Only after arriving in France did Pershing realize the cruelty of the world war.
What you read on paper is always shallow. The news about the world war you read in the newspapers and the impact you received when you actually participated in the world war are completely different things.
During the World War, the newspapers of the Allied Powers always reported good news but not bad news. Newspapers did not report on such a big mutiny in the French army at all. Ordinary people knew nothing about it and thought that the front line was victorious and that all the Germans were almost dead.
When Allied newspapers reported German casualties, they exaggerated the figures by more than double. When reporting Allied casualties, they reduced the numbers by half. In this way, only a very small number of people knew the true situation.
Pershing knew how great the losses suffered by the British and French forces in the spring offensive. The field hospitals in Calais and Dunkelton were filled with wounded soldiers. Four people had to live in a ward of less than ten square meters. Officers and soldiers with lower ranks could only
Lying in the corridor, there are many soldiers who have no chance to be sent to the hospital. They are unlucky Indians and Africans, and no one cares about their life or death.
Pershing was very surprised by the medical capabilities displayed by the British Expeditionary Force. There were more than 150 doctors and 400 nurses in a temporary field hospital in Calais. There are more than 20 such temporary hospitals in France and Belgium, and the scale is even larger.
There are eight larger fixed hospitals with more doctors and nurses and more advanced medical standards, two in the UK, four in France, one in Belgium and the last one in Cyprus.
In the port of Flanders, there are also two hospital ships from southern Africa docked. These are the only two hospital ships in the world. Each ship has thousands of doctors and nurses on board.
The total number of doctors and nurses in the US military is less than 1,000.
Even so, the field hospital is still unable to receive all the wounded. The wounded soldiers who are eligible to be sent to the field hospital are those with relatively serious injuries who need to continue surgical treatment, and more wounded soldiers receive temporary treatment on the front line.
There were an astonishing number of soldiers in the British Expeditionary Force with field medical capabilities. Pershing once believed that the medical kits prepared by the Allied Powers for the troops were useless because the vast majority of soldiers did not know how to use those medical tools.
As a result, there were an astonishing number of soldiers in the British Expeditionary Force who were proficient in using those medical tools. Although some people's stitched wounds were crooked, just like sewing clothes, Pershing knew what it meant for soldiers to receive timely treatment, so the US military
There is one more training content.
If you look at it this way, the six months required by Pershing is really not a fear of war, and even half a year may not be enough for the US military.
On May 9, Roque and Pétain came to Pershing's headquarters in Dunkirk, hoping that the U.S. military would join the war immediately.
"I'm sorry, my children are not ready yet. I can't just send them to the battlefield irresponsibly. They need more time to adapt to this unprecedented war." Pershing's attitude is still firm, but
Several young generals next to him were eager to try.
Rock met more legendary figures who would become mainstays in the future, Douglas MacArthur was one of them, and Patton finally came to France. It was not the Patton who had left the Mediterranean Fleet and went to the Southern African Navy, but George Smith Jr.
Patton, Pershing's adjutant, had just been ordered by Pershing to form the first armored brigade in the United States.
Before coming to France, Pershing and Barton's sister Nita were preparing to get engaged. The world war disrupted Pershing and Nita's arrangements, and they made an appointment to get married after the world war.
In addition, Roque only now knew that the tall, thin and taciturn young man who often followed Pétain was de Gaulle.
Now de Gaulle has not grown a beard, Roque really didn't pay attention.
Of course, Roque now has the qualifications to ignore future stars such as De Gaulle and Patton.
Now Patton is just in his early thirties, and de Gaulle is younger, not yet thirty years old.
"General Pershing, we don't have enough time. As you know, the new Russian government has withdrawn from the war. The German troops on the Eastern Front and the German troops on the Western Front are about to join forces. This is the last madness of the German army. The German army will definitely launch a war next.
This is a battle of unprecedented scale, and we must go all out." Pétain said sincerely that the US military troops were indeed not ready and needed longer training, but the British and French forces were also not ready, and the French troops were still
It will take time to restore combat effectiveness. The British Expeditionary Force suffered heavy losses in the spring offensive and it will take time to restore strength. Even Germany will need time to transfer its forces from the east to the west. There are also problems with adaptation and running-in. All participating troops
It's all in a hurry.
"General Petain, I am responsible for my soldiers. I don't know what the Germans think. I only know that soldiers without training cannot fight." Pershing's attitude was indifferent. The British Expeditionary Force suffered heavy losses in the spring offensive.
At present, sending the current U.S. troops to the front line is equivalent to sending U.S. troops to the German army for massacre.
