Whatever the Russians' true intentions were, the impact of the Battle of Andkhoy was terrifying.
A whole pack of experts and scholars, whose level did not even measure up to Franz's, leapt out one after another to lecture on the fate of the nation, as though the flames of war would reach India tomorrow.
The advent of the telegraph had shortened the distance between nations. Europe's pessimistic public opinion likewise affected British public opinion, and the pressure on the British Government surged for a time.
"What happened at the front? Why did Andkhoy fall? What the hell has Patrick been doing?"
Those three consecutive questions were enough to prove just how foul Prime Minister Gladstone's mood was.
Afghanistan was no small country, and Andkhoy was not some core strategic stronghold. Losing merely those tens of thousands of square kilometers around Andkhoy was not worth mentioning for the battlefield as a whole.
Both involved losing cities and territory, but losing vast swathes of land right after the war began was completely different from losing cities and territory after a long, bitter struggle.
Andkhoy had been lost right at the beginning of the war. Outside public opinion questioned the British Army's combat strength, while the opposition took the opportunity to stir up trouble, leaving Prime Minister Gladstone in a thoroughly miserable state.
Secretary of War Rosario answered with a face full of anger, "The Russians were simply too despicable. Before news of the declaration of war could reach the front, they launched a surprise attack.
"Our troops in Afghanistan were busy wiping out guerrillas. Since Andkhoy had little strategic value, only limited forces had been deployed there, giving the Russians an opening to exploit.
"But rest assured, Lieutenant General Patrick has already abandoned the previous plan to encircle and suppress the guerrillas