The meaning of Murphy's Law is: If there is a possibility that things will go bad, no matter how small the possibility is, it will always happen.
This is what the Russian Empire is like now.
Perhaps it is inappropriate to use the term "Russian Empire" anymore, but it doesn't matter. The current Provisional Government will not exist for long anyway. When Ludendorff decides to send someone back to Russia, the fate of the Provisional Government is already sealed.
The worst scenario that Rock expected was happening. The reason why Winston agreed to Nivelle's spring offensive was to give the Russian Empire the confidence to continue fighting.
As a result, Nivel's spring offensive ended with a mutiny by the French army. The British Expeditionary Force paid a heavy price to barely maintain the balance on the Western Front. This result not only did not give enough confidence to the Russian Empire, but also accelerated the collapse of the Provisional Government.
While the British Expeditionary Force was fighting bloody battles, the situation in the Russian Empire continued to deteriorate, and St. Petersburg became increasingly tense. Kerensky originally promised to launch an offensive in April to cooperate with Nivele's spring offensive, but after the New Year, Russia
About 35,000 soldiers deserted the empire every month. After Kerensky announced the abolition of the death penalty for deserters, the number of deserters increased to nearly one million.
Even under such circumstances, Kerensky still tried his best to mobilize the army and launched an attack on Germany that was close to a "suicide operation".
The victory of the British Expeditionary Force in Belgium still inspired Kerensky. Although France was in collapse, the British Expeditionary Force performed well and gave Kerensky a certain degree of confidence.
Another reason that prompted Kerensky to launch an offensive was the British government's monthly loan of 20 million pounds to the Russian Empire. After the coalition government was established, Lloyd George claimed that if the Provisional Government withdrew from the war, Britain would cancel its loan to the Provisional Government.
government loans, and required Russia to repay all loans given to Russia by Britain after the outbreak of the World War in one go.
Kerensky was a good comrade who never thought of defaulting on a debt, and no one dared to default on the British Empire's debt, unless this country was preparing to become a public enemy of the world, so the Provisional Government had to stay in the Allied Powers and continue to fight.
On April 25, the same day that the British Expeditionary Force launched a tentative attack on the Liege Fortress, Kerensky mobilized 200,000 troops and 1,300 artillery pieces to launch the first offensive of 1916 against the Germans on the Eastern Front.
The attack ended with the complete failure of the Russian army. Although the losses of the Russian army were very small, only 17,000 people, which was not worth mentioning compared with the previous casualties of hundreds of thousands, the failure of this attack severely hit the Russian soldiers.
morale.
The news of the defeat on the front line came back to St. Petersburg and became the straw that broke the camel's back. St. Petersburg once again fell into chaos. The provisional government that had just been established less than two months collapsed. The new government that took power on the second day after taking office
Germany proposed a peace condition that did not involve territorial annexation or reparations.
This condition was immediately confirmed by Germany.
Not involving territorial annexation, that means Germany does not need to withdraw from the lands it occupied after the outbreak of the world war, which are about twice the size of France.
Germany never expected to receive compensation from the Russian Empire. After the outbreak of the World War, Nicholas II became the captain of Germany's transportation brigade. The military supplies captured by the German army on the eastern front strongly supported the German army's operations on the western front. Think of it
The long-term relationship between Germany and Russia makes people have to doubt the true position of the Russian Empire in the world war.
At the end of the Seven Years' War, after Peter III of the Russian Empire came to the throne, he immediately ordered a cessation of the war with Prussia, and soon formed an alliance with Prussia. Peter III called the then Emperor of Prussia, Frederick the Great, "my king, my king."
Owner".
After Peter III's wife, Catherine the Great, and the future Catherine the Great launched a coup to kill Peter III, the Russian Empire continued to run wildly on the road of kneeling and licking, and the "Prussianization" of the entire Russian Empire continued until Alexander III ascended the throne.
Then it gradually stopped.
Now the Russian interim government has proposed an armistice agreement that is most beneficial to Germany, which makes Germany simply overjoyed.
The day after the new Russian government proposed peace negotiations, Germany and the new Russian government reached an agreement, and the new Russian government announced its withdrawal from the war.
It was now the turn of the British and French governments to become anxious, and Lloyd George tried to threaten the new Russian government with loans.
What Lloyd George never expected was that the new Russian government claimed that it would not recognize all foreign debts owed by the Russian Empire.
Among these foreign debts, the British portion alone amounts to 750 million pounds.
All the British, including Lloyd George and Winston, as well as George V, were mad. Only the British Empire has always relied on other people's debts. Who dares to rely on the British Empire's debts?
Wait, put the debt aside in advance.
The Russian Empire withdraws from the war, which means that millions of troops from Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Bulgaria on the Eastern Front will be released, and the pressure on the British and French coalition forces on the Western Front will instantly increase.
The enemy has 30 seconds to arrive on the battlefield!
