summary/spoilers ln Youjo Senki

Spoiler: Volume 2
The manga is very faithful to the novel. So I don't see the need to recap vol 1 of the LN. Please read the first 3 volumes of the manga for that (or watch the anime up to episode 5).

So Vol 2 Plus Ultra

Vol 2 Chap 1: Dacia

203 Aerial Mage Battalion attacks Dacia, "Tamaya!" 2nd half of episode 5 of anime.

Vol 2 Chap 2: Norden I

203rd transferred to Norden (Scandinavia). Episode 6 of anime.

Vol 2 Chap 3: Norden II

General Staff decides to end the war in Scandinavia by landing troops behind enemy lines, and cutting off their supply lines to the front. Tanya also independently reaches that same conclusion, but she is thinking from her past precedence, ie MacArthur's Inchon landing. The 203rd takes part in this operation and Tanya engages Anson Sue a second time. They fought earlier in Tanya's first engagement (from which she got her Silver Wing medal).

Vol 2 Chap 4: The Devil on the Coast of Norden

Anson Sue receives a submachine gun (a Tommy gun) as a gift from his daughter, Mary. Mary and her mother flee to the notUnited States because the Scandinavian forces are in disarray.

The Entente government decides to continue the war by going into exile (flee across the North Sea to the United Kingdom). The 203rd is sent on a recon mission and encounters a fleet carrying the Entente government in exile. Anson Sue defends the fleet but Tanya kills him, takes his submachine gun (Tommy gun), and then attacks the one ship carrying most of the government in exile.

On the way back to base, the 203rd spots an unknown submarine and orders for it to be boarded. The submarine ignores the order, so Tanya fires warning shots at the sub. And the ship belonging to the United Kingdom (notBritain) sinks.

The UK intelligence service thinks there's a mole in their organization. Tanya doesn't know that she killed really important people and is worried that she failed in her duty to slow the fleet (so that the Reich's navy could destroy the fleet).

Vol 2 Chap 5: The Rhine's Demon

The 203rd is transferred to the Rhine Front. Tanya is acquitted in a court martial (for the sinking of the sub). But this leads to more propaganda from the UK.

2nd Lt Grantz also joins the 203rd at the Rhine Front. Their first mission is to sneak into enemy lines at night and take some prisoners of war for interrogation. [In the anime, he's already joined the 203rd.]

Meanwhile the General Staff debates Zettour's plan to entrap Republican Forces with a strategic retreat.

Vol 2 Chap 6: Ordeal by Fire

Arraine in notAlsace-Lorraine rises in rebellion and Republican mages drop in to support the rebellion. Railway lines linking the Reich's forces at the Front with the Rear is cut. The 203rd is ordered to quell the rebellion.

Tanya wiggles out of this by prioritizing the rescue of Reich's citizens rather than hunting down rebels (who declares that they will all resist to the end, thus technically terminating their legal status as civilians). In the end, when the 203rd eliminates Republican mages putting up magic shields, artillery shells rain down on the city.

Vol 2 Chap 7: Preparation to Move Forwards

The 203rd is ordered to fight a long range recon and combat mission to disguise the retreat of the main army from the Low Countries. This mission succeeds but at huge cost to the 203rd.

The General Staff also comes up with their version of "Shock and Awe."

Side Story: A Borrowed Cat

This is the Propaganda photo shoot that is at the very end of episode 2 in the Anime. That ends 560+ pages of vol 2.
Spoiler: Volume 3
Vol 3 The Finest Hour

Chap 1: Open Sesame

Mary Sue is in Arkansas with her mother and grandmother. They learn that her father is now dead.

The General Staff's "Shock and Awe" plan decapitates the enemy by destroying its headquarters. Once the enemy is in disarray they can mop up the main army.

To do this the weakened 203rd is ordered to select its best among the survivors. They are placed on rockets built by the mad scientist Schugel and sent to the far rear of enemy lines (despite Tanya hating this idea).

Chap 2: The Intervention which was too Late

The Republican army's left flank moves into the Low Countries (the area that the Reich has pulled out at the end of vol 2). The Reich's political leaders are all up in arms because the industrial area of the Reich is now under threat.

Tanya's special forces land behind the Republican army's front lines and destroys the enemy HQ, supply depot, and an unidentified bunker. Once done, they fly towards the coast to be picked up by a submarine.

Once the Reich HQ hears the success of the mission, they blow a hole in the Republican army's right flank with sappers. Since the Republican army has no overall HQ it is completely in disarray and gets rolled over. [The author calls this the "revolving door" but basically this is a massive Austerlitz for anyone who happens to know military history.]

