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Пятница, 2024-03-29, 5:19 PM
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Introduction



 

 

Mikhail Annenkov


The war in 1870. Notes and impressions of Russian officer


 

Abstract


 



Unusual and rapid advances Prussian in the first period of the campaign, a number unprecedented in military history, armies lost the second French Empire, which was almost full of them, surrendered to the military-prisoner by German troops - amazing Europe and alarmed all thinking minds. How to explain these amazing facts? - How could it be that the military glory of France, established for centuries, dissipated, like smoke from several strokes recently vozniknuvshey forces in Europe? In view of the living interest in how our society monitors all phases of the bloody struggle of two peoples - the European civilization - we would like to explain even partially, some of those phenomena that particularly contributed to this incredible success Prussian arms in the first period of the campaign.



Необыкновенные и быстрые успехи пруссаков в первый период кампании, ряд небывалых в военной истории поражений армий второй Французской империи, которые, почти в полном их составе, сдались военно‑пленными германским войскам, – изумили Европу и встревожили все мыслящие умы. Чем объяснить эти поразительные факты? – как могло случиться, что военная слава Франции, созданная веками, рассеялась, как дым, от нескольких ударов, недавно возникнувшей в Европе силы? В виду того живого интереса, с каким наше общество следит за всеми фазами кровавой борьбы двух народов – представителей Европейской цивилизации, – нам хотелось бы разъяснить хотя отчасти, ряд тех явлений, которые в особенности содействовали необыкновенным успехам прусского оружия в первый период кампании.

 

 

 


Introduction


 



Unusual and rapid advances Prussian in the first period of the campaign, a number unprecedented in military history, armies lost the second French Empire, which was almost full of them, surrendered to the military-prisoner by German troops - amazing Europe and alarmed all thinking minds. How to explain these amazing facts? - How could it be that the military glory of France, established for centuries, dissipated, like smoke from several strokes recently vozniknuvshey forces in Europe?

Lost Austrians in a campaign in 1866 was due mainly superior Prussian infantry weapons - the notorious needle gun, and we see that, following the Kenigsgretskim pogroms, all European nations - even Turkey, usually so stubborn on innovation - one by one, hurry to re - its infantry and istrachivayut huge sums on the possible acquisition of the fast, if vsespasayuschego funds. But what is in this war? Magic properties needle guns much to belittle: a series of recent battles tactile proved that the gun Shasspo by armed French army, have a clear advantage over igolchatymi Prussian guns and range and flat shots. In addition unquestionable superiority of handguns, French troops, which, in general feedback, as their officers, as well as enemies - dralis as lions - have yet kartechnitsy acting, in some cases with unusual power. Despite, however, all this, the last Prussian-French struggle is two, unparalleled in the annals of folk strife, the fact - capitulation and surrender Metz Sedan - far left for them all that we can recall in this regard military history. The famous capitulation Maka at Ulm is losing its importance in fact, where 80 000 and 170 of 000 army forced the winner to pass under yarmom.

What, finally, can be attributed to these remarkable successes of Prussia, especially in the apparent superiority of the enemy in handguns?

That's the case that war, according to Zhomini - great drama, in which, with greater or lesser force, there are thousands of moral and physical causes, and that can not be subordinate to any mathematical calculations 1


In view of the living interest in how our society monitors all phases of the bloody struggle of two peoples - the European civilization - we would like to explain even partially, some of those phenomena that particularly contributed to this incredible success Prussian arms in the first period of the campaign.

We say, in the first period of the campaign, as well as directly Sedanskoyu catastrophe people, seized power in their hands and, under the name of the Government of People's Defense managers now France - an extraordinary effort, no staff, almost without officers and generals, gathered the new army, who, at the imperfect weapons - guns of all kinds of systems, skuplennymi in the markets of Europe and America - still bravely standing firm against the enemy, defending the military glory of France, integrity and dignity of the motherland. Nevertheless, the capitulation of Sedan and Metz represent another phenomenon of such magnitude and such an amazing value, which military history has never had a case record on their pages.

Needless him saying that now that the war is not yet over, when not even confidently predict the result of arduous struggle of two nationalities - the question before us can not be completely exhausted, but we did, I think that the observation made by us at the theater, along with those details that have emerged in the press on this subject, so far, foreign countries, an opportunity to explain to a certain extent, some of the real reasons for this success. The reasons for these highly diverse, and we do not beremsya clarify all the circumstances that from the very beginning of the war really was forced to lean on the side of the victory of the German race, and we only ask for permission to present to the reader of some of those causes that produce to witness the greatest impression.







1) «….. un officier géneral, aprus avoir assisté а douze campagnes, doit savoir que la guerre est un grand drame, dans lequel mille causes morales ou physiques agissent plus ou moins fortement, et qu'on ne saurait réduire а des calculs mathématiques» (Рrécus de l'art de la guerre, page 1.1).



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