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“Everyone, the Qing army is coming in force this time. They claim to have 300,000 troops surrounding us. This battle is about our foothold, but more importantly, it’s a fight for our survival.
Just like I said before, we must win this battle, we absolutely cannot lose.
Do you all have faith in this?”
Li Jingyuan looked at the generals.
“We will win! We will win!”
The generals of the Beiyang Army were also full of confidence.
Although the Beiyang Army had just been formed.
The troops from the reorganized Huai Army and the Beiyang faction had just completed their re-armament and training.
But even so, they had already discovered that the Beiyang Army's weapons and equipment were much more advanced than their previous ones.
The Beiyang Army's training was also more systematic and scientific, and even its strength was much greater.
After a month of training in this manner, they would be able to acquire basic combat effectiveness. Moreover, with their advanced weapons and equipment, they were stronger than the Qing army.
In three months, they would definitely reach the top level.
If they were tempered by the battlefield and saw blood, they would definitely become an elite force.
This made everyone even more confident in the Beiyang Army.
“The northern Zhili line of defense is the most important, and also the focus of the Qing army's attack. The 1st Infantry Division will be responsible for defense here, and the 7th Infantry Division will be responsible for reinforcements.
The western Henan line of defense will be defended by the 2nd Infantry Division, and the 8th Infantry Division will be responsible for reinforcements. The southern Jiangsu line of defense will be defended by the 3rd Infantry Division, and the 9th Infantry Division will be responsible for reinforcements.
All other divisions, speed up your training.
If there is any problem on the front line, all units must be ready to step up.
Furthermore, starting now, we need to recruit more soldiers to prepare for the formation of more units.
I have ordered more weapons and equipment from the German Empire, and they will arrive at Jiaozhou Bay next month.
At that time, we will further expand the army and intensify training.
At the latest, by next spring, we can launch a large-scale counterattack against the Qing Dynasty.
In this battle, we will definitely defeat the Qing Dynasty, annihilate them in one fell swoop, and restore our Han Chinese dynasty!”
Li Jingyuan was full of confidence.
“Yes, Commander!” The generals all answered.
Li Jingyuan had spent a lot of money to order a large number of weapons from the German Empire.
It can be said that the current Beiyang Army is absolutely world-class in terms of equipment.
Even in terms of infantry support firepower, it is the most advanced in the world.
However, having advanced weapons and equipment is only one aspect, the most crucial part is still the people.
The soldiers must be able to fully utilize the performance of these weapons and equipment.
Remember, both the Qing army during the Sino-Japanese War and the later Guangtou army are living examples.
During the Sino-Japanese War, many Qing troops had no less equipment than the Japanese, and even the weapons they purchased from the West were more advanced than those manufactured by the Japanese themselves.
But the result of the battle was a crushing defeat for the Qing army.
This undoubtedly illustrates everything.
Li Jingyuan didn't want his army to end up like that.
“In this battle, the northern front is the key point, and the Qing army's main attack direction. The 1st Infantry Division and the 7th Infantry Division will be under immense pressure. I hope you can hold on,” Li Jingyuan continued.
“Commander, please rest assured, we will surely withstand the Qing army's attack!” Wang Shizhen and Ma Yukun, both Major Generals, answered.
Li Jingyuan nodded. He recognized Wang Shizhen's abilities.
During Yuan Shikai's reign, Wang Shizhen had served as the Chief of the Army Staff for a long time.
Moreover, he was the first of the Beiyang Three Greats.
Li Jingyuan had decided that after overthrowing the Qing Dynasty and establishing a new empire in the future, Wang Shizhen would be the first Minister of War.
Furthermore, based on Wang Shizhen's age, he would likely hold the position of Minister of War for many years to come.
This upcoming battle will be Wang Shizhen's stage to shine.
Li Jingyuan also hoped that Wang Shizhen could fully demonstrate his talent in this battle.
This way, he would gain the trust of more people.
“Everyone, the Qing army is about to arrive, and the war is about to begin. Go back and prepare!” Li Jingyuan instructed.
“Yes, Commander!” The generals all answered.
The generals went to prepare their troops for battle, while Li Jingyuan still had a lot to do.
He needed to personally supervise the training of the newly formed units.
These units would be deployed in the upcoming counterattack.
Therefore, Li Jingyuan hoped that these units could acquire combat effectiveness as soon as possible.
This way, after the front-line troops relied on defensive warfare, resisted the Qing army's attack, and inflicted heavy losses on them, it would be time for the Beiyang Army's main force to launch a large-scale counterattack.
This battle not only needs to frustrate the Qing army's offensive but also needs to severely cripple them, paving the way for a complete defeat of the Qing army and the eventual demise of the Qing Dynasty!