novelSusiti Chapter 112 If they don't change their mindset, they'll be replaced!
Chapter 112 If they don't change their mindset, they'll be replaced!
General Kolokotronis leaned against the cold door of the General Staff Headquarters, his chest heaving violently like a broken bellows. The angry shouts of the students outside sounded like red-hot iron spikes piercing his ears.
Fire poker!
This word is more hurtful than any sword.
He leaned against the wall, walking step by step back to his empty office. Sunlight streamed in through the tall windows, dividing the floor into light and shadow. He instinctively avoided the light, hiding himself in the shadows.
He spent his life on the battlefield, and his family's glory stemmed from the blood shed in the War of Independence. He never imagined that one day he would be scrutinized by a group of young boys with the eyes of a "traitor."
He grabbed the water glass on the table and took a big gulp, but the cold water couldn't extinguish the fire in his heart.
"Ridiculous! Ignorant!" he growled at the empty room. "The complexities of war cannot be explained by a few slogans in the newspapers!"
He resented not only the students, but also the young man who hid behind the scenes and used public opinion as a weapon.
Constantine.
That crown prince didn't play by the rules of the nobility at all. He didn't participate in parliamentary debates or argue at military conferences. Instead, he stirred up a flood of public opinion, aiming to completely overwhelm himself and the entire old-school officer corps.
Just as Kolokotronis was in a state of turmoil, the office door was suddenly flung open. A young adjutant rushed in, his face filled with shock, forgetting even to knock.
"General!"
"What's all this panic!" Kolokotronis shouted angrily.
The adjutant, panting heavily, handed over a proclamation that had just been issued from the palace; the paper trembled in his hand. "General...look! His Highness the Crown Prince has issued a new Crown Prince Decree!"
Kolo Cortronis snatched the notice.
That was not an internal document, but a public royal decree posted directly beneath the Acropolis in Athens, proclaiming it to the entire city.
At the top of the paper is the royal crest in gold foil.
The title is simple and direct:
[Royal Decree Concerning the Establishment of the Royal Military Academy of Greece]
Kolokotronis's heart sank.
He quickly scanned the contents. The Crown Prince's words were grand and dignified, declaring that in order to cope with the increasingly severe national defense situation and to forge every patriotic young person in Greece into a strong shield for the country, the Crown Prince had decided to establish a brand-new military academy in the name of the royal family on the outskirts of Athens.
The academy will recruit students directly from all Greek citizens, selecting the best candidates, with the aim of cultivating a new generation of junior officers who possess modern military thinking and skills.
Then, his gaze froze on the second half of the notice.
"...Hereinafter appointed Army Captain Ioannis Metaxas as the first Chief Tactical Instructor of the Royal Military Academy of Greece, with full authority over the design of the academy's tactical curriculum and daily training..."
Captain!
Metaxus!
That young man, whom he had just reprimanded at the meeting, was now promoted by the Crown Prince to a position that could influence the future of the entire army!
Chief Tactical Instructor! This position is more crucial than that of a division commander! It determines what will be on the minds of Greek officers for the next decade!
Kolokotronis's breathing became heavy.
This is not all.
Wang Ling's last item was a list.
[List of the First Batch of Instructors Appointed]
— Lieutenant, Dmitrius Georgius, graduated from the German Imperial War Academy with honors in artillery.
— Lieutenant Andreas Papadopoulos, graduated from the Prussian General Staff Academy with an excellent staff work record.
— Lieutenant Constantinos Spirizonz, a graduate of the Bavarian Military Academy, with an outstanding rank in infantry coordination tactics.
……
A list of names, thirty people in total.
Kolokotronis felt a chill run down his spine as he looked at the names.
He recognized several of them. These were all young junior officers who had returned from studying at major military academies in Germany in recent years. They were talented, but because they lacked connections and didn't know how to curry favor, they were suppressed by the old-fashioned officers. Some were even assigned to guard warehouses, with no hope of advancement.
Now, Constantine has used a crown prince decree to pull them all out of the mire and elevate them to the top, making them instructors at the Royal Military Academy!
The Crown Prince's decree bypassed the General Staff, the Army Ministry, and all personnel appointment and dismissal procedures!
This is a blatant power grab!
"Bang!"
Kolo Cotronis slammed his fist on the table, making the water glass jump.
He got it.
He fully understood Constantine's entire scheme.
Divide and pressure—those are just appetizers. This is Constantine's real killing move! This is the most lethal blow!
You old fogies refuse to reform?
it is good.
I will not argue with you, nor will I dismiss you.
I'll bypass you and strike at your root!
I directly train new recruits who listen to me, use the tactics I teach, and are grateful to me!
Five or ten years later, when these new officers graduate from the academy and fill every company and battalion in the army, and when all the mid-level officers are replaced by the Crown Prince's men, what will be left of these old generals who occupy high positions?
All that's left is the fate of being swept into the dustbin of history by the tide of time!
This Crown Prince decree is not reform, it's grave-digging! It's digging the graves of all their old-school officers!
Kolokotronis slumped into his chair, feeling as if all the strength had been drained from his body. He looked out the window at the young soldiers on the training field, and for the first time, they seemed so unfamiliar.
He knew that the reins of time were no longer in his hands.
That afternoon, in a simple barracks of the Athens Army garrison.
Lieutenant Andreas Papadopoulos was wiping his copy of "On War," which he had brought back from Prussia. He had been sidelined for six months for contradicting his superior, who advocated cavalry charges, and his daily work consisted of sorting through moldy files.
A messenger rushed in and placed a copy of the Crown Prince's decree in front of him.
"Lieutenant Papadopoulos! By Royal Decree! You have been appointed as an instructor at the Royal Military Academy!"
Andreas was stunned. He picked up the document, and when he saw his name listed, the tough man, who had suffered discrimination in Germany and was oppressed upon returning home, had tears well up in his eyes in an instant.
He stood up, straightened his back sharply, and gave a perfectly standard Prussian military salute, facing the direction of the palace.
The same scene was playing out in every corner of Athens.
Those thirty forgotten officers received this appointment from the Crown Prince on the same day. Their suppressed talents and ambitions were ignited by this royal decree.
From this moment on, they had a common object of loyalty.
Night falls.
The entire Athenian military officer circle was abuzz with discussion, and the atmosphere in the old-school officers' residences was incredibly tense. They had finally come to terms with reality: they could stop one reform plan, but they couldn't stop the crown prince from grooming an entire new generation.
They were powerless to reverse the situation.
At the side gate of the palace, a carriage without any insignia came to a silent stop under the cover of night.
The car door opened, and General Panagiotis stepped out. He straightened his uniform collar, glanced up at the brightly lit palace, and his expression was extremely complex.
He knew that the ship, Kolocotronis, was finished.
He must seize the last piece of driftwood to save himself and his family before being completely abandoned by the times.