Meanwhile the United Kingdom tries to broker a peace based on status quo ante. The Reich's leaders all ignore this proposal sensing victory. Also the UK intelligence service is now convinced that there's a mole. The unidentified bunker that Tanya destroyed earlier was a secret intelligence gathering bunker for the UK.

Tanya is on the submarine on her way back. She is thinking that as long as there is no "Dunkirk" like event they might win this war after all. And once she's flying over the battle zone to return to base, she is convinced that they have won a rousing victory.

The 203rd is one of the first to arrive at the outskirts of Parisee. And she finds it odd that the defenses are weak. Meanwhile at the port of Brest, General de Lugo (anagram for de Gaulle) is gathering Republican forces and putting them on their naval vessels.

Chap 3: Operation Ark

The Reich's leaders are thinking of peace terms. Basically they want to expand their borders, get reparations, and they will demand the Republic to abandon some of their overseas colonies. [It's a Versailles Treaty in reverse.]

Tanya hears that the Republican navy is gathering at Brest under General de Lugo. And recognizes that this will be like that "Dunkirk" event. The problem is that the Reich's leaders all think the war is virtually over and wants a cessation of hostilities to negotiate peace.

Tanya objects loudly and even prepares to launch another strike at Brest, like she did earlier at the Republican HQ. But she is ordered to stand down. A ceasefire order is issued.

Chap 4: How to use Victory

The 203rd is now at Brest and celebrating victory. Tanya decides to go to the capital to talk to Zettour to ask what is going on. There she finds out that everyone is also celebrating. She is the only who is despairs. She realizes the only opportunity to win the war had slipped away at Brest.

General de Lugo declares that the Republic will fight on in exile as the Free Republican forces. The UK also declares war on the Reich as an ally of the Free Republic and the surviving elements of the Entente forces.

Chap 5: Internal Affairs

The angels are discussing events on this alternate earth. Some are happy that faith is up again but others are worried that atheism is spreading in the notSoviet Union. To deal with this they are going to pit Tanya (who is seen an apostle by the angels) against the Union. They are also going to pick someone who is already devout to be another apostle.

Mary Sue joins the US volunteer force to fight against the Reich and is sent to the UK. [Now we now who the angels chose.]

Since the war doesn't end and the Free Republican Army is now in North Africa, the General Staff decides to send an expeditionary army to Africa to see if they can end this war. The commander of this expeditionary army is Romeel. And the 203rd is sent to help him out.

Chap 6: The Southern Campaign

Tanya and Romeel work well together and become friends. In one of the battles, de Lugo is about to win by strategically enveloping Romeel. But Tanya pulls off what the Shimazu clan did at Sekigahara, an escape after a frontal assault, and rattles the Free Republican Army's HQ. This allows Romeel to break out of the envelopment.

This chapter ends with the Prime Minister of the UK declaring that future history book will mark this moment as the brightest moment of the Reich and the darkest moment for the UK. But the worst moment has now passed. [Meaning darkness will turn to light and light will turn to darkness and that the UK will ultimately win.]

That ends 400+ pages of vol 3.
Spoiler: Volume 4
Vol 4 Dabit deus his quoque finem

Chap 1: Long Range Reconnaissance Mission

Tanya and the 203rd are sent to the Reich-notSoviet Union border. They are conducting a secret reconnaissance mission inside Union borders because the General Staff has intelligence that the Union is planning an attack.

The war starts with the Union invading the Reich. It turns out that Uncle Joe had a message from the angels that an apostle of God was coming to destroy the Union. So Uncle Joe decided to strike first.

Chap 2: Goodwill Visit

After seeing them fire first, Tanya decides to take action and attack the Union. While the 203rd knocks out Union artillery and supply depots, she realizes that there are no mages.

The 203rd then decides to pull another Dacia and attack the capital, Moscou. [This part is hilarious so I won't cover it too much in detail. I am sure it will be depicted in the Manga.] This action will also complicate the Union's invasion of the Reich so the General Staff agrees to this.

Unfortunately for Tanya, while she is having fun at Moscou, the number 2 man in the Union, Loliya (Lavrentiy Beria), spots her and falls in love with her.

Loliya vows to do everything in his power to capture her, break her, and ravish her. So he decides that the Union needs to release the prisoners from the Gulag, particularly the mages (who were loyal to the previous Czarist regime), and win this war.

Unfortunately for the Reich, that means the Union (which was purging itself of competent officers in the name of the Communist Revolution) will now be a formidable foe.

Also unfortunately for the Reich, Tanya's attack makes any possible ceasefire with the Union impossible. It angers the Union leaders, and it raises war fever in the Reich so much that the General Staff can't go against popular opinion.

