The Rise Of Australasia

Chapter 950: Chapter 709: Barton’s Choice

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November 9, 1928, two days after the artillery position was attacked.

Brigadier General Pan Xing sat gloomily in the headquarters, studying the situation map of the battlefield with a magnifying glass.

Standing next to him was Deputy Officer George Smith Barton, General Pan Xing’s deputy officer, and sitting at the table next to them were many upper echelons from the Western Front Army, including brigade generals and chiefs of staff.

Rubbing his brow, General Pan Xing then inquired, “What is the situation with each unit?”

“Your Excellency, Commander,” the brigade general responsible for defending the New Town to Williston line immediately reported, “We lack all kinds of supplies, and some of our wounded are also unable to receive proper aid.

There are at least two brigades of enemy forces stationed opposite in Waterford, I need at least a brigade of support to resist the enemy’s offense.”

“Where am I supposed to conjure up a brigade for you?” General Pan Xing couldn’t contain his emotions and said irritably, “I can only give you one regiment of troops, you need to hold the line for at least a month and a half.

After a month and a half, even if the line is broken through, you will have done great service. But if the line is breached within a month and a half, even if it’s just one day shy, you will become a criminal of this war, understand?”

“Yes, I guarantee to complete the mission, Your Excellency, Commander!” the brigade general of the seventh brigade replied very seriously.

As a duty-bound officer, General Pan Xing had very strict demands on his subordinates.

It was for this reason that the new recruits trained by General Pan Xing had a certain fighting capability and could exchange blows with the Russian army.

“Let me go, Your Excellency, Commander,” George Smith Barton suddenly spoke up, “Reserve forces should not be moved for the time being, my infantry regiment can carry out the combat mission perfectly.”

George Smith Barton’s sudden statement clearly took General Pan Xing by surprise. After staring at Barton carefully for a long time, General Pan Xing nodded his head, “Then you go, Barton. Remember not to forget your duties as a soldier, I hope to hear the news of victory from your telegrams, may God bless you.”

After achieving his goal, Barton did not neglect the importance of this military conference, carefully listening to the situation about the defense deployment.

After the meeting ended, Barton announced General Pan Xing’s order to his soldiers, and then, accompanied by the brigade general of the seventh brigade, set off for the Williston position in the northwest.

On the way, Barton learned some information from the brigade general of the seventh brigade and then volunteered to be stationed further west in Capalson.

Capalson was located to the west of the Williston and New Town defensive line and was one of the regions where the enemy was most likely to bypass and encircle.

Stationing in Capalson was a formidable task, as it entailed not only fending off the enemy head-on but also the responsibility of patrolling between Polant Wood and Capalson to prevent a potential stealth attack from enemy forces.

This was no joke. If the enemy were really allowed to penetrate the rear of the Western Front Army, the entire army could face the outcome of encirclement.

If such an outcome actually occurred, the forces stationed in Capalson would undoubtedly be blamed heavily, and Barton’s military career might also come to an end, possibly even resulting in facing a military court for his responsibilities.

However, this also represented a greater opportunity. Just as crossing the river from the Capalson area could hope to bypass behind Waterford.

According to the intelligence, two Russian brigades were stationed here. If they could encircle these two Russian brigades together with the seventh brigade, it would not only alleviate the defensive pressure on the Western Front Army but also create a huge contribution.

But comparatively, the difficulty of the American army manoeuvring around the rear was greater. Because Australasia occupied absolute air superiority, with a large number of reconnaissance aircraft patrolling around the battlefield every day, not only to observe the movements of the American army but also to prevent the American army from taking a risky move and quietly encircling.

Of course, all of this was actually irrelevant to Barton now. Long before he requested to lead troops in support of the seventh brigade, Barton had already made a decision about this war.

Although he respected General Pan Xing’s concept of military honor, that did not mean Barton was willing to give his all for the current American government.

It’s not that Barton was afraid to die, but fighting to the death for the current government was not a wise choice for Barton.

As he had said earlier to General Pan Xing, continuing the fight had no benefit for the American people, and Barton preferred to serve all Americans.

For the American people, being able to quickly resolve this war and return the United States to a state of peaceful development was the most important thing.

Who rules the United States is not important, as long as those who rule can bring peace and prosperity to the American people, then for Barton, that was something worth giving his all.

