TS Eiseihei-san no Senjou Nikki - Ch. 17.2

[ShaiHH]

Wasn't that because everyone knew the war was lost by the time the US joined the war?

Years of blockade took its toll, and there were seemingly endless numbers of fresh American troops arriving in France to complete their training. Germany did make one final push on the Western Front that almost succeeded, if it weren't for under-trained American being rushed to the front line to stop the advance.

Wasn't Germany also contemplating taking over Austria-Hungary because of how incompetent their military had been throughout the war?

What was worse was because everyone in the Austro-Hungarian Empire had different cultures and spoke different languages, the same orders had to be translated into several different languages before things could get done. It was a nightmare coordinating every unit in the same army to be on the same page for any campaign.

On the first part, not really. Yes the Americans helped, but during the german spring offensive it was more in bolstering Morale in France and Britain and with equipment and supplies. They then proceded to make the same mistakes everyone else had learned not to do in the previous three years of slaughter, when they arrived. The german Spring offensive didn't encounter all that many American troops, it was explicitly started before those could arrive, it mainly failed because it had no real plan and strategy behind it. They just rushed everyone forward through terrain the germans themselves had destroyed when retreating to the Hindenburg line a year earlier.
Instead of aiming for strategic targets, like splitting the British from the French and threatening their supply life-line in Amiens, they just took as much land as they could. Pointless waste of men.
It also destroyed morale, because the german troops found out how well supplied with food their allied opponents still were.
Once the Entente started the big Offensives that ended the war, german troops would just surrender in droves.

Austria-Hungary's military had been a german puppet in all but name for years at this point, completely unable to survive on its own, after the Russians crushed them. Not sure if it was during the Brusilov-offensive or even earlier. That's not to say their soldiers couldn't fight well, but as you said too many languages, bad infrastructure, even worse leadership (looking at you Conrad Hotzendorff) and of course many of the soldiers from minorities (aka neither Austro-german, nor Hungarian) had no real incentive at keeping this state alive. (again that is not to say that none of them did, one of the best Austrian generals was actually a Serbo-Croat)

 

[DeadToReal]

On the first part, not really. Yes the Americans helped, but during the german spring offensive it was more in bolstering Morale in France and Britain and with equipment and supplies. They then proceded to make the same mistakes everyone else had learned not to do in the previous three years of slaughter, when they arrived. The german Spring offensive didn't encounter all that many American troops, it was explicitly started before those could arrive, it mainly failed because it had no real plan and strategy behind it. They just rushed everyone forward through terrain the germans themselves had destroyed when retreating to the Hindenburg line a year earlier.
Instead of aiming for strategic targets, like splitting the British from the French and threatening their supply life-line in Amiens, they just took as much land as they could. Pointless waste of men.
It also destroyed morale, because the german troops found out how well supplied with food their allied opponents still were.
Once the Entente started the big Offensives that ended the war, german troops would just surrender in droves.

Austria-Hungary's military had been a german puppet in all but name for years at this point, completely unable to survive on its own, after the Russians crushed them. Not sure if it was during the Brusilov-offensive or even earlier. That's not to say their soldiers couldn't fight well, but as you said too many languages, bad infrastructure, even worse leadership (looking at you Conrad Hotzendorff) and of course many of the soldiers from minorities (aka neither Austro-german, nor Hungarian) had no real incentive at keeping this state alive. (again that is not to say that none of them did, one of the best Austrian generals was actually a Serbo-Croat)

I see. You seem more knowledgeable about WW1 than me, so I'll take your word for it.

I also heard that the Germans had problems with lop-sided morale between different units. Troops from the east were used to winning huge victories against the Russians, while those on the western front suffered with low morale from pointless battles that achieved little or constantly being on the defensive.

 

[SardonicJester]

History has shown us that there are two sure-fire ways to achieve this end: The first option is to dehumanize the enemy, exaggerate your own power relative to theirs so that your victory is seen as inevitable, and then frame the "war" as "pest control". Ordinary people will feel that assured victory will come quickly and there will be no losses. The second option, and by far the most famous, is to tell the people that they are under attack by some insidious foreign foe and then denounce those who do not support your "defensive" war as traitors in league with the enemy. Those ordinary people who do not fall in line will be "just and rightly dealt with" by your more patriotic ordinary people.

