Holy Roman Empire

At the Allied Headquarters in Constantinople, despite the capture of the Bosporus Strait and the significant victory, there was no celebration. The casualty reports dampened any sense of joy.

Because the Russian army spent too much time in the Ağva landing operation, it gave the enemy ample time to react, allowing the Ottoman Empire to mobilize and fortify their defenses.

The consequence of this head-on clash was heavy losses. Though the Russians won the battle due to their superior equipment, it came at a high cost.

The staggering casualty figure of 30,000 was a clear indication of the brutal nature of the conflict. If combined with the losses from the Ağva landing and other engagements, Russian casualties since the war began had surpassed 40,000, with nearly 10,000 killed in action.

Perhaps such numbers were insignificant to the vast Russian Empire, but for the 150,000-strong expeditionary force, these losses were devastating.

Now, Russian morale was noticeably declining, and victory could not erase the aftereffects of such heavy casualties. Even if the wounded were properly treated, no more than 20,000 Russian soldiers would return to the battlefield.

This meant that from this point on, the Russian army had permanently lost 20,000 soldiers. In the short term, only 110,000 Russian troops remained available, and with forces needing to be stationed at the Bosporus Strait, their mobile forces were reduced to fewer than 80,000.

As the commander of the coalition forces, Admiral Aleister also felt the pressure. While he was not particularly concerned about the heavy Russian losses, the unfolding situation worried him.

The Austrian government had made its stance clear: achieve victory with minimal cost. By placing a naval officer in charge of the coalition forces, it signaled that the Austrian government did not prioritize the Anatolian Peninsula campaign and had no plans to send additional troops.

As a soldier, no one wants to lose a battle. Although the war had been entirely directed by the Russians, and Aleister would not be held responsible, a defeat on the battlefield would still harm his reputation.

Of course, as a naval commander who hadn’t directly led the ground operations, he could minimize the impact on his career if things went wrong.

Aleister warned, “General Ivanov, your strategic objectives have been exposed. The enemy is prepared and waiting for you to fall into their trap. Are you still going to proceed?”

The use of the words “you” and “your” clearly highlighted the relationship within the coalition forces. Cooperation between Russia and Austria was no longer as seamless as it once was.

Ivanov’s face changed, showing some embarrassment. Originally, they had hoped to showcase their strength to Austria through this campaign, but it was better not to mention the result. If not for the Austrian airship units appearing at the last moment and demoralizing the enemy, the battle might still be ongoing.

In military alliances, strength equals influence. Since the Russian army hadn’t demonstrated exceptional combat prowess, their voice in the alliance naturally weakened.

This was especially true at the Allied Headquarters, where it became evident that the Russian army’s battle plan had failed. During meetings, Ivanov’s tone was much more subdued.

“Commander, the Bosporus Strait has been captured, and the Sea of Marmara is now open. The coalition forces can enter the Black Sea Strait at any time, allowing us greater flexibility in launching landing operations.”

It was a case of “beating one’s head against a brick wall.” Upon hearing his reply, Aleister held back what he initially wanted to say and reorganized his thoughts.

After spending some time together, Aleister knew Ivanov wasn’t a fool and had proven himself to be a capable military leader. The previous battles had shown that, overall, the Russian army hadn’t made any major errors.

The only reason Ivanov would insist on pushing forward with a militarily flawed plan was likely due to “political necessity.” In situations like this, military decisions often served political objectives, and right or wrong became irrelevant.

The Russian government needed to secure the Black Sea Strait as quickly as possible to ensure normal domestic export trade, leaving the Russian forces on the front lines with no choice but to press on despite the risks.

Heavy casualties? It doesn’t matter. The Russian Empire has plenty of people, and since it’s the Austrians providing the military supplies, the Russian government can afford the losses.

With their allies showing such a strong desire to fight, Aleister couldn’t stop them. As long as the Russians were willing to sacrifice lives, the Austrian government would be willing to spend money.

“Given your current troop strength, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to complete the next phase of operations. Is your country planning to send reinforcements?”

Ivanov nodded, “Yes, Commander. The Ottoman Empire has reacted, and to take control of the Black Sea Strait, we will need at least 200,000 troops.

I’ve already requested 100,000 reinforcements from home, and they are expected to arrive at the front lines within two months. The only problem now is with supplies.

In recent years, the Russian Empire’s finances have been strained, and with the Russo-Polish War breaking out, we cannot afford the costs…”

Upon hearing this, Aleister stood up and turned his back to the group, as if lost in thought.

There was no need to ask further. Aleister knew the Russian government was trying to get something for nothing again. The so-called 100,000 reinforcements were probably just 100,000 fresh recruits.

If he guessed correctly, the Russian government was trying to use this war as a training ground for future battles, particularly the next Russo-Prussian War.