"General Pershing, we are all responsible for our soldiers -" Rock was serious and serious. When he spoke, it was obvious that the American generals were highly focused. As the most outstanding general on the Western Front, Rock won the victory with his brilliant record.
Respect from all.
Like Roque, Pétain also held a high position of authority, but after the outbreak of the World War, Pétain had no impressive record. After the Battle of the Marne, the Second Battle of Arras, which Pétain personally commanded, ended in failure.
During the Battle of Erden, Pétain performed well, but in the end it was a flash in the pan and Nivel robbed him of the glory of victory. Pétain indeed saved France twice, but not many people know Pétain's credit.
"-But at the same time, we must also be responsible for our own country. The world war has been going on now, and we have no retreat. If necessary, I, the commander-in-chief of the British Expeditionary Force, am always ready to die on the battlefield with the soldiers. We
He had written a suicide note before joining the world war. As a soldier, we all know what we are about to face." Rock did not give Pershing a chance to defend himself. American lives are precious, but British and French people are not.
people?
We are all descended from father and mother, no one is any more noble than anyone else.
Pershing frowned. Rock's words made Pershing irrefutable. The US military is composed of young people who voluntarily joined the army. They came to Europe to gain glory, not to stay in the rear and train and train again every day.
"This may be the biggest test for us since the outbreak of the world war. If we win the war, we will win the final victory. If we lose the war, we will lose everything. All the previous efforts will be in vain." Petain said sincerely.
Dang and Luo Ke really didn't discuss it, but they cooperated tacitly.
Per Xing still didn't speak. It could be seen from his frown and solemn eyes that Per Xing was struggling internally.
Join the war.
The U.S. military is not ready yet and will definitely suffer heavy casualties.
Not participating in the war.
Leaving aside those arrogant and eager American soldiers, Roque and Pétain arrived hand in hand, and Pershing had to weigh the consequences of rejecting both Roque and Pétain.
Rejecting Roque and Pétain at the same time would be tantamount to offending the two great powers of the world, the British Empire and France. The United States, which had not benefited much from World War I, could not afford the consequences.
Now the U.S. government still owes money to the United Kingdom, and the U.S. does not dare to be like the new Russian government and refuse to acknowledge its debt even if it picks up its pants.
A fighting nation is indeed a fighting nation.
"General Pershing, in view of the situation of the US military, the US troops will not be sent to the front line from the beginning. You will serve as the strategic reserve of the French army and have more time to adapt to the Western Front battlefield-" Roque seemed to
For the sake of the US military, he quietly dug a hole for Pershing.
Since arriving in France, Pershing has striven for autonomy for the US military and is unwilling to become a vassal of the British and French forces.
If the US military is used as a strategic reserve for the French army, then the US military will lose its independence and autonomy. Once the German army breaks through the French defense line, the US military will be able to attack.
"Lord Nyasaland, General Pétain, if my troops join the war now, then I need a separate line of defense, not a strategic reserve that does nothing." Pershing took the bait as expected. This was a little negotiation trick, and he proposed first
If you make a condition that the other party cannot accept, and then slowly lower the requirements, the other party will be able to accept it more easily.
Mr. Lu Xun once said: If someone proposes to open a window in the wall of a house, everyone will definitely oppose it, and the window will definitely not be opened. But if someone proposes to remove the roof, everyone will give in and agree to open a window.
"Can!"
"Okay!" Roque and Pétain agreed immediately, not giving Pershing a chance to go back on his word.
Pershing was confused for a moment, who am I, where am I, what happened -
The new Russian government withdrew from the war, causing a series of chain reactions. Before Germany transferred its troops from the Eastern Front to the Western Front, disputes broke out again in the distant Garibaldi Peninsula.
The Allies agreed to give Constantinople and the Garibaldi Peninsula to the Russian Empire on the premise that the Russian Empire would continue to participate in the war.
Now that the new Russian government has withdrawn from the war, the prerequisite for possessing Constantinople and the Garibaldi Peninsula no longer exists. Just after the US military finally joined the war, the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force received an order from the British government to launch the expedition at the appropriate time.
Suitable grounds for the recovery of Constantinople and the Garibaldi Peninsula.
This is a huge challenge for Ian Hamilton, commander-in-chief of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. The importance of the Black Sea outlet to Russia does not need to be emphasized. Think about the original Boer Republic. If the Boer Republic also had an outlet, then the United Kingdom would send 44 more
With ten thousand people, it was impossible to conquer the Boer Republic in two years.
(There was something wrong behind the scenes and I couldn’t read this chapter, so my brothers must not have scolded me - if I can’t read this chapter, then what’s the point of subscribing to the novel I wrote myself-)