For Victory (Please Continue Reading!)

Joseph knew very well that Russia's strategic objective this time was not to swallow Poland whole in one bite, but to occupy several eastern provinces with Eastern Orthodox populations.

Therefore, the Defense of Warsaw would not happen—once Poland retreated westward, the Russian Army would halt its advance and begin digesting the occupied lands. And the army's collapse would make it difficult for the Polish Government not to accept a Ceasefire Agreement.

Furthermore, once the Russian Army gained the upper hand, Prussia would immediately stab Poland in the back.

So Poland had to hold its eastern territory, or history's Second Partition of Poland would repeat itself.

But how were they supposed to stop the Russian Army? It seemed like an unsolvable problem...

As Berthier continuously laid out the full battle plan, the eyes of the Polish officers grew wider and wider.

"...This way, we can reach a standoff with Russia. As Russian losses mount day by day, they will have no choice but to seek a ceasefire..."

Rzewuski swallowed and said instinctively, "Th-this is far too aggressive, isn't it?"

Joseph immediately said, "No. Please believe me, this is the only way to save Poland."

Yes, this was the tactic he had ultimately settled on—he had selected the most aggressive plan from the General Staff's many operational proposals, then drawn on classic battles from later generations to make it even more aggressive. Finally, he had handed it to Berthier and the staff officers to complete the specific tactical design.

As the weaker side, Poland had to be willing to stake its life if it wanted even a sliver of hope.

And he knew that even if this plan ultimately failed, the result would not be worse than passive defense. Besides, neither Russia, Prussia, Austria, nor even the other Western European countries wanted