This is a long war, and people will inevitably get tired. The fact that they are protesting is complete nonsense. At times like these, the regime always has the police and censorship on its side (who, on the contrary, will advocate for the continuation of the war).

 

[eremited]

Thank you for the spoilers.

Final question: Who started the war in the first place?

It seems that Austin officially start the war first. Someone from Sabbath has a discussion with Touri mentioned that and Touri didn't refute.
However, there are conflict before that. Both country send soldier as "bandits"in into each other territory. Touri becoming an orphan is also because of Sabbath bandits raiding her hometown.
So in this area, every country hate each other. Austin just ran out of patience first.

 

[T10_]

i salute you, glasses guy with a chapter life expectancy of 4!!
Thanks for the meal!

Depending on the pacing, it could be even next chapter

It seems that Austin officially start the war first. Someone from Sabbath has a discussion with Touri mentioned that and Touri didn't refute.
However, there are conflict before that. Both country send soldier as "bandits"in into each other territory. Touri becoming an orphan is also because of Sabbath bandits raiding her hometown.
So in this area, every country hate each other. Austin just ran out of patience first.

Are you talking about arc 5 or 6? I only remember that in the era of knights, there were frequent mutual skirmishes started by both sides that usually ended by taking 1-2 villages, and that this escalated with the introduction of guns.
This then escalated into trench warfare, especially after the Sabbath's offensive that got them over the tar river.

 

[Baddtraxx]

Now where did I hear that before?

 

[eremited]

Depending on the pacing, it could be even next chapter

Are you talking about arc 5 or 6? I only remember that in the era of knights, there were frequent mutual skirmishes started by both sides that usually ended by taking 1-2 villages, and that this escalated with the introduction of guns.
This then escalated into trench warfare, especially after the Sabbath's offensive that got them over the tar river.

Bandits part is mentioned in Arc 9 during a certain onii-chan try to confirm something in the past which mentioned sending soldier as bandit on both side.

 

[DeadToReal]

You mean the Austin–Sabbath war?

Spoiler: spoiler

The reason for it and who started it were never mentioned, I believe. At least not that I remember. All we know is that this war had been going on for 10 years at the start of the story.

Btw it seems eremited cut out a lot in his spoiler, so I’m going to give some more details.

Spoiler: spoiler

At the last battle that ended the war, Touri and her platoon launched a suicide mission during which Rodri died and she was heavily wounded. Afraid of Rodri's body being desecrated by the enemy, she carried him and jumped into the river that separated the two countries territories, hoping they would be together in death. They were washed up on the Sabbath side, and Touri was saved when she was barely alive. She then lived in a small village near the Sabbath border before joining the Sabbath army and fighting under Sylph Nova when a revolution broke out there. This is the next arc of the story.

There’s another big arc: the war between Austin and the Flamer–Aerys Alliance, where Touri came back and fought for Austin while Sylph joined forces with the other side. Touri only became a diplomat after this war ended.

Wait?! What?!

Spoiler

Why would Touri join the enemy side? Does this mean the last battle was Touri and her platoon fighting Against Austin? And how could she come back to Austin when she became a traitor?

I had a feeling that Austin would be fighting enemies on all sides. Austin is the equivalent of Germany, so of course they would be surrounded. So why did the other countries decide to gang up on Austin?

And thanks for the extra details. 🍺

 

[eremited]

Wait?! What?!

Spoiler

Why would Touri join the enemy side? Does this mean the last battle was Touri and her platoon fighting Against Austin? And how could she come back to Austin when she became a traitor?

I had a feeling that Austin would be fighting enemies on all sides. Austin is the equivalent of Germany, so of course they would be surrounded. So why did the other countries decide to gang up on Austin?

And thanks for the extra details. 🍺

It seems that the story leave impression for you. I suggest you might want to check out the novel. The writting and translation are way better than what I've described.
Here are the spoiler.
She didn't fight any Austin. In the fight where she lost her lover,it was agsint the Sabbath.
She is later rescued by a former Austin who are going to take a refugee in Sabbath. When she's awake,she was already in Sabbath.

