Hi Thanotos,
Desnar's army and industry are so incompetent, I suspect it will largely be ignored for the rest of this war, since it will take too much time to assemble another army as big, NTM equipping it with modern weapons, though the logistical morass that has apparently doomed the IDA in all its invasions of the SR for the past two centuries is the most critically needed fix of the IDA.
That this seemingly immortal systemic weakness has persisted in the IDA for so long speaks volumes about the refusal of the Desnairi nobility to face facts.
Indeed one wonders if the RSA pike square reputation wasn't fostered by the Desnari for all those decades in order for them to ignore their own glaring weaknesses.
It might even be true that the then rulers knew it, but the even more incompetent current set didn't know; though perhaps that might change as they search the old records hoping for clues to explain this disaster (possibly aided by OWL, Nahrmahn and Merlin, etc).
But will they then admit it?
Though OWL's broadsides might have a thing or two to say about it.
The fact that the Go4 let this disaster happen despite Duchairn's reservations about the IDA's logistics, as an indication that God isn't helping the Go4, will be very effective in Desnar.
The fact the IDA made no attempt to reequip the cavalry with any kind of firearms, despite all the evidence of the power of the new weapons, as evidenced by the new TO&E's of the other Go4 armies, is rather damning to any pretense the IDA had learned what it should have, and no one can be blamed for that but the empire's own aristocracy.
Besides all the suffering by the middle and lower classes who made up the bulk of the army the aristocracy lost over 90% of the army's 5-6000 noble officers (plus the aristocrat only royal guard regiments).
I've previously suggested that such losses would have earthquake like repercussions among the families that rule Desnar, as fathers, sons, grandfathers, brothers and uncles have all been swept away from their positions and powers, lands and inheritances,
I look forward to Hennet's end or survival; if Clyntahn finds him guilty of wasting the AoS's limited supplies on his worthless cavalry, his head might roll before Symkyn obliterates Kaitswyrth rather quickly.
Of course that might really tick off Desnar, seeing him as a scapegoat regardless of the accuracy of the charge (like admiral Byng); so he might survive the inquisition for purely political reasons.
Aside: Kaitswyrth had less than 39% of his original rifles (>12,000) remaining since the August debacle (assuming he had 40 infantry divisions, and no textev indicates he received any replacements for 5 month's, or through to early March, so it's not too surprising he didn't want to tackle or even tempt such a powerful force.
One wonders how long it took before he found out DE wasn't there anymore.
Symkyn has some 75,000 men now (it may have taken until February until all arrived) including 2 mounted brigades, and he might actually outnumber K's AoG (but not including the TL's) while having 4-5 times as many rifles, 80+% being Mahndrayns, before figuring in the mortars and artillery superiority.
As Sgt Snorkel said "Gee, where do I begin?"
So it won't just be BGV eliminating Wyrshym rather soon, but Symkyns doing the same to Kaitswyrth this spring as well.
Dohlar has a border over 1100 miles with the republic, and perhaps 55-60,000 men to defend that frontier against some 125,000 men under DE and EHM, who are far better armed, trained and equipped; what do you think is going to happen?
Sooner or later, enough of the aristocracy will realize King Rahnyld's head isn't too steep a price for keeping themselves still with some power and wealth.
Whether Rahnyld is smart enough (if he isn't too drunk) to realize that soon enough to survive, who knows?
But Dohlar will definitely be living in some 'very interesting times' very soon.
L
Can HFQ come out in time for Christmas?
thanatos wrote:Has there been any discussion about what's likely to happen politically in Desnair and Dohlar, after both militaries suffered such a massive defeat? Dohlar committed around 100,000 troops and Desnair more than 230,000 troops after all and at the end of LAMA barely 10% of Desnair's army and 40% of Dohlar's have managed to escape. Coupled with the expected pay back Sharpfield is going to exact upon Thirsk, King Rahnyld and Gorath one has to expect the hapless serfs and slaves in both polities to suddenly realize their legitimate lords and masters are not as powerful as they seem. And if the church tries to keep a lid on things and punish anyone who tries to demand a change in their living conditions, it will be tainted by association. The church doesn't have the guts to try and demand such reform within itself, much less in other and less so in time of Jihad. Little if any encouragement would be required by the Inner Circle to make this happen - Indeed, I think Merlin would have to intervene in some subtle way to at least guide any peasant or slave rebellion in a way that doesn't lead to massive bloodshed. Finally, looking at the map, I couldn't help but notice the narrow hips of the mainland. If Desnair is destabilized in the East and Dohlar is destabilized in the West, the allies could effectively cut the mainland in half.
Thoughts?
