On June 1st, Army Department received the emperor's edict and was ordered to form two new Cavalry Brigade.
Civil servants retrieved a large amount of information about cavalry officers from the archives, and selected suitable personnel based on personal resumes, military exploits and other factors.
Brigade Headquarters's command level has five positions: brigade commander, deputy brigade commander, Brigade Headquarters Tribune, chief centurion, and financial officer.
Army Minister Check these selected profiles. The requirements for candidates vary depending on the position.
The brigade commander is responsible for decision-making and combat command. If he is unable to perform his duties, the deputy brigade commander will replace the brigade commander as the top commander. These two positions have high requirements for command capabilities.
As time went by, Military Tribune's positioning became more staff-oriented.
The chief centurion is responsible for recruit training and military discipline. Candidates must have served for more than fifteen years, have outstanding military skills, abide by rules, and be able to serve as an example for grassroots soldiers.
Financial officers are responsible for logistics, which is essentially a civilian system, but requires them to master a certain amount of military knowledge. The personnel arrangements for this position are the most troublesome.
Some of Central Administration's senior civilian officials have experience as military financial officers, such as Agricultural Minister Ilya and Army Minister.
Finance Minister Carlo has never held this position, but as Attendant Officer has been the emperor for a long time and has the richest military experience, he is actually the most suitable civil servant to take charge of the Army Department.
After thinking for a moment, Army Minister continued to process the files on the desktop.
"Zarantsai, Sakarya Legion light cavalry battalion commander, lieutenant colonel, Steppe from the north of the Don River, the time of enlistment is..."
"Boranov, Dragon Cavalry Brigade Third Battalion commander, lieutenant colonel, from Ryazan Principality, the time of enlistment is..."
"This Boranov is not bad and has accumulated many military exploits. Although he is a Rus, his cultural level exceeds that of most Greece officer of the same level. The most valuable thing is that his combat report is well written, well-founded and organized, and the accompanying combat map is also well drawn."
Army Minister sighed and placed his personal information in the second pile on the right.
If nothing else, this guy will most likely be promoted.
After several days of busy work, Army Minister came to Cabinet with a box of documents in his arms.
"This is the candidate list for mid- to high-level officers. The carton contains their information. All the candidates who meet the criteria are in it."
Prime Minister looked at the list. The middle and high-level positions include the Brigade Headquarters command level and the five battalion commanders under their jurisdiction. The two brigades together have a total of twenty places. The number of candidates is fifty-one, which is equivalent to choosing two out of five.
Chancellor After reading the candidate list, they occasionally took out a certain document from the carton, looked at it carefully, and attached their own opinions to the list.
In the afternoon, Eunuch came to the emperor's study with this box of documents.
Vitus glanced at the scale of the clock and said, "There are still three hours until dinner, so there is plenty of time."
He gathered his energy and concentrated on reviewing the information. In fact, Vitus had impressions of many people, knew their fighting styles and flaws, and even remembered a certain scene on the battlefield.
Thanks to this, he processed the documents very quickly, drawing up a list before 6 p. m. and signing and sealing it at the end.
"Call it off, let's eat!"
Vitus handed the list to Pelato, yawned and walked out of the study.
June 7, Thessaloniki military camp in the suburbs.
Boranov was ordered to arrive at the Brigade Headquarters command post and found that his colleagues looked uneasy, as if they were expecting something.
As the personnel arrived, the brigade commander looked at the civil servant sent by Central Administration. The latter immediately opened the seal of the official briefcase and read the emperor's edict aloud.
"The original Dragon Cavalry Brigade Third Battalion commander Boranov was transferred to Second Dragon Cavalry Brigade as deputy brigade commander. He rushed to the Army Department to report within twenty days..."
Everyone's reactions were different. The brigade commander gave him a friendly smile, some colleagues clamored for him to treat him, while others were in low spirits, complaining in their hearts that Army Department's civil servants didn't understand military matters.
Boranov The moment he received the transfer order, his head suddenly became dizzy, as if he had drunk too much strong wine. He wholeheartedly agreed to the treat requests of his colleagues, and then walked out of the command post with the transfer order.
Suddenly, a gust of hot wind came towards him, messing up his short light red hair. Boranov took out the order and read it repeatedly in the sun, worried that it was some kind of hallucination of his.
"I thought I would have to wait a few more years for qualifications, but I didn't expect to be promoted so quickly. If this continues, maybe I can really enter the general officer class..."
In the following time, Boranov processed documents at the battalion headquarters during the day, was busy entertaining guests at night, and successfully completed the handover procedures.
On June 13, he bid farewell to No. Third Battalion, whom he had been with for many years, and left the camp with his few luggage and two horses.
In Dragon Cavalry Brigade, the number of personnel who received the transfer order was over a hundred. They walked together and headed east along the straight and wide Via Egnatia.
