幼女戦記Ⅱ

Man... this episode really had my suspense meter all the way up from the beginning of the episode. She is going to get the last taste of peacetime civilization that the continent has left. I did not expect her to so directly give her mind on the matter at hand, even preferring to go into politics than let this madness continue. She's committed to being that cog in the machine and, unless she were to try and decapitate her own government, that is her only real choice. Tanya's reaction to the stresses of war are finally beginning to take a lot more center stage and, for how big things are going to blow up, we haven't seen anything. It is the mother of all slow motion train accidents.

For... who exactly? For the world and overall reducing the devastation of the world war? Absolutely. Is it good for The Empire? Definitely not, only hindsight could make them choose the "right" answer. Tanya would need to be part of a Coup, not act as a rouge terrorist, just to meet the bare minimum standards of a competent Coup, but the questions you start asking once you decide this reveal how staggering of a problem this really is. The war is not, and will not, be over even if the High Command were to have all been killed unless the Coup leaders willingly chose to sacrifice EVERYTHING the Empire has gained from their victories, the Rusky Federation will continue to reclaim territory and the Western continent will face a liberation campaign at a bare minimum. The Empire is already weak and this is the death nail. Tanya would have to be insane and truly think it is a do or die moment if she were to ever seriously prepare this kind of blow. Tanya has enough friends in HQ that this may end up being able to play out but the war remains quite young.

I think I’ll disagree there. As you said, the empire is weak. It’s at its limit. It can’t keep this war going any longer and every day high command refuses peace, they’re just digging a deeper hole for themselves So I don’t think this is a question of being a “ do or die moment”, it’s a question of how much worse off the Empire will be once she does take that step. Overall, it would be much better for the empire if she did it today rather than in a year or two (assuming there will even be an empire in a year or two)

It is already past its limit. What the military generals are not understanding is that the financial and political situation, if they suddenly went for an end to the war, would result in an economic implosion and political collapse after public confidence in the political establishment dropped to the negatives, similarly to how the Germans (who thought they were doing well right up until they 'suddenly lost') in the aftermath of WW1. A collapse in economic conditions and some kind of civil war or secessions, to be picked off or invaded by other powers, would be effectively guaranteed. They need at least either a massive victory to assuage public sentiment, a massive influx of money or assets, or possibly both, to stave off an otherwise already certain doom. And that would not bring 'peace,' anyways. It would be bring civil war and invasion, and subsequent crap political and economic conditions from being occupied by hostile foreign powers. While the aspirations of High Leadership are logistically impossible, it is also the only outcome that could even hypothetically result in not-Weimar Germany or worse.

The problem is they can’t afford Some massive victory and certainly don’t have any options for bringing in money and assets. And even if they could, everyone still really freaking hates them, and an end to the war that has them come out on top, would just rile up anti-emperor sentiment which would just kick up another war once everyone recovered enough to actually start feeding their citizens again. A coup that has the military take over and pins all the blame on high command (maybe even publicly executes the emperor), is the only shot I see at anything resembling peace.

Politically untenable. A coup would not address them being bankrupt and the subsequent economic collapse and invasions, and the military are not politicians or statesmen. Even if they did, it would not bring peace, it would bring civil war and other nations picking of pieces of them while weakened. There is no possible outcome for them that results in 'peace' in any honest sense of the word. The Empire is doomed and has been since the moment the Federation attacked because it was never going to be able to handle the costs.

Unless the other nations decide to let them recover unabated or even help in the process, it would not become stable in any positive sense. They are pretty blatantly opposed to a central European power and are actively looking to depress the region. Anything remotely resembling recovery would likely take the better part of a century if they were not being deliberately screwed over by the larger powers. Scapegoating would just kick the can five minutes down the road before encountering similar problems. Sometimes you've made your bed and you have to lie in it. The conceit and myopia that they can control the outcomes at this point is the same misjudgement that got them into this mess in the first place.

Yeah nobody wants the empire to be as strong as they are, but the other nations were still willing to sign a peace treaty, meaning that at least some of them wanted an out from this war. And even if the empire survives, as you said, it’d probably take them a century to rebuild and become a serious threat again (unless the nutty professor invents nukes). Nobody is really going to be afraid of them since the entire world would have already promised to unite to kick their butts if they ever went after not-Poland

I mean... if the angle you are coming at it from that perspective, sure. But that's uninteresting, she COULD do that if she was a different person. But she remains a cog in the machine and a really good one. The rest of this comment got derailed into a theory for how I can see this conflict play out in the story. I might've cooked here What I will say would be a good being X moment: Offer Tanya a chance at forgiveness. She can prevent the annihilation of the continent if she decides to cast aside her arrogance and die in an act of martyrdom against the Empire's insanity. I think Being X COULD persuade Tanya if he casts aside the egotism and offers her a life that she couldn't complain about, but he'll only offer her 'forgiveness'. Think of how much god is asking Tanya to do for the world, the stakes. Remember, how Tanya called god an incompetent in their first meeting? Tanya buys 3 times her weight in booze just to get a leg up. X won't even think about how to approach her to get her to do what he want. It kinda writes itself imo so I thought it was plausible and worth theorizing about

