Chapter 39: When Getting Beaten, Focus On Beating To Death The One Shouting “brothers, Charge Together!”
As a transmigrator, when asked “why does the Eastern Front in World War I have drama,” if allowed to reveal “I am a transmigrator and know that the Lusha Empire will self-collapse due to the unfavorable battle situation in the future,” he could easily answer this question.
Unfortunately, self-revelation is not allowed.
So, Lelouch could only focus on the latter half of Marshal Leopold’s question: what makes you think that even if the Western Front fights really well, it can at most only force a draw?
Fortunately, he also had a ready answer for this question, and he could explain it clearly through rational deduction, without needing to reveal any prophetic foresight.
This inevitably brings up that before transmigrating, Lelouch had played over a hundred games of 《Hearts of Iron》4.
That game displays several World War II famous quotes on the loading screen when loading data.
One of them is “Rundstedt: We should have thought of it as early as 1918…,” which Lelouch had seen repeatedly many times.
At the time, he thought the quote was incomplete and completely incomprehensible. But seeing it too often piqued his curiosity, so he specifically Baidu’d the context.
Then he learned: this was a lament from Rundstedt in 1940, when the German Army annihilated the Franks, yet Britannia still refused to negotiate.
It meant they should have realized as early as 1918 that annihilating or not annihilating the Franks fundamentally wouldn’t affect the big picture. Because even if the Franks were annihilated, as long as Britannia had absolute naval superiority, as long as the Empire couldn’t land on those few islands, they would never surrender or negotiate.
But the Germanias in 1918 didn’t realize this. So after completely winning the Eastern Front in early 1918, they were still dragged by war maniacs like Ludendorff into fighting the Western Front to the end, delusionally thinking “annihilate the Franks, then swallow them, force Britannia to negotiate, and divide the world.”
In the end, under this self-righteous mentality, they kept fighting until they burst and died.
When Lelouch first saw this reasoning, he just casually sighed about it.
But at this moment, being seriously asked this question by Marshal Leopold, this argument that Rundstedt would only summarize over twenty years later immediately surged into Lelouch’s mind.
……
“…So, my view is this: if at the outbreak of the war, the Empire only fought against Lusha and the Franks, then the Empire could still expect to win both the Eastern and Western Fronts.
But in fact, the Empire was tricked at the start of the war. The moment those offshore financial shit-stirrers from Britannia joined the war, the nature of everything changed.
Even if the Empire fights really well on the continental battlefield, can it expect its current few battleships to annihilate the Royal Navy and land on those few islands? And as long as it can’t do that, Britannia will never surrender! Annihilating the Franks won’t change that!
And the Emperor obsesses over solving the Franks first because he has always fantasized that ‘annihilating the Franks will force Britannia to the negotiation table.’ The Emperor is still fantasizing that Britannia’s King is his cousin, maybe he can play the family card—any rational person can see that all this is impossible.
So, victory on the Western Front is actually illusory. Even if the Franks are annihilated, so what? Can Frankish land and resources allow the Empire to sustain itself long-term under permanent blockade of trade sea routes with other continents, without letting its people starve, run out of oil and rubber? No.
Even with Frankish ports on the Atlantic, the Empire’s sea trade would still be permanently blockaded by Britannia’s Royal Navy; this wouldn’t change at all.
So, even if the Empire does the best and most perfect job, at most it can expect to collapse the Eastern Front, digest the Eastern Front’s land, minerals, and resources. Gain a stable economic internal cycle that isn’t afraid of transoceanic trade blockades and can be self-sufficient.
Then consider, without seeking to completely annihilate the Franks on the Western Front, directly using the Franks to threaten Britannia, giving them a fairly decent ceasefire condition that doesn’t require Western Front countries to cede territory or pay reparations.
At that time, if the Britannians are unwilling to negotiate, we can further act against the Franks, and perhaps the Franks will feel used by Britannia, feel like hostages, and thus develop a rift with Britannia. And as long as Britannia is forced to negotiate, we should ceasefire overall with both Frankish and Britannian countries.