This road was built in the second century BC and spans the Balkans peninsula from west to east. The west end is Durrës (Dyrrachium) from Albania, and the end point is Constantinople.
As the main road of Highest-Level, it is about six meters wide and can accommodate two heavy-duty carriages traveling towards each other.
Every one mile (thousand steps), there will be a milestone on the right side of the road. Every twenty miles, there will be an official inn to provide accommodation or food for traveling merchants.
Leaving Thessaloniki and traveling east for eighty miles, a Trace Italienne stands on the hillside on the left side of the road, overlooking the main road and large wheat fields.
During the classical period, Rome built the ancient city of Philippi here as a military fortress. Today, Vitus ordered prisoners of war to build a bastion nearby as a peripheral barrier to the Thracian region.
A few days later, the team crossed Maritsa River, where a Trace Italienne was also built to protect the core east Thracian Plain.
Further east, the terrain is flat and open, and there are acres of wheat fields and orchards on both sides of the road. As long as the enemy crosses Maritsa River, they can rush to the outside of Constantinople city within three days, and there is almost no danger to defend in the middle.
Boranov wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve and looked at the sloppy defenders above Trace Italienne.
"In the last century, Bombard appeared in Europe. As the artillery casting level improved, the siege speed became faster and faster. Now His Majesty built Trace Italienne in the territory, and surrounding forces followed suit, which in turn extended the siege time."
On the morning of June 25, Boranov and a group of brigade-level officers entered Blachernae Palace and accepted the emperor's personal appointment at the Alexius Hall.
Suppressing his inner excitement, Boranov took a wooden tray from Eunuch, on which was placed a brand new set of dark gray uniforms, waist badges, and a cavalry saber with brass decorations.
Until this moment, his hanging heart finally let go.
After the ceremony, the officers of Dragon Cavalry Brigade and Light Cavalry Brigade each held a tray and followed Eunuch away from the Blachernae Palace South Gate.
Outside the palace is the office area of Central Administration. From time to time, civilian officials shuttle between the various courtyards. They pass by this group of newly promoted officers without any expression on their faces.
Under the scorching sun, Eunuch led everyone to the main entrance of the courtyard where Army Department was, and motioned for these people to go in and complete the procedures.
Army Department's work process was similar to the last time he was promoted to battalion commander. After completing the process, Boranov and others received a new task: recruiting soldiers.
The recruitment time for the two Cavalry Brigade is the same, both are three months.
Dragoons's recruitment target is farmers who use horses to plow.
Agriculture in the Greece area is still dominated by cattle farming. Under the initiative of the Agricultural Department, the proportion of horse farming has increased slightly, accounting for about 20%.
The situation is similar to Anatolia. In rural areas, there is a unit for measuring land based on cattle farming: "One cow land", which usually refers to the farming area that a pair of cattle can afford.
After Vitus recovered Northern Black Sea Coast, a large number of horses were seized from the nomadic tribes, some of which were used as war horses, and some were sold to civilians at low prices as Harness Horse, which successfully promoted horse farming.
In the current province of Tauris, more than 80% of the farmers use draft horses. Only some Greek villages on the southern side of the peninsula still continue the ancient tradition of ox farming.
Taking this factor into consideration, civilian officials decided to recruit three Dragoons battalions in Tauris and two battalions and the remaining personnel locally.
Light cavalry has higher riding skills requirements, and the recruitment targets are Steppe nomads, Greece Ranch masters, and Ranch workers.
Army Department's original idea was to recruit all five light cavalry battalions in Northern Black Sea Coast.
Over-reliance on soldiers from a certain area is not a long-term solution. After discussion, the civilian officials decided to recruit a light cavalry battalion locally.
Suddenly, a civil official made a suggestion: recruit some converted Ottoman herdsmen to join the army to weaken the influence of Tatars in the light cavalry.
Army Minister: "No, the risk of rebellion for this group is too high! Battle of Ankara and Ottoman failed because they recruited cavalry to rebel in battle.
Sultan is of the same culture and religion as them, so there is no guarantee of their loyalty. The loyalty of these Ottoman herdsmen to Rome will only be even lower. Don't talk about this topic anymore!"
In the afternoon of that day, the brigade commander led Boranov and others to the temporary station in the suburbs. More than 200 officers or non-commissioned officers gathered here, all of whom were transferred from various units.
Many personnel have just been promoted and must study at the Military Academy for several months. Therefore, only one-third of the personnel can participate in the recruitment work.
The brigade commander needs to stay at the temporary station on the outskirts of Constantinople, so Boranov can only lead the team to Northern Black Sea Coast to recruit three Ranger battalions.
In early July, Northern Black Sea Coast, Chersonesus.
Over the years, the city has not developed as rapidly as expected, and the number of residents has stabilized at 80,000.
According to the analysis of "Golden Horn News", Chersonesus is mainly engaged in the textile industry, and its products are supplied to Rus countries and Steppe tribes. Now the Eastern Europe market is close to saturation, and the city's period of rapid development is over.