I am not necessarily convinced it would be better for the 'world,' either. While war is certainly catastrophically destructive in the short term, oppressive rule and bad systems net greater damage over the long term. The world is not necessarily better off for rule by not-Britain and not-Soviets or whoever else. Who's peace are we talking? The French and British, imposing Weimar conditions on Germany, who would certainly not consider it 'peaceful?' The Ukranians under the Soviets, genocided through non-military administration? Peace is rarely more than a pretty word, a vapid platitude assuming peace by whose definition and interests.

Tanya 's reactions to those meals in Ildoa were hilarious , but it's no surprise. After eating such shitty food on the front or in the capital, being able to eat such delicacies was at the same time a blessing and a curse. A blessing because it was so good, and a curse because it was only for one day, and now she's back in the Empire again, whose situation both in terms of food, quality of life, and geopolitics is... not good, to put it mildly.

Who snuck some gourmet into my war isekai show? Had Tanya been in Ildoa for a couple more days, she’d start going all Food Wars with her reactions. To rub more salt to the wound, the Ildoans also had better-maintained infrastructure. Tanya could tell when she had crossed the border by the notable decline in rail quality. What were the Empire’s leadership thinking? They’re in a stalemate in their current theatres and they wanted to enter a new one. They only said they were " looking into it " but that’s code for seriously considering. Their resources were already spread so thin they neglected their soldiers’ wellbeing and infrastructure, and now they wanted to stretch it even further.

the Empire might actually pull it off Do a quick, clinical surprise attack with a healthy chunk of your hardened veteran army, top that off with a few high-profile atrocities (I wonder who they'll send to do these...) and the entirely-too-peace-loving Ildoans are likely to capitulate quite quickly. Gaining the Empire yet another hostile state to occupy, losing the material support that it had been providing (and any prospect of an allied Ildoan military), and economically reducing it to the same level as everywhere else under Empire rule. The victory is easy enough, but it loses the Empire more than it gains, and now absolutely everybody hates them.

That last sentence is really the biggest problem, I think. This would irrevocably cement the perspective that the Empire is 'the enemy of the world' in the minds of the public of virtually every other major power. It could drag in a huge swath of currently uninvolved or less involved powers against the Empire when they are already headed for collapse. Strategically, it truly is the worst possible course of action short of fighting themselves.

Also, Tanya after the initial shock started thinking that the Empire might actually pull it off. Is she gonna propose some crazy plan again, which she will end up having to execute? Could be, but my first thought was... Will Tanya lie to them? It'd be a rare thing for her - she usually tells it like it is - but she's so over their nonsense, I was thinking perhaps this time she WILL lie, tell them it's not possible (even if she thinks it is). Hell, it almost felt like Rudersdorf was hinting/trying to get her to do that, too... He seems way over it too. Felt like he just wanted to be able to get back to the Leaderships to tell them "It might not be possible, our Lt Colonel/#1 ace feels the same" (Edit: Or she might tell them to go for it, because she's pissed/jealous of Ildoa's peace!)

Military shouldn't get involved in politics?! These words coming from a man of the military are quite interesting. So the military command is loyal to the government, but the government is bleeding out the military for their stupid ambitions and their daydreams. Conquering Ildoa? That sounds like madness, even though Tanya is already plotting some plan in her head how this could be possible. But the military and the population are already at their final straws, so a new military endavour could be fatal. It's not like the Empire has many ressources to spare. A situation like this could easily turn into a military coup if the military comes to the conclusion that the decisions of the government don't match the reality and makes the decision that the military should get involved in politics. As Tanya says, this might be unavoidable.

Military shouldn't get involved in politics?! These words coming from a man of the military are quite interesting. So the military command is loyal to the government, but the government is bleeding out the military for their stupid ambitions and their daydreams. Rudersdorf is in agreement with High Leadership, which is why he's advising against military involvement. That's my 2 cents anyhow. He's obviously feeling complicated about it, but his feelings are currently winning out against his better judgement. He knows he should've listened to Zettour, but sunk cost fallacy and pride is keeping him from doing that.

What he gonna do anyway? Someone else pointed out last week that if its not him, then his position of power will be replaced by someone else incompetent and may doom everyone and everything else more instead. You see Tanya still can talk of some sense with him, imagine if its some random guy with that much power? would the outcome be any better? Its better that he still take in charge and that seems reasonable for me. Zettour is not the ambitious guy who wanted to be on top anyway, as long one of the duo wield the highest power in the military, it is the bare minimum for whatever worse outcome would be.

