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During the period of preparation for my coronation, I wasn’t just idly standing by.

During that time, I had secretly given the Imperator Institute a single mission.

Project Name: Tank.

A weapon developed to break through trench lines, and one that would put an end to the era of trenches being invincible. That was the development of the tank.

The development of tanks itself was happening sporadically within the empire.

The engineers of numerous imperialist powers took pride in the overwhelming technological prowess of their homelands, while also knowing that their rivals possessed equal, or even greater, power.

They felt fear.

Fear of the future where Field Guns arrayed beyond the horizon, machine guns mounted on tripods, the Tower of Babel built upon human reason and intellect, would easily crush the youth of their homelands.

To prepare for such a terrible future, they developed various forms of tanks, but the results… it would be an understatement to say they had achieved ‘great success.’

The most significant achievement was perhaps an armored car with iron plates attached to a tractor.

Most of them created results similar to carriages with giant wheels, ambiguous enough to not be called tanks, and were buried without achieving any proper success.

But I knew. In the near future, as they predicted, countless young men would die more easily than writing numbers on paper.

And as they claimed, only the new weapon called the tank could overcome this situation.

Therefore, I gathered various engineers and soldiers involved in tank development from all over the empire, along with the empire’s famous engineers, and established the Comprehensive Armament Design Bureau/Water Tank Division. Thus, I began tank development in earnest.

Of course, there was no fear of the enemies finding out what was happening here.

With restrictions on wireless communication, restrictions on going out, and inspections of all kinds of waste generated internally, we were conducting counterintelligence using all kinds of methods available in this era. And befitting the name of this institution, on paper, we had deployed famous technicians from various fields, from gun and machine gun designers to designers and chemists.

The enemy’s intelligence agency would have quite a hard time just trying to guess what they were developing.

Perhaps they were naively focusing on the name ‘Comprehensive Armament Design Bureau’ and digging into non-existent departments other than the ‘Water Tank Division,’ which was developing tanks.

Anyway, today, after a long time, a document sent from the ‘Comprehensive Armament Design Bureau/Water Tank Division’ arrived for me.

Of course, I didn’t visit the place directly. There was no need to attract the attention of the Allied intelligence agency.

Naturally, the person who established the Comprehensive Armament Design Bureau ‘on paper’ was Commander Konrad.

‘I should go there sometime when I inspect the factories across the country.’

That way, it would attract less attention from the intelligence agency.

I thought as I turned over the document. It contained a photo of the first prototype of the tank that had just been completed, along with its specifications.

“Hmm…”

It’s a satisfactory result for something made in this era. Only for something made in this era.

I quickly wrote down the points that needed improvement in the existing tank, the points that could be left as they were, and the points that needed to be added.

Still, problems were found in various places, but it was also clear that they were gradually fixing those problems.

“At this rate, it seems like it will be completed in about… one to two years.”

I put a seal on the letter with a satisfied expression.

The gap of about two years that would occur until the tank was completed and mass production began.

I had no intention of just defending quietly during that period, which could be said to be long.

Then how could we break through machine gun positions with just infantry made of weak flesh?

The answer to that was brilliantly demonstrated by the German army during World War I in the original history.

Gas, flamethrowers, and relentless offensives. Pierce a weak point in the long line of battle, and tear that hole wide open.

Don’t give the enemies time to stop the bleeding, and keep digging into their hearts. Don’t give the enemies a break. Become a sharp dagger and widen the wound.

Replace the exhausted and devastated heart with a healthy heart to maintain stamina and speed.

It’s a tactic that would be called the Hutier tactics in the original history.

Will it be called Yulia Tactics in this world?

Anyway, I presented the tactic to the General Staff of the empire.

Through a simple but sure method called wargaming.

People often think that wargames in this era are just board games that are a little more complex than chess. But the reality was quite different.

A collection of meticulous calculations based on records of actual battles, that was what wargaming was.

‘Since the accuracy rate of wargames actually exceeds 90%… the staff of the Imperial Army can’t dismiss the results of the wargame as mere coincidence and ignore them.’

I thought as I looked down at the game board.

“The artillery changes targets. Continue to bombard the enemy trench line, and deploy the infantry along the barrage.”

Swoosh,

The infantry were pushed forward by wooden sticks.

Rumble rumble. Two dice rolled.

The sum of the dice was 7.

“The front line has been breached.”

The infantry entered the trench line along the barrage.

But the infantry at the very front were already exhausted and on the verge of collapsing. Of course, I had no intention of slowing down at all.

“The vanguard rests. Deploy the reserves. Charge while maintaining the existing speed.”

Replace the exhausted heart with a fresh heart. This allowed our troops to continue advancing at their original speed.

The wound opens. Wider and wider, to the point where it is impossible to stop the bleeding.

And just like that, the defensive line that seemed impossible to break through collapsed in an instant.

The general standing opposite me, Ludendorff, looked down at the battlefield with a complicated expression.

“…We lost.”

I smirked. In contrast, the other generals had stunned expressions, as if they had been hit in the head with a hammer.

“Isn’t this… something wrong? The time it takes for the reserves to be deployed to stop the breakthrough…”

“It sweeps through the enemy lines like a storm. At this rate, it might be possible to make France surrender in six weeks!”

“Wargaming is just wargaming… but still. With this level of performance, it seems like it would be effective in actual combat.”

As expected of the Imperial Army, the parts of a Swiss Army knife-like, precise war machine, they immediately offered an analysis of the wargame.

Very correct. How great would it have been if they had done even half of this in my previous life?

“It’s the result of our own efforts to find a way to break through trench lines and fortresses. Fortunately, it turned out better than I imagined.”

I smiled and continued.

“Of course, this tactic is top secret. If the enemies find out about our tactics in advance,”

A future that could never be called good was painted. The staff gathered here also wore serious expressions.

“The use of this tactic will be after enduring several offensives by the French, Savoyard, and British forces.”

I hate the spirit-over-matter ideology that I can solve everything with willpower alone, but belief and will are still factors that greatly influence the war situation.

And I intend to instill belief in the French army. The belief that the defensive line consisting of long trenches, barbed wire, and machine gun positions is invincible.

And at the same time, I intend to personally shatter the belief that I instilled myself.

“Until then, we will focus all our efforts on maintaining the defensive line that stretches from the North Sea to the Alps.”

Today is August 1, 1915. The day of the outbreak of war in my first life was August 15, 1915. If it were about building a new defensive line, it would be a different story, but there is enough time to strengthen the existing defensive line.

Of course, there were dissatisfied voices with my claim.

“But… if we have such an innovative method, is it necessary to give up on a short-term battle with France?”

It’s the kind of argument that the Imperial Army, for whom gambling the entire country has become commonplace, would make. Of course, it’s not wrong. What gambler in this world would back down when they have a good hand?

But to do that, we would have to virtually give up things like the defense of East Prussia. If the short-term battle with France ends in failure… the Imperial Army has too much to lose.

Above all,

“Can we be sure of the cooperation of the Dutch?”

The empire is a multi-ethnic state. To a serious extent. Naturally, there is also public opinion within the empire that wants independence, and the Dutch are the representative ethnic group.

“Surely, Your Majesty, you don’t think the Dutch will revolt?”

I shook my head. Of course, I’m not saying that the Dutch will revolt.

“But if the gamble fails, they will doubt whether it is right to cooperate with the empire.”

They will doubt whether the empire, which sends its sons to the enemy’s machine guns, is just, and whether it is right to cooperate with them.

In fact, at the end of the last life, their doubts soon became certainties. And the result… was never pleasant.

“I want the right path, not a gamble.”

Slowly, but surely.