Chapter 99: Attrition

Amidst such mockery and accusations, the Army Department endured the humiliation while patiently persuading the always benevolent but indecisive Tsar, secretly advancing all preparations.

They were waiting for an opportunity, one that would allow the Russian Empire and its Army's prestige to once again shake Europe.

"The Austro-Hungarian Empire will mobilize a total of seven field armies, two of which will be used to attack Serbia, and the remaining five will be used to block our Russian Empire Army."

Meanwhile, the Austro-Hungarian plan was not complicated, yet more radical than imagined. First, quickly end the Serbian front, then lead the remaining forces north to capture Warsaw, Lublin, and Brest-Litovsk.

Once Brest-Litovsk falls, the strategic railway to Warsaw will be cut. That is one of the most important lifelines in the Tsar's Empire's west.

Supplies and troop reinforcements from Minsk and Kyiv will be intercepted, and the Russian Empire Army, without logistical support, will never be able to hold on for long.

At that time, the entire Russian Poland would fall into deadly danger. The loss of territory would be secondary; what was more terrifying was that the poles might turn to support the Austro-Hungarian Empire, adding strength to the enemy. This issue had been a hidden pain in the Tsar's heart since the partition of Poland in the eighteenth century.

And the German Empire, with the stable situation in East Prussia, would be more single-mindedly invested in the French front. After the Western Front ends, they would return east to join forces with Austria-Hungary and completely crush the Russian Empire—this was Vienna's wishful thinking.

However, the Russian Empire Army Department did not view Austria-Hungary as particularly dangerous.

What they were truly worried about was other directions.

"Hopefully, Serbia can hold on."

"It will hold on longer than expected. After all, the opponent is only the Austro-Hungarian Army."

Although Serbia is a small country, it should never be underestimated. If fully mobilized, it could raise an Army of nearly 500,000 soldiers.

More crucially, a considerable portion of them are veterans who have experienced the Balkan Wars. Compared to the Austro-Hungarian second and third-line troops who haven't even experienced decent actual combat, they are fully capable of holding their ground. This land has long been accustomed to bleeding and surviving in the cracks between great powers.

As for France, as long as it can tie down Germany, the Russian Empire can wholeheartedly deal a heavy blow to Austria-Hungary.

"Five armies want to launch an offensive against us? Is Austria-Hungary taking us as a joke?"

"It's insane."

"Even if Galicia has changed, isn't it still Austrians, after all?"

At this moment, the Russian Empire had already mobilized eight field armies and was continuously drawing troops from other directions to comprehensively suppress the Central Powers, namely Germany and Austria-Hungary, with numerical superiority on the front lines.

"However, don't be too complacent. After all, there's still the Imperial Guard."

"Its scale is indeed far superior to ordinary field armies, making it the most vigilant unit."

"Precisely for this reason, the First and Second Armies, responsible for engaging the Imperial Guard, have completed reorganization, and the Ninth Army will be on standby for support."

The Russian Empire was not foolish. Even Britain, which was not directly fighting Austria-Hungary, was aware of the Imperial Guard's existence and significance. That unit symbolized the glory of the Habsburg imperial family and was the true trump card of the Austro-Hungarian Army.

How could the frontline opponents not know? Initially, people thought it was merely a young heir's playful war performance, but as its scale continuously expanded, it had long been listed as a key monitoring target during peacetime.

"Hmph, it's a pity I couldn't command the First or Second Army. But honestly, isn't this the best prey for Austria-Hungary to tackle?"

"Although the commander is only in his twenties, he is a royal with succession rights. If captured, the spoils would be unparalleled."

"As long as the Imperial Guard is defeated, Austria-Hungary will collapse across the entire front like dominoes. It's simply too easy."

The Russian Empire Army Department was full of confidence. From their perspective, this war indeed seemed overly simple.

Germany couldn't intervene on the Eastern Front, Russia had made ample preparations against the Imperial Guard, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire was forced to divide its forces across multiple fronts.

Moreover, they had almost complete knowledge of the Austro-Hungarian Empire's war plans.

"It's just a bit regrettable that there aren't enough spare troops to directly rush into the empty East Prussia."

"That can wait until Austria-Hungary is crushed. Germany won't move anyway."

Even if the German Eighth Army stationed in East Prussia took action, it wouldn't matter. Even if they were breached, as long as the Austro-Hungarian Army was completely smashed, they could then turn around and encircle them.

Once the Eighth Army collapsed, it would mean that the Russian Empire had cleared all threats from Austria-Hungary and Germany.

So, what would be left then?

Only a race straight to Berlin.

Then, the war would end.

In that blueprint of a great victory, the generals of the Russian Empire breathed heavily, their breaths like thunder.

They fantasized about returning in triumph, clad in military attire, riding white horses, and receiving medals from the Tsar amidst the admiration of thousands.

That was the dream every commander pursued throughout their lives.

...

The war began. The German Empire, which had not held much hope, indeed crossed the Belgian border. This step almost perfectly followed the war concept formulated at the end of the 19th century, and, unsurprisingly, it dragged the British Empire into the conflict. Europe's powder keg completely exploded at this moment.

However, unlike the original history, Austria-Hungary reacted quickly enough this time. The Fifth and Sixth Armies, responsible for the Balkan front, were advancing towards Serbia at a seemingly slow, but actually cautious, pace.

Of course, the offensive would eventually stop.

Karl's influence on the Army was considerable, but he couldn't transform every unit into an iron torrent. Including reserves, the Empire now commanded nearly two million troops. If he could truly train so many people into elites like the Imperial Guard, the Empire probably wouldn't need allies and could sweep the world on its own.

If that were the case, what would be the point of alliances? Wouldn't it be simpler to just crush them?

But reality is not a fantasy, after all. The troops on the Balkan front were, in the end, just second and third-line corps. After all, it was impossible to ignore the Russian Empire to the north and throw all precious resources at Serbia. One must remember, the Eastern Front faced a behemoth spanning Europe and Asia, with almost infinite mobilization potential.

So, they could only probe with artillery fire, consuming them little by little, to see where the opponent's bottom line was. Since they couldn't win with overwhelming superiority, they would patiently wait for the right moment.

After all, even if the Empire's population exceeded fifty million, soldiers didn't just sprout from the ground.

Soldiers loyal to the Empire and willing to fight desperately were even more precious. Even second and third-line units shouldn't be squandered meaninglessly.

If they couldn't completely crush Serbia, then they would wait.