CHAPTER 610: CHAPTER 601: INFIGHTING ILLUSION GOD NICOLAI

Under the obstinacy of Nicholas I, Prince Dolgorukov could only express to Nicholas I that he would certainly expedite the planning to strive for an attack around August.

"August!" Nicholas I yelled, not wanting to wait even a quarter of an hour. How could Dolgorukov tell him to wait another month!

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Prince Dolgorukov responded neither humbly nor arrogantly to Nicholas I, then explained the predicament faced by the Russian Empire.

The Empire’s forces on the Southern Front have reached the point of robbing Peter to pay Paul, from Bessarabia Province to the Crimea Peninsula, and then to the Caucasus Region, everywhere needing to guard against the raids of British and French warships and small detachments.

[Here is a brief summary of the recent battle situation in Crimea: Ever since Pellissier’s forces occupied Sevastopol, his prestige among the Allied Forces has surpassed that of Commander Lagren. Therefore, upon receiving the order from Jerome Bonaparte in Paris to fortify Sevastopol and turn it into a giant fortress, he dispatched troops to reinforce both the northern and southern shores of Sevastopol, particularly building forts on the North Shore, clearing the sunken ships blocking the entrance to Sevastopol Port, while simultaneously deploying fleets to lead small detachments in bombarding the coastal cities of the Russian Empire, wearing them down with continuous engagements.

At the same time, he also wrote to the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, requesting them to continue increasing their stake in the Caucasus Region.]

As a result, every city on the Southern Front of the Russian Empire needs to retain a certain amount of troops. The over 30,000-strong force originally drawn from the Caucasus Region was forced to return due to the plea of the new (yet old) Governor Voronov to counter the offensive of the Ottoman Empire and maintain logistics in the Caucasus Region.

"Dolgorukov, tell me what you’ve done during this time?" Nicholas I pointed a slightly trembling finger at Dolgorukov, "not understanding" why this former "trusted favorite general" now seems to be opposing him at every turn!

Is he really wrong? Should this war really not continue?

Just a moment ago, in a flash of frustration, Nicholas I thought of ending the war.

However, this thought lasted less than 2 seconds in Nicholas I’s mind before he rejected it.

If the war were to end now, wouldn’t that prove to the outside world that he and his Russian Empire are nothing more than paper tigers?

At present, Nicholas I firmly believed that when the Russian Empire could no longer instill fear in Europe, that would be when the Russian Empire would be divided.

For the sake of the Russian Empire, he could not entertain any thoughts of weakness.

Of course, Nicholas I’s thoughts were merely conclusions he reached on his own accord.

The entirety of Europe, aside from a slightly deranged Palmerston who was hell-bent on destroying the Russian Empire to maintain the hegemony of the Kingdom of Britain.

The mainstream European countries, not one wishes for Russia’s demise.

At most, every country only wants to weaken the Russian Empire, making it unable to intervene in all of Europe, thus leaving room for diplomatic maneuver in Europe.

If the Russian Empire were to drop dead immediately, who then could stop the French Empire?

Don’t be deceived by the current European fear of the Russian Empire’s just enforcement, during the outset of the Vienna Congress, every country was eager to find an opponent for the French Empire.

From defending against Russia to guarding against Russia, the transformation among European countries is a recent occurrence.

Although European countries do not wish for the Russian Empire to be divided, it does not mean they want Nicholas I to continue governing.

Neither Nicholas I nor Alexander II can represent the entire Russian Empire.

"Your Majesty, I am guilty!" Facing the questioning from Nicholas I, Dolgorukov chose not to argue about what he had done. He directly admitted his fault to Nicholas I, "I may not be able to fulfill my duties as Minister of War. Please allow me to resign from my position and seek someone more capable."

Dolgorukov’s response took Nicholas I by surprise.

He initially only wanted Dolgorukov to give him a suitable excuse, then harshly scold Dolgorukov a few times, and then command him to expedite the advance to Sevastopol, ideally starting the attack around mid-July (which is about a week away).

Who would have thought, Dolgorukov actually used resignation to threaten him again.

Humph! He really thinks that without him, I couldn’t find anyone else? At worst, I’ll just make the plans myself!

With increasingly radical thoughts, Nicholas I pointed at Dolgorukov, sternly reprimanding, "Dolgorukov, you say you want to resign? Very well! I will grant you that! From now on, you will no longer hold the position of Minister of War!"