In the eyes of politicians, human lives were cheap. If they could use Austrian supplies to train an elite army, the Russian government likely wouldn’t care about the casualties.

After a long pause, Aleister responded, “This is beyond my authority. Increasing the supply of resources would require approval from the Austrian government.”

Ivanov, sounding a bit impatient, replied, “Commander, there’s no need to get approval from the Austrian government. We can simply report more losses than we actually incur, and that way we can…”

Leaving it to the Austrian government to decide would bring this into the realm of diplomacy. Between nations, it’s always about interests, and the Russo-Austrian alliance is no exception.

This touched on the issue of dividing the spoils of war in the future. Ivanov would rather have fewer supplies now than see the Russian Empire pay a higher price later.

The Russian army had always endured hardship, and the expeditionary force’s logistics were supplied according to Austrian military standards, which were far superior to the usual treatment of Russian troops.

To many Russian officers, giving such luxury to the “gray livestock” (a derogatory term for Russian soldiers) was a complete waste. If they lowered the standards a bit and reported higher losses, the supplies meant for 150,000 troops would be enough for 230,000 Russians.

As for the lack of weapons and equipment, that was easy to handle: according to Russian army tradition, when soldiers at the front died, the ones behind could just pick up their guns and keep fighting.

Besides, they could always capture some supplies on the battlefield. If everyone cooperated, the problem would be solved.

Aleister’s face changed dramatically. The Russians could pull such tricks, but he definitely couldn’t.

Franz was extremely strict about military oversight, and falsifying battle losses or betraying national interests could land you in a military tribunal. The benefits the Russians promised were more like a death sentence for Aleister.

“No! General Ivanov, I warn you, this stops now. Do not insult the honor of the nobility!”

With that, Aleister stormed out, slamming the door behind him. He was genuinely furious—one wrong move could lead to his ruin.

Climbing to this position hadn’t been easy, and there were plenty of people watching, waiting to take his place. Aleister had no intention of becoming their stepping stone.

As for the benefits promised by the Russians, Aleister dismissed them with disdain. If someone of his rank was poor, how could the lower-ranking officers and soldiers survive?

...

At the Vienna Palace, Franz was not surprised as he read the battle report. No matter how much the Ottoman Empire had declined, even a rotten ship still had three pounds of nails.

The earlier reforms of the Ottoman government weren’t entirely ineffective. At least they had trained a modern army. While factors like financial constraints and bureaucratic corruption limited the Ottoman army’s combat effectiveness, how much better could the Russian army really be?

The Russian government was also financially strapped, and the Russian army was enduring hard times as well. Intelligence gathered from the front lines indicated that Russian troops had significant training deficiencies.

Two inexperienced armies were pecking at each other: the Ottoman army had a numerical advantage, while the Russians had the upper hand in terms of equipment. It was no surprise that both sides suffered heavy losses in the war.

As long as the front didn’t suffer a major defeat, and Austria wasn’t forced to send troops to clean up the mess, Franz was content. From Austria’s perspective, it was better if the Russian army remained somewhat weak.

“The Russians seem to be trying to use our resources to train their army. Perhaps later, they’ll rotate their troops under the pretext of needing rest and recovery. The Russian government is in a rush and it seems they’ve been greatly provoked by the Prussians. What do you think our response should be?”

The Russian government’s desire to secure the Black Sea Strait had slipped Franz’s mind. Compared to their hidden plans, that seemed like a trivial matter.

In the last Russo-Prussian War, the lack of training for most Russian soldiers was also an important factor leading to their defeat.

Every failure is a lesson learned.

It was inevitable that the Russian government would want to train a well-disciplined force. Their biggest problem now was a lack of funds, making the Near East War an opportunity for the Russians to train their troops.

After all, Austria was footing the bill and they just needed to provide the manpower. Despite the heavy casualties on the front, once the remaining troops had rested and recovered, their combat effectiveness would likely increase, not decrease.

Prime Minister Felix responded, “Your Majesty, it depends on how much the Russians are willing to pay. Training through actual combat incurs heavy losses. Soldiers can’t serve forever, and after a few years, they will retire.

If the Russo-Prussian War doesn’t break out soon, these soldiers will only be able to pass on their experience. The Russian army already has plenty of such experience. It hasn’t been that long since the last war.

I think the Russian government is trying to use real combat to train a batch of qualified officers. Once they have enough officers, expanding their army won’t be difficult, and they can ensure a certain level of combat readiness.”

Training officers was exactly what Austria was doing. Sending so many expendable units to the frontlines was partly to give their officers practical experience. Otherwise, the Middle Eastern campaign wouldn’t have dragged on, with Jerusalem still unconquered.

The Russian plan to train officers wasn’t as simple as it seemed. It would impact the future balance of power in Europe, for example, by increasing the Russian government’s chances of success in a future Russo-Prussian War.