Under heavy pressure, Roque and Pétain finally had the opportunity to meet.
Roque was surprised by Pétain's old age. There were very few soldiers over 60 years old in the British army, and there were even very few soldiers over 40 years old in the Southern African army.
Petain was surprised by Roque's youth. Petain tried hard to remember, but he couldn't remember what he was doing when he was 30 years old.
Anyway, he is not a French marshal, and Pétain is not one yet.
He was not the commander-in-chief of the French army. Pétain only became the commander-in-chief of the French army when he was 60 years old.
Nor is it the French Minister of War and Minister of Defense. Pétain may never have the opportunity to serve as Minister of War and Minister of Defense at the same time in his life.
As for "count", after the French Revolution, "count" has become a historical term.
"Locke, Locke, you are so young. When I saw your photo, I thought you deliberately found a photo of you when you were young and gave it to me. Now I am sure that you are younger in person than in the photo -
—" Pétain was full of praise and held Roque's hand without letting go.
What else could Roque say: "General Pétain, I'm glad to see you. I'm not very photogenic -"
Pétain laughed heartily. His body had completely recovered and he did not look like a sixty-year-old man at all. He had a strong posture, firm and powerful steps, and was full of confidence anytime and anywhere.
This is normal. During World War II, Pétain also served as the head of the Vichy French government. At that time, Pétain was already 86 years old.
Pétain's headquarters was composed of tents, which were designed to be mobile at any time. Since the mutiny of the French troops, Pétain visited almost all the troops on the front line, and these tents followed Pétain around.
Compared with the luxurious castle of Nivelle, Roque still prefers Pétain's pragmatic spirit. If you don't go to the front line in person, you won't know what is happening on the front line. Nivelle is in his ridiculously luxurious castle. If he can accurately
If you grasp the situation on the front line, then Nivele is the time traveler.
The furnishings in the tent are very simple, with a table and chairs made of iron sheets, with the logo of the Fawalt Steel Company clearly visible on them. There is a camp bed next to the table, with quilts stacked neatly on it, and Pétain's military uniform on the quilt.
Hat, these details show that Pétain was a very rigorous person, but he was not as picky as Pershing to the point of mysophobia.
"The Russian Empire has withdrawn from the war, and then we may face the worst situation since the outbreak of the World War -" Pétain went straight to the point as soon as he sat down. After the German army on the Eastern Front joined the Western Front, the German army will definitely launch an unprecedented scale.
The French troops were not yet ready for the attack, and Pétain was extremely anxious.
But Pétain could not show it, after all, Pétain was not sure of Roque's determination.
"I have ordered the frontline troops to stop the offensive, switch to a defensive state, and build fortifications stronger than the Hindenburg Line. Our defense line has tanks as fulcrums and an air force to cooperate with us. Defensively, we should not be in an invincible position.
Question." Rock was prepared early. Since the new Russian government withdrew from the war, two million British Expeditionary Forces and one million laborers have been digging trenches, and even American troops have participated.
There is not much time left for U.S. troops to train.
With the help of aircraft and tanks, the British Expeditionary Force's defense line was far stronger than the Hindenburg Line.
According to European tradition, the defense line built by the British Expeditionary Force is called the "Locke Line of Defense." The Locke Line of Defense consists of three to four trenches. The first line of defense is still cannon fodder troops, the second line of defense is the real line of defense, and the third line of defense is the real line of defense.
It is the reserve and artillery positions, and the last line is composed of support troops.
Compared with the German troops, the biggest advantage of the British Expeditionary Force is the increasing number of heavy weapons. Do you still remember the news that Rock hungry and gave luncheon meat to the Canadian Legion? After that, both the British mainland and southern Africa
A new fundraiser was started, and these donations were now turned into aircraft and artillery to be sent to the Western Front.
The current British Expeditionary Force has more than 1,200 aircraft, nearly 1,800 tanks, and nearly 21,000 artillery pieces of various types. If the Germans attack, Rock will give Ludendorff a surprise.
"The situation of the French army is very serious. We need more help -" Pétain was exhausted mentally and physically. The French army has not completely recovered from the chaos. Now less than half of the French army can continue to fight. If the German army
Launching an attack would still be a disaster for the French army.
"The number of U.S. troops in France has exceeded 250,000, and 120,000 U.S. troops arrive in France every month, allowing the U.S. military to assist the French troops in defense." Roque does not give Americans the opportunity to train. Rapid growth in actual combat is training.
The most effective way for troops.
"General Pershing -" Pétain had no confidence in this suggestion. Pershing was indeed a very capable general, but he was also a very stubborn soldier. It was not easy to convince Pershing.
Locke was not worried about this problem. If Locke, the commander-in-chief of the British Expeditionary Force, and Pétain, the commander-in-chief of the French army, came forward together, Pershing would have no room to refuse.
(I actually fell asleep while writing last night, but the chapter at zero was not posted. I confess, I am guilty - please forgive me, brothers -)