Post by Pyotr Alekseevich on Sept 11, 2016 17:31:49 GMT
Peter watched glumly as the regiments of Guards went through their morning drills. The men were going through basic battlefield motions, nothing fancy, nothing flashy. Simply training to deploy from columns into lines and back into columns. Drilling volley fire and fire by platoons, as well as bayonet work. Peter would usually have been found in the midst of his men, ecstatic at the art of soldiering, but today he was stood in the warmth of his study with a close group of friends and advisers.
"I don't blame De Cruy, he may have performed more admirably given better soldiers. The men who fought at Neva brought shame on our nation. Reserves breaking before seeing the enemy and cavalry routing from the field when then should have counter attacked and shattered those Swedish bastards." Peter turned from the window and threw himself into a chair.
"What is to be done? We have replenished our cannon and filled the ranks, but the core problem remains. Each Swedish soldier is worth five our ours, our men hide behind woods to avoid the enemy, troops sent to Poland route whilst being held in reserve. Morale is non-existent, what should we do sire?"
The man who had spoken was Boris Sheremetyev, since the death of Leffort few other men in Russia could have spoken so frankly around the Tsar. But Sheremetyev was the most successful General in Russia and a fellow Westerniser, as such he had a freedom to speak his mind that almost no other did.
"It will be hard. Most importantly we need a victory over the Swedes, even a minor victory will raise morale and restore confidence. As for the men, they must be drilled constantly, rising before dawn and drilling until dusk. Practice manoeuvres, drill the men under fire from un-shotted cannons. Take them on long night marches and have them perform their drills in freezing cold and pouring rain. Order entire regiments to lie on the ground and have cannon fired over them, charge the men with cavalry! They must be able to perform every drill as though they were wiping their arses!"
"I don't blame De Cruy, he may have performed more admirably given better soldiers. The men who fought at Neva brought shame on our nation. Reserves breaking before seeing the enemy and cavalry routing from the field when then should have counter attacked and shattered those Swedish bastards." Peter turned from the window and threw himself into a chair.
"What is to be done? We have replenished our cannon and filled the ranks, but the core problem remains. Each Swedish soldier is worth five our ours, our men hide behind woods to avoid the enemy, troops sent to Poland route whilst being held in reserve. Morale is non-existent, what should we do sire?"
The man who had spoken was Boris Sheremetyev, since the death of Leffort few other men in Russia could have spoken so frankly around the Tsar. But Sheremetyev was the most successful General in Russia and a fellow Westerniser, as such he had a freedom to speak his mind that almost no other did.
"It will be hard. Most importantly we need a victory over the Swedes, even a minor victory will raise morale and restore confidence. As for the men, they must be drilled constantly, rising before dawn and drilling until dusk. Practice manoeuvres, drill the men under fire from un-shotted cannons. Take them on long night marches and have them perform their drills in freezing cold and pouring rain. Order entire regiments to lie on the ground and have cannon fired over them, charge the men with cavalry! They must be able to perform every drill as though they were wiping their arses!"