After leading the troops to Capalson, Barton convened a meeting and announced his decision, which was to personally station in Polant Wood.

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Other officers naturally had no objections to Barton’s decision, as it seemed like a commonplace one.

After having stationed a group of his trusted soldiers in Polant Wood, Barton did not immediately begin arranging patrols and defense but instead anxiously awaited something.

Fortunately, he didn’t have to wait too long. On November 12th, Barton welcomed a visitor to his temporary residence in Polant Wood.

“Mr. Barton, long time no see.” Once inside the warm house, the man finally took off his hat, breathed out a mist of cold air, and, smiling, said to the silent Barton.

“You, was everything you said before true?” Barton did not respond to the man’s pleasantries but instead asked what mattered to him most.

“Of course it’s true, Mr. Barton,” the visitor said with a smile: “You understand our management policy in California, we do not actively exploit or oppress any of the American people.

If you’re not reassured, you can temporarily manage the Central Region of the United States, provided that you make sufficient contributions to Australasia.”

“The entire Central Region?” Barton was stunned, not expecting the other side to be so generous as to offer the entire central United States for him to manage.

Although the population of each state in the Central Region wasn’t much, collectively, they made up a vast area of over ten states. To just hand it over to him?

“Of course.” The visitor nodded, smiling, observing the somewhat shocked Barton, and explained: “It seems you don’t yet appreciate His Majesty the King’s regard for talent. Someone with your abilities would have been a general in Australasia long ago.

Of course, it’s not too late now. If you are willing, you could very well become the new president of the Central Region or even a marshal.”

The United States is large, so extensive that Australasia simply cannot fully control it. Even if Australasia were to conquer the entire Central Region, it could not annex much land.

As for the Midwestern United States, wouldn’t it be wise to plan ahead and let Americans govern America? Britain and France would have no excuse to argue against this.

Of course, this might provoke a new round of competition within the United States, showing France and Britain an alternative way to rule the United States by supporting puppet governments.

But even if Australasia doesn’t act first, Britain and France are unlikely to let the defeated American Government off the hook.

Therefore, promising the presidency of a new state in the American Midwest poses no pressure on Australasia, which could establish this state whenever it chooses.

After hearing what the visitor had to say, Barton was relieved of his doubts and nodded: “As long as you keep your promise, I’m willing to make some sacrifices for all Americans.

I will be stationed in Polant Wood for the time being. From there, you can bypass and encircle the main force of the Western Front Army stationed in Bismarck. Some forces are also present in Carrington to the east and Kenmel to the north.”

Barton did not elaborate on the deployment of forces on the front defense line. After all, with Australasia’s comprehensive air superiority, the defense of the front line would undoubtedly be clear.

Bypassing Kenmel would allow for a vast encirclement of the American army and swiftly end the war, potentially even affecting the entire American and Allied Army’s war efforts.

After all, if the Western Front Army were to be defeated, it would mean a complete loss of control over the Midwestern United States. This would enable the Australasia Army not only to threaten the Great Lakes Industrial Area but also to pose a tremendous threat to the Washington region.

If one were to think further, the massive deployment of troops would put a significant strain on the American Eastern Army.

This would be a crushing blow to the American Government and could likely force an end to the entire war.

The visitor nodded, seemingly noticing Barton’s grave expression, and said reassuringly with a smile: “To be frank with you, Mr. Barton, part of our forces has already advanced from Canada towards Minnesota.

Even if you don’t cooperate with us, the encirclement of the Western Front Army is just a matter of time. Of course, we are pleased to see astute men like yourself recognize the situation.

For us, the enemy is only the American Government, not all the American people. Our goal is to end this war and bring peace to the world, and in this respect, our interests align.”

While General Panxing’s defensive lineup was deemed comprehensive, the defense of the Canadian region could only be described as rudimentary.

This was unavoidable since the border between the United States and Canada was too extensive to be held just by the hundred thousand men under General Panxing’s command.

Previously, General Panxing had hoped that the main Allied forces would be tied up on the Eastern battlefield, leaving only the Australasia Army on the Western battlefield.

But the development of events had clearly exceeded General Panxing’s expectations. The primary combatants on the Western battlefield had become the Russian army, with the Australasia Army turning into an unstable element, which was why the encirclement was achievable.