Chapter 645： The magical effect of the Austro-Hungarian fleet 2

"Even if the Austro-Hungarian fleet only sent two capital ships and a small number of other warships, then at least the situation in the Black Sea is completely different!" Ruprecht calculated in his mind.

What is the biggest strategic advantage of the Russians? Industry is the level of scum. Although the population has advantages, the actual effect is the same. The biggest advantage is the strategic depth, especially when attacking east. If you talk about land, don’t talk about the Caucasus, just the Ukrainian plains. It is a trouble for Germany!

However, Ukraine and even the Caucasus are areas that Germany must obtain. These areas may not be included in the empire's territory, but they must be controlled by the empire. If the army is only used for advancement, the cost is undoubtedly high. Large-scale mobile operations require railways. During the war, it is obviously impossible to improve the railway traffic in Ukraine. Then the other method is waterways, and unfortunately, whether it is a European granary or an entire European oil depot. The Transcaucasus region can be reached via the Black Sea route!

If you take a longer-term view, after occupying the Transcaucasus region through the Black Sea, it is actually equivalent to sending troops to the most vulnerable part of Russia. The oil fields in Baku are already in hand, and the Caspian oil fields are nearby! Going south is Iran! Transnational Caspian Sea is Central Asia! The oil pole of the whole world is in the grasp of Germany!

For the subsequent strategy to the Soviet Union, it is also very useful to get the Caucasus region. The Caucasus region is a little bit north, which is the famous Stalingrad in history! This is an important area located at the confluence of the three major confluences. If the Caucasus can be controlled, and once war with the Soviet Union starts again, then it is equivalent to an extra front. The Soviet forces that have been greatly weakened need to be assigned a considerable manager to defend this. A front, and after crossing the Caspian Sea, it can pose a certain threat to the Soviet Union’s rear Central Asia! The strategic depth of the Soviet Union's greatest advantage will be greatly offset!

Let’s put it this way, just from the perspective of World War I, if you want to realize the grand plan of controlling Ukraine and the Caucasus in your hands, you only need to let the Austro-Hungarian Empire deploy two battleships and some auxiliary warships to the Black Sea! This plan is half done! What other navy’s price/performance ratio can be better than this?

As for the strategic significance after the First World War, whether it is to enter Central Asia, or go north to the heart of the Soviet Union, or go south to the Middle East, the Transcaucasus and the Black Sea must be controlled. It is not too much to say that it is the intersection of the entire Eurasian continent. ! This is completely the basis for achieving global hegemony!

According to the prince’s speculation, the strength of the Russian navy should not be stronger than that of history, especially the Black Sea Fleet, because according to the schedule, Germany started war in 1912 at the latest, and Russia’s shipbuilding for the Selstopol Fortress The construction and renovation of the factory has not yet started, and there is even no plan! In history, the construction of the four dreadnoughts of the Black Sea Fleet was started in 1911. Even if the Russians reached the historical level, what was the effect of starting the construction of the four dreadnoughts in 1911? Basically it can't be completed, because it took 4 years for Russia to man-made this class of warships in history! And Russia can't survive the war for 3 years!

Even the Allied fleet can go directly to the periphery of Sevastopol for offensive minelaying! If nothing else, the entire Black Sea will become the inland sea of ​​the Allies. When the Bavarian-Austro-Hungarian Army pushed to the front line of Ukraine, it was even possible to directly launch a landing operation to destroy the Ukrainian granary and accelerate the collapse of Russia. After all, the Russian coal mines in Donetsk and Ukraine’s food are the fundamental pillars to support Russia's success. Even if Germany cannot obtain them, as long as the Russians can't get them, it will be enough to ruin this huge empire!

Moreover, this is only a strategic interest in the Black Sea area. If the fleet can be concentrated, it is not impossible to cooperate with the army to create a new situation in the Mediterranean! In any case, Italy has been greatly weakened due to the Italian-Turkish War. The military losses are actually not too great. The prestige and economic losses are the deadliest. If nothing else, Italy is very The battle will definitely take a more cautious attitude.

If Italy does not participate in the war, although the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Turkish Navy are far inferior to France in terms of gross tonnage, relying on better quality battleships can still put great pressure on Britain and France. If it can reach Greece recklessly, if the navy moves in the direction of the Aegean Sea, it is possible to eventually occupy Greece.

In history, the fundamental reason why Germany did not push to Greece was that there was no time to control Greece. Just after the Eastern Front, a large number of German troops were transferred to the Western Front, and then launched the famous St. Millega offensive. And on this plane, if Ruprecht's estimate is correct, he can kill Russia in two years, and then he can choose to go south to fight Greece. And to gain an important foothold in the Mediterranean for post-war Germany southward can threaten the Suez Canal, and westward can reach the Western Mediterranean. It is also a very important area.

If Italy participates in the war, the situation will be more complicated, but it is not without opportunities. At least one thing is certain is that if part of the main force of the Austro-Hungarian fleet merges with the two dreadnoughts of Turkey, it will definitely cause tremendous pressure on the Allied powers, and Will contain their huge energy. Reduce the pressure on the western and eastern routes in disguise. In short, the prince thinks his plan is very good, the only problem is how to convince the Austro-Hungarian Empire!

With this in mind, the prince decided to personally revise a letter to the German Emperor. The content is very simple, in exchange for providing technical and even financial assistance to the Austro-Hungarian Navy. The Austro-Hungarian fleet and the Turkish fleet are united and a plan for deployment in the Black Sea is made. The navy is a system problem. It does not mean that you can just find a port if you have a fleet. Historically, the battlecruiser Goben has been plagued by port problems. After being hit by a mine, you can only make do with Turkey. nothing! It was not until later that the shipyard in Sevastopol was repaired.

"The Allied powers on two fronts are very dangerous, so we must do our best to solve one side first. The General Staff of the Empire has asked for an attack on France first. Although I do not support it, I still remain silent, but when it does not affect this plan , I hope the empire will launch more active actions on other fronts.” The prince wrote at the beginning of the letter.

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