Chapter 426： Russian offensive

Time passed in a hurry, and about half an hour passed. The Minister of War, Prince Dolgoruko, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Karl Nescher Rodie, and the head of the "Third Section", Count Orlov, accompanied the attendant attaché. Arrive at Catherine Palace.

When the three ministers opened the door and entered the room, Nicholas I's voice reached the three of them: "You are here!"

The three ministers hurriedly bowed their knees to Nicholas I, and Nicholas I waved his hands and asked them to come over.

The three of them walked together in the direction of Nicholas I in the room. At this time, Nicholas I was standing in front of a long square table, with his head lowered and his index fingers constantly gesturing on the table.

When the three ministers approached Nicholas I together, they discovered that the Near East area was laid on a long square table with a ratio of about 1:50,000.

Prince Dolgoruko and Karl Nesselroddie had a bad feeling in their hearts.

Since the last time Karl Nescherroddie and Dolgoruko deceived Nicholas I, both Karl Nescherlodie and Dolgoruko have been far from the center of power to varying degrees, especially It's Karl Nescher Rod, and now he's only in charge of some less important diplomatic meetings.

Now the military and diplomacy of the Russian Empire is in the hands of Nicholas I, and he must report directly to him, no matter how big or small.

As for the "third division" under the leadership of Count Orlov, because Nicholas I himself would not be able to spy on operations, Count Orlov knew a little about the situation in the Near East.

After Karl Necherrodie and others came to Nicholas I together, Nicholas I immediately said to them: "The Ottoman Empire has declared war on the Russian Empire! It is estimated that the French Empire will also declare war on the Russian Empire soon. , so I called you here to ask what you can do to get the Russian Imperial Army to enter here faster!"

Nicholas I pointed his finger to the location of Constantinople, and he said to the two ministers next to him with great pride: "The Austro Empire has declared war on us, and we must act, so I will You called here just to ask what you think?"

As soon as Nicholas I's voice fell, Prince Dolgoruko, who had a slightly upright temper, immediately told Nicholas I that he needed to know the number of the Russian Empire in the Danube region and the number of people deployed by the Ottoman Empire in the Danube.

As soon as Dolgoruko finished speaking, Nicholas I turned his attention to Orlov.

As the third division, Orlov immediately pointed to the map and explained to Prince Dolgoruko the Russian Empire's deployment of 130,000 German troops in the Danube region, and then told Prince Dolgoruko the Ruse fortress group. Approximate number of people with the fortress complex of Sealyscott.

After learning the basic information of the aircraft, Prince Dolgorov asked Nicholas I for another pen, and Nicholas I hurriedly ordered the attache to find a staff officer to use a pencil for drawing.

After a while, the attendant attached the pencil and handed it to Prince Dolgoruko. Prince Dolgoruko took the pencil and began to mark Orlov's intelligence on the map. Karl Necherro Die and the others stood there and looked at Prince Dolgoruf.

"Okay!" After Prince Dolgoruko marked all the places that needed to be marked on it, a brand new map appeared in front of them. The map was densely populated with arrow symbols and numbers of troops.

The words 20,000 and 30,000 are clearly marked on Silistra and Ruse, and the two arrows point in these two directions respectively.

Nicholas I looked at it carefully for a while, and immediately asked Prince Dolgoruko if he shot at the two fortress groups of Ruse and Silistra at the same time.

"No! Your Majesty! I mean to choose one of the two fortress groups as the main attack direction!" Dolgoruko shook his head and explained to Nicholas I.

"I have an army of 130,000, and I am fully capable of attacking both places at the same time! Just like in 1828!" Nicholas I, who had experience in leading troops, asked Dolgoruko, who had always been right What happened in 1828 is haunted.

"Your Majesty, if the army is deployed on a large scale, it will cause serious logistical problems!" Dolgoruko responded to Nicholas I, "Too many troops involved in the battle will only lead to twice the result with half the effort! Besides, Sili Neither Stella nor Ruse is conducive to large-scale military deployment, and 30,000 troops are enough to deploy."

"What about the rest of the army?" Nicholas I asked Dolgoruko.

Dolgoruko stated his plan. First of all, 50,000 of the 130,000 troops had to go to the southwest of Bucharest to deter the Austrian Empire, and the remaining 70,000 troops would take the Guards as the vanguard. Dispatch dozens of artillery pieces to attack the Silistra fortress group, and strive to eliminate all the Ottoman Empire troops in the Silistra fortress in a short time. Bulgaria can be flattened.

However, when Prince Dolgoruko was in the Silistra fortress, he specifically emphasized that it must be attacked as soon as possible, otherwise the French army is likely to appear.

