Later generations of military experts have different opinions on the positioning of the Austro-Prussian War. Some say it was a civil war between the same nation, some say it was a foreign war between different countries, and some say it was a bloody war between brothers but the Italians took advantage. A farce, after all this battle the Italians called the Third War.
But no matter how future generations comment, one thing is recognized by everyone. This Pu-Austrian battle was short in duration and intense in intensity, which is rare in hundreds of years. Moreover, both sides have completely gotten rid of the shadow of cold weapon war. A large number of new war equipment have been widely used, and both sides have used the power of their countries.
This battle, which lasted only seven weeks, let people know what an epoch-making revolution in individual weapons was, what a strategic detour was, and what a large corps advance was. What even more stunned the whole of Europe was the Prussian war. Mobilization capabilities.
Yes, Prussia only deployed 300,000 troops on the battlefield, but the intelligence agencies of the European powers knew very well that just as the battle on the front line was in full swing, Bismarck mobilized another 600,000 reserves behind the battle line. Moreover, according to some senior intelligence personnel, if all 600,000 people were killed, Bismarck could even mobilize more than one million reserves and militiamen.
Not only that, Prussia's railway network and telegraph system are also very advanced. Hundreds of thousands of large regiments can be mobilized without any chaos. Along the long national border, if there is a war anywhere, the reserve regiments can respond within a few hours. , this kind of efficient troop deployment capability was not available in any European country at that time.
To put it bluntly, the Austro-Prussian War became a classic study example for experts and rulers in Europe at that time. After this war, the world began to phase out muzzleloaders like crazy, and armies across Europe Throw away this old fire stick.
European arms dealers worked hard to sell to colonies and backward countries. Even the Qing Dynasty at that time was taken advantage of and bought a lot of fire sticks at what they thought were very favorable prices.
Not only were the muskets reformed, the artillery was also being reformed. All solid artillery shells were cancelled, and the explosive shells finally unified the world.
The contribution of the Austro-Prussian War to the evolution of military concepts is self-evident, but people cannot forget that this so-called successful experience is made of bloody corpses and countless innocent souls. Those who witnessed this battle will live forever. I can't forget that hellish scene.
Many years later, the memoirs of those veterans and the interview records of those media reporters faithfully restored that battle.
"I am an ordinary platoon leader of the Prussian 4th Artillery Regiment. The Battle of Sadowa to me is actually more like a cannon with a bayonet attached to a hand-to-hand fight... The number of our artillery is far lower than that of the Austrians. We are no match for them in coverage shooting, so we have no choice but to keep moving forward the shooting position, in order to use precision to pursue greater lethality..."
"I am an ordinary loader. I can't remember how many rounds I loaded. Maybe it was fifty rounds, maybe eighty rounds... God testifies, I really don't remember. What did I do during the whole battle? There was no feeling at all, only the roar of artillery fire, and there was no time to rest for a whole morning..."
"The sky was full of flying artillery shells. When the fighting was fierce, no one thought to avoid it, and they couldn't avoid it because there were too many... I even witnessed one just ten meters away from me. The field gun exploded, the ammunition boxes exploded in a chain manner, and more than 20 soldiers around were torn into pieces in an instant!"
"The artillery was very miserable, but compared with our infantry, it was much worse... I am a squad leader of the 7th Division. During the entire Battle of Sadowa, we guarded the left wing of the Prussian Army... You guys It is simply unimaginable what it is like for two armies to besiege a division. Even if they use backward muzzle-loading rifles, their numbers make up for the technical gap..."
"The bullets came like a rainstorm. There was no smokeless gunpowder at that time. After each shot, a heavy fog seemed to rise out of thin air. The choking smell of gunpowder smoke filled the battlefield, exciting everyone to rush to the head... "
"There is also the enemy's charge. Do you know that two regular troops with fifty or sixty thousand bayonets are showing out at the same time; the shouts are shaking the sky like an avalanche, wanting you to charge in; the earth is shaking. How spectacular is the scene?"
"We withstood, our 7th Division withstood... This is war. Do you want to live? Do you want to defeat fear? Then don't worry about anything, forget everything and regard yourself as a machine on the battlefield. The machine... pulls the bolt, loads the bullet, then shoots without raising the hand to aim, and then pulls the bolt and loads the bullet again..."
"Oh God, you just need to remember to repeat an action! As long as you have no selfish thoughts in your heart, as long as you forget the terror of the enemy on the opposite side and let you repeat the movement like a machine, you can still be on the battlefield. Stay alive!"
"No, no, no, you are all wrong! The most brutal battles on the battlefield are not concentrated on artillery and infantry. Only we cavalry can truly understand what tragedy is!"
"Our Guards Cavalry Division was originally used to defend the General Headquarters and Commander-in-Chief Moltke. But after twelve o'clock, the Chief of General Staff ordered the entire army to attack, and we were transferred to the front line..."