For the Empire, when a war truly lasts for years, what the Empire needs most is to end the war state, stop the maritime trade blockade state, then lick wounds, rebuild strength…”
Lelouch spoke eloquently, incorporating a lot of later generations’ analysis of World War I lessons, as well as Rundstedt’s reflections over twenty years later, and reflections from a bunch of other strategists.
At the same time, he ensured these insights weren’t too advanced, mainly focusing on “all continental countries were tricked by offshore balancer financial shit-stirrers,” arguing it repeatedly from multiple angles.
At this moment, he certainly wasn’t fighting alone.
So, even Marshal Leopold, who had seen great storms, couldn’t help but waver after hearing his analysis that drew widely from sources and cut to the core.
“This war… can actually be analyzed from this angle?! Indeed… Frankish land, population, resources are really insignificant. What’s the real difference between annihilating them or not?
The fundamental purpose of annihilating the Franks is still to force a draw with Britain and break the permanent maritime trade blockade. If this fundamental purpose can’t be achieved, killing Franks themselves has little meaning…”
Marshal Leopold had already subtly accepted part of Lelouch’s views, couldn’t help murmuring to himself as he summarized and sorted the views he just heard.
Lelouch quickly continued drawing from sources to reinforce the argument: “Our great Germanian thinker Max Weber wrote in 《The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism》 that human rationality is divided into instrumental rationality and value rationality.
Just as money is the greatest instrumental rationality, a means to achieve value rationality. Pursuing money is to help people achieve life goals, but money shouldn’t become the life goal itself.
Similarly, ‘annihilating the Franks’ is just a means for the Empire to ‘break the maritime trade blockade,’ not the end itself. But among the Empire’s general officers, how many have lost themselves, mistaking the annihilation of the Franks—this tool and means—for the goal itself for their own merit and glory. Just like many lost in money worship, mistaking pursuing money for the life goal itself.”
These words from Lelouch finally made Marshal Leopold truly see him in a new light and believe over half of his views.
Unexpectedly, a top graduate from Oreo Royal Academy of Arts joining the army would produce such a clash of intellectual sparks.
This young man’s sharpness of thinking wasn’t comparable to those rigidly trained military academy graduates.
He was practically injecting a breath of fresh air into the rigid Imperial Army, rational and calm.
“Rupprecht values you, and he wasn’t wrong to do so. I originally thought you were just tactically visionary, but unexpectedly your strategic and diplomatic vision is equally stunning.” Old Marshal Leopold pondered for a long time, sighed deeply, and gently patted Lelouch’s shoulder.
“I have one last question—since you say that even in the Empire’s best future state, it can only abandon the attempt to defeat the enemy on the Western Front, decently ceasefire with Britain, and exchange for ending the sea trade blockade state.
Don’t those insidious Britannians know this? In the Napoleon era, they blockaded Napoleon for many years. Don’t they know that once entering a ceasefire state, once the sea trade blockade is lifted, the Empire will quickly restore national strength, making it harder to subdue next time?
If the Britannians know this, why would they negotiate? Anyway, no matter how long it fights, the Empire can’t hurt their homeland, so they’d definitely be willing to maintain the firefight state for ten or eight years.”
For this question, Lelouch also found it very tricky and couldn’t answer immediately.
Mainly because some elements involved prophetic foresight of history, which he really couldn’t predict—
For example, he couldn’t just say the main reason historically why countries couldn’t keep fighting: Ugly Country’s Kansas flu. That flu killed 50 million in the warring countries, twice the total directly killed in four years of war.
But after organizing his thoughts, he still sorted out as many points as he could say:
“I also know it’s hard to force the Britannians to abandon their attempt to strangle the Empire, so I said ‘this is the upper limit the Empire can possibly achieve in this war.’ Whether it can really be achieved and how requires millions of righteous people to exhaust themselves.
But overall, hope comes from the following aspects: first, see how well the Empire can fight on the Eastern Front, how many resources it can occupy, and whether it can achieve resource self-sufficiency.
