Reincarnated as Nikolai II

As can be seen just from these assault troops prepared by Germany, Ludendorff’s offensive strategy is very simple.

1). Deploy infiltration forces into the hundreds of kilometers long standoff line.

2). Break through the boundary between British and French forces. Stay tuned for updates on freewebnovel

3). Neutralize northern defenses and occupy the Amiens railway.

4). Attack Paris.

From a military science perspective, the existence of 700,000 mobile troops meant to stir up enemy interior is close to having the lifespan of a fly.

First, just from the name, they need to stir up enemy lines, so supplies are extremely difficult. They’re lucky if they have even a month’s worth of food, let alone ammunition.

Next, as the most intense battles will continue, casualties will rapidly increase, and since their main firepower comes from light machine guns, they cannot properly utilize the heavy artillery firepower that Germany has been building up.

Finally, now at the end of September, they only have about 3 months of operation time left.

When winter comes, the Western Front will have to freeze as well.

However, after the Allied retreat at Arras, Ludendorff discovered several anomalous signs here in the north.

First, the troops.

"The Americans... aren’t here?"

They knew well that they hadn’t shown themselves much on the front line yet.

Naturally, Berlin’s OHL judged that rather than being absent, the Americans were training in the rear, aiming for a ’massive single blow’ for counterattack.

But looking at the current situation with mounting concern, there’s only one division of American forces showing themselves on the front line, far fewer than intelligence estimates had predicted. Even that single division is operating at a colonial troops level, barely filling their required numbers with poorly trained recruits and showing a terrible standard of military preparation and discipline.

Even that is at a colonial troops level, barely filling numbers with a terrible standard.

Next, firepower.

Since 1915, Germany had been continuously developing artillery not for infantry battles, but for bombardment.

"One 420mm shell is better than a hundred 75mm shells."

Simply put, the caliber and shells became enormously bigger, turning what were once modest field pieces into titans of destruction. Where 75mm guns had once been considered substantial, now 150mm and even 210mm behemoths dominated the battlefield, their shells creating craters that could swallow entire platoons.

Considering that about 12,000 artillery pieces are deployed on the Western Front at this point, firepower has increased several fold in just 2 years. The mathematics of destruction had changed fundamentally - not just in the number of guns, but in their devastating capacity. What had once been a barrage was now an apocalypse of steel and explosives.

France also seems to have tried to increase artillery after Pétain became Commander-in-Chief, recognizing the critical importance of heavy guns... but their production and deployment of heavy guns fell behind Germany. Despite their industrial might and desperate efforts to match German capability, French factories couldn’t keep pace with Krupp’s massive manufacturing capacity. The gap widened month by month, shell by shell.

The British Empire’s artillery can be ignored as it’s still centered on mortars with railway artillery being their only large caliber guns.

Finally, the quality of troops.

"...While the commanders’ level might have risen, the field forces are just filled with kids. Isn’t that right, General Gallwitz?"

"Well, I think even the command level still looks very low. Perhaps because the battlefield has been so fixed, they can’t respond to changes."

"True. Sometimes I feel this Western Front is too narrow."

The Stormtroopers prepared by Ludendorff are survivors from the first war of attrition in 1915.

This means the units are filled with those who survived that hell and their successors who inherited those lessons over two years.

The presence or absence of elite forces filtered and filtered again through a sieve.

The results show beyond the Arras defense line.

"It’ll be smooth sailing to Amiens."

The enemy is completely unable to stop the Stormtroopers.

In the early stages of the offensive, Ludendorff succeeded in splitting the Anglo-French alliance in two.

==

Paris, having been hit with a similar scenario before, was on the verge of going insane.

"It’s Russia’s betrayal! This must be Russia conspiring with Germany and determined to kill us-"

"Shut up! This mess happened because of troublemakers like you!"

The Supreme War Council headquartered in Versailles and its subordinate Allied Command were also in chaos.

"This is because Russia changed their target strategy. If they hadn’t decided to strike the Dual Monarchy instead of Germany from the start, wouldn’t this not have happened?"

"Sir Wilson, what’s the point of appealing to us when Russia’s Permanent Military Representative isn’t even attending? Tell us countermeasures instead!"

"Since Russia is the cause, they should also be the solution. The Supreme War Council must order an offensive on the Eastern Front!"

"..."

British Permanent Military Representative Wilson declared boldly, but the gazes that returned to him were cold.

’Who doesn’t know that? Can’t you tell just from seeing that Russian PMR Rödiger isn’t showing his face?’

’That’s why we said to at least pretend to fight. Why did you always cast opposing votes!’

’A-are we going to have another Battle of the Marne? Paris is safe, right?’

It’s the Supreme War Council in name only; its composition isn’t much different from the Amiens headquarters now.

If anything has been added, it would be Italy, but...

"General Cadorna, the situation at Isonzo..."

"We’re the same."

Italy can’t even join the conversation anyway as they’re busy fighting Austria-Hungary.

No proper solution is visible even with the three countries putting their heads together at the Versailles Trianon Palace.

"Shouldn’t we look at the war situation first, before requesting Russia’s offensive?"

France, truly afraid Paris might fall, was the first to face reality.

"Marshal Joffre."

"Even if Russia decides on an offensive, they’ll need a lot of time to turn their army around and receive reserve forces through Warsaw. So we need to repel them with our own strength."

"How do you mean? The British and French army jurisdictions have already been cut off."

"That’s why we need to reorganize that defense line and create variables to neutralize the enemy’s tactics."

Ludendorff’s offensive is fast and aggressive enough to feel rushed even from the defending side.