Chap 3: Magnificent Victory

The Union army has a big advantage in numbers but they are completely lacking in mages. Their invasion stalls. The fact that the mages can destroy the Union supplies behind the lines hurts them.

The General Staff is now convinced that they can draw in the Union army and win.

Chap 4: Reorganization

Tanya is recalled to the capital. Zettour is angry because she did "too much," and so she is transferred west to notFrance. She is given time to come up with new tactics.

The enemies of the Reich, namely the Union, UK, US, step up their game. Union agrees to Loliya's plan to release the prisoners from the gulags and use them to fight against the Reich. The UK begins to buy tons of armaments from the US.

Mary Sue is now in the UK. She is training as a member of a US volunteer expeditionary force comprised mostly of former Entente citizens and their descendants.

Chap 5: Battle of Dodobird

The 203rd is part of an aerial war against the UK. In one of the engagements, Tanya encounters Mary Sue and the volunteer expeditionary force. But despite Tanya's best efforts Mary Sue doesn't go down. Mary Sue also sees that Tanya is using the Tommy gun that she gave to her father and is enraged.

Chap 6: Operation Doorknocker

Tanya is recalled to the capital to write up reports. One report suggests that an adhoc combined arms combat group (kampfgruppe, a temporary and smaller version of a brigade) be formed.

While Tanya is now convinced that she can now stay in the rear and write up more reports, Zettour decides to give Tanya a combat group. So now Lt Col Tanya must form a combat group in 5 days. She will be deployed in 10 days then fighting within 21 days.

Meanwhile at Moscou, Union leaders are discussing what needs to be done after their invasion army's defeat. Loliya suggests that the Union withdraw and draw in the Reich's forces to fight a long drawn out war. The Union should fight more battles in their cities, where the mobility of the Reich's army is limited, and try to bleed the Reich dry with guerilla tactics. The Union can withstand the losses but the Reich cannot. Also Loliya begs Uncle Joe that he wants Tanya as his prize. Uncle Joe agrees to both.

That ends 470+ pages of vol 4.
Spoiler: Volume 5
Vol 5 Abyssus abyssum invocat

Chap 0: A Letter Home

A short letter from Mary Sue to her home.

Chap 1: Rapid Advance

Tanya's Salamander Combat Group (SCG) is sent to the Eastern front. There she fights against Union forces, and in one engagement she captures some prisoners of war. Using her linguistic skills as an emigre from notRussia, Visha unofficially interviews some of these prisoners and learns that the Union soldiers are fighting to defend their homeland. When Visha informs Tanya of this, Tanya is shocked. She realizes that she is now fighting against nationalists and immediately recognizes that this is a major problem. Because this means that the more the Reich wins and invades Union territory, the more the enemy will resist and fight harder.

Of course Tanya also remembers that the Union is actually a multi-ethnic state and therein lies her one chance.

Chap 2: Strange Friendship

Tanya returns to the capital to inform Zettour that they are not fighting communists, and that the ordinary Union soldiers are motivated by nationalism. And so her recommendation to Zettour is that the Reich needs "good friends" who will help the Reich by fighting for their own independence. This means forming "national committees" and delegating police powers to the various ethnic minorities of the Union.

Meanwhile the UK decides to send aid to the Union. The UK will send mages (remnants of Mary Sue's US volunteer expeditionary force are placed with Lt Col Drake's UK marine mage units) to the Union as a symbol of their cooperation. The UK also wants the US to get involved but popular opinion in the US is still against the war. Finally, the UK decides to open a new supply route from the UK to the Union by using a massive ocean liner that is faster than a submarine. [UK to Murmansk or UK to Archangel not clear which.]

At Moscou, under Loliya's orders, the Union also decides to increase cooperation with the UK and appeal to the rest of the world that their alliance is real. To do this, he decides to exchange prisoners/intelligence agents between the Union and the UK. And he will send idealistic communists to the UK to woo public opinion.

Chap 3: Northern Operation

[Tanya hits her 13th birthday on Sept 24, 2016.]

Tanya had returned to the Eastern Front after her talk with Zettour, but she and the SCG is ordered to return to the capital immediately.

At the General Staff office, General Ruderdorf gives Tanya a new medal, the White Winged Grand Iron Cross. He also informs her that they are dismantling her SCG. Tanya is extremely upset by this, but Ruderdorf reminds her that the combat group was supposed to be an adhoc entity. And that the General Staff needs to learn how to organize other combat groups without using Tanya.