Boranov stayed in the city for a few days and discovered a phenomenon:
Chersonesus There is no large shipyard, and the port can only undertake the maintenance of warships. In addition, the city also lacks cannon foundries and firearms workshops.
"This should be Central Administration's deliberate plan. If Northern Black Sea Coast rebels, or Steppe forces capture Tauris, the enemy lacks shipbuilding capabilities and cannot threaten Constantinople on the south bank of the Black Sea.
Developing a navy from scratch is not an easy task, and it may take twenty or thirty years. Even if the enemy builds a fleet, how can he defeat the local fleet with deep foundations?"
Suddenly, a figure stopped in front of him, interrupting Boranov's thoughts.
"Company Commander!"
Boranov raised his head and saw a middle-aged man with a somewhat stout figure. His face was red and his words smelled of alcohol, which reminded him of the fat squire from Ryazan's hometown.
The next second, his eyes focused on the medal worn by the other party: made of brass, with a silver kite-shaped shield in the middle, and "1440.6, Battle of Sakarya, Fourth Auxiliary Brigade" engraved below.
Boranov finally remembered the identity of the other party: Ratmir, who was a conscript of Dragon Cavalry Company at the time. He was promoted to sergeant during the war and chose to retire after the war.
Observing the clothing and complexion of his old subordinate, Boranov concluded that he had lived a good life these years, "Have you made money doing business in the city?"
"No, I have been staying in the countryside to run Ranch. This time I came to Chersonesus to attend Dragon Cavalry Company's party. Every year after the summer harvest, we will come here to get together."
Ratmir looked at the three silver laurel leaves embroidered on the boss's shoulder and knew that the other person's title was colonel. If he made some more military exploits, he would be promoted and become a real big shot.
Although Ratmir was extremely shocked, he did not regret his decision to retire.
Ratmir is satisfied with his current life. He has six children at home and a medium-sized Ranch with 200 Merino sheep, which has successfully fulfilled his childhood expectations.
If he had to choose between family harmony and the rank of colonel, he would rather choose the former.
At the invitation of Ratmir, Boranov walked into the pub across the street. There were more than thirty figures sitting inside, all of whom were retired soldiers from the original Dragon Cavalry Company.
Seeing the arrival of their old boss, everyone hurriedly gathered around to greet him. "Company commander? No, deputy brigade commander."
After a short conversation, Boranov learned about the experiences of these people.
Most people work in farming and herding in the countryside. The luckiest person is Ratmir, who saved a medium-sized Ranch through frugality.
Some people squandered their salary, did not use the money to buy land or livestock, and are still ordinary homesteaders today.
"Oh, I reminded you at that time not to squander this hard-earned salary. Forget it, I will pay for today's consumption. Let's all have a good drink."
Boranov picked a seat and asked the waiter to serve some barbecue and beer.
During this period, someone mentioned the recruitment of Dragoons in the past two days. Boranov burped and warned these old subordinates:
"The emperor formed two Cavalry Brigade, and the combat target is White Sheep or Mamluk. It will take several months to travel on land, plus field battles and sieges, it will take at least two or three years. You are no longer young, and I guess you can't bear this long journey."
Faced with the dissuasion of their superiors, some people returned to their seats to drink and chat. Two people felt that the life of farming was really boring and wanted to return to the battlefield.
"The registration office is located next to the City Hall. Since you insist, there is nothing I can do."
The next morning, Boranov came to the east side of Municipal Square to observe the recruitment situation at the registration office.
There are 80,000 residents in the city, but the riding skills of the citizens are generally not as good as those in the countryside. The sun is hot and the square is crowded with people, but there are only a few people who sign up to participate in Dragoons.
With the hot wind blowing on their faces, the clerk and two non-commissioned officers sat behind a long table, holding a pamphlet in their right hands and fanning themselves back and forth.
After a long time, a construction worker came over and inquired about Dragoons's treatment, "Can you allocate land?"
The sergeant replied, "If there is no war, Dragoons can only receive military pay. Assuming that we regain a large area of territory, the emperor will reward the soldiers with real estate."
"How long will it take?"
The construction workers complained softly, thinking only about a piece of land with enough area for farming.
Boranov sat next to him and said nothing. According to his understanding, Tauris's population is now increasing, and there are less and less vacant land. The previous low-price land purchase law has been cancelled.
Currently, only Cappadocia Province has a low-price land purchase law.
The goal of this move is to absorb as many immigrants as possible and let them enrich the deserted river valleys. If immigrants really have no money, they can also sign up to become military households.
However, the border Garrison District was too dangerous and few people signed up voluntarily. In the past six months, Army Department persuaded Cabinet to pardon a group of prisoners of war, split them up and add them to different Garrison District, so as to alleviate the dilemma of manpower shortage.