You see Tanya still can talk of some sense with him, imagine if its some random guy with that much power? would the outcome be any better? Rudersdorf doesn't have the strategic mind that Zettour has. He is without a doubt a robust military general, but Zettour was covering up a lot of his weaknesses. Ideally, they would have traded places, the war needs strategy and subterfuge, which is Zettours specialities, while Rudersdorf is a far more direct commander. But as it stands, I don't think a random loyalist would be much worse than Rudersdorf. He isn't able to keep up or keep tabs on his command any longer. His strategies aren't working, and the demands are only getting higher.

"His strategies"?? Didnt we literally watch the same thing highlighting his hands are tied to those politicians' fantasies not once but several times. He knows, Tanya knows, Zettour knows, Largen knows, Romel knows, this is utterly impossible and defeat is upon them but they cant do anything about it cant they? Except mitigation. Zetour wants to rebel to begin with, he would walked away if given that position. I think you need to read the room, social implicit context about things going on there. Word of advice, improve your social skill on reading between the lines mate

Dude, he doesn't have control. The frontlines aren't getting what they need, when they need it, because he missed it in the reports. Episode 6 went over this. He is the guy in charge of the military, yes he's getting impossible orders from the politicial power, but he's the one failing to come up with good counter arguments and alternative strategies. Because he is a believer, like the High Leadership is. He wants a decisive victory with all of his heart, knowing that logically there exists no chance of that. His hands aren't tied as much as he's sitting on them. No one can blame him for it, aside from Tanya, because they all know far too well the feelings behind his decisions. Tanya blames him, because logically he should be fighting to end the war right now.

The thing about conquering Ildoa is that it would have a high chance of success. Despite being exhausted, the Empire is battle hardened, whilst Ildoa has made practically zero preparations for war. They have remained neutral, and are "friends" of the Empire. The enemies of their friends have no reason to attack, nor the room to make such moves if they wanted to. They're living a life of peace without any worry of getting dragged into the war. Ildoa is living in peacetime conditions. If the Empire strikes like lightning, the thunder would sweep across their lands that are unprepared for total war. It's operationally possible. It is tactically winnable. But it is strategically suicidal. They would pillage their only friend; their only avenue for negotiating any treaty. All in the hopes of removing an unlikely threat and gaining additional resources to continue a doomed war. All because the leadership are delusional idiots.

And now the brass thinks they should attack and conquer their allies? Pure delusions. Tanya after the initial shock started thinking that the Empire might actually pull it off . I wouldn't be surprised if she proposed some crazy plan, which she will end up having to execute, lol. But even if the Empire managed to conquer Ildoa, I don't believe that would end up well for them. So, so many things can go wrong after the initial success, so I'm quite sure that it'd only worsen the Empire's geopolitical situation.

Greetings, all! I know a number of people here have been enjoying my weekly "Military Historian" threads (and many thanks for the kind words I've received about them), and I have very much enjoying writing them (they allow me a knowledge flex I don't get very often these days). However, this week I think there's a pretty high chance that I won't be doing one. It's mainly a combination of two things. First, I'm getting over a niggling cold that managed to knock me on my hindquarters, and I still need some rest (welcome to the world of being about to turn 50 years old...). Second, tomorrow I have to attend the funeral of a friend and mentor, and that is weighing on me. So, if you don't see a post this week, I'm sorry. As much as I'd like to do one, I think I've got to pass and just make sure I'm as rested up as I can be for tomorrow. Things should resume as normal next week.

Their troops are well fed but don't have the experience (or motivation) that the Empire has. Turning on a ally though seems like it would be political suicide, since it might result in other neutral parties flipping and allying with their enemies. Not to mention if you are fighting a war on 3 fronts and you are already withdrawing troops from areas because you are stretched too thin...surrounding yourself with enemies seems a poor idea.

the thing is there plan is blitzkrieg it and than conquer it like germany did with france remember france didnt take things severly and they lost control and where borderline slaves so that what empire planning with ildoa taking there resource there train there better stuff and it give them more territory as general said it be easier attack east and west while north is fortified better also since they conquer them that means they are forced to fight and obey there superior nation and u know ildoa aint gonna sacrifice lives and there home to destruction especially knowing how brutal tanya is they will surrender and give in to all demands

This makes me worried; Not this specifically, but the fact that of course, the strategists will KNOW that they can't win a battle of attrition against them (especially considering everything else they have going on)... So the only way to win against Ildoa, would be a massive, lightning fast strike, to annihilate their entire military capabilities AND their rulers before they have the time to organize... Are they about to fucking nuke them or something?