"Artillery bombing, rifle fire... it was all drizzle. Only cavalry assault can make you realize the cruelty of war... We detoured from the right wing of the battlefield into the main battlefield, and met head-on an enemy charge from an Austrian cavalry brigade. …”
"Originally, I thought that the Guards Cavalry Division could easily wipe out the cavalry of this brigade, but you can't imagine how tenacious these Austrians are! They shot at us in rows from a distance, and when they got closer, they drew their sabers and ran into them. ... All the enemies showed no fear, facing the rain of bullets and ignoring death at all. The galloping horses finally collided with each other alive, as if they were just here to die with us..."
"The war horses were screaming wildly, the sound of sabers hacking into bones was everywhere, and there were also the wails of the dead and wounded. This group of Austrians was really ruthless. The vanguard had been completely wiped out, and the cavalry behind them were attacking without fear. They rush forward, they are really risking their own lives!"
"It wasn't until after the battle that we found out that the commander of this cavalry brigade... was actually a brigadier general! His name was Ferdinand Rosenzweig von Drouwer... everyone knew it. , Ferdinand is the name of the Austrian royal family, and Feng is also the surname of a high-ranking noble. What we have encountered is the hardest nut to crack in the Austrian army!"
Veterans who have experienced war are proud to have participated in the most brutal battles. In their eyes, the stronger the enemy, the stronger the pleasure after victory.
Precisely because no one was convinced by the other, a good memoir soon turned into a fierce quarrel. Everyone emphasized that the war they experienced was the most tragic, and no one was convinced by the other.
"Oh, for the sake of God, wake up. Without the artillery's risking their lives to provide fire cover, you still want to launch an assault? Don't forget how the Austrians bombed you. Please always remember artillery. He is the God of War!" "Oh, enough is enough! How much fire cover did your artillery provide in the Battle of Sadowa? Where was your fire support when our 7th Division was fighting alone? There was no infantry to guard it tenaciously. Front, do you still want to fire safely? Dreaming..."
"Flankers, gentlemen, don't forget the battle of the flanks! The cover battle at the edge of the battlefield is completed by our cavalry. After the general attack is launched, it is also our cavalry that disrupts the enemy's formation. When the enemy retreats, it is also up to our cavalry to expand the results! Your disregard is simply an insult to us!"
The veterans were quarreling, and the reporters and writers who were interviewing them all looked at each other in confusion.
"Well... gentlemen, please calm down. We will not erase the achievements and achievements of any unit. Now we have new questions... When did the Second Army enter the battlefield? And... those Will the Chinese appear on the battlefield in Sadova..."
The atmosphere suddenly became deathly silent, and all the veterans stopped talking. Strange expressions suddenly appeared on their faces, including some excitement, some shame, and some even more awe.
After being silent for a long time, the cavalryman of that year was the first to speak, "July 3rd, 14:30 in the afternoon. This is a time I will never forget... That was the moment when the vanguard cavalry of the Second Corps appeared on the right wing..."
"As for those Chinese..." The room fell into silence again, the floodgates of memories were completely opened, and all the legends of the Miracle of Stone Bridge came to mind again.
On July 3, 1866, the fighting in the Sadowa area had lasted for seven hours. The physical strength of the soldiers on both sides had been almost exhausted. The Austrians had taken the initiative by virtue of their numerical advantage. The Prussian front in some areas had already collapsed. Begins to loosen and dent.
It is no longer possible to count exactly how many artillery shells were fired by the artillery of the two armies. Now the artillery positions of the two armies are bombarded with accidents one after another. The artillery even once became the branch with the heaviest casualties. Moltke and Bismarck are now like hot pots. They were like ants scurrying back and forth in the headquarters. They wanted to issue a withdrawal order more than once, but the strong belief in their hearts kept inspiring them.
"Wait a little longer, what if the Second Corps can arrive in a second? What if the Stone Bridge Highlands can be defended? Maybe Prince Karl's horse has already approached Sadowa..."
"Yes! I firmly believe that Prussia's national destiny is still booming, and I believe even more in the tenacity of the Prussian Iron Army!"
The two old men were cheering each other on, and in front of the huge military map, more than a dozen senior imperial staff officers were conducting war games over and over again, and every change on the battlefield was added to the game. among the parameters.
"No... the war situation is extremely unfavorable to us! Your Excellency, Commander-in-Chief, Prime Minister! Order a retreat. Our soldiers still have a quarter of their ammunition base. If we withdraw slowly, we can ensure that the army does not collapse... I beg you. Come on, don’t wait for the Second Corps, how can those Chinese hold the Shiqiao Heights?”
The staff members were already crazy with anxiety. If the battle continued like this, the final result was destined to be a run out of ammunition and food and the collapse of the entire army.
But just as the two old men were making a painful decision, a tsunami suddenly sounded strangely from the west side of the battlefield, which was the right wing of the Prussian military formation.
"What is this sound? What happened?" The sound of the tsunami became louder and louder, and the sound got closer and closer, until finally everyone could hear it clearly.
"Reinforcements! Everyone is shouting one word, reinforcements... Is it Karl? Is it the Second Corps!" Old Moltke and Bismarck rushed out of the headquarters like crazy, and you rushed to the wooden board. Watchtower.
When the scene in the telescope appeared in front of them, their eyes were blurred, and their emotions suddenly collapsed, tears bursting out, and their whole bodies shook like chaff.
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