Chapter 1311 A false alarm
"Can the Empire increase its investment?"
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This is what Benedek really thinks, and it is also the most effective way to solve the problem. After all, in his impression, the Empire's logistics department is very powerful, and it seems that all problems can be solved as long as more investment is made.
In the face of hundreds of thousands of prisoners in Italy, even the always steady Marshal Radetzky couldn't sit still.
If these people were released, they would immediately be hundreds of thousands of enemy troops, but if they were not released, the shit they would excrete every week could flood a farm.
In the end, these hundreds of thousands of prisoners did not cause much trouble, and even promoted the development of northern Italy to a certain extent.
"Before clearing the canal blocked by the Spanish, increasing investment will not solve the problem. Because Spain lacks railways, all materials can only be transported by manpower and animal power.
And people and animals need to eat. The longer the journey and the more complex the terrain, the greater the loss. The inland border of the four coastal provinces is almost the limit of our transportation capacity.
Going deeper inland, the benefits of increasing investment will be infinitely close to 0, or even negative.
Here I would like to remind you that the empire has paid a lot for this war."
Fani Kaus had a transportation revenue chart calculated by the logistics department hung on the whiteboard in the conference room. The curve did look very pessimistic.
"How long will it take to complete the river cleaning work?"
Someone else raised a question.
"Not sure, maybe a few months, maybe a few years."
Fani Kaus made the generals feel both disappointed and angry.
Gabrentz knocked on the table.
"What are you doing in logistics? Can't you even do this?"
"I'm sorry, General, the extent of the damage to the canal has not yet been calculated. If it is just blocked by gravel and silt, it will take a few months to clear the river if there is sufficient manpower.
But if there is a structural collapse, repairing the canal is equivalent to re-digging, and coupled with the special terrain of the Spanish region, it is not surprising that the entire project will take more than a year.
And I would like to remind you that winter is coming soon, and it is almost impossible to dig a canal in the winter in Spain."
A senior logistics engineer explained. He is a famous canal expert in the Austrian Empire, and his words are very credible.
At this time in the Austrian Empire, technical officials were not subordinate to administrative officials, and at Franz's request, any decision-making meeting must be attended by relevant technical officials, so the status of technical officials is quite high.
"Then didn't your logistics department consider today's situation?"
"The canals are as important to us as they are to Spain. If they are blown up, they will be more hurt than us. The logistics department did not expect this to happen."
Although Ferrante Duval only wanted to escape, the Spanish Republic was not without strategic geniuses. They quickly found a flaw in the behavioral logic of the Austrian Empire.
Russia could defeat Napoleon with a scorched earth policy, and they could naturally defeat Austria with a scorched earth policy.
Without supplies, the Austrian Empire naturally could not continue to launch an attack, and as long as time went on, even the strongest countries could not withstand consumption.
However, the strategic geniuses of Spain did not evacuate the people like Russia, but chose to make the people suffer again.
After all, the Spanish Republic did not have much supplies of its own, and a large number of people could consume the supplies of the Austrian Empire more effectively. As long as the Austrian Empire tore off the mask of hypocrisy, the balance of victory would tilt towards Spain.
Although such a conspiracy was extremely vicious, it was impeccable. The Austrian Empire could only choose to negotiate or withdraw its troops, otherwise it would be consumed to death.
"Then can we reduce the population of Spain?"
Gabrentz's tone was calm, but everyone present was terrified.
"Are you kidding me!"
"Do you know what you are talking about?"
"What are we here for?"
"Are you not afraid of being cursed?"
"I know exactly what I am talking about. We are here to win the war. If the curse is really useful, we don't need to save Spain.
This situation is not uncommon in the colonies now. Not everyone can have a rich war to fight."
"This is Europe! Not Africa!"
"Don't rush to object. People in the coastal provinces of Spain don't think that the people of Madrid are their own people. If we hadn't stopped them, the Spanish Legion would have massacred countless times!
As long as the population is reduced, the logistics problem will be easy to solve.
We have now occupied two-thirds of the major cities in Spain, and we are only one step away from ending the war. If we retreat now, we don't know when this war will end.
Maybe one year, two years, five years, ten years, in short, more people may die than now."
This is the best method Gabrentz can think of for the time being. As long as the war is ended in one go, the logistics problem can always be solved.
"This is crazy! If we massacre civilians, what will we do before?"
"It's not impossible, just let the Catalans do it, and then find something to calm the public anger after the war is over."
"I agree. Ending the war now is the key."
"I agree. The sacrifices necessary for victory are worth it. Don't forget the failure of the French. They died of their own arrogance. We should not repeat the same mistakes."
"I object. We don't have to stick to the same strategy all the time. We just need to ignore the Spaniards and end the war.
The Logistics Department has the ability to maintain the army's supply, right?"
"The logistics of the army can be guaranteed."
"Then I have no problem."
"Everyone, have you ever thought that the people who planned it think this way? They are just waiting for us to make mistakes and force us to make the decision they want.
Please calm down."
"Sir Fani Cos, please don't keep us in suspense. This is not an elementary school classroom. Please speak frankly."
Fani Cos smiled awkwardly. Some of his habits are indeed difficult to change.
"Although the Logistics Department did not expect today's situation, the Intelligence Department had already started its activities under the instruction of His Majesty the Emperor.
In the past few months, they have been purchasing food and supplies in the enemy-occupied areas. These food are enough to solve the current crisis."
"Where is this batch of food now?"
The generals really hate this elementary school principal.
"Well, there was a small problem. Due to the frequent changes of the Spanish regime, the amulet that the intelligence personnel were looking for turned into a death warrant.
Now our intelligence personnel have been arrested as royalists, but fortunately he had hidden the food and supplies in several safe places before."
Fani Caus said with some embarrassment, but the generals were already impatient.
"Don't talk nonsense and talk about the main point."
"Now there is only one person who knows these safe spots and is still alive. He is now imprisoned in Toledo."