Bruno remained silent for some time. He was asked about the primary enemy of the Reich. It was no secret that bad blood existed between the French and the Germans. It was a rivalry that was as old as time itself.
But Bruno was silently debating with himself whether he should answer his honest opinion, or blow smoke up the instructor’s ass. No doubt by the look of his cavalry uniform, and the fancy medals pinned to his chest the old timer was a war hero. But Cavalrymen utterly refused to admit that their style of warfare had long since been obsolete.
Cavalry regiments still existed even now among all major European Powers, and that was despite them having been proved utterly ineffective in the Crimean War nearly fifty years prior. With the prominence of machine guns that would occur in the coming days, at best cavalry could be used as scouts, that is until mechanization entirely replaced them.
Ultimately, Bruno decided to voice his honest opinions. He wasn’t going to get anywhere by being a brown nose. And because of this, he was quick to speak his mind.
“With all due respect, the French have an antiquated idea of warfare. They have two machine guns per every infantry battalion. This is woefully inadequate for the wars that are to come. But if we’re being fair, then the Reich suffers from a similar deficiency.
The technology of arms is rapidly advancing beyond our means of transportation. And it is because of that we will soon find ourselves engaging in warfare, not via the means of encirclement tactics or mass maneuverability.
But rather static warfare based in trenches, fought in overwhelming waves of men to overcome the rate of fire which entrenched machine gun positions possess. The best solution to this problem would be to focus on a war of defense against France.
Preparing stout fortifications on the Franco-German border in the years leading up to the conflict. Where we can bleed the enemy dry while sustaining minimal casualties of our own, as we will not need to waste valuable lives in pursuit of ineffective counter charges.
We are not looking at a rapid conquest as was obtained in 1871. Rather, a long and brutal war of attrition, where every life sustained, is a victory in and of itself. Let the enemy come to us, and bleed against our defenses while we bombard their futile charges with artillery and machine gun fire alike.
Cavalry will fall by the wayside, as it is the stubborn refusal of the old guard to let it die that has maintained its position in warfare, albeit on life support. At most, they will fulfil the role of scouts on the edge of the battlefield.
But the era of mass cavalry charges died with the Light Brigade, and to continue believing such things will win battles is nothing more than the folly ideals of a bygone generation. While the French and their generals cling to such lofty notions, those in charge of the Reich’s Army do so as well.
And unless we come to understand the true nature of how battles will be fought in this century, we will inevitably and needlessly be sending men to their deaths when the war finally arrives not in some distant colonial battlefield, but here in the heart of mother Europe…”
Many of the students stared at Bruno for a long time in utter silence. His opinions were not exactly the norm in the military outside those who fought in colonial battlefields where machine guns were more commonly employed as human wave reducers.
And having the gall to tell the instructor, a veteran officer of the Cavalry, that his way of warfare was outdated and foolish. Many of the men in Bruno’s class were waiting for him to be chastised by the instructor, whether it was a matter of pride on the man’s part, or simply a strong belief in the old ways. It was almost universally believed that the old colonel would call Bruno out for his outlandish remarks.
However, the old instructor gazed at Bruno quietly for some time. His thoughts were only known to himself. He did not make a condemnation of Bruno’s perspective, but neither did he praise the young captain. Instead, he simply stated for the man to be seated.
“An interesting perspective. You may be seated young man. We will now conduct our first lecture.”
The lecture was long and drawn out. It contained information that Bruno already knew. And had long since memorized during his past life. Nevertheless, it was clear that many of the other students were struggling to keep up with the instructor’s pace, who was unusually energetic for a man of his age.
In the end, the class was dismissed, but before Bruno was able to escape, the Instructor called out to him.
“Captain von Zehntner, I would like a moment of your time…”
Fearing that he had provoked the old man, and his pride as a Cavalry Officer, Bruno sighed heavily as he stood at attention in front of the man’s desk. Waiting for his scolding to take place.
The old officer surprised Bruno however when he broke out a pot of tea and began preparing it for the both of him. There was a curious look on his face as he spoke to Bruno in a way that the young man had not anticipated.
“Relax, Captain. I’m not going to chew you out for your answer. In fact, I am rather curious about how you came to this conclusion. As far as I’m aware, you have only been deployed to China, and machine guns were not commonly utilized by the East Asia Expeditionary Corps. So I must ask where this insight of yours comes from….”
It is not like Bruno could just say; I have memories from the 21st century, and history will prove that I am right. Because of this, he quickly came up with a convenient explanation as to why he thought this way.
“My family runs an arms corporation. We produce weapons for the Reich and its army. I have witnessed firsthand the capabilities of machine guns and modern artillery alike. I am also aware of current developments towards these weapons and how advanced they will become in the coming decade.
Among designs which are currently employed, a single machine gun team has the firepower of half a battalion. If deployed on the battlefield in sufficient numbers, it won’t matter how many men you send to encircle the enemy they will simply be eliminated by such overwhelming fire.
And if they are not, then the artillery will do the rest. If you were to personally operate a machine gun, and had the slightest degree of foresight, you would easily be able to see that our current understanding of warfare is rapidly coming to an end.
But if you want a real life example of this, just simply observe what is happening in South Africa right now with the Boers. The widespread implementation of Machine guns in this war has proven my thesis to be correct.
Trenches are being used in increasingly commonality within the region, and it would be a mistake to overlook this, and instead assume that the next war fought between the Great Powers would rather be like that of the Franco Prussian War which by now thirty years has passed since its end.”
The colonel remained silent for some time. The tea was ready by the end of Bruno’s statement, and he quickly prepared a cup for himself and his newest student. After the two had sipped in silence for several minutes, the old instructor finally gave voice to his opinions on Bruno’s inference, with an approving nod of his head.
“I completely agree with everything you have said. Unfortunately, the majority of High Command feels differently, and you are bound to come across many young officers in this very college who will not recognize the legitimacy of your arguments.
I look forward to watching your progress over these next three years and sincerely hope that someone as forward thinking as yourself manages to be among the five graduates. After all, if war is to really break out between the Reich and France, then we will need men like you in positions of power. Now go, I have held you up long enough, and your next instructor will not be as patient as I am.”
Bruno was surprised that an aged, and veteran cavalry officer would agree with him, but when he considered that the man was an instructor at the Prussian War College, it was not impossible that he would have a better understanding of warfare, and its future developments than others with his background.
Because of this, Bruno saluted the man before walking off. Where he would undergo a series
of classes on a variety of subjects before finally retiring back to his manor for the night. Where his pregnant wife would greet him with a liter of beer in one hand and a plate of food in the other. Hoping to help the man rest and recover so he could begin anew the following day.
As for Bruno’s words, they would stick with the old instructor, as he wrote a letter to a friend of his. Discussing the need for observers to be sent to South Africa to properly watch the developments on the modern battlefield that were taking place in the region.
Bruno would not immediately realize it, but his statements made during his first day
attending the Prussian War College would have another subtle effect on the timeline. And how
Germany would make its preparations for the upcoming conflict, which it believed it would
one day soon have with France.
A war that was closer than anyone currently realized. And would be far more devastating than anyone could have ever predicted.
