"However, a ticulous military plan requires the collaboration of many staff personnel and frontline military commanders to be effective!
Once they beco involved, it will be difficult to ensure the plan remains undisclosed!" General Nier expressed his concerns to Jero Bonaparte.
"This is a simple problem to solve!" replied Jero Bonaparte lightly, "The General Staff can be divided into multiple strategic discussion groups, just like during the preparation phase of the Crian War!
Each group will focus on different countries. Belgium, Sardinia, Prussia, Austria, and even Egypt can be our hypothetical enemies!
In this way, we can hide our true target among them!"
Nier suddenly felt enlightened and quickly inford Jero Bonaparte that he would follow Jero Bonaparte’s instructions.
"Also, when setting hypothetical enemies, consider the issue from various angles and don’t just look at the current military strengths of both sides." Jero Bonaparte advised Nier once more, "Take the Kingdom of Prussia, for example. When considering Prussia, don’t just think about their current 160,000-strong army; you must also consider their primary and secondary reserves, and their railways and telegraphs.
The role of telegraphs and railroads in the previous Crian War doesn’t need to elaborate... Also, consider the tactical changes brought about by the Dreiser Rifle of the Kingdom of Prussia."
Jero Bonaparte talked at length about the issues concerning the Kingdom of Prussia, and Nier imdiately thought that His Majesty the Emperor was not rely providing an example; he surely intended to act against the Kingdom of Prussia.
Otherwise, why would His Majesty repeatedly remind them to keep an eye on Prussia’s movents year after year?
However, His Majesty the Emperor probably wouldn’t act against Prussia in the near future.
The structure of France’s reserve forces (essentially a semi-professional reserve) has just been established, and the reserve officers have not yet been fully implented, requiring a long ti before they can be of great use.
"Nier... Nier..." Just as Nier was contemplating the reserve system and the Prussian issue, Jero Bonaparte’s voice reached Nier’s ears, and General Nier quickly responded, "Your Majesty, I’m listening!"
"Then tell , what did I just say?" Jero Bonaparte asked Nier with an amused smile.
"Uh... ah..." Nier didn’t know what Jero Bonaparte had just discussed, and could only mutter unintelligibly.
"Forget it!" Jero Bonaparte shook his head and then asked, "Can you tell what you were just thinking about?"
"Your Majesty, have you been planning to take action against the Kingdom of Prussia?" Nier voiced his thoughts.
"Exactly!" Jero Bonaparte honestly told Nier, "I told you before that a war between us and the Kingdom of Prussia is inevitable!
I can responsibly inform you now, the war between us and the Kingdom of Prussia will determine the hegemony of Central and Western Europe!
If we defeat the Kingdom of Prussia, then the hegemony in Central and Western Europe will remain in the hands of the French Empire.
Conversely, if we face defeat, then the hegemony will shift to the Kingdom of Prussia!"
Jero Bonaparte’s words left Nier with a look of astonishnt, not understanding how Jero Bonaparte had reached this conclusion.
"Your Majesty, isn’t your prediction too pessimistic?" Nier cautiously responded to Jero Bonaparte.
"Pessimistic?" Jero Bonaparte snorted in reply to Nier, "I’d like to be more optimistic, but reality does not permit such a luxury!
Let put it simply! Do you know what the population was during last year’s census in France?"
Nier paused, not understanding what Jero Bonaparte ant. Could the hegemony of the German Region be related to population? If so, then the population of the Russian Empire would likely be the largest in the world.
Although Nier felt so disdain for Jero Bonaparte’s population and hegemony theory, he still showed respect towards Jero Bonaparte.
After all, Jero Bonaparte was the Emperor of the Empire; even if he were wrong, it would still be a well-aning mistake.
"Your Majesty, I do not know!" Nier replied to Jero Bonaparte.
"According to the census, our population in 1855 was about 36.6 million, while the 1850 census was 35.8 million, aning we increased by 800,000 in 5 years!
The average annual growth rate was 4%, while the Kingdom of Britain’s average growth rate was 11% over these years; the Württemberg Kingdom and Baden Duchy also had growth rates of 10%. Thus, it can be inferred that the growth rate of the Kingdom of Prussia is also around 10% to 11%!" Jero Bonaparte gravely told Nier, "Nier, do you know what this ans?"
