Make France Great Again

Tsar Nicholas I in the Saint Petersburg Imperial Village could never have imagined that the grain he ordered to be stored in the warehouses of Odessa would become an accomplice in the killing of Russian Empire soldiers.

And the officials in Odessa, whom he painstakingly promoted, would have the audacity to sell the country's grain cheaply to the enemy during wartime. It was unthinkable, a capital offense, and there wasn't a single official, from top to bottom in the capital of Odessa, willing to report it.

This was enough to prove that the entire capital of Odessa... No, it should be said that the entire Russian Empire had rotted to the core.

However, Tsar Nicholas I in the Saint Petersburg Imperial Village was not yet aware of any of this.

Just receiving the news of the Anglo-French Alliance Army landing on the Crimean Peninsula (information from Menshikov took a week to reach the Saint Petersburg Imperial Village), Nicholas I urgently summoned the Russian Empire's Minister of War, Prince Dorogorukov, the head of the "Third Hall," Orlov, Commander of the Danube Alliance Army, General Gorchakov (as Gorchakov had withdrawn to the Bessarabia Region, Nicholas I decided to have General Gorchakov return to the Saint Petersburg Imperial Village), and Crown Prince Alexander.

Standing in the operations room, Nicholas I handed Prince Menshikov's letter first to Dorogorukov to review. After Dorogorukov finished reading it, he passed it to the next person.

When Menshikov's letter returned to Nicholas I's hands once more, Nicholas I solemnly said, "According to the situation reported by Menshikov, the main force of the Anglo-French Allied force has already arrived on the Crimean Peninsula. My ministers, what are your thoughts on this?"

After speaking, Nicholas I looked around, signaling with his eyes that those present could now speak.

After a moment of contemplation, War Minister Dorogorukov was the first to speak, "Your Majesty, I believe that the actions of the Anglo-French Alliance Army are nothing but a feigned attack in the east!"

"Oh?" Nicholas I asked with a puzzled expression.

"As everyone knows, the Crimean Peninsula is just one of our outposts for attacking the Ottoman Empire! Even without Crimea, we could still attack the Ottoman Empire's homeland from the Caucasus Region," Dorogorukov spoke eloquently. "I believe the Anglo-French Alliance Army is certainly aware that the Crimean Peninsula is not an indispensable strategic point for the Ottoman Empire (Lagren Commander, Marshal Saint Arno, Jerome Bonaparte: ???), so why are they so persistent in attacking there?"

"Stop beating around the bush! Get to the point!" Nicholas I frowned and said.

"Your Majesty, I suspect this is a diversion tactic by the Anglo-French Alliance Army!" Dorogorukov analyzed with seemingly inspired intelligence, albeit with flawed reasoning.

"Then what is their real objective?" Nicholas I continued to ask Dorogorukov.

"Your Majesty, I think the Anglo-French Alliance Army intends to launch an amphibious assault near Saint Petersburg! (Palmerston: Meow meow meow!) This way, they could end the battle in the quickest possible time!" Dorogorukov confidently replied to Nicholas I.

"Attack Saint Petersburg?" Nicholas I's expression showed a slight tension. It was clear that Nicholas I himself was also a man who valued his own life, and all his decisions were based on ensuring his own safety.

After a while, Nicholas I shook his head and refuted, "Impossible! My Saint Petersburg is fortified with numerous artillery, and there are also two Guard Army units stationed on the outskirts. Even if the Anglo-French armies wanted to attack Saint Petersburg, they would have to pay a heavy price. Palmerston and Jerome Bonaparte would never risk sending their pampered soldiers here!"

In Nicholas I's subconscious, the British and French armies were merely paper tigers propped up by money. He believed their stamina and will could never compare to the resilient Slavic nations, and thus, they wouldn't dare send their armies to Saint Petersburg to face certain death.

"Your Majesty, actually, they could also launch an attack on us through the Kingdom of Sweden!" Dorogorukov reminded.

"That's even less likely! The Kingdom of Sweden wouldn't dare defy the Russian Empire. They..." Nicholas I's confidence was somewhat lacking.

The present Russian Empire resembled a giant trapped in a quagmire, and there was a chance that the Kingdom of Sweden might seize this opportunity to strike.

Remember, the Grand Duchy of Finland was once a piece ripped from deep within the Kingdom of Sweden. Although Sweden also gained Norway, the value of Norway is far inferior to that of the Kingdom of Sweden.

If the Kingdom of Sweden were to act jointly with the British and French, the Russian Empire's situation would become even more dire.

"Your Majesty, when Napoleon was still at the height of his power, the King of Sweden was once a marshal of Napoleon. However, after Napoleon's defeat, didn't the Kingdom of Sweden decisively stand on our side?" Prince Dorogorukov subtly reminded Emperor Nicholas I.

"Are you implying that my current situation is akin to that of Napoleon back then?" Nicholas I asked Dorogorukov with a displeased tone.