Right after Nicholas I’s words concluded, Crown Prince Alexander’s face turned.

As the representative of the General Staff connecting with Dolgorukov, he was all too clear about the situation with the Ministry of War and the Southern Front. The issues on the Southern Front lay with logistics, weapons, and the soldiers’ pay. If these three problems couldn’t be resolved, what difference would a change of Commander-in-Chief make?

The Commander-in-Chief couldn’t conjure supplies and weapons out of thin air, and, being a time of war, replacing the commander at the last minute could disrupt the entire system’s operation.

Dolgorukov had been in the Ministry of War for a long time, and almost the entire Ministry had been promoted under his hand. Though they were far from matching the abilities of his mentor, Jomini, they could barely maintain the operation of this military machine.

If Dolgorukov were to be removed, those whom Dolgorukov had elevated would inevitably feel frightened, and the whole department would be in turmoil.

By that time, whether the Ministry of War’s machine could operate would still be unknown.

Not to mention, Dolgorukov himself had not suffered major defeats like Menshikov. He had consistently dedicated himself to maintaining the stability of the Russian Empire’s war machine.

Handling the situation hastily might not be able to win the public over!

After weighing the pros and cons, Crown Prince Alexander decided to step forward and speak a few fair words for Dolgorukov to ease the almost-breaking atmosphere.

Alexander II stretched out his hand to stop Dolgorukov in his tracks, looking firmly at Nicholas I on the throne.

At that moment, Alexander II "actually" noticed the wrinkles on Nicholas I’s face.

Father had finally grown old!

In his heart, Alexander II felt a great disrespect, sensing that his father was aging at an unprecedented pace — an aging that manifested not only in years but also in character and the way of handling affairs.

Had it been Nicholas I of a few years ago, he would never have used this method to dismiss Dolgorukov. He would have gradually weakened Dolgorukov’s influence to isolate him before eventually kicking him out.

Now he...

"Alexander, let him go!" Nicholas I commanded with a hint of weariness in his authoritative voice.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, you should let me leave!" Prince Dolgorukov whispered to Alexander II.

"Your Majesty the Emperor, I believe you should not dismiss Prince Dolgorukov!" Crown Prince Alexander resolutely told Nicholas I.

"Should not dismiss? Shouldn’t Dolgorukov be dismissed for defying the Tsar?" Nicholas I stood up from the throne and looked at Alexander II below the steps, resembling a wrathful golden guardian.

"Your Majesty, Dolgorukov has not defied you!" Crown Prince Alexander responded without fear and proceeded to explain Dolgorukov’s recent actions to Nicholas I.

Including but not limited to restructuring Southern Front logistics, recruiting new troops, formulating battle plans, strengthening the defense of key cities in the Southern Front region to prevent a repeat of the Crimea Peninsula incident, etc...

"Prince Dolgorukov has been methodically preparing for war operations according to your instructions!" Alexander II spoke sincerely to Nicholas I: "To fulfill the tasks you’ve assigned, Prince Dolgorukov hasn’t had a proper rest for several days!"

Hearing this, Nicholas I couldn’t help but be moved. With a solemn expression, he asked, "Dolgorukov, is this true?"

"Your Majesty!" Dolgorukov turned and bowed to Nicholas I, the meaning within his gesture was clear.

"I..." Nicholas I wanted to say something, but ultimately didn’t speak, simply asking faintly, "Our troops deployed on the Southern Front, how soon can they be ready to act?"

"Around mid-August!" Dolgorukov replied again to Nicholas I: "Based on the Empire’s intelligence on the Crimea Peninsula, the Empire must mobilize around two hundred thousand troops to make a move. The logistics preparation for this massive legion alone will take a month, and forming a new legion through troop mobilization from across the Russian Empire to the Southern Front likewise requires time for integration."

Crown Prince Alexander also informed Nicholas I that the General Staff’s plan for the attack on the Sevastopol Fortress had actually been completed by the end of June. From now until mid-August, they had two tasks: the first task was to redeploy and reorganize troops from various regions, and the second was to gather the logistics required by the two hundred thousand-strong force.

"Very well! I can give you this time!" Nicholas I nodded approvingly to Alexander and Dolgorukov, saying: "The attack is scheduled for late August. From now until late August, I will not interfere again! Alexander!"

Hearing Nicholas I’s call, Alexander II hurriedly responded, "Your Majesty!"

"From now on, you will be fully responsible for military matters. I am tired!"