"The first aspect of the Imperial Army's reform will be the restructuring of its command system. The divisions of 'army' and 'corps' will be abolished, and instead, the Army will directly adopt the structure of army groups, divisions, brigades, regiments, battalions, companies, platoons, and squads," QinTian stated.
The previous organizational structure had made command responses sluggish. By eliminating these two ranks, the Army will inevitably become more streamlined. With the rapid advancements in communication technology, this will enhance the Army's speed of response, which will prove invaluable in future operations.
The Army's commanders had no objections to these changes, for they had anticipated such reforms. After all, the 8th Army Corps had already eliminated the brigade rank in the past, and now, the abolition of the army structure was simply the next logical step. The renaming of corps to army groups was also no cause for concern, as it was purely a change in nomenclature, with no impact on the structure or operational capacities.
Under the new structure, an Imperial Army group would consist of ten infantry divisions and one armored division, along with other attached units, bringing the total manpower to 200,000. This reorganization meant that the existing army groups would need to be reduced. For example, the 1st Army Corps, which had a total strength of 360,000, and the 2nd Army Corps with 280,000, would have to scale down their forces.
However, under QinTian's reform plan, the Imperial Army would maintain a total of twelve army groups, each at full strength, equating to a staggering 2.4 million men—three times the size of the pre-war standing Army.
When considering logistics, gendarmerie, and other non-combat personnel, the total manpower could easily exceed three million, which was not an insignificant increase from the current force size.
The Imperial Army's generals were grinning ear to ear upon hearing this plan. They had expected QinTian might call for a reduction in the Army's size, and they would have been content to retain over a million men. But they never imagined that QinTian would maintain such a large force. This only deepened their satisfaction.
The only dissent came from Prime Minister Biro, representing the Cabinet at the military conference. A force of nearly three million in the Army alone, combined with the Navy and the newly formed Air Force, could push the total military strength of Germany to over four million. Considering the total population of Germany was only about fifty million, such a large standing army seemed excessive.
Moreover, sustaining such a vast military force would require a significant rise in military expenditure, which posed a serious concern for the national finances.
"Your Majesty, might the Army's size be too large? A total of twelve army groups, two million four hundred thousand men. Including other civilian personnel, the total strength may exceed three million?" Prime Minister Biro expressed his concerns.
At this, the Imperial Army's generals shot him fierce looks. If looks could kill, Prime Minister Biro would have been riddled with arrows by now.
"Your Excellency, these army groups will not maintain full strength during peacetime. Aside from the overseas stationed units and armored divisions, each group will only retain about sixty percent of its manpower. Full mobilization will only occur when war breaks out," QinTian explained.
Although QinTian intended to expand the German Navy's capabilities, he was not inclined toward reckless militarism. It would be unreasonable for Germany, with its population of only fifty million, to maintain four million soldiers year-round.
Even with sixty percent of the Army's strength in peacetime, the total manpower would likely approach two million, which was far better than maintaining over three million soldiers. This would also relieve some pressure on the national finances. Of course, Prime Minister Biro understood that with the Empire's territorial and geopolitical gains after the war, the maintenance of a large military would be necessary to secure these newfound interests. Therefore, a two-million-strong Army was not an excessive figure for the current German Empire.
As for the military budget, while it would increase, Germany's growing economic might would ensure the necessary funding. After all, with so many colonies to exploit, especially India, the wealth derived from them could easily cover the military's expenses.
The generals were in full agreement. The practice of maintaining a partially manned force during peacetime had long been customary. Moreover, the current force size, compared to the pre-war standing Army, was already a significant increase, and no one had any complaints.
"The Army's reform will not only focus on organizational changes, but also on other areas. Over the next decade, we will increase the number of trucks, armored vehicles, and even tanks, with the goal of further enhancing the mechanization of our forces," QinTian continued.
Though QinTian understood that transforming the German Army into a fully mechanized force in this era was unrealistic—given the limitations of finances and technology—achieving a more motorized force within ten years seemed feasible. If this goal could be realized, the German Army would dominate the battlefield against any adversary in the future.
"Understood, Your Majesty!" the generals responded in unison.
Having witnessed the effectiveness of armored units on the battlefield, they had no objections to increasing the number of tanks and armored vehicles. Trucks were equally crucial; if all troops could be transported by truck during marches, the speed of troop movements would be astonishing. Pursuing enemy forces would become a near-impossibility for them to escape. Of course, this would depend on ensuring that road conditions were suitable for truck transport.
For the German Army, an entire platoon and its equipment could be transported by a single truck, leaving extra capacity for the transportation of war supplies. This would undoubtedly strengthen the Army's logistical capabilities.
Given Germany's financial and industrial strength, achieving these goals within ten years was hardly a difficult task. After all, Germany was now a nation of immense wealth.
In addition, QinTian outlined other gradual reforms to be implemented within the Army, signaling his long-term vision for the military's future development.