Chapter 34 Mobilization
The time came to May of 1866.
Today, Ernst attended a class reunion and felt ashamed to say that he went to Berlin to study through the back door, but ended up giving up halfway.
Today's meeting place was chosen at a large hotel 960 meters south of the University of Berlin. Many dignitaries who came to Berlin stayed here.
In the splendid hall.
"Sir, welcome!" As soon as he arrived at the door, Ernst in a suit and leather tie was greeted by the service staff.
second floor
"Sir, please show me your invitation!"
Ernst handed the invitation to the waiter. After carefully observing Ernst's invitation, he said politely: "Your Highness Ernst, please come in. I wish you a pleasant stay!"
…
In the party hall, the crystal chandelier hung high on the dome, illuminating the entire hall. Many people had already arrived at the venue.
"Ernst, here!"
Garrett, dressed in an officer's uniform, waved to Ernst.
"Garrett, have you joined the army?" Ernst looked surprised.
Jialit said proudly: "Alas! The old man said that my grades were too poor and he insisted on finding me an official position in the army."
"Which unit are you in?"
"Isn't this the empire's military expansion? So the old man told me that now is the best stage for gilding. As long as you go on the battlefield, you will have the qualifications in the future. Now I am the third company of the 23rd Infantry Regiment of the Kingdom. staff officer."
Ernst patted Garrett on the shoulder: "Very good, now is your chance to play."
"Ernst, do you have any inside information? Can you tell me about it?" Garrett said with a wink.
"You may have misunderstood me. I'm more of an entrepreneur now, but I don't have inside information about the military. However, if I do have some knowledge about military material procurement, it's a pity that it won't be of much help to you."
"Ah! Let's forget it then. Doesn't your father, Prince Constantine, serve in the General Staff? He didn't tell you about the army?"
Ernst smiled and said: "I am not interested in the military. I have never communicated with my father in this regard. Moreover, the kingdom now attaches great importance to cultivating young people. Are you, a Berlin college student, still worried that you will not be able to make a career in the military camp?"
"Haha... Is that true? I'm just a bit gossipy. After all, everyone wants to take a look at the answers before the exam, right?"
Ernst nodded: "It's human nature, I understand."
"The main reason is that now Ernst you have started your own career. We are both scumbags in school. We agreed to work together, but you ended up going solo! Since you stopped coming to school, I have been the one with the lowest grades."
Jialit smiled and said: "Business has been good these past few months! Our army has purchased a lot of your company's products."
"It's just a small business. You're still a kid. When you get prosperous in the army, you can't forget to support your old classmate's business!"
Jialit said speechlessly: "Don't show off. Everyone knows the relationship between the royal family and you. Damn the second generation of the noble family, you will still be asked to support and support my younger brother in the future."
Ernst teased: "Well, who can say clearly about war? What if you are a military genius like Moltke? Maybe you will have a place among the top leaders of the kingdom in the future."
Ernst originally wanted to say Napoleonic genius, but changed his mind when he thought about Napoleon's reputation in Germany.
"Okay, let's not talk about this anymore. Let's go drink. We must get you drunk today!" Jialit said fiercely.
…
Prussian Royal Palace.
Wilhelm I was discussing preparations for war with Prime Minister Bismarck and Army Chief of Staff Moltke.
William I: "Prime Minister, what are your preparations now?"
"Your Majesty, the funds for the war have been collected. At the same time, we have also roped in the Italians as allies. Russia has no ability to intervene in European affairs for the time being. Moreover, they had an enmity with Austria last time. Even if there is a war, they will favor us. Britain and France have not intervened. They hope that both us and Austria will suffer losses, so we must win quickly militarily to avoid intervention by the powers. As for the military aspect, it still depends on the preparations of the army."
Moltke said: "This time we have made complete preparations. The three new legions have been completed and the railway network has been connected to the military camp. We can quickly deploy 200,000 people to the front line. Currently, there are 50,000 troops ready at the border. Coupled with the previous reforms, we will be able to recruit hundreds of thousands of reserve troops to the front line in a short period of time through the railway. Coupled with the containment of the Italians, we have an advantage over Austria in terms of military strength."
Then Moltke put his hand on the map and looked to the center of Prussia: "This time, we have to deal with the North German princes first. Many of these princes are biased toward Austria, and they are located in the heart of the Kingdom of Prussia, which may cause us trouble. , As for the southern German countries, including Bavaria, they are not determined to fight, and we must strive for their neutrality diplomatically."
Bismarck said: "You can rest assured that as long as we focus on the Austrian battlefield and focus on defense in the South German region, these Austrian allies will not do their best. As long as the Austrian army is eliminated in a short time, other countries will inevitably surrender to Prussia. Under great power."
In short, both of them agreed to give priority to solving Austria. If Austria is solved, all problems will be solved.
William I walked in front of the table with his hands behind his back and thought, and said: "A lion fights a rabbit with all his strength. Austria's prestige in Europe is not comparable to that of small countries. Although Austria's development in recent years has been unsatisfactory, a skinny camel is better than a horse." The army, especially the Austrian army, has not declined significantly as a whole, so we should go all out to increase the offensive against Austria."
Go to your desk and sit down, pick up the pen and cross out the original plan.
"This time, it is the battle of Prussia's destiny. We have to fight against everything. The previous plan was still too conservative. General Moltke, from now on I will officially appoint you as Commander-in-Chief of the Prussian Army. Prussia has entered a wartime state, and all reserves have been It is necessary to enter the army for training in advance, the railways must strengthen train schedules, and weapons must be replaced quickly..."
William I continued: "Prime Minister, your government must cooperate with the military's requirements and do its best to provide convenience for the military. At the same time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs must actively observe the developments in European countries and not allow accidents to happen..."
Following William I's orders, Prussia began its last mobilization before the war, and the three newly formed legions were sent directly to western Prussia.
The number of military trains increased significantly every day, and each train pulled soldiers, artillery and supplies throughout Prussia.
Reserves were called up in advance, military camps were full of soldiers, the government began to build new training venues in various places, and idle land was converted into new military camps.
The railway network was rearranged, and railway workers began to work overtime to repair lines to provide protection for the sudden increase in trains.
At the same time, Prussia began to increase the construction of wired telegraph lines from the border to Berlin, and quickly popularized telegraph equipment on a large scale in the military.
When Prussia was mobilizing, Austria and Italy were also preparing, but the effect was obviously not as good as that of Prussia, which pursued militarism.