So Tanya has no choice, and Ruderdorf orders her to go back to the Norden with her 203rd Aerial Mage Battalion and attack the new supply route linking the UK and the Union. In the meantime the General Staff will organize a new combat group for Tanya.

[As a side note Lt Colonel Ugur and Tanya meet fairly often when Tanya or the 203rd takes the train because Ugur is working for the railroad department. Or when they are in the capital. And so their friendship becomes real.]

At one meeting with Ugur, he informs her that her new mission to Norden is the result of the Reich's intelligence service. And not something the General Staff necessarily wants to do. As an apology Ugur has obtained reservations for the 203rd at the officer's club. Unfortunately the bouncer of the club won't let Tanya in because she is a minor.

In the former Entente territory, the 203rd sets up a new base and starts to look for this new supply route. There they find the giant ocean liner, the Queen of Anjou. It's huge but sails so fast that the submarines can't catch her. And because it's huge, it carries a ton of cargo between the UK and the Union.

When the 203rd, an over-strength battalion, attacks the Queen of Anjou, a regiment of UK marine mages greet Tanya and combat ensues. Since the 203rd was already flying for a long time, and because it is heavily outnumbered, the 203rd fares badly. Also Mary Sue attacks Tanya ferociously.

After the 203rd finally returns to base Tanya hears of the damage report and reacts with simmering anger. She hates that she has lost many of her elite troops because it's a waste of resources. When her men sees that, they become more loyal to Tanya because they think she is grieving.

Chap 4: Long Range Assault Operation

The General Staff gives new orders to Tanya. Once new recruits to replace the lost veterans arrive, the 203rd is to go to the Eastern Front and form into a new combat group.

But before that, when Tanya learns that the Queen of Anjou is in a Union dock, she decides to strike.

Chap 5: Timeout

Union mages are deployed to defend the Queen of Anjou, docked at Novo Holmo. Led by Colonel Mikel (who used to be in a gulag), they are joined by Lt Col Drake's UK mages and Mary Sue. Col Mikel and Lt Col Drake become friends.

Meanwhile Tanya's 203rd is boards a submarine and heads to the Union dock. 2 companies launch from the submarine and surprise the defenders while 1 company blows up the Queen of Anjou.

When Loliya hears of the news, he is not angered but rather filled with joy. He is elated that Tanya is still alive and he redoubles his efforts to help the Union military capture her. A new political commissar is sent to Col Mikel, Liliya Ivanova Taneechika (an idealistic communist). While Mikel and Lt Col Drake hates political commissars in general and Taneechika is not an exception, Mary Sue becomes friends with Liliya.

Tanya is now at the Eastern Front with her new combat group and she is in low spirits. She thinks that her new colleagues are mostly useless. Captain Elmer Aarens of the Tank battalion seems competent. But she finds 1st Lt Rolf Mehbelt of the artillery company to be too set in his ways, and Captain Reinhardt Tone and 1st Lt Claus Tospan of the infantry battalion to be morons. Finally the new company mage recruits led by 1st Lt Teobalt Westeman can learn and are willing but they are too inexperienced. Thus Tanya decides to keep the 203rd as a regular battalion and use Westeman's company as a separate company.

While the new Salamander Combat Group is training, the Union attacks. Chaos ensues, Captain Tone keeps disobeying Tanya's orders and goes on a recon mission without telling anyone. Eventually the SCG defeats the enemy. Tone is MIA.

During the battle Tanya comments that she wants Visha's coffee and everyone laughs. They hear it as a confession of love. Tanya debates romantic implications for the first time. If she dates a man that makes the physical relationship heterosexual but mentally homosexual. If she dates a woman that makes the physical relationship homosexual but mentally heterosexual. She can't decide. Because it's in the middle of combat, Tanya stops thinking about this and gets back to war.

On October 20th, the day after the battle, it snows. Winter has arrived.

Chap 6: Liberator

UK and Union alliance seems to be going well. At least Loliya is satisfied. While he can't fool any of the diplomats or high ranking government officials, sending in idealistic commissars to the UK is having the effect he intended. Many ordinary people and ordinary soldiers in the UK are beginning to feel sympathy for the communist cause.

On November 24th, 1926, Hans von Zettour makes a speech declaring that the Reich does not demand territory and that it plans to help new nations become independent and to continue the fight against their common enemy, the Communists. That day the military relinquishes control over civilian administration in conquered Union territory to the newly formed nationalist organizations.

That ends 500+ pages of vol 5.
Spoiler: Volume 6
Vol 6 Nil admirari

Chap 1: Winter operation, “Limited offensive”

Tanya is worried about preparations for winter. Visha comments that the real threat is the spring mud. But for now winter is the main threat because the winter cold is making many of their equipment non-functional. Tanya decides to raid the Union supply depot and get their supplies and equipment.