"Our population might be less than the German population in the future!" Nier tentatively replied.
"Exactly! If we do not change, our population will be far less than the German population in the future!" Jero Bonaparte’s tone beca increasingly solemn, "Nier, I once told you that future wars would not be confined to a symbolic few!
It will be a war involving all the people, an expanded version of the Crian War!
The two countries/nations waging war will exert all their efforts in a fierce struggle!
Hundreds of thousands or even a million troops will be engaged in battles spanning less than a hundred kiloters of depth.
This is a test of which of the two countries has a larger population and whose willpower is stronger.
And those extra people from the German Region will be dispersed in the army. Nier, I ask you, do you have the confidence to defeat an enemy twice our size!!"
As soon as Jero Bonaparte’s words fell, Nier fell silent. He was confident in defeating an army of equal size, but not against one twice as large.
Such an enemy can probably only be defeated by the forr Emperor Napoleon.
"Furthermore, our enemies will use the railway to quickly support regions with weak defenses at the fastest speed!
To attempt to replicate the miracles of war from the Napoleonic era is fundantally impossible in the future!
Moreover, during my uncle’s ti, France’s population was far greater than that of other countries!" Jero Bonaparte rcilessly shattered Nier’s illusions.
Nonetheless, Nier still found a flaw in Jero Bonaparte’s argunt, "Your Majesty, all your assumptions are based on the premise that Germany is unified. As long as Germany is not unified, they cannot threaten us!"
"And who do you think is most likely to unify Germany?" Jero Bonaparte asked him in return.
"Austria!" Nier answered without hesitation, the answer recognized by mainstream countries today, "They have the largest land in all of Germany, and they are also the chair of the German Confederation!
Both logically and practically, they have the ability to unify!"
"I don’t think so!" Jero Bonaparte shook his head and said to Nier, "The Austrian Empire’s territory may be large, but the ethnic groups within it are too nurous and diverse!
Rashly unifying Germany would not only fail to be a support but could also be their death knell!
Besides, is Austria really willing to unify Germany? What benefits would Germany bring them?
If it’s the market, the Austrian Empire already has a vast market, so there’s no need for Germany’s market supply.
Embracing German nationalism is also not feasible; they already have enough nationalism dostically!
But Prussia, on the other hand, needs Germany’s market and needs to connect the enclave Prussia!
These are their motivations for unifying Germany!"
"Your Majesty, indeed, looking at it this way, Prussia’s possibility of unifying Germany is higher than Austria!
However, to connect Rhine Land and Prussia, the Hanover Kingdom will inevitably be their target!
The Kingdom of Britain probably won’t disregard this, right?" Nier said to Jero Bonaparte.
"Why would Britain intervene?" Jero Bonaparte asked rhetorically.
"Isn’t that the territory of the Hanover Royal Family?" Nier was stunned for a few seconds, responding to Jero Bonaparte.
"Nier, in Britain, the Royal Family is the Royal Family, and the governnt is the governnt!" Jero Bonaparte said to Nier, "The Royal Family’s interests do not necessarily represent the governnt’s interests!
If Queen Victoria were still the Monarch of Hanover, then the British governnt might still reluctantly fight for the Monarch’s honor.
Now, the relationship between Britain and Hanover is only the Royal Family’s friendship, so why would Britain fight for royal friendship!
Moreover, allowing the Kingdom of Prussia to occupy the Hanover Kingdom would strengthen Prussia’s national power and restrain the French Empire!
The Kingdom of Britain loves most to maintain a balance of power in Europe.
Of course, if the Kingdom of Prussia defeats us, then the Kingdom of Britain will choose to guard against them!
Thus, we must consider the Kingdom of Prussia as a hypothetical enemy, always ready to fight them!"
Feeling sowhat puzzled, Nier nodded and replied to Jero Bonaparte, "Understood!"
"By the way! I had you conduct reconnaissance of the German Region, how is it going?" Jero Bonaparte asked Nier again.
"Your Majesty, currently we have already surveyed parts of the Southern German States, Rhine Land, and Hanover Kingdom!
We will complete the survey of the remaining areas in Germany within the next three years!" Nier replied to Jero Bonaparte.
"Very good! Rember to mark their railways and telegraphs on the map; this information is equally important!"
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