Joseon Needs a Coup - Chapter 287
Only Noblemtl
#287. Suspended Sentence (3)
In any case, because they had failed to destroy the 1st Siberian Corps at Telisu, the 2nd and 3rd Armies had to fight a fortress assault with their heads still itching, so they couldn’t help but have a headache.
There hasn’t been any major issues so far, but if we leave those minor variables alone, they could come crashing down like an avalanche later.
“If things continue this way, it’s certain that the Roske of Bongcheon will come down with their full strength. The 3rd Army needs to show some strength.”
“Since Nogi’s forces are directly attacking eastern Lushun, anything will work out.”
Still, there were some promising results. They gradually took over the Russian outposts on the outskirts of the battlefield, and were able to achieve small victories on land and at sea.
The Russian army at Dagushan and Sogoshan collapsed, and the Russian fleet that had pulled out of Port Arthur to launch a counterattack also suffered a similar fate and had to return to port.
“There will be a full-scale offensive soon, so we must quickly make up for the time lost in Joseon. Let’s continue to pursue the Roske to prevent them from touching the rear of the 3rd Army.”
“Of course.”
As the commander spoke, he signed a request for reinforcements from the Third Army, requesting that the 1st and 11th Divisions be sent to reinforce the Third Army.
A battle awaited them, one that would drive the abominable Russians out of Manchuria and bring glory to the Empire of Japan across Asia.
Maybe this is the beginning of another meat grinder.
***
“Your Majesty, what are you so worried about? Fierce fighting is going on in Lushun and the Korean Peninsula every day. It is time for you to make a decision.”
“The Korean Empire alone is waging a great struggle. Why should our Russian Empire rely solely on the struggle of the protectorate? It is time for us to respond to their struggle. Tsar, show the fury and power of the Great Russian Empire in the Far East. And save, like Saint George, all those who are devoted to the defense of the Russian ideal and the Fatherland!”
“Your Majesty! The Baltic Fleet and the Second Army under Admiral Gripenberg must be immediately redeployed to the Far East! Otherwise, the Korean victory and the heroic battle at Port Arthur will be overshadowed!”
Now, with the Tsar looking deeply troubled, all the ministers and generals of Imperial Russia were shouting one slogan.
Even Count Bezobrazov, the leader of the hardliners, and even Witte, the last bastion of the moderates, called for increased military support for the Far East.
Strictly speaking, opinions were not unified.
While the hardliners naturally wanted to suppress the reckless and rampant Japanese army with the real power of the Russian Empire, the massive fleet and ground forces, and ultimately save Port Arthur, the moderates were demanding a troop increase for slightly different reasons.
“Your Majesty! The longer the war in the Far East drags on, the more the economic collapse of Siberia and the Amur region will accelerate. If the war drags on, even if we win and conquer Manchuria, we will not be able to maintain our territory in the Far East, which is our hinterland, and we will not be able to hold out for long!”
“The Minister of Transportation is right! It is the path of a saintly king to quickly subdue the Japanese army and end the war! We must immediately dispatch our army and navy to the Far East and end the war as soon as possible!”
Moderates generally believed that only a quick end to the war could prevent economic collapse in the Far East.
In fact, the economic zone of the Zaamur-Priamur region, starting with Vladivostok, was barely functioning.
Vladivostok, where only about 20 European ships passed through each year, was barely able to make ends meet through trade with the Korean Empire, which was now only a small corner of the country.
It was clear that if the Japanese military threatened even the last remaining piece of land of the Korean Empire, the economic sphere of the Far East would collapse.
In order to prevent this, even the moderates raised their voices, saying that this problem must be solved through large-scale deployment of troops.
There were also long-standing national issues and the movements of rebellious people as threats.
This war was already a separate issue from the people.
The people only wanted a daily supply of bread to fill their bellies, and had little concern for the glory of Russia or for the Japanese, the conqueror of the Far East.
Because of this internal situation, the longer the war dragged on, the more serious the problem became.
The ‘Great Giant’, who had pride in commanding the world with his feet in both the East and the West, was suffering from a chronic disease that worsened with each passing year.
“If the Korean Empire collapses, Vladivostok and Khabarovsk will be in danger. Even if the Japanese army does not attack directly, if the economic network in that area collapses, everything will go down the drain!”
“An army with a collapsed rear cannot win at the front! Please give the order quickly!”
The Tsar also had some understanding of the situation.
According to its own foresight, the Korean Empire faithfully fulfilled its role as a fence for the Far East of the empire and attempted to resist until the very end.
Thanks to their resistance, Lushun gained valuable time, and now the most magnificent defensive battle was being fought.
He closed his eyes for a moment, then as if he had made up his mind, he abruptly stood up from his seat.
Before the astonished ministers could rise to their feet, he looked at the most polar opposites of the Russian Empire’s generals serving him.
“Captain Gripenberg and Admiral Rozhestvensky.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. If you are ready, just give the order.”
“The Baltic Fleet is ready to set sail at the Tsar’s command.”
Before he could be certain as Tsar, he had to ask them something clearly.
And it was something very simple, yet difficult to bring up lightly.
