Iron Dynasty

Chapter 1146

The fifth month of the ninth year of the Imperial calendar.

When the news of Tsarist Russia, Prussia, and Austria sending troops to partition Poland reached Xiao Ming’s ears, he suddenly had a misconception that history was repeating itself. In contemporary history, Poland had been partitioned many times, leading to its demise, the most recent time being during World War II.

However, being in this era, this was not good news for him. Tsarist Russia, Prussia, and Austria partitioning Poland together meant that there must be some shady deals between the three of them. His most direct feeling was that their ultimate goal was France, and they had now discovered this “bomb.”

“This is a headache.”

Putting the message on the table, Xiao Ming felt a little helpless. The Empire did not yet have the ability to launch a large-scale landing operation in Europe, so direct intervention was ruled out. Furthermore, Prussia, Tsarist Russia, and Austria were all land powers that did not rely on the sea. The Empire’s fleet, which dominated the seas, was terrifying to them but did not pose a direct threat.

However, he was a little unwilling to just watch his plan in Europe be foiled. So even though Henry might face defeat, he still had to find a way to make Henry drag them into the water.

“Your Majesty, should we lend machine guns to Henry, just like we did in the Middle East? If we do, France will become a meat grinder,” Cui Shang’an said with a hint of ruthlessness.

Xiao Ming was a little worried. “This Henry has no feelings for the Empire. If we give him enough ammunition and machine guns, we can’t be sure who he will aim his guns at. Also, Central Asia is where the Empire’s oil interests lie, and we must protect it. But in Europe, I only want to weaken their power.”

“But if Henry doesn’t have machine guns and these three countries intervene in the French civil war, Henry will surely be defeated,” Cui Shang’an said worriedly. They had invested a lot in Henry, transporting ammunition and various supplies from the Empire from thousands of miles away, all in preparation for Henry to take charge of France. If Henry failed, the Empire’s investment of tens of millions of gold dragons would all be for naught.

Xiao Ming frowned upon hearing this. As Cui Shang’an said, if they didn’t support Henry, the war would quickly become one-sided. But even if they continued to supply Henry with weapons, it would probably not change the outcome of Henry’s defeat. After all, he could only win this war if he had the same equipment as the Imperial army, and a France armed by the Empire like that might become a big problem for the Empire in the future.

So, after a moment of thought, he said, “The civil war in France led by Henry has already caused serious damage to France’s industry and production. Even if Henry fails, it will take a long time for France to recover. So the money invested by the Empire was not a waste.”

After a pause, he said, “Since the Empire’s goal is to weaken Europe, this intervention in the war is basically a small-scale European total war. To make the European countries cause trouble for a while longer, the Empire only needs to increase its support for Henry. Don’t let Henry die too early.”

Cui Shang’an nodded. For now, this was the safest approach. After deciding on the plan to continue supporting Henry, Cui Shang’an said, “Your Majesty, something is strange about this sudden upheaval in Europe.”

“There is naturally something strange. I have received news that Queen Victoria of Britain is seeking refuge in Moscow, and in this incident, she and Empress Catherine of Tsarist Russia are playing important roles. Ultimately, their final goal must be the Empire.”

Cui Shang’an suddenly understood. “Does Your Majesty mean that they saw through Your Majesty’s plan in Europe and that is why they are targeting Henry?”

Xiao Ming nodded slightly. “Probably so. After all, the Empire’s support for Henry is no secret in Europe.”

Cui Shang’an was a little unwilling. He said, “It’s too cheap for them to just let them foil our plan like this.”

Xiao Ming’s gaze was profound. He said, “I won’t let them have it so easy. Supporting Henry is one step, but I also have a very important step.”

While speaking, Xiao Ming came to the map and pointed to the Caspian Sea region. “Most of the tanks produced by the Empire in recent years have been sent here. Now Qi Guangyi’s large-scale tank cluster operation should be very proficient. Let the Northwest Military Region give Tsarist Russia a lesson with a blitzkrieg.”

“If I remember correctly, Qi Guangyi’s army is equipped with 180 tanks, which should be enough to deal with Tsarist Russia,” Cui Shang’an said, suddenly realizing. “Attacking Tsarist Russia at this time will force Tsarist Russia to fully return to defense, leaving them no time to attack France. Let Henry deal with Prussia and Austria. If he has sufficient Hawk rifles and Guard artillery ammunition in his hands, even if he loses, it is likely that Austria and Prussia will also suffer heavy losses. At that time, whatever conspiracy they have will be foiled without an attack.”

“That’s right. This is my solution. You must immediately issue an order to Qi Guangyi. This time, let Europe see what a steel torrent is.”

Cui Shang’an responded and returned to the General Staff Department. While issuing the order to Qi Guangyi, he also allocated a batch of military transport vehicles to the Northwest Army. To control the former Golden Tent Khanate’s land, Qi Guangyi’s Northwest Army was very stretched. It would be difficult to control these areas without convenient transportation, and most importantly, these areas were often flat, making them very suitable for vehicle transportation. Therefore, the Empire currently mainly provided the military vehicles produced to the Northwest Army.

The phone call from the General Staff Department arrived in Raozhou, and a military vehicle immediately set off for the grasslands. Every 300 li, the military vehicle would refuel at a military refueling point along the way and continue westward. After a six-day journey, the military vehicle arrived at the Northwest Army’s military base, 300 li east of the Caspian Sea.

“Attack Tsarist Russia?”

Upon hearing this news, Qi Guangyi and the other generals looked excited. The area where they were located could be said to be the farthest point of the Empire’s control. Here, they were bordered by Persia and the Ottoman Empire to the south, and Tsarist Russia to the north and west. Especially the great plains of Eastern Europe to their west. This used to be the Cossack Khanate, and Tsarist Russia’s Cossack cavalry came from the Cossacks who lived here. Because of this, Tsarist Russia regarded them as a thorn in their side, and their reconnaissance had not stopped for years.

“An army is raised for a thousand days to be used for a single battle. Let the soldiers prepare. This will be our Northwest Army’s first time using tanks in battle, and we must fight a beautiful battle,” Qi Guangyi said loudly. From the telecommunications soldier, he learned about the current situation in Europe. He had to admit that the Emperor’s vision was very accurate. As long as Tsarist Russia was unable to take care of itself at this time, the countries that intervened in the French civil war would surely suffer heavy losses. At the same time, a victory in the war against Tsarist Russia would further make the European countries realize the reality.