In the face of nature, humanity is fragile. The Battle of the Rhine was still ongoing, but the intensity of the fighting had been curbed by the heavy snow. It wasn’t that the attacking French forces were not trying hard enough, the wintry conditions were simply too troublesome. The snow disrupted not only the offensive at the front lines but also made logistical supply far more difficult. An army of two million, even if completely idle, would still consume an astronomical amount of supplies each day. With ongoing combat, the burden became even greater. Facts have once again proved that it was not so easy to fight deep into enemy territory. Belgium and the Rhineland may have been well-connected regions with extensive railway networks, but the coalition forces had destroyed those routes during their retreat. Destruction is always easier than reconstruction. After occupying those regions, the first thing the French army did was to begin repairing the roads. After more than a month of hard work, the roads had basically been restored to full function, and the railways were close to completion. Just as everything was nearly back on track, the heavy snowfall returned. The harsh weather became the biggest challenge facing the French army’s logistics, even more so than Austrian machine gun trenches. Machine guns and trench systems, no matter how effective, could only hold ground. At the technological level of the time, it was not yet possible to launch attacks while carrying machine guns. Such defenses could block the French advance but could not threaten the army’s lifeline. Logistics were a different matter. If supply chains failed, then two million soldiers would be in serious danger. Looking out the window, Marshal Patrice de MacMahon sighed. This war had broken out too suddenly. France had not been ready. No one could have imagined that the vast French Empire would lack even enough winter uniforms. In the end, it took a nationwide appeal for citizens to donate warm clothing just to barely meet the soldiers’ needs. It wasn’t that France lacked industrial strength. As the world’s second-largest textile producer, it could have produced several million sets of winter uniforms within a month, as long as raw materials were sufficient. The real issue lay in raw materials. Seventy percent of France’s cotton supply for the textile industry came from Egypt. Once war broke out, cotton production in the Egyptian region collapsed. Such a massive shortfall was not easily remedied. Even if France wanted to purchase on the international market, there simply weren’t enough suppliers available. At the time, cotton was just as valuable as grain. Most producers already had long-term partners, and breaking into those relationships required a steep price. Capitalists lacked a strong sense of national responsibility. In a situation where it was uncertain how long the war would last, investing heavily to compete for cotton did not offer returns proportionate to the risk. The French were overly optimistic about the war. The prevailing view was that the French army would win within two to three months. If the war were to end that quickly, existing stockpiles would suffice. There was no need to take financial risks for extra supplies. In theory, had there been no hoarding and price manipulation, and with a reasonable distribution system in place, France wouldn’t be experiencing such shortages. But in reality, nothing outweighs profit. Once war began, prices shot up. Every day of delay meant another price hike. No one says no to money, and under those conditions, the efficiency of the French bureaucracy inevitably suffers. The slow pace of early logistics efforts meant that by the time winter arrived, the army had not yet received enough supplies at the front. Once the snow fell and transportation slowed, the problems started to emerge. “Marshal, due to the snowfall, the convoy that was supposed to arrive today has only just reached Trier. Delivery is now expected to be delayed by another week. This is already the third supply delay this month. Since the snowfall began, not a single shipment has arrived on schedule.” Major General Jean, in charge of logistics transport for the French army, gave his report with a bitter expression. Unlike those in charge of distributing supplies, which was a relatively comfortable position, those responsible for transportation had a far tougher job. Not only did they have to repair roads themselves, but they also faced guerrilla attacks and now had to battle extreme weather. If that were the only problem, it might have been bearable. At worst, they would just have to endure some hardship. The profits from transport were substantial enough to compensate for the effort and soothe any grievances. The real issue was that the civilian laborers responsible for transport were not entirely cooperative. When the workload became too heavy, they would simply go on strike. No matter how profitable the operation might seem, the benefits rarely reached them directly. There was no easy workaround. Requisitioning local labor or using prisoners of war was far too risky. At any moment, these people might collude with guerrilla fighters. Even without that, passive resistance would be enough to paralyze French logistics. To maintain security, only trusted personnel were assigned to transport duties. But once those laborers started causing trouble, the officers could do little more than try to calm things down. Upon receiving the bad news, Marshal Patrice de MacMahon furrowed his brow and began weighing