The reason she joined Sylph is bacause during the last fight, the genius Austin general, who knew that Austin is at disadvantage, introduce communist ideology to Sabbath revolutionary. Communist taken over Sabbath, stopping the war between Austin effectively.
Sylph is running a resistance group againt the communist. Touri joined her because some bandit claiming communist ideology(not actually a communist army) has raided a village where she's recovering.
Oh the new Communist Sabbath is an ally for Austin, techically she was fighting against Austin ally at the time.

As for why many countries want to attack Austin, because Austin is weakened. That's it. They want to take Austin territory and resources.

 

[DeadToReal]

It seems that the story leave impression for you. I suggest you might want to check out the novel. The writting and translation are way better than what I've described.
Here are the spoiler.
She didn't fight any Austin. In the fight where she lost her lover,it was agsint the Sabbath.
She is later rescued by a former Austin who are going to take a refugee in Sabbath. When she's awake,she was already in Sabbath.

The reason she joined Sylph is bacause during the last fight, the genius Austin general, who knew that Austin is at disadvantage, introduce communist ideology to Sabbath revolutionary. Communist taken over Sabbath, stopping the war between Austin effectively.
Sylph is running a resistance group againt the communist. Touri joined her because some bandit claiming communist ideology(not actually a communist army) has raided a village where she's recovering.
Oh the new Communist Sabbath is an ally for Austin, techically she was fighting against Austin ally at the time.

As for why many countries want to attack Austin, because Austin is weakened. That's it. They want to take Austin territory and resources.

I'm sure the novel will have more details that are usually left out of the manga. Unfortunately, I simply have too many manga that I have to catch up on.

As for the revolution: That was really smart of that general to start a revolution in Sabbath. I know the Germans did the same thing to the Russians in WW1, but I have never seen something like this happening in any manga I've read. I would've expected something like the French Revolution, but communism does fit the WW1 theme this story is going for.

 

[T10_]

Bandits part is mentioned in Arc 9 during a certain onii-chan try to confirm something in the past which mentioned sending soldier as bandit on both side.

That doesn't really prove that Austin started the war. Touri not refuting the claim could also simply mean that, as with her quiet character like with the maids (lmao), she simply didn't reply as hearsay about a war that started when she was ~5 won't add anything to the conversation.

I'm sure the novel will have more details that are usually left out of the manga. Unfortunately, I simply have too many manga that I have to catch up on.

As for the revolution: That was really smart of that general to start a revolution in Sabbath. I know the Germans did the same thing to the Russians in WW1, but I have never seen something like this happening in any manga I've read. I would've expected something like the French Revolution, but communism does fit the WW1 theme this story is going for.

Excuses. The webnovel is finished and can be read in a week or two at most.
Otherwise go wait a decade until the manga has adapted the remaining 9(-ish) arcs
I can guarantee you that, while the story isn't something on the level of the anti-war greats like the reviews on MU want you to believe, I have genuine praise for especially arc. 2-4 as a character drama masterpiece.

 

[IdkRN00]

The most foolish commander finally gor introduced!!!

 

[IdkRN00]

30 days special military operation. Surely nothing will go wrong

You don't know how right you are, we haven't seen the most messed up tragic parts yet...

 

[Carn109]

1 month.
Surely the war will be over by  this christmas

 

[Thechargedgolem]

ok guys now we start getting to the GOOD part of the manga

Warning:We need more people to die for the plot so it will happen

 

[DeadToReal]

Excuses. The webnovel is finished and can be read in a week or two at most.
Otherwise go wait a decade until the manga has adapted the remaining 9(-ish) arcs
I can guarantee you that, while the story isn't something on the level of the anti-war greats like the reviews on MU want you to believe, I have genuine praise for especially arc. 2-4 as a character drama masterpiece.

I realize how it sounds like I'm making a bunch of excuses, but it's also pointless to deny how I am.

I tend to get easily bored with what I'm reading, so I tend to get bored and drop novels before the entire story is over. I dropped the last three novels I read before the story was completed. And as someone that really wants to finish things to completion, this was extremely disappointing to me. I try to be a completionist as much as I can, but I simply couldn't read any more of those novels. At least manga has lots of action-y pictures that makes things more entertaining and easy to follow.

 

[Shirobane]

Obligatory