Chapter 541 Brusinov made great contributions
Britain regarded Italy as an important force to balance the Mediterranean and had high hopes for Italy. Therefore, in the Italian-Turkish War, although Britain remained neutral in name, it actually fought with Japan and Russia. Just like war, there is also a standpoint.
The Italian-Turkish War has just begun. Although the Italians are making good progress, with the Ottomans' counterattack, the Italians will face more and more difficulties.
At the same time that Gray was visiting St. Petersburg, the Ottoman Empire was preparing to send a powerful full-heavy artillery battleship to cover the army's reinforcements to North Africa.
From the Dardanelles Strait to Tripoli, you must pass through Crete, where the Russian reinforcement fleet is located.
If the reinforcement fleet orders a surprise attack on the Ottoman fleet, the Ottoman Empire will be completely passive.
What no one expected was that the first shot fired in the Balkans was not the reinforcement fleet, nor the Kingdom of Bulgaria, but the Grand Duke of Montenegro, Nicholas I.
In 1415, Albania was invaded by the Ottoman Empire and was ruled by the Ottoman Empire for nearly 500 years.
Since the 19th century, large-scale uprisings have broken out in Albania many times, all of which were suppressed by the Ottoman Empire.
In April this year, an uprising broke out again in Albania, which has not yet subsided.
The day after Gray arrived in St. Petersburg, Grand Duke Nicholas I of Montenegro issued an ultimatum to the Ottoman Empire, demanding that the Ottoman Empire allow Albania autonomy.
Albania borders the Grand Duchy of Montenegro. Every time an uprising breaks out in Albania, the Grand Duchy of Montenegro will be affected, and Nicholas I is miserable.
Nicholas I was a good friend of Ya Er. When Nicholas ascended the throne, Nicholas I was personally present to witness it.
Stana, the wife of Nicholas the Younger, was the daughter of Nicholas I.
For the reasonable demands of the Grand Duchy of Montenegro, the Russian Empire immediately expressed support.
The Ottoman Empire rejected Nicholas I's request.
The Grand Duchy of Montenegro declared war on the Ottoman Empire.
The Grand Duchy of Montenegro has a territory of only 13,900 square kilometers and a population of less than 200,000.
Although the strength of the Ottoman Empire has dropped significantly compared with its peak period, its population still exceeds 20 million, and its strength exceeds that of the Grand Duchy of Montenegro a hundred times.
Before the Ottoman Empire had time to respond, the day after Montenegro declared war, the Kingdom of Serbia and the Kingdom of Bulgaria simultaneously declared war on the Ottoman Empire.
Three days later, the Kingdom of Greece joined and declared war on the Ottoman Empire, and the Balkan War officially broke out.
Excluding Montenegro, the Balkan Alliance has more than 700,000 troops, of which the Kingdom of Bulgaria alone mobilized nearly 400,000 people to participate in the war.
The Ottoman Empire had only 110,000 troops in the Balkans, and about 300,000 troops in Asia Minor and Arabia.
After the war broke out, the Ottoman Empire urgently mobilized 300,000 people to participate in the war. However, these soldiers did not undergo strict training, and there was a big gap between them and the Balkan coalition forces in terms of technical level and equipment level.
The equipment used by the Balkan coalition is all Russian military equipment. Its rifles are the same as the Russian army, using the latest magazine-type rifles. The field guns are also rapid-fire guns from the Russian Empire.
The equipment of the Ottoman Empire was backward. Only some armies used new magazine-type rifles. Almost all newly recruited soldiers used single-shot rifles.
The Ottoman Empire did not have many machine guns. The total number of machine guns in the country was less than 200.
The Balkan coalition forces in the Kingdom of Bulgaria alone are equipped with more than 700 machine guns and more than 1,100 artillery pieces.
With advanced weapons and superb command skills, we can win the war.
The offensive of the Kingdom of Bulgaria was commanded by Brusinov.
On the day the war was declared, Brusinov immediately ordered a full-frontal attack. On that day, seven divisions crossed the border and invaded the Ottoman Empire.
The First Army of the Kingdom of Bulgaria is composed of the First Army and the Third Army, with a total strength of 170,000 people. It is the main force of the Kingdom of Bulgaria. As soon as the war broke out, the First Army launched a fierce attack on the Eastern Army's defense line commanded by Nazim Pasha.
The total strength of the Eastern Army was only 90,000 men. Its morale was low, its equipment was backward, and all divisions were understaffed.
Brushinov concentrated his use of artillery to tear a gap in the Eastern Army's defense line, and the Bulgarian army swarmed in.
Nazim Pasha tried to separate the First Army and the Third Army, but failed. Brusinov did not give Nazim Pasha any chance, and it took only 72 hours to break through the Ottoman army. The first line of defense.
Compared with the slow progress of the Italian army, Brusinov was more powerful and faster. Under his command, the Bulgarian army rushed to Constantine before the Ottoman reinforcements arrived. Fortress, forcing the Ottoman army, which was fighting the Greek army and Serbian army, to rush back to defense.
Since the war, George has been staying in Sevastopol and staying put.
Little Nicholas was so anxious that he took the initiative to come to Sevastopol and asked when the Russian army would launch an attack.
“Wait——”
George was waiting for better times.
“When?”
Little Nicholas asked.
"Wait until the Ottoman Empire and the Balkan Alliance are both defeated."
George will not invest prematurely. He will make full use of Italy and the Balkan Alliance to consume the strength of the Ottoman Empire.
"We don't have to wait for both of them to lose. We send troops now and can directly capture Constantinople!"
Little Nicholas couldn't wait, he was more willing to destroy the Ottoman Empire with his own hands.
As for how many Russian soldiers will be killed in this process, little Nicholas doesn't care.
“Nikki, no matter when, we must gain the greatest gain at the minimum cost.”
George has a headache, and he doesn’t know when he can change the Russian princes’ disregard for life. bad habits.
Not only does Russia not care about the lives of its enemies, it also doesn't pay much attention to its own life. Many people George knows have the freedom and ease that I will become a good man again after eighteen years.
As a civilian, you don’t have to care.
As a senior commander of the army, George still hopes that Nicholas Jr. can correct these shortcomings, not for anything else, but for the empire to pay less pensions and to minimize the casualties of the Russian army.
"George, the Empire is the patron saint of the Balkans, and we must fulfill our responsibilities."
Little Nicholas hopes to join the war as soon as possible, lead his younger brothers to victory, and further strengthen the Russian Empire's influence on the Balkans influence.
"As long as the empire maintains its strong strength, the Balkans will have to obey."
George not only preserves his strength, but also takes this opportunity to weaken the strength of certain countries.
For example, the Kingdom of Bulgaria.
If Brusinov had not gone to Bulgaria in person, George would not have known that Bulgaria could mobilize 400,000 people to participate in the war.
No wonder William II tried every means to win over Valdemar.
(End of this chapter)