-----------------------------
If we reach 15 comments. You have five hours from the time this chapter is posted. If we reach the goal, the next chapter will be posted in eight hours.(Valid comments must include information about what you like or dislike about the story, what you would like to see about the story, or any questions you may have about the story,Only one comment per person will be accepted, as the devil is in the details.)
-----------------------------
Pov of Herbert Plumer
1917-June-16
No matter how much I observed the situation, and although morale remained high because of the recent entry of the Americans on our side, it was impossible for me to ignore that the war was still turning against us.
With the recent exit of Russia and Serbia from the war after both governments had been forced to capitulate, the strategic picture had changed completely. Tsar Nicholas had been burned alive in his own palace, and the Serbian royal family had been captured during their attempt to escape toward the sea. That meant that, at last, all German pressure could be concentrated on us.
Or rather, on the Italians, who had been drawn into the war through promises of territories claimed from Austria-Hungary. At that moment, however, everything seemed to be unfolding in the opposite direction. The Germans and Austro-Hungarians had broken the Italian defenses in Veneto, then swept away the weak resistance in Emilia-Romagna. It was only a matter of time before they took Tuscany and reached Lazio.
It also seemed to be only a matter of time before the Italians surrendered. According to our intelligence reports, they were holding meetings with the Germans and Austro-Hungarians, and several local ceasefires had already been agreed upon. No matter how much we insisted that American aid was on its way, everything indicated that Italy was about to abandon our side.
The vital supplies and colonial reinforcements that were meant to arrive and give the Italians some breathing room had been cut off by the German offensive in the Suez.
For days we received optimistic reports from General Archibald Murray, who assured us that he would soon take Palestine and then Medina, allowing the fronts to be combined. However, from one moment to the next, all the advances we had achieved in the area collapsed. The information was still incomplete, but intelligence reports and telegraphic intercepts indicated the presence of German special troops in the region.
Apparently, they were units specialized in harassment, hardened on the Eastern Front, along with several thousand veterans. And, according to the reports, he was there. The Russians had already warned us about that German devil from the Masurian swamps, a man who had become a logistical nightmare for them, dedicated to relentlessly dynamiting the fragile railway skeleton of the Russian Empire.
Now it seemed they had sent him to the Suez to cut off our supplies.
Or, at least, to do so temporarily. Since his arrival, several German-Turkish offensives had driven us out of Sinai. In addition, every ship that tried to cross the canal ended up sunk in the middle of its waters, blocking the passage of the reinforcements intended for Italy, along with the ammunition and food the Italians urgently needed while they held their desperate defense.
To that had to be added the loss of our links with the Arabs. We did not realize it immediately, since their missions usually lasted quite a long time, but now our Arab allies were strangely reluctant to launch new offensives. In fact, they were requesting new negotiations over the treaty, as if they had discovered something they had previously ignored.
The Mesopotamian front was also slowly deteriorating. Now that the Ottomans no longer had to maintain a front against the Russians, they had sent a good part of their forces to that region. Added to that was the arrival of several thousand Germans, who were putting the entire campaign at risk of complete collapse.
And finally, we returned to the French front, where the situation was not much better.
The Germans had stopped attacking after their offensive at Verdun, but that operation had succeeded in trapping thousands of Frenchmen and breaking the trench zone, pushing deep into the sector until we managed to stop them again. Even so, we were having all kinds of problems with the French. Their morale was low, and their willingness to cooperate in the diversionary offensives, necessary to keep Italy in the war, was becoming weaker and weaker.
Especially when the German defenses seemed to have become too solid from the moment they decided to entrench themselves as much as possible, digging extremely deep and resistant trenches and shelters, in addition to establishing numerous listening zones to detect our mines.
Although the French generals were doing everything possible to restore discipline and morale among their troops, it seemed they had still not succeeded. It could almost be considered a blessing that the Germans had not launched new offensives, beyond the counterblows against our own attacks.
Because nobody knew how the French troops would react in their current state of mind.
Our only victory, if it could even be called that, consisted of proving that we had recovered a few hundred meters of land for our side, returning a small fraction of France at the cost of tens of thousands of dead. The other advantage was that the Germans had brought the Polish armies from the Eastern Front and were using them for their counteroffensives or to defend the first lines of trenches. Because of that, they were the ones suffering most of the casualties. Fortunately, they deserted whenever they had the chance, weakening the German defenses somewhat. It was a minor victory, almost miserable, but it was the only thing we had to show.
Because all our offensives followed the same pattern: spend tons of ammunition bombarding the perfectly dug German trenches, only for the Germans to bring their machine guns out from their shelters and massacre our young men when we forced them to advance in tight lines against their positions. All of it to win one more day for the Italians and force the Germans to divert men from the Italian front.
And that damned Churchill, with his cursed idea of landships.
His tanks, which were supposedly going to force us to adapt our tactics and allow us to present a mobile defense capable of resisting German fire, had not proven to be much more than costly scrap. Barely a couple of days passed before the Germans found a way to counter them. The crew died in atrocious ways. Many times, the German weapon pierced the armor and detonated the ammunition inside, sending fragments of metal everywhere. Other times, the tank caught fire, and the screams of the men trapped inside could be heard from a horrifying distance.