"Your Majesty, we are far inferior to Napoleon now!" Prince Dorogorukov fearlessly declared, "Napoleon's allies betrayed him when he was in decline, but what about our allies?" Dorogorukov paused, a cold smile playing at the corner of his lips. "Our allies had already betrayed us before the war even began! We have no qualification to be compared with Napoleon!"

Prince Dorogorukov's critique left Nicholas I feeling unprecedented anger.

Observing the nearly murderous look in Nicholas I's eyes, Crown Prince Alexander quickly intervened, "Your Majesty, now is not the time for anger! The most urgent task is to discern the strategic intentions of the Anglo-French Alliance! Only then can we formulate appropriate countermeasures!"

After hearing Crown Prince Alexander's words, Nicholas I's expression gradually softened. He then asked Crown Prince Alexander, "What does your teacher think about this war?"

Crown Prince Alexander's teacher is Jomini, the author of "The Art of War," who had retired comfortably in Belgium but was once again summoned by Nicholas I to contribute to the Russian Empire due to the onset of the Crimean War.

"My teacher says he also finds it difficult to understand what exactly this Napoleon intends to do!" Crown Prince Alexander told Nicholas I, "If it were the first Napoleon, then the soldiers in the Near East would probably be a pawn to draw our attention.

But this Napoleon, while reminiscent of the first Napoleon in his actions, does not transform warfare into an art form as adeptly as the first did. He is more skilled in steady, methodical advances."

"So, your teacher thinks the Anglo-French Alliance's target is just the Crimea Peninsula?" Nicholas I asked Alexander.

"That's not necessarily the case! The English have some experience in opening a second front, and Palmerston is an ambitious fellow, so we can't rule that out as a possibility!" Crown Prince Alexander responded to Nicholas I: "Moreover, it is entirely possible that England and France could wage war simultaneously in Crimea and the Baltic Sea!"

"Then where should the Empire focus its defense now!" Nicholas I said in a somber tone: "We can't just move our troops back and forth!"

Although the Russian Empire ostensibly has about 2 million troops, the available forces for the Empire can only be deployed from the regions of Poland, Finland, the Caucasus, the Danube, and St. Petersburg.

Finland must guard against the Kingdom of Sweden, St. Petersburg must be wary of possible surprise attacks, while the Danube and Poland must confront the Austrian Empire, and the Caucasus region similarly suppresses the Ottoman Empire.

Calculating all this, the Russian Empire practically has no Field Army Corps to deploy.

To mobilize troops, some risks must be taken.

"Your Majesty, I believe we should deploy troops to the Crimea Peninsula! Even if it is a trap designed for us, we must jump in without hesitation!" Gorchakov resolutely spoke.

"Explain your reasoning!" Nicholas I inquired of Gorchakov.

"Your Majesty, we have already conceded in the Danube Duchy; there is no room left for the Empire to retreat! If we do not present a stance of fighting to the death against the Anglo-French Alliance, then more and more countries will perceive the Russian Empire as weakened. At that time, they will bare their fangs and bite at us. The Russian Empire may find it difficult to survive the crisis..." Gorchakov cautioned Nicholas I tactfully.

Gorchakov's words reminded Nicholas I of the Kingdom of Prussia, a nation, like the Kingdom of Sweden, also had land annexed by the Russian Empire, and they are highly likely to launch attacks against the Russian Empire.

Thinking of this, Nicholas I felt a chill within his heart.

"Where do you propose we pull troops from?" Nicholas I asked Gorchakov.

"I suggest dispatching troops from the Polish Region and the Danube River Region to Crimea; the Caucasus Region can also spare some soldiers to go there!" General Gorchakov replied to Nicholas I.

"Poland?" Nicholas I shook his head, saying, "No! If the Polish Corps is deployed, there will inevitably be unrest there! I know those Poles all too well; they always manage to strike us at the most crucial moments! We should instead transfer some troops from the Danube Corps and the Caucasus Corps to provide support! What do you think?"

Nicholas I turned his gaze towards Dolgorukov and Crown Prince Alexander.

"Your Majesty, I had not considered this thoroughly just now!" Dolgorukov instantly shifted his stance, instead supporting General Gorchakov's view: "I support General Gorchakov's stance that the Russian Empire must win at all costs in the Crimea Peninsula! Of course, the Guard Army in St. Petersburg must also remain vigilant to prevent any surprise attacks by the Anglo-French Alliance!"

"I also agree with Minister Dolgorukov's opinion! Whether it is St. Petersburg or the Crimea Peninsula, we cannot afford to abandon either!" Crown Prince Alexander II also supported Gorchakov.

Under the orders of Nicholas I, half of the Danube Corps, totaling 80,000 men, was dispatched to support Crimea.

Similarly, 100,000 troops were allocated from the Caucasus region to provide support.

At the same time, Nicholas I ordered Orlov to issue warnings to the Kingdom of Sweden and the Kingdom of Prussia, advising them against harboring any improper ambitions.