The increase in real power is also far less sensitive than directly promoting rank; in emergencies, over-equipping one or two levels is no problem.
Hearing this promise, Lelouch became even more spirited, saying he would definitely work hard and absolutely strive in subsequent campaigns.
Other non-military affairs work, he would also certainly take to heart.
……
In the next ten-plus days, Lelouch was busy with the matters assigned by the duke, as well as cooperating with Gustav Krupp and Minister Baden, in the Ruhr Area preparing and constructing large-scale low-cost inferior steel mills and “Volkswagen” railway car factories, as well as new thermal power stations and electric furnace steel mills.
Lacking generator sets, then seek deep cooperation with Siemens again, hoping Siemens expands a large-power generator factory.
Lacking laborers, then pull over a hundred thousand hard laborers from the newly captured Serbia prisoners of war on the Eastern Front.
Busy every day with great enjoyment, yet also with remarkable results. Heard that the new factory sites in the Ruhr Area change daily, with rapid progress, construction progressing swiftly.
Prisoner of war laborers work 16 hours a day, or 12 hours two shifts all day with diligence.
Time flew to late July; this day, Wilhelmshaven’s Naval Equipment Research Institute finally brought good news: after half a month’s emergency trial production and exercise testing, the “scraper-type” minesweeping chain finally succeeded in trial production and passed strict moored mine clearance experiments!
Vice Admiral Hipper and Admiral Spee had also been waiting for progress news on this technology recently. After confirming it workable, they immediately notified Lelouch, sharing the joy.
Learning that the Naval Equipment Research Institute finally achieved a breakthrough and verified the results, Lelouch could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
He had a deep talk with Hipper and Spee at the end, slightly simulating the future Baltic Sea side and Black Sea side battle situations, naval action plans, key points of attention, then set off to leave Wilhelmshaven.
On the return journey, perhaps Lelouch would pass through Essen in the Ruhr Area, finally inspect the construction status of his latest industries, or perhaps take time to go to Dunkirk on the Western Front to take another look, chat with sister and brother-in-law about the subsequent technical optimization of the three-phase electric arc furnace steel plant, and by the way do some other small actions.
But in general, Lelouch would definitely return to the Eastern Front southern wing before the end of July, return to the Black Sea Theater, to start his next actions.
……
While Lelouch was busy filling gaps and tinkering with armaments,
The Britannians across the strait recently were also not idle.
Since late June, when the Southeast Europe theater completely collapsed, and the Entente Powers were annihilated a full 1.7 million troops, the Britannians were anxious like ants on a hot pan, fearing their ally Lusha wouldn’t hold out.
So, even though at the end of February this year, the Britannia Expeditionary Force was almost completely annihilated by Duke Rupprecht’s Germania 6th Army Group, the entire country’s standing army veteran scale shrank from nearly 300,000 to 50,000.
The Britannians also had to take risks again, preparing a big action in the Eastern Mediterranean to support the Lushans and open the Dardanelles Strait.
“The Germanias are very likely to act on the Black Sea Region; after Romania turned to the enemy, the enemy gained over a dozen destroyers and large torpedo boats, our side lost over a dozen, the strength comparison of the light torpedo screen guard fleet has already tilted slightly in favor of the Germanias.
If the Empire does not open the Dardanelles Strait, letting the Empire’s absolutely superior fleet enter the Black Sea, the Lusha Fleet in the Black Sea very likely won’t withstand the enemy’s sea control contest! So, no matter if our army has recovered or not, the Empire must launch the Dardanelles Strait landing campaign in July, at latest August, absolutely cannot wait any longer!”
At a closed-door meeting in Buckingham Palace on July 10, Naval Minister Walton preached his call in such impassioned tones.
Right in front of Prime Minister Asquith, completely without any cover.
For Walton’s proposal, many people felt it improper.
The first to raise opposition was Army Minister and Minister of Munitions Lloyd George:
“Too reckless! The Empire’s army at the end of February just suffered a catastrophic disaster, and now hasn’t fully rebuilt yet; how can we take these precious seed troops to adventure again! Your Excellency Walton, do you know how many veterans the army still has now?
At the beginning of March, only 50,000 battle-tested veterans! Then at that time, at 1 battalion expands to 1 regiment ratio, injected 150,000 newly trained recruits, trained with veterans for 3 months. At the beginning of June, again at 1 battalion expands to 1 regiment ratio, mobilized 600,000, expanded to 800,000!
That is to say, the Empire only has 50,000 with over 1 year training duration and combat experience; if acting at the beginning of August, another 150,000 with 5 months training duration, 600,000 with only 2 months training duration!
Moreover, the latest mobilized 600,000 don’t even have weapons fully equipped; usual training is two people sharing one gun, cannons and machine guns also only half quota. Even if issuing all inventory, plus July and August production, can only reach 70~80% equipping rate. The Empire lost too much at Ypres before!”
The difficulties Lloyd George laid out were all real; after all, it’s a country whose army was once completely annihilated at the end of February; can’t withstand launching another major campaign.
Prime Minister Asquith had a headache from the two arguing, so first turned to ask Walton: “You say, for your plan, how many army troops do you need to use?”
Walton was also stubborn; even after colleagues complained like this, he still wouldn’t discount, bluntly said: “Originally I estimated, to break the Ottomans’ strait defense, at least first batch invest 200,000 people, successive reinforcements added up, total sustained investment possibly 500,000! But these people not necessarily all from great Britannia homeland, Kan-Aus-New-Ind these colonies should share over half!”
Asquith turned to Lloyd George: “If making you pull out 250,000 people, not all veterans, can it be done?”
Lloyd George immediately had a bitter face: “That would be randomly wasting new soldiers’ lives; I refuse such dispatch! Army Ministry at most provides 50,000 half-year veterans, 100,000 two-month new soldiers.”
Asquith had a bit of headache, but didn’t expect the other side Walton still not satisfied, instead raised the price again: “Your Excellency Prime Minister! I wasn’t finished earlier; I said needing 500,000, that was still based on pre-June thinking, but now Lushans and Serbia, Romania cumulatively annihilated 1.7 million. We putting out 500,000 still not enough, possibly 600,000, even 800,000!
Moreover if delaying further, if Lushans suffer any new heavy blow, the troops we need to bear will only be more, so aiding Lusha should be early not late!”
Prime Minister Asquith now really felt his head was about to explode.
Army keeps complaining, navy keeps asking for the moon; how to reconcile this conflict?
“Walton! Don’t talk nonsense! You know what 600,000, 800,000 is absolutely impossible! Empire plus colonies can’t produce that many troops.” The prime minister couldn’t help getting angry.
However, Walton did not back down; he seemed to have thought of a backup countermeasure in advance, immediately soothing the prime minister:
“Please Your Excellency Prime Minister calm down; I know the Empire can’t produce that many army, so I have another idea: for this action, can we request the Franks or Italians also send troops to assist? The Empire can provide naval cover, provide weapons equipment ammunition, bear part of their combat supplies, just have them provide manpower.”
——
PS: Today again 12,000 words double update. Begging for some monthly tickets; just got overtaken to 4th in military category monthly tickets, only 1 vote behind the person ahead.
I know at month-end final result I definitely can’t outdo; now just beg to hold steady top 3 in military monthly tickets in the first half month. And there’s a small recommendation spot on the 13th, lasting just to the 15th; at least let me hold military monthly tickets top 3 during recommendation period, thanks thanks, everyone see if you have any tickets left.