Faced with the advice given by Prince Dolgoruko on a strategic level, Nicholas I had a different opinion. He believed that the Russian Empire's army should first attack the Cruce fortress, and after attacking Cruce, they would go to Luther. The southwestern region of Seychelles instigated Serbia's independence. These Serbian peoples, who were usually oppressed by the Ottoman Empire, had already accumulated a stomach of anger. Nicholas I believed that they would become the best helpers of the Russian Empire's army.

"As long as the Slavic peoples can unite, we will be able to defeat all enemies!" Nicholas I said to Dolgoruko with great interest, and he had already fantasized about becoming the "little dad" of the Balkans.

Regarding the naive thoughts of Nicholas I, Karl Nescher-Rodie asked whether Nicholas I had the will to continue to maintain the Russian Empire and the Austrian Empire (Karl Nescher-Rodie also did not know that the Austrian Empire betrayed the Russian Empire. thing) friendship.

Nicholas I immediately nodded in affirmation, and Karl Necherrodie once again curtsied to Nicholas I and said: "Your Majesty, please forgive me for offending! If you really want the Austrian Empire to stand on our side , then please give up the idea just now!"

"Why?" Nicholas I looked at Karl Nescherrodie again in confusion.

"Your Majesty, there are also many Serbs in the Austrian Empire! If those Serbs also respond to your call to move a turmoil, then the Austrian Empire is likely to be pulled into the opponent's camp! A multi-ethnic country like the Austrian Empire , the most feared thing is the insurrection of the nation! We cannot push it into the other side's camp!" Karl Nescher Rodie said sincerely to Nicholas I.

After thinking for a moment, Nicholas I, when the rational side finally prevailed over the emotional side, approved Dolgoruko's plan.

Afterwards, Dolgoruko told Nicholas I that Prince Menshkov had made plans to raid the port of Sipuno.

Nicholas I suddenly thought that a few months ago, just after the Ottoman Empire had just rejected the Russian Empire, Prince Menshkov, who had returned from the Ottoman Empire, had mentioned this plan to him, but Nicholas I at that time was too much. Reckless reasons rejected Menshkov's plan.

Judging from the current situation, Menshkov's plan seems to be feasible.

"Do you think that Menshkov's plan can accomplish the strategic vision proposed by his group?" Nikolai I asked Dolgoruko.

Menshkov's strategic idea was to quickly destroy the Ottoman navy, and then force Britain and France to help the Ottoman Empire, so that the Russian Empire could win.

Dolgoruko shook his head. He frankly told Nicholas I that he did not think Menshkov's vision could be realized, but even so, the Russian Empire had to destroy the Ottoman Empire's naval forces in advance, because only In this way, the supplies of the Russian Empire can be guaranteed.

After all, the amount of supplies shipped by sea is far greater than that by land.

Only after the Russian Empire controls the Black Sea, can it really do what it says.

Even if the French Empire came to support, it would take some time. As long as this time difference was used to gain an advantage, the Russian Empire could destroy the Ottoman Empire before the Ottoman Empire could react.

For Prince Dolgoruko's request to destroy the Ottoman navy, Nicholas I immediately agreed.

Afterwards, Nicholas I once again called the valet attache and ordered him to call the Prince Menshkov, who had been idle at home for many days, to hear Menshkov's plan with his own ears.

When the attendant attache came to Menshkov's house, Prince Menshkov's wife first showed a surprised expression, and then immediately reacted and received the attendant attache grandly. The attendant attache immediately told the attendant's wife that Tsar Nicholas I had an important matter to discuss with Prince Menshkov.

"Come with me!" said Prince Menshkov's wife to the valet.

The attendant attache followed Menshkov's wife and climbed to the third floor. In a bedroom on the third floor, the attendant attache met Prince Menshkov.

At this time, Prince Menshkov was emitting an unpleasant smell of alcohol, and his fluffy hair seemed to have not been taken care of for several weeks Those eyes that were originally like hawks were now full of bloodshots. Gives an inexplicable sense of decadence.

"Who are you?" Menshkov shook his head and asked the attendant attache in front of him. In his eyes, the attendant attache had changed from one person to multiple people.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty ordered me to tell you to go to the Imperial Village!" the attendant attache said to Prince Menshkov in a calm tone.

"Imperial Village... uh! I'm not going... that place is full of liars and robbers!" Menshkov shouted drunkenly to the attendant attaché, "I won't go back to that place!"

"However, the order I received was to take you there!" The attendant said to Menshikov indifferently, and then looked at Menshikov's wife with a look of help.

After Menshkov's wife looked at the drunken husband in front of her, she smiled apologetically to the attendant attache and asked him to go out and wait for a while.

The attendant military attache could only obey. Half an hour later, Menshkov appeared in front of the attendant military attache. Judging from his current state, there was no sign of being drunk at all.

"Let's go!"