The war has expanded, and the Russians want to declare war on the entire island of Gotland alone.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Gotland is strategically isolated as never before. How long will it take for this to happen?
When the matter came to an end, there was no longer any right to hesitate. Rurik looked at everyone’s faces and said seriously: "For decades, our war with the Gotlanders has never been interrupted. They attacked Our fleet attacked fishing boats and killed our people. We even killed my uncle and my wife Carlotta’s people. In the past few years, our revenge on the Gotlanders has indeed become stronger every year. But!
This is the end of this intermittent revenge! I will use a full-scale war to defeat the Gotlanders and end everything with their surrender.”
< p>"Oh? You don't want to destroy them all?" Arik stretched his head and couldn't help but shook his head: "You are still too kind.""This has nothing to do with kindness." Liuli Ke rolled his eyes at his cousin: "The purpose of my war is not just to kill people. I want them to surrender, let them pay us tribute of wool, wheat, salt and dried fish every year, and give us a steady stream of their daughters. We. They must be tamed into a flock of sheep and can contribute wool to us forever."
"Oh, I understand, it probably means slaves?"
"No! Conquer them and put them under the control of our Principality of Ross. In the future, these Gotlanders must fight for me."
"But you must first defeat them, these guys who once rebelled against the Alliance. I treat them..." Arik couldn't help but shake his head.
Rurik had his own reasons: "In the war, our army will naturally kill the brave ones among the enemies, and the remaining guys are just sheep. You will never believe that the docile sheep will also Betrayal?"
"That's true."
Rurik cleared his throat hard and finally said the formal decision he had been thinking about for a long time:
No. First, summon all men from the entire Rus tribe between the ages of fifteen and forty to join the army, recruit a group of warriors from Kovin and Novgorod, and then recruit a group of people who are interested in participating in the war, so that the number of troops can reach 3,000. .
Second, order the blacksmiths to immediately build new weapons, especially a batch of iron armor to strengthen the protection of a small number of extremely elite warriors.
Third, the great businessman Gould was ordered to organize a troop transport fleet and grain transport ships.
Fourth, Tombstone Island and nearby islands will serve as a gathering place for the army. The day for the army's departure was fixed on the first day of August.
Rurik’s resolution only had four points, but everyone who listened was shocked and deafened.
"Three thousand people! Is this possible?" Otto couldn't help but feel guilty. He believed that this kid Rurik was just aiming at Olegin's army and wanted to organize an army of the same size. .
"How is this impossible?"
While speaking, Rurik saw even the arrogant Arik, and heard thatThe decision of "an army of three thousand people" made his face become embarrassed.
"Three thousand people are not what I said casually." Rurik pinched his fingers: "It is normal for us Russians to send out a thousand elite warriors. There are also 500 Slavic warriors on Tombstone Island. , they must join the battle. My first group of mercenaries, together with some Ross archery masters and all the Kovin archers, will have no problem organizing some young and old people from the tribe. We should fight on the front line and participate in the war as supplementary troops. I also have those children who have been training for two years. They should also participate in the war..."
Rurik said to himself, Austria. From what I hear, this does mean that the Russians have the ability to assemble three thousand warriors.
"We really... gathered an army of three thousand people?!" Otto didn't want to listen to Rurik's nonsense. He asked loudly and seriously: "You have to swear to the gods and tell me whether you Can you do it?”
Everyone’s eyes were staring at him. Rurik simply stood up. To show his determination, he suddenly drew his sword and pointed at the beam of the discussion cabin: “I Yes! This is my order, which is equivalent to the Duke's order! The Principality of Ross must gather three thousand troops, and then set off on August 1st. We will take the initiative to fight with the main force of the Gotlanders and defeat them forever. A war."
There is nothing more to say. The atmosphere of the decisive battle made the people present excited.
Can the Principality of Ross miraculously assemble an army of 3,000 men this year?