Whether our own wartime economy construction has sufficiently long-term plans, or seems like draining the pond to catch fish. The more we can achieve self-sufficiency, the more sustainable economic development we can realize, the less afraid we are of trade embargoes and sanctions, the weaker the enemy’s motivation to embargo us at all costs.
Second, see how effective the threat to the Franks and using the Franks as ‘hostages’ to propose an overall force-draw plan will be.
Third, although Ugly Country across the ocean hasn’t joined the war yet, Ugly Country and Britain share language and race. Ugly Country’s nature is also that offshore balancer financial shit-stirrer dog set; deep down they won’t give up the chance to split Europe into five.
If Ugly Country wants to join the war in the future but hasn’t completed full mobilization yet and needs time for wartime economic transformation, then Britain might have a certain possibility of temporary ceasefire with us—the situation then would become a post-ceasefire economic recovery race.
We would quickly replenish shortages and rebuild the economy while the trade blockade is lifted, and Britain would also hope to use this time for Ugly Country to complete wartime economic transformation, full war preparations, and emergency training of Ugly Country soldiers.
But if it really reaches that point, I think the final temporary ceasefire will definitely be more unstable, because once Britain finds that Ugly Country’s mobilization time is almost up and ceasing fire longer would benefit them less than us, they would tear up the ceasefire agreement at any time.
Even if they don’t tear up the land ceasefire, they would find excuses to restart economic embargoes on us. That way, the situation might enter a special state of ‘land war still ceasing fire, but sea not ceasing fire,’ which would also be very unfavorable for us.
But in summary, there will be many future surprises that human minds can’t exhaustively predict; we can only do our best and leave the rest to heaven’s will. Winning and digesting the Eastern Front victory fruits, unconditionally forcing a draw on the Western Front, is already the absolute best outcome. Even this outcome requires countless people to exhaust themselves to possibly achieve; we absolutely cannot be complacent.”
The more Marshal Leopold listened, the more resolute his expression became; finally, even the arm supporting his cane had bulging veins and tense muscles.
He slowly and firmly walked to the window, gazing at the eternal snow-capped mountains outside.
After a long time, he turned around, stared dead at Lelouch’s blood-red deep wounded left eye, and sighed deeply:
“I never thought the Empire would be in such danger; maybe I’m old, retired too long. But the Empire will definitely survive this war, because heaven’s will has sent so many insightful talents to help the Empire see the future clearly!
At this point, some things can be told to you: after the Ypres campaign on the Western Front is over, the Emperor will ask me to formally return, lead troops to the Eastern Front southern wing, block the Lushans’ attack, and save our ally Ollie.
Because the Emperor thinks the Eastern Front Northern Sector line is direct grudge between Prussians and Lushans, so the Prussian main force should handle it.
But the Eastern Front Southern Sector is Ollie’s home turf, and we Barians are the closest to Ollie among the Empire’s states, especially since my wife is an Ollie princess. The Emperor thinks sending us Barians will make us more diligent.
But now the two army groups of the Four Southern German States are respectively tied up on the north and south sides of the Ypres Salient; it’s hard to disengage without finishing the Battle of Ypres.
So you must fight well; the better you fight in Ypres, the more manpower you can free up after the campaign, the more we can send to the Eastern Front.
At that time, as the Eastern Front southern wing commander, I will give you more opportunities for merit. Of course, by the end of the Ypres campaign, you will no longer just be a company commander. I don’t want you to develop a slack mindset because you think ‘no matter how well the Western Front fights, it’s useless.'”
Lelouch quickly saluted and solemnly stated: “Thank you for Marshal’s appreciation; I absolutely won’t slack. Moreover, I think that the Western Front battle situation can’t achieve overall victory doesn’t mean efforts on the Western Front have no meaning.
Especially the Battle of Ypres; we’re fighting the British Army, not the French Army, so we must exhaust ourselves and beat them painfully! Because whether the Western Front can ultimately drag to a draw depends not on how much cumulative damage we inflict on the French Army, but on how much cumulative damage on Britain!