Meanwhile Union leaders are debating whether the newly formed national committees are actually allying with the Reich. So Loliya argues for a probing attack to see how the two react, and to use an international force to do it as a propaganda measure.

Col Mikel (Union), Lt Col Drake (UK) meet privately for the first time. It turns out that Mikel can speak English fluently from his days as a Czarist officer. In their mutual hatred for political commissars they become friends.

Chap 2: Paradox

Outside the Union base Col Mikel and Lt Col Drake agree that there’s no military point to this attack but prepare to attack because the communist party ordered it and because Mikel asks Drake as a friend.

The Salamander Combat Group (SCG) receive news that Union forces are on the move. Tanya realizes that they are planning to attack a local village. Tanya also makes a political decision and heads out to defend the village. If she doesn’t then it will look like the Reich is insincere about helping ethnic minorities attain independence. So, she transmits on an open channel that the SCG is on its way to defend the village.

Mikel and Drake learn that the enemy headed their way is the Rhine’s Devil. Immediately they realize the need to retreat. But they also need to have something to show for their effort. Unfortunately the villagers resist the Union forces stubbornly. So Drake says the UK forces will take prisoners, and they capture a few villagers as “combatants.” At this point, Commissar Liliya Taneechika arrives so Mikel pretends that he wants to continue to attack, and Drake protests saying they need to withdraw. Liliya acts as a translator and “convinces” Mikel that they need to withdraw with their prisoners.

Mary Sue actually wants to stay behind and fight against the Rhine’s Devil. But her orders are to withdraw.

Loliya and others receive news that the Reich and the “separatists” have now formed a solid alliance. Solid enough that the Reich has handed over policing to local ethnic minorities and that the Reich’s forces are regaining mobility. This news is devastating to everyone but Loliya. Loliya explains to Uncle Joe that what he is going to do is to whip up nationalism inside the Union and get their nationalists to kill enemy nationalists so that in the end, only communists remain. The party will pretend to be the defender of nationalism.

Back at the Union base there’s a problem. Mary Sue transferred the prisoners to the Union because Mary Sue believed the idealistic commissar Liliya. The Union had abolished capital punishment so the prisoners should fare better in the hands of the Union rather than the UK (which hadn’t abolished capital punishment). Mary Sue believed it was the humanitarian thing to do. Drake had no intentions of actually punishing the prisoners and since he doesn’t trust the communist system at all, he has to argue against Liliya to get the prisoners back. Drake’s Christmas in 1926 was ruined.

Chap 3: Lull in the wind

Ildore Kingdom (Italy)’s Army General Igor Gusman wants to broker a ceasefire between the Reich and its enemies. Surprisingly the UK, the Free Republic, and the Union are willing to negotiate. The problem is convincing the Reich to stop fighting. In order to do this, General Gusman orders a large scale exercise on the Ildor-Reich border.

The General Staff initially panics when they hear that Ildore has mobilized troops. But Zettour and Ruderdorf realize that this is only an exercise. Unlike Dakia, Ildore army leaders know how weak their army is. So the General Staff recalls the SCG to the capital just in case it is needed against Ildore and sends Col Lehrgen to Ildore to ask what they want.

Tanya initially is surprised by the order to return to the capital. And this time, she doesn’t have high hopes that it will be a real vacation.

Chap 4: Diplomatic deal

Col Lehrgen meets with Col Virgilio Calandro and Army General Gusman. He learns that Ildore is willing to broker a peace. Their price is the disputed territory between the Reich and the Ildore Kingdom. But they have set everything up so that Ildore and the US will jointly propose a grant cease fire settlement for all parties involved.

The UK intelligence service gets news that Lehrgen has gone to Ildore. They also have other information thanks to Ultra, their top secret code breaking program. The UK also receives a request from the Union. The Union wants a second front against the Reich. The UK can’t do a full scale invasion, but agrees that an assault on the Reich’s naval base with aircraft carriers will be done.

Tanya is in a restaurant at the capital along with the officers of the SCG. The newspapers report that the Reich has defeated a UK attack from the sea. She immediately discounts the news of victory. Since carrier-based planes must go back to their carriers, driving them away is not a victory. They are also deeply worried about the state of training. Lt Wusteman informs them that new mages undergo only 30 hours of combat flight training before they go to the front.

When the conversion turns to the topic of a possible ceasefire, Tanya explains to her men that it will fail. The Reich has won against the Republic, the Entente, and Dacia. A peace treaty with these three is possible. But the Free Republic, the UK, and the Union, will never agree to a ceasefire unless the Reich is willing to swallow some harsh terms. So, Tanya wants a ceasefire, peace to return, but for the moment she is skeptical.