Over the years, Otto knew that the strength of his tribe was rapidly expanding, but he never imagined that it could expand to such strength. With such a military strength, do the Russians still need to fear the Melalen people? The situation has changed now. The five hundred capable warriors who maintained the strength of the Mellaren people were all seen dying on the battlefield in the south. Without this group of standing warriors, what is Olegin's trump card for becoming king?
What Rurik issued was the "Duke's Edict", and Otto expressed full support on the spot. Therefore, the terms of the edict were set by Rurik. From a legal perspective, this edict was issued by Duke Otto.
In the small meeting room on Tombstone Island, the people present were completely unified in their thoughts. Immediately afterwards, after resting for at most one day, the fleet will immediately set off back to Fort Ross to formally issue this order. Other ships were supposed to rush to Novorosberg and even Novgorod carrying wooden boards engraved with the terms of the order to recruit more soldiers and collect food and fodder.
The meeting in the council room ended quickly. Otto, who had been floating at sea for many days, could not wait to take a comfortable bath on the island and have a good sleep.
Everyone who got off the ship was forced to be vigilant before. Once they landed on the island, they lost their vigilance and their whole bodies became paralyzed. They lay down in the vacant wooden house one after another, lying down in any corner and fell asleep.
Although Rurik was sleepy, he was directly responsible for the order, the planner of the war, and the commander of the war.
The rise and fall of Ross once again battle, thisAfter all, it’s a gamble that puts everything on the line!
Rurik put in 120,000 energy and immediately supervised the carpenters on the island to carve the full text of the edict in rune letters on two pieces of old pine wood.
He wanted to use Roman letters to write Norse, but he had to consider the audience. Only those children in the tribe received preliminary education in Rurik's Roman letters. Children who really studied well actually Not much. On the other hand, many tribesmen are familiar with the rune alphabet. The order should be displayed publicly so that the tribesmen who are already living scattered can see and understand it. The rune alphabet will still need to be used for some time.
It wasn’t until almost evening that the two wooden boards, engraved with text and smeared with toner, were completed.
This is the original text of the order. The Russians only need to carry out the order in accordance with its terms.
Of course, Rurik also thought of a very simple reality. Promising favors is the most important thing for the people to do things seriously. Issuing "war bonds" on the duke's credit? This kind of operation is so advanced that it is inappropriate!
But the Duke must give a clear promise of material rewards and "swear to the gods" to ensure his credibility.
So in terms of terms, Rurik made such a vague promise that everyone who contributed to the decisive battle and directly participated in the combat would benefit greatly from him and his family. , even those who provide weapons and food will receive post-war rewards.
The terms are marked as follows: Victory in the war will be rewarded based on merit, and participation will be at least fifty pounds of wheat.
Everyone likes wheat, and indeed there is nothing more pragmatic than rewarding wheat. Rurik did not dare to really make a big promise. The so-called "fifty pounds of wheat" was a guarantee. Each Russian would be given so much wheat, and Rurik could afford it.
Rurik stayed on Tombstone Island until the morning of June 25th. The more than two days he spent here were not just for repairs.
He made a major decision!
Were the recruited Slavs really trained to fight as planned?
The refreshing south wind blows in the front sea, and the vegetation of the entire Åland Islands is growing wildly. The sea water has also become warm enough that many locals even go swimming in the sea, venturing to the rocks to crack some edible mussels with iron chisels.
On a piece of offshore grassland on the island, Rurik saw a group of Slavic warriors holding spears and even a military drill.
Most of them have unkempt hair, and often tie their foreheads with a piece of cloth to prevent their hair from getting messy.
They were still wearing ordinary gray and khaki linen gowns, with their lower legs exposed, and simple leather shoes.
At the moment, they don't have any defensive measures, not even a small shield, let alone leather armor or high-end chain mail.
Under Medvit's order, these people pointed their spearheads about three meters long forward, then shouted slogans, and the whole group moved forward relatively neatly.
On this day, Rurik was inspecting this "Slavic Spear Phalanx". According to Arik, those Novgorod guys always rushed up and killed indiscriminately in battles. It would be nice if they were real berserkers, but unfortunately they are terrible in every way.
