Vol 4 Chapter 50: , Reserve war

In any case, under the supervision of Ferdinand, the Military Commission and the General Staff, the Department of the Army, and the Department of the Navy jointly formulated a draft of the local defense!
That's right, this is a purely defensive plan, with the intention of creating a strong tortoise shell, which can be said to be extremely conservative.
Mainly relying on the favorable terrain of the Balkans to deploy defenses. From the front line to Sofia, there are six areas with the least lines of defense. Even in the face of attacks from tens of millions of troops, these lines of defense are enough to drag on for a year and a half.
Oh, this is not bragging about the staff. Limited by the terrain of the Balkan Mountains, there are too many troops to use. In a sense, there is not much difference between an offensive of 10 million troops and an offensive of two or three million troops. Anyway, the number of troops that can be directly invested in a war is very limited.
In history, the reason why Serbia and Montenegro dared to declare war on the Austro-Hungarian Empire was because they occupied favorable terrain and could slowly consume the Austro-Hungarian Empire. When the Allies won, they would win.
Of course, they overestimated the Allies and underestimated the Allies. They did not expect that this European War would be a protracted war! Although they successfully dragged the Austro-Hungarian Empire for one or two years, and finally became a victorious country, the price paid was very painful!
Naturally, Ferdinand would not make the same mistake. As long as Bulgaria was prepared in advance, according to the current situation, the whole country could mobilize three million troops after the war broke out. The offense was uncertain, but the defense was more than enough!
Well, the reason why Ferdinand deployed so many lines of defense was mainly due to this factor.
Restricted by the terrain, one line of defense had to deploy 800,000 troops, which couldn't be done. In addition, Ferdinand was affected by his previous life, and he was worried that the Allied Congress would give him a blitz.
Of course, it is impossible for Germany to attack France in the Balkans. There is still a mountain behind the mountain, and there is always time for reaction!
However, as long as the Allied forces kill in, Bulgaria will inevitably suffer heavy losses. The local area of ​​the war and the damage that occurred outside the country are completely different concepts!
Therefore, Bulgaria's first line of defense is the strongest, and the next few lines are equivalent to backup lines of defense. Only when the first line of defense is breached will it be activated.
Oh, this first line of defense does not mean just a trench or a line of defense for a row of fortresses! The narrowest part of this line of defense is also one or two kilometers wide, and many may have to pass several hills. It is impossible to break through the line of defense if you want a charge!
Of course, Ferdinand was not so crazy after learning from the French in World War II to build a "Machino Line". Except for the fortresses built in particularly important locations, most of the other areas were dominated by trenches.
Ferdinand also knew that after the war broke out, most of the plans were not available. According to the previous plan, the first step was to capture Belgrade at the beginning of the war.
As long as this step is completed, Bulgaria will have the upper hand strategically. It can look forward to the Hungarian plains while retreating and staying in place.
...
In addition to military deployment, Ferdinand did not forget to carry out strategic material reserves. After all, modern wars were fought with materials. Whoever is more fully prepared will be able to persist longer in this war.
"Prime Minister, how much food do we have in the country now?" Ferdinand asked at the cabinet meeting.
With grain in hand, don't panic in my heart! So Ferdinand first asked about food. As long as food can be guaranteed, Bulgaria will not collapse in the war!
Constantine thought for a while and said: "The country’s wheat reserves are now about 3 million tons; rye reserves are 4.8 million tons; soybeans are about 500,000 tons; corn reserves are about 800,000 tons; rice reserves are about 300,000 tons. Ton."
There is no doubt that Bulgaria is also a country dominated by interviews. The staple food is bread and scones. Naturally, rye and wheat are the main food reserves!
Ferdinand nodded with satisfaction. This grain reserve figure can basically guarantee the consumption of Bulgarian people for one year in normal years. (Remarks: In the 20th century, due to the standard of living, people had more appetites)
But for the upcoming world war, this food figure may not be enough. Once a war breaks out, there is no doubt that everyone's energy will be invested in the war, and food production will inevitably be affected.
If Bulgaria stays on the defense, as long as it is not attacked by the enemy, causing a devastating blow to the main grain producing areas, it will basically be self-sufficient even if its production capacity is reduced.
Obviously, Ferdinand’s goal is not just to defend all the time. Once he takes the initiative to attack, it will inevitably draw a lot of manpower and material resources, which will further increase the consumption of food and can only rely on the support of food reserves.
After thinking for a while, Ferdinand said: "Well, from now on, we will increase our food reserves by 3.5 million tons every year to prepare for war!"
It's not that Ferdinand doesn't want to add more, but the main reason is that the Bulgarian government's fiscal revenue can't support it. Otherwise, if unlimited reserves are available, the Germans would not surrender so quickly in World War I!
Even so, the Chancellor of the Exchequer Kennedy said with a wry smile: "Your Majesty, I am afraid that this cannot be done. The current grain reserves are already the limit of fiscal expenditure.
The current government debt has exceeded 40 Levs (approximately 160 million pounds). It is expected that when the Three Five-Year Plan is completed, the government's debt will reach 9 billion Levs (approximately 360 million pounds). It is really impossible to continue to increase. ! "
Ferdinand was also a little embarrassed, this increased expenditure was not even a little bit, and he didn't know whether to stick to his own opinions.
Food prices in the international market have now exceeded 400 lev per ton. Even if the domestic food sales price in Bulgaria is around 360 lev per ton, even if the government purchases directly from state-owned agricultural companies, the price cannot be lowered. 300 lev per ton.
Even on the basis of the lowest figure, 3.5 million tons of grain reserves each year would require 1.05 billion lev (about 42 million pounds), which is almost 40% of Bulgaria’s current fiscal revenue!