“Let me ask you a very simple question. If, as I hate to think about it, if, just maybe, our brave soldiers and naval officers of Lushun fall, what will happen next?”
The fall of Lushun was something no one in St. Petersburg wanted to think about, or even imagine.
Port Arthur was not only the alpha and omega of all the power of the Russian Empire in the Far East, but also its spear and shield.
If Fengtian was the crown worn by the Tsar of the Russian Empire, the Korean Empire was the sword worn at the waist that could block attacks from enemies, and Lushun was the scepter symbolizing the right to rule, so important was the place that it was said.
So, at all costs, the Russian tricolor and the double-headed eagle that were flying on the flagpole there had to be maintained. And after a moment of silence, General Gripenberg spoke.
“···Your Majesty, if Lushun falls, both Fengtian and the Korean Empire will fall. With the Tsar’s foresight, the Korean Empire fought the enemy with devotion beyond its own capabilities, but even their fierce counterattacks will be buried as faded legends without our support. Even the Commander-in-Chief of the Manchurian Army, Kuropatkin, has already requested reinforcements from the mainland.”
“···Is it really something that can’t be stopped?”
“Yes. And Lushun, with its limited assets and manpower, will fall before the middle of this year. We must send troops immediately.”
“What are the Admiral’s thoughts?”
“I agree. We must send troops now. The time given is not so generous. Commander Kuropatkin’s forces alone are too much.”
“That’s enough.”
Finally, the Tsar put his hands on the table as if he had made up his mind.
It was an expression as if the doubts that had preceded the decision had been resolved.
“Admiral Rozhestvensky! Prepare to sail immediately with the Baltic Fleet. And General Gripenberg, I will authorize you to create the Second Manchurian Army, and prepare an elite force to sweep the Japanese dwarves into the sea. The War Department is requested to report in detail on where and how the fleet and ground forces will depart, and when they are expected to arrive.”
The chants of ‘Long live the Tsar’ and ‘Long live the Great Russian Empire’ were chanted over and over again.
The Tsar did not miss this moment and continued speaking.
“This war was started arbitrarily by their vain greed, but we will be the ones to end it. Thus, together with the Korean Empire, our faithful ally and the best friend brought together by the circumstances of the war, we will lead this war to victory. May the saints of the Orthodox Church bestow infinite glory on our brave officers, soldiers, and allies!”
Once again, the ministers, generals, and admirals cheered and shouted “Manse!”
Finally, the giant’s hammer began to move towards the Far East.
***
“The Roskeites have decided to redeploy their fleet and ground forces from the mainland to Manchuria.”
At the suddenly convened meeting of the headquarters, one piece of news that was bound to come at some point was announced.
The news was that the Baltic Fleet, a far greater terror to the Japanese Navy than to the Army, would finally move to the Far East under the Tsar’s orders.
And as expected, the Navy reacted much more hysterically than the Army.
With Port Arthur still unsettled, the news of the departure of the huge Baltic Fleet was nothing short of a catastrophe.
The army, too, was greatly afraid of the Russian army, which would receive reinforcements from Manchuria, because its main field armies were tied up in Port Arthur and Joseon.
“How many Roske ground forces are there?”
“If we reorganize the army this time… and include the 2nd Manchurian Army, the 3rd Manchurian Army, and the existing Far East Army, it is estimated that there will be at least 300,000 soldiers.”
The Army Minister said in horror.
“300,000? There must not have been a mistake in the report, right?”
“Unfortunately, no.”
It was a large army with a number that far exceeded Japan’s standing army of 200,000.
It was on a different level from the ground forces in the Far East, which were evaluated as being in disarray.
They were known to be well trained and equipped to fight against the armies of Austria-Hungary and the German Empire in Europe.
“Even if we include the 150,000 friendly troops deployed in the Lushun area, the 50,000 Yalu River Army heading north, and the 1st and 2nd Army forces tied up in Joseon… there’s nothing to say about this.”
On the other hand, the Japanese army was greatly exhausted.
The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd armies were all separated from Joseon and Port Arthur, and young men were being drafted from all over Japan to make up for their losses.
The Army’s conscription examination standards, which were once so strict, were becoming more and more lax, and people who seemed unfit to serve in the military were frequently showing up in the field.
The losses among officers and non-commissioned officers were also considerable.
The casualties of company commanders, platoon leaders, and even lieutenant colonels, who were responsible for leading soldiers on the front lines, were more than 150% of the number of soldiers killed compared to the number of soldiers in the organization.
As even the elite from the Korea Military Academy began to leave, they began to prioritize the placement of capable non-commissioned officers to supplement the shortage of officers, but even this became insufficient as time went on.
In the end, the officer corps had to be supplemented with those who had received specialized training and were significantly lacking in ability, or with elderly samurai who had been active in the Seinan War, and this led to distrust in the command and control capabilities of frontline field units.
“There is a total shortage of officers, non-commissioned officers, and soldiers.”
“It’s a meat grinder···.”
As someone said, this war was the worst meat grinder sucking out Japan’s youth.
It was an obvious fact that no one could deny.