Rurik’s eyes widened as he listened to the introduction from his cousin.
“Look, these people at least form a wall with their spearheads, and they must be able to prick the enemy with holes in them during a battle.”
“This is the infantry side. Formation?" Rurik said to himself.
"What did you say?"
"They...the formation is still very chaotic."
Arik shrugged: "I have tried my best. Rurik, you can't expect that a group of farmers from the east can become elite warriors in a month, even if you think they can be molded."
"That's true."
Any spear phalanx has obvious tactical advantages and equally obvious disadvantages. Rurik clearly saw that its disadvantage lay in its two wings. If it was outflanked by the enemy, the result would be a disaster.
Just when Rurik saw that he was fascinated, Arik patted his brother's little head: "We need to test their effectiveness next."
"Huh?"
p>Aric held his fingers in his mouth and whistled, and the idle Ross warriors gathered in one place.
Rurik originally thought that those people were tired from training and were taking a break. Unexpectedly, they actually rushed towards the Slavic spear array with roars. At first glance, they seemed to be fighting each other.
Seeing this scene, Rurik's scalp was numb with shock, but the spears held horizontally by the Slavs stood up one after another, and many even began to run away.
The charging Russians suddenly stopped, then pointed at some frightened guys who threw their spears and sat on the ground and laughed.
"You understand!" Arik shook his head helplessly, "It is really difficult for these people to attack the guys on Gotland."
The problem suddenly became Troublesome, the Russian warriors didn't even put up a shield wall, but used their momentum to scare the Slavic spear array to pieces.
Aric felt helpless. Otto, who was watching, lamented that his own people were brave, but he really couldn't have any confidence in this group of Slavs from Novgorod.
Rurik gently pinched his hairless chin and thought thoughtfully: "They are still weak. However, being weak also has its advantages."
"Weakness also has its advantages. ?"
"Yes! I have already thought of a tactic." Rurik looked up at his cousin, "I will go back and issue an order, and you will train them with the new rules. ”
“New rules? What do you think?”
Rurik did think of some methods to force people to be brave, although they seemed barbaric at first glance. I'm afraid it's also the fastest way to turn farmers into warriors.
Medevit, who felt he had made a fool of himself, stood in front of Rurik, but his brother-in-law was stillThe handsome young man said something embarrassing.
"Medvit, your people are on the battlefield now, and they will only end up being killed by the enemy and becoming slaves. Your people don't know how to fight at all, and they simply lack courage."
Medvit raised his head and remained unconvinced.
"There is only one way, punishment! For the cowardly guy, beat him on the back with a stick! For those who throw away the weapon and run away, just chop off his head! Now..."
When he said these words, Rurik also felt a little ashamed. He never thought that he could say such cruel words.
This is what you say, the key is how you do it.
Rurik straightened his back and approached the panting Slavic warriors under the escort of mercenaries. Although they had a good impression of Rurik himself, now seeing the boy's sullen face, they all felt a little bit ominous.
Rurik stood in front of them, holding his waist with his hands, raising his head and shouting in Old Slavic: "People of Novgorod, you all already know that I want to attack the Gotlanders. It doesn't matter if you don't know Gotland, you just need to know that they are also Varyags. I want to take you to conquer the mighty, but you are acting like dirt.
We will decide now! One rule! We have to continue the drill. Anyone who retreats will be beaten on his knees! Anyone who dares to throw away his weapon and run away will be beheaded on the spot! ”
Why don’t you continue the drill? Is the admonishment effective? Rurik didn't want to kill him, but unfortunately he had already lost all his illusions about war.
The Ross warriors continued to charge like berserkers. Of course, they only showed a monster-like momentum, and they would not actually hit the spearheads.
However, some Slavic warriors were still frightened by this momentum. The people at the back of the team threw their spearheads and ran away. More than a hundred people infected by fear also ran away. The entire formation quickly Collapse...