Moreover, once the government purchases heavily, it will inevitably raise domestic food prices and cause a series of troubles. If you want to survive smoothly, you can obviously only purchase on the international market.
You must know that Bulgaria's grain reserves are not all purchased by the government, and a large part of it is military spoils.
In the second Balkan War, Bulgaria could occupy the main grain producing areas of Romania and the Ottoman Empire successively, and only withdrew after the autumn harvest. Naturally, it was impossible to return empty-handed.
Otherwise, Bulgaria’s grain reserves are estimated to be half of what they are now.
No wonder that in this era, there are not a lot of grain reserves in various countries, it is all because of the expensive food!
Limited by the relationship of productivity, half of the people in the world can’t get enough to eat. It’s no wonder that food prices can come down!
When Ferdinand was having a headache, Chekov came up with an idea: "Your Majesty, Bulgaria now exports about 1.5 million tons of grain each year. Once the war breaks out, we can completely ban grain exports. This way Even if food production is reduced due to war, we can basically cope with it!
Moreover, we can call on the people to store food on the grounds of disaster prevention and famine, and we can also reduce the pressure on our food! "
Ferdinand nodded. This is also a reluctance. It is inevitable to prohibit food exports during the war!
Bulgaria did not implement it in the previous war, mainly because the duration of the war was too short, and it ended in just a few months, so there is naturally no need for implementation!
On the contrary, it called on the people to save food to prepare for the disaster year. Ferdinand thought it was a good deal. Now the Bulgarian people don’t have more money in their hands, but it is still possible to store food for a few months.
Normally, this doesn't really matter, it's very important during wartime. If it is not enough, Ferdinand can only buy it from the Russians!
Don’t look at the fact that Mao Xiong seemed to be in short supply during the First World War, just think they were really short of food! In fact, this is mainly caused by their poor transportation conditions and chaotic logistics system. As the largest food producer in Europe, their food was very rich at least before the war!
Oh, when the Czarist government collapsed, the workers in St. Petersburg could not even guarantee the basic food for their survival, but the irony is that the granaries of the capitalists are still full, otherwise the new Soviet Union might really be starved to death. Up!
The big deal is that when the time comes to trade with Russia, let the Russians pay with grain. Anyway, nobles and capitalists have a way. As long as they have enough benefits, a small amount of grain will not be difficult for them.
Well, as long as the problem can be solved, Ferdinand doesn't care if he does it according to his will. Since Chekov's method is useful, of course it will be adopted!
Ferdinand thought for a while and said, "Well, let's first increase the grain reserve by 500,000 tons per year, and call on the people to keep their grain storage secret for the time being, and implement it later!
At the same time, we must also expand military production capacity. In addition to meeting our own needs, we must also take into account the needs of the Russians in case of emergency!
In principle, we must at least guarantee our weapons and equipment in a state of extreme mobilization, and there must be a certain surplus on this basis! "
Regarding the issue of expanding military production capacity, everyone has no opinion. It may be affected by the Russo-Japanese War. As for the military production capacity of the Russians, everyone really did not see it!
Besides, now Bulgaria can produce these equipment in the arsenal itself, and the cost has dropped. If you want to expand the arsenal, you can do it at any time.
Oh, now Bulgaria’s arsenal is no longer just the original one. The number of military-industrial companies, large and small, has increased to more than a dozen. There are still competitions between them. The good days of drought and flood protection are long over.
However, the question of how much production capacity needs to be increased is not the same as increasing grain reserves. Ferdinand can estimate grains based on the population, and the expansion of military production capacity must be actually investigated before making the final decision.
After all, the weapons and equipment involved in the military industry are also diverse, and no one has a better say in this than the military.
This requires the government and the army, the two sides cooperate, Ferdinand will not command blindly!
Otherwise, if he knew that the Russians lacked rifles in World War I, according to the news on the Internet in the previous life, he would foolishly store millions of rifles and wait, but he found that the Russians were already prepared due to the butterfly effect. Without a rifle, isn't that a fool?
There is nothing impossible, even the historical Black Sea Fleet disappeared under the butterfly effect of Ferdinand?
Even the kingdoms of Romania and Montenegro that originally participated in the Allied Powers, UU Read www.uukānshu. Com is now also pitted by Ferdinand to the Allies?
You know, the tsarist government is busy carrying out reforms now? Who knows if it will succeed this time? Anyway, Ferdinand dare not draw conclusions easily!
Constantine suddenly said: "Your Majesty, the military already has its own plan for expanding military production capacity. It has been handed over to the cabinet before, but due to time constraints, it has not had time to report to you!"
Ferdinand was taken aback for a moment, and then reacted after a while. This was natural!
Not long ago, he asked the military to formulate a national defense plan. To complete this plan, weapons and equipment are naturally indispensable, and it is only natural for the military to submit a plan for arms expansion.
Although the Bulgarian army’s military production capacity was actually one of the best in the world before the powers broke out, as soon as Britain, France and Germany broke out, people could easily complete overtaking in a few months.
Oh, if it were not for the second Balkan War, Bulgaria would not have this wave of production capacity.
Since the strength is not as good as that of the first-class powers, you can only fly first, and make preparations in advance, so as not to suffer a loss at the beginning of the war!
Ferdinand smiled slightly and said calmly: "Well, you guys will study it. If there are no major problems, you can prepare in advance!
Once the war between the two major alliances breaks out, it must be protracted, and it is hard to tell the winner or loser without three to five years!
This may be the largest war in human history, but the war is full of opportunities, as long as you grasp this opportunity..."
Having said that, Ferdinand's words came to an abrupt end, leaving everyone behind to speculate.