Later Lt Col Tanya von Degurechaff and Major Weiss visit Lt Col Ugur to discuss possible future directions for the Reich. There Tanya explains her position that they should settle for peace, even if it means returning to prewar borders and no reparations. She even proposes a possible disarmament program for all sides. Both Ugur and Weiss disagree. So much blood has been shed, they can’t agree to Tanya’s proposal. They think its tantamount to surrender. Hearing this, Tanya is shocked. Ugur also points to Tanya that public opinion will not accept such an outcome. The public demands victory. But Tanya also explains, as Ugur knows full well, that the front lines are at a limit. The Reich’s war machine is slowly rotting away. She begs Ugur, to inform Zettour that war is but an extension of politics, and that a political solution is necessary.

Tanya also asks why the Reich is so clumsy in the war against the Union. Ugur explains that the Reich had no plans for an offensive war against the Union. In fact, it's borrowing ideas from the Republic's General Staff. Of how the Republic planned to conquer the Reich. Also creating national committees was all thanks to Zettour’s personal efforts. There was no overall planning for it or any back up from the politicians or the Army as a whole.

Chap 5: Portent

March 1926, Col Mikel and Lt Col Drake along with Mary Sue are sent to Scandinavia to fight with partisans there. Since the UK’s attack from the sea failed, (and Drake thinks that they failed, unlike Tanya) they need to do something else to ease the pressure on the Eastern Front.

They take a page from Tanya’s play book and board Union submarines to get close to Scandinavia and launch from the subs.

When the Reich’s forces receive news of Union troops showing up in Scandinavia, Tanya immediately recognizes that they copied her trick of launching from submarines. She also gets orders to go north to eliminate this threat.

Mary Sue had made a homecoming and wants to work with her fellow countrymen. Unfortunately, Mary Sue wants to do serious damage to the Reich, while the partisans are content with hit and run attacks. Drake has to convince Mary Sue, that she’s too eager, and that these partisans don’t want another massacre in a city.

Chap 6: Structural problem

By April of 1926, the SCG has arrived in Scandinavia. And from Tanya’s perspective these partisans are a real pain. Because they only do hit and run tactics, they aren’t concentrated and it’s impossible to seriously hurt them. Moreover, chasing these partisans all over the place is exhausting her forces.

From there Tanya thinks of the overall situation and feels that the Reich is like Hannibal or Xiang Yu. It can win each military engagement. But it doesn’t know how to use the victories.

Meanwhile the General Staff receives news that Union forces are planning a massive spring offensive. Worryingly the Union army is now more competent and has higher morale. It went from an ideological army to a nationalistic army. Zettour and Rudersdorf consider unrestricted submarine warfare to cutoff Union supplies but immediately shoots that plan down. They won’t risk the US entering the war.

They also discuss Ildore’s ceasefire plan. They are not sure it will work. It’s a logical plan, but Zettour recognizes that it’s too rational. Because this war became total war, reason alone can't end it, they need to satisfy the public's emotion. The combatant countries have awakened this monster called popular opinion.

With little room to maneuver, they discuss the various possibilities and come to the simple conclusion that they must do what they can.

And so the SCG is shipped once again from Scandinavia to the Eastern Front.

That ends 420+ pages of vol 6.
Spoiler: Volume 7
Vol 7 Ut sementem feceris, ita metes

Chap 1: Disarray

Tanya and the 203rd aerial mage battalion has arrived at the Eastern Front. Unfortunately, the Reich suffered a major attack from Union forces and its army in disarray. Tanya and her battalion engages the enemy to slow the advance. She also has a new nickname “Rusted Silver” from all the blood that she has spilled. The Union forces keep attacking and the Eastern Front weakens. Tanya is shocked because she is now thinking that fighting a war is normal. She used to think of herself as a pacifistic liberal democrat who longed for the war be over.

Chap 2: Restoration

The story of the Lehrgen Combat Group is picked up by a future historian of 1976.

The SCG is defending a section of the Eastern Front. When Union forces attack, the 203rd goes out to attack the enemy. There she finds that the enemy artillery position is filled with lots of anti-aircraft guns and that they are using timed fuses making them far more dangerous than before. Also after defeating the enemy and looking over the abandoned enemy tanks, Tanya recognizes UK tanks and tanks from a neutral country [presumably the US]. The implications terrify her.