"What the hell! Are you forcing me to kill someone! Or are you provoking me? Yevro, take your people and arrest those who run the farthest." Rurik His head turned red with anger.
After speaking, Yevro led a group of mercenaries to take action decisively.
Soon, ten captured Slavic "warriors" were kneeling on the ground with frightened faces. Their arms had been tied, and behind them were a group of Russian warriors.
Duke Otto of Rus and General Arik never imagined that Rurik was not lying at all, but that he wanted to immediately implement the order he had just issued.
After all, he is a member of his own race! Medvit hurriedly knelt down on one knee in front of Rurik: "Rurik, do you really want to take action? They are all farmers of White Tree Manor, please forgive their cowardice!"
A moment Rurik did relent, and he did have the power of life and death now. However, the general's kindness to cowards was encouraging the entire army to become deserters.
Those kneeling people were wailing and begging for mercy, and Rurik's red head was glaring with anger. He stretched out his right arm and dropped it suddenly. The Ross warrior behind the kneeling man raised his ax and brought it down without hesitation, completing the kill with a clean stroke!
The grassland became silent, the Slavic warriors were completely stunned, and Medvit sat on the ground, really speechless.
Rurik, holding a shiny dagger in his hand, approached the frightened Slavs and pointed at the corpse on the ground: "You have all seen it! Fight for us Russians, cowards are like this Remember, if you run away, you will kill one by one, and if you run away, you will not deserve to live.
What if you are brave? Completely different. In future wars, you will be rewarded for killing enemies, such as not having to pay tribute, and you will even be able to share the spoils.
But cowards on the battlefield will be killed after the war. My wife and children will all be slaves."
Otto looked stunned. He regained some of his emotions and really admired this guy for being so ruthless and manly.
The killing of ten cowards immediately achieved astonishing results. When another drill took place, the Slavic spear array was as stable as a rock, but it was some Russian warriors who "couldn't let go" , they were forced to hold up their shields and really collided with the wall of spears, and the oak shields were poked with many deep marks by the spearheads.
So what kind of military training rules does Rurik have?
This move is not surprising. Since the military reform of Morris in the Netherlands, the Western military has attached great importance to military discipline. Since the end of the Rona era, it has once again risen to an extremely high level. Even in the Kingdom of Prussia, soldiers were trained so that they were not afraid of death in battle. What they feared most was punishment for making mistakes during training.
Didn’t Wu Qi also kill two of Helu’s concubines for disobeying military orders? He was so shocked that the remaining concubines and maids were quickly trained into a neat lineup.
Rurik knows this knowledge, and he himself has personal knowledge of it.
Fear and bravery seem to be contradictory. However, when attacking the Korvin mountain fortress, Rurik felt that the incident when he was almost killed by Korvin's arrow made him see clearly in an instant. Reality - this is not a game!
The Slavs did not want to be executed for cowardice. Instead, they gathered tightly together, roaring with their mouths open, while the spears pointed unswervingly in the direction of the Russians.
As they screamed, they unexpectedly managed to contain the Russians' collision.
At this point, Rurik proudly announced to his father and brother: "Some cowards died, and the remaining people were forced to become brave. Now they are qualified to land on Gotland and fight the enemy."< /p>
There are currently one thousand soldiers stationed on Tombstone Island. Soon, the island’s military strength is expected to expand sharply to 3,000!
To maintain such a large army in combat, Rurik knew that he had to consider many matters carefully. Even compared to weapons and equipment, food supply was the most critical.
For this battle,The entire Rus tribe must share the same hatred.
Rurik, who has boarded the Aurora again, can't wait to return to his hometown to announce his order for general mobilization of war.
The big ship left Tombstone Island in the early morning southwesterly wind, and there was another cargo ship carrying couriers, edicts, culture and sports, heading east to Fort New Rose.
In Rurik's plan, he kept sailing and would definitely return to Fort Ross around the evening of June 26th in the Julian calendar. In this way, he could give orders in front of everyone during the "nightless night" when the entire tribe gathered to worship the summer solstice.