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「幕間狂言」 (Makuaikyougen)
“Interlude”
True to the episode title, LotGH decided invasion can hold off an extra week, spending the time explaining the in depth explanation of just what is about to happen—or basically giving us the complementary shounen treatment. That’s right, it was info dumping and talking galore this time around, but if there’s one thing LotGH is very good at, it’s showing how even the driest of information can be incredibly exciting—and concerning.
After showing how disturbingly arrogant and naïve the Alliance leadership was last time, LotGH went the extra mile this week by revealing how incompetence isn’t limited to the political class. It’s not that surprising considering previous events, but it’s truly something else seeing military men high on potential victory willing to bet over 30 million lives on a plan barely thought out. This stems from the key thing all staff officers are taught (and was highlighted here) from day one: an invasion must have a strategic purpose. Land alone (even resource rich land) isn’t good enough, you must have a tangible objective, something that will either mitigate the enemy’s ability to resist (ex. railroad line, major port) or outright encourage surrender. As Napoleon and Hitler learned anything else is basically slow death, and the FPA is walking right into the same trap. Strike terror and give hope to the oppressed so they rise up in support? Sounds great, but doesn’t work in practice.* What if the Imperial citizenry doesn’t want the FPA’s version of freedom, what if they’re actually happy? And what happens to this supposed goodwill when you start requisitioning their supplies to deal with logistical hiccups? Apparently problems not worthy of attention.
To be fair though it’s not all the FPA military staff who’s behind this hair brained scheme. Quite a few admirals besides Yang have identified the issues, but since invasion is written in stone by their political superiors, they have been left subordinate to those more in favour of Alliance policy. Of course this mostly means Andrew Falk (who we will be seeing quite a bit of), but there are others who sense an opportunity for glory and honour they’ll let no one interfere with, no matter the cost. As Admiral Sithole rightfully states men like Yang are desperately needed in these situations, they may have no commanding power, but they can mitigate the damage and assume control once things inevitably fail. Yang may not like it (in fact he hates it), but life always has a funny way of ensuring those meant for something greater wind up in the position. Plus with over 60% of the FPA navy under command of a leadership already dividing up the spoils yet to be won, someone has to ensure there’s a navy left to even contemplate such things.
If matters weren’t problematic enough already either, there’s also the little fact the Empire knows what’s coming. Rubinsky as highlighted before is a key player to watch, for his information on both Empire and Alliance ensures both sides are kept more or less equal and left in stalemate. Not all the time of course (as Iserlohn showed), but the guy is shrewd enough to know what to reveal to who and when. Much like with Yang though, the issue Rubinsky will quickly encounter is with Reinhardt. He may intend on keeping the major powers locked in stalemate (for his benefit), but Reinhardt doesn’t plan on simply pushing the FPA back—he intends on irreversibly crushing them. Like Rubinsky the Imperial government too hopes to stop Reinhardt before he wins too much, but as they’re all about to discover, leashing a lion in its prime is no easy feat.
Victory may go to those who make the least damaging mistakes, but with a plan with no clear strategy and Reinhardt at the enemy helm, the Alliance has already made the gravest mistake of all.
Random Tidbits
*: World War I saw multiple attempts to get foreign peoples to rise up as armies advanced. The Russians hoped their 1914 advance into Galicia would cause a Slavic uprising in Austria-Hungary (it never materialized) and France believed the populace of Alsace-Lorraine would euphorically welcome them back (they did not). Even White Russian incursions into Bolshevik Russia from Estonia and Latvia in 1918-19 failed to cause uprisings, showing that without offering something good and tangible to people, they often choose to stick with what they know.
Preview
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The Question here are.. the poor Civilians that are suppressed under this evil Empire… do they really want to be saved from the Free Planets?….
But i think most see this point here, right?
The BIG question is that you cant start an invasion without well defined strategic objectives and a post war plan.
It’s not even a question. While it’s said that no battle plan survives first contact with the enemy, not having a plan at all is much much worse.
Another thing: logistics. The “just figure it out” attitude of the other admirals towards the logistics chief is a recipe for disaster. History has enough stories of failed campaigns due to overlooking the logistical requirements.
Postwar plans aren’t that important, the key is winning the war in the first place. Unless you have a means to actually defeat your enemy and make him surrender, anything you plan on doing afterwards is a moot point.
Magnus Tancred also has the right of it, you forget logistics, you lose. As the saying goes, amateurs talk tactics, professionals consider logistics.
Look at neocohen empire of US in this century lel.
@Pancakes
Aren’t they? History is calling and wants talk with you, Pancake. 🙂
The main thing here is that it’ll be Iraq in space.
@Henrietta Brix
Show Spoiler ▼
I bet the Empire play the “OMG!! they are to many, RUN AWAY!” and turn tail… they will use the same tactic like “the Russian school” in Panzer Vor!.. it’s became an cliche of War Tactics it seems
This many men need to eat and drink and other stuff… perhaps Stalingrad will have an return here
or do the Empire have some cloaked Ships out there? many enough to sneak behind their backs
“War, war never change!”.. This time they use Laser Guns for Bow and Arrows and other stuff.. i bet this famous old “ancient” Chinese General will still be useful even today. The Stronghold is like an Bridge they must pass trough and such… i bet there are even areas where it is suicide to enter because of Magnetic Storms and such.. deadly spare area where the Free planets get pushed back…
But lets see and i spot my speculation, because it is not “good” seen here
Maybe. They could strain the Alliance Navy’s supply line simply by allowing them to penetrate deep into Imperial territory. Yang already mentioned this.