Col Lehrgen shows up to meet Tanya. Tanya explains the situation and that the enemy also has new model tanks with extremely thick armor. The 203rd can win, but just barely against these tanks. Lehrgen explains to Tanya that he came to ask for a favor. He wants Tanya to host a military officer from the Ildore Kingdom (Italy) as an observer, namely Col Virgilio Calandro. The General Staff created a paper combat group called the Lehrgen Mobile Combat Group, that includes the SCG as its component, to host Col Calandro and show him the Eastern Front. In turn Lehrgen and others who on paper is in the Lehrgen Combat Group will be going to Ildore on a secret mission to discuss ceasefire terms. Tanya is for the ceasefire but doesn’t want to host Calandro. She points out that she’s now called Rusted Silver and that the SCG will be in battle a lot. Lehrgen quips that she didn’t earn the nickname from shedding friendly blood but Tanya retorts are all life, friend or foe, is technically equal. This surprises Lehrgen. They solve the disagreement by agreeing that Tanya will be the effective commander and will get extra supplies. She also realizes that if anything goes wrong, she can blame Lehrgen. The only problem is that all the military accomplishments of the SCG will technically fall under Lehrgen’s name. Tanya sees that as a small price to pay. For starters can get more coffee, chocolates, and socks.

After Lehrgen leaves, the SCG encounters another battle. When the 203rd arrive they see that the Imperial mages on the right flank is in chaos. It turns out that the Union has new computational jewels that have incredibly strong armor and fire power. Their weakness is their speed and maneuverability. The 203rd defeats them, but Tanya realizes ordinary mages of the Reich will have a tough time dealing with them. The Union has a new computational jewel called the T3476.

Chap 3: Effort with plan

Lehrgen has arrived at Ildore and begins negotiations with General Igor Gusman. Gusman explains that the Union wants no reparations, no ceding of territory, an unconditional ceasefire. Lehrgen explains the Reich’s position: reparations, territory, and a ceasefire with a plebiscite among the people in the occupied territories.

In the capital Ruderdorf and Zettour are debating what to do next. Zettour explains that the supplies are at their limit because the Union offensive destroyed much of the Reich’s supplies stockpiled at the front. Zettour believes that Union offensive is part of their negotiations for a ceasefire. Ruderdorf believes that the only way out is for one final offensive. The Union forces have come out of their defensive positions, so now is the perfect opportunity for a counterattack.

May 1, 1927 Col Calandro arrives at the Eastern Front. Tanya shows him the war in the Eastern Front. Because the Union had not signed a number of international treaties, and because the Union is a communist country the Reich’s forces have no legal restrictions on attacking and blowing up civilian or religious buildings. The General Staff has concluded that international law does not protect them, and because there is no private property (all property belongs to the state) and the Union is an atheist state, all buildings are fair targets in this war.

The chaos at the front lines causes a friendly fire incident, the Reich’s artillery bombarded the SCG's position. Thankfully no one is injured. This enrages Tanya but also makes her realize that something may be happening.

Chap 4: Operation Iron Hammer

Lehrgen continues to negotiate with Gusman.

Ruderdorf draws up plans for Operation Iron Hammer, a giant gamble. The Imperial army will send paratroopers behind enemy lines to capture some bridges so that Union forces cannot withdraw behind a major river. Then armor units will break through enemy lines to link up with the paratroops and surround the enemy army by creating a few pockets. Finally the noose will tighten and destroy Union forces. Zettour believes it is too risky but ultimately agrees.

The SCG receives orders for Operation Iron Hammer (May 5). They and 3 other armored divisions are supposed to break through the enemy. They will hit the point where two Union armies border each other, so hopefully they will be slower to react (each Union army hoping the other Union army will take care of the problem).

Tanya then orders her mages to get on Captain Aarens’s tanks (and put up shields). This way the mages won’t get tired from the advance and the mages will minimize the use of magic which prevents enemy detection. While Union mages were overhead battling mages from the Reich’s other units, Tanya’s SCG sneaked through Union lines and dashed to the bridge. They successfully met up with the paratroopers on May 7.

By the time the Union army command understood what was happening on May 8 it was too late. When news spread that they were being surrounded, front line Union troops began to panic and withdraw. At the Reich’s capital, news of success also arrived. To complete the victory, Zettour orders Tanya’s 203rd to attack the Union army HQ and decapitate the enemy. The 203rd complies with the order. Union HQ is destroyed and victory is assured. General Staff is overjoyed.

