Reincarnated as Nikolai II

The Austro-Hungarian army, divided into six armies since the war’s start, consistently maintaining between 3.2 and 4 million troops.

In my view, they were clearly weak.

There are several reasons for this, and first, as can be seen from the name "Austria-Hungary," they are a multi-ethnic state.

"The languages used in the military are different."

Using a total of eleven languages. Broadly speaking, five main ones: Austrian, German, Hungarian, Croatian, and Slovak.

While the Dual Monarchy’s navy at least moves as one body, having designated German as their common language long ago, the army does not.

Befitting a country formed by various nations gathering under the Habsburg family, that country was clearly divided into Hungarian army, Austrian army, and Croatian army.

From command structure and organization to objectives. There’s no internal consistency.

Take Hungary for example. The Budapest government’s maximum goal for this war is territorial preservation.

While they’re loyal to the Habsburg family and actively participating in the war, they don’t particularly want to expand territory.

Serbia? They don’t even want to eat it. The expansion of the Serbian theater was entirely Austria’s will.

In fact, as the Serbian theater expanded and the Polish theater intensified, radical opposition forces began gaining power in Hungary. People like Mihály Károlyi, who currently receives full support from Hungarians, were evidence of this.

Different reasons for fighting by region is a major factor in low morale, but that’s not the only problem.

The Austro-Hungarian Empire couldn’t even properly declare mobilization orders from the start.

While Austrian artillery is world-class and even Germany imports it, their shell production capacity is low.

They can fill troops through conscription as much as they want, but their reserve force system and mandatory service system aren’t well established across the empire like in Russia, Germany, and France.

With a small and underdeveloped military relative to population, the level of commanders is terrible, and beyond that, their numbers are extremely insufficient.

This problem couldn’t be solved even after two years of war, ultimately leading to a form dependent on Germany for much command. Naturally, this couldn’t be efficient.

Above all.

Three years have passed.

In an era where all regular troops are dead and everyone competes on how well conscripted forces fight, Hungary started showing qualitative differences even internally.

While the Austro-Hungarian army is commonly called the Common Army, within it units are divided by region and country of origin, and regional governments naturally prioritize supporting units from their own origins.

In other words, the administrative power and military that weren’t originally operated as one now even have internal level differences. German commanders didn’t distrust the Austro-Hungarian army for nothing.

Then how about the Russian army after taking painful losses a year ago?

"...It increased?"

They had crouched down for a year after last year’s battles, but I didn’t expect them to grow beyond recovery.

"Why has the Balkan Front increased so much? Hasn’t Romania’s forces rather decreased?"

"It’s because of Bulgaria. They’re not normal. Conscripting a quarter of their population. No, it’s not even conscription. You can’t gather forces like that unless it’s voluntary."

"Have they bet their nation’s fate on this war?"

"Rather than that... Actually, they’re people who’ve been preparing since 1913 to stab Serbia in the back."

Bulgaria, this revenge-obsessed country.

After long colonial life and two wars, their territory must be not just poor but devastated, yet they start with 25% of their population from the beginning of the Great War?

"During the Second Balkan War, they fought 1 against 5 even though defeat was clear."

"..."

"It’s better to just not try to understand. I’ve given up too."

Looking at that country’s state... Perhaps France’s élan vital, that is, spiritual theory, actually exists?

Just that the driving force isn’t courage, patriotism, morale, camaraderie as Foch says, but rather revenge strong enough to make one’s head spin.

Though we hired Bulgaria as mercenaries, I didn’t mean to hire such a crazy country.

"If we hadn’t negotiated with Bulgaria and Serbia last year..."

"The Serbian provisional government and even Greece would have perished. Greece’s regular army absolutely cannot stop Bulgaria."

"I see that too."

Kuropatkin is right. It seems we’d need great power armies like Russia, France, or Britain to deal with that country.

No. Even with them, I can’t get a sense here of how many troops and how much time would be needed to subdue Bulgaria’s capital.

After all, they were a country that devoured any army, whether French or British, in original history.

In contrast, Serbia now has only about 150,000 troops left under the provisional government.

And that’s just infantry with rifles, no diverse branches - a skeletal, emaciated army.

For reference, the Italian theater still remains at Isonzo.

It should be about the ninth Battle of Isonzo now, and I heard these days they fight moderately and withdraw with a draw.

Still, casualties must be in the tens of thousands.

"Looking at the conclusion, the South-Balkan is in an advantageous position compared to last year."

"Can we put Eastern Front forces there?"

"That’s difficult. The Eastern Front always requires deploying forces equal to or greater than the enemy just to maintain the line."

"Hmm, somewhat disappointing."

Kuropatkin still seems to evaluate German forces as stronger than Russian forces.

Can’t really deny it - in battles with Germany over the past three years, our imperial army just realized how inadequate the Japanese army had been. Being grateful for even 1:1 exchange ratios.

"From the start, with Falkenhayn’s fall, Germany won’t aim for attrition warfare unless absolutely necessary. We should consider there are no more battlefields of equal exchange."

"The Dual Monarchy’s army is minimum 3.2 million. Even scraping the bottom urgently won’t exceed 4 million..."

What would happen if those forces were well distributed to Poland-Slovakia, Hungary-Romania, Serbia, Albania, and Italy.

Before I could ponder, Kuropatkin confidently provided an answer.

"Absolutely. They absolutely cannot block the front. While they’ve protected Poland thanks to German forces until now, Germany won’t have room to help the Dual Monarchy anymore."

"Something will definitely break through somewhere."

They say Germany suffers from two fronts?

The Dual Monarchy’s time to suffer from five fronts has come.

I stamped my seal directly on the order document Kuropatkin presented.

Now it’s time to see the true historical Brusilov Offensive.

==

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Is cavalry now just useless antiquity in war?

Regarding this question, Brusilov could confidently answer "no," at least concerning the Southern Front.

"Lieutenant General Mannerheim. What will you do when Finland becomes independent?"

"Perhaps not right after the war but... I’ll have to make a choice. Whether to live as a Finn or as a Russian."

"Yes, the moment of choice will come..."

"Do you want me to stay?"

"Why ask my opinion? It’s your choice."

Standing on the front lines with his former student from his cavalry school days.