Chapter 75: The Töner Tribe Suppression (4)
The strategy known as “Scorched Earth” was a tactic that couldn’t be employed unless one was ready to completely abandon the occupied territory, either to repel the invasion of the enemy or to weaken the enemy’s forces when being pushed to extreme circumstances.
If you implement the Scorched Earth strategy, not only would the fields in the occupied territory become completely barren, but also the remaining food and livestock—even the houses—would be destroyed.
It would take several years to rebuild the area, which was quite literally a wasteland, into a livable village.
Moreover, the villagers who lose the fields they cultivated, the livestock they raised, and even the houses they lived in, would be left in a dire situation, worse than being penniless.
If not properly assisted afterward, the men might resort to crime, and the women might have to sell themselves, leading the local sentiment to hit rock bottom.
That’s why, when fighting in Bisochea, the Chekovia men, knowing that our imperial army would confiscate their food, didn’t use the Scorched Earth strategy.
“If we thoroughly destroy their villages, the northern barbarians will surely resent us. However, considering that they have kidnapped our empire’s people, sold them as sexual slaves, and enjoyed luxuries by enslaving them, there’s no need for us to feel guilty. Hence, I will only explain the strategic reasons and benefits.”
A commander, around the rank of a colonel, often had to see the lives of his troops as mere numbers on a ledger on the battlefield.
There was no need to consider the feelings or circumstances of those who killed and plundered our people. We should repay them in kind.
“Back in the day, when the Northern Army doctrine was established, we were dealing with a mere nomadic tribe. So if their numbers were unfavorable, they could flee with a minimum of livestock and their family and not starve. But now, they both herd and farm, so if they abandon their fields and flee, more than half of the tribe may starve.”
During the Chekovia war, the Reich Imperial Army could have plundered the enemy’s villages and killed the residents at any time.
However, that remained a possibility, and the Reich Imperial Army refrained from doing so.
After all, once occupied, the land and its inhabitants would belong to the Reich Empire.
But the operation our army will use now aims to scorch the base of survival for those barbarians—their villages.
Seeing their villages disappear one by one into the hands of the Reich Imperial Army, they’d become anxious and might agree to battle on grounds favorable to us.
“Of course, the Töner scoundrel leading about 20 large and small tribes under the self-proclaimed Khan Ludwig won’t come out to fight on unfavorable grounds just because one village is destroyed. We will gradually whittle them down until he can’t resist coming out to fight, even on unfavorable grounds.”
With the loss of one village, or, in other words, a small tribe, Töner might claim it’s a trap set by the Imperial Army and resist our provocation, refusing to fight.
Given the nature of these nomads, who were not even centralized and barely qualified as tribal states, if two or three tribes fell, doubts about his leadership might arise.
Otherwise, the subordinate tribe chiefs would draw their swords and threaten him, claiming that following this bastard would lead everyone to lose their families and starve to death.
So, rather than sitting back and dying, they have no choice but to seek a chance for a turnaround in an unfavorable battlefield.
“When we pin down the central army, we will adopt Lieutenant Laura’s proposed strategy. Moreover, unlike us, they don’t have the control to force sacrifice on a unit when necessary. To put it a bit exaggeratedly, they are just a gang of thugs under some local brat who has some power under the so-called Töner tribal chief.”
The officers looked at me oddly.
I mean, it wasn’t the time to be cursing the enemy leader during a strategy meeting.
While Ludwig unified everyone under his name, and they fought for him, receiving titles like ‘Captain’ and ‘Major’ based on their achievements, their structure was still very tribal.
If a tribe wins a war but loses many warriors, their food production decreases as there are fewer people to work.
Without central support to prevent starvation, the tribe couldn’t survive.
“Unlike trained cavalry, their infantry are honestly as bad as Reich Empire trainees. So, when they face our infantry trained in the North, they will be easily cut down. Then, their cavalry will charge to save their infantry.”
Their infantry were treated with a lower status compared to their mounted cavalry, a fact known to all.
But they were probably stronger than our new recruits, as they had to farm in harsh conditions, perform various tasks, and sometimes even fight wild beasts.
Still, it was better to say this for morale boosting.
“However, we’ll pretend not to notice until they fully commit to a direction. When they can’t change directions anymore, we’ll pivot our infantry to completely stop the cavalry’s charge with spears.”
Even if they were skilled cavalry, changing directions during a charge could cause chaos within their ranks.
Lightly armed cavalry carrying bows and short swords would be no match for our spear infantry.
An experienced cavalry, even more so, would collide and die if the direction suddenly changed while charging.
We spent hours in the meeting, filling in missing parts of the strategy, discussing repeatedly, and completing the division of labor.
Just then, meat and beer arrived, enough for all my troops, which I had bought with my own money.
Seeing this, the officers, including the disappointed deputy regiment commander who thought there was no feast, looked at me with grateful eyes.
“I’ve heard a lot at the Staff College about the hardships you all endure up here in the north. However, planning the operation was of utmost importance, and if your minds were elsewhere thinking of the dinner, it would’ve been problematic. That’s why I didn’t mention it. Now, call the soldiers and start preparing for dinner.”
Truthfully, I felt that we should immediately depart for the mission.
But at times like this, it was even more essential to show the officers and soldiers that I am principled yet generous and someone who knows how to give.
This way, the soldiers would trust me more and strive harder to achieve commendations and rewards.