Ominously, however, Union forces begin to breakout of the encirclement on May 11. Tanya doesn’t want them to escape so she destroys their local HQ. Nevertheless they continue to act with coordination and some manage to escape. At this news, Tanya is shocked. The Union leaders used themselves as a decoy to buy time and get more men to escape. This meant that the Union army was now shifting from an army that waited for orders from above, to an army that could autonomously act by following the intention of the given orders. What Tanya called a “thinking army.” The General Staff also gets the same news, and while most still think it’s a great victory because only a few escaped, Zettour is also thinking along Tanya’s lines and is extremely worried.

Chap 5: Turning point

1927 May 11, Union Army Farewell Telegram. Army command has ordered surviving units to withdraw. Command will act as the rear guard to allow our comrades to escape. We wish for our soldiers to be rescued by friendly forces. We are currently under enemy fire. As farewell, we express our deep gratitude to our comrade soldiers who have fought so bravely. We regret that we were unable to repay our comrades who fought hard and died in the mud.

This is primarily because we do not have air superiority. Our aerial mages have fought extremely hard, this ought to be noted. Although situation is desperate, we will continue to fight to the end. We believe our blood proves that our soldiers’ class loyalty is not in doubt. All soldiers did their best at their posts, except command. The fault for the deaths of our comrades lies with command. Please spare subordinate organizations. Good luck to our comrades in arms.

Long live the Motherland, the Party, and the People.

Loliya reads the telegram and realizes that this is a massive defeat. He had thought that even if the Reich attacked, they would be able to defend adequately. But this forced him to rethink the situation. He asks his military liaison and after promising him that there will be no purges, Loliya gets the truth. The Union needs far more mages. They released some from their gulags and thought they could deal with the rest of the enemy mages by increasing the number of fighter planes. But mages simply hide when they encounter fighter planes. Thus, fighter planes were not adequate in eliminating enemy mages.

On another note, Loliya is satisfied because the Reich’s public opinion is now seeking big gains after this victory. That means the war will continue and Loliya still has a chance to capture his Tanya.

After the massive Union army defeat in the East, Col Mikel, Lt Col Drake, and Lt Mary Sue are ordered to leave the Entente (Scandinavia) and return to the Eastern Front. Mary Sue resists because she had finally managed to establish a working relationship with the partisans of her home country. When Drake explains that he thinks it was the Rhine’s Devil that wrecked havoc on the chain of command in the east, Mary Sue reacts to the news but she is torn. When she shows signs of insubordination (of going awol to fight with the partisans), Drake calls Liliya Ivanova Taneechika to convince Mary Sue to go to the Eastern Front. This was the first time that Drake felt that he’s rather have an obedient communist rather than a naïve dreamer as his subordinate.

Tanya is taking celebratory photos with her troops and the paratroopers at the bridge. She is in high spirits thinking that the war will now be over. Even Col Calandro thinks the Reich won this war.

Chap 6: Excessive triumph

May 13, Zettour and Ruderdorf also think they won the war. Zettour doesn’t forgot to explain that their supplies are really at its limits. If they want to go to Moscou, then the army will have to loot from the local population to move forward. Ruderdorf also knows that the war needs to end. They talk of a ceasefire, solidifying disputed borders from the prewar era, a demilitarized zone along the border, and the possible creation of buffer states.

The two are called to the Supreme Governing Council. They will talk about the details of the terms. Unfortunately when the two get to the Council they are surprised. The civilian leaders are outraged at the terms the military proposed. The civilian leaders want better terms considering popular opinion. The losses sustained in this war was too great for a generous peace. The Treasury Minister shouts saying that they need reparations or the economy will collapse. Zettour replies that if we don’t have money we should just print money. Even if it causes inflation. The civilian leaders argue that if they can win one more time, they can get better terms. Zettour knowing full well the supplies of the Reich is at its limit, opposes any further gambles. But the Treasury Minister is adamant that they will economically collapse, so they need to fight one more time. Some of the civilian leaders suggest that the resources are at their fingertips in Union territory. Ruderdorf interjects saying that he too agrees with Zettour. But when the civilians ask are you sure you can’t win one more battle, Ruderdorf says it’s extremely difficult. When they press again, he can’t say “no.” If there’s a 1% possibility for the Reich's army to win, then he can only say there is a possibility for victory. And so the civilian leaders override the military seeking one more victory.

Meanwhile in Ildore, Col Lehrgen is celebrating with wine thinking that the war will finally be over. But his hope is destroyed when he decodes the secret letter from the capital.

In the Eastern Front, Tanya is dreaming of a bright future: national self-determination, a buffer zone between the Reich and the Union, friendly neutrals. She feels that they won a two front war, a rare case in history. It is time to reap the rewards. But she is only hopeful because she doesn’t know the decision that was made back in the capital.

That ends 430+ pages of vol 7.