''General'' one of my men said as he opened the door to my office.
He found me looking over dozens of maps and diagrams spread around me, trying to find an answer to the impossible problem of breaking the German lines.
''Yes?'' I said, leaning back against my chair while fixing my gaze on the young officer.
''Field Marshal Haig has called an urgent meeting. Apparently, there is emergency information that must be reviewed immediately'' the officer said with a worried tone.
''Apparently, our offensives have not been enough to distract the Germans'' I said, grimacing as I rose from the chair with some difficulty and took my coat.
I began moving toward the place where we were supposed to meet.
It did not take me too long to take the train toward the rear to meet with Marshal Haig, who would probably give us the news that Italy could no longer be saved. Surely, the units we had sent south, together with the French forces, had not been enough to slow the enormous German numerical superiority in the area, especially after almost one hundred and twenty-five thousand reinforcements had been blocked and forced to go around Africa to try to reach the Italian front.
When I arrived at Haig's headquarters, we found several generals already present. The marshal had an expression that reflected the general state of the front quite clearly.
''Well… as you know, I have summoned you because it appears to be official now. The Italians have signed an armistice with the Germans. I have already given the order for our troops to withdraw toward the Alps to establish a new defensive line, since there is no point in defending an area impossible to hold, especially against a German force that exceeds one million men in the region and greatly surpasses our own forces'' the marshal said, moving the pieces of the Italian expedition across the map of the European front with a pointer and bringing them toward the Alps.
''What happened to the reinforcements that were supposed to have reached the Italian capital?'' Viscount French asked, keeping a serious expression at the news.
''They were delayed'' Haig replied. ''The German offensive in Sinai left the ships waiting for passage through the canal. General Archibald Murray insisted that he could clear it in less time than it would take to divert the reinforcements around Africa. The second German offensive proved deadly, because they still have not been expelled from the canal. So the reinforcements from the colonies arrived with a much greater delay than expected. Almost two months late, between the initial waiting period and the later diversion.''
The marshal remained looking at a battle map, annoyed by what he saw.
''The result is that Italy has fallen out of the war before we could stabilize the front. And now the Germans will be able to move a considerable part of those forces toward France.''
''And what did the Italians accept…?'' Sir Arthur William Currie asked.
''A humiliating treaty. An exemplary punishment for a traitorous ally, at least that is what we have heard from our intelligence sources. Apparently, the Germans held nothing back against the Italians, and even so they accepted terms that, in practice, completely humiliate Italy: the cession of Veneto and Lombardy to Austria-Hungary, the handover of the entire Regia Marina to the Austro-Hungarians until the end of the war, the payment of five billion gold marks as compensation and the surrender of their army to the forces of the Central Powers'' Marshal Haig said.
''How the hell did they accept such garbage of a treaty?'' Sir Arthur said.
''Because the Italians began the negotiations by proposing to change sides, trap our forces inside their territory and hand them over to the Germans'' the marshal replied. ''Yes, that is how treacherous they turned out to be. Fortunately for us, that was rejected by the Austro-Hungarians, who want to see Italy dismantled. After that, the Germans began threatening them with sending us the information about their betrayal if they did not give in to their terms.''
''Damn… we were lucky the Austro-Hungarians rejected the proposal. If the Italian troops had changed sides, we would have been in serious trouble in Egypt and southern France, not to mention the troops we would have lost with such a change of flag'' I said, surprised by the audacity of the Italian government.
''Yes, but now we must be careful with the Austro-Hungarian navy. If it can move freely and also has the Regia Marina under its control, we will have serious problems in the Mediterranean. We cannot divert more ships, or the German campaign of trade interception will become even worse'' Haig said.
''And what do we do now? The Americans are coming, but their troops are not even expected for another few months'' Viscount French asked.
''Resist'' Haig replied. ''His Majesty and the prime minister have already been informed that conscription in the islands and the dominions must be intensified. We will also increase colonial recruitment and send as many men as possible. A German avalanche is coming down on us. Now that we are practically alone, the Germans will surely copy our strategy in the Alps and concentrate all their effort on breaking us. We must resist and keep the French from collapsing. Otherwise, the Germans will be the masters of Europe.''
The marshal stopped for a few seconds, remaining thoughtful as he looked at the battle map and moved some German and Austrian armies to the French front, adjusting the battle lines.
''I have already spoken with my French counterparts, and they will try to do the same: recruit as many men as they can and send them to the trenches. The United States will begin sending supplies soon, and their troops should arrive in November, first as a small expedition. The bulk of their forces will arrive next year. We must resist until then. If we manage it, we will have millions of fresh men who should help us change the course of the war.''
''We only have to resist then'' I said, looking with sadness at what that meant millions more dead.
''That is right. This time they must not pass, or France may seek an armistice'' Marshal Haig said with a serious tone while looking at his map.
-----------------------------
If there are spelling mistakes, please let me know.
Leave a comment; support is always appreciated.
I remind you to leave your ideas or what you would like to see.
-------------------------------
Hello everyone! If you'd like to read chapters in advance, you can support me on P.a.t.r.e.o.n. Currently, there are 7 chapters available
without spaces
p atreon. com/Chill _ean_GUY
Thank you all for your support!