Chapter 254: Maximilian’s Redemption Arc Begins
While Bruno advanced into Albania, Russia was fighting its own campaign in Anatolia. Sure, they had given an Army Group or two to help in the Balkans. But considering that they were the ones who actually bordered the Ottomans, whereas nobody else did.
The war with the Turks fell primarily to them. With only an equal or less amount of support that Russia gave to the Balkans coming their way from their allies. Even so, Russian gains were by no means minimal despite the war still being in its early stages.
Armenia had fallen in its totality to the Russian Empire, and was currently being "occupied" by Russian forces, with a potential annexation being discussed among the Russian higher ups. Of course, there was also the discussion for recreating the Kingdom of Armenia, and using it as both a puppet and buffer state to potential adversaries in the middle east.
When it came to Anatolia, that was where the lines had more or less stagnated. Britain, hindered by German naval supremacy in the North Sea, was easily able to send troops and supplies across the Atlantic and Mediterranean to its colonies in North Africa, where it could then send troops straight into eastern Anatolia via the Ottoman railway system.
Because of this, Russia, and its limited support from its allies more or less, had been forced to dig in and wait for further reinforcements while defending the gains they had made. Artillery fire thundered in the air across the borders between Russian occupied Armenia and Ottoman Anatolia.
While at the same time the chugging of the machine guns could be heard in the distance, no doubt from some counter to a charge. Who was advancing, and who was defending? Nobody really knew outside of those participating in the battle.
But the echoes of war were ever present in the current stalemate that was within the Anatolian borders. In Bruno's past life, the Ottoman Empire had to fight the combined might of the Allied Powers with very limited support from their allies.
In this life, however, they were now fully supported by their allies, albeit fighting against a Russian Empire that was more or less on steroids when compared to its previous incarnation. Hence, even with the increase in military capability from the Ottomans, the Russian Army was still holding its ground.
Bruno was a man who tried to keep himself away from all major activities on all fronts at any given time. And because of this, he more or less understood what was happening in Anatolia. The Ottomans, despite being poorly trained, poorly equipped, and having not received the crash course reforms the German had taught them at the outbreak of war in the previous timeline. Still had one thing that other major players in the war did not.
Bodies, lots of bodies to throw at the problem. This was more or less what Bruno expected the ottomans to do, especially as they were not currently suffering from the internal revolts that Lawrence of Arabia had inspired in his previous life.