Empire Rising: Spain

This current defeat is temporary for us, and we will still be the victors of this war; this is something that a little setback cannot alter or prevent.”

Tsar Nicholas II nodded.

The first batch of weapons and equipment supplied by Spain has already been shipped to the frontline battlefield. Although the soldiers are unfamiliar with these weapons and equipment, after a few days of adaptation, there’s no problem deploying them into combat.

Compared to the weapons and equipment produced in Russia, Spanish rifles are more advanced, which to a certain extent has strengthened Russia’s frontline firepower.

Although rifles don’t have much effect on fortress siege battles, their increased firepower is quite effective in defending against the Ottoman Empire’s counterattacks.

Moreover, Spain is currently one of the few European countries willing to engage in arms trade with Russia, so Russia naturally needs to seize this opportunity.

Although Spain demands gold and population as payment, these are not scarce for Russia at the moment. The Romanov family has ruled Russia for hundreds of years, so paying a little gold is quite easy.

What’s more, besides gold, Russia’s abundant farmers and mineral resources can also pay for the weapons purchased from Spain.

As long as we can win the war, not to mention using population and mineral resources, even if it’s only gold for payment, it’s a profitable deal.

With yet another order from Tsar Alexander II, the Russian Government also entered into a busy phase.

First, it was the frontline commander, Grand Duke Nicholas, who requested aid from Grand Duke Carol I of Romania, asking Romania to dispatch troops to assist the Russian forces in battle.

In the telegram requesting assistance, Grand Duke Nicholas detailed the difficulties faced by the Russian frontline and additionally noted that if Russia failed in its attack, Romania would face the Ottoman Empire’s forces alone.

Russia’s failure doesn’t mean much to Romania, but if left to face the Ottoman Empire’s attack alone, Romania would surely panic.

Sure enough, after receiving Grand Duke Nicholas’s telegram, Grand Duke Carol I of Romania quickly agreed to Grand Duke Nicholas’s request for assistance and dispatched 40,000 troops to help the Russian forces on the front line.

With forty thousand Romanian troops assisting the Russian army, Grand Duke Nicholas finally breathed a sigh of relief. Although this cannot change the situation on the frontline battlefield, it can at least ensure that the Russian army does not suffer a rapid defeat during this period of troop shortage.

It also allows the Russian army to hold out longer, waiting for the real Russian reinforcements to arrive.

This also brings us to the changes brought to Russia by the military reforms led by Secretary of State for War Dmitry Alekseyevich Milyutin.

Dmitry Alekseyevich Milyutin’s military reforms mainly focused on reforms in the military service system, military management system, and military education.

Before the reforms, the Russian army mainly maintained its size through a recruitment system, with noble soldiers, landowner soldiers, and peasant soldiers all having a hierarchy.

But after Milyutin’s military reforms, Russia’s military service system shifted to a conscription system, where Russian citizens aged 20 to 25 were obliged to serve in the Russian army, with a service term of 6 to 7 years and a reserve term of 3 years.

After implementing this military service system, Russia not only had ample troops but also had a sufficient reserve force.

Although Russia’s current army size is only 700,000, if the reserves are included, Russia can mobilize an army exceeding one million.

In the event of a full mobilization, Russia could still arm an army of more than 5 million, which is why European countries are wary of Russia.

Not to mention an army of 5 million, among European countries, there are actually only the five traditional great powers, Italy, and Spain who can field an army of over 1 million.

Only the five traditional great powers can arm an army of 2 million, which is no longer a scale of army that ordinary powers can handle.

million troops don’t just mean 2 million people; they also represent at least 2 million rifles, tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of bullets, thousands of cannons, and 2 million sets of military uniforms and boots, among other military supplies.

The basic needs of soldiers, whether in training or combat, result in a massive expenditure on ammunition and shells that is incalculable.

Italy has a population of over 29 million and is capable of arming over 2 million troops. But if the Italian Government were responsible for the daily expenses of this 2 million-strong army, Italy’s finances would swiftly encounter a crisis.

Even if the war is happening on another country’s territory, for any state deploying a 2 million-strong army, military expenditure is extremely substantial.

If the war is on their own land, the damage is immeasurable, and it may take a decade or two to recover.

France during World War I is a perfect example. France not only deployed millions of troops, but the war also took place on French soil.

This led to massive damage to France’s industry and economy, and the population faced a sharp decline, not recovering even after more than a decade.

While Grand Duke Nicholas was communicating with Romania, the Russian diplomatic department was already in contact with Spain, seeking to purchase more weapons and equipment.