Reincarnated as Nikolai II

Truly the height of incompetence.

What was the cause? Was the quality gap between the two armies really that large?

"That can’t be. Rather the opposite."

The Russian army is, beyond my expectations. No, stronger than Germany’s expectations.

Comparing current artillery power, our main guns are 72mm and 76mm, while France and Germany mainly use 75mm.

It’s easy to think of guns with huge wheels on both sides.

Firing speed and shell types - steel shells with nickel, manganese, chromium added, or canister shot (type of fragmentation shell) - fire 12-15 rounds per minute.

Infantry personal weapons also vary like Albini-Braendlin, Mauser series, Steyr series, but actually comparing shows they’re common bolt action rifles not much different from our Mosin-Nagant M1891.

Though I’m no military equipment expert, I don’t think the differences are enough to change the course of war.

And all this is thanks to father. Achievement of Alexander III’s reign.

’...How serious were you about the military?’

Created huge factory where ten thousand could work in central St. Petersburg, and connected with Moscow Artillery Arsenal to replace over half of artillery weapons in military districts nationwide in just 4 years.

Not to mention Mosin-Nagant introduction and supply.

For reference, that Putilov factory now employs 25,000 in the capital factory alone and boasts size operating 400 factories including Putilov Iron Works, Putilov Engines, Putilov Engineering College, Putilov Heavy Equipment.

Anyway, military quality level caught up already in father’s era.

Though shorter reign than me, he focused internal affairs solely on ’military’, so though it seems impossible, that was reality.

Yet German forces at Tannenberg not only stopped a corps with one infantry division but succeeded in annihilating the enemy and capturing prisoners in tens of thousands despite inferior numbers.

Why?

"We have enough factories, production capacity isn’t lacking, and troops are sufficient?"

Since I don’t know all history in detail, sometimes I must go through this process of reasoning like backtracking.

Why couldn’t Russian forces defeat German forces?

Tracing back causes one by one alone...

"Shell shortage was simply strikes."

Putilov factories were also communist strongholds.

A critical production base of war in central city - how could reactionaries endure this?

Main shell production was in just two places - St. Petersburg and Moscow.

Even overlapping with railway strikes in 1916, those shells probably didn’t get properly supplied to the front.

"Meanwhile German forces solved slow communication speed and incompleteness with commander autonomy."

Not just the Battle of Tannenberg but analyzing the Eastern Front even once gives this impression.

The question of why Russian forces always moved one step late.

German forces could attack first based on autonomy while Russian forces were probably in position waiting for messengers returning from superiors.

"Tactical and strategic level difference... is this unavoidable?"

There’s a telling anecdote from the Eastern Front that perfectly illustrates the delicate art of military reconnaissance. It’s a story that military strategists still discuss today.

Year 1 of war, Russian forces annihilated by enemy after advancing without reconnaissance.

Afterwards Russian forces attempted reconnaissance dozens of times daily.

Germans backtracked Russian unit positions through overly frequent Russian reconnaissance, and Russian forces were swept away by Germans again.

So Russian forces tried reconnaissance at 6-hour intervals.

But that reconnaissance was so honest Germans just avoided those times and reconnaissance was meaningless.

Finally from late 1916 they returned to basics and half-gave up reconnaissance.

Even if reconnaissance succeeded they would have reported through completely unencrypted communications anyway so results wouldn’t differ, but anyway, we can understand they were in enemy’s palm.

But we’re different now.

No strikes, established General Staff, and I think qualitative improvement of imperial forces themselves is happening too.

So what more should we do here?

Can’t increase Warsaw Military District force levels substantially - any major troop buildups numbering in the hundreds of thousands would inevitably trigger reciprocal German defensive measures and force expansions along their eastern frontiers. This kind of action-reaction cycle could spark an escalatory spiral of military preparations.

There are practical constraints and upper bounds when it comes to expanding arsenals and ramping up military-industrial production capacity. Facilities, supply chains, trained personnel, and resources all face real limitations that can’t be easily overcome in the short term.

If we try to deliberately remake ourselves as a military state like father, those huge movements will show and immediately create discomfort in international politics.

Military service system improvement... is difficult at this point.

What’s there to say when we can’t even draft all males aged 18-27 who are currently eligible? Can’t suddenly increase active duty.

’Can’t openly say we’re preparing for war either...’

To fundamentally improve war capability, it must be military industry but. While considering what options exist, Kokovtsov speaks.

"Thanks to Chairman Nikolai Bunge."

"...Bunge?"

Why does Bunge’s name suddenly come from Kokovtsov’s mouth? Though he might have been truly suitable as wartime Prime Minister, isn’t he already gone?

"The Qing Dynasty’s situation isn’t normal. Military forces are acting independently and movements to feudalize specific regions are prominent."

"...The Warlord Era is coming."

"We are those warlords’ weapons supplier."

"..."

Ah, Warlord Era. Originally Japan was the #1 contributor as weapons supplier to those warlords.

But that became us. Even thanks to dead Bunge.

Just hearing this far, I already understand what Kokovtsov wants to do.

"In Manchuria... though efficiency is lower, we can build and increase factories as much as we want."

"Even if other countries learn of it, they won’t be greatly suspicious."

Yes, this is it. This is it. While original history Japan built military industry in Manchuria only for Chinese advancement, we can act opposite.

Build factories in Far East for European war.

Moreover, we don’t know how long the Warlord Era will continue.

30 years? 40 years? What’s certain is it continues several years even after World War 2 ends.

Meaning we don’t need to close factories just because Great War ends.

’Nikolai Bunge...’

How far did this crazy bureaucrat look ahead?

Stay updated through empire

Though he might not have expected the Great War, he must have at least predicted China’s chaos.

Over 6 years have passed since Bunge’s death, but he still surprises me.