the situation. The French army had only recently advanced to the Rhine front and had already suffered heavy losses from enemy air raids. Supply reserves were critically low. Since the snow began falling, logistics had been in a state of consistent shortfall. Even with reduced combat activity lowering consumption, the supplies would not last much longer. While ammunition use had dropped, the need for heating fuel had sharply increased. The Rhineland did have coal mines, but the Germans had destroyed them during their retreat. It would take time to restore production capacity. The most difficult obstacle was the unwillingness of the local population to cooperate. Fueled by hatred, they completely rejected French authority. The war was still in its early stages and far from decided. Even the most opportunistic industrialists had yet to fully choose a side. Very few had openly aligned with the French. After a moment of silence, Marshal MacMahon finally spoke, “Send a message to the homeland. Explain the situation and ask the Ministry of War to increase the number of transport convoys. Order the logistics department to prioritize the delivery of ammunition and medical supplies. For all other necessities, the officers must find solutions using local resources. We have to reduce the burden on our supply lines.” Sourcing materials locally was by no means an ideal solution. Tensions with the local population were already high. Pushing any further risked inflaming the situation and giving rise to an organized guerrilla movement. “Marshal, the enemy caused serious destruction during their retreat. They not only demolished basic infrastructure but also burned down the supply depots. Belgium and the Rhineland may have decent industry, but without industrial raw materials, there’s no way for them to produce the goods we need. Most importantly, this region isn’t a major grain producer. It largely depends on imports from Austria, but due to the war, the grain trade has been cut off for nearly a month now. Food prices in the region have already skyrocketed, and social order is rapidly deteriorating. If we start requisitioning grain now, I fear…” Seeing Marshal Patrice de MacMahon’s expression grow darker, Lieutenant General Albert wisely chose to fall silent. Everyone understood the issue. The problem was that the French army was also on the verge of running out of food. No matter the consequences, Marshal MacMahon had no choice left. Exchanging glances, General Oudinot, already disgraced and eager to redeem himself, knew it was time to take the blame. One more scandal hardly mattered. After the heavy defeat, his reputation was already in ruins. Taking more blame might even earn him a few favors. If someone could speak for him during postwar investigations, perhaps he could avoid standing trial. “Lieutenant General, that’s not the right way to look at it. After the war began, the locals weren’t entirely unprepared. From what I’ve heard, the enemy didn’t destroy all the supplies when they left. A significant portion of the grain was handed over to the local populace. If we borrow some to get through this crisis, it shouldn’t be a big issue. Beyond food, much of what we need can be sourced locally. For example, coal. If we put in the effort, I believe we can get the mines running again. If labor is short, we can always use prisoners of war. Set clear quotas for them, and if they fail to meet them, they don’t get to eat. I’m confident they’ll cooperate. As for other materials, gather what we can. Every bit helps, and whatever we can’t get locally, we’ll try to bring in from home. If we’re truly concerned about civil unrest, then relocate the local population across the river. Let the enemy worry about feeding them.” Oudinot just said out loud what everyone else was thinking but didn’t dare to do. Forcibly expelling the local population might make sense from a purely military perspective, but the political consequences would be extremely serious. This was the European continent, not some remote colony. If the French army were to drive out millions of locals, it would certainly provoke public outrage. Especially among the smaller European states, many would feel threatened. If the French could do this to Belgium and the Rhineland today, then something similar could happen to them tomorrow. Whether out of sympathy or concern for their own security, these smaller countries would likely turn against France. Patrice de MacMahon fell silent. Ever since the army began implementing the policy of living off the enemy, whether or not the locals were expelled made little difference in the end. People can’t live without food. Once their grain is gone, even if the locals want to stay, they simply won’t be able to. It’s only a matter of time before they begin fleeing. The only question is where they will go. France is clearly not an option, so the refugees will likely flee to Switzerland, the Netherlands, or the German Federation. If the French army forcibly drives them out, it will simply shift refugees who might have gone to neutral countries into German territory, increasing pressure on the anti-French coalition. The French could ignore the refugees, but the coalition could not. Suddenly adding millions of mouths to feed would strain even the most resource-rich alliance.
*** https://postimg.cc/gallery/PwXsBkC (Maps of the current territories of the countries in this novel made by ScH) Support the translation and read more chapters at https://ko-fi.com/dragonlegion
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