Another possibility is “scorched earth”, where the Imperial Navy destroys production facilities on every planet they cede to the Alliance. This will eat up the Alliance’s supplies ever faster, and stall their advance. 😀
I think many see this War as easy to win, because they know that the Free Planets did not lost any Soldier while taking in the fortress.. So some in Free Planets power assume the Empire is just all talk but no bite.. in short they seem them as stupid “aristocrats” just with bloodline power… Well, do not the “Blond MC” want to change that?
with Pictures:
https://randomc.net/image/Ginga%20Eiyuu%20Densetsu/Ginga%20Eiyuu%20Densetsu%20-%2010%20-%20Large%2020.jpg
This men here use knowledge of the past
https://randomc.net/image/Ginga%20Eiyuu%20Densetsu/Ginga%20Eiyuu%20Densetsu%20-%2010%20-%20Large%2025.jpg
This men here what to write an new Future for them
in Short it could work when the enemy was still in the past, but an new Kaze is about to change them and well, we have War
@Worldwidedepp
Mmmmh… I think that you had mixed the first picture. That’s Andrew Falk and he isn’t use any knowledge.
@Magnus Tancred
Show Spoiler ▼
@Kinai
No, he is assuming that the enemy react to the same way in the past or as they known. But the “new Kaze” is about to change all of this.. thats the 2nd picture
The Empire will change and become unpredictable with data of the past and present
Thats was the hidden message
Is it weird I’m perfectly okay and actually want them to change the show from the original story line in the part ahead of us?
Mm not really, it’s pretty damn humiliating no matter which way you look at it after all, at least for certain leaders 😛
One shalt not denigrate the name of Andrew Falk, the most decorated commander of the Galactic Empire! /s
Well, it looks like Falk forgot about “friction” aka as chaos. What can go wrong will go wrong. Expecting the other side will do as you plan just because you think so is mighty hubristic.
It’s a common trait sadly, especially for those without practical, “real world” experience. Staff officers in the military for example suffer from this especially due to treating men as chips on a map with no appreciation for their hardships or challenges as few ever commanded on the front line.
>muh special snowflake soljurrs
Lolwhat. General Staff officer will put your ass into a complicated fractional fire interchange formula and write all your feelz off along with your spent life. All warfare over division level is pure mathematics.
What the hell, I’ll feed the troll.
There’s a significant difference between looking at a map and actually understanding the battlefield conditions. For example plenty of staff officers in WW1/WW2 failed to account for terrain when developing their offensives, resulting in ludicrously high costs for minimal gains. Likewise some infamous examples even failed to treat divisions at half strength as half strength divisions, rather seeing them as fresh, full strength forces—the result in one case was the eradication of one country’s entire military force in less than four months.
Staff officers obviously treat their men as a disposable resource given their position, but there’s a huge difference between knowing how to properly use that resource and naively screwing up.
A very good reason why in the U.S. officers alternate between staff and command positions during their careers. If you look at the Schlieffen Plan (the German invasion plan of France WW1), there were features of the plan that was too optimistic.
1. The objective of reaching Paris in 6 weeks. That’s assuming a march rate of 20 miles a day minimum. That’s what professional soldiers are capable of. But what of mobilized reservists? Asking militarized civilians in their 30’s-40’s to the same thing?
2. Bypassing the frontier one of France by moving through Belgium. No one thought seriously to consider the British intervening in that event.
3. The plan called for the Army to pass Liege in 48 hours. It took them 10 days.
So this operation Falke conjured up? Be intersting who gets blamed for the debacle that happens next.
@Ordnance11
Perhaps. But it would have more sucess if the German High Command wouldn’t shit their trousers.
The plan wasn’t followed to the letter, and there wasn’t enough divisions to acomplish the objectives.
I just started watching this show today and I’m surprised at the military and political aspects of the show done well. All the scenarios thus far is errily familiar. Its as though I’ve read them before
The author of the book is into history and based many of occurrences in the story on historic events.
Probably because you have 😛
As Sherris mentioned the author has a background in history, and many of the events in LotGH are based on actual history. This invasion for example is pretty much Operation Barbarossa, just with ten times the men and a flimsier reason to attack.
Pretty much space Barbarossa
Indeed, but problems with thin supporting Lines is also know in their own history.. i say only “Tokyo Express”
@Henrietta Brix
That is nothing. The history is only starting to become interesting.
I hope that they could remake the other 100 episodes. 🙁
Just dropping to say that I really liked the random tidbits section, Pancakes. Please moar on the next episodes as well
Thanks, glad you liked it!
I try and add them whenever there’s something nifty to talk about which doesn’t fit with the other writing. If someone similar comes up again I’ll be sure to add it.
I would add to the historical list of “lets free the people” failures:
Iraq 2003 – we all see how this ended up.
Poland’s invasion by Bolsheviks in 1920.
US invasion of Canada in 1812 war. (also noteworthy as one of biggest military failures of all time).
Between the Alliance rushing in deep into enemy territory without secure supply lines, and Reinhardt planning on drawing them in then annihilating… this is not going to end pretty.
Fezzan is benefititng by sitting on the sidelines, but how long until one side or the other will decide they need Fezzan’s assets to continue the war?
Prepare to witness clashes of unprecedented violence and destruction in the next episodes…