@protevangelium:
@Auztria:
@protevangelium:
if I recall what I read in Keegan
Sorry, off topic, but I have to know: Are you talking about John Keegan, the late British historian? You’ve read his books?
Yes. It’s been a while since I have read The First World War, so I may be off on my numbers or assessment. But my general impression was that while the Russian military suffered serious command and equipment problems, it was both a.) large and b.) capable of inflicting serious defeats on the Central Powers at various points in the war.
I suppose what stands out to me with the current A&A 1914 setup is that the concentration of Germans in the east is very large. Austria does not bother me as much, since they were among the first to mobilize and their war plan called for a large, central reserve group. But the Russians seem too sparse, especially in the northern border with the German Empire. It just does not seem to reflect the unexpected superiority in numbers they had there in 1914, and the initial German miscalculation of their capabilities.
What happens beyond that point is up to Russia! Â
Slightly off topic as I understand what was done to Russia for game purposes, but as Keegan points out well, while the Russian army did have some serious drawbacks, it was a much more potent force than I think people realize. Aside from Tannenberg the Russian army spent the rest of 1914 basically winning every engagement it went into, including giving Hindenburg a very bloody nose the first time he ventured into Poland. In the end, less than stellar leadership (the Tsar taking command really was a terrible idea) and more importantly an under-developed economy were the biggest factors for Russia’s defeat, as militarily she conducted herself rather well up until 1917.
This is the Russia that diverted millions of German troops away from the west, effectively killed off Austria-Hungary and kept and decidedly weakened the Ottomans.