Chapter 1454: The Days That Left the Crown Prince Most Dumbfounded
Joseph hurriedly opened the battle report sent by the General Staff Headquarters again, his heart tightening.
The main force of the Polish Army had all assembled near Smolensk. That meant Minsk, the nearest Polish city, was a full 330 kilometers away.
Once the Polish Army's offensive was stalled, if they tried to retreat back to their homeland, Kutuzov would pursue them desperately from several directions.
And the bitter cold would multiply the Poles' casualties.
Back then, when Napoleon retreated from Moscow to Vilnius, he lost more than 80 percent of his soldiers.
Joseph did not believe Kościuszko's ability to organize and provide cover could surpass Napoleon's.
If the Polish Army suffered excessive losses, the strategic situation in Eastern Europe would rapidly become impossible to contain.
As for Kościuszko truly exceeding expectations and crushing Kutuzov?
Joseph admitted that while the odds were extremely slim, it was still possible.
Yet even then, the Polish Army would encounter scorched earth defenses in Moscow and ultimately be worn to death by the Russians.
Russia could also use the Patriotic War to conceal its internal conflicts and strengthen the cohesion of every social class.
After repelling the "Polish invaders," Alexander I's prestige would blaze like the midday sun. He would most likely, as in history, begin expanding his military strength with all his might and set foot on the road to becoming the "Gendarmerie of Europe."
Joseph shook his head. Thus, for Poland, the best strategy at present was to retreat west of the Dnieper River-Western Dvina River as quickly as possible and form a standoff with the Russian Army.
He quickly wrote several lines, signed them, and handed the letter to the Major who had delivered the message. "Send this back to the