The more brutally we kill Britannians, the more hope there is to end the war. The Western Front rarely has a battlefield to severely strike Britannians, so we absolutely can’t let it go. And even if we go to the Eastern Front in the future, our enemies won’t necessarily just be Lushans; we can still exhaust ourselves, on every battlefield we can find, seizing every chance to severely strike Britannians.
For example, Britannians have always been on good terms with Greece and hostile to our ally Ottoman. With naval superiority, they are likely to shit-stir and create chaos on the vast battlefield from Greece to the Middle East; they might also pull in the Italians.
So in the future on the Eastern Front, the Empire will likely have many opportunities to hurt Britannia—I have a wish; if possible, I hope every time the Empire has a chance to fight Britannia troops, I can be transferred to that battlefield. I wonder if Marshal can, within his authority, try to accommodate this in the future.
I have no other meaning; I just think professionals should do professional things. Since enlisting, I’ve mainly faced Britannians and their puppet dogs; I haven’t dealt with other great powers. Dealing with Franks and Lushans, I might not be professional.”
Marshal Leopold didn’t oppose this strange request, just casually brushed it off noncommittally.
But Lelouch didn’t mind; anyway, this was just chat, he was just stating ambitions and building persona.
From now on, perhaps the Baria Royal Family top echelons would see him as a “Britain-killer expert,” thinking of him whenever such issues arise.
Best if Britannia Army is on Western Front, he’s on Western Front killing Britannians.
Britannia Army goes to Eastern Front, he’s on Eastern Front killing Britannians.
Britannia Army goes to Southern Front, he’s on Southern Front killing Britannians.
Western, Eastern, Southern Fronts are just changes in work location; the job content remains the same.
This feeling is like a gang fight; if one person is surrounded by a group and destined not to beat everyone, then focus on beating one to death, that’s the way to break the deadlock.
If you can just target that big immoral shit-stirrer hiding in the back shouting “Brothers, charge together! No need for jianghu ethics with those cult demons!” or “Brothers, charge together! Real Master Zhang can’t kill us all before his true qi depletes,” the effect is best.
……
After this earnest long talk, the lonely old marshal subconsciously felt this young man deserved guidance as a friend across generations.
Finally, the two didn’t know how long they chatted until Neuschwanstein Castle’s butler braced himself to report: “Your Highness Marshal, Duke Rupprecht has returned, and the banquet is fully prepared…”
Only then did Marshal Leopold curb his talkativeness, beckoning Lelouch to follow.
Lelouch didn’t have time to change into dress uniform, so wearing the camouflage uniform just shown to the marshal, he followed downstairs directly, looking just like an adjutant.
Duke Rupprecht and his family, as well as a few adjutants and other guests, were already in the banquet hall.
Seeing Lelouch mix so quickly with his uncle, the duke was also somewhat surprised.
After Lelouch saluted, the duke found an opportunity to ask him quietly: “Uncle is always very strict and doesn’t easily give young people good faces; what exactly did you say to him?”
Lelouch then concisely picked some suitable content to say, indicating they just chatted about strategic outlooks like which of Eastern and Western Fronts is more important; the old marshal appreciated his strategic vision, and that was it.
After hearing this, the duke couldn’t help feeling this young man had added a few more points of mystery.
Originally only knew he was very good at tactical tricks and had unique insights on armament and tactics coordination.
Unexpectedly, on grand strategy and grand diplomacy levels, he also had impressive insights—is this young man really a born-knowing genius? Could he really see through the future, see through divine revelation?
Since the old marshal had already inspected the steel helmet, camouflage uniform, and “work boots,” the duke was too lazy to check details carefully; he trusted his uncle’s experience and vision.
So the duke just glanced briefly and instructed the butler to take Lelouch next door to change into formal attire, then come out for dinner.
At the banquet, naturally nothing worth dwelling on in details. In short, seeing the old marshal and duke value Lelouch so much, everyone else naturally dropped their contempt and was very polite to him.
After dinner, the duke assigned Lelouch some work matters, telling him to finish acceptance in these two days, then fly back to the Western Front, assemble soldiers for intensive training of new tactics, and then